Even though I don't think I'm technically an employee of the park, I still get to take classes from the Smoky Mountains Field School for free*, so when Joy handed me the pamphlet of available classes, I basically circled anything that my schedule accomodated (which was pretty much everything since I have no life). Today was my first class – Introduction to Orienteering.

The class was almost exclusively in the classroom, and I got to learn cool things like

• The different components of a map
• How to read a topographical map
• The difference between True North, Grid North, and Magnetic North
• How to use a map and compass to get from one location to another
• What a spur, draw, ridge, and saddle are 

Of course, I immediately forgot almost all of this, which was a shame because 1) it's quite interesting, and 2) we had to put it all into practice in a simple exercise at the end of the 7-hour class. This, of course, resulted in me taking the "hard route" and "crossing" (splashing about in) a river, only to find that my last compass reading was a tad inaccurate (completely and irrevocably wrong). Naturally, I found this whole pride-killing exercise brilliant, and I left the class smiling, soaking wet, and with a cute little pin as an affirmation of a job well done.

Tonight I went up to Knoxville with the girls from work to grab dinner and catch the hockey game - Knoxville Ice Bears versus Fayetteville FireAntz. We ate a restaurant called Cancun, and I think this may be the only Mexican restaurant in the history of the planet to not have hot sauce out on the table. Also, the restaurant had far fewer topless men and women than its name would have you believe. Color me disappointed on TWO counts.

I have been to one hockey game before in my life, and this game was only about a gabillion times better. First of all, SO MANY FIGHTS! It was great. If there's something better than sweaty, athletic men sucker-punching it out in ice skates, I don't want to know. Plus, we got free posters of the team, which is great, because the walls of my efficiency apartment are looking pretty bare…

*Although the field school is independent of the park, their classes take place throughout the park and even in some of the park's indoor facilities. It's my understanding that they get to do this for free in exchange for letting employees take courses for free, which is pretty great for hangers-on like me.