Bring me, back in my mind to a time...

When you watch films of America set in the 1800's you are looking at Mount Olive.

Sitting on the street corner, waiting for your brother to bank his cheque, you could imagine the Sheriff riding up on his horse to ask you where you were from, and what was your business.

A train line runs directly through Mount Olive Main Street as far as the eye can see in either direction. Standing on the lines (the trains only pass twice or three times a day), you can imagine the rail road crews slowly building the railroads, creeping out over the expanse of unpopulated land.

There is little keeping the town alive now - the pickle factory on Cucumber and Vine is the town's main employer; all the little shops have been put out of business by Walmart on the outskirts of town. When the students leave in the summer, there is little to stop this little town sleeping.

Beside the campus - Andy's, and PiggyWiggly and Walmart pull in the business from students. Everything they need is all there. There's no need to go farther. The campus is a dream. A little shop selling books and supplies and stationery; Starbucks! Gym facilities, training facilities, landscaped gardens. As Boy put it, during term time, they are all so busy on campus with training, lessons, work and practise, that there is no time to feel the lack of facilities outwith the confines of the University; and of course, put 3000 students together on campus - there is plenty of partying and fun to be had.

Today was a little sad. Those not graduating had to be out their apartments today. Q and K left for Orlando- they were driving; and their departure left Boy's flat with very little furniture in the living room. A was leaving too and it almost broke my heart when I waved and said "don't miss him too much", and he waved back and said "I'll try not to, and I realised he was tearful...

As we drove back from lunch (there is no shortage of places to eat in Mount Olive)... Boy got another text from someone else on their way home and we stopped in by a restaurant so that he could run in and say bye; All of them came out and we had another round of how sad it was they were all leaving and some of them wouldn't see each other.

We more than made up with the sadness of departures, with a Trip to the Pickle Factory's gift shop where we were readily identified as Tourists by driving in through the exit on the wrong side of the road. Then we hit Walmart, and entertained ourselves no end with the 2 litre (standard) bottles of Ernst and Julio Wine, 5kg bags of cheetos and Bear Gryll's "Machetes" We wondered about bringing one back through customs but decided against it.

So, we're back in the hotel. The gown has been Ironed, because Boy was going to iron it with Gal's straighteners (and it's a bit big for that). Tomorrow we'll be heading back up for the formalities, the caps, and the gowns and the tassels, and the Sigma Tau Delta braids.

I'm gonna greet ALL Day, I just know it.