One Last Ramble

The end of the semester is fast approaching. In the spirit of trying to savor the experiences of the semester, yesterday I returned one final time to the Thames Path. It is my final ramble. I consider the Path a hallowed place in my personal geography. I don’t know if I will ever have the opportunity to return to it. At 7:30 AM I made my way to Folly Bridge to begin the 9.5 mile ramble to Abingdon, the leg that I hiked 10 years ago that started this whole adventure. I was joined by Ben Camp, one of my students this semester. Ben is the son of one of my best friends from undergraduate days who is now a colleague of mine at ACU, Jon Camp. Ben was a delightful traveling partner, much like his dad would be were he here.

Traveling this leg of the Path for the third time, I was in a much better position to anticipate parts of the journey that were ahead. While it was foggy (and cold! It was below freezing through most of the morning.), Ben and I did manage to make out the Carfax Conduit across the river, a sight that 10 years ago provoked intense curiosity and wonder when I first discovered it. Ben and I completed the ramble by 11 AM with plenty of time to get a bus back to Oxford to enjoy a lunch together at Nando’s.

I am currently sitting in a creperie in Summertown, my alternative work spot today because my regular coffee shop is not open. What gives?!! It is 8:30 AM! I’m hankering for the breakfast bap and Americano, my regular order. I’m uncertain what Tara and I have planned for today. We’ve discussed visiting the Oxford Christmas market. I know I’ll be watching World Cup football this afternoon and evening. Yesterday’s quarterfinal matches were both instant classics. The excitement and anticipation of tonight’s England-France match are palpable locally. There will not be an empty seat at any pub this evening, so I expect we’ll be watching the match at the house.

Speaking of ACU’s house in Oxford, I experienced a small “victory” of sorts yesterday. A couple weeks ago, the students and I noticed that there was not as much hot water at the house as normal. A repair person came out to address the problem, but yesterday we had almost no hot water at all. Jacque gave me permission to do some exploring downstairs. I spent a good hour or so learning more about the house’s hot water system, doing a visual sight check, and reviewing the owner’s guides I was able to find online. I figured out the problem! The house is equipped with two tankless hot water boilers. One of them was on and working; the other was flashing a reset signal. I pressed the reset button. The boiler tried, but failed, to light. I pressed the button again. Same problem. I then pressed it a third time, and it fired up! The house is now flush with glorious, hot water. I am not much of a handy person myself, so solving the hot water problem was truly a “victory.”

That’s the weekend report from Oxford. Family and friends in Abilene, know how excited Tara and I are to see you soon. Parents of students who are following along, I hope you will let your “kids” know how proud you are of them when they return home. It has been a great privilege to walk alongside my students, to see them flourish here and to have the opportunity to play a part, however, small, in their journey. These students are a special bunch who will hold a special place in my heart for many years to come.