I really have been meaning to blog

but there's been so much going on. I'm leaving for San Francisco in a few hours. Not super excited about the trip, but I'll at least get some reading done.

So waht's been going on to keep me from blogging since the UK (and there are still UK observatsions to blog), you may ask? Well, I finished and passed the last final in my class. Now there's a capstone class, then a cram course which includes 120 hours of prework (FUN!).

But, mainly, since July whatever when the last Harry Potter movie came out, I've read the first six books. I started Deathly Hollows last night, and hope to finish it on this trip.

We've also been on two more trips - Tarpon Springs and Charleston. A couple weeks after I get back from San Francisco, Dave starts his whirlwind travel through the rest of the year. It's going to be crazy.

So many things to write about

But I just don't have the time this morning. I've got to get to my cousin's shower in a little bit, but I can post some quick observations. Maybe I'll be able to post some more tonight. We'll see. This is going to be one heck of a week, with something after work every night, and then driving down to Florida Wednesday night. Ugh, welcome back home!

Anyway, so this morning's observations are about what things are so wonderful about getting home.

my husband
the dog and cats
the smell of home
sleeping in my own bed
country music
showering and getting ready in my own bathroom.

This last one surprises me more than the others, actually.

procrastination

I'm meant to be studying, so what am I doing? Surfing IMDB and AllMusic for fun stuff. And look what I've found?

Can't wait to see this one: Daniel Craig and Ewan McGregor in a movie about an offer God makes to the Devil for a last chance at redemption. It's only in pre-production, so I hope that both actors stay attached to the project. Based on a novel.

A few more pictures

With captions on many, this time around. I even updated some of the older pics with captions, so you know what you're looking at.

We probably just need to rid the planet of humans, then

Here's an interesting article on climate change myths. I was surprised by almost all of these. They're similar to the argued theory that recycling is actually worse for the environment because of the amount of energy it requires.

And it's not from some right-wing "nutter," as they say over here, it's someone who completely buys into this whole thing.

Here's the one I found most interesting:
"Trees, regarded as shields against global warming because they absorb carbon, were found by German scientists to be major producers of methane, a much more harmful greenhouse gas."

Hat Tip: Boortz, of all places. I think he probably posted it because it's contrarian, but it doesn't seem to go along with his usual climate change vitriol.

More Pictures

Someone mentioned that I'm not in any of the pictures I posted. Well, here are some more, and I think there may be two of me in this bunch. Just for proof that I really am here.

England

I'd love to be able to post more than I will here, but it would take hours. I already have 325 pictures! Of course, since I'm working during the week, it's not likely I'll get many pictures for the next few days.

It's been fun so far, but there's no question I already miss home. I got a very strange feeling today when my colleague headed out, and I was all-of-a-sudden on my own. We had gone to Windsor this morning and I loved it, so I dropped him at the train station, and went back for more than four hours. I was very anxious, though, and I think it was because I was now here alone. There are pictures, but I'll start in order.

Oh, and my boss comes into town tomorrow for the rest of the week, so that will be good. Strange, but good. I'm not used to working with him in the same office.

Pictures ...

Our office building

Abandoned 3M building in lovely Bracknell

Clever pub name (out of focus; taken from car)

London Eye

"Look kids! Parlaiment. Big Ben."

Monkey says hi from Big Ben

Leaving Canary Wharf station

Camden (the place Little Five Points fantasizes about)

Locks on the Thames in Camden; check out all the people on the bridge ahead and the overlook to the left. The place is unbelievable.

First time watching an English Premier League team play. Arsenal vs. Paris St. Germaine.

Check out these seats! Unbelievable.

Windsor town

Windsor Castle

More of the town.

There are so many American things, here, but I think seeing this on someone's truck has been my favorite, so far.

More castle



For Beer Pong

The apartment. There's another bedroom and bathroom, too.



Sorry about the crappy placement on the captions, but I still haven't figured out how to make it work.

Killing the earth?

OK, I'm not quite sure how much this blog of I can get behind - yet. Where the environmental movement is way too extreme for me, I can certainly get behind the idea of "don't waste so much." Things like print on the front and back of paper, don't leave all the lights on in the house all day long, and eat local produce when you can.

Planet Gore is entirely in the other direction. But, it sure makes for some interesting reading - reading you're not likely to see in Newsweek, Time, or your local newspaper. Maybe that's because the PG contributors are all crackpots, but maybe, just maybe, it's because the greens have gone a bit over the edge and are taking traditional journalists who are paid to be skeptics, or at least objective, with them.

Hat tip: dad

goals and stuff

In the last couple of days, I have made it my new goal to get to bed by 10 every night during the week. Mainly, this means that I have to be very diligent about not starting movies at 10pm anymore. 5-6 hours of sleep every night is really catching up with me.

Along those lines, for the next two+ weeks, starting Wednesday, I'll be going to bed at 10pm GMT. And on Tuesday, I'll be going to "bed" at about 7pm in the hopes of getting a few hours sleep in time to wake up at Gatwick Airport at 7:30am, ready to go to work.

Things I plan/hope to do while I'm there:
Arsenal match (Liverpool's not playing at home while I'm there)
revisit Oxford
tour Anfield, since there aren't any games
still to decide [maybe Windsor Castle, Stonehenge - "one of the biggest henges in the world!," or Warwick Castle (um, they have a trebuchet, seriously). The Warwick Castle thing looks a bit ren-festy, but I guess you can get away with being ren-festy if you were actually around during the ren-time. It also may be a bit far. Bath is another option, pretty close by.]

So we'll see how this trip goes. I'll be on my own most of it, and Dave won't be able to visit, so I'm pretty nervous about that. We haven't spent this much time apart since we got married (or engaged, for that matter). So, while I'm pretty excited to be going back to a place I absolutely love, I do wish I could be there with the one I love. It would be so much better that way.

I will most definitely try to blog and post pictures while I'm there.

Can't sleep can't sleep can't sleep can't sleep

I'm soooo tired. There's so much going on, and I desperately need to be sleeping. But my mind just won't stop. And now it's too late to take anything cause I have to wake up. Ah, the insomnia delimma.

I haven't had this problem since college, but this is the second night in a row. There's just too much going on.

And I thought I'd be done with one thing and moving onto another this week, but I'm not. I have another week, and potentially more, if I don't do well on my make-up test next week.

We did see Harry Potter tonight. My favorite so far. Very dark. And much more of a character study than any of the others. This is the first movie that's made me care to read the books. Apparently I'll have plenty of extra time on my hands when I go to England in a couple weeks, so maybe I'll take the first one or two.

Watching Pretty in Pink right now. Andrew McCarthy really was cute. Actually, he still is.

Let's see. What else can I ramble on about? Nothing that I can think of that anyone would really be interested in.

Latest kitchen update, maybe?

Countertops before (a mess, I know!)


No countertops

Countertops after




They will look so much better when we finish painting the cabinets, but you get the gist. Also, I can't say how much I LOVE the new deep sink. It's wonderful for cleaning dishes. Even our largest pots/pans (the turkey roasting pan) fit in there! And while we were at it, we replaced the disposal. I truly thank God for my wonderfully handy husband, who over the course of two days (and several trips to Ace Hardware and Home Depot) completely replumbed our kitchen sink.

I think that's about it for now. I'm really tired. Maybe I can get to sleep.

This almost had no title

That's becasue Blogger wouldn't let me enter a title at first. Mayhaps something to do with the IE 7 someone downloaded onto this machine? Mayhaps not, but mayhaps so. Who knows?

So, it started around the weekend of May 20. That was Boston.
Then the next weekend was Birmingham.
Then the next was Dave in Chicago.
Then two weekends home, but one spent working after a couple weeks of 10-12 hour days.
Then four days in Hilton Head
Then five in Minneapolis
And finally back home this past weekend in time for my best friend's wedding festivities, which were amazing. I couldn't be happier for her.
Whew. I'm tired. And am still trying to get over a cold that's been hanging on for a while now.

Oh, and we got new granite countertops this morning. They look great, but will look better when we've finally painted our cabinets.

This weekend is all about studying for a final on Tuesday night, and cleaning the house during study breaks.

And there's more still ...

At the end of July, I'll be going to the UK for a little more than two weeks. While I'm very excited about the trip because I LOVE the UK, I'm also very stressed about it. My wonderful and loving husband will not be able to come and visit, and that will be the longest we've been apart since getting married. Right now the record is only five days, and at three I was more than ready for him to come home.

Is it wrong

that I'm so excited that this show is coming back on?

ahhhh

Lyle.

KD was amazing, too. A voice like Annie Lennox - no microphone needed. Insane.

But Lyle.

Well, Lyle is the man. I mean, really, that's all there is to it.

The Way We Were

This movie was referenced in Sex and the City, and it was on the other night. I'm watching it now, and it's really great. You have to like movies with tons of dialogue and the sort of overbearing score that movies tended to have in the 70s. But there are some amazing scenes. Barbara Streisand isn't my favorite, though I can't imagine anyone else in the role. Robert Redford is definitely the star. The scene of the two of them after he breaks up with her in New York is just incredible - amazing writing. I think we've all had that conversation after the fact of a break-up has really hit us, and we try to convince ourselves and the other person that we can make it work.

And Robert Redford wearing various Navy uniforms during the entire first half doesn't hurt either.

Yeah, I know it's late, but the big work project comes to an end (hopefully) this weekend. I'm trying to wrap up loose ends, and that means working early, working late, and working this weekend.

Do you

ever just feel like doing a cartwheel?

Two For One

So, after months of keeping this on the DVR, then finally getting a computer with a DVR, finding the right tv listings, finding the episode, recording it on the computer, then burning it to DVD to give to The Galarza ... the lovely ladies at Go Fug Yourself have posted the YouTube link to Donald Faison's fantastic Bel Biv Devoe Air Band tryout dance on Scrubs.

For those of you who haven't yet enjoyed this gem, here it is.

For President

Back to Ron Paul.

I haven't watched the debate, and probably won't. They're just so depressing. But I'll vote, and watch a candidate on The Daily Show. Yep, I'm one of those people. Anyway, Ron Paul made a great appearance on the show recently.

As usual, from The Agitator

Wierd Allergies

So, I have the strangest allergy. I thought I wouldn't have a problem again because I got rid of all of my canvas shoes - or so I thought. Yesterday, when I went to the company picnic and put my flip flops on, I didn't think about the fact that the straps are canvas.

Yes, that's right, I have a contact allergy to CANVAS. It takes a little while to cause problems, so my feet are really the only place it causes issues. I won't have an issue carrying a canvas bag, for instance. But put canvas shoes on my feet for more than an 30 minutes or so, and watch them freak out.

this is that second wind I was talking about

Anyway, here's the quote I think about on Sunday nights.

“Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar.”
--Drew Carey

Really, I don't hate my job. It's just so stressful right now that it's really tough to get up every morning and go in, knowing everything that's waiting for me there - all the things I need to get done in not nearly enough time.

Having so much fun, staying up too late

I am a complete goober. After going to see Waitress (great movie; not the goober part), I am now at home watching 40 Most Softsational Softrock Songs on VH-1, and LOVING every minute of it.