i am convinced: there is no purpose to our ecology field trips other than to get us filthy. kirby-smith definitely had a smirk on his face today as he pilots us, on a motorboat, to some offshore mud flats - large areas of anoxic goop reeking of hydrogen sulfide and other nastiness. relevance to current class topic: none. our prof leads the way furiously for about 5 minutes chatting continuously about littorina snails, and by the time he finally comes to a stop, at least 2 girls have fallen over, one has lost her boot irretrievably in the slime and the rest of us are all stuck to greater or lesser degrees, suctioned to the ground, knee deep in mud. someone points out that if we have to fall, try not to do it on the oyster shells or they will slice our flesh open. the ones who eventually make it to the other side of the mud flat shout encouragement to those who are still wading through the muck. it is like a scene of sinners in hell. all the time, kirby-smith has this beatific smile on his face as if nothing could please him more than this monday nature romp in the 30 degree weather. next field trip: to be approached with much higher degrees of suspicion.

Currently reading:
The Dante Club - Matthew Pearl