Battling Wind...

Well, I'm getting slightly more prompt in my posts if I do say so myself. The weather has taken a turn for the worst. Wednesday saw the end of the wonderful series of sunny days we enjoyed for a time. I spent the afternoon at the library and then had a break that evening with the Welcome Wine Reception in the Old Wing Dining Room, where I had the chance to meet other JSA's and finally heard the story behind Hamilton Hall.
For those of you wondering what on earth I'm talking about. I will fill you in. Once again, I reference Chariots of Fire: In the opening scene as they run across the golf course and the town is seen in the background, there is a giant red building on the corner that stands out amidst the rest of the gray town buildings. This is Hamilton Hall. When Kate and I were here three years ago, we often passed Hamilton wishing we could live there, because it's location was so beautiful and it was such an elegant building. It was empty that summer, and when we came back this semester, we wanted to see what it had been turned into. The building is still empty, but the St Andrews Grand Hotel will soon be coming to the corner of Golf Street and The Scores. The story begins with a wealthy gentleman who wished to join the Golf Club, but he was rejected on the grounds that he was Jewish. Feeling very jilted, he promptly purchased the lot across the street from the Clubhouse and built Hamilton Hall, a huge five story building, overlooking the Course and towering over the Clubhouse, and there he would sit and gloat that he was higher and much more grand looking than the Golf Clubhouse. After his death, the building sat unused for many years, going to waste. Doors had been left open, water was leaking in, and birds were flying in, dying, and then laying there for years. The City Council of Fife finally sold the building for a very cheap price to the University, who turned it into accommodation for students. Several years ago, the building was bought from the University by a man that no one knew much about. After his purchase, he disappeared for a few years, and the building once again went to the dumps. It got to be so bad, and the man had disappeared, that the City finally repossessed Hamilton Hall, and is now going to be turned into the St Andrews Grand Hotel. If that man ever turns up again, he will find that his building is gone. Oh well. The mystery of Hamilton Hall is finally solved.

Thursday brought more terrible weather, even worse than the day before. Needless to say, Kate and I did NOT run that morning. The walk to class that afternoon was a miserable one, and I spent the rest of the day inside, warm and cozy in bed reading, watching movies, and feasting on a chocolate bar. Friday found me in the library once again (because over here, independent study is an absolute must in order to survive honours modules). Since the day was still so terrible, I treated myself to a hot cocoa and caramel shortbread before heading back to the dorm to change for the night. After dinner, we met up with friends at The Rule, and just in time, because 6 Nations was just about to start, and the pub quickly filled with people. Our table continued to expand, and we all enjoyed a pint, some beer battered onion rings, and a very exciting game of rugby between Wales and France. Carter and Alex decided to head out for more drinks after that, but the rest of us (Kim, Natalie, Kate, Dan, Tyler, and Matt) headed for the Union to play some foozball, darts, and pool.
It was a fun night out, and much needed too, because Saturday found Kate and I once again on the beach for a run (the hardest one yet since we were running into a severe wind) and then in the library for the bulk of the afternoon reading some Shakespeare and reading up on letters of Marque and Privateers in the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland (very old primary resources, which are very intimidating to look through sometimes!) We once again met up with friends, this time at the Vic, for a quieter night of onion rings and hot coffee to warm us up. After a few games again at the Union, we headed back for a movie in my room.
However, Kate and I found ourselves wandering around Old Wing, where I will be moving in (hopefully soon!) We looked into the Arts Library, the Old Dining Room, the TV room, and the West Common Room. We also peaked in on Hayleigh, who is going to be my new roommate, and looked at the room. It is a spacious standard double on the corner with a big window overlooking the tennis courts and athletic fields, very nice. Kate and I then spent the next hour in the West Common Room playing on the piano and conjuring up a song while we were at it. Natalie came over to Uni about 10 pm and we watched Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (simply to see Taylor Lautner when he was 12) and ended up talking well past 1 in the morning. We were about to call it quits when my roommate (hereafter called The Girl from D1, because that's how most people refer to her; no one really knows her name, she just kinds of joins whatever party she can find) came back with Carter and watched the end of Inglorious Basterds, which took us all the way up to 3 am (longest freakin' end of a movie I've ever endured). Finally the party was over and I made it to bed, only to have weird dreams and needless to say, I was ready for church the next morning, even though I had only gotten 5 hours of sleep.
Kate and I went again to Vineyard, which we are really enjoying, and met more people from Uni Hall who attend as well. Uni has a Christian group called Link that meets on Monday nights, which I will definitely be checking out. Link group is putting on free meals this weekend (since halls don't provide dinner over the weekends) and tonight is free pizza and a couple short talks on Christianity and any questions people have about it. Natalie and Kate and I are going, and we'll see if Dan and Kim want to come as well. Anyway, this afternoon is looking like another working one for me, but probably with a short movie thrown in for a break. :)

P.S. Our package from Mom and Dad arrived with chocolate, jelly bellies, and Kate's camera cord! So there are new pictures up on her facebook for those who want to check it out.

Till next time, family and friends. Cheers!