Last Hurrah
Yeah, that's how you spell it. Hurrah. Strange, i know....
So... here goes... last concievable post for 3 weeks...
Yesterday was a cluster-f of events- all of them celebratory/concluding- that have more or less ushered in a sense of holiday spirit, as well as ushered in a sense of mild chaos and urgency as i am hurtled into Winter Break and all of its uncertainties...
No class yesterday, combined with a laundry list of to-dos, provided for much procrastination. Speaking of laundry list... do you think we could maybe get a new dryer? I enjoy the post-hurricane look of my room post-dark load, but the musky, downy-rich scent of wet clothes combined with Brandon's Brut deo leaves room to be desired....
Our Flat Christmas party/gift exchange/ birthday celebration was combined/cut short by my Athletics Christmas Party (have i mentioned this £35 gala of excess?)...
The secret santa was a hit, I was able to procure 1 free batch of cookies and a mug from Mary, and a Miles Davis CD from Aaron, while Mary enjoyed my British Favorites Cookbook, Christmas CD, and Shot Glass mix set (thank you British bookstores?)
I was sad to leave the Pot Roast dinner (and 4 individualized Carol Cakes), but a promising night lay ahead. Hilary and I arrived at the Park Plaza to find an open wine bar, a mass of skinny be-tuxed athletes, and maybe 10 people we actually knew....
The place was amazing.... any location with Plaza and Hotel in it promises to be quite a production, and for the most part, they didn't dissapoint... I'll admit, for roughly 70 US $, it was a huge ripoff, but the food was gourmet, the speaker (Jo Pavey, above) was a former (current, i guess) Olympian who has placed 5th at the games (either 1500 or 5k, can't remember...)... She had some choice words about the Marion Jones controversy, and was a great conversationalist answering questions afterwards- making fun of some of her inquizitors and telling a lot of great personal stories...It was tough finding anyone we knew to sit next to, but my freind from training Hong Kong Tom was there, as were the 'Liz and Jolene of UK Running', Aimee and Laurie.... These girls are hilarious... former runners who, after UNI turned them into lushes, decided against training, and now show up only for socials..... sound familiar?...
A late flurry of haircutting, scheduling, packing, freaking out about packing, and some late LOVE ACTUALLY and Friends watching on the girls' behalf, the night closed at about 3 or 4am.
Today will be a test of will- as in, Will anyone else fall asleep in class, and Will we make the train to London on time? Hilary and Kate are on a train to London as I type, and the rest of us (minus Ryan, who is enjoying a night to himself) are headed South to the Big (i can't think of the English equivalent of Big Apple... maybe big Chip Shop? Currant? Pub?..... well, to London) tonight at some point....
Brandon put it in perspective as I packed last night- We've been in the UK for 3 months almost ot the day, and we're about to spend 3.5 weeks in Europe. Accounting for the several weekends and long trips we've spent away from the flat, we're about to spend more than 1/4 of the total time we've been here away.... That's Crazy! I feel like i've been here forever... even now, i'm attending the last lectures in my classes, and yet i'm (to steal a phrase i used in dinner on Monday) staring down the barrel of a month-long European Vacation.... crazy.
So, adieu, farwell, auf wietersen, wish me luck in spelling German words, learning how to speak Austrian, German, Italian, French, and whatever the hell they speak in Prague, and blowing through the remaining assortment of crumpled bills and spare change that is my bank account....
-Until later days-
posted by Kevin @ 10:08 AM
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