a fix?

So, today I gave in, and proofread my paper. I just emailed it to the teacher with a very nice explanation and hoping that he will expect it and not take off points.. we will see. But, like my mom always says, you never know unless you ask. I feel better, now that I feel like I actually finished it. (But there is no one to celebrate with, no Kathleen to jump around the room with). Now I can focus on my 2,500 page history paper due on Tuesday. But tonight, I am going to relax. I am going to a costume party. I am going to be a character from Mad Man. Tomorrow is cricket and roller hockey, and Sunday is CRICKET! Hell ya! Sunday my flatemates are going to do a pier walk. I have been wanting to go the past 4 weeks, and no one wants to go, now the one Sunday I am busy they are all going... I want to wear my cool red gown! I guess I do get to play real cricket instead.

the good and the bad

           Yesterday, Wednesday 26th was awesome. I got up around 8 to finish my paper. The paper was for the archaeology class. The teacher supplied the sources and I came up with the research question. So I wrote a 2,500 word essay on the coins found at Nicopolis. It was one of the easiest papers I have ever written to get to the word count. Usual I really struggle to get close to the word count. And this time,I easily wrote close to 3,000 words, even with little research points (I thought for this length of paper). Speaking of length, I thought or maybe convinced myself that 2,500 words was a 3 page paper, or a little more. My paper turned out to be 8 pages, 11 with cover page, and bibliography and a figures index (which was required). So around Cricket practice time, I decided to go for a little bit, since I really wanted to play in the match this Sunday. I ended up staying the whole 1.5 hours. This was the first day that we all got to put on the pad and actually bat, please bowl (pitch) for real. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I am pretty brilliant at bowling. I am one of the better girls on the team. It was hard at first, but I got the hang of it, especially after Clarence (the coach) told me to follow though straight. Then my ball actually started going close to the target, not outside the net, and it was smooth sailing from there. I was okay at batting, but not even close to good. This was the first time I had actually gotten close to really batting, as I had pitched closer to the real thing before. I whiffed like 4 times. And I hit the wick once- which is an "unusual" out. I really liked the padding though, especially the helmet. I loved the gloves, because they smelled and reminded me of hockey! Here is a link on how to bowl. It is awkward and hurts your arm at first. I always have to remember not to throw it like a baseball. Although I do feel cool because I grip it like a fast seem in baseball. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kNBtDX8x_A&feature=related.This is bowling expect I don't bring the ball up that high over my head in the beginning of the throwing motion.This is a link on what it looks like when you get a player out- so you bowl perfectly! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU0gNWh3tZ8. I am pretty sure that a player only bats once, so once you are out that is it. And, games usually take more then one day to play.
          So after practice, I had 2 hours before my paper was due. I was confident that I could finish it on time. However, I was in a total panic at 4:30, when it was due in 30 minutes. I ended up turning it in 18 minutes late. I just had to turn it in online, not a paper copy. I read that if it is late, the system will not let you upload it, so I uploaded it before I proofread it. (although some of my best work was not proofread, because I did not over think it and change things- Kathleen will attest to thing). I also read the handbook for the School of Classics, it says it deduces one point per day late. I hope 18 minutes does not count as a day. Also 1 point is a huge deal, because they grade here out of 20. Although I am not sure; it might not be that bad becasue 50% is a 7 not a 10. I emailed the teacher to explain, because I also read that that I what is courteous even if they do not take off points. I am still worried about this paper and am still decided if I should proofread it and then say I uploaded the wrong version. This is the first time I have turned anything in late and/or not perfectly done in my mind. I really f**ked up this time...
          Anyway, I got an email later that night that said I was playing in the Cricket match this weekend! Yes!!! It is from 11-2 in Perth (about an hour to an hour and a half away), which is perfect because I will still be able to go to Edinburgh with the History Society to go on Edinburgh's haunted tour. There are only 6 people going (because it is indoor cricket, if it was outside there are 11 players). I am so pumped I was picked. All the other people playing are the better people on the team. Maybe I was picked because I am good too or maybe it is because I was the only other one that was available.
     

Castle fieldtrip continued again

Go to the first post about the Castle Fieldtrip for this to make sense. This post is part 3 of 3.

This Palace is purely domestic. As noted by this "gun port" entrance. The little hole to shoot out of it facing the town on the other side of the wall on the right.

In the town of Linlithgow.

We had a 50 min. lunch break in Linlithgow. Along with some healthy food I had my first Mars Bar, it is a Milky Way with Caramel.

A very blurry William Wallace Monument

Next to Duone Castle. This area here was a Roman army fort.

Duone Castle. All the Monty Python and the Holy Grail scenes that had castles in them where filmed here. They were all filmed here, and not lots of different castles is because they had a very small budget. So, they used this castle and lots of different angles.

Me on top of the castle.I am not sure if I was supposed to be up there- I don't think so.

Narrow steps at the top. But they were really cool! It was a very long staircase.

The taller part is were the King would stay when he was here- to hunt. It is also the Gatehouse. The smaller part to the left is part of the Great Hall.

This is where the keeper of the Castle would stay when the King was not here. Then the King was here, all the people the King invited up with him/ his entourage stayed here. They were packed into these rooms- along with the servants that worked in each room. 

The entrance.

The part on the left is the King's place/ Gatehouse.

Our bus. There were 14 people on the trip, plus the teacher and bus driver. There are 15 people in the class- so, we left one behind in St. Andrews

Castle fieldtrip continued

walking up to Linlithgow Palace (front left), front right is St. Michael's Church

St. Michael's church, built around the same time as the Palace

The things on the side of the building are supposed to look like defenses, but they actually do nothing.

This was the original entrance. Each king that lived here changed a part of the Palace. One of them changed the entrance to make people go though the town to get to the Palace.

People think that the empty capsels on the sides just above the door had statues of Saints in them and were taken down during the Reformation

Note the fireplace in the upper middle part of this wall. There were 3 floors here at one point.

The king actually slept here, in a "closet" off his chamber room.

Castle Fieldtrip

This was an awesome fieldtrip. I went with my castle class. We left at 9am and were back at 4:45 pm. We saw 4 castles, Ravenscraig Castle, Aberdour Castle (which my teacher says amazing in his British accent), Linlithgow Palace, and Duone Castle. My favorite one was a tie between Aberdour (the old part) and Duone, both were awesome for different reasons. I learned so much this day!!! And, I had a blast!

Ravenscraig Castle

This is the back of the Castle. From this view, it looks more domestic then military.

Picture taken from the Castle.

Castle from the back, my back is to the water.

This is what the Castle sits on. Every Castle needs to sit on a solid ground- foundation- or else it will slide and move.

Aberdour Castle, the crooked part in the middle of the picture, fell of the oldest part, in front of it, not pictured, during one of this Castle's two collapses.

They used to keep doves in here, to eat.

Me in a little nook. I stood in there and waited for my friend to come around the corner. She was a little scared to see me standing there.

The oldest part of the Castle. And, yes, that kid is wearing a clock. She wears one everyday.

Inside the beehive  looking thing where they kept the doves.

The Castle from the beehive thingy. The part to the left is the oldest part and the part to the right is the newest part. (with progression in-between).

Sundial on the side of a newer part of the Castle.

Me going up what is left of some stairs.

The oldest part- the coolest part.

Linlithgow Palace. All of the King's honors above the entrance.

Walking up to the Palace from the town.