Epic

I impulse bought both seasons of Rome on DVD at Barnes and Noble. They were having a 'buy two get the third free' sale, so I got the two box sets of Rome and season 1 of The Twilight Zone. The next day I went back and bought the first two seasons of The Tudors and the 3rd season of The Twilight Zone. Between the first and third seasons I have most of the classic TZT episodes, such as Two, It's a Good Life, Time Enough at Last, To Serve Man, The Monster's Are Due On Maple Street, and One For the Angels. I am so happy. I also have a few episodes never before seen at TZT, which also is exciting.

I've started watching Rome. Unlike with the other two shows I bought, I had never seen a single episode of Rome. It's epic. I love it. I'm on episode 5. It seems that Cleopatra enters into things around episode 8, and having once been Queen of the Nile myself, I'm awaiting her with baited breath. Of course, we have to get through the whole affair with Caesar before we get to any of the things about which I am knowledgeable, but I'm okay with that.

Other epic adventures in my life include working over 40 hours a week since I have three job commitments. I'm working nearly everyday either at Bella, Wren, or in CW. As much as I like the money, I did not intend to spend my entire summer working-- I wanted something like 30 hours a week-- because I really don't want to need a vacation from vacation when I'm starting my master's program. It will be intense and time-consuming, so I want a little time for me now. It's too late for July, which is already scheduled, but I e-mailed the Wren building and told them that I couldn't work in August, which means I will only have my Bella and CW commitments. This will be nice because I can have time off for my birthday, plus my mother and I are planning a trip to Prince Edward Island, Canada to see the Anne of Green Gables things.

I had my first day back in CW yesterday, and it was so much fun. The other intern, Elise, and I had a "CastIron Chef Bake-Off" and we made pound cakes. We were allowed to rummage upstairs and add any spices or fruits to the cake and then they were to be judged at the end of the day by Frank. I had to leave before they were done baking, but tomorrow at the Randolph Kitchens I will get to try a little of each cake and they will let me know who won. Not that it was that much of a contest-- neither Elise nor I had ever made poundcake before (especially not from a colonial recipe), so we helped each other immensely.

And finally, today I went to Surry for a piece of Peanut Raisin Pie at the Surry Carriage House Restaurant, and then found a State Park that I hadn't ever known existed. It was called Chippokes Plantation State Park, and had a lovely quiet beach on the James and an antebellum Great House (built in 1854). It early evening, so the weather wasn't quite as hot as it could have been, and it was lovely wandering on the beach and through the gardens. Oh, how I love Virginia in the summer.