Pope Takes 6-Hour Trip Into the Alps

LES COMBES, Italy, JULY 8, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Despite the rain, John Paul II left a vacation chalet in the forest of Les Combes this morning and went for a drive in the Italian Alps.
It was the Pope’s first long excursion from the chalet since his arrival in Valle d’Aosta on Monday.
The destination of the six-hour-long outing was not immediately made known. Details are not reported, to avoid attracting tourists to places the Pope is visiting, Vatican Radio explained.
Fifteen excursions by car have been planned this vacation, with possibly as many destinations, according to the Pope’s wishes.
In general, gamekeepers’ paths are chosen that are not open to tourists, to ensure greater privacy for the Holy Father.
This is the 10th year the Pope is spending his holidays in Les Combes. His vacation is scheduled to end July 17.
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The rain of yesterday couldn’t keep the pope away from the road. Zenit, even though I jest, is a great news organization keeping people around the world up to speed on the news of the Vatican and the Church. The summer is just slow that’s all.

Almost a year to the day, I wrote an entry about a news story reporting the the pope took a morning drive and how everso exciting it was.
Today, I open my e-mail to find this headliner from the Zenit News Service:

Poor Weather Halts Papal Outing
LES COMBES, Italy, JULY 7, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Heavy rains today prevented John Paul II from going on a drive in the Italian Alps, where he is spending his 12-day vacation.
The rain kept the Pope close to the chalet in Les Combes, a small village of Introd, where he is spending his holiday.
Many people waited for the Holy Father in the curve of the road near his residence, hoping to catch a glimpse of him as his car drove by, but their hopes were disappointed.
Rain fell on the Valle d’Aosta from the early hours of the morning and the Civil Protection Authority raised the alarm about possible dangers due to the bad weather.
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Last year, the pope took a drive. This year, the weather prevented the drive. I could find nothing in a quick search on whether he was able to take his drive two years ago.

If you notice near the bottom of the sidebar, I added a “total word count” header. That is how many words I’ve typed in this blog. Kinda sick. Also, you’ll notice that every entry now has a word count on it.

Since I know oh-so-many chemistry majors out there, I’m going to throw out the remainder of my four-year plan so all of you can wait to take your classes until a time where you can take them with me ::grin::
Summer 2004 (4 hours):
BIO 213 (Intro Bio: Diversity and Ecology)
BIO 214 (Intro Bio: Structure and Function of Organisms)
Fall 2004 (14):
BIO 325 (Genetics)
CH 310M (Organic Chemistry)
CH 431 (Inorganic Chemistry)
M 408K (Differential Calculus)
Spring 2005 (13):
CH 310N (Organic Chemistry)
CH 210C (Organic Chemistry Lab)
M 408L (Integral Calculus)
PHY 317K (General Physics I)
PHY 117M (Lab for PHY 317K)
Summer 2005 (7):
PHY 317L (General Physics II)
PHY 117N (Lab for PHY 117N)
CH 369K (Techniques of Research) or other UD electrive
Fall 2005 (14):
CH 339K (Biochemistry I)
CH 353 (Physical Chemistry I)
CH 456 (Analytical Chemistry)
M 408M (Multivariable Calculus)
Spring 2006 (13):
CH 154K (Physical Chemistry Lab)
CH 354L (Physical Chemistry II)
CH 376K (Advanced Analytical Chemistry)
CH 371K? (Science Outreach in Elementary Schools)
UD Elective?
Summer 2006 (7):
CH 153K (Physical Chemistry Lab)
CH 369K (Techniques of Research) or other UD lab
M 340L (Matrices and Matrix Calculations)
With the above four-year plan, I would walk in the Spring 2006 ceremonies and officially graduate with the August 2006 date. Looking at it, it may seem weird that I would take CH 154K before 153K. For those two classes, 154K is offered only in the spring with a concurrent prereq for 354L. 153K is offered only in the Fall (and first summer session) with a true prereq of 353. Weird but it works.

50055 — BIO 325 (Genetics) — TTh 9:30-11, M 3-4
52560 — CH 310M (Organic I) — MWF 12-1
52805 — CH 431 (Inorganic-W) — TTh 11-12:30, F 9-12
57935 — M 408K (Differential Calc) MTWThF 8-9
I met with my chemistry advisor today for the first time; she suggested a slightly different four-year plan than the one I figured up on my own. The real difference was taking CH 431 this Fall and CH 456 next fall instead of the opposite which I had proposed. The change from CH 318M to CH 310M (both Organic) was simply to fit my schedule. The lab for 310M and 310N (Spring) is 210C whereas the lab for 318M and 318N is 118K and 118L (one each semester). So that, boys and girls, is how I figured out my new schedule. Since she was an advisor, she was able to override a seat limit for me but it’s all good.