I'm such a girl!

Guess what I did today. Bet you can't guess!
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I bought 2, yes 2, hundred dollars on makeup.
My little sister's amazing Christmas present to me was to go to MAC and get some makeup done by one of the girls there and 40 dollars of makeup. And then I bought 200 dollars more. I justify this by the fact that I don't really own any makeup, only a little bit. But I have been wearing the little bit I own quite a lot lately. And it's all good quality stuff that will last me a long time and it's much cheaper to buy it here than decide I want to get it and have to buy it in England.
Then we went to lunch.

All in all, I'm feeling much better, having had a great day with delly then this with my sis.

Not much of a confidence hunter, but somehow I think it's creeping back up on me anyways. Thanks everyone. I really really hope to see those of you I haven't seen soon.

Wow. Self-doubt sucks. Confidence is indeed a fickle, fickle friend.

PAR-TEE, PAR-TEE, PAR-TEE...

Joy!

I'm sick of being sick. So today I went to the doctor and got me some drugs. I am now the proud owner of some antibiotics, cough syrup with codeine, and nasal spray. Yummy. I hope they work, since not only have I still been coughing, but I pulled a miscle in my chest so that every time I cough/sneeze/laugh/twist or reach or move in the wrong way I get a nice stabbing pain. So hopefully I will be disease free before the week is out.

At present I'm also a bit mad at myself. I can never seem to get off my ass and get applications for things in with time to spare. I always leave it to the last minute. Honestly, for this one I have been putting it off in hopes that I would get some inspirational thought of exactly what I wanted to do my Phd on, and I did think I had until early next term. But now I find that, OOPS, if I want any chance at funding the application has to be in by Friday. Shoot monkeys. I think It's do able, if I spend a bunch of money on overnight style shipping, but still. I could have done this while I was still there and saved myself some trauma.

On a nicer note, I feel Christmassy now that I've worked a reflections shift. I was at the front end bonfire. So it was a chilly, but not freezing cold night, with not many problems (apart from a continually drippy nose) and a lovely fire to watch. I'm looking forward to being in Ruthy next shift, but I do enjoy the bonfires because they are just so simple and calming.

But seriously. I haven't actually seen many of you yet. How is that possible? Again, maybe a problem with me getting off my ass.

home again home again

Ah i's good to be back to stab city.
Apart from the day spent in planes trains and automobiles, the incessant coughing (which made me feel like a social parhia on the plane), and the fact that in my head it's 4 o'clock in the morning, it's good to be back.

contact will follow. But not now.

last chance

All right folks, seeing as I leave on Wednesday, I figure I should make a last call for anything anyone really would like to see brought home from Cambridge. Anyone? Anything? Well, not anything, but anything within reason.

much love and I can't wait to see everyone again.

Cambridge.

A place where people study hard, but play harder. Apparently. It's pretty rampant, but I guess I'm just not used to college dormitory life. It's not really that bad but it's fairly constant.

Last night was the 'mingle' entitled 'Fear and Loathing in Las Minglas'. That means an Elvis impersonator and many an undergrad in stockings and hot pants. They turned all of the room in one of the buildings on campus into different places to dance with pretty impressive decor. I danced a lot, didn't drink, but am still tired this morning since I got up at 7 to attend a Founders day mass at the chapel followed by an ale breakfast. Interesting tradition. What's more interesting is the dinner that we are having tonight.
It's restricted to last year undergrads and first year grads (who didn't go the previous year, you can only go once) and is completely free. It includes a 7, yes a 7, course meal including a different type of wine with each course. And it's black tie of course. Wow. I'm sure that Henry VI would be so very proud of our gourmandizing.

speaking of proud...

Look what I managed to do! This is a colour reconstruction of the pediment sculpture that I've been writing on for my first essay that I managed to make. I did it by hand first, but the details didn't come out as clean as I wanted, so I thought I'd try and do it on computer though the program they have here is one I never used before. It took me awhile to figure out how to get things started, and took a long time to do once I figured it out... but I did it! Yay! Small victories.

In honour of Crafty Bean...

... I will finally post a few photosof my world

This is my college. Isn't it pretty? This was a while ago, it's not as blue or green anymore on the whole.

This is our dining hall. We get dinner every night, but it's usually cafeteria style. When I refer to formals this is what I mean. Its basically a sit down served dinner that's supposed to be fancier than normal. Sorry the photo is so dark, it doesn't really show what the hall looks like very well.

Here is a Cambridge cow. This is the one I think Bonobo should write about. (everyone I tell about your story idea loves it... so I won't tell anyone else because they might steal it. You better get on writing that Bonobo.)

That's it. Not too shabby, eh? And only a week before I'm home.

At this present moment, I am revelling in my dorkiness.
I get to go draw pot sherds today! Yay! Pot sherds! It's all very exciting for me. This is my first class that is leading towards the project that I am doing in leu of a third essay. I think i've already mentioned that I'm very pleased.

There really is not much else to say. I mean, my first essay is almost done, it's still getting cleaned up but is essentially finished. Which is good because I'll get a bit of time to try and clarify my second essay topic and my thesis proposal. And party. Mustn't forget to make time to party. Although that time seems to make itself regardless of whether you have it or not.

I have camera consistency envy of crafty bean. I always feel silly for not having the photos to back up my tales... somehow I feel you all need proof and an acurate visual of what I mean.
For example, can you all picture the clown band (complete with tuba) that was outside my building yesterday? I doubt it. You can try to imagine the colourful costumes and the oddly painted faces and the image of clowns playing random instruments, but the fact that I missed the photo denies you the joy of seeing exactly what I mean. Well, maybe it is better this way. I still haven't posted a pic of the tea shop, for example, since I really don't think it is all that interesting of a shop and I would hate to deny you the excitement of picturing me living above a cute little tea house type place.

It is only a week and a bit until I get home anyways. Kind of strange to think that soon I will be transported back to the land of cold and ice where, though away from my school and the work environment, I will have to try and maintain a good work ethic and actually get a lot of research finished. I feel confident that I'll be able to do it, but I do know how fast days can get away from you if you aren't careful.

Well, I am determined to get a (semi-) final draft done by the end of today so to the library I must adjurn.

yup. Motivation has completely left the building.
There really is a lot for me to get done before I leave but I feel as if it will be accomplished. I want to have my essay completely finished and ready to and ready to hand in on the 1st so that I can spend the few days after that getting my next essay topics in order. But I don't know if that is too optimistic in my present state of mind. Plus this next week has plenty of stuff going on such as:

1) heading into Oxford tomorrow for a reunion with the folk from my Lefkandi dig this summer
2) not one but two formal halls (possibly three)
3) plenty of semester end drinks in faculty, kings, and the hostel I'm living in
4) I hope to go see Troy: the musical! that is playing next weekend
5) There's an advent service I'll be attending at the chapel sunday night

so hopefully i'll be destracted enough to work on finishing my essay, if that makes any sense.

I hear it's downright cold in e-town right now. At least you can all whine about it with reason, people here complain and it's not even below zero. It's chilly, sure, but not what I'd call cold just yet. And we seem to be getting more than enough days of crisp sunshiney blue skies. Sorry, didn't mean to rub it in... I miss snow, really I do.

The sharp pangs of homesickness have poked me a little. Not that I don't think about being home a lot, it's just that this morning feels like a day where I would much rather be home than here. It's funny how it comes at you from out of the blue. I have no particular reason for being homesick today, it just decided to run up and ambush me from behind. But at least I'm mostly over my sick sickness (the cough refuses to vanish completely, but it has greatly diminished).

Oh well, it's just two more weeks or so until I'm flying home. Really, that's almost to soon considering what I need to do in that time. These upcoming weeks also have lots of things to look forward to including a couple of formal dinners and general end of term cheer, but I am looking forward to getting back and being surrounded by those I love and adore. (ah, cheesy, but true).

I better get going, ancient greek calls

The tea shop I live above really is the tea shop I live above now since it opened today. Yay! no more infernal banging and a constant source of all things tea. I haven't actually had time to be in it yet, but it seems okay. Although, it's called "Ti" and is a little bit cheesy in it's invocation of the east (you'll see what I mean when I get photos) but it's not bad.

My disease is basically a cough now. A slightly dreadful and inhuman cough, but a cough only. My soccer team played this afternoon two people short, against a team in the first tier (we're in third) so needless to say I really got a workout this afternoon. And coupled with the cough that left me quite unable to breath at times, my body feels quite exhausted. But good. I feel good. And I feel ready to revise my essay yet again before I go to bed tonight in order to hand in a better-than-last-and-hopefully-almost-good-enough-to-hand-in rough draft in the morn.

And I really must look into that butler thing Chautauqua girl suggests...
plus the oil lights are really very handy you know, i suggest we import them into Canada so we can see the bears we're wrestling.

It's rainy and grey out there this morning. The kind of day where, when coupled with a cough and runny nose, you really just want to stay cuddles under your blankets with your head in the pillow ignoring the fact that you must go see your supervisor in an hour.

yup.

Nah, it's okay. I haven't really been able to complain about the weather here, it's been pretty nice, this is the first really grey day that I've woken up to. I mean, last night it was raining, or rather it had just stopped raining so the skies were clear and starry, but the ground was shiny and wet and the trees were orange and yellow and it looked really very beautiful. I guess I'm just being fussy because I'm still diseased.

Seriously, when I cough, I sound like I'm harbouring a demon of death in my chest. but I'm doing everything I can think of to get better and stay better, even without the coldFX the tudor Rose has offered to send me a couple of times (but yes at this point I'll be home around the same time it would arrive, and I think that I'll stock up then).

I'm sick...

... again. I'm not happy about this. I feel like I'm in kindergarden where everyone is a snot nosed little germ spreading machine.

It' s not that bad, just not that pleasant. At least I can still function. Although I couldn't very well when I got up this morning to drop off a draft of my essay, but then I went back to bed for another couple of hours and took some aspirin and cough syrup and I'm feeling much better.

Seriously though, I usually get sick once or twice a year, this has been twice in two months. That's not cool, not cool at all.

I went to the store and bought some antibacterial gel stuff because I want to take every precaution so that, like scarlette o'hara, I will never go sickly again!

gah.

its a penguin... with boots!

I had a good day. Not that I was overly productive or anything crazy like that, but I did have a meeting with some profs about my project in leu of a third essay and I am so very excited about it.

I am revelling in my dorkiness right now. Seriously, I have been on a high all day because I'm going to be able to draw pottery sherds. Not just any pottery sherds mind you, mycenaean late helladic IIIC and IIIB pottery sherds. You're jealous aren't you? don't try to deny it.
As if I wasn't excited enough about it there's also the chance that my supervisor for the project will let me come to Knossos for a week (using classics faculty money) to teach me how to draw pottery there. The site is actually run by one of the directors from Lefkandi which increases my chances of going greatly since I already know him and managed to make a really good impression on him this summer.
Yay!

So we'll see, but things are coming out roses right now.
I just had a good Greek class where I felt that I had actually learned something and wasn't completely useless, and I am looking forward to going to the pub for a veggie burger. My world is complete.

day of guy fawkes

Last night in honour of Guy Fawkes day there were fireworks. And not just fireworks, but an entire mini exhibition! Had I known I would have gone over there sooner and gone on some rides, but it was much to much to busy to bother with them after the fireworks. We did, as we immediately reverted to six year olds who are over stimulated by the lights and loud booms and all the people, succumb to that sugary temptation that is candy floss.
Is there anything better on this world than whipped, artificially flavoured and coloured, sugar in a bag? i severely doubt it.

I think we should have guy Fawkes day in canada too, just as an excuse to be pyrotechnically unstable for one day of the year. And the massive bonfire they had is my goal for next years staff parties...

I can't seem to get any images up for my profile pic. maybe it's just not the right time f day. The two below are failed attempts, but they might not have looked so good in the wee anyways.

So in the meantime, you'll all just have to imagine that there's a brilliant photo up.

well, today went better.

I finished up my presentation and my power point, got a chance to read it over for a friends ahead of time and got everything together right on time. I didn't get a chance to eat until after I presented and even then only hurried before soccer practise... but I did it, and I think I did it well. There were problems of course, but nothing major and nothing I didn't know. Like I need to clarify exactly what I'm doing here. I've got good ideas, but the directing point of it is a bit lost. Nothing broke down, nothing didn't work for me, and nothing got erased. Yay!

I got to run around a bit, and there's a halloween formal hall which means that I get to dress up, eat some food, and have a fun night.

good.

did you ever have one of those days

today was one of those days. Why could nothing go right today? Why? Come on zeus... buddha... anyone? Please explain to me why nothing could go right. Be forwarned, a venting list will follow. Do not read further if you do not wish to read me whining.

I was scolded for using a really fun picture of gorgo cheese and took it off my blog. (I just really liked it, and I guess i just don't understand this whole broadband "stealing" images thing because it's not like I was going to do anything with it other than enjoy it and proclaim my joy of it)
I was up most of last night trying to direct my paper in a new direction to get past the wall. I think I did, but still, I'm tired.
Still sick, coughing a dreaded cough.
I managed to stress myself into a head ache
I worked until I realised I was late for German. Haven't done any German homework this week (this is no to say I haven't done any german as I have been trying to get through all that german text that I need to do, it just hasn't left me with much of an appetite for doing more, less pertinent excersises) But regardless, since I didn't do my german prep, I was frustrated and ashamed at my stupidity in class.
Ditto for Greek.
I missed the fireworks. Not that I had time for fireworks, but I would have made time had I known they were on. I could only see the reflection of them in some windows outside my room since I was facing the wrong direction.
Made some good progress on my presentation, wrote up a great conclusion, fixed things up, got my power point... and then, just as I was about to go to bed... yup. I got confused about what I'd saved on my jump drive vs my hard drive and saved over it with an earlier version. Craptasticly brilliant.
I tried to plug in at least reminders of what I could remember, but I can't think. It was good, now it's not. But I'm going to bed and hoping that this all hallows eve stupidness will stay with the ghosts and goblins.

it seems to be the night for random animal noises. Not just any animal noises, but human made animal noises. Its really bizarre. I have heard imitations of a screeching cat, a barking dog, and a parrot. And not all at once, at random points this evening. It's really, really, odd.

I just had to blog becasue it was so weird. I'll blog again later, but actually am in the middle of thinking. so I must continue to think.

I feel like I swallowed the jagged-metal krusty-O in my cereal this morning. Or rather, that I didn't swallow it and it managed to get lodged in my throat. guh.
Other than the throat thing I feel fine, I just dread my every swallow.

On the bright side, there's a formal hall tonight for dinner. Which means dressing up relatively nice (since it's king's we never wear robes, the other colleges would be wearing robes to such an event) and having a nicer dinner. I'm excited, though not many of my grad friends got off their asses soon enough to get tickets i'm sure it will still be fun.

well, that's pretty much all that's new in my world right now. Not much to live vicariously through i know. I promise to try harder.

The things I heard outside my window were...

I have decided that a regular feature for my posts will contain random things heard outside my window since the last time I posted.
Last night, for example...
1 group of men singing at the top of their lungs (song unknown)
1 group of women singing at the top of their lungs (song also unknown)
1 moving van to (I think) take away the theater set at midnight and consequent crashing around
1 game of trolley racing into the moving van
1 blood curdling scream
2 probable fights (not really fights, more like turkeys puffing out their chests)

all in all, relatively quiet for a saturday night

during the day yestrday...
1 person playing bagpipes
1 person playing saxaphone
1 group of tam tam/drum players

all in all, a very musical day!

These people below me are driving me nuts! The store right underneath my window is renovating to become a tea shop. I like that it'll be a tea shop, but right now it's constant construction noise and drilling and throwing of things into dumpsters and just a lot of general noise.
none the less, I actually did some real work done last night. I just sat down and started writing. I meant to get an outline down and some of the questions that I wanted to ask down in writing before meeting with my supervisor tomorrow and I just kind of kept writing. I probably could have written more, but it became 3:00 in the morning and I thought I should just finish it up and go to bed. It was meant to be extremely rough after all. The problem is that it turned out to be around 2,600 words and most (more than half) of what I wanted to say was only outlined and not argued or delved into. The maximum is 4,000. Gah. You'd think I culd control myself and/or pick a topic that wouldn't get ubsurdly too long. It's alright. I think I'll manage. I just have to control some of my more dramatic, long winded tendancies to look into every little detail. Like the lion up top, I wrote a page about it's spots. That's right, don't you wish you were in classics? The sad thing is that I actually find it really interesting. I mean come on... how can you not find a concentric circle patterning that doesn't interact with the base form of the animal (be it lion or leopard) interesting? It raises so many issues about perception of ornament and it's use towards beautification and conceptual design, not just in pediment sculpture but in Greek art in general... right. Don't worry, I know I'm a dork.
Although, I am still feeling proud of myself. I don't have a main argument yet, but it's happening. and I feel like I'm making good connections between things and that I can make a good paper out of this. I think that I need to do that not just for my first paper topic, but start doing some writing for my thesis as well. Just not right now. I'll do some Greek today, but otherwise I'm giving the reading a rest for this evening. I'll talk with my supervisor tomorrow and go from there.
I managed to score some family guy dvd's from Kates (and now my) friend T so that makes me happy, there's only so much reading I can do in one day and it's much better than watching the paint dry while eating lunch. I just have to be careful not to watch them all immediately, Space them out a little.

katekatekatekate

Yay, i get to see kate tomorrow. I promise to do much work today and clean my room so as to be able to suitably entertain.

And my soccer/football team totally kicked ass! The other team didn't even get a shot on goal. They were barely even in our end of the field. I love it. I mean, honestly, I enjoy playing just to play and my team this summer obviously lost a lot. But it was kinda nice to totally kick ass unexpectedly. I'd been led to believe that the King's team was pretty bad (apparently they only won one game last year) and I wasn't planning on winning, let alone winning in such a unequivocal manner. so that was fun.

Then I went to a pub with the team and had a beer. Then I went to another pub with friends and had food (and a beer), the I went to the bar and had a beer, then we watched "Dude where's my car". all very... ahem... British. quite.

Now that wasn't too hard at all. It's amazing what you can do when you borrow a digital camera and actually try. But can you see it? Can you see the charm? I think it's better in person. So, i bought the bike on monday, right. I bike to my faculty and back on tuesday. Yesterday I came out and... true to form, it had a flat tire. That's what you get for buying the cheapest bike on the market. I have to admit, i may have been mad at the bike a little. Just a little.
Anyways, I brought it in today and the guy fixed it for free, so i wasn't mad at the bike for long. Besides it's not it's fault, part of it's falling apart sort of charm i suppose.

Okay, enough about the bike already.

BIKE!

I got a bike! This is the last of my settling in larger scale purchases, so it's no more spending money for me, but I got a bike! I feel so Cambridgey. Everyone here has a bike, you often see moms with three or four small kids randomly piled on in some anti-gravitational manner, and it is definitely the way to get around. This is not to say that I've disowned my skateboard. I love my skateboard very very much and I've managed to find some very skateboard friendly routes that cut out quite a bit of time, so I plan on still using it. But the bike is definitely quicker, and in the rainy weather is better (especially since rain would eventually ruin my skateboard bearings).
No more justifying the bike...
it is literally the cheapest one I could find but is sturdy and in perfectly good condition, just not all that fancy. I hope to figure out how to put a photo up on this thing so you guys can share in the glory that is the bike. But for now you'll just have to imagine a three speed, womens city bike, that is greyish silver, has no brand name or anything, and is slightly rusty. It's perfect and I love it.

oh yah, and studying's going good.

My room feels like a room. I have now purchased: a couple of posters to brighten up the walls, (they may be a bit "student", it's a Dali and a Picasso, both which I love, but still it's a little typical. Probably not what I would have chosen given more time and effort to look, but they are colourful), a douvet and cover (again, the cheapest ones I could find, which turned out well because it's actually quite nice), a kettle for tea and a mug. I'm still eating my cereal out of a re-used take-ou container, but it works. I plan on "borrowing" a bowl from the food hall soon.
It also has many books and only a slight lived in feel since I cleaned it and got a bit more organised this morning.
Yay.

I have some good friends in the making, and had my first football/soccer practise today. So that's all well and good as well. I think this will work.
I am still tending to be a bit antisocial in the evenings though. It's just that I almost can't be bothered by going out. I did a couple of time, which was good, or else I would be this person who no one knows who shows up every once in a while looking lost. But on the whole.
Freshers week stuff is finally finished, meaning that it is really, seriously down to work now.
seriously.

right now.

yup.

You know what's weird about King's?

The cows.

Why on earth does King's college have cows? None of the other colleges have cows... but we do. I guess it falls in line with King's not really falling in line with the rest of the colleges, but I mean really now. How are we asserting our independant, liberally minded nature with cows? Don't get me wrong. I like cows and I actually love that we have them at college. It makes me think of the Rutherfords having a random cow in their back yard, just on a bigger scale.
The cows have a great view too. The photo on the post below, that's basically the Cow's eye view. The person taking that photo was probably standing right in a huge pile of cow patty. I figure that when ever I get stressed, I;ll just wander over and look at the cows serenly munching away, oblivious to the stresses of academic life. I mean it's hard writing papers on the ornamental design elements of the archaic mediterranean world. It is... i swear.

You Know what I like? I like it when things work like they're supposed to. It makes me happy. I'm happy. I managed to get internet connection in my room! It worked! I like it when things work.

Matriculation was fine, you sign a paper. That's it. You line up and sign a paper. Then later we got a group photo of us standing in front of the chapel. I wonder if I can get a copy of that, it might be neat to have. I was, however, in the very last row because of my "B" last name, so who knows if you can even tell it's me.

I'm also happy because I'm feeling a like I'm starting to know the place a little bit more. And it's promising that it's only been one day and I'm already getting my bearings. A little. All it will take is a little bit more wandering and I'll be navigating these cobblestone streets like a pro.
And I'm looking forward to the banquet tonight and the pre-dinner drinks with the classics faculty. I've met a Couple of people, but they're mostly random bumpings into and therefore unlikely or less likely to bump into again, but to meet the others in classics will be good.

And not only do the british like to sing drunkenly, they also like to ring bells. so far not at any inopportune time, but they've been ringing for half an hour already.

So much to do, so much to think about, nobody to do it with. That pretty much sums up my experience thus far.
Made it here without much trouble, a few foibles and a long walk with two very heavy bags, but not much trouble. My room is amidst a long labarynthian corridor that has multiple ups and downs (and no elevator, after a long walk with two heavy bags, the last thing you want to be doing is hauling them up and down flights of stairs and around tight corridors to find your room). It's a fairly good size, pretty basic in it's flavour, and overlooking a Whyte avenue esque road with very load people. Apparently english teengagers have a penchant for drunken singing at the top of their lungs all night. Who knew?

Well, more will come, I promise, but I have to go matriculate now.

At least it's sunny and beautiful here. I wish you all could see it.

Yay!!!! Thank you thank you thank you thank you people at the British high COmmission in Ottawa! I recieved an email today saying that my Visa has been issued! This is much sooner than the skin of my teeth ten working days that had been predicted!!! Soon it will be in my hands and thus will finally be finished the ordeal of the student visa.

That and the fact that wagon tours was cancelled. Yay for the rain. Did I spend it reading like a good girl? I still plan to , but not yet. Did I spend it working on the manual I'm working on for Ruthy? No, but my mom's been using my computer, so I alas and alak could not. Did I spend it cleaning my absurdly messy room in preparation for my departure? Hell no. What did I do? I shopped. I visited that mammoth thing of a mall with my little sister and spent some dough. Not that I enjoy shopping all that much, nor do I enjoy The Mall, but it is nice to have some new clothes. Add this to the lovely sweater I got yesterday with delly bean and I'm in the clothes. Wooha.

All is right with the world on this rainy rainy day.

you know what? I feel rather limbo-esque. I can't seem to get grounded and do anything of any value. I suppose I don't want to get into anything to big before going, but at the same time I want to make th emost use of this time available. And now I am facing the fact that the server at Rutherford quit for a real job leaving us high and dry (odd how this is the second time that the server quits when I'm one of very few people available to fill in). It's not that I mind serving. In fact I do enjoy it on occasion and I like that I can be useful when people i adore need me, but this throws kinks in my relaxing three weeks plan. Since now, I have to figure out how wagon tours works into this whole thing. And I will feel guilty every time I tell Ruthy I can't work due to wagon obligations and guilty every time I tell wagon tours I can't work due to Ruthy oligations. Bah. I know that my marvelous supervisors will understand and be as flexible as they are able, but still. And I am also determined to have at least a couple of days of before I go.
seriously... I will have them.
quit laughing...

hame again home again jiggity jig

So here I am blogging from the comfort of my vey own couch. sitting on my lovely sofa after having put on jeans and a fresh tank top and after having an extremely long extremely superb shower and sleeping in my very own, exeedingly plush bed and waking up to a pancake breakfast. Ooh is it ever good to be home. Now do not get me wrong, I enjoyed my excavation immensely, and while we didn't uncover anything comprable to tutenkamen's tomb, it was grand and interesting and extremely worthwhile. But... is it ever good to be home. For the first time in five weeks I don't smell of sweat, am not covered in a fine layer of dirt mixed with sunscreen, can understand everything that is being said around me, and don't feel like a spectacle. oh yah, and I can flush the toilet paper! Joy!

So now i am looking forward to seeing everyone a much as possible in this next month and enjoying myself terribly before heading off to Cambridge, my next big adventure. I'm trying to give myself a couple of days to et my brain back in order, but am excited to get back to work and to figuringout all that needs figuring out in the next little while.

A shorty

this ones going to be short, mainly because not too much has been happening that warrent elaboration. We've been digging. and with my new duties as trench assistant along with ensuring that all the soil sample, flots, and residues get done means that I am actually fairly busy. This week though was a shorter week due to a holiday the greeks had on tuesday (since we employ greek workmen we couldn't dig and thus went to the apotheke in the morning and had the afternoon off). but it was also very hot, and i'm still getting used to organising myself to get everything done well and in a timely fashion. I also switched rooms. My old one was not big enough to store all the sieving equipement that I have to look after so I had to move which is alright in that it's bigger, but not as nice in terms of being closer to the street and to the noise. My first night consisted of getting woken up at around 4:30 when the dog had trapped some animal (I think it was a cat, but it shot out so suddenly that I couldn't really tell) under a table and was barking inssesantly at it until we went out and got it out with some prodding.
And the GReek culture never ceases to amaze me. For example, this random Greek woman at the bustop swatted my hand from my mouth and told me to stop chewing my nails. She managed to get across to me using various hand gestures that she used to chew hers as well but then she either stopped or died. I'm not sure which...
can you imagine that happening in Edmonton?
I should start doing that. randomly going up to people and, say, swatting cigarettes out of their mouths. or throwing their cell phones into the garbage. something like that.

anyhoo,
the third week has seen many people tired and grumpy and covered in dirt and extremely hot, thus I have left lefkandi for the night and with only a couple of other people am eating at a real restaraunt and perhaps going to play some pool. If we can find a pool house that is.
so I must leave and go do that.
All the best.

old greek men are oddly attracted to me... who knew i possessed this power?

seriously. It's weird. maybe it's because i don't mind sitting there drinking reiki while they all talk in greek. Whatever, these guys are nice, and no one has tried to kiss/pet/grab my boob like last year... yet.
Things are still going really well. There is a new trench supervisor coming on monday for whom I'll be an assistant for which means that I will have a lote more to do, since I'll be doing that and, come friday, I'll also be in charge of the sieving since the person doing that will be leaving. More responsibility and more duties are good. I'm learning a lot, definitley, and I'm sure that doing this is a great start for my career. And just the fact that I have so much time to chat with kids from Oxford is great and am learning about how things happen and what I'll be looking forward to when I go to Cambridge.
The site is going along slowly. They have opened up a new region this season so there are a lot of trenches that are in the topsoil phase and are basically scoping out the area (which is also why there had been so little to do in sieving world since no intertesting soil means no sieving). But we are getting down to good stuff and the two trenches that are being carried on from last year are finding interesting layers of flooring and pits and stuff that doesn't sound all that interesting when you relay it, but is actually very neat. None of the finds are really fancy, mainly since we are still in topsoil, but there have been some things like figurines of animals, beads, loom weight and spindle whorls, and of course, some beautiful pottery, plenty of shells and bones as well. The most important and interesting stuff that comes out of the sieves are the chard bits of seeds and pits from food. This not only can be used to study what they ate and the like, but can also be used for carbon dating so it's important that we've been getting good samples. I can now tell the difference between chard barley (both 2nd row and 6th row) and wheat, and pick out thousands of years old grape and olive pits. Now that's a useful skill!
I've been developing some very interesting tan lines, have consumed more oil in what they feed us than what's in Fort Mac, and feel like dirt and sunblock 24/7. But it's great. I'm excited by what I'm doing and I can really see myself doing this for the rest of my life.

I miss you all, and I hope all is well.

I suppose I should blog

Hey all. I suppose that I should blog since keeping in touch when travelling was my main goal with all of this. I have to admit that I've had a less than lackluster attitude about blogging of late, but reading all of yours reminded me how much I adore you all and really want to make the effort. Anyhoo,

So I wish I could say that my trip has been all roses and shiny things, and really, it's not been bad, just average. The dig took awhile to get going, I arrived on Wednesday and we didn't start doing anything on site until Monday, and even then the job that I've been allotted to meant that I have had excessively little work to do for the first few days. Today was the first day where I felt I did anything remotely productive. And when you've left home for a month just a few weeks before leaving again for a year, I suppose I just want it to be worth it. I mean, I've travelled before, many times, and I've never felt so homesick so fast.

I feel guilty about being here, and I feel guilty about feeling guilty that I'm here. Enough whining...
So essentially I'm staying in a little taverna right on the water front of Lefkandi. It's not bad, I share a little room with an american who is nice enough, we get along. The rest of the people on the dig are british, or have at least been to school in England and I have fun trying to understand some of the things they say and the terms they use. Usually just the little things... like washing powder for detergent or sun cream when we would usually say sunblock.
THe excavaton is seperated into two main parts:1) being on site supervising and assisting the supervisors as we watch and direct greek workers who get to do all the fun stuff like pick axing and troweling, etc. 2) being in the apotheke where all the finds are washed, processed, and catalogued, etc. Having been the only person the director of the excavation hadn't met before being alllowed on the dig I have been understandabley relegated to a third, more monotonous task, sieving. we get dirt from the trenches and sieve it. Firts dry and then through a wet siever to try and get things like seeds and pits and the likes that can be analysed for dietary information and carbon dating. I don't actually get to find anything, I just sieve it and hand it off to a lab somewhere. Now the good part about this is that I have a bit of freedom in that the job is so easy anyone can do it so other trench assistants are getting trained to do so and I was able to take their place for a bit. I also am getting swapped to the apotheke tommorrow, which means that really, my position is the most flexible and I am able to see at least a little bit of everything that is being done. Which is good.

And I still get ubsurdly excited at the site of anything remotely interesting coming up. It's like "oooooh, look at that rim/handle/base/sherd with a little bit of paint on it!" or, even more exciting there are bone fragments, or teeth, or shells that can come up. No one else seems all that excited so I try and hide it a little, but I think it's so interesting that there's this jawbone or a stone with a hole in it that was used thousands of years ago (right now we're digging at around 800 BCE). It re-assures me that even if I'm feeling tired or grumpy, digging up some little thing like that can still brighten my day and make me nerd-ulously adrenalised - it must mean that I have chosen to go in a good direction.

really hot... funny tan lines... ummm... that's good for now I think... enjoy, my computer access in minimal so I won't post often, but if you email me your mailing adresses I can try and send some post. Do it quick though, or else it will never reach you.

oh, and I'd post a picture, but I'm not that high tech so you'll just have to wait.

B-day party ideas

Hey all you people who actually read this thing, I need ideas. I don't know what to do for the b-day which is approaching fairly rapidly. Anything that you might want to do with the Fort kids? Keep in mind that it will necessarily be an evening thing. And no, I don't particularily want to go roller skating, but I'm not creative enough to think of anything better and the vast majority of my attempts at parties have failed miserably (I mean, come on, I can't even make a consortium work). So that's where I'm at right now. Please help...

got our asses handed to us

Boy did we lose at soccer today.
They scored like 3 goals in the first five minutes or so. After that we managed to hold them to only one or two more, but still. And the great thing is that I really don't care. I mean it would be nice to win one this season, which I have no doubt that we will. But I really just have so much fun running around that I don't care. It's a good group of girls (for the most part) so I'm happy. It's really just such a release to go out and think of nothing but the ball for a couple of hours and get nice and sweaty.

It was especially good because I had a minimal run in with an SS that frustrated me after having a very good day. I refuse to blog about it because it is minimal and after talking with T I am no longer all that mad and I don't want to spread the way I felt nor go back to it myself. All will be good. All is happiness and love. uhhh... yah.

Anyhoo... I've decided to start a list called "you know you're an overly historic historical interpreter when...". Feel free to add/modify as I only have a few for now:

1. The use of photocopies in the Fort is only made worse when the edges have been slighly torn and burnt in an attempt to "oldefy" them.
2. you refuse to wear gardening gloves even when weeding an entire field covered with huge ass thistle.
3. You're heart cries a little when someone in costume drinks from the water fountain.
4. Someone comments on the disgust registering on your face at the sight of a "Old West" looking sign at the door of an Edwardian mansion.

Good start, no?

I'm becoming fortified

I'm starting ot enjoy myself a lot more. I'm still having issues with programming, I think because none of it is all that interactive just yet. It's kind of like "here kids, isn't beading fun? No, no, you can't touch, but I'm having a great time!" I'm working on getting things set up that kids can try as well, like hand weaving. I just need to get a chance to get to the store and buy some wool and/or convince the supers to get some for me.
I'm also making myself a sheath for my knife... so much coolness I can hardly stand it! It makes me happy. I'm not letting the infant hordes touch that.

Yup, being at the Fort is good when you can relax a bit, and I'm getting more and more information to draw from so that's good too. More knowledge means more to play with.

Server at Ruthy is unfortunatley ill so I had to serve again today. More money, but I really don't want to do it tommorrow so I'm sending out e-thoughts for her to get better (get better get better get better get better get better get better get better get better...). Not that I wouldn't want her to get better even if I didn't have to serve. Anyhoo.

Ooh, I should send out an e-thought for more sunshine while I'm at it. Come on summer! I don't want any more soccer to be cancelled even though it has allowed me to watch the hockey games guilt free.

the ups and downs of the week

I am apparently not very good at keeping up with the blogging.

we'll start at the beginning of the week. And man have I been grumpy. I really don't have any particular reason to be grumpified, but I have been trying to get out of it. I've just been frustrated by the little things and trying to tell myself that they really are just little things. I have to try and stop controlling things so much and letting go. Just let go. I think it's hard for us when we love a place and what it stands for so much that we hate it when it gets toyed with and in less than pleasing ways. I know it will work out. It will. It has too. I have faith in the world. This goes for the other streets as well.

Wednesday nights' function was fun. I made shell oil people in ties and heels play double ball. Hee Hee.

Thursdays crafting consortium wasn't really crafty at all, but a good time was had by all. I sat and crocheted the entire time. Something very cathartic about the whole thing, you know, having been grumpy and all. Crocheting surrounded by the din of happy people and food. Plus I hadn't crocheted in a while. I've been trying to convince myself that I could be knitty, but alas and alak it is not so. Apparently I'm crochetty (and yes, I'm aware of the double entendre).

I've been serving a bit at Ruthy again, covering shifts for the server who is out of town. Not too busy, especially today, so I didn't mind so much. It was kind of nice to do it again for a bit, wax nostalgic and all that. Plus I got myself organized, with files and all that so I feel like I'm actually starting to really do my job there. We also have a new go-to/Pb girl who seem competent, sane, and a good fit. Yay!

Last night I was shopping with a friend B who told me of the unfortunate passing of our dear Bill. He shouldn't tell me these things while driving... I agree with Delly Bean whe she says that he was spared the indignity of suffering but plan very much so to attend the hymn sing tomorrow in the hopes of celebrate him by celebrating what he loved.

woooooooohooooooo

Yay! First soccer game won! Of course, I was playing with the div 4 team, and not my normal rec one, so it's not as thrilling as it could be. The others didn't really seem to think it was a big deal. But still... woooooohoooooo!

Plus I had the day off today. Next week is going to be a busy one with a function at fort ed and the senate having breakfast, lunch, and dinner functions all next week at Ruthy so I don't feel too bad about taking the day to, you know, clean my room and bathroom, do some reading, slack off a bit, stuff like that.
I also think I'm still recovering abit of sleep from the paR-tee Thursday. I didn't get to sleep in as long as I would have liked yesterday (since I did go in to work) and today I also got woken up numerous times before getting my ass out of bed, again much earlier than I would have preferred. Meh. I shouldn't complain, there's people a lot worse out there, like those who actually worked at the Fort on Friday. Sucka's.

It was a very good party regardless and in spite of the aftermath. I was not dissapointed in the least. And perhaps some good hook ups will come out of it, hey bonobo?

a mish mash of random thoughts and events of the day

I really must stop chewing my nails. They look piteous. meh. Just a thought that popped into my head. Maybe now that I've blogged about it, I will actually stop. Here's hoping.

I hate secrets. I'm not very good at keeping them. Usually if I can tell one person I'm fine, but if you tell one person, inevitabley it will get out. Oh boy am I holding onto a biggy. I also was told a smaller one today that a few others know of too, so that ones not so bad. They will eventually both be common knowledge, but it really isn't my place to tell others. especially the first one. Man I hate secrets. And no, there is no way on this earth that I am going to tell, I just really needed to say that I hate secrets. And maybe that will help me from bursting. Weird to be told two secrets in one day, isn't it?

X-men was awful by T's account, but in my general fashion I thought it was fine and will move on. I just get sucked in too easily to be critical. Sure it was cheesy as all hell, and it should have been called wolverine: the wolverine hour rather than X three, but it had pretty effects. Spikes coming out of cheeks and people being moleculed apart and stuff. I was still naivelyy shocked by the amount of people who came out to see it. we got there around 9:15 hoping to see the 9:45 showing. scoff. yah right. That show and the 10:15 and the 10:45 all sold out leaving us and B and L with 11:00 tickets. I'm surprised I actually stayed awake.

To which you may ask, then why are you blogging at 2:12 in the am? To which I would reply that I have a boy who makes my head spin and I cannot sleep just yet. I should clarify that the spinning is a good thing, just in case said boy is actually reading this.

Hmm, maybe I should research. That'll make me sleep.

I dislike missing soccer

All has been going relatively well on the fort end of things. Now that I'm happier about my direction this summer all other things seem minimal. And it's fun to watch the newbies grow into interping. Making fun of them can be fun, and it's even better when they really get into the swing of things and find a groove. T thinks that the fear of god hasn't been put into them yet regarding congregating, but I shouldn't comment on that since I'm a pretty bad offender on that front. Though I like to think that I congregate only minimally- smaller groups more often. And I could come up with lots of reasons why I enjoy the small groups congregating, but I don't feel the need to defend myself right now. Maybe later.

Somewhat odd though, is that in the past three days I have felt sick twice. On Monday I threw up a little and was generally nauseous for the afternoon all of a sudden. And just as suddenly this afternoon I just about fainted and actually had to sit on the floor while talking to a visitor. I'm so embarrassed. And I have no idea what to tell anyone because I have no idea why I might have fainted. Usually I faint when I'm sick. So maybe I'm just a little overworked, not yet used to the high energy levels the fort demands? Jokes of pregnancy have abounded and I'd rather they not. and I have also decided that it would be best for me to skip practice tonight just in case it is my energy levels or something connected to to much activity, and I dislike missing soccer. So hopefully enough is enough and I'll be right as rain when I get back after my 'weekend' at Ruthy.

whew

I feel much better.
People make it better. The era may be different and there may be different problems and benefits, but the people are the same. As much as we tease and moan about them, the people make it better. They are the job. And I love the job.

I think I also feel better because my supervisor, A, is very good. He thought of a good idea for a character which is surprisingly what I needed.
I wasn't able to really figure out why I was feeling so out of place, I couldn't vocalise what I was all that anxious about, but when A suggested a character I felt so much better. I figured out that all of the things that I felt so comfortable doing where character driven: the maid, the suffragette, the temperance supporter, etc. That's also why I guess I thought I would fit so well as the "European" Rowand daughter - a character that I can latch onto and work from.

This one's good too, he suggested a woman kind of in between. Someone who doesn't really fit at the Fort, but doesn't fit with a native group either. I'd be doing a lot of the survival sort of skills like trapping and cooking rabbits on spits. I know, I know, kinda funny considering the vegetarianism and all... but I like it. It makes me a little rough and tumble. Down and dirty.
The back story could be fun too, I think I'll say my husband fell off the boat. :)

the fun and excitement continues

Things are looking up. I feel better about things now that I've put on my costume completely and been in front of people. (by the way, did I look hot or what?!) Even if these people included Billy who kept asking me
"are you pregnant, are you pregnant?" "Do you want to be?"
"let's do the no pants dance!"

aww Billy.

And tomorrow we get the influx of children. 1600 to be exact.

And I talked to Andrew about my hesitations and anxiety and he's seems committed to making me happy. So we'll work on it. Or it'll work itself out. One or the other. So it should be fine...

And man does it pay to know the costumer and to have bothered her early enough to get not only two costumes, but a belt, a pouch, moccasins, AND bling. Most of the girls are going without moccasins and belts. I guess it's fitting, barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.

hee hee.

I write blogs like a two year old

Hey, so I just read the blogs that I've posted and, man, I hope they're somewhat more intelligible than I feel they are. I promise to try harder next time to make sense.

love finally abounds

I have found love. Just kidding, not love, more of a strange infatuation with running around and kicking a spherical object. Makes you feel really good. Not that my soccer team has won a game yet. We've only played two. Not that we've even gotten any real goals. We lost last game 2-0 and tonight we lost 4-2. Now I say that none of the goals we're really solid because one was scored by them on their own net and the other was when they stopped playing 'cause they thought the ball was out when it wasn't.
My team is hilarious as well because they are sooo supportive of everything. We're a rec team, so it doesn't really matter and the majority of us, like myself, have never played before and are just learning as we go. We also don't have a steady goalie, so we're going to rotate. I volunteered for tonight and learnt that no, I am not the natural goalie I may appear to the untrained eye. But still, I think I did as well as could be expected.
I also get a little bit of an ego boost. Like I said, everyone is so supportive and they seem to think I'm amazing at anything I do. For example, I started the night with someone saying very adamantly that I could not play goal. I was confused, but this was clarified by "you can't play goal, you're our best forward!" Awww shucks. Thanks guys. blush blush.

oh. and T, cut your toenails, those puppies will go right through those moccasins if you're not carefull! ;)

the lost blog

So I was writing a blog last night all about the day yesterday and how, well, angry I was at them making us listen to the exact same stuff they had already made us sit through. Just this time it also included volunteer stuff that had no pertinence to us whatsoever. I also was writing about how the BBQ was actually a shining light in the day because they actually went through a LOT of effort to get us things like tomatoes and pickles and cheese to put on the burgers (and yes, there were veggie burgers). The blog magically vanished. So here is my new one.

I feel bad about my attitude yesterday. Chautauqua girl and I were chatting at work last night and it seems as if the supers were getting some flack, from both sides. The volunteers, or rather one volunteer, was telling one of our supervisors that the day was a stupid idea and that none of the staff were coming to chat with them, that we were just sticking in our own groups. Said supervisor apparently stood up for us saying that it was a two way street.
I have to say that I had no interest whatsoever in making the effort to mingle with the volunteers. I much preferred to pout and whine and be angry at the perceived waste of my time. I mean, my anxiety about my era change and feeling that nothing thus far in training has been supremely productive combined with what I felt to be a complete waste of my time yesterday brought me almost past the point of frustration to apathy. Essentially, not a good frame of mind for mingling.

But now I feel bad. I forgot to recognize the effort that was put into this all by the supers, and one in particular. It really is not much to ask for us to try and mingle just a bit. They may have gone about it in a less than great manner, but still, they deserve to be cut a little slack from our side of things. Well, from my side of things.

I'm putting an apology out into the karmic space of things and I hope that I can be a bigger person the next chance I get. I really don't want to compete in the world record attempt for apathy.

the training continues

Well, ms. tudor rose, you may be nostalgic about the Fort, but this training is dragging on and on and on and on and on and on...

I can barely even remember what we did yesterday. We did some sight specific stuff in the morning and then some IDS training (interdisciplinary studies training, or drawing other interests into what we do here) which involved a movie with John Burke (I think that's his name). Amusing, but I admittedly had trouble staying awake.

But on a different note. I started the day literally thinking about what elephant calves I have and subsequently had two separate individuals remark at what nice calves I had. Weird. But that was a nice boost.

Anyways, today's training, more sight specific but it was rainy so we conversed and nothing of importance came out of it. Andrew was asking us where we might like to be positioned at first go in the Fort and I think he sensed my absolute lack of enthusiasm for any of the places a female might be accurately placed... it went down something like this:

A: So does anyone have a preference?
Others: (random conversations of preferred places)
A: okay, how about you Christy, any preference?
C: No not really, I mean wherever.
A: so no preference?
C: well, i mean it seems like the programming is pretty much the same regardless of what kitchen i get.
A: uhh hu...

Anyhoo... I just really need some people in front of me... please make the training end!
And tomorrow we get to work with the volunteers...

really I'm so very sorry about being so negative, there is a lot to look forward to , I know it. I can't seem to help it right now and all I can say is I might just cry if they don't have a veggie option at the BBQ tomorrow...

gramshaw

So todays training. Where do I start? Well, I had a better day than chautauqua giral did, that's for sure. Emergency procedure was quick and fairly painless. Though they still are making everyone "go to the river". Okay, maybe the fort and '85 I can see getting stuck out there, but '05. Seriously? It's so much further than just going to the front. And I stilldon;t understand what they are going to do with us and all the visitors once we're there. I mean, I guess I don't really understand what situation wouldarise that we would have to evacuate like that. If it's something to do with the weather, it's not going to help us being out over there. If it's a fire, maybe, but we would be still suspiciously close to the fort and lots of wood and we're not any better off than going to the front. Maybe someone can enlighten me I don't feel like thinking abou it any more.

Then Gramshaw (an interp from the previous era, I was a volunteer on '05 one year he was interping there, like 8 years ago or sometng like that) came and gave a talk on presenting heritage. I thought it was a really good talk and gave me a lot to think about in terms of what we do, what biases we choose to present and the value of a site like this in today's society. I never really thought about the difference between presenting history and presenting heritage and about the visitors expectations of one or the other.

Then instead of program planning boredom we went into era specific stuff. Which is not making me excited to be in the fort. I am sad to say. The programs don't excite me one bit, I don't know what I was expecting, I mean I just wanted a change and a challenge, which is what I'm getting, but still. I now I've already said this, but I'm worried. I think it's think long training time. I just need people in front of me and all will be well. even children. They're kind of like people... right?

no amusing chickens

I must start by apologising for the lack of amusing chickens on my blog site. I am digital camera deprived. Not saying that if I had a camera I'd have chickens, but still.
Anyhoo, lots of sitting today as we did era info sessions. I think it's amusing that all but one of the supervisors is new to their era so a couple of the sessions were, well, amusing. Mike did an amazing job, he's just a natural public speaker and very well put together so his was very good. Plus '05 is the best era, so it's hard to be bad presenting it.
I think, however, that the lack of a female on the supervisor list could have detrimental effects. Nothing outright, like something is going to be blown up or anything, but subtle effects. Meh, what do I know.
All I really know is that I really need a "staff training" thing to happen. The newbies need to be initiated into the ways of the fort party.

And jaquie better be there.

the theivery continues

So no training aujourdhi since it is saturday. But I did walk in the great hman race this morning for the Friends of Rutherford House Society and then did some photo bookings. Brides suck. Not all, but really, I just think it's a little bizarre. Anyways, I decided to expand on the theivery of 10 things that has been going around, though I generally shy away from them, I'm bored. And my boy is busy. And my friends also busy. My dog, a little boring. Not that there isn;t lots to do. I'm just in one of those moods.
Anyways, here they are:
10 things:
TV Show: CSI, Amazing race, my name is earl, and the office. Though I by no means believe them to be the best shows on TV, they are the only ones my mom tapes and thus the only ones I actually see on a semi-regular basis
Flower: Amaranth, also known as love lies bleeding. I think it's by far the most interesting flower I've ever seen, and making a crown/cloak of it is supposed to confer invisibility so how cool is that?
Alcohol: Strongbow, though I too have recently taken a liking to Guinness
Movie: I dunno, I like movies, really, but there are so many and none that I can think of right now that stand out.
Colour: greyed out colours, especially green
Sport: loving soccer right now, my first game is on Sunday!
Actor: Seriously, I just don't pay that much attention
Music: I'm kinda an indie modern rock kinda chick
Season: Spring because it's so fresh and I can shed my layers and wear my flip-flops, then fall becasue of it's astonishing beauty and the sound of crunching leaves
Book: Well, I love Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and I really enjoyed reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell - i thought it was clever.
10 FactsBirthplace: Edmonton.
Hometown: Edmonton.
Height: five foot twoish
Hair colour: dark brown is uppose, although that sounds dull
length:you guys all know how long my hair is
Hair style: umm, style?
Eye colour: green.
Skin colour: kind of olivey, mediterranean enough when tanned to fit in
Shoe size: 7 and 1/2
Citizenship: Canadian
10 This or that'sLove or lust? Love eventually, though lust is pretty nice for now.
Liquor or Beer? depends on the moment, if you're trying to be classy or not
Night or Day? Night's better for cuddling and being free, days better for running around outside.
Hook Ups or Relationships? Relationships of course.
TV or Internet? both at the same time, only one bores me a little
Wild night out or romantic night in? both, can't I have both, maybe not all at the same time? Coloured or Black and white picture? Black and white, cause I can do my own developing and printing.
Phone or in person? In person, definitely, I babble on the phone.
Bill Pullman or Bill Paxton? who? I do not knwo these people.
10 Have You EversHave you ever been caught sneaking out? Never snuck out.
Have you ever done something you regret? Mais oui.
Have you ever been on a house boat? Yes, a couple of summers with cousins, my 13th birthady was actually on a house boat.
Have you ever unintentionally injured a small child? yes. I kicked a kid in the head atkarate once. Though he could take it and was very good, it ust kind of happened. And when I say small child, he was like a very small 13 year old.
have you ever been charged with sexual assault? No!
Have you ever had your revenge? I feel the world will serve enough revenge on its own without my having to dirtyy my hands.
Have you ever finished an entire jaw breaker? yup. On eof those really big ones too.
Have you ever stayed up all night til the sun came up? Yes, a couple of times when studying or working on papers and once in Italy itting ont he steps of the city hall.
Have you ever been caught by your parents with a hickey? No, my hickeys have always been in more discreet places than the neck.
Have you ever been caught by your parents doing anything more than making out? No, At least I don'ty think so.
10 Are yousAre you missing someone right now? Well, not really I suppose. A little.
Are you happy? I am really happy right now. I have amazing friends and great opportunities and I'm having fun = me happy
Are you interested in taking a free stress test? not really.
Are you bored? Yes. That's really the only reason I'm doing this list. But for me boredom spreads boredom and I don't really feel like doing anything to aleviate it.
Are you German? No.
Are you Italian? No
Are you French? Really distantly, hence the last name.
Are you loyal to the smelly European countries of your ancestors? no
Are your parents still married? yes.
Are you into someone right now? very.


So there you have it. Any questions?

I'm sooooo techno savy!

I am so very very proud of myself right now! I figured out how to change my titles and links on the sidebar! Now that may not be such a big deal to all of you fine folk who have already managed to do this, but man do I feel accomplished!

Anyways, todays training consisted of.... drum roll please... code of conduct training!!! YaY!!!
Now, as you may recall, there used to be a really bizarre video that really had no relation to what we were doing. I've never actually seen this video, so I was kind of looking forward to the mind nubing stupidity of it. I started watching it two summers ago but just about fainted, so I had to leave early on. Then I wasn't at training the next year, and this year, since it doesn't pertain to us at all, we didn't actually watch it, so lo and behold, I've yet to see the code of conduct video and sadly must rely on the rumored awfulness of it.

Then we had a short vocal thing about using our voices well this summer then site specific training. Since I'm all the way down in the Fort this year, I'm anxious to get my knowledge up to par with the era. All new stuff and new spaces, and I think I will have to modify my interpretive style to the space a bit, but I'm excited. It's a new challenge, which is something I really wanted this summer. And plus, I get to wear pajamas all summer and don't have to bathe. Cool.

Plus we get to talk about beaver and play with double balls...

upon request

So, upon request from perhaps the only person reading my blog at present, I will recount my training adventures of the day.
Today was only semi-real training, since we had an amazing race type thing. Much fun. Thouroughly enjoyed. Of course, this could be because of the fact that my team completely kicked butt. We were the only ones to finish. WE ROCK. WOOOOO!
There were clues that led to a building, and once you made it to that building you got another clue that sent you to another building. So we were going back and forth, back and forth, Fort to 1905 to fort to 1920's, etc. etc. etc.
I think this is because I made them jog the entire way (which is like, 2 hours of jogging by the by) and because, though the other teams also had returning staff members, I think my 12 past summers here helped.
Everyone was rewarded with a little coke in a glass bottle. Fun. Also itwas really sunny and a brilliant day so that helped.

I finished the day by going to my other job. It was a really nice ceremony that was a young couple and, like, 6 others, so was easy and lovely because they were so interested and genuine.

so yah, c'est tout pour aujourdhi.
a demain

the wonderful world of the fort

Chitaqua girl, though I know I spelled her name wrong, blogged that since work began, summer began. It's amazing that I totally agree. For the last bit of April I just couldn't wait for May because May meant the beginnings of a job I adore and with it all things I associate with summer. Though, admittedly, training can be exceedingly dull, and I'm already tired of sitting, fun does arise. Tommorrow for example we have an amazing race, how cool is that? Well, I suppose we'll see how cool that is.
Although, I guess I don't really need to blog about this, since most people reading this would already know since they too are in on the training thingy. meh. I'll get the hang of this sooner or later.

wow. I'm really confused.

I have no idea what I'm doing here. I really am just fumbling about. But I've already been able to contact a friend abroad that I have been unfortunately neglecting, so I feel this blog thing is good for me. Especially with my plans to run away as well. It'll be a great way to interact with people I care about who also blog. So that's the plan, and I'm really trying to start early. So this is the pre-emtpive blog explaining my blog waryness, but I'll post again, as if I know what I'm doing. 'k? k.

i have no idea what I'm doing

Look! Look! I feel so accomplished that I posted a photo. I'm such a dork.

my first blog ever

just trying things out