A string of luck

So I've been on holiday. Literally and figuratively. I took a small break from all commitments, written, electronic, and otherwise. In the spirit of honoring an "old Russian tradition", I kicked back and did nothing for a bit. It was nice. Now, I'm back. :)

After sending my final paper in, a series of fortunate events happened within the span of 24 hours. First, a package arrived in the mail with a very nice, embroidered jacket from Norwich University enclosed (a gift for finishing the last class). My teacher graded my paper incredibly quickly - sending back an "A" and a note that if I work on it, it might be publishable in the Journal of African Affairs. That night, some of my old students and the other teachers dragged me out to a local cafe, where we bought a bottle of wine and toasted my finishing school. AND I got a lucky ticket on the bus for my first time ever since moving here.

Let me explain. When you buy a bus ticket, it has 6 numbers on it. A "lucky" ticket is one where the sum of the first 3 digits equals the sum of the last 3 digits. (would this ever be a hobby in America?) If you get a lucky ticket, you're supposed to eat it. I didn't eat mine, but I did save it, and I was very excited.