Sophie's World

9:10 PM: Not much new to report here. Sophie seems to be feeling well, although she's still coughing. One of her doctors from UNC called today to report that the x-rays of her sinuses do show evidence of an infection. So she'll take zithromax for 5 days, then off for 5 days, then on again for 5 days. It's a coated caplet that's not too big, and she swallowed it just fine after dinner tonight. She also did well with her chewable zyrtec tonight. I decided to start the new laxative (lactulose) in the morning, because she already had 5 medicines to take tonight not counting that. Thank goodness we print out a spreadsheet showing what medicines she needs to take each morning and evening, or I'd never be able to keep it straight.

We have lots of good news today. Randall mailed off all the materials for his commissioning papers today. Forty-three pages' worth of answers to 16 questions, a bible study outline, and an audio copy and manuscript of one of his best sermons (four copies of each). We (all four of us!) will head to New Mexico on February 21st for his interviews with the committee. We will stay until Saturday, and we're very excited to catch up with old friends. Now he has to write a four-page paper (due for class tomorrow) and a sermon for Sunday. I'm sure he'll get a breather soon! Then again, four pages sounds like a cakewalk after everything he's written lately.

Our second bit of good news is that I found out today that two of the articles I revised in December have been accepted for publication in a journal called "Justice Research and Policy" (no word on the third one I resubmitted in December to a different journal, but it was a conditional acceptance, so I think I have a good chance). I had never submitted anything for peer review to any journals, so to have more than one hit at once is really satisfying. Maybe I'll quit saying I don't know what I want to be when I grow up--I think I might be good at this research stuff after all!

Our third piece of good news is that Randall found out today that he has been selected to go on a trip to South Africa this summer sponsored through the Divinity School at Duke. Here's a link that describes the opportunity: Pilgrimage of Pain and Hope.