Lane. This is for you.

Never again will I underestimate the power of a hot shower.

The accommodations of this college are less than adequate. On Sunday, the power went out. I was in the library, attempting to work on one of my many papers for the semester, and all of a sudden we were all in the dark. Line shone in from one of the large windows, but my laptop began to use life by means of its weak battery, and I figured I would just return to the lobby of the residence hall until it came back on. It took an hour or so, but we finally got power back. We soon came to learn that the hot water was out. Oh joy. The hot water was out until about 1 am that night, in which I took a very hot shower and crawled into bed. At least I didn’t have to go for days.

That’s changed. Yesterday morning was the morning from hell. I got up at 8:20 to print off my Gender and Sex Roles paper. While I was walking up the stairs from the IT Center, an alarm went off. Fire alarms, to be exact. The building was evacuated and I was rushed out of the building in my flip flops and half-sweater. Shivering in the cold morning, I glared at the building, and knew it was going to be just one of those days. We finally were herded back into the building and I got into my class, after stepping in a gigantic puddle of water on the stairs (safe, huh?). Once the class got going… we lost power. So there went the powerpoint and the presentations for the day. We spent the class period going on about Marxist vs. Weberian theories. Oh joy. I spent the rest of that day working on papers. For the past two days the hot water has been out, yet again. Seems like things just.. won’t work these days. I think it’s finally back on, so I can FINALLY take a shower tonight.

This past week, as you may have guessed, is mid-term week. I’ve had 4 papers, 2 exams, and 1 presentation. It wouldn’t be a big deal if the professors would just spread the assignments out. I’ve done both of my “Hurst” papers on The Tempest and Mrs. Dalloway. How joyful, huh?

It’s done. It’s over with. Hooray!

So, my Mother was just amazing and she sent me a CARE PACKAGE! And guess what it contained! Mac and Cheese. OH YES. I only have two. And last night, I ate one bowl as a celebration that all of my papers were finished with! It was a golorious moment.

Tomorrow I have my presentation to do, and then I’ve one exam left. It’ll be wonderful when it’s all over. Friday will be filled with… well, I have no idea what. But. Saturday!! Saturday will be wonderful. I’ll be on a train for the whole day. But once I step a foot off of the train, I’ll be in Scotland! How exciting.

What I need more then anything right now?

A glorious massage!

Think I could find one somewhere? Without having to pay?

I wonder how you pull that off without having to dish out sexual favors in return. Oh well!

Nothing else going on. Sorry for the bore, dears!

Help! I need somebod-ay! Help! Not just anybod-ay!

It’s been a while since I’ve last updated. Since being in London, I find myself either without the time… or just not in the mood to post. The past few weeks have been filled with pain and illness. Colds have been circulating.

Tomorrow I have to got to the dentist to get a wisdom tooth extracted. The tooth has been causing me a large amount of pain. I’ve had nights where I’ve been up at 3 A.M… crying and holding my mouth. I’ve gotten some pretty strong over the counter meds that have aided me well enough. To be honest, I’m worried about getting it pulled. If they just numb me, then I’m going to be awake! Oh! The horror! Awake while a BRITISH dentist is pulling out my tooth.
Save me.

I’m gonna be starving tomorrow, too! British food is bad enough. I’m going to have to eat soup (which is usually “cream of something”) and just drink… Hm. Hopefully I’ll recover more quickly then originally expected.

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I’ve been starting a new thing. I’ve been collecting postcards. They haven’t been just from the places I’ve visited. I’ve discovered a new found fascination for “vintage” looking postcards. They often have them around… and they’re advertisements that have the vintage picture and whatnot. It’s hard to explain. But I love them. I’ve gotten a few that has pictures of Marilyn Monroe on them (sending some to Colby dear!) and I’m keeping my eye out for more!

Dr. Allen, my Contemp. British Fiction lecturer, does this thing where she buys postcards and uses them as bookmarks. I love this idea and I’ve been stealing it from her! So now, when I start a new book, I’m using one of my beloved postcards and it’s bookmark. In each book, I’ve got a postcard and a tube map. I’ve found it to be essential.

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Valentine’s Day wasn’t terrible. Trying to walk along Oxford Street was. People are rude, just like they are in the States. They don’t walk fast, just like they lag in the States. It’s frustrating. There were many men, though, that were walking around with bouqets of flowers in their arms and bottles of wine in their coat pockets. It was sweet and just too cute. Made me miss my own man more then I could describe.

Kandi, Casey, Jena, and Laura all went out dancing. I stayed in and stayed on the phone, reading a book of love poems all the while. Oh. I can’t help it. I’d rather stay in with a book and a phone then dance. But. I suppose dancing just isn’t my thing.

Being homesick is still a state for me. I’m adjusting better. I hope it continues to grow easier. I just miss my family so much. I talk to my Mom every night… I can’t help it. And Jaime is coming to visit in March. It just isn’t soon enough. Hm. Scotland… then Jaime for a week. Talk about the best two weeks of my life!

Oh well!

And Foxcraft…. I’m still jealous about Harry Potter Clue.

From the Beginning

The past few days have been pretty hectic. I know that Kandi and I haven’t been able to update much recently. The lack of updating is primarily due to the lack of Internet connection we have in this building. I think the network is super weak and we’re on the third floor. We’ve no connection in our room… and when we get it, the connection is just ridiculous. Things are going to have to change somehow. I’m not sure what it is we’re going to do to change it, but I’ve got to be able to have a connection in my room. It sucks because I’m unable to use my Magic Jack to call back home, and I need to stay in touch with my family and my boy.

To start from the beginning, though, the airport/plane ride was an interesting experience. Once at the airport, I had a bit of time with my family and my boyfriend before we had to leave for security. I had to rip myself away from my boyfriend, which was to be expected. I cried and he gave me his favorite (and my favorite on him) shirt, which was his Marvel shirt. I packed it away and went to spend about 10 minutes with my family. I bawled my eyes out when I hugged them goodbye and Kandi and I headed towards security. We had no problem there, so everything was good. We had a 40 minute wait before we boarded the plane to Fort Worth, Texas (where we hopped on the connecting flight). That flight was slightly cramped and not so fun. We had a doughnut in the airport ( we were starving!!) and boarded the plane to London, somewhat in shock that it was happening and already tired of flying. The flight to London scared the shit out of me. Right when we were beginning to take off the lights all shut off and it was like the power on the plane shut down. Kandi laughed at the face I made when this happen…. but I was ready to get off that flight right then and there! We eventually got up in the air and we tried to settle into our seats. There wasn’t much room at all. The service was horrible. We got breakfast and lunch pretty late. I don’t recommend American Airlines.

Once we landed in Heathrow, we were buzzing with excitement ( despite the state of exhaustion). We had to walk forever in the airport to get our luggage… and that right there was an adventure. Both of us had a hard time trying to get it around the airport… but we had the help of this sweet old lady who volunteers and helps students arriving to get to their destination. We took the Heathrow Express into Central London, ending up in Paddington Station. Once at the station, we had another trek to the taxi area, where we finally were able to sit as the maniac of a driver took us to Regent’s. One point of warning: Fear the driving of Londoners. It’s ridiculous. We got registered with the college and found that we had to lug our suitcases up 4 flights of stairs. We weren’t happy campers. They got our ids screwed up and we found that we had no connection. It was all horrible. Eventually we went for a walk around the campus and tried to de-stress, awaiting 9:00 so that we could finally get to sleep ( as Dr. Buck instructed). We walked along the street for a while, not having a clue where we were and what we were doing, but everything was just beautiful. We finally got back in and went to bed… simply… exhausted.

 

On Friday we got up and had to attend orientation. We got through that process and went out with Laura ( another FSC student) to Primark to go shopping for extra bedding. We found what we needed and picked up our Oyster card so that we could get on the tube without a problem. When we got back to campus, we were right in time to go on the Jack the Ripper tour that the school set up. I was thrilled. We all headed to Baker Street Station and took the tube ( my first time!) to Tower Hill, where we met the tour guides. The tour was a blast. We saw the sites of the murders and heard the gory tales.. walked a bizillion miles and actually saw a beautiful building that was unchanged since 1880. I was shaking with excitement. Once the tour was over (after he scared the pants off of us all), Kandi, Laura, and I all went in search for some food. We saw a Nandos and (because Tara always talks about it) we went there for dinner. The food was pretty awesome and not too expensive. Afterwards, we were looking for a pub and got lost for about 2 hours  in Whitechapel (or at least that’s what it felt like) and encounter a bus fight that held up traffic before we finally found the Underground. We went back to Baker Street and went to the pub above the station for a drink. Kandi and I both got a double Jack and Coke… which was delicious. We briefly chatted with a few boys from the Royal Academy of Music and went along our way back to school. I was exhausted that night, but I couldn’t get my Internet connection to work (surprise surprise), so it was difficult for me to fall asleep.

The next day, Kandi and I woke around 11 ( after we ignored the 9 am alarm) and dressed. We picked up breakfast, where we were joined by Laura, and we took the tube to Westminster and walked through the station. While we went toward the exit for Westminster Pier, we encountered a man playing an accordion (rather well, too!). So we had the perfect background music while we walked out to see the Thames River, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey. It was all so overwhealming. That was the point that we felt like we were really in London. We took pictures and freaked out for a few minutes before finally heading to the Abbey. We caught the Evensong service and went into the building. I was instantly taken. I can’t even begin to describe the feeling that filled me. True, I may not be of faith, but the structure is just too magnificent not to enjoy. I started to cry at several points, my eyes filled with tears as we looked around the arched ceilings and over the stained glass windows. The service was beautiful. The choir was just phenomenal and it really got to my gut, making me tear up, yet again. I loved every minute of it. Afterwards, we all walked around Westminster for a while longer before heading back to Baker Street. We were forced to order Take Out, as they close the cafe for Saturday night. The evening went well and I was easy to sleep compared to the night before.

Today wasn’t as eventful, but still good. We went to Primark and Boots to get supplies… and now we’ve just been chilling. I think I need to do some letter writing soon. I think we’ll end up getting a drink later, just one or two before classes start… then it’s all studying for me after that.

Well. I think this is long enough.

I’m including the link to a Photobucket account where I’ll keep all of my pictures to spare a spamming of them.

http://s477.photobucket.com/albums/rr135/KJEubanks/

She’s a bitch and I’m gonna spit on her shoes!

Last night was Kandi’s 21st Birthday! We all went to Chili’s for the celebration and there was a pretty good turn out. We had a table full of people which produced a lot of laughs. I picked Kandi up around 7 something and we made it to the restaurant. It was a Monday, so they were pretty chill and slow. We got our table and people began to arrive. The waitress wasn’t anything spectacular (refer to the title of this post!) and Kandi got her food after everyone had theirs for forever! We eventually got round to the drinks and her cheeks began to rose up as she got happy. It was a pretty nice evening, I just wish we could have stayed out a bit longer. But alas. Classes are starting and work must be done. Boo. Anyhow! The night was great and I hope Kandi enjoyed it.

Well. I’m almost there!!

Sick update: I sound like a MAN! Can someone be magical and make me all better, please?

Oh, dear…

I’ve failed to write about both Christmas AND New Year. How terribly neglectful of me. We all read the same thing over and over, though. So, in lieu of giving you details and stories… Both New Years and Christmas were spent with people I love. I had a wonderful holiday, and I find myself extremely lucky to be surrounded by such stupendous people.

Yes. Bring on the sneezing, coughing, stuffed up nose, sinus pressure headaches, sore throats, and the rest of the lot.    I. Am. Sick.  Couldn’t happen at a better time, right? Just days before my birthday.. as well as days before departure… My body found it acceptable to let this little bug into my system. Wonderful.

For the past few days, I’ve been feeling quite under the weather. -Enter groan of frustration- I do hope, though, that the sickness will clear up before Thursday. I’d rather not try and celebrate my 21st birthday (which is actually on Friday) with a head full of yucky stuff. No thank you, Mister! Take that present back, please!

Ah, well. I suppose I should get used to it. In London we’re bound to get sick. New germs and whatnot, as Kandi and I have discussed. This year has been the year for colds and everything else under the sun. I thought the susceptibility would have rung out with the old year. Ah! I’ll get over it. Kudos to you, NyQuil inventors!

For Contemporary British Literature, Kandi and I both have to read Atonement and Never Let Me Go. I’ve oddly been successful in reading both novels. I would have never thought I would have gotten through them, to be honest. I guess I just put my mind to it. So Hoorah! I’ve got to admit, Atonement settled my lit appetite a littler better than Never Let Me Go. What is a girl to do? McEwan just has this way with his narrative style. It gets me right in the gut. Plus. There was a library sex scene. What more can a English major ask for?

Point. Made.

The Thorn Birds.

Next on the agenda.

My aunt gave me the book to read when I was 13. I never got around to it. She found it recently and let me borrow it to read again… So I’m giving it a good go. It’ll be something a little different. I hope to finish it before I get on that plane.

I’m saving Pillars of the Earth for that 9 hr. ride on the aeroplane. Yes, Sir!

Last night I went over to Kandi’s house. I have a lovely evening. We celebrated her birthday (kinda doing mine too! Which was really sweet) and we had a grand ole time. Her Dad and Stepmom are just sweet as ever to me and I always feel so welcome. The food was DELICIOUS! Kandi’s father=supreme steak maker! MMM! Kandi and I had some fun at Target, too! Woo! My favorite store. And. To top it all off. We played Hand and Foot and did quite well for ourselves. Here’s to us, Cheese Head!

Tonight is bound to be interesting. Happy 21st, Kandi!

You’re a girl! You’re a girl! You’re a girl!

This weekend has been slightly hectic and I’ve not been able to post, so this one will be a doozy! 

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SOME LIKE IT HOT

Billy Wilder’s  1959 rendition of Some Like It Hot features Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe. The film can be seen in both Black and White, as well as full color and is just absolutely brilliant. If you’ve never seen the film, I highly suggest watching it. The basic plot of the film goes like this: Two musicians run into the path of the mob. The two musicians flee for their lives and end up cross-dressing and on a train with a band of women to Florida. One man falls in love with Marilyn Monroe’s character (naturally), while the other flirts with a millionaire, despite the two of them being men. The mob find the men in Florida, and they all hightail it out of there. The movie is chalk full of laughs and Curtis and Lemmon seem to exercise skill in walking in those heels! Lemmon is my favorite out of them all; his character always keeps me laughing. Monroe’s performance is quite fitting for her character “Sugar” and she always brings a smile to my face. It’s in this movie where we get her singing “I Wanna Be Loved By You”. Her dresses are somewhat racy but she’s just beautiful on the screen as ever. 

So, to put it simply, I think I’m going to have to buy this movie and watch it on days I might be feeling a little down. It’s a classic, that’s for sure, and I need to own it. So look out Amazon, here I come! 

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Saturday was quite the interesting day. I accompanied my mother on her Christmas present shopping adventure. That’s right… on the Saturday before Christmas. Are we crazy? I think so. I went with her even though she was buying some of my presents, but she needed the help. So, we split off in the mall and went our separate ways to try and find proper gifts. I did pretty well with the list that I had. The annoyances weren’t the usual ones. There seemed to be an influx of children at the mall this past weekend. I understand that some people don’t have time to do their Christmas shopping until the last possible weekend, but why must they bring their kids along? I don’t understand why they can’t just hire a babysitter for a few hours while they go out and get the shopping done. It’d make the environment a hell of a lot easy to maneuver in. What’s worse are the mothers that bring the gigantic strollers into the stores with them. The things block the isles like no one’s business…. I was in one store and I swear there were over 6 strollers in the tiny space. It was driving me nuts! Anyhow. We got out of the place and had lunch at Moe’s before hitting up Target, Barnes and Noble, and Best Buy. Afterwards we finally went home. My beau came over for the night and we all traveled to my Aunts for dinner. The shopping was exhausting. From now on. Online shopping is the way to go.

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 Dinner at my Aunt’s was lovely. I got quite the surprise while I was there, too. After we finished eating, my Aunt gave me my Christmas/Birthday present. It was a quilted white coat for me to wear while in London. The thing is super warm and I’m quite excited about getting good use out of it. It’s odd seeing me in so much white, but it’s lovely and I think it’ll be of perfect use while I’m over there in the cold! Once I opened that, she turned to me and smiled before saying “Wait a second. I have something else that I’ve been wanting to get you. I was going to wrap it up for you, but then I felt like it didn’t need it and it shouldn’t be opened but simply handed down…” My heart stopped and my eyes got large. I knew what it must have been. She came out with a string of pearls and a ruby ring and handed them to me. They belonged to my grandmother who passed about five years ago…. I hadn’t received anything of hers to really keep as my own. My Aunt had been saving them for the right moment and thought that I deserved them above the other women in the family. That I would cherish them more. Which is true. I cried and she cried and my mom cried… They just mean so much to me, and it was honestly the best Christmas gift I could have gotten. 

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After we left my Aunt’s, Jaime and I went to Downtown Disney to the theater to see Yes Man. We left kind of late, but we arrived with enough time to take a leisurely pace. We talked the whole way over and giggled a bit. It was nice to have a change of pace and go somewhere a bit new together. When we arrived we went to the Virgin store and walked around a bit to browse before heading over to the theater. We opted for a lighter movie and chose Yes Man instead of 7 Pounds. It was a good choice, too. We found a semi-secluded spot and cuddled up together for the film. It was full of laughs, which I didn’t expect. With Jim Carrey the film can go one of two ways. It can be hilarious, or it can be ridiculous. I was delighted to find the movie to give me a few good laughs. I would recommend it if you’re looking for something light and amusing for a good afternoon… After the movie, we decided to head back home. I was giggly and in a good mood and we laughed and talked on the way back… So much, actually, that we missed the exit on I-4. So, we got off on the next one and found ourselves traveling through the fog on a winding road. It was the closest thing to a horror scene I’ve ever seen, and I was fully expecting some dead chick to be standing in the middle of the road when we turned a corner. We arrived safely, though, and stopped by a 24 hour McDonalds for some 2 a.m. chicken nuggets. They were delicious! We got rid of the evidence and finally made it back to my house to cuddle up on the couch while watching the History Channel. We finally passed out around 4. So. Saturday was quite the busy day for me. I was exhausted. 

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Sunday was lovely. We did nothing but lay around  and watch television. I put ribbons on the presents for my mom while she went out to do more shopping. My brother and dad went out to get my mom a large gift, so Jaime and I had some time to ourselves, which was nice. We had lunch and relaxed (aka napped) for a while before the evening rolled around and he had to leave. Once he did, I talked with my mom for a while and called it a night. I’ve got to say, though, I hate wrapping presents. It’s fun at first, when you have boxes to wrap, but it gets very tedious once you’ve wrapped about 10 gifts and you’ve run out of boxes. Then the wrapping is never straight or clean cut and it’s just this big wad of paper with something buried deep within the tape and the ribbon. Thankfully, I finished all of my wrapping yesterday. So I don’t have to have that fun any longer!

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I think I’m going to relax a bit today and possibly see about doing some more Christmas-y stuff before Christmas Eve hits and we have a house full of relatives. Meanwhile, I need to start reading for Contemporary British Lit and get the summaries done before we jet off to London! The next few days are going to be amazing… I hope. 

 

For quite the disturbing Christmas image….

 

 

The End!

 

Milkshakes and Knob Jobs

Trespassers William – “Different Stars”  I feel like I’ve heard this song before, I’m just not sure where. Regardless, I think her voice is just beautiful, and the song really chills me out. I think it’s definitely a good song to sit and ponder. 

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Yesterday might have been one of the most amazing afternoons of all time. The night before last, Lane came over to spend the night and we spent our time together chatting, giggling, and watching odd movies (which I’ll get into in a bit). She left yesterday around 1:00 pm when Jaime showed up. So the past two days were spent with friends and the boyfriend. It was just lovely. But! The first bit of business to cover: 

 

 Arby’s

First off, I’m quite a fan of this chain. I think the roast beef sandwiches are delicious (with, of course, the aid of the Arby’s sauce). On top of phenomenal sandwiches, they have curly fries, which are the most amazing fries in the world. To top that off, they offer small cups of cheese to accompany the fries. How ingenious is that?! True. This isn’t the healthiest meal in the world, but it sure is delicious. 

Oh, but we haven’t covered the best part yet. Yesterday, I hoped in the car with my brother and my boyfriend and we went on a trek for the delectable items… and to my surprise, things got even better. Introducing the new Chocolate Mint Swirl Shake. Oh yes, you read me right. A Chocolate Mint Swirl Shake. Sure, this has been done before, but this shake beat the pants off of all others. It was made entirely of mint ice cream, which was just heaven. But. To make matters better. They swirl chocolate fudge around the edge of the cup. This, of course, is the most amazing tasting treat you can suck on. But. Warning: The shake is not meant to be consumed under the watch of a significant other… that is unless they find it attractive to watch you stick your nose into the empty glass trying to scrape out the chocolate fudge with your tongue. Bottom line. Give it a try next time your out.

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 I spent last night filling out Christmas Cards. I’ve found it a difficult thing to do. I have a hard time writing a traditional message on each one. I just don’t see the point if you say the same thing to every person. Therefore, I spent ages personalizing them. True, I only did about 11 cards, but I figured that was enough for the night. I also find it interesting that it’s one of the only times during the year that people sit down to open their address books. It’s a shame letter correspondence isn’t regularly practiced. We’re all either too busy or unable to properly formulate a good letter. The craft of the letter ( in particular… the love letter) needs to survive. So, how do we go about promoting that? I think I’ll make it a New Year Resolution to regularly write letters. I don’t want to be one of the millions who only touches their address books come Christmas or Birthdays. 

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Meanwhile. I’ve been thinking about what a “magical” Christmas would entail. I’ve not really come up with much, to be honest. Sure, we all would love a classic christmas of sledding and snowball fighting that’s followed by a nice, hot cup of hot chocolate or cider and a rousing game of Scrabble… but in all actuality, the perfect Christmas would probably be pretty dull. I think I may take play fighting with my brother and making him cry instead. I used a belt to defend myself. He should have known what was coming. Regardless! I think this Christmas will be unique from all of the other, which will make it all the more special. 

Of course, one thing I would love to do this season is go to Disney while they are full of Christmas cheer. I’ve never seen the castle’s Christmas lights. It sure does look beautiful though. I think I may get carried away and allow myself to revert back to the 5-year-old within (which, I assure you, is not very difficult). I would just love to be able to roam the parks with a huge grin on my face as I peer up at all of the brilliant decorations. I think the lights and the decorations are my favorite part… that accompanied by the music. Who could really ask for more? Hell, I’d be content going around and walking through the hotels, even. I know The Floridian is always decorated beautifully. I need to stay in that hotel at some point in my life. In a suite, I think, with a huge tub! That would be fantastic. Hm. Well, I doubt my Disney Christmas will be taking place this year…. which is all right. Maybe in the future? It’s totally worth a shot. 

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 Lane and I rented two movies and enjoyed both (which seems to be rare for us). The first we watched was Conversation(s) with Other Women. The tale was interesting, to say the least. The dialogue was extremely well done and kept me on my toes. I was intrigued. I believe the movie was edited on a Mac. The entire thing is told by the usage of a split screen. So you’ve constantly got a change in the dynamics of POV. Helena Bonham Carter did a wonderful job with her character. She always kept me smiling and her witty character made me nod my head and go “That-a-girl”. On the other hand, Aaron Eckhart’s character charmed the pants off of me. You knew immediately what he was after, but at the same time, you couldn’t help but love the guy. I found myself rooting for both characters, and I desperately wanted a happy ending for both of them. I loved it.

 The second movie we got was The Amateurs. This, is where a bit of my title to the post came from. It cracked me up. The movie is essentially about this town that decides to put their money together in order to great the first ever full length amateur porn film. The movie kept me smiling (of course!) and I found it actually very endearing. The characters were a riot and the language made me giggle. There were a few names in there that I had never heard before, so I had a very brow raising moments. The group of men attempted to create the “perfect” porn film which including some “classic” scenes. There were a few points where I really laughed out loud and it was a pretty good, light bedtime film. It’s not too graphic, at all actually… Which was actually kind of nice. It seems as though these days we get nothing but sex pushed in our faces. This movie centered around sex… but the actual act never really presented itself. This, of course, can be a good or a bad thing…. but I found it enjoyable. So if you need something a little light and cheery, I recommend picking it up…. it’s a good movie to see when you’ve seen everything else on the New Release shelf. 

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I think relatively soon I’ll begin my Sex page. Just a thought! 

A Dreamin’ Little Lassie

Candlelight by Imogen Heap = My song of the day. 

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I decided to be somewhat London orientated today. So, I took it upon myself to watch Passport to Europe on the Travel Channel. To my surprise, Ms. Samantha Brown traveled to the Scottish Highlands. Naturally, I couldn’t rip my eyes from the television and I ended up drooling over the scenery as I lapped up every word coming from the host’s mouth. In doing so, I stumbled across the lovely town of Inverness. So! I now have a new item to add to my list. The town is apparently full of life and the scenery surrounding the city is just beautiful. The place seemed to be pretty picturesque with rolling hillsides and looming fog. I’ve calculated train prices to get there for a weekend and added in a 2-night hostel stay. I’m looking at around $300 for the trip. So it shouldn’t be too bad. Apparently the city is adjacent to Lochness, which has the potential for quite the story. While watching the show, Sam went to a Scottish pub called Hootananny where they apparently always have live Scottish music (the celtic inspired sort) and they oddly serve Thai food. After seeing this pub on the show, I found myself revving to go. I think the city has the potential for a good time, lots of laughs, and an experience that deviates from the classic spirits of the big city. I checked into a few of the castles and buildings they have, and they all look spectacular. So. Off to Inverness! 

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 After taking time to enjoy research the Scottish Highlands, I decided to be a responsible lady and start looking for a seasonal job. To my surprise (not so much), I’m finding it very difficult to find any work. Most stores and whatnot have hired their seasonal help. That is if they decided to hire at all. With the economy spiraling like it is, businesses can’t afford to hire on extra employees. So. I’m pretty much screwed. I suppose all I can really do is try and keep searching. I need the money to continue to prepare for London, and while I’m sure I’ll make it work, the lack of opportunity is stressing me out. I know I’m not alone in this boat of unemployment. There is only so much a person can do, I suppose. I’ll just keep truckin’. 

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  I was browsing Telegraph.co.uk today and I ran across an article on Hollywood Romantic Comedies. I thought it was pretty interesting. We seem to all talk about the image Hollywood portrays as a relationship being a “perfect romance” and how that image takes a toll on real relationships. Is it really that detrimental, though? Can the average (intelligent) person distinguish reality from fiction? And who is to say that fiction can’t become reality? Are we all living a cynical, sadomasochistic life full of hopes for a make-believe love affair… or are these romantic comedies simply a fluff filler to raise the spirits and provide hope for the future. It’s difficult to decipher. It seems as though both cases are easily arguable. I think it’s important for a woman (or man) to establish her own views of love based on the experiences she’s had in the past. Only through analysing and examining your own past can you truly understand how your heart functions. Once that analysis is completed, you’ve the ability to restructure yourself and start anew. At the same time. Some woman don’t see it this way. I suppose some do look at these movies and wish (a little bit too hard) that the fictional story could happen to them in their lives. Though the notion of a fairy tale ending is nice, one needs to realize that the ending the movie doesn’t belong to anyone but those characters. A true fairy tale ending has to be taken place in your life. This ending includes experiencing unique events that impact you and your life singularly. I certainly wouldn’t want to share a fairy tale ending with a whole slew of women. Regardless. I’m a sucker for a good romantic comedy. The Holiday, for example, always raises my spirits and I always find myself with a huge smile plastered across my face when I finish the film. They serve their purpose. I just think some woman need to give up on wishing for a film’s ending in their lives…. and start creating their own. 

 

Enough of incoherent rambling. 

 

Now I want to watch The Holiday.

Here. We. Go.

I wont begin with formalities. Introductions are drab. As a result, I will jump into the first post with no real explanation of who I am and why I am here. Besides, there is an “About Me” section for a reason.     

 

Just whistle while you work

And cheerfully together we can tidy up the place

So hum a merry tune

It won’t take long when there’s a song to help you set the pace 

And as you sweep the room

Imagine that the broom is someone that you love

And soon you’ll find you’re dancing to the tune 

 

 I spent the majority of the day lazing about before I decided to get to work. My boxes from school were sitting all lonesome out in the garage and I decided it was time to give them a home. I reclaimed my room in the house and got to clearing away the junk that snuck its way into the room. I was successful in my venture, even though I wasn’t very happy doing it. I was well rewarded, though. The room is clean and my own. I have my own bed to sleep in. Candles are lit and the lighting is soft. The mild inconvenience was well worth the aggravation. I still need to organize, but that can wait for the morning. Meanwhile. Have you ever really looked at the lyrics of Snow White’s Whistle While You Work? I’ve got to admit… “Imagine that the broom is someone that you love” = Slightly disturbing images. That is, unless you have an inanimate object fetish. No wonder Snow White was always so perky. 

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F is for French

 

 

 ”F” is also what I received in French as a final grade. “F”= Fucked up. 

 Upon discovering this little doozy, I found myself quite irate. True, I really don’t know French. But that story is a long one. One I’m not willing to repeat. So. To put it simply. I emailed the Director of Academic Support. Apparently three other students received the same grade. Something is up. We’ll get it fixed. Honestly, though, I would rather take a course in Latin. Maybe then the foreign language would be able to help me in my Major. I just hope this blunder doesn’t impact me too badly. I’m already struggling to graduate on time. That school is way too expensive to stay longer then you’ve got to. I earned excellent grades in my English courses. Hm. I think I’ll leave the mastery of French to de Sade. He’d know exactly what to do with my ex-French professor. 

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Falling by Keri Noble

I stumbled across this little diddy today. I was quite taken by her voice. The lyrics are spectacular, but they strike a familiar chord. I’m feeling it right now. So I thought I would share. 

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Christmas List

  To make it easier on my Mom this year, I found this site to help out when making Christmas Lists. The site gathers all of the information and puts it all in one spot (links, images, prices, etc) so that it makes it an easy reference. I’ve had a pretty hard time coming up with what to ask for this year. I’m trying to be practical and ask for things I can use in London, but I feel like I keep drawing a blank. I need to find more nifty stuff. If only I had a few new, good websites to check out… I’m sure I could add more to the list. Regardless, the site is there if you need a little help spreading your list to the world… even if you’ve only got 10 days until Christmas.