September 22, 2006
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So………………
on August 10 i received a letter admitting me to General Theological Seminary, and telling me to report for orientation on 8/28. on 8/21 i had 11 tissue samples taken from two different masses in my left breast, and then on 8/27 i packed two large rolling duffels with coffee maker, desk lamps, toiletries, sheets, pillow, willoughby-the-bear-that-goes-everywhere, towels, books, laptop, printer, and some clothes. dj and i climbed on the train in the rain, rode to NYC, where we met up with my cousin who helped with the slogging of personal effects, clambered on the subway, and emerged into the rain at 8th and 23rd for the 3 block trek to seminary.
the city blocks are loooooooooong. dj doesn’t walk, and bb, my cousin, is not so physically fit. we made a very very bedraggled site as we arrived. my rooms are on the top of a building that dates to 190?, so, you guessed it > no elevator/lift. not even a dumb waiter. 4 flights up to the rooms. 5 flights down to the showers (in the basement). a water closet smaller (yes, smaller) than an airplane toilet is on the 3rd floor at least. otherwise i might have invested in a chamber pot. it took 3 tries to get keys that worked in all the doors, but finally that happened. we ate about 9:00 that night.
orientation was more DISorienting than anything. chapel at 8AM then stuff until chapel at 12, followed by lunch, followed by stuff, followed by chapel at 5:30. dinner is always on your own. i was in tears by thursday – just too much and i was too tired.
classes started on 9/4, and i am taking Liturgics (the study of theology as revealed in the practice of the rituals of the Episcopal church), Preaching 1 with lab (they VIDEO TAPE you …ugh!), Church Music 1, Schola (audition & performance choir), and History of the Episcopal Church in the United States (actually a neat course).
on 9/5 i find out that all my biopsies came back negative. i am fine for those two lumps. but have surgery on 9/11 for the remaining one…..
more to follow.
