Spooky Pumpkins & Apples

Halloween came early to Sutherland St. when Aleks and Steve came over for dinner and pumpkin carving. After dinner treat was toffee-dipped apples and chocolate sprinkles from the kitchen. Photos are posted to the Halloween folder in Yahoo! photos.

In other news, it is still warm! Fifty degree temperature with no rain. And only a few trees have changed. I think the leaves from just decide one day to fall off and then it becomes winter. Strange to think that we are warmer than Ohio - ha ha ha!

To see how Britons actually feel about Halloween, check out this New York Times article (Trick or Treat? For Many Britons, the Reply Is Neither). I think we might have trick-or-treaters tonight - not sure what they will be saying/doing ...

From The Plum & Jello inbox ...

Question asked to me through email - "does the UK have daylight savings?"

Answer: Yes, although we don't "fall" back. The Brits have never heard of fall -- it's autumn and apparently you can't "autumn back." So the useful phrase of "spring forward, fall back" is completely pointless over here.

Interestingly thought, in the spring "spring forward" is one week after the U.S. - so for one week, the time difference is six hours, not five.

Send more questions ... I like answering for British quirkiness!

British Saturday

A review of yesterday's events. Katie, Leslie, and I made the trip down to IKEA in Leeds (ok, so they aren't British, but it happened here!) to buy a new couch and things for the house. I have never been to an IKEA - what an experience. Photos of the new couch and all the stuff we bought (including fitting all of it into our very tiny car) are posted to Yahoo!.

Also, we went to a fancy dress party (i.e. for Americans, costume) for Halloween. In the next week or so, we are having a historical fancy dress party at our house, for which I have brought over my Regency dress for. However, for this party, we got silly one night and came up with Lady Temperance Barnsworth (or Lady T.B. - har har har). Pictures are posted to Yahoo! of my Edwardian lady with comsumption (or TB!).

Next weekend - Guy Fawkes Day on Sunday. Bonfire and firework pictures to follow.

A Bit Bummed ....

Today I'm a little bummed. Although I just finished my first paper (1,500 word minimum - my total, 1,560) chalk full of communication theory and life is going pretty well over here ... I just found out that I cannot complete my job placement (required for my master's program) at my old job.

After I read the email confirming that, it made me re-realize how much I'm risking being here. Yes, in the long run it is the best thing I could have done and yes, getting my master's degree is something that I've wanted to do for a long time ... but I had to give up so much to get here: work, home, friends, and family.

I'm not sure what will happen in the future - all I can do is live day to day, complete my reading and homework, and enjoy England. But a little bit of me, still misses my other life.

Creepy Cuppa

I am the pround owner of my own mug (everyone in this house has their own mug). Mine was purchased at Tesco 24 (24 being 24 hours, which it is only two days of the week ... go figure) for 89 pence. On one side it has a "Creepy Bat" and on the other side it has this poem:

"Ghosts, witches, chills and spills,
Pumpkins glow where darkness fills.
Dare you go out on this spooky night,
And risk a groovy, ghoulish fright?!"

The best part: 1. There is a creepy bat on the inside lip so you see it every time you sip and 2. this is my year-round mug - creepy bats 365!

My Favorite Commercial

This is a recent commercial (Quaker's Windy Miller) being shown on Channel 4. I first saw it in Scotland and laughed and laughed. Enjoy!

Post!

Through the post slot this morning came my first piece of real mail! Horray! Thanks Stephanie - it made my morning!

BBC News

On tonight's BBC 6:00 p.m. news, the reporter did an interview on Stonehenge and the druids. The person they interviewed was called a "spokesdruid." Wow.

North Yorkshire Jaunt

Today we ventured to Thorp Perrow Arboretum and to Benningborough Hall in North Yorkshire. Photos have been posted to Flickr - here's a preview: Thorp Perrow has a falconry center and during the show I got to participate in the demonstration. Good times, plus it was 64 degrees (warmer than Ohio, I believe!).

Additional Note: Flickr is being horrid. I've put all the photos on Yahoo!. Sorry for the mix-up.

Plum & Jello Photos Available Online

I've upload some pictures to Flickr today. Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll have more photos (including the Halloween party, school, and Guy Fawkes Day).

The Other Side of the Train

Today I was able to load photos from my digital camera to my computer and thought I would post a photo I took from my GNER train ride from Edinburgh to York. The strange thing was that I spent the whole time in Scotland looking a shot to post here, but could never find anything that really conveyed "Scotland."

Turns out it took a train ride to find it. Right after the train leaves Edinburgh, it quickly turns to countryside. So naturally I looked out my window looking for the perfect shot to take, but couldn't find anything. Sadly I turned off my camera to rest, when I looked across the train to the other side and found these three shots. Isn't it always the case that when we are looking for something, the "perfect shot" is the opposite direction? Note to self: be sure to turn around when taking photos - the best shot may be behind you.

Some Stories You Just Can't Make Up

When I was working for the OSHP, there are these stories that you get on your desk that you just want to file under "no way." But since you have all the information - you know they actually did happen (the worst is then attempting to construct a media release that relates this strange information in a positive, understandable light).

Cue to this story in today's Toledo Blade "Dog gnawed on bra that led to crash, teen tells troopers." The best part is that some graphic artist at the Blade actually had to render a graphic of a red bra on I-75 ... classic.

Travelling Hip

Or at least TripAdvisor.com thinks so (World's 10'Hippest Hotels Named'). Last November mom and I travelled to Dublin, Ireland and thanks to Trip.Advisor.com found the Morrison Hotel - right on the River Liffey. Not only did it cost $105/night - the staff and the rooms were amazing, and apparently hip.

If you ever travel to Dublin - stay here! Also, check out TripAdvisor.com if you for travel information always. I found they have the best descriptions of hotels, plus they can connect you to all the Web site for pricing (I swear I am not a compensated endorser!).

Speedy Travel and Spiders

This exhibit (Tate Modern unveils giant slides) just opened at the Tate Modern in London. Katie and I are planning a trip to take a slide. Whee!

In row house news, we have a spider living in the house. We had another one last week, affectionately named Helmut, but after scaring me on the couch has since moved outside. The new spider, Phillip, is currently housed in the bathroom. As long as he says up on the ceiling - I'll be ok for now.

Currently on Tap ...

At the Three Tonns Pub in York - Wicked Witch Ale and Hobgoblin Ale! Both very appropriate for the season. The weather is certainly reflecting the autumn air, but I have yet to see a turned tree. It makes me miss the fall drives from Columbus to Coshocton for the Apple Butter Festival (if you haven't been - go! Apple butter and kettle corn, a can't miss!). For now I will have to be content with crisp air and the smell of fires roaring in nearby homes. My favorite season.

In other news, I have finally moved into my room. The Scottish squatter who was in my home and consquently left (to go to another home!) and I finally have my room. I am finally unpacked and somewhat in order - whew.

The Scottish Buckeye

After the Buckeye win on Saturday (which I found out about upon waking up on Sunday -- a happy way to wake up I'd say), I have been looking for my lucky buckeye.

My original lucky buckeye for this year (picked up at the Cincinnati game at the tree by St. John's, as Dad and I do every year) is still in Ohio, since I was unsure if the Department of Agriculture would seize it as a potential threat to the UK tree population.

As I was walking around Cupar on Sunday (it was gorgeous!), I discovered a small park with trees ... six of which were UK buckeye trees, or horse chestnut on conker trees as they are known here. Upon my circling of the part, low and behold underneath the fourth tree, was my lucky Scottish buckeye. Now I can begin writing ....

Note: Writing is Deadly

Discovered during my reading for my master's programme (UK spelling, thank you.). Either it is funny or I'm really tired - or a combination of the two. Jeff this is for the board ...

From "Internal communication: key steps in evaluating and improving performance"

The authors:
Dennis Tourish is at the School of Behavioural and Communication Sciences, University of Ulster, Newton-Abbey, Northern Ireland.
Colin Hargie has sadly died since writing the article.

I will definitely take precautions as I begin writing next week!

The First Week

Well it is not over yet (Saturday class!), but my first week as a postgraduate is coming to close. I am physically/mentally worn out. Seven plus hours of classes for five days is a lot, plus I will be hauling a lot of books back to York for the first paper (due 19 October!!). I think I'll need a few days to decompress before I start writing. Katie and I are thinking of going to see Wicked! in London next week - hopefully that will help.

Yesterday, two troopers were killed in the line of duty. I was so torn being at school. I really wish I could have been back at home to assist. I think what bothers me the most is knowing how much stuff the unit is having to handle and how much I know I could be helping. All I really do is pray for the families and sit here in the computer lab and be a media viewer, not a media enabler.

In other Scottish class news, I seem to be the whiz at Media in Britain and the lecturer is extremely interested in my knowledge of US media. Who knew!

One Week ... Already?

Has it already been one week? As my first week comes to a close and I get ready to move up north to Scotland for the week (I would have left today, but it seems that the rail authority was going to do track work from Newcastle to Edinburgh ... which means no trains this weekend or next! Ick!), I pause to reflect on this past week.

* British TV is extremely funny and tends to show early 90s shows as new. Hmmm....
* Katie can make no ingredients in the house into an amazing dinner. I swear there was nothing in that cupboard.
* Yorkshire Food Festival was this weekend and there was an amazing array of meats, cheeses, wines, candies, etc. from all over Yorkshire and Europe. V. good!
* I have a lot of British words to learn. There is a show on BBC2 called Flog It!, which apparently means to take something to auction. Who knew!
* I have already become the tour guide. Yesterday no less than five people asked me for directions (four of those being British people). Scarily, I also knew where they needed to go!
* I have been sleep deprived. It feels so good to catch up on lost sleep!
* Choral Evensong at York Minster is just as beautiful as I remembered.

Next week should be interesting - I will be living at Lissa's in Cupar and school starts Tuesday (a 9a to 9p day - urgh!). I will be back in York on Monday, Oct. 3.

P.S. I had Gametracker on ESPN on last night to watch OSU's less than stellar-but thank goodness for the fourth quarter effort. But 97.1 and 1460's "live" coverage was Sportscenter recaps. Hello?!? And 610 will not let me listen overseas unless I have a miltary code. Geez - all I wanted to do was listen to the game. At least I got to see little%2

The True Postgraduate

Today I truely feel like a postgraduate. I made the train ride up from York this morning to Edinburgh to visit school for the first time since June. I have since made my way to the library and am currently researching. Such a different lifestyle from last week (but can you really compare cocaine seizures and pursuits to scholarly study ... I think not).

My first class is next Tuesday and I am incredibly nervous. I haven't done this in six years, boy am I old.

In other news, Scotland today is extremely blustery. A large gale almost swept me off my feet while walking to university (leave it up to wind, not a kilted man to do that!)