So a brief explination as to the radio silence that has been in place for the best part of a month; everything that I have been mentioning looking forward to for the summer has either happened or is beginning to happen :-D
My parents came out to Laramie and visited me which was awesome. I think dad found it rather hard to adjust to just how different america is to england; the people, the attitudes, and most of all the wasteful portion sizes and poor mum had to deal with dad and I being at loggerheads as he chose to take his confusion out on us and I refused to simply ignore it.
Otherwise it was a pretty awesome three weeks - we travelled up to Yellowstone and Teton National Parks for around 6 days and had an amazing time, we hiked some serious milage and saw a fair amount of wildlife for our efforts. But for me the highlight of the trip was the horse trekking up into the Shoshone National Forest that we did from our cabin complex, of course I ended up with the willful and stubborn horse - but it was great fun nonetheless, if a little scary when my horse kept biting the cowboy's horse in front, and he informed me he was stopping his horse from kicking in retaliation!
And of course it was my birthday - which my friends and family celebrated with me and made it by far and away the best birthday have had in a while. Thanks guys :-D expecially for such wonderful presents
Then finally, what has really been the best part of the summer so far as far as I am concerned; I came back to England and have gotten to see my long haired english boy, after what has seemed an eternity of waiting. and it was worth the wait :-D. I am so glad to be back home- i have missed england i must confess, but I cant help but wonder if i would have missed it quite so badly if I hadn't had someone so important to me to miss. It was a lovely first day back, even with me being pretty dappy with jetlag, and I got yet more wonderful birthday presents (well wrapped up as well - impressed much!) and we just spent the laziest day on the planet catching up - perfect.
Well in my jetlagged induced state I am writing this at 6am local time, I think I shal go back to bed now and snuggle next to my warm and much missed boy, I think my posting shall remain intermittent for a while - but I am sure you understand.
Nnight
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Spring in Wyoming
We yet again are having the phenomena known as snow in the spring/summer that seems to happen in places like Laramie - oh joy. And to think my parents couldn't quite believe that they would need to bring winter clothes as well as summer clothing for their June holiday!
Ah well, that's the way things are - no point dwelling on the negative when there is so much positive.
Firstly, my parents arrive on Saturday for a three week stay!
Secondly, that is that the day that Squid gets back :-D
Thirdly, that means three weeks till I go home as of Saturday, and whilst I will miss my Laramie friends, there is too much planned for the summer not to be completely hyper excited!
and finally; I got the first draft of my proposal back, and whilst it was covered in a sea of corrections I am at least going in the right direction and have been told I have made a good start.
all in all, apart from the weather, it hasn't been a bad week!
Ah well, that's the way things are - no point dwelling on the negative when there is so much positive.
Firstly, my parents arrive on Saturday for a three week stay!
Secondly, that is that the day that Squid gets back :-D
Thirdly, that means three weeks till I go home as of Saturday, and whilst I will miss my Laramie friends, there is too much planned for the summer not to be completely hyper excited!
and finally; I got the first draft of my proposal back, and whilst it was covered in a sea of corrections I am at least going in the right direction and have been told I have made a good start.
all in all, apart from the weather, it hasn't been a bad week!
Saturday, June 2, 2007
A New Home
yay, we have done it!! We now have the keys to our new home a.k.a Flock Hall 2. I am so excited - it will be filled with some of my favorite people in Laramie, and it will be, I hope, a house filled with laughter, love and good food and much fun. I can't wait to finish moving in and for it to really feel like it is our home, even without our furniture in there it is starting to feel that way.
To keep up on our antics the link is to the left - should be some funny stuff going up once we have moved in as we are a mad bunch, although some are crazier than others - huh squid?
To keep up on our antics the link is to the left - should be some funny stuff going up once we have moved in as we are a mad bunch, although some are crazier than others - huh squid?
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Observation
OK this is my third post of the day, and has anyone else noticed it is rather a habit of mine? I start by posting one blog and I don't seem to be able to stop!! Its like an addiction.
Hmm well it could simply be a thesis proposal avoidance (terrifying the hell out of the sparkly one) and homesickness distraction technique, but I think it might actually be an addiction - kinda like Pringles, once you pop you cant stop (assuming the same ads ran in America and England - if not sorry guys)
Hmm well it could simply be a thesis proposal avoidance (terrifying the hell out of the sparkly one) and homesickness distraction technique, but I think it might actually be an addiction - kinda like Pringles, once you pop you cant stop (assuming the same ads ran in America and England - if not sorry guys)
Rollerblading Update
I should have posted this on Saturday, however I never got round to - too many brownies were consumed and I forgot basically :-)
So I went rollerblading with HSBP and Squid on exactly the same route as the one I took in the last rollerblading event, and came out unscathed. There was a little PTSD as I came up to the slope again, but I handled it by walking down the grass at the side of the slope - a good strategy I thought (well I made it the bottom without taking on the landscaping this time)
On the injury front, I still have the grazes and the bruise on my knee is about the size of my kneecap, located just below - and is making yoga a bit like a gurning event for me given the number of times I can be on my knees in a yoga class - not fun.
On another note about the same saturday- I started to learn how to poi - and I like! I am going to buy myself some rather lovely purple fluffy poi - thank you Jim for the inspiration. Well I will when I get paid anyway, I am rather broke right now - booooo I want my poi.
So I went rollerblading with HSBP and Squid on exactly the same route as the one I took in the last rollerblading event, and came out unscathed. There was a little PTSD as I came up to the slope again, but I handled it by walking down the grass at the side of the slope - a good strategy I thought (well I made it the bottom without taking on the landscaping this time)
On the injury front, I still have the grazes and the bruise on my knee is about the size of my kneecap, located just below - and is making yoga a bit like a gurning event for me given the number of times I can be on my knees in a yoga class - not fun.
On another note about the same saturday- I started to learn how to poi - and I like! I am going to buy myself some rather lovely purple fluffy poi - thank you Jim for the inspiration. Well I will when I get paid anyway, I am rather broke right now - booooo I want my poi.
It's an Expat Thing
OK so the BBC website has a new section - entitled 'also in the news' - and I have to say this is very exciting for me. But no one seems to get this other than my fellow biker Nick, who I must point out is also an expat.
We both use the BBC website as a way to keep in touch with what is happening back at home, and for me it is a relatively unbiased way of keeping up to date with what is happening in America.
But this new section has all those funny stories, like the gay flamigos that have adopted a baby flamingo or the guy who has volunteered to donate his head (after he dies) to be turned into a shrunken head to replace those that the Pitt Rivers Museum (in Oxford) may have to return to their native countries.
I would recommend simply visiting the page in all honesty, it has been keeping me entertained no end since it started.
Quite simply though I think my level of excitement and entertainment is going to occur in anyone else. It is the result of being an expat, I just don't expect anyone else to get it (mostly cos no one else has so far!).
We both use the BBC website as a way to keep in touch with what is happening back at home, and for me it is a relatively unbiased way of keeping up to date with what is happening in America.
But this new section has all those funny stories, like the gay flamigos that have adopted a baby flamingo or the guy who has volunteered to donate his head (after he dies) to be turned into a shrunken head to replace those that the Pitt Rivers Museum (in Oxford) may have to return to their native countries.
I would recommend simply visiting the page in all honesty, it has been keeping me entertained no end since it started.
Quite simply though I think my level of excitement and entertainment is going to occur in anyone else. It is the result of being an expat, I just don't expect anyone else to get it (mostly cos no one else has so far!).
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Reconciliation
Yay, simply - an agreement to disagree. So simple and yet has caused me more relief and happiness than I could begin to describe.
Back to making many happy plans for the summer - excuse me whilst I go and enjoy the happy day dreams induced by that idea
Back to making many happy plans for the summer - excuse me whilst I go and enjoy the happy day dreams induced by that idea
Friday, May 18, 2007
Heartbreak
I am so sad, and i think something inside me has died. I have spent some time now trying to build compassion inside myself as I believe that so much less pain will be in this world if we are more compassionate towards one another, and that the only way to cause this to happen is to start with myself.
Someone I care about an incredible amount, has just spent ages telling me how because we have been hurt we must therefore hurt back and destroy. Whilst this has been the accepted opinion for many years, and in part in history caused us to create the first hurt that has resulted in this backlash, I had hoped it was a lesser opinion nowadays.
I fear that I have lost something very special to me before it even started. My heart has died. I don't know what to do.
Someone I care about an incredible amount, has just spent ages telling me how because we have been hurt we must therefore hurt back and destroy. Whilst this has been the accepted opinion for many years, and in part in history caused us to create the first hurt that has resulted in this backlash, I had hoped it was a lesser opinion nowadays.
I fear that I have lost something very special to me before it even started. My heart has died. I don't know what to do.
The Rollerblading Incident
I have now officially tested out the Rollerblades that I bought a week or two ago. I woke up naturally at 8 this morning (yes freaky and rather ironic given my last post on sleeping too much) and saw the weather was looking so nice that I simply had to try them out.
And it was a lovely day for it - by the time I go to the greenbelt it was around 10am, so on went the blades and off I went, rapidly remembering that the last time I had bladed was around 10 years ago and I wasn't all that good at stopping even then. But aside for the odd minor hitch it was good fun. There was a rather challenging wooden bridge that was very uneven but apart from that and the odd wobble I got back into the swing of things rather quickly I thought.
So off I went down the Union Pacific loop, little critters scattering to their burrows in terror, possibly as a natural reaction or possibly as a result of the shock of someone English taking up a very American past time, I shall never know the truth on this matter sadly. Then at the end of the loop I came back upon the challenging wooden bridge, but the slope that came up from it, that hadn't seemed that steep when I went up, from this side it took on all new perspective. But I didnt realise this until I was going down, and then it was simply too late too do anything about it. So I increased speed, hit a wooden post and spun off onto the bridge. OUCH
Luckily, although the wrist brace was off (badly timed itch), the worst damage sustained was a scalped and bruised wrist and knee as well as other bruising of course. Oh and bruised pride, as although the greenbelt had been otherwise empty up to that point, at the exact time of my fall along came two cyclists. So, after a phone call to calm myself down a little, I picked myself up and off I went back to my starting point a lot slower than I had been when going the other way.
Two notes to self: pay more attention to hills and buy some damn safety gear (I was so enthusiastic about buying the blades at the time I forgot all about it :S). Well I am going to get on with my day, bruised pride and body and all.
That is all
And it was a lovely day for it - by the time I go to the greenbelt it was around 10am, so on went the blades and off I went, rapidly remembering that the last time I had bladed was around 10 years ago and I wasn't all that good at stopping even then. But aside for the odd minor hitch it was good fun. There was a rather challenging wooden bridge that was very uneven but apart from that and the odd wobble I got back into the swing of things rather quickly I thought.
So off I went down the Union Pacific loop, little critters scattering to their burrows in terror, possibly as a natural reaction or possibly as a result of the shock of someone English taking up a very American past time, I shall never know the truth on this matter sadly. Then at the end of the loop I came back upon the challenging wooden bridge, but the slope that came up from it, that hadn't seemed that steep when I went up, from this side it took on all new perspective. But I didnt realise this until I was going down, and then it was simply too late too do anything about it. So I increased speed, hit a wooden post and spun off onto the bridge. OUCH
Luckily, although the wrist brace was off (badly timed itch), the worst damage sustained was a scalped and bruised wrist and knee as well as other bruising of course. Oh and bruised pride, as although the greenbelt had been otherwise empty up to that point, at the exact time of my fall along came two cyclists. So, after a phone call to calm myself down a little, I picked myself up and off I went back to my starting point a lot slower than I had been when going the other way.
Two notes to self: pay more attention to hills and buy some damn safety gear (I was so enthusiastic about buying the blades at the time I forgot all about it :S). Well I am going to get on with my day, bruised pride and body and all.
That is all
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Hippy Thought
As a person who is regularly described as a hippy of sorts and is therefore beginning to believe it herself here is a quote to get you all thinking about saving the world, its an important and very true point and if nothing else maybe putting it this way will catch peoples attention on the subject:
'For starters, let's be clear about what we mean by "saving the earth." The globe doesn't need to be saved by us, and we couldn't kill it if we tried. What we do need to save—and what we have done a fair job of bollixing up so far—is the earth as we like it, with its climate, air, water and biomass all in that destructible balance that best supports life as we have come to know it. Muck that up, and the planet will simply shake us off, as it's shaken off countless species before us. In the end, then, it's us we're trying to save—and while the job is doable, it won't be easy'
On the hippy front, I still refuse to go as far as tree hugging, their just not responsive and it only results in heartache for me.
'For starters, let's be clear about what we mean by "saving the earth." The globe doesn't need to be saved by us, and we couldn't kill it if we tried. What we do need to save—and what we have done a fair job of bollixing up so far—is the earth as we like it, with its climate, air, water and biomass all in that destructible balance that best supports life as we have come to know it. Muck that up, and the planet will simply shake us off, as it's shaken off countless species before us. In the end, then, it's us we're trying to save—and while the job is doable, it won't be easy'
On the hippy front, I still refuse to go as far as tree hugging, their just not responsive and it only results in heartache for me.
Learning
Well ok, thanks guys for the comments on the last blog. I think I might have a go on Squids advice and write things, well not necessarily always from the heart (my British reserve still exists!), but at least as they occur in my head. I will also try the papal review idea - but maybe not for posts that I am putting up late at night!
Todays thought (well tonights thought, but same difference) why is it when your are actually sleep deprived you feel rough but you can keep going. Its when you stop that's when you feel like you have been sledgehammered. I figured I'd allow myself a week of rest after finals hell and the traveling and I have hardly done anything! For example I was going to test out my roller blades, but its either thunderstorming or I am comatose somewhere as my body exacts it revenge. So the lesson learned - don't stop!!!! or maybe just don't push yourself that hard, but I'm a masters student so lets be realistic.
Hmm that brings me onto a second point - the weather in this place. The British are notorious for talking about the weather so bear with me. This place is beyond me - yes it rains a lot in England but we also get some lovely spring and summer days (not to mention winter sunshine) but at least it is relatively predictable. The weather here is beyond anything I can think of, one minute sunshine and heat, the next a snowstorm for a day or two, more sunshine that looks like its here to stay - oh look it must be the afternoon here's a THUNDER STORM!!! argh! (ok so thats predictable at least) - I'm just waiting for the next snow storm, and it will happen I am sure. When someone told me that you just have to wait 10 mins if you don't like the weather here they werent joking.
It doesnt help that I'm not the greatest thunderstorm fan, they scare me a little still - I can just about handle them when I can watch them, but otherwise it is tempting to hide under the comforter (and no that does not make me a baby, my Grandma used to do that too!) , its also most startling when you are meditating to have a crash of thunder right overhead out of the blue - I leapt off my meditation cushion as a result today, and it just wasn't the same after that.
Todays thought (well tonights thought, but same difference) why is it when your are actually sleep deprived you feel rough but you can keep going. Its when you stop that's when you feel like you have been sledgehammered. I figured I'd allow myself a week of rest after finals hell and the traveling and I have hardly done anything! For example I was going to test out my roller blades, but its either thunderstorming or I am comatose somewhere as my body exacts it revenge. So the lesson learned - don't stop!!!! or maybe just don't push yourself that hard, but I'm a masters student so lets be realistic.
Hmm that brings me onto a second point - the weather in this place. The British are notorious for talking about the weather so bear with me. This place is beyond me - yes it rains a lot in England but we also get some lovely spring and summer days (not to mention winter sunshine) but at least it is relatively predictable. The weather here is beyond anything I can think of, one minute sunshine and heat, the next a snowstorm for a day or two, more sunshine that looks like its here to stay - oh look it must be the afternoon here's a THUNDER STORM!!! argh! (ok so thats predictable at least) - I'm just waiting for the next snow storm, and it will happen I am sure. When someone told me that you just have to wait 10 mins if you don't like the weather here they werent joking.
It doesnt help that I'm not the greatest thunderstorm fan, they scare me a little still - I can just about handle them when I can watch them, but otherwise it is tempting to hide under the comforter (and no that does not make me a baby, my Grandma used to do that too!) , its also most startling when you are meditating to have a crash of thunder right overhead out of the blue - I leapt off my meditation cushion as a result today, and it just wasn't the same after that.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
The Debate
Hmm ok so there are is a minor issue I have come across in the very short while that I have been blogging that has come up again in conversation with Oli (aka my boy back in England for those in the know).......... I am a physical geographer, therefore the only writing style that I have had to employ in the last 6 or 7 years is a scientific one (which is why I sucked at the few human geography modules that I had to do in undergrad). I am therefore finding it a struggle to write in any other manner, and as a result my blog posts are a real brain drain as I fight with the writing style.
Oli came up with a simple solution, write it scientifically. But I have two issues with that idea - one is that I am blogging as a way to get away from the world of physical geography that I love but stresses me immensely, and second if I start writing scientifically in style it will only become a matter of time before it affects the subject matter. The result is I start writing about landscape ecology/biogeography and then anyone who happens to read/stumble across my blog will be forced to kill themselves to escape the boredom.
So instead any readers will have to deal with my evolving writing style - any feedback will always be welcome, but it doesn't mean I am going to pay attention to it!!
Oli came up with a simple solution, write it scientifically. But I have two issues with that idea - one is that I am blogging as a way to get away from the world of physical geography that I love but stresses me immensely, and second if I start writing scientifically in style it will only become a matter of time before it affects the subject matter. The result is I start writing about landscape ecology/biogeography and then anyone who happens to read/stumble across my blog will be forced to kill themselves to escape the boredom.
So instead any readers will have to deal with my evolving writing style - any feedback will always be welcome, but it doesn't mean I am going to pay attention to it!!
Idleness
Well apologies for the lack of posting in the last week or so, not a good start after the first post I know, but there we are - it was finals week, during which (and the previous two weeks) sleep deprivation and stress ruled, but as it turned out it was well worth it -I am a straight A student for the second semester running, not bad for someone who has never achieved that before. So you guys are just gonna have to live with the slight aura of smugness that surrounds me right now.
And of course last week I was off road tripping in Utah and Arizona with Maximus, so a surprising lack of computer access in the course of that week - there will be a blog post about this once I have got some photos from Max and figured out how the hell to add them to this blog!! lol. (to all the computer geeks and experienced blog users give me a break, I'm new to this)
Only one minor rant to add this week - whichever muppet did the lay out for the kitchen in this apartment deliberately chose one that is impossible to clean properly without concussing yourself, ah well the apartment is now clean. All I have left to do is catch up on all the emails that have backlogged - sorry if your one of the people who is waiting for an answer - I'm getting there!
Yay only a matter of weeks now till I get home :-D (mind you I will miss my Laramie friends a lot - same as I did whilst I was roadtripping)
And of course last week I was off road tripping in Utah and Arizona with Maximus, so a surprising lack of computer access in the course of that week - there will be a blog post about this once I have got some photos from Max and figured out how the hell to add them to this blog!! lol. (to all the computer geeks and experienced blog users give me a break, I'm new to this)
Only one minor rant to add this week - whichever muppet did the lay out for the kitchen in this apartment deliberately chose one that is impossible to clean properly without concussing yourself, ah well the apartment is now clean. All I have left to do is catch up on all the emails that have backlogged - sorry if your one of the people who is waiting for an answer - I'm getting there!
Yay only a matter of weeks now till I get home :-D (mind you I will miss my Laramie friends a lot - same as I did whilst I was roadtripping)
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Sleep Deprivation
I am currently testing the theory that doing a masters degree is effectively a two year experiment in sleep deprivation and stress tests - I feel that this theory may have some validity. Currently this week I have had four projects and a presentation due on Tuesday (all done i might add) and another project, a take home quiz and my first thesis committee meeting including a presentation are due tomorrow. I am averaging around 4 or 5 hours sleep a night and just when I think it's all going well something occurs to stop me thinking that and cause added stress.
This wouldn't be so bad if I had managed to keep fooling my immune system that I wasn't doing anything insane, unfortunately it turns out my immune system is too quick for that one to work.
Ah well one more day of stress and hell and then its the summer, with a celebratory weekend planned, to be followed by a week long road trip to explore more of this strange country I have moved to. I also have a lot to look forward too in the long term including a visitation from the parents and then going back to the mother country which will include, I hope, a lot of time spent with a certain English boy I have missed a lot. But right now I can't wait to get out of this stress inducing city and seeing more of the famous places I have heard so much about, getting ill can and will wait till I get back home to Laramie.
Hmm that last part of the sentence was strange in itself, can it be that i have now been here long enough to subconsciously be considering Laramie home? maybe it is a result of the amazing friends i have gained in the last month or two - or maybe i have just given up and become resigned to the fact that this is home till I graduate. I would like to think it is the former - friends should always make you feel at home and welcome where you are, but in this tired state who am I to judge what is going on in my head?
This wouldn't be so bad if I had managed to keep fooling my immune system that I wasn't doing anything insane, unfortunately it turns out my immune system is too quick for that one to work.
Ah well one more day of stress and hell and then its the summer, with a celebratory weekend planned, to be followed by a week long road trip to explore more of this strange country I have moved to. I also have a lot to look forward too in the long term including a visitation from the parents and then going back to the mother country which will include, I hope, a lot of time spent with a certain English boy I have missed a lot. But right now I can't wait to get out of this stress inducing city and seeing more of the famous places I have heard so much about, getting ill can and will wait till I get back home to Laramie.
Hmm that last part of the sentence was strange in itself, can it be that i have now been here long enough to subconsciously be considering Laramie home? maybe it is a result of the amazing friends i have gained in the last month or two - or maybe i have just given up and become resigned to the fact that this is home till I graduate. I would like to think it is the former - friends should always make you feel at home and welcome where you are, but in this tired state who am I to judge what is going on in my head?
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