Wipeout!

In Diff Eq this morning we learned about complex numbers and some identities involving those (all of which I fortunately know thanks to Complex Variables; probably the most difficult elective I've ever taken, but the most useful).

I went adventuring after that- and by adventuring, I meant I went to Russell Square to find the Senate House Library at University of London. When I got off the Tube and started walking through the park, I had severe deja-vu, and realized that I had passed said park several times four years ago, since it was quite close to where Erin lived whilst in London, and also near the hotel we stayed in. Despite the rain, I took my time walking through said park and orienting myself.

Then I got to do several figure eights around a large section of buildings on the Uni of London campus, trying to find the hidden secret entrance (not even joking here) to the Senate House Library. I also had to sign up for a card, which they felt compelled to take my picture to put on (seriously, must everything here have my picture on it? It's worse than getting your license, since it's just like, "surprise! you look like a drowned rat, smile!"). After writing down the codes for the books I needed, I went to find them, and the most adorable old man librarian came up to me and asked if I needed help, so I decided to let him help me find my books. He suddenly went from being rather quiet and slow to spritely, running shelf to shelf and finding all of the books he possibly could on Bentley and Westminster Cathedral (way more than my list had) and talking to me about it. "Are you Roman Catholic? I am, I've been to Westminster Cathedral a few times, if you go to such-and-such a place they're exactly the same, Byzantine style..." It was really fun. I ended up having to power-read one of the shorter books while I was there (since I could only take eight out and also had a few on Pinocchio to read) and then having to buy a Senate House Library tote to get all of the books back through the rain and the Tube.

When I switched at Holborn to get back on the Central line, this man in a business suit, trench and briefcase had an epic, Indiana Jones-esque moment where he sprinted and threw himself through the narrow crack of the closing doors to land, miraculously (and briefcase still in hand) on the train. The moment was ruined a little bit by him wiping out, though. He seemed to just have a bit of injured pride in the end.

I made a massive bowl of "smashed" (ie mashed potatoes) for lunch, then met up with USC Kevin and Hilary for our field trip. We met the class in Trafalgar Square and walked to Buckingham Palace; afterwards, Kevin decided to lead us through the park to Green Park station. It was all mud, and I wasn't wearing my rainboots. The puddles would've been great fun if I had been, though.

After Actuarial, we tried to go to an acrobatics gym, but there weren't any adult classes tonight; it just ended up being a fun bus ride instead. At Hayfields, I almost beat Caitlin at Mario Kart (almost) and Caitlin and I beat Damien and James at pool (ha!). I had some spectacular shots- there was one that was legitimately epic, I dug a ball out of the middle of some others and got it to ricochet into a random pocket (kaping!)