Another Unfinished Post That I Just Finished

Today was a soft day.
Warm and grey and drizzly and very peaceful.
I went to the Theology Faculty Library to get a book and spend some time reading. I had very mixed feelings about that library when I first went there. It's not very good looking. It's got really small rooms connected by strangely shaped hallways and the desks are in awkward places. One desk is directly in front of the window facing the street. I love that desk but it's very distracting. I can't help but look at everyone as they pass by, wondering where they're going, if they're nervous about it, how their shoes feel on their feet, and what song they're listening to on their ipod. It's not very conducive for reading about messianic expectations of first century Jews.

So I found another little desk in the second room on the ground floor. It's next to a window, but not facing it. This window is even better because there's lush green grass and a tall stone wall covered in moss and ivy and various other foliage. It instantly reminded me of The Secret Garden. That was one of my favorite books and movies when I was young.

I don't have a picture from that window yet, but chances are I'll get one on Monday when I make my weekly trip to return books and check more out. (Unfortunately, I won't be checking any more books out because my minor tutorials are over, 6 Mar 2009).

It's still a strange building and working there is still strange, too despite this single enchanting window. Needless to say the people who go there are of a strange character as well. I am certainly included in this category.

Later I discovered the attic upstairs with an unnervingly uneven staircase, low ceilings, and clumpy walls. I don't know if you can imagine clumpy walls, but think of random bulges and and varying thicknesses.

All in all, though, I like the Theology Faculty Library very much.

10 Days Till Sky Diving

I've turned over a new leaf.

This past weekend was much less than entertaining. I'd managed to give myself very little time to write 2 papers in 4 days. Why would I do this to myself, you ask? Oh, because I'm a little bit young and over confident. I missed out on several fun things with my peers because of my lack of discipline and I looked like an irresponsible putz to my tutors.

But. Like I said, I'm a new woman. And I'm on a roll. It just took a bit of a reality check. So if all I need is a quick reality check, I'm in pretty good shape.

Term is half over.

I don't want it to be. I finally know the little things. I'm finally able to joke with the staff. I'm finally used to the British pound. I'm finally comfortably goofy here and I can skip across campus and whistle up to people's windows and wave vigorously to all the other students.

I can't help but think of things before it's necessary and it's completely unnecessary to think about when I'll have to leave here. I'll have to start the next part of my European Adventure which is much more uncertain and much less structured than Harris Manchester. It will be wonderful, most certainly, but you know how it is. Finding the right skin to wear and the right pace to walk.

Today right before lunch I walked into the men's restroom. So there's a little foyer right before you can enter the dining hall through one door, and there's another door perpendicular to it that I noticed people entering and coming out of. I assumed this was a bathroom. I was correct. What I'd fail to notice was that all those days and meals that the people I'd seen entering and exiting this bathroom were only of the male gender. It didn't occur to me that this might mean something other than it was JUST a bathroom. Sometimes a bathroom is for anyone, it is blind to gender. Sometimes, I just don't make gender distinctions. Nor do I read very small, highly placed, brass signs that have very faint lettering. This is another of my problems. I kind of act on the reality I create in my own mind before the real reality has a chance to correct my created one.
To the left, once I'd opened the door, was a toilet and to the right was a man with his back to me, standing at what was obviously a urinal. Mortified, I turned on my heel and faced the crowd of people who had just watched the sure and confident girl enter the men's restroom. I might have muttered an exclimation of sorts and a few guys stading in the foyer kind of said, "Yeah, I was going to tell you that was a guys loo but..." Too late. James, my neighbor's neighbor, told me there was a lady's restroom through the dining hall on the other side. I just decided the best thing was to walk across campus to use my own restroom before who ever it was I walked in on came out and found out it was me who invaded his privacy. I didn't want to know who it was I'd walked in on either, so I chose to remove myself from the situation and then blend back into the lunch crowd when I came back. Kind of like shuffling a deck of cards after a card trick. Only the dealer didn't see the Jack of clubs taking a pee. But you get the idea.
I'm not sure than anyone in the foyer really knew that there was somone in that W.C. but I didn't want to explain.
Lunch was fine. A baked potato with chili and I'd asked the server for some chicken curry too. Oooh, we don't really do extras, she said, but she gave me some anyway. That's how it goes. I'm a hungry girl. I need a little more than your average 5'5" (or is it 5"5' I never know) 21 year old female caucasion.

The theme of the next bop, which is next Friday, is Anything But Clothes and I've got a brilliant idea :)

Long Time Coming

It's exactly freezing outside. I needed to pick up my cell phone from the Royal Post Office on Oxpens Road. I was going to go yesterday but the sidewalks were really slick and everything was shutting down. I didn't want a 20 minute walk to turn into a much longer, potentially dangerous excursion so instead I went to the library and started reading.

I was incredibly determined to get it this morning. More determined than I should have been because I have a lot of work to do in a very short amount of time. I'd printed off directions because I didn't quite know where it was or how to get there. I put on my hoody, bomber jacket, and blue stocking cap and bolted. I wanted to save time and walk very fast even though it was still quite icy outside. I turned right onto Holywell street at the bakery. I walked down Broad street past the Bodleian, past the Sheldonian, turned right at Sainsbury's on St. Giles street and walked past the Eagle and Child, past the Theology Faculty Library and reached for the map to see where I should turn next.
I didn't have it with me. I walked into a little sandwich shop and asked where the post office on Oxpens Road was. Oh, it's on the other end of town, pretty far from here. About a 25 minute walk or more.


This Post was started 2 weeks ago or more. It's time to finish it, even though it's been nearly 50 degrees the last few days and I've been communicating semi-regularly with my cell phone.


I couldn't believe it. I'd walked 15 minutes in the wrong direction. It would have taken me another 15 just to get back to college and I'd still be cell phone-less and I'd have lost half an hour for nothing. I thought about just wasting it. I got back to Sainsbury's and decided to go all the way. I'd already dedicated this much time and I'd feel cheated, robbed, and weak if I just went back to college. Besides, I had my ipod.

Past Sainsbury's on Cornmarket is the way I take to get to my major tutorial. It's not a far walk, but it's the farthest I go down that street with a real purpose. Once I passed Pembroke (which is the name of the college my tutorial is at) I was in new territory. I noticed that the street and sidewalks weren't that icy and in most places they were only a bit damp. I must say, I had a lot of frustration in my feet and hands and face so I started walking fast. I already have a pretty quick pace with unusually long strides (this I blame on 2 older brothers and a number of tall friends) so it was a borderline run. It was easy and I moved even more quickly because the street is on a slight decline.


This is my third and final go at this post. Period.


I started to trot a little. I started to jog a little. I started extending my legs to their full length and ran. I probably looked a little mad (as in slightly crazed) with the intensity of my run coupled with my bomber jacket open and bouncing up then slamming back down heavy on my shoulders and back. Usually when you see someone running they're in their sleek running outfits with proper trainers, not skate shoes and bomber jackets.

I had to stop every once in a while and ask someone if I was still heading in the right direction to the post office. It was completely unfamiliar territory. I couldn't reference myself to any points around me so I just kept going. It was a little nerve racking, but I made it.

I got my cell phone and and when I stepped out of the post office to make my journey back, I picked the perfect song to listen to: Semi-Charmed Life.

I was triumphant.

Now, sometimes when I google map something, I look for the route I took to Oxpens Road and that strange day comes back to me.

I'll Never Be Too Old For This Stuff

Last night was a really good night.

I had an essay due and when I got it finished - the snow ball fight was on! The odds were rather unfair because Swedish Sebastian is a Snow Ball Fight General. Austrian Sebastian wore his rugby cleats. I'm just a little sister so I was prepared to get the brunt end of most of the snow balls. I have terrible aim and not enough strength to rub someone's face in the snow. I had to rely on dodging, time outs, sneak attacks, looking innocent, and playing one Sebastian against the other. I also didn't have any gloves so I'd pick up a snow ball made and thrown by one of the sebastians and toss it. Then I'd have to let my hands warm before finding another dud snow ball.

It made me miss my brothers quite a lot. I imagined them here playing in the snow with us and I remembered how we used to build snow forts and go sledding and push each other down the hill in front of our house in South Bend. And like last night, I'd spend most of my time not really playing, but just running around pleased beyond belief to be hanging out with my brothers, even if I was rubbish at snow ball fights, even if I got creamed continuously because I'm an easy target.

The snow ball fight ended in a bloody nose: My bloody nose. I'd grabbed Austrian Sebastian from behind and was rubbing a fist full of snow in his face when Swedish Sebastian came up behind, I turned to look at him and was nailed point blank in the face. We had a good laugh and decided it was time for a little clean up and some hot cocoa.

After tending my bloody nose, we all went into the little kitchen with some music and began the cocoa making. I'd sent A. Seb to the store with 5 pounds to get cocoa and milk so that I could make my mom's famous cocoa for them. This cocoa was once described as "tasting like Christmas," and while decorating the Christmas tree the comment was made "This feels so good, it's like drinking Sarah's Mom's hot chocolate."

Usually It's easiest to make individual servings in individual mugs in the microwave, but since it was half 11 and the only microwave on campus was already locked up, I had to make it on the stove. I wasn't so worried about cooking the milk, but the chocolate paste that had to be heated. It's a very delicate process and if you burn it, you'll ruin the whole taste. I couldn't call my mom and have her talk me through it like I would have done at UIndy so I had to cast my mind way back to when she'd make a 5 person serving on the stove.

It turned out perfectly. The chocolate was perfectly heated, the milk was perfectly heated, the chocolate to milk ratio was perfect, the taste was perfect. The company was perfect. The listening to jazz music for the better part of an hour was perfect and once again I had been able to share my most prized recipe with friends.

The hot cocoa tastes differently when you cook it on the stove. Now, I don't know if that's because it actually changes the taste, or if there's something about taking the careful attentive time to heat and mix it while others are keeping you company, waiting for the treat they know is coming soon. Either way, it's just one of those things to really relish in.

Bill Murray Learned the Lesson of a Lifetime

Well the dollar's doing a little better against the pound these days. That's good.

My next door neighbor (a) loves cooking, (b) is an excellent cook, and (c) loves to cook for anyone willing to eat. I (d) love to eat. I am also (e) inspired to cook. They don't serve lunch or dinner on Saturday and Sunday's and instead of starving or spending a lot of money on British McDonald's, I eat fresh, healthy, often organic, pasta or Austrian dishes.

Today is the first of February. Tomorrow is the second of February. Tomorrow is also Groundhog's Day which is one of America's favorite movies as well as America's second favorite holiday for over 100 years. (I don't know what's #1: Christmas or 4th of July? Or maybe it's a total curve ball like Labor Day.)

Anyway, what I'm really getting at is that it's always fun to think about what you were doing exactly one year ago from today and try and trace a few of the big things that led you to the exact moment you're in right now.

One year ago today I was in a blue Jeep on US 70 East on a 500 mile journey to Punxsutawney, PA with Sheena Rae Longstreath. It took us about 9 hours. We arrived in Pittsburgh after 10 p.m. We didn't have hotel. We didn't know the city. We didn't have much cell phone reception. We didn't care. The weather was supposed to be horrendous. Many a worried soul advised us not to go. We knew better than to listen to the nay-sayers. We sped through the tunnel and the city exploded before us.
Everytime we tried to enter or leave Pittsburgh it took an hour.

We woke up late on Groundhog's Day and actually heard the prediction of 6 more weeks of winter on the news that morning. We still made it to that strange town in the middle of freaking nowhere where they don't salt the icy sidewalks and put the image of a groundhog on everything.

That semester I took a history class, applied for two jobs, and busted my chops for one thing, all of which led to this.

A year ago I had blue hair, was still on good terms with my roommate, had been married for 4 months, didn't have a car, and wore a parka. I didn't know what was going to happen, but I had a desperate hope.