In the US we have chocolate Easter bunnies
In the UK they have chocolate Easter eggs
I of course had to buy some
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Friday, March 29, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Last Stop - Dublin
'"It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily.
"So it is."
"And freezing."
"Is it?"
"Yes," said Eeyore. "However," he said, brightening up a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately."'
From Winnie-the-Pooh By A.A. Milne
The final stop on our whirlwind European tour was Dublin. Much to our disappointment we were traveling from the warmth of Barcelona to the unseasonably cold weather of Ireland (you know it's bad when the locals are disgusted with how frigid it is).
Caitlin is part Irish (the part that her last name comes from) so she was extremely excited to step foot on her "native" soil. She even intended to buy a whiskey that bore her family's name, even though it was 'disgusting tasting'. She was also looking forward to trying local Irish beer - a sentiment I did not share, but supported.
Caitlin is part Irish (the part that her last name comes from) so she was extremely excited to step foot on her "native" soil. She even intended to buy a whiskey that bore her family's name, even though it was 'disgusting tasting'. She was also looking forward to trying local Irish beer - a sentiment I did not share, but supported.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
Picture of the Day
At the Old Jameson Distillery
It's fitting that we were drinking at 10:30am in Dublin, right?
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Barcelona = Sun, Tapas, and Cava = Amazing
'"If we walk far enough," says Dorothy, "we shall sometime come to someplace."'
From The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Caitlin and I had decided we were going to fly on the cheap for this trip. And that meant no checked luggage. We both had no difficulty packing light at home but now that we'd completed the first leg of our journey Caitlin found herself having a little trouble; all her belongings refused to fit. Unlike all American airlines, a lot of cheap (I'm not going to dignify them by saying inexpensive, they are cheap) European airlines only allow one piece of hand luggage - no personal item. It was with this that Caitlin struggled. She shifted, squeezed, pushed, and pressed but her belongings wouldn't compress into her suitcase. After a hour and a half she admitted defeat and put some of her stuff in my bag. This would become a tread and growing issues with each flight.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Picture of the Day
So the Basilica of Sagrada FamÃlia was started in 1882 and is projected to be finished in 2026
If you know anything about Spanish architecture (specifically in Barcelona) you won't be surprised that it's a Gaudi design
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Picture of the Day
Sun and sand in Barcelona
Caitlin and I couldn't help but take our shoes off in the sand
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Springtime in Paris
'"And remember, also," added the Princess of Sweet Rhyme, "that many places you would like to see are just off the map and many things you want to know are just out of sight or a little beyond your reach. But someday you'll reach them all, for what you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover all the wonderful secrets of tomorrow.”
From The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
After months of planning Caitlin and I were finally going on our crazy two week vacation. First stop: Paris.
With neither of us able to use our phones (without selling our first born to pay the bill) we had arranged to meet outside her baggage claim. Easier said than done. Apparently Charles de Gaulle Airport is known for causing maze-like confusion in travelers - a fact which we were unaware of until I tried to find my way from my gate to hers. I had to ask two different people where to go. I'd like to say that we did a classic airport meeting, complete with slow motion running, but in reality I didn't see her until I was almost upon her.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Picture of the Day
Caitlin & I discovered this wonderful pastry shop where they serve the most amazing cream puff pastry
It is a must visit if you are in Paris
Check out their website by clicking HERE
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Picture of the Day
Cold and rain didn't stop Caitlin and me from exploring Paris on our first day there
It did, however, do a number on our hair
Friday, March 15, 2013
Picture of the Day
I spend a lot of time in two places: the Library and Anni's
One I really enjoy, the other I used to enjoy but am developing a love/hate relationship with
Hopefully you can guess which is which ;-)
(Hint, the one I enjoy usually has wine available)
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Picture of the Day
Joe, the Library Cafe barista, has been working on this cream shape for a while and finally mastered it. He requested we take a picture before I messed it up.
Please note two things:
- Anni and I spend enough time in the Library Cafe that we are on a first name, and photo requesting, basis with the barista
- There is heart-shaped cream in a cup that says "Grumpy Mule" - the irony of that is ridiculous
...And Done?
"Alice came to a fork in the road. 'Which road do I take?' she asked.
'Where do you want to go?' responded the Cheshire Cat.
'I don't know,' Alice answered.
'Then,' said the Cat, 'it doesn't matter."
From Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Yesterday was the last day of class for my MA. How on earth did that happen? It's been almost seven months since I arrived here and so much, but also so little, has changed.
When I first came to the UK I didn't really know if I'd be able to pull this off. I hadn't been a student for almost seven years! How on earth could I find a way to do it again? First I hadn't read an academic text or "theory" in years, second I hadn't written academically since my third year in undergrad, and finally I had been the teacher in almost every class I'd entered since returning to Minnesota. Where would my place be in this new and strange world?
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Picture of the Day
Last Week of Classes
We all kinda feel like we've been hit by a bus,
been dragged for 10 blocks,
and now that the we've fallen out from under it,
the true pain is setting in.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Book Review: Shadowmagic Series
“I was so stunned I couldn’t speak. Not until we were well under way and I had gotten the knack of paddling did a blurt out, ‘You lost your hand in a sword fight?’
’I find it hard to believe,’ Mother said, ‘that you never told your son how you lost your hand.’
’Dad told me that he lost it in a lawnmower.’
’What is a lawnmower?’ She asked.
’It’s a machine that you use in the Real World to keep the grass short,’ Dad said.
‘What is wrong with sheep?’”
From Shadowmagic by John Lenahan
Check out my review of this series on the Read Me: An Anthology blog!
Monday, March 11, 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Picture of the Day
The morning after a Mexican Party
For some crazy reason I suggested returning to Anni & co's this morning to make pancakes.
Manu seems to have been able to only find one of his slippers...
(Picture courtesy of Anni)
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
Picture of the Day
My First Public Reading of an Original Piece of Literature
(Picture Courtesy of Anni)
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Picture of the Day
The Amazing Ian Sansom - my Lecturer
Three Things He's Taught Me This Term:
1. Lower Your Standards
2. Steal Everything
3. Write a Lot
He sounds great, right! But seriously, he's a fantastic teacher and so funny.
If you want to read his books or more about him click HERE to go to Amazon
Once I have more time I'm planning no reading everything he's written
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Book Review: Slaughterhouse-Five
"It is so short and jumbled and jangled, Sam, because there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again. Everything is supposed to be very quiet after a massacre, and it always is, except for the birds. And what do the birds say? All there is to say about a massacre, things like 'Poo-tee-weet?'"
From Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
"'You know — we've had to imagine the war here, and we have imagined that it was being fought by aging men like ourselves. We had forgotten that wars were fought by babies. When I saw those freshly shaved faces, it was a shock. 'My God, my God — ' I said to myself, 'It's the Children's Crusade.'"
From Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
"There was a still life on Billy's bedside table-two pills, an ashtray with three lipstick-stained cigarettes in it, one cigarette still burning, and a glass of water. The water was dead. So it goes. Air was trying to get out of the dead water. Bubbles were clinging to the walls of the glass, too weak to climb out."
From Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Please forgive my excess of quotes. I couldn't help myself. It was the effect of the book on my brain that made me not want to have to choose just one quote to use.
Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children's Crusade: A Duty -Dance with Death
by Kurt Vonnegut
Course: Seven Basic Plots
Monday, March 4, 2013
Picture of the Day
Animated Anni in Storyteller Mode
I think she was in the midst of telling about the time she was in Teton National Park (In Wyoming) with a friend. The friend, who was a resident of the area, gave Anni a massive container of pepper spray to ward off any animal attacks.
My favorite part of the conversation was when she was like: "What was I supposed to do with that if I got attacked by a bear?" And Allison's respond? "Pee yourself, play dead, and then, when the bear comes to check it out, spray her in the face."
Let's hope we never have to test Allison's suggestion out.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Friday, March 1, 2013
Picture of the Day
We had anthology workshopping today
This picture encapsulation everyone's emotional shifts over the course of the day:
1. Excited!
2. Tired...
3. Done.
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