Odds and Ends

Alright. So the photo situation is thus: I have used up my limit on flikr for the month, and have no desire to pay $25 for more space... So right now I'm trying to upload my photos to Google's flikr, Picasa. I'm not sure how to direct you to the site, but I'll figure it out. I have about 100 photos from Stonehenge, Bath, and the City of London. Plus some more from Oxford. There will be no complaining, dear internet, about a lack of photos. I'm surprising myself, even.

Item two of business: I've heard that no one can post comments. The comments work just fine for me. Hmm.. I'm not sure what to do about it. I'll try and work on it.  Okay, I turned off the word verification, so comment away!

Now on to more interesting topics. I would like to apologize for the length of the last post. I was doing laundry at the time, a process which requires at least two hours, and I got shafted out of my dryer. So I had plenty of time on my hands. Any one who knows me knows that I hate, hate, hate laundry, and having it be a three hour plus ordeal, is very painful. In addition to the time, the only available washer/dryer was on the fifth floor. No joke. There was one available (the other set being used by the maids in the basement, and I don't begrudge them that at all) up five flights of stairs, while the computer lab was down in the basement. Not a fun hike. 

Wait. Didn't I say I was moving on to more pleasant subjects? Right. 

So this weekend, it was my birthday. That was exciting, though I have no photos to prove it. I met my brother in law for the morning at the Haywood Art Gallery. We saw an exhibit that showcased things that change perception: things like optical illusions, freeze-frame photography (I'm pretty sure I just made that name up), famous events that changed a nation's perception of the world, or events spun by the media to give a certain perception. It was thought provoking, though I must admit that I did much of that thinking right now. The coolest part was a silver TARDIS, which when photographed from the right angle, made it look like it was fading away. Very neat. 

We then went to lunch with my b-i-l's sister and husband. I had a pesto, artichoke heart, tomato concoction. Tasty. We then walked along the Thames, and I got an early morning call from my parents. It was early morning for them, not me, thankfully. I would like to note here that I am now considered an adult in every sense of the word, and promise to always be responsible. I'm 21, not 12. 

In the afternoon, we found a pub which unfortunately had all the personality of a hotel bar. Of course, this was 2 in the afternoon, which may have contributed to the problem. A few of my brother-in-law's  friends stopped by, and by the time we left, the place was hopping. They nicely walked me home, though I think it was mostly a ploy to use our bathroom. That may have been one of the best parts of the night. My roommates, expecting just me, are treated to three terribly awkward British men instead!

That was all that really happened for my birthday. Earlier in the week, we had a pizza party for February birthdays, which included tasty cupcakes! (Though I will admit, dear internet, that they were not as good as yours.) And pizza! And Gin and Tonics! And Kings Cup with my professor! (If you don't know what Kings Cup is...well. Don't worry. You aren't missing out.) And cider! And cider! And people who finished at least half of every drink I had, so I didn't end up drinking much at all! 

So I really had a three day jubilee. It was quite nice. 

Moving forward to the weekend. 

On Saturday, we got up at 6 in the morning and went to Oxford. Holy snot balls, Batman. This is what I had been waiting for. I can safely say that February 21st (conveniently Alan Rickman's birthday) was the best day I've had so far on this trip. We took the train, which only took 50 minutes, and was only £20. But Oxford just felt right. It reminded me of when I first stepped out of the car when I was here October 2006. I'm trying to come up with a metaphor, but they all seem not quite right, but I'll go for the best one. It's like when you've been in bed all night, and slip out just for a minute in the morning, maybe to use the loo, or turn off the alarm. But then you go back to bed, and there's still the indent of where you've been laying all night, and it's still nice and warm, and it's Saturday morning, so you're allowed to drift off again into a hazy dream land where anything is possible. It's so easy and comfortable to slip back into place. 

That's what the England countryside is like for me. It's a warm blanket that has a perfect spot waiting.

We had a Blue Badge Guided tour of the city in the morning, which mostly involved seeing some of the colleges of Oxford. I'm sure most of you know this, having read far too much, but I'll explain it anyway. Oxford is the university, but it's made up of 35 colleges, 30 of which accept undergraduates. There is not particularly one college that is better than the rest, and they all teach every subject, so you don't go to say, Christ Church for science, and New College for history. Everyone teaches everything. This means that students choose their colleges for silly reasons, such as food, or proximity to pubs, or where their friends are going. This also means that, if your college of choice is at full enrollment, but you're a good candidate, the selection committee can recommend you to another college that still has room. 

So we saw the Bodleian Library, the oldest library at Oxford, Christ Church, the Radcliffe Camera, and much, much more. I have pictures! They're up on flikr, but not labeled! It's like a guessing game. What fun! Seeing the colleges sort of made me want to go to Oxford, though I know I wouldn't be up to it. My academic style has certainly changed in the last three years, and I don't think I could stand such rigour. That's not to say that I couldn't do it, just that I wouldn't want to. 

In the afternoon, we split up into groups to explore the city. First, we tried to walk along the Oxford canal and find a spot for a picnic. No such luck. What appears on a map to be a grassy knoll usually ended up being college land where you weren't allowed on the grass. I guess they don't have Frisbee here. Otherwise, all grass would be walkable. Or maybe they have a really intense ultimate team, and the untouchable grass is an obstacle. In any case, we could not find a place to sit to save our lives. We ended up walking off the map. Talk about a disconcerting experience. 

I'm joking; we didn't feel a thing. By walking off the map, we found the new site of the Oxford University Press. Yes, I took a photo. Yes, I am a history major. Yes, I am a nerd. We then stumbled upon the St Sepulchre's Cemetery. It was opened in 1849, as an overflow cemetery. It was then closed in 1945, presumably due to a lack of space. Today, it's not well taken care of, which I think enhances its mystery. It is full of ivy and flower covered tombstones.  It was peaceful and huge. And now according to wikipedia, there is no St Sepulchre. And here I thought that the poor man just had a terrible name. There are however, four St. Severuses. (Severi?). Just some trivia knowledge for you, dear internet. 

We ended the day with a pint, of course. Then we hoped on the train home, and I watched the sunset for a little, then fell asleep. Oh transportation, why are you so lulling? 

So that was just Friday and Saturday! Sunday will be coming shortly!