[via]
16 December 2009
11 December 2009
dude did this with a sharpie.
a sharpie, people!
(well, actually $10 worth of sharpie, but the exclamation still stands)
5 December 2009
2 December 2009
25 November 2009
How cute are these twine snowmen?
And since they are so easy to make, think I may just try my hand at a few of 'em.
[via]
20 November 2009
19 November 2009
tissue issue
So fighting my way through a small cold at the moment. The kind that require you constantly have a pack of tissues with you. Needless to say, not enjoying it much so far.
But it did lead to an interesting observation.
Tissues are something I never skimp on, brand name-wise. I am more than willing to shell out the extra 99p or whatnot for honest to goodness I know they won't shred my nose Kleenex brand than the cheaper store brand option. I was hurt too many times by those impostors of decent facial tissues in university.
So I always have handy the travel packs of Kleenex brand tissues with me. Lately though, with the cold, I have been going through them a lot quicker. I was running low yesterday and knew that I should have some to bring with me to work and keep at my desk for the inevitable nose than won't stop running (seriously, right now, this thing could win marathons) and lo and behold! miraculously found a pack leftover from one of my trips from the States in my bedside table drawer. So said US Kleenex tissue pack made its way to work with me.
Now, I walk to work. It's about 4 miles and it takes me about an hour.
One UK bought Kleenex brand tissue will make it all the way from office to flat/flat to office not only still doing it's job, but still entirely intact.
One US bought Kleenex brand tissue was in shreds halfway through my walk and was practically unrecognizable by the time I made my way back to our flat.
Same brand. Same tissue. Different manufacturing country. Completely different quality.
Interesting.
But it did lead to an interesting observation.
Tissues are something I never skimp on, brand name-wise. I am more than willing to shell out the extra 99p or whatnot for honest to goodness I know they won't shred my nose Kleenex brand than the cheaper store brand option. I was hurt too many times by those impostors of decent facial tissues in university.
So I always have handy the travel packs of Kleenex brand tissues with me. Lately though, with the cold, I have been going through them a lot quicker. I was running low yesterday and knew that I should have some to bring with me to work and keep at my desk for the inevitable nose than won't stop running (seriously, right now, this thing could win marathons) and lo and behold! miraculously found a pack leftover from one of my trips from the States in my bedside table drawer. So said US Kleenex tissue pack made its way to work with me.
Now, I walk to work. It's about 4 miles and it takes me about an hour.
One UK bought Kleenex brand tissue will make it all the way from office to flat/flat to office not only still doing it's job, but still entirely intact.
One US bought Kleenex brand tissue was in shreds halfway through my walk and was practically unrecognizable by the time I made my way back to our flat.
Same brand. Same tissue. Different manufacturing country. Completely different quality.
Interesting.
17 November 2009
6 November 2009
These are wicked cool.
"What the hell has Lindsay done with Nana's teacups??"
hehehe
and yes, I most definitely want some.
"What the hell has Lindsay done with Nana's teacups??"
hehehe
and yes, I most definitely want some.
4 November 2009
well now, this is just wicked cool
reinventing used tin cans into handy dandy household items!!
very nifty
and a chalkboard table!
very fun!
legos recreating famous images!
you know I live anything having to do with legos.
very nifty
and a chalkboard table!
very fun!
legos recreating famous images!
you know I live anything having to do with legos.
29 October 2009
dear London: thank you for being so flat
and thank god the only hill in my run home from work is at the beginning...
28 October 2009
finally got running!
so finally got around to running home from work last night! The stars aligned where I both had my running stuff with me and I could leave work on time.
It wasn't too bad actually. I mean, there was definitely a point bout 3/5 of the way through where I really wanted to just walk a block or two, but I made myself keep going figuring that would be easier than stopping and starting a lot. You lose your momentum that way. Even just the few times I had to stop for traffic made it a bit choppy right afterwards.
I desperately need a new running bag though. I am using one of those one strap-diagonal across your chest back packs, which is fine for walking, but wicked uncomfortable for running. It won't stay in one place unless you tighten it a lot, but then it chokes you. And it is always rubbing up against your neck. So, on the lookout for a new bag! A proper normal backpack.
Just checked with Google maps, it's a bit more than a 4 mile run, so not bad. Not bad at all.
If I can keep this up, I may get into some sort of shape yet!
Plus, it shaves a good 25 minutes off my commute time.
It wasn't too bad actually. I mean, there was definitely a point bout 3/5 of the way through where I really wanted to just walk a block or two, but I made myself keep going figuring that would be easier than stopping and starting a lot. You lose your momentum that way. Even just the few times I had to stop for traffic made it a bit choppy right afterwards.
I desperately need a new running bag though. I am using one of those one strap-diagonal across your chest back packs, which is fine for walking, but wicked uncomfortable for running. It won't stay in one place unless you tighten it a lot, but then it chokes you. And it is always rubbing up against your neck. So, on the lookout for a new bag! A proper normal backpack.
Just checked with Google maps, it's a bit more than a 4 mile run, so not bad. Not bad at all.
If I can keep this up, I may get into some sort of shape yet!
Plus, it shaves a good 25 minutes off my commute time.
26 October 2009
new blog!
I have started a wedding blog!
part bored at work, part saw my friend Alicia's blog and started to get excited, and part knowledge that if we don't start now, and don't do this in an organized way (example, collecting all inspirational images in one place like an internet blog), who knows how we would get things done.
anywho, it can be found here, check it out and comment with your thoughts!
part bored at work, part saw my friend Alicia's blog and started to get excited, and part knowledge that if we don't start now, and don't do this in an organized way (example, collecting all inspirational images in one place like an internet blog), who knows how we would get things done.
anywho, it can be found here, check it out and comment with your thoughts!
wicked busy week last week...
worked late every night last week for a deadline, barely saw Ben and was beyond happy when I fled the office at 6 o'clock on the dot on friday.
the weekend was probably one of the most laid back, relaxed and just overall good so far this autumn. the gorgeous weather and the football (wooh Pats!) also helped.
needless to say, was not too thrilled to be walking back into work this morning. the weekend went by far too quickly, and definitely a lot quicker now that I am in a job I don't particularly like.
but the weather is still gorgeous and at least I get to enjoy it on my lunch break now that things have calmed down (a bit) round the office.
but I would still rather be back in bed.
the weekend was probably one of the most laid back, relaxed and just overall good so far this autumn. the gorgeous weather and the football (wooh Pats!) also helped.
needless to say, was not too thrilled to be walking back into work this morning. the weekend went by far too quickly, and definitely a lot quicker now that I am in a job I don't particularly like.
but the weather is still gorgeous and at least I get to enjoy it on my lunch break now that things have calmed down (a bit) round the office.
but I would still rather be back in bed.
19 October 2009
seriously?
so I finally remember my running stuff this morning so I can take a nice (and possibly lethal) job home after work, and what happens?
deadline + extremely unorganized office + ridiculous amounts of cross-checking = Bethany's not going running like she thought she was....
deadline + extremely unorganized office + ridiculous amounts of cross-checking = Bethany's not going running like she thought she was....
16 October 2009
excited? you bet!
so Ben and I became the proud owner of a random assortment of old VHS tapes that somebody recorded movies and television and god knows what else from the 90's or so onto last night. a woman is moving and found these in some closet.
we are beyond psyched.
we have absolutely no idea what's on it so the plan is pick one at random, pop it in the VCR and enjoy the unknown (it took a LOT of will power on our part not to check the labels last night). God willing there will be 90's british commercials on them. oh how I want there to be 90's british commercials. that would be faaaaaantastic.
we probably have about 20 of these (I did sneak a peek when we first picked them up and were loading them into the bag, so I know one has Yellow Submarine on it) and are just itchin to try them out on our pilfered from Old Street VCR.
hours upon hours upon hours of entertainment?
oh god yes :)
we are beyond psyched.
we have absolutely no idea what's on it so the plan is pick one at random, pop it in the VCR and enjoy the unknown (it took a LOT of will power on our part not to check the labels last night). God willing there will be 90's british commercials on them. oh how I want there to be 90's british commercials. that would be faaaaaantastic.
we probably have about 20 of these (I did sneak a peek when we first picked them up and were loading them into the bag, so I know one has Yellow Submarine on it) and are just itchin to try them out on our pilfered from Old Street VCR.
hours upon hours upon hours of entertainment?
oh god yes :)
you think?
forgot my running stuff again this morning
you think my body is trying to tell me something?
(don't run....dooooooooooooon't ruuuuuuuuuuuuun...)
nah..........
you think my body is trying to tell me something?
(don't run....dooooooooooooon't ruuuuuuuuuuuuun...)
nah..........
15 October 2009
bout damn time
the office has finally gotten a recycling system! they go through way too much paper here, and previously everything just got thrown away. I proposed one recycling company, it was deemed "too expensive" by the principle, but then a co-worker found another one that we are trying on a trial basis (I have a feeling the second it starts getting "too expensive" as well, it's gone, but progress!) starting today.
it's exciting :)
course some people are not using it (throwing out cardboard cause the cardboard bin is a while flight of stairs away, or throwing rubbish in the paper recycle bins, or just continuing to throw out the paper even though the recycle bin is RIGHT THERE) and I think they are doing it just to be ornery and difficult, cause that's the default mode for most people in this office.
it doesn't help that the girl who found the system and is implementing it is viewed as the office nazi, so I thank some people are purposefully not using just to piss her off.
balanced, cooperative and smoothly functioning this place is. yup yup.
but, like I said, progress!
it's exciting :)
course some people are not using it (throwing out cardboard cause the cardboard bin is a while flight of stairs away, or throwing rubbish in the paper recycle bins, or just continuing to throw out the paper even though the recycle bin is RIGHT THERE) and I think they are doing it just to be ornery and difficult, cause that's the default mode for most people in this office.
it doesn't help that the girl who found the system and is implementing it is viewed as the office nazi, so I thank some people are purposefully not using just to piss her off.
balanced, cooperative and smoothly functioning this place is. yup yup.
but, like I said, progress!
goldfish memory strikes again
so I have been meaning to try running home from work instead of walking lately. an attempt to try to get in shape and as the days get shorter an attempt to maximize the percentage of sunlight shining during my journey home.
but I always forget my running stuff when gathering all my things in the morning. I usually remember bout 20 minutes down the road.
I am not a morning person, so being coherent and organized at 7:30 am may be a bit too much to count on.
maybe I should tattoo it on my hand...
but I always forget my running stuff when gathering all my things in the morning. I usually remember bout 20 minutes down the road.
I am not a morning person, so being coherent and organized at 7:30 am may be a bit too much to count on.
maybe I should tattoo it on my hand...
14 October 2009
just occured to me...
you can't use the phrase "turned on a dime" here
for you see, there are no dimes
"turned on a ten-piece" just doesn't have the same ring to it...
for you see, there are no dimes
"turned on a ten-piece" just doesn't have the same ring to it...
FINALLY getting new recipies up!
had tried these way back in July and August, but then the recipe books got packed away and have only recently been uncovered (see previous posts for flat hunting/moving saga...)
these are both lentil recipes (I was trying to find a hot weather alternative to soup over the summer, these both worked out pretty well)
first up:
Lentil Salad with Tomatoes and Chere (Goats Cheese)
Ingredients:
-1 cup french green lentils
-2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
-1 shallot, minced
-1 Tbsp dijon mustard
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1 1/3 cups diced cucumber
-2/3 cup diced plum tomatoes
-1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
-2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
-2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
-1 large garlic clove, minced
-6 ozs soft fresh goats cheese (chilled)
Directions:
1. Cook lentils in medium pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well.
2. Combine vinegar, shallots and mustard in a large bowl. gradually whisk in oil, season with salt and pepper.
3. Add lentils. Let stand until cool.
4. Add cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, dill, parsley and garlic to lentils. Season with last and pepper. Let stand for one hour.
5. Crumble goats cheese over salad, mix gently to combine.
second:
Warm French Lentil Salad with Smoked Sausage
Ingredients:
-1 1/2 cups de puy lentils (about 10 oz)
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
-2 bay leaves
-3 garlic cloves, smashed
-1/4 tsp black peppercorns
-1 small onion
-1 small carrot
-8 oz smoked sausage (such as kielbasa)
-1 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
-2 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar, more as needed
-2 tsp dijon mustard
-kosher salt
-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-3 Tbsp walnut oil (I couldn't find this, so excluded it)
-1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
-1/4 cup finely chopped scallions (about 3 to 4)
-freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Gently boil lentils with the thyme, bay leaves, garlic and peppercorns (in a cheesecloth if have, for easier removal. This is not a bad idea, as I didn't have one and kept biting down on peppercorns I couldn't find to remove initially...). Boil for 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
2. Put sausage in saucepan with white wine and enough water to cover by 1/2 an inch. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
3. In a bowl combine 1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar with the mustard and a pinch of salt. Whisk in oils and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Drain lentils, discarding the other things, and immediately toss lightly with 1 Tbsp of vinegar and 1 tsp of salt. This keeps the lentils tender and helps them retain the dressing.
5. Drain sausage and slice into small pieces.
6. Stir all ingredients (sausage, lentils, vinaigrette, parsley and scallions) together and season with salt and pepper and vinegar to taste.
these are both lentil recipes (I was trying to find a hot weather alternative to soup over the summer, these both worked out pretty well)
first up:
Lentil Salad with Tomatoes and Chere (Goats Cheese)
Ingredients:
-1 cup french green lentils
-2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
-1 shallot, minced
-1 Tbsp dijon mustard
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1 1/3 cups diced cucumber
-2/3 cup diced plum tomatoes
-1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
-2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
-2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
-1 large garlic clove, minced
-6 ozs soft fresh goats cheese (chilled)
Directions:
1. Cook lentils in medium pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well.
2. Combine vinegar, shallots and mustard in a large bowl. gradually whisk in oil, season with salt and pepper.
3. Add lentils. Let stand until cool.
4. Add cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, dill, parsley and garlic to lentils. Season with last and pepper. Let stand for one hour.
5. Crumble goats cheese over salad, mix gently to combine.
second:
Warm French Lentil Salad with Smoked Sausage
Ingredients:
-1 1/2 cups de puy lentils (about 10 oz)
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
-2 bay leaves
-3 garlic cloves, smashed
-1/4 tsp black peppercorns
-1 small onion
-1 small carrot
-8 oz smoked sausage (such as kielbasa)
-1 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
-2 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar, more as needed
-2 tsp dijon mustard
-kosher salt
-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-3 Tbsp walnut oil (I couldn't find this, so excluded it)
-1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
-1/4 cup finely chopped scallions (about 3 to 4)
-freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Gently boil lentils with the thyme, bay leaves, garlic and peppercorns (in a cheesecloth if have, for easier removal. This is not a bad idea, as I didn't have one and kept biting down on peppercorns I couldn't find to remove initially...). Boil for 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
2. Put sausage in saucepan with white wine and enough water to cover by 1/2 an inch. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
3. In a bowl combine 1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar with the mustard and a pinch of salt. Whisk in oils and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Drain lentils, discarding the other things, and immediately toss lightly with 1 Tbsp of vinegar and 1 tsp of salt. This keeps the lentils tender and helps them retain the dressing.
5. Drain sausage and slice into small pieces.
6. Stir all ingredients (sausage, lentils, vinaigrette, parsley and scallions) together and season with salt and pepper and vinegar to taste.
9 October 2009
theatre-land
The Globe was fantastic. A bit rainy, a bit cold, yes, but those things were easily overlooked while watching the show.
It was a comedy, so there was opportunity for audience interaction, and the actor playing the Fool used it to its fullest extent. He would play hit on women standing next to the stage (one older woman came right back at him though), would be extremely silly (almost a bit too much at times, but it worked
) and he had this little head on a stick, like jesters have and at one point he went to go walk off the stage (through the groudlings, people standing in front), stopped, looked up at the rain, then went back and put a mini poncho on the stick head. prolly the time I laughed the hardest.
Then at the end the entire cast broke out into a fully choreographed dance routine. A bit unexpected, but a lot of fun none-the-less. The production had some modern twists to it like that. You could tell they were having a lot of fun with it, and that translated into how much we in the audience enjoyed the performance.
I think my favourite actor was the guy playing the Melancholy man (the character prolly has a name, but I didn't catch it). I always enjoy droll personalities and dry wit, and this guy pulled it off with aplomb. He did disinfected to a T. It was great to watch. The interactions between all the characters/actors were incredible. I suppose you don't get to play The Globe by just looking good in a puffy sleeved shirt or a dress that I swear used to be a pair of draperies.
But it was still Shakespeare at it's core, and the actors were wonderful, especially the men. Men always come off better in Shakespeare's plays, I think its because he generally gave the male characters more dimension and complexity than his female characters, there is more for the actor to work with and thus they come off much more interesting on stage.
In short, it was a ton of fun. This will not be the last time I visit The Globe.
It was a comedy, so there was opportunity for audience interaction, and the actor playing the Fool used it to its fullest extent. He would play hit on women standing next to the stage (one older woman came right back at him though), would be extremely silly (almost a bit too much at times, but it worked
) and he had this little head on a stick, like jesters have and at one point he went to go walk off the stage (through the groudlings, people standing in front), stopped, looked up at the rain, then went back and put a mini poncho on the stick head. prolly the time I laughed the hardest.Then at the end the entire cast broke out into a fully choreographed dance routine. A bit unexpected, but a lot of fun none-the-less. The production had some modern twists to it like that. You could tell they were having a lot of fun with it, and that translated into how much we in the audience enjoyed the performance.
I think my favourite actor was the guy playing the Melancholy man (the character prolly has a name, but I didn't catch it). I always enjoy droll personalities and dry wit, and this guy pulled it off with aplomb. He did disinfected to a T. It was great to watch. The interactions between all the characters/actors were incredible. I suppose you don't get to play The Globe by just looking good in a puffy sleeved shirt or a dress that I swear used to be a pair of draperies.
But it was still Shakespeare at it's core, and the actors were wonderful, especially the men. Men always come off better in Shakespeare's plays, I think its because he generally gave the male characters more dimension and complexity than his female characters, there is more for the actor to work with and thus they come off much more interesting on stage.
The jet planes flying overhead every 20 to 25 minutes or so during a Shakespeare production in a replication Victorian theatre was a bit strange and surreal, but the players knew how to deal with them, so it was just something that jarred you for a few seconds before you were drawn back into the performances.
In short, it was a ton of fun. This will not be the last time I visit The Globe.
8 October 2009
yay for The Globe!
an actual written description of said theatre experience will come soon, gotta ration my internet time at work wisely....
7 October 2009
going to The Globe tonight!
woohoo!
going to go see As You Like It with Ben
birthday present :)
thanks Mom and Dad!
going to go see As You Like It with Ben
birthday present :)
thanks Mom and Dad!
29 September 2009
just occured to me...
Sometimes I forget I live in London. Maybe because I have become so comfortable here that it does not seem like a foreign city anymore. Maybe it's because the things/images that we as Americans most often link to London (Big Ben, Parliament, the Eye, Tower Bridge, palace guards, etc) are not on my daily radar. The red double decker buses are, but I suppose they have just become so familiar after over a year that they have lost the London-specific, romantic connotations. The modern ones anyways, the old Route Masters are still wicked awesome. Maybe it's because with Ben over here for a bit now, the only person who I saw daily back in NH I know see daily once again.
And then it suddenly occurred to me while listening to my co-workers complain (again...and again and again) that I am surrounded by Americans. Literally. There is one person on the floor I work on who is not (she is Greek), and maybe only 6 non-Americans in the whole office. And (stereotypically) 95% of the outspoken ones (read, the ones I have to listen to speaking the most) are from the States.
It is hard to remember you live in England when 9 out of 10 people you interact with on a daily basis are Americans...
And then it suddenly occurred to me while listening to my co-workers complain (again...and again and again) that I am surrounded by Americans. Literally. There is one person on the floor I work on who is not (she is Greek), and maybe only 6 non-Americans in the whole office. And (stereotypically) 95% of the outspoken ones (read, the ones I have to listen to speaking the most) are from the States.
It is hard to remember you live in England when 9 out of 10 people you interact with on a daily basis are Americans...
28 September 2009
moved in!!!!
finally
yet to fully unpack, as no dressers yet (clothes currently stacked on the floor), but it is good to have a home again.
both of us are a bit tired, as we decided to save a bit of money, forgo the moving guy with van and move everything ourselves (it's just down the street, how bad can it be, right? right?), but after an embarrassingly early night last night we should be getting back to our old energy level soon, not that that's saying much.
pictures to follow when its a bot cleaner/organized and not so empty!
yet to fully unpack, as no dressers yet (clothes currently stacked on the floor), but it is good to have a home again.
both of us are a bit tired, as we decided to save a bit of money, forgo the moving guy with van and move everything ourselves (it's just down the street, how bad can it be, right? right?), but after an embarrassingly early night last night we should be getting back to our old energy level soon, not that that's saying much.
pictures to follow when its a bot cleaner/organized and not so empty!
25 September 2009
livin the posh life...for a bit
living in (or at least crashing on a sofa in) Kensington, working in Bloomsbury, and walking through the royal parks for my daily commute.
life in the west end: not bad, not bad at all
but back to the eastside tomorrow! and kinda excited about it
:)
life in the west end: not bad, not bad at all
but back to the eastside tomorrow! and kinda excited about it
:)
22 September 2009
fall is in the air
well, that didn't take long. little sister's been at college for what, maybe a month? already snagged herself a boy. goodness. ahh, to be young again :)
meanwhile the older, and as I like to tell her, wiser sister is still dealing with the damn flat.
god willing we will be moving in on sat, and I don't really see any reason why it won't happen.
but then again I didn't see any of the other stuff coming either.
think this is going to be one of those things I can not going to count as a done deal till I am holding the keys in my hand.
but the leaves are starting to turn, so yay!
meanwhile the older, and as I like to tell her, wiser sister is still dealing with the damn flat.
god willing we will be moving in on sat, and I don't really see any reason why it won't happen.
but then again I didn't see any of the other stuff coming either.
think this is going to be one of those things I can not going to count as a done deal till I am holding the keys in my hand.
but the leaves are starting to turn, so yay!
11 September 2009
3 September 2009
sooo...
...awesome flat fell out from under our feet, and now we are on the hunt again.
not completely thrilled about that, would like to be able to unpack, not be homeless, etc, but suppose things will work out in the end.
will keep you updated.
not completely thrilled about that, would like to be able to unpack, not be homeless, etc, but suppose things will work out in the end.
will keep you updated.
28 August 2009
26 August 2009
new quest
I think I am going to start delving into the film noir genre. I have always enjoyed it, actually own a few (though not here I don't think. That reminds me, have to replace my Brick DVD, as I have absolutely no idea where it went....), but as of yet have not really gotten to know it fully.
I think the start of this experiment may have to wait until Ben and I have moved into and are settled in our new flat, but I am anticipating it already.
I think the start of this experiment may have to wait until Ben and I have moved into and are settled in our new flat, but I am anticipating it already.
25 August 2009
24 August 2009
oh, and one more thing
Ben and I need to get the sky sports channel so I can watch American sports
I miss football (american football that is) like crazy
go Pats!
I miss football (american football that is) like crazy
go Pats!
moving tomorrow!
Really excited. both for the new place and to get out of the old place. (landlady was psycho...)
Unfortunately, Ben and I are not going to be able to move into our new flat for a couple weeks while the guy who is living there now waits for the flat he just bought to close, but we have awesome friends and we are crashing with Dani and Lenka and helping them out of their rent while they wait for their other roommates to arrive in the country. Kinda excited about that, and can't wait to see their new place. I have heard descriptions and it sounds amazing!
But it is kinda strange to be packing up the only life I have really known in London. Granted I am only moving about a half hour away, and am still very much in London, but its a bit surreal none the less. Added to the fact that Justine is now going to be living in Amsterdam and Dani, though only about 10 minutes down the road, will not just be across the hall anymore. Complete the whole thing with the new job I just started and my life is definitely starting to head in a slightly new direction.
I am looking forward to the change though. And I can't wait to move in to our new flat!
Unfortunately, Ben and I are not going to be able to move into our new flat for a couple weeks while the guy who is living there now waits for the flat he just bought to close, but we have awesome friends and we are crashing with Dani and Lenka and helping them out of their rent while they wait for their other roommates to arrive in the country. Kinda excited about that, and can't wait to see their new place. I have heard descriptions and it sounds amazing!
But it is kinda strange to be packing up the only life I have really known in London. Granted I am only moving about a half hour away, and am still very much in London, but its a bit surreal none the less. Added to the fact that Justine is now going to be living in Amsterdam and Dani, though only about 10 minutes down the road, will not just be across the hall anymore. Complete the whole thing with the new job I just started and my life is definitely starting to head in a slightly new direction.
I am looking forward to the change though. And I can't wait to move in to our new flat!
23 August 2009
18 August 2009
Garfield hated mondays...
...I hate tuesdays.
Don't know why, but things always seem to go wrong on tuesdays.
Don't know why, but things always seem to go wrong on tuesdays.
17 August 2009
great birthday :)
Ben let me sleep in for one, with was appreciated considering how late we were all out the night before...
And when I work up I went downstairs to an entire army of origami hedgehogs! Ben had been practicing. He also gave me a couple really nice and comfy jumper wraps, a kick-ass card, a bag so we can tote our camera around the city and a book I have been wanting to read ever since I heard it was published: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. VERY excited bout that one. And Dani got me a beautiful scarf and necklace.
And then we finally got the Wii working (borrowed Alex's power cord) and so played a few rounds of golf, and then people came over for a birthday BBQ! It was great, we got veggies, halloumi cheese (how I never knew about this cheese in the States, I do not know, it is delicious), and B made some fantastic lime, garlic and coriander chicken. Add it all in a wrap and presto! yummy BBQ! They even got me a cake!
It was laid back, casual and as people tell it to me, the best saturday anybody has had in a while.
And later that night I got to talk to the family back home.
It was the best :)
And when I work up I went downstairs to an entire army of origami hedgehogs! Ben had been practicing. He also gave me a couple really nice and comfy jumper wraps, a kick-ass card, a bag so we can tote our camera around the city and a book I have been wanting to read ever since I heard it was published: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. VERY excited bout that one. And Dani got me a beautiful scarf and necklace.
And then we finally got the Wii working (borrowed Alex's power cord) and so played a few rounds of golf, and then people came over for a birthday BBQ! It was great, we got veggies, halloumi cheese (how I never knew about this cheese in the States, I do not know, it is delicious), and B made some fantastic lime, garlic and coriander chicken. Add it all in a wrap and presto! yummy BBQ! They even got me a cake!
It was laid back, casual and as people tell it to me, the best saturday anybody has had in a while.
And later that night I got to talk to the family back home.
It was the best :)
14 August 2009
April Fool's, everyday...
Every year on April Fool's day, gmail puts out a notice about some sort of new ridiculous feature is going to start including in the email service, to see how many people believe it (a surprisingly large amount). I think 2 years ago their joke was that they would now be offering something called "Gmail Paper", where you could order hard paper copies of your emails and they would be delivered to your door.
Sounds really silly, right? This firm literally does that. They print out all the emails received by and sent from every person in the office via the Outlook server and John reads every single one. Then they get stored in binders, sent on one colour paper, received on another. I have seen the binders in the basement, they go back to like 2002 or something utterly fantastic like that. And the strangest point is, they do this besides having digital copies of all the emails stored in meticulously arranged folders on the main server.
I am working in a joke...
Sounds really silly, right? This firm literally does that. They print out all the emails received by and sent from every person in the office via the Outlook server and John reads every single one. Then they get stored in binders, sent on one colour paper, received on another. I have seen the binders in the basement, they go back to like 2002 or something utterly fantastic like that. And the strangest point is, they do this besides having digital copies of all the emails stored in meticulously arranged folders on the main server.
I am working in a joke...
12 August 2009
dentists over here are EVIL!
First, you make an appointment (asking for a morning off from the job you have been at less than two weeks), thinking you will get something done at that point in time. But alas, that is not the case.
Nope, they just prod at your mouth, call off a bunch of numbers to another dentist, tell you you need to snack less, poke at your gums with a sharp pointy thing, tell you there is some bleeding (that is because you poked at them with a sharp pointy thing!), then tell you to come back tomorrow morning for a filling and to remove the leftover of a brace, which is the sole reason you made the appointment in the first place. Oh, and you can't get a teeth cleaning till september cause apparently those two things are separate in this country and the hygienist is only in like 4 hours a week.
So then you have to go into the job you have been at for less than two weeks to ask for another morning off to go back to the dentist (luckily you stayed absurdly late last week and they kinda owe you, in your mind anyway).
Back to the dentist you go! You sit down in the chair knowing this is gonna hurt. You are correct. No 'Hello', no 'Good morning', no 'How are you doing?', just 'Open wide' and bam!, you have a needle in your gums. 5 minutes and another novocaine shot later (because the first one was not working quickly enough for the dentist) and you have drills in your mouth. Thankfully, because of the double shot of novocaine that was ordered, you can't feel anything, but the noise alone is enough to drive the sanest person crazy.
Everything fixed, yay! But now the two needles full of numbing agent are really kicking in and the entire right side of your face is left derived of any sort of feeling. It feels roughly 5,000 times bigger than it is and you can't drink water without dribbling it down your chin (so you decided to stop trying). And now you have to go to work!
Needless to say, looking forward to 6pm and my preferred method of painkilling, the pub.
Nope, they just prod at your mouth, call off a bunch of numbers to another dentist, tell you you need to snack less, poke at your gums with a sharp pointy thing, tell you there is some bleeding (that is because you poked at them with a sharp pointy thing!), then tell you to come back tomorrow morning for a filling and to remove the leftover of a brace, which is the sole reason you made the appointment in the first place. Oh, and you can't get a teeth cleaning till september cause apparently those two things are separate in this country and the hygienist is only in like 4 hours a week.
So then you have to go into the job you have been at for less than two weeks to ask for another morning off to go back to the dentist (luckily you stayed absurdly late last week and they kinda owe you, in your mind anyway).
Back to the dentist you go! You sit down in the chair knowing this is gonna hurt. You are correct. No 'Hello', no 'Good morning', no 'How are you doing?', just 'Open wide' and bam!, you have a needle in your gums. 5 minutes and another novocaine shot later (because the first one was not working quickly enough for the dentist) and you have drills in your mouth. Thankfully, because of the double shot of novocaine that was ordered, you can't feel anything, but the noise alone is enough to drive the sanest person crazy.
Everything fixed, yay! But now the two needles full of numbing agent are really kicking in and the entire right side of your face is left derived of any sort of feeling. It feels roughly 5,000 times bigger than it is and you can't drink water without dribbling it down your chin (so you decided to stop trying). And now you have to go to work!
Needless to say, looking forward to 6pm and my preferred method of painkilling, the pub.
11 August 2009
it'll be september in 3 weeks...
...that is almost to much to wrap my mind around at the moment. where does the time go? I ask you.
ah well, things are good for the most part. the flat will be splitting up in a couple of weeks, which I am very sad about, but we are going out with a bang! had one last awesome party, had some fabulous house guests (hi Evan, Pat, Scott and Genevieve!) and Justine, Dani, Ben and I are planning lots of things to do with each other before Justine moves to Amsterdam (where we are all totally going to visit her) and Dani moves in with Lenka, Lenka's boy and hopefully Mike, and Ben and I go back to living alone. Excited about the move (and the decorating, IKEA here we come!) but this past year with the girls has been awesome, best flatmates/roommates I have ever had, and I kinda didn't want to see it change.
But things must move on. onto new jobs (more an that later), onto new flats and eventually onto whole new unknown things. scary, but exhilarating. at least I am staying in London, Bethania moved to Edinburgh a couple of weeks ago (totally going to go visit her too), and if she can make it work, we can make it work.
new job is meh. not bad per say, but not exciting, and not doing anything like the work I want to be doing. pulled a 14 hour day half-way through my first week (and missed a kick ass night with Dani, Justine, Ben, Scott, Alex and Genevieve, and still wicked bummed about that), but I am not going to make a trend of that (or let them make me). I have been leaving at 6pm every night (when office hours are up, 30 minutes later than leaving time at the Foundation, even though both days start at 9am), and I feel oddly guilty about it, as I am the only one leaving the office. I swear, all these people do is work and sleep, and occasionally eat when they are not skipping their lunch break to work...Ben hopes I get over the guilty feeling soon, and I do as well. Not a good precedent to set, but at least I am kindly but firmly letting the office know I will not be working insane hours all the time. I am more than willing to stay late the night before a deadline, have done that at all my offices and that is part of the job, but not every single day.
so that's the new job in a nutshell. We shall see how this progresses...
it is the end of summer (or what London calls a summer) and inching (centimetreing?) its way towards my favourite (sorry, automatic by now...) season, autumn, which I have to say I absolutely adore in this city. I am excited to have Ben see it. little less foliage than back in New England (tho I suppose you could say that for most any place outside of those 6 states), but still lovely. and by then I will be writing from a new flat! we have one that we have our eye on, just waiting to hear back about it. wish us luck!
ah well, things are good for the most part. the flat will be splitting up in a couple of weeks, which I am very sad about, but we are going out with a bang! had one last awesome party, had some fabulous house guests (hi Evan, Pat, Scott and Genevieve!) and Justine, Dani, Ben and I are planning lots of things to do with each other before Justine moves to Amsterdam (where we are all totally going to visit her) and Dani moves in with Lenka, Lenka's boy and hopefully Mike, and Ben and I go back to living alone. Excited about the move (and the decorating, IKEA here we come!) but this past year with the girls has been awesome, best flatmates/roommates I have ever had, and I kinda didn't want to see it change.
But things must move on. onto new jobs (more an that later), onto new flats and eventually onto whole new unknown things. scary, but exhilarating. at least I am staying in London, Bethania moved to Edinburgh a couple of weeks ago (totally going to go visit her too), and if she can make it work, we can make it work.
new job is meh. not bad per say, but not exciting, and not doing anything like the work I want to be doing. pulled a 14 hour day half-way through my first week (and missed a kick ass night with Dani, Justine, Ben, Scott, Alex and Genevieve, and still wicked bummed about that), but I am not going to make a trend of that (or let them make me). I have been leaving at 6pm every night (when office hours are up, 30 minutes later than leaving time at the Foundation, even though both days start at 9am), and I feel oddly guilty about it, as I am the only one leaving the office. I swear, all these people do is work and sleep, and occasionally eat when they are not skipping their lunch break to work...Ben hopes I get over the guilty feeling soon, and I do as well. Not a good precedent to set, but at least I am kindly but firmly letting the office know I will not be working insane hours all the time. I am more than willing to stay late the night before a deadline, have done that at all my offices and that is part of the job, but not every single day.
so that's the new job in a nutshell. We shall see how this progresses...
it is the end of summer (or what London calls a summer) and inching (centimetreing?) its way towards my favourite (sorry, automatic by now...) season, autumn, which I have to say I absolutely adore in this city. I am excited to have Ben see it. little less foliage than back in New England (tho I suppose you could say that for most any place outside of those 6 states), but still lovely. and by then I will be writing from a new flat! we have one that we have our eye on, just waiting to hear back about it. wish us luck!
5 August 2009
31 July 2009
last day at the Foundation
...its weird....
still not entirely convinced about my new placement, but will update after my first day on monday...
still not entirely convinced about my new placement, but will update after my first day on monday...
30 July 2009
28 July 2009
here comes the bride...
the addition of the white napkin dress cleared up Nisha's artistic fashion intentions
we have all decided that it is actually a guy in drag, much more fun that way
27 July 2009
arabian niiiiiights.....like arabian daaaaaaaays
Manikin is dressed up like an Arab sheik
Although apparently he (she in this case) was supposed to be another thing, as Nisha informs me. As soon as I figure out a way to get those pictures off the camera, those will be up as well!
17 July 2009
phone number thoughts
Phone numbers are a whopping 11 digits long over here, making it quite difficult to retain any of them, even your own...
Also, there seems to be no set way to write them. for example, in the States it is standard to write it as 3 digits, then the remaining 4. Here, how ever many ways there are to write 11 digits, that's how many ways I have seen it written.
Strange country
Also, there seems to be no set way to write them. for example, in the States it is standard to write it as 3 digits, then the remaining 4. Here, how ever many ways there are to write 11 digits, that's how many ways I have seen it written.
Strange country
16 July 2009
concert thoughts
NIN rocks! one of the best gigs I've been to in a while. I thought it was awesome when they started playing David Bowie songs, but then Gary Newman came out on stage and they jammed a bit, finishing off by playing Cars. awesome. (tho I don't think Justine and Harold knew the song, as they were not rocking out and singing along like Ben and I were....guess that song didn't get playing in France and the Netherlands...hmmm)
but oh my gosh, tube queue after the show. the O2 centre can probably hold about 50,000 people, and it was 95% full. and then all those people had to get home...we took one look at the queue 6 wide and about 300 metres long. and that was only to get into the structure housing the tube station. that was not through the lobby, down the escalator, through ticketing and onto the platform, and decided bus it was! the queue was long for that as well, but not as much. Harold and Justine managed to get on the first bus (and we saw Carla!) but Ben and I did not. however, while waiting for the next 188 we noticed that the queue for the tube had disappeared. went through and didn't even have to wait for another train. got home about 40 minutes before Harold and Justine.
but oh my gosh, tube queue after the show. the O2 centre can probably hold about 50,000 people, and it was 95% full. and then all those people had to get home...we took one look at the queue 6 wide and about 300 metres long. and that was only to get into the structure housing the tube station. that was not through the lobby, down the escalator, through ticketing and onto the platform, and decided bus it was! the queue was long for that as well, but not as much. Harold and Justine managed to get on the first bus (and we saw Carla!) but Ben and I did not. however, while waiting for the next 188 we noticed that the queue for the tube had disappeared. went through and didn't even have to wait for another train. got home about 40 minutes before Harold and Justine.
15 July 2009
mid-week musings
- So, had a nice chat with the Prince yesterday. Gotta say, I like the guy. Easy to talk to, really seems to care about what you are saying. Good guy.
- You have to be made out of stone if you don't cry at the end of The Notebook. Stone I tell you.
- To zone 4 or not to zone 4, that is the question...would hate to move out of the city, but at this point that doesn't seem to be an option. Now it is just teeny studio in zone 2 or slightly bigger 1 bedroom flat in zone 4. And so far, neither of those options has really fit into our budget...being poor in a very expensive city is difficult.
- You have to be made out of stone if you don't cry at the end of The Notebook. Stone I tell you.
- To zone 4 or not to zone 4, that is the question...would hate to move out of the city, but at this point that doesn't seem to be an option. Now it is just teeny studio in zone 2 or slightly bigger 1 bedroom flat in zone 4. And so far, neither of those options has really fit into our budget...being poor in a very expensive city is difficult.
13 July 2009
monday observations
It's a good morning when you can cross all three pedestrian crossings in a row.
Sure, you have to do a little illegal crossing....but ultimately worth it when you are not stuck on a traffic island for 5 minutes...
(plus I have the Blackadder theme song in my head)
Sure, you have to do a little illegal crossing....but ultimately worth it when you are not stuck on a traffic island for 5 minutes...
(plus I have the Blackadder theme song in my head)
9 July 2009
rice cakes!
My new food obsession is Snack a Jacks Sweet Chili flavour mini rice cakes.
Ask Ben or Dani.
I've got 'em stashed in the pantry at the flat, in the bottom drawer of my desk, everywhere.
They are delicious.
They were on sale at Waitrose for 46p each, I bought 10 bags....
I may have a problem, but I don't think so.
Ask Ben or Dani.
I've got 'em stashed in the pantry at the flat, in the bottom drawer of my desk, everywhere.
They are delicious.
They were on sale at Waitrose for 46p each, I bought 10 bags....
I may have a problem, but I don't think so.
8 July 2009
mid-afternoon observation
I am a fiend for iced tea
Sam and I gave up trying to find some in London, so got all the fixins to make our own: pitcher to keep the brewed tea in the fridge, ice cube bags, lemon, etc
in the past week, Sam has prolly had 4 glasses of office-brewed iced tea. I think I have had upwards of 12
I have a problem...
(ps, earl grey makes a kick-ass iced tea)
Sam and I gave up trying to find some in London, so got all the fixins to make our own: pitcher to keep the brewed tea in the fridge, ice cube bags, lemon, etc
in the past week, Sam has prolly had 4 glasses of office-brewed iced tea. I think I have had upwards of 12
I have a problem...
(ps, earl grey makes a kick-ass iced tea)
theatre thoughts
I have got to be more pro-active about my theatre going habits.
Ben and I got an awesome engagement present of two tickets to Tom Stoppard's Arcadia from Dani, loved it and got the bug.
We then made a long list of all the shows we wanted to see, and then didn't act on it, forgetting that the shows do have time limits.
We most likely have already missed out on seeing Rowen Atkinson in Oliver! (his run ends 18 July, I called the box office yesterday and they are sold out through the 20th. Ben is going to see if we can get day of tickets just in case, but I do not think our chances are very high), and have yet to make a dent into any other part of our list.
But the reformation has started! Spurred on by Sam, we have booked tickets to go see Waiting for Godot with Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart. And good thing too, as that show's run ends 8 August (the earliest tickets we could find were 28 July...almost missed out on that one too).
But now I am determined. We will go to the theatre much more often! It seems ridiculous to be living in London and not take advantage of the West End.
Will keep you updated on my new quest...
Ben and I got an awesome engagement present of two tickets to Tom Stoppard's Arcadia from Dani, loved it and got the bug.
We then made a long list of all the shows we wanted to see, and then didn't act on it, forgetting that the shows do have time limits.
We most likely have already missed out on seeing Rowen Atkinson in Oliver! (his run ends 18 July, I called the box office yesterday and they are sold out through the 20th. Ben is going to see if we can get day of tickets just in case, but I do not think our chances are very high), and have yet to make a dent into any other part of our list.
But the reformation has started! Spurred on by Sam, we have booked tickets to go see Waiting for Godot with Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart. And good thing too, as that show's run ends 8 August (the earliest tickets we could find were 28 July...almost missed out on that one too).
But now I am determined. We will go to the theatre much more often! It seems ridiculous to be living in London and not take advantage of the West End.
Will keep you updated on my new quest...
badges? we don't need no stinkin badges!
this country goes on strikes a lot
first the tube workers strike (that was a fun 3 days....) and now the postal workers are striking
also, the more you type the word strike, the funnier it looks/sounds
first the tube workers strike (that was a fun 3 days....) and now the postal workers are striking
also, the more you type the word strike, the funnier it looks/sounds
7 July 2009
memorial thoughts
Today was the 4 year anniversary of the London Underground bombings. In remembrance of the victims, a Memorial in Hyde Park was erected.
This is a beautiful memorial, and truly a touching tribute, but the cost of these memorials has always befuddled me. The 52 3.5m (11.5') steel pillars cost £1 million. And as far as memorial pricetags go, that is fairly low. Some budgets reach into the 100 millions.
I have always wondered if somehow, a smaller, much more simpler physical memorial was built, and the remainder of the funds allocated and established some sort of foundation or charity or the like for the victims families to help get them through what they have just experienced would be more appropriate. I do not deny the importance of something you can touch and look at and is understandable to other people, but I suppose the comfort that you can get out of a physical memorial always seemed out of proportion to the cost of erecting it. A elaborate mausoleum does not comfort the grieving widow anymore than a simple tombstone does.
I have never had to go through anything like the families and friends of tragedy victims have had to, so I cannot pretend to thoroughly understand. However, it has always seemed to me that those people would not care how much money was spent of a memorial to their loved ones, only that they were recognized and appreciated at all. And that the poignancy of the tribute would not be halved if the budget was.
Again, mostly just conjecture on my part, but with the cost of dealing with a loved one's death, it almost seems more befitting to help out with the little things that can cause so much more grief and agony in the daily lives of the survivors (like organizing funerals, paying for them, supporting family that was left behind), than to make a huge expensive grand public gesture.
If the public gesture was a bit less extravagant (cost-wise, not talking about design here at all), maybe a bit of that money could be put pointed in a more useful direction. Just some thoughts.
(some post-posting thoughts to add. I realize as I re-read this that what I have just typed does not necessarily, or cannot, apply to war memorials, or where the death toll number is far greater. At least in the thoughts on reallocation of funds.
But I do believe that parts of my argument still stand. I have seen war memorials that are elaborate [the new WWII memorial in DC for example], and I have seen war memorials that are as simple as a tank pulled out of the water and preserved with a plaque dedication [the memorial to British and American soldiers who were killed practicing for D-Day at Slapton Sands on the southern coast of England]. Both stirring, both silence inducing, both bringing up appreciativeness for the sacrifices made for our countries. One at considerable less cost.
At the same time I do not think I would like to see all grand memorials go. I am a huge fan of Maya Lin's Vietnam Memorial, and think it is one of the best of its kind. I am just proposing not all memorials have to carry the price tag of the gross national income of most African countries. [I didn't mean for that to sound sarcastic....])
buggy hell
here are no window screens here
none
which means when we leave our windows open at night to get some air flow so we don't roast in our blankets, thousands of bugs fly in the window and then do not leave
I noticed when I was living in Italy that they didn't have window screens either, maybe it is just an American thing? I mean, granted, there are a lot more bugs in the States. I practically got eaten alive when I went back for Molly's graduation. But you would still think that there would be a system in place in the UK to keep the bugs they do have out of people's bedrooms/living rooms/kitchens.
strange...
none
which means when we leave our windows open at night to get some air flow so we don't roast in our blankets, thousands of bugs fly in the window and then do not leave
I noticed when I was living in Italy that they didn't have window screens either, maybe it is just an American thing? I mean, granted, there are a lot more bugs in the States. I practically got eaten alive when I went back for Molly's graduation. But you would still think that there would be a system in place in the UK to keep the bugs they do have out of people's bedrooms/living rooms/kitchens.
strange...
30 June 2009
ET fly home
so I have come to to think of London as my home.
and when my Mom starts writing "Bethany home" on the calender referring to my flight back to London, you know its for real.
Mom does not give up my claim to CT homesteadin' easily....
4 June 2009
cheese!!
I found provolone piccante at the new little italian delia/cafe across from my office this morning!!
woohoo!!!
this has made me much more happy than a block of cheese should......
woohoo!!!
this has made me much more happy than a block of cheese should......
2 June 2009
they don't have iced tea here!
have been forced to make my own with pilfered ice from the kitchen downstairs...
you would think a country so invloved with tea as this one is would have discovered this fantastic hot weather beverage by now.....
you would think a country so invloved with tea as this one is would have discovered this fantastic hot weather beverage by now.....
1 June 2009
monday thoughts
one, I cannot believe it is June already. one more month and it will have been a year since I left the States to start this Fellowship. it does not seem like it has been that long at all. it's kinda strange, it definitely caught me off-guard.
two, the queue outside the post office is always really long on monday mornings.
two, the queue outside the post office is always really long on monday mornings.
31 May 2009
hot hot heat
oh my goodness, these past few days have been like high summer days.
bright sunny and pretty darn hot
I love it
(tho do I miss my ceiling fans...)
29 May 2009
AND
sushi for lunch and ice cream in the afternoon!
and it is actually warm enough in the office that there are a couple fans running
incredible :)
AND Italian music playing in the office!
good day.
good.
day.
and it is actually warm enough in the office that there are a couple fans running
incredible :)
AND Italian music playing in the office!
good day.
good.
day.
27 May 2009
ummmmm
so this morning I woke up not remembering if it was wednesday or thursday (it's wednesday), and accidentily washed hair twice in the shower.
on the upside, my hair is really soft now.
on the upside, my hair is really soft now.
26 May 2009
ain't it always the way...
when your projects are slow and you have some free time at work, there is nothing else going on
but when something wicked awesome does pop up you are already swamped with 2 huge projects and sneaking away to do the wicked awesome thing becomes the act of a ninja.
que sera sera.
but when something wicked awesome does pop up you are already swamped with 2 huge projects and sneaking away to do the wicked awesome thing becomes the act of a ninja.
que sera sera.
17 May 2009
Scotland? London? who knows...
so there is a one in three chance that Ben and I will be in Scotland come August/September.
the actual prospect of the Highlands/Edinburgh doesn't really phase me, but I think we were kinda hoping to hang around London for a bit longer. Plus, everybody else will still be down here (cept maybe for Bethania, who may be headed Winchester-ways). I would feel left out and out of the loop if everybody is going to parties, pubs and hangin out in London, and I am 8 hours away...
But then again, firm wise it may be the better alternative (not sure, we have interviews in two weeks). So then it is better firm or preferred location? Course, dunno if it is worth speculating, as I am pretty sure it is almost entirely out of our hands at this point.
All I know is it is a very strange position to be in.
13 May 2009
why?
why would the IRS send to my address in the UK a tax refund check in dollars?
why?
and when I gave them my direct deposit details so this wouldn't happen?
why?
sigh...
why?
and when I gave them my direct deposit details so this wouldn't happen?
why?
sigh...
11 May 2009
quick observations
In the States ice cream trucks play an exceedingly annoying version of "Do Your Ears Hang Low" as they drive around.
Here, they play "Greensleeves".
Even the ice cream trucks are more sophisticated in England.
Ben had never had a proper jacket potato (baked potato with all the fixins) pre-London. He has found his new favorite food. (and I still can't believe he had never had a jacket potato before...)
Here, they play "Greensleeves".
Even the ice cream trucks are more sophisticated in England.
Ben had never had a proper jacket potato (baked potato with all the fixins) pre-London. He has found his new favorite food. (and I still can't believe he had never had a jacket potato before...)
6 May 2009
on what plane of existance does this make sense?
a one way plane ticket costs twice (and sometimes more) as much as a round trip ticket
why? nobody seems to know....
why? nobody seems to know....
you know you have been in England too long when...
...you draw a street section at a workshop and without thinking about it you draw the vehicles driving on the British sides of the road.
yup.
yup.
a little blog math for ya
friends visiting over the course of a month + two day workshop + recovering from friends visiting over the course of a month + week long workshop + nasty cold = Bethany is apparently not good at keeping her blog up to date
9 April 2009
trendy slums? hmmmmmm
I am not sure how I feel about the "press" slums have been getting lately. Through a variety of reasons (books, films, 'starchitects' showing interest, etc) slums and the discussion of them have become, so to speak, trendy.
The result of this is two-fold. Yes, these communities are getting more attention, but in my view it is not necessarily the helpful kind. Slums are getting romanticized, and the real problems that exist in and around them get glazed over. But I suppose any awareness is good awareness? Still not sure.
The second (and this is slightly more selfish) reason is that I have been interested in these types of communities for years. How the residents create homes from scrap and other people's throw-aways. How the necessity of design reveals the most functional and down to its basic elements. How the towns are laid out, and (especially) how they grow. The differences in the towns based of where they are, what kind of climate they are in and what kind of topography. (Laura showed me a project she and some other students did when she was in uni in Columbia, researching the informal settlements on the mountainsides. They truly are fascinating.) I am not saying they should be recreated elsewhere as middle-class developments or whatnot, because they shouldn't, waaaay to many inherent problems. But I think there is something to be gleaned from these places. Just what, I am not yet sure, which is why I really want to study them.
And now that studying these communities is the thing to be doing, it might seem like I am just following the trend, and not studying them based on my own volition. Like I said, a bit selfish, but I think valid none-the-less.
and apparently I am not the only one to be having these thoughts. From my friend Ryan's blog:
http://architecture.myninjaplease.com/?p=4439
(he says it all a lot more eloquently than I can)
The result of this is two-fold. Yes, these communities are getting more attention, but in my view it is not necessarily the helpful kind. Slums are getting romanticized, and the real problems that exist in and around them get glazed over. But I suppose any awareness is good awareness? Still not sure.
The second (and this is slightly more selfish) reason is that I have been interested in these types of communities for years. How the residents create homes from scrap and other people's throw-aways. How the necessity of design reveals the most functional and down to its basic elements. How the towns are laid out, and (especially) how they grow. The differences in the towns based of where they are, what kind of climate they are in and what kind of topography. (Laura showed me a project she and some other students did when she was in uni in Columbia, researching the informal settlements on the mountainsides. They truly are fascinating.) I am not saying they should be recreated elsewhere as middle-class developments or whatnot, because they shouldn't, waaaay to many inherent problems. But I think there is something to be gleaned from these places. Just what, I am not yet sure, which is why I really want to study them.
And now that studying these communities is the thing to be doing, it might seem like I am just following the trend, and not studying them based on my own volition. Like I said, a bit selfish, but I think valid none-the-less.
and apparently I am not the only one to be having these thoughts. From my friend Ryan's blog:
http://architecture.myninjaplease.com/?p=4439
(he says it all a lot more eloquently than I can)
7 April 2009
30 March 2009
I'm in a painting!
We all went to the Cambridge-Oxford boat race on sunday (which one, I do not remember...) and I ended up in a painting!
We were all standing on the river bank watching the boats, and there was a guy doing a quick painting behind us.
When we came up to find a spot to stand and watch the race, there was no girl in a turquoise skirt. When we left after the boats had gone by to go find a pub there was a girl in a turquoise skirt!
me!
woohoo!
We were all standing on the river bank watching the boats, and there was a guy doing a quick painting behind us.
When we came up to find a spot to stand and watch the race, there was no girl in a turquoise skirt. When we left after the boats had gone by to go find a pub there was a girl in a turquoise skirt!
me!
woohoo!
I am pretty psyched. I have never been in a painting before.
oh, and Oxford won.
(we had to ask)
25 March 2009
16 March 2009
AND...
...Jen and Meredith are coming tomorrow morning!!!
woohoo!!
took a couple days off work to run round London with them.
gonna be an awesome week :)
woohoo!!
took a couple days off work to run round London with them.
gonna be an awesome week :)
12 March 2009
on a sugar high
so it is normal over here to bring in sweets and food for everybody else when it is your birthday, not the other way around.
two peoples' birthdays today
two very generous people
chocolate cake at 9:15 in the morning, with carrot cake and chocolate bars and starburts and cadbury rolls...with more chocolate and candy right after lunch (and full lunch at the pub across the street)
to say that I am on a huge sugar high would not be way off base
two peoples' birthdays today
two very generous people
chocolate cake at 9:15 in the morning, with carrot cake and chocolate bars and starburts and cadbury rolls...with more chocolate and candy right after lunch (and full lunch at the pub across the street)
to say that I am on a huge sugar high would not be way off base
11 March 2009
wish there was less cream in it, cause it was delicious...
Cold Zucchini Soup
Ingredients:
-3 to 4 medium zucchinis, cut into 1" pieces [ps, zucchinis is a funny word to spell]
-3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
-1 large onion, sliced thin
-1 1/2 tsp curry powder
-1 cup heavy cream
-1/2 cup milk
Directions:
1. In a large saucepan layer veggies and sprinkle with curry. Mix well.
2. Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes or until tender.
3. Spoon out veggies and puree until smooth. Pour into bowl (or original pan) and mix in cream, milk and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Chill and serve.
Thanks to mom for the recipe! I made it and served it hot, so it works that way as well. Not quite cold soup weather here yet...
I am going to try it with light cream and half as much, and maybe some soy milk instead of the real stuff, so I can eat it.....if I do end up trying it and it is good, I'll let you guy know
9 March 2009
woo hoo!!!
Ben officially has his visa and his flight over here!
I am doing happy dances in my living room :)
8 March 2009
one week!!!
only one week until Ben gets here!
I have never been happier
although will be happier still when he is actually on British soil
yay!
1 March 2009
bacon? what bacon?
may have put bacon into the soup, and Julia (who is vegetarian) may have eaten some before I got home to tell her not to.....but she said it's the most delicious lentil soup she had ever had! So, you know, that's gotta count for something....
Ingredients:
-2 onions, chopped
-4 carrots, diced
-3 celery stalks, chopped
-3 cloves of garlic, minced
-2 g dried oregano
-2 bay leaves
-1 g dried basil
-1 can crushed tomatoes
-385 g dry lentils (black or green)
-1895 ml broth (veggie or chicken)
-15 g spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced
-3 potatoes, diced
-3 slices bacon, diced
Directions:
1. Fry bacon in a large saucepan with oil until starts to brown. Add onions, carrots and celery. Cook and stir until the onion is tender.
2. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano and basil. Cook for two minutes.
3. Stir in lentils, add broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes add in the potato and spinach. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Season with salt, pepper (and optional vinegar) to taste.
27 February 2009
spring! (sort of)
the first false beginning of Spring has arrived!
60 degrees and walking around in flip flops today!
woot!
give it 5 or 6 more of these 'get your hopes up before smashing them to the ground with a 31 degree and windy' days and then it will actually be spring!
60 degrees and walking around in flip flops today!
woot!
give it 5 or 6 more of these 'get your hopes up before smashing them to the ground with a 31 degree and windy' days and then it will actually be spring!
26 February 2009
finally!
took 6 months, but I finally got T-Mobile to cancel my cell phone plan and waive the cancellation fee because I moved abroad where they do not have service.
it took that long to convince them that I actually did live in London and was not just trying to get out of my contract 3 month early.
I think it was the lease, pay stub, bank statement, National Insurance Number and the copy of the letter they sent to me at my london address stating that my previous forms of proof of address were not on their list of acceptable types that finally convinced them.....
anywho, glad that is over!
it took that long to convince them that I actually did live in London and was not just trying to get out of my contract 3 month early.
I think it was the lease, pay stub, bank statement, National Insurance Number and the copy of the letter they sent to me at my london address stating that my previous forms of proof of address were not on their list of acceptable types that finally convinced them.....
anywho, glad that is over!
25 February 2009
reminiscing
every once and a while I really miss the ease and simplicity of the first couple of years of college
talk about care free and no actual responsibility (although I suppose it didn't seem like it at the time), but it was a whole new beginning with a previously unknown lack of limitations
I really miss that
(listening to all the Dispatch albums on my iPod doesn't help either....)
talk about care free and no actual responsibility (although I suppose it didn't seem like it at the time), but it was a whole new beginning with a previously unknown lack of limitations
I really miss that
(listening to all the Dispatch albums on my iPod doesn't help either....)
a little flat math for ya
broken windows + tempremental shower + rampaging mouse + conning landlady = we will probably be looking for a new flat....soon
sigh....
sigh....
21 February 2009
19 February 2009
18 February 2009
friends!
I have two sets of friends coming to visit me!
One next month and one the month after that!
the last half of March and the first half of April is going to rock.
I am so excited :)
I miss everybody a lot, so this is just fantastic.
[now I just have to scheme a way to get them all to stay over here.......]
yay!
One next month and one the month after that!
the last half of March and the first half of April is going to rock.
I am so excited :)
I miss everybody a lot, so this is just fantastic.
[now I just have to scheme a way to get them all to stay over here.......]
yay!
17 February 2009
the squash is a pain to cut, but oh so delicious to eat
Ingredients:
-2 shallots, chopped
-1 celery stalk, chopped
-1 carrot, chopped
-2 tbsp butter
-2 butternut squashes, peeled and chopped
-2 tart green apple, peeled and chopped (squash and apple should be a 3:1 ratio)
-5 to 6 cups of chicken (or veggie) broth, just enough to cover all veggies
-1 container (light) cream cheese
-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
-pinches of nutmeg, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and pepper (I did a lot of nutmeg)
Directions:
1. Combine butter, shallots, celery and carrot in large saucepan. Cook for five minutes.
2. Add squash, apple and broth. Bring to a boil.
3. Simmer for 10 minutes or until squash is soft. Puree cream cheese into vegetables. Add spices to taste. If ambitious, add crushed walnuts to the top of the soup, very delicious.
4. Enjoy!
animation!
So I tried to upload the better animation (this one was just the test run, lower quality, is missing some scenes and the movement is much more choppy than the final), but apparently the file was far too large for the site to handle. I left it to upload over night, but it had not even moved. So not so good animation it is! The shadows are spastic and you travel through a few walls, but there you go.
So basically the narrative is you start out in one of the housing unit types, move through it from the street to the interior of the block. There is a marsh land that functions as both a public space and retention area for the grey water from all the houses on the block (after it has gone through a septic system). Spin around that a bit, and then you move through a different housing unit type, and into the street. The houses are all set close to the street and in fairly high density. The minimal setbacks promote interaction between the neighbours and little shops attached to the houses on the street allow for homemade crafts and produce to be sold. The you pull away from the small portion of town I modeled to see the whole masterplan. All the coloured blocks are where new housing in to infill empty and vacant lots (some empty and vacant because of the gang violence that ripped the town apart up until a couple years ago).
And that is my animation!
I spent most of last week on this, to present it for staff presentations we had monday, but unfortunately the computer attached to the projector didn't have media player loaded, so it wouldn't play. Kinda made most of last week a moot point.....oh well.
It is posted here now!
16 February 2009
sweeeeet
ummmm, there is a new book coming out entitled Pride and Prejudice and Zombies......
it is mostly Jane Austen's original text, but the (subsequent) author has infilled with a story where a zombie hoard attacks and the Bennett sisters and Darcy have to fight them.
in one word:
awesome
it is mostly Jane Austen's original text, but the (subsequent) author has infilled with a story where a zombie hoard attacks and the Bennett sisters and Darcy have to fight them.
in one word:
awesome
13 February 2009
so I have this idea
it has been slowly brewing for a bit
would be exciting, very much so, but not sure if its feasible yet
but schemes are being made....that's for certain
it needs some discussion....hmmmmmm
would be exciting, very much so, but not sure if its feasible yet
but schemes are being made....that's for certain
it needs some discussion....hmmmmmm
9 February 2009
soup so good I had to make it twice
in honor of black[bean] history month:
Cuban Black Bean Soup
Ingredients:
-1 15oz can of black beans
-1 bay leaf
-1 1/2 tbsp recaito*
Directions:
1. Pour the can of black beans into the saucepan. Add recaito and bayleaf, bring to a boil and immediatly turn down heat and simmer for an hour on very low heat.
2. Heat.
*For Recaito
Ingredients:
-1/2 bellpepper
-1/2 yellow onion
-2 garlic cloves
-1 chili pepper (or sweet chili)
-2 tbsp cilantro
-1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
1. Process all the ingredients in a blender or food processor until almost mush.
2. This recipe can be doubled or tripled and kept in the freezer, this can be added to many dishes for flavor.
Notes:
1. top with sour cream mixed with lime and shredded cheddar cheese
soooooooo good
8 February 2009
drawings
every first thursday of the month, the drawing school upstairs gives a free drawing class, and I finally made it to one (granted half way through cause I had to work late)
but I am actually pretty proud of what I did!
but I am actually pretty proud of what I did!
more Manikin + Hedgehog
either kicking in the door in the middle of a successful Hedgehog kidnapping...
or presenting Hedgehog a la lion king, complete with acrobatic moves
7 February 2009
even more things
35. every once and a while, I will find myself in a place and am not quite sure how I got there, both in the physical sense and in the allegorical sense
36. there is an unspoken awareness of authority (and the propriety and "rules" that go along with it) that is somehow beyond me. bosses, CEO's (and hell, even royalty) don't stress me out the way they should. and it has gotten me into trouble.
37. buildings turn me on
38. I have the best flatmates ever!
39. I am more in love now than I ever have been
40. I have the worst directional sense known to man
41. I can feel myself evolving (very slowly, but very surely) into the person I eventually want to be
42. I prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate
5 February 2009
the adventures of Manikin and Hedgehog
So I have this drawing manikin on my desk at work
I also have a small stuffed hedgehog finger puppet that Bethania got for me in Norway
sometimes I come in and find the two of them in very different positions from what I left them in the night before...
Nisha did this one
Hedgehog is doubling as Manikin's fur hat as he dressed up as a Palace Guard
I think this one was particularly awkward for Hedgehog
I also have a small stuffed hedgehog finger puppet that Bethania got for me in Norway
sometimes I come in and find the two of them in very different positions from what I left them in the night before...
Nisha did this one
Hedgehog is doubling as Manikin's fur hat as he dressed up as a Palace Guard
I think this one was particularly awkward for Hedgehog
wellies
you know the puddles and wet spots on the streets that you try to avoid when wearing normal shoes?
do you ever head right towards them with this inane urge to jump in them when you are wearing weather-proof shoes?
I must have jumped in 4 or 5 puddles on the way into work this morning with my wellies on....
do you ever head right towards them with this inane urge to jump in them when you are wearing weather-proof shoes?
I must have jumped in 4 or 5 puddles on the way into work this morning with my wellies on....
4 February 2009
football fun
I am re-reading some old NFL posts by Sports Illustrated, and finding if funny looking back on what was written in predictions and such knowing now how the season panned out.
for example: putting the Pats winning the Superbowl based almost entirely on Tom Brady being Tom Brady (and not out for the season after one quarter of the first game with a hit to the knee)
or going out on a limb and naming Plaxio Burress one of the best receivers of the game this season. you know, before he literally shot himself in the foot at a nightclub with an illegally owned gun and most likely ended his NFL career.
you know, things like that.
for example: putting the Pats winning the Superbowl based almost entirely on Tom Brady being Tom Brady (and not out for the season after one quarter of the first game with a hit to the knee)
or going out on a limb and naming Plaxio Burress one of the best receivers of the game this season. you know, before he literally shot himself in the foot at a nightclub with an illegally owned gun and most likely ended his NFL career.
you know, things like that.
3 February 2009
the work week just keeps getting shorter!
as Dani pointed out: for an architectural charity, our building doesn't work very well...
no work again today because the power source that feeds the water, the phones and the first floor where the server room and internet hub are based, is out. really hard to do work when you can't access any of your files. or flush the toilet.
kinda cool
more things
26. I can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue
27. I may outwardly apologize, but I like stealing all the blankets
28. at some point in my life I have sang in a choir, played the violin, been on a swim team, did track and field, played lacrosse, danced jazz and danced pointe and stage managed theater
29. I am honest to goodness terrified of heights
30. penguins were my first animal love, then sheep, then giraffes, then moose and now hedgehogs
31. I find my self talking to inanimate objects more often than I care to admit
27. I may outwardly apologize, but I like stealing all the blankets
28. at some point in my life I have sang in a choir, played the violin, been on a swim team, did track and field, played lacrosse, danced jazz and danced pointe and stage managed theater
29. I am honest to goodness terrified of heights
30. penguins were my first animal love, then sheep, then giraffes, then moose and now hedgehogs
31. I find my self talking to inanimate objects more often than I care to admit
32. I love snow days just as much now as I did when I was 9
33. I tend to like what are considered sophisticated drinks; gin, scotch and the like
34. I absolutely adore sushi, and would eat it for every meal if I could.
2 February 2009
snow day!!
so 6" of snow have shut down the entire city of London.
no buses are running, almost all tube lines are suspended, and the airports have pretty much completely stopped functioning.
and, best of all, the office is closed! I have my first honest to goodness snow day since first year of university!
and there is more snow on the way for this afternoon!
best day ever!
add that to the absolutely fantastic superbowl last night (yes, I stayed up til 3:30 am watching it, what of it?), and my goodness, what a great weekend.
and I gotta say, really impressed with the Steelers, two minutes left in the game, they are down by 3 points after the Cardinals pulled down a touchdown to take the lead with 5 minutes left, Ben Roethlisberger coordinates an amazing drive down the field and finds Santonio Holmes for a touchdown with 35 seconds left. the extra point puts them 4 points ahead of the Cards. try as Kurt Warner might, it is just nigh on impossible to pull that off. fantastic game. and thats not even mentioning the steelers interception on the endzone line that got returned 100 yards for a touchdown in the first half.
god, I missed football.
31 January 2009
bit late, but still good
once the three weeks it takes to find barley in the shops pass, you too can make this delicious soup!
Beef + Barley Soup
Beef + Barley Soup
Ingredients:
-2 lbs stew beef, cut into 1" pieces
-2 cups chopped leek
-2 cups chopped carrot
-2 cups chopped celery
-2 cups chopped mushrooms
-4 garlic cloves, minced
-6 cups water
-1 1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp thyme
-1/2 tsp ground black pepper
-4 bay leaves
-2 14-ounce cans beef broth (making your own with bullion also works, that's what I did)
-1 cup uncooked pearl barley
Directions:
1. Brown beef in a large pot, remove.
2. Saute garlic and vegetables until lightly browned.
3. Return beef to pan. Add the water spices and beef broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for one hour.
4. Add the barley and cool for 30 minutes or until the beef and barley are tender. Discard the bay leaves.
Notes:
- More beef broth should be added as necessary.
- By separating a portion of the vegetables, not returning any beef to them and substituting a vegetable stock for the beef broth, and vegetarian version of this soup can be made. Follow all other steps as is.
30 January 2009
things
[so I did this thing for facebook, cause I had a lull in work for about 20 minutes and as bored. It was an interesting exercise though, so I decided to post it. This is the original 25, but I think I will also post more as they come to me...]
1. I don't drink coffee
2. I started a blog on a whim a couple months ago, and am actually enjoying it
3. I miss my cat like crazy
4. I am an architecture snob
5. I love living in other countries, and intend to do it as much as I can, but New England will always be my home
6. I have a huge crush on Neil Patrick Harris
7. Hedgehogs have become a slight obsession of mine
8. People that can turn a blind eye to others' suffering baffle me
9. I am discovering a previously unknown love of boots
10. I take a LOT of pictures. But never try to take my camera away from me, I will beat you
11. I miss swimming and dancing
12. After Cadbury, I will never again be able to enjoy Hershey's
13. If you told me ten years ago that I would be the one in the room vehemently defending American Football to a whole bunch of foreigners, I would have told you you were crazy
14. I have roughly the memory of a goldfish
15. I have a tendency to overeat when I am bored
16. I honestly do not know what I would do with ten million dollars
17. When I haven't done CAD or sketch-up for a while, I start to miss it
18. I had told myself that I would never live in a block apartment building, but London is expensive and I don't make that much, so....
19. I love cheese
20. I sleep ten times better with Ben next to me
21. I try to be a good person, but I don't know how often I succeed
22. Autumn is my favourite season, but I love them all and don't understand how people can live in places with none (or just one really)
23. People who are passionate about what they do are my favourite kind of people
24. I absolutely love my family. Ben's ain't bad either
25. It may look like I have my life figured out, but the reality is quite the opposite
this is the best thing I have seen all week
Old House...
New House!
with the graduates of the planner/craftsman program down there (so the work can continue after the Foundation has finished playing it's role), our team based in Rose Town and the white dude in the top right is Hooper, our Director of International Projects here at the Foundation (who just happens to be from the NY side of the NY/CT/rt 84 border)
this is what I want to do, revitalize desolate areas, and honest to goodness make a difference in people's lives. things like this make you smile for a good 6 hours straight (at least)
this is just fantastic
New House!
with the graduates of the planner/craftsman program down there (so the work can continue after the Foundation has finished playing it's role), our team based in Rose Town and the white dude in the top right is Hooper, our Director of International Projects here at the Foundation (who just happens to be from the NY side of the NY/CT/rt 84 border)
this is what I want to do, revitalize desolate areas, and honest to goodness make a difference in people's lives. things like this make you smile for a good 6 hours straight (at least)
this is just fantastic
29 January 2009
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