I'm here!

After a long day of travel, I'm finally in genuine Nebraska. The trip was uneventful and I am thankful for that. Highlights included a guy with the worst case of dandruff I've ever seen---who was removing his jacket and shaking his "snow" all over me in the security line. Then there was someone next to me on the first flight with an extreme case of dragon breath.

But I really need your help sorting out some things. On my first flight, the movie shown was Million Dollar Baby. I had been wanting to see it and figured that a bowdlerized airplane version would at least pass the time. And it did. In fact, we arrived in Phoenix 30 minutes ahead of schedule---which means that there was no chance to finish the film. I'm guessing there was about 10 minutes of it left. (Frankie had just been to the priest to talk about pulling the plug on Maggie.) I am very interested to know the answers to the following, if anyone can provide some insight:

• Do we ever learn what Maggie's nickname (Mo ---) means? If so, what is it?
• Does Frankie pull the plug?
• Do we find out why Frankie and his daughter are estranged? Please do share.

On the bus from Omaha to Lincoln, I sat next to a very nice Cuban immigrant who is here for the AP Physics read. It was nice to gaze out at the cornfields and ponder a different landscape.
Tomorrow, the real fun begins. Here is the question that I've been assigned to Read this year:

Angiosperms (flowering plants) have wide distribution in the biosphere and the largest number of species in the plant kingdom.

• Discuss the function of FOUR structures for reproduction found in angiosperms and the adaptive (evolutionary) significance of each.
• Mosses (bryophytes) have not achieved the widespread terrestrial success of angiosperms. Discuss how the anatomy and reproductive strategies of mosses limited their distribution.
• Explain alternation of generations in either angiosperms or mosses.

What do you think? Pretty exciting stuff, eh? The last two years, I have been assigned to the questions which I was least interested in. And this year, my ship has come in---as I get my favourite topic.

I'm off to meet and greet for a bit...catch up with people I haven't seen in awhile...and unpack. I hope your week is as interesting as mine looks to be.