Spent an hour doing math this morning. To my mild surprise, I managed to finish the first eight problems correctly, but then it went into clearing fractions. While I managed to remember how to do this after a little refresher, I still haven't managed to mesh that with what the answers book seems to be doing.
At eleven I walked the lark. We wandered by the dig on the way back to chat and inquire what those bags hanging off the bronco's hind leg were. They were soil samples, hung up to dry. The professor kindly explained what they were going to do with them, and while it made sense while she was telling me I'm not sure I remember enough to give a coherent explanation myself. I think she said they had two types, one for extra-small artifacts which they'll pan for with window-screen (as opposed to the usual quarter-inch screen, I think) and water, and one for macrobotanicals, like charcoal. Yeah, that sounds about right. The girl with the braids was very happy to see Lark, although I'm not so sure about the guy sitting by the trench who had the back of his neck licked.
Janice Thorpe came down from Boulder with a friend, Joan, and three kids: her Andrea and Ian and Joan's TJ. I took the kids for a short walk, somewhat to Lark's chagrin. She always heads for the long trail when we take short walks. TJ spent the entire time messing with his mom's iPhone, although I think he took a break to ask questions when we dropped in to see the archaeologists. There were a couple of guys in the first trench who were quite happy to make suitably intriguing answers to the boys' questions. We had to head back shortly, though, and then TJ started playing Beatles songs. Apparently some iPhones have built-in speakers now.
Grandma told me, after they left, that the Thorpes were the family who sailed around the world on Sea Fever. She has a photo journal of the time she spent with them in the Galapagos Islands. I managed to read most of the notes, despite the fact that I think they were written on board, decreasing readability of Grandma's already difficult writing. Thus the disadvantages of an italic education. The information did, however, explain Andrea's articulate maturity. She is, I believe, twelve, but she felt like an equal, and Ian was also mature for his age.
Having gotten through the four problems involving fractions, I took half a cantaloupe over to Sid's a bit before dinner, and we had a nice chat--focusing largely on exchange students. We got there via Joan's son TJ, who has been having trouble at school which his mother feels would be assisted by his holding back a year. I think she felt she'd missed the gap there, so when he's older she's planning to send him as an exchange student to Chile, in the process holding him back a year. So after I'd told Sid about this, she told me about an exchange student from France she'd taught a while ago. His name was Antoine, and he had quite a lot of issues.
For dinner Grandma fixed up the leftover beef roast from the Black-eyed Pea. It tasted much better after its month in the freezer. Grandma agreed, and she barely touched it fresh. We finished off a jar of applesauce with it, and for dessert Grandma had discovered the frozen lemon bars. They actually didn't really need to be thawed; the consistency was a bit stiffer, but they tasted about the same as from the fridge. It was interesting.
Well, that was fun. It's ten after eight, and a few minutes ago Isaac just knocked on the back door to give Lark her tennis ball back, staying for a minute or two to play. While Lark does have a ball, which we picked up out on a walk, I've a suspicion this one was one of Mitch's that she lost in Sid's front yard. Either way, Isaac and Little Sid were happy to attribute it to Lark. She was delighted to see them, frisking around with an expression of idiotic joy.
Aaaaand.....an hour later......I think I'm getting off. Maybe watch Batman Begins. Otherwise read Fellowship of the Ring.
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