Tourist Day

So, some USU students came to London, stopped by Deloitte yesterday, and invited us to join them on a tour to Windsor, Stonehenge, and Bath. So, Brett and I went, and we didn’t have to pay!  It was great.  Windsor was really was cool; the castle is a lot bigger than I had expected.  It’s kind of crazy to think that the Queen actually lives there while thousands of tourists walk outside gawking at it and touring parts of it.  It was an awesome day today as well, weather wise.  Unlike when we did the river tour and bus tours, it was actually pleasant to be outside checking out the sites. 

After Windsor, we went to Stonehenge.  Stonehenge wasn’t super exciting, but it was still cool to see.  We only stayed at Stonehenge for 30 minutes, but there really isn’t much to do there except look at the stones and take a few pictures.  I liked being able to see it though and it was definitely a worth-while stop.  It’s cool to see stuff in real life that you see so much on TV or in books, etc.

People have all these different theories about what Stonehenge was built for, but nobody actually knows really anything.  It remains a mystery to this day, but these crazy old men in the above picture think they know and are protesting about bringing back the Druid Guardians, or something.  Who even knows.  People are crazy, and this is just another proof. 
After Stonehenge, we were off to Bath.  I really had never even heard of Bath until I got to the UK, but Bath was a really cool place.  The Roman baths were pretty cool to see and the city, in general, was really nice.  We only had an hour and a half there, so I would definitely go back and spend more time in Bath. 

Brett and I walked through the streets a bit on the hunt for a place selling crepes.  We finally found a place and both got a Nutella crepe.  They were good, although a little pricey for the size of crepe they gave us.  It fulfilled our cravings though.  So, after Bath we boarded the bus and took a 2 hour drive back to London.  All in all, I would say the tour was successful. The stuff we saw really was pretty cool.  We finished the day off with a tasty meal at Nando’s (after walking around for an hour trying to find it...) before calling it a night. 

Running Through History

This is such an awesome city. Let me give you a better idea of how great it is by explaining what simply going on a run here consists of.

Tonight I ran through the shadow of one of the largest cathedrals in the world,

alongside the famous Thames river,

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across one of the most, if not the most, recognizable bridge in the world,

past a 900 year old castle,

 

and on cobblestone paths that are older than anything I’ve ever walked on.

This city has so much character; what a great place to live!  I completely smashed my knee on some lame cement barrier during my run tonight, though.  It was still a good run…I mean you can’t complain too much about running through a city with so much history.  My knee immediately started to swell and I got a pretty good goose egg on the bone I hit.  My knee is probably going to be sore for days now.  Soon, though, I’ll be back running through history in one of the greatest cities in the world.  

Londonia

So, London eh?  It's great here and I'm loving it.  The job is good, which I am happy about, even though it requires long hours during this time of the year.  Tonight I worked until 10:30 and we're just getting to the real busy stuff.  It's good though and I feel like I am getting some good experience.  I can't believe I've been here for nearly a month!  Time has flown.  I meant to keep this corner of the internet up to date, but it's hard with work and everything else going on, like seeing the city.  London is way cool and there is so much here to do and see.  I bought a camera the week before I came and was finally able to get out and take some pictures the Saturday before last.  It was a really nice day.  Photography has potential to become a passion.

The weather isn't actually that bad; I was expecting much worse before coming.  The sun doesn't come out all that much, but it has been much warmer than I thought it would be.  This weekend, however, was pretty cold.  And, of course, it is the one weekend that Deloitte paid for us to take a tour.  On Saturday we took a boat on the Thames to Greenwich, where the prime meridian is.  It is quite the tourist attraction, but still kind of cool.  They have a line in the ground that they call the prime meridian and you can stand on two hemispheres at once.  Someone probably just arbitrarily drew the line wherever they wanted, but still..that's where all the timezones branch off.  Check out this little gem of a picture with an Asian girl.  She looked over my way after I snapped the shot, probably feeling super uncomfortable.  I really was just holding the camera, waiting for people to clear the are, but I decided to snap a shot while the Asian girl posed.  Pretty good.  Sunday we went on a bus tour around the city, and it was even colder than Saturday.  It was cool to hear about some things about London, but sitting on top of an uncovered bus for two hours was a bit uncomfortable in the cold.  Anyway, London is a great city so far and there is a lot to see and do.

Peeves of the Pet Kind

Alright, so I have pet peeves.  Don't we all?  In no particular order, here are seven:

1)  When people write things like this:  "Best.  Birthday.  Present.  Ever."  Especially when used in excess, it's annoying.  This is often seen in blogs and on Facebook by girls who just HAVE to add the drama found in their lives to their internet posts.

2)  Loud people.  People who are loud and draw all attention to yourselves, do you really think everyone cares that much about what you are saying and/or doing?  We don't.  Nobody wants to overhear the conversation you are having on your cell phone in which you make everything you say sound more important than it is.

3)  Unintelligent arguments.  Unintelligent people are one thing, but when they try to carry on intelligent arguments, they sound foolish, and if you are on the other end of the argument, it is annoying.  Do not try to argue if you do not know what you are talking about.  You look stupid.

4)  Loud Chewing.  This is a classic nuisance and will always be a pet peeve of mine.  People who chew loudly (i.e., the lip smackers, those who swish their food, and those who bite down too hard on chips)  have you never learned how to chew?  Where have you been your entire life?  Have you never heard anyone talk about how annoying this is?  Why do you make no effort to be decent?  You are annoying.

5)  Slow drivers, please learn this simple fact:  Other people on the road have places to be.  I do not expect that everyone drive faster than the speed limit, but I do expect that everyone at least drive the speed limit.  If you can't handle going 25 mph, do not drive.

6)  High pitched/nasally voices on the phone.  Speaking on the phone is not very enjoyable.  Speaking on the phone with people who have annoying voices is even less enjoyable.

7)  People who are oblivious to what is going on around them.  I pride myself on being pretty observant, knowing at all times what is happening around me and adjusting my behavior if the situation necessitates.  People who make no effort in doing this drive me crazy.  Example:  You are annoying if I am walking behind you and want to pass, but being the oblivious self you are, you do not move.  Watch what is going on around you!

Brand Spankin' Nudies

Well, got me some new Nudies: Organic Thin Finns.  They were on sale...I couldn't turn it down.  I would have inevitably purchased some sooner or later; might as well be sooner if they are on sale, right?  The progress on these will be documented.  Here they are at 1 day:

While I am at it, here's the progress I've made with my tight long johns (4 months):

At the direction my my friends, I downsized one size in the waist.  They are a bit tight, so I am hoping they will stretch a bit.  They are already starting to feel better after just one day though.

Christmas

So, Christmas has come and gone but not without a good time with the family. It's always a lot of fun to have everyone come over and the grandkids make it that much more fun each year.  Check out my cute little nieces and nephews.  I bet mine are better than yours....

These kids are so stinking funny sometimes.  When we were doing our nativity play on Christmas Eve, they all dressed up and played their little parts.  Ethan was a wiseman and had a little wooden box that was supposed to be his gift to the baby Jesus.  Josh was playing Joseph and when Ethan sat the box down for the baby Jesus, Josh opened it up.  The box was empty and Josh looked at Ethan to find Ethan giving this shrug and a priceless face that said, "Heck, I don't know where the stuff is either!"  It was hilarious.  I just get a kick out of them and all the little things they do.  

My parents bought an Xbox and Kinect for the family to play when everyone comes up and we had lot of fun with it.  Olivia's pretty good actually at some of the games. We also played a little Call of Duty while everyone was here...pretty fun stuff.  Anyway, Christmas = Success.

Interesting Observation of Humans

I've always prided myself in being quite observant.  I know, it's a weird thing to be proud of, but stay tuned for a post on why unobservant people bug me.   Anyway, I have made some interesting observations of humans and tonight I observed a very interesting and common phenomenon:

Why in the world do humans clap and cheer and yell at sporting events?!  Stop and think about it for just a minute.  It's odd!  I went to an Aggie basketball game tonight and spent a good amount of time just watching this amazing activity in which we humans involve ourselves so deeply.  Who in the world came up with the idea that if we are happy or excited about something we see, that we should bang out hands together like Neanderthals?  As I sat in the Spectrum and watched as thousands of people hit their hands together, I realized how weird this action really is.  Vocal cheering is just as odd.  Thousands upon thousands of humans gather together at sporting events to coordinate their vocalizations towards the playing field.  I'm not saying this isn't an enjoyable activity, or that I am at all bothered by it; it's just an interesting observation that, when really pondered, seems so bizarre.  To take this discussion one step further, we must also discuss the metamorphosis some individuals experience as soon as they step into the venue of a sporting event.  For a simple example, consider how normally pleasant people can become animals if a referee makes a bad call.  I watched tonight as a mother of at least three children stood up and heckled while her husband pointed and yelled at top of his lungs toward the referees (from many rows up, mind you).  Consider also how sports fans will yell at the television or from 100 rows above the court or even just let out a quiet "let's go (your team)" as if what they say will actually be picked out of the entire crowd and have some impact on the referees, players, or coaches for whom it was meant.  Sporting events really do provide for some interesting observations and deductions about human behavior; we humans are unique.  Next time you are at a sporting event, observe and ponder this behavior yourself.  I believe you will also realize how odd we really are.