Jolly Ol' England

I had a brilliant post planned out in my head last night. About something or other. If I can ever remember what it was, you will have the chance to read it. Until then, we shall all make do with the overused 'updates' post.

As some of you may have gathered, I moved countries twenty days ago. I am quite certain that is shocking and very adventurous sounding to some, but I will hereby shrug my shoulders and utter the dreaded 'meh'. Twenty days ago I did not move countries. Twenty days ago I moved home.

I have this utterly strange sense in my head that believes the last two years were some horrid dream that is finally, blessedly over. The other part of me knows it wasn't a dream and that it wasn't all bad. I am trying very hard not to give either part much room for further consideration. Thankfully, I have a whole bucketload of work to occupy about 25% of my brain power, which is more brain power than I'm even capable of using.

The last two weeks have been an endless series of meetings, seminars, the occasional lecture, remembering how to read an academic book vs. a fictional book, and remembering what a 9-5 research job actually means. I think I have finally wrapped my brain around returning to studenthood and have now settled into a routine (of sorts).

I had a solid weekend of very useful research and subsequent brainstorming. As such, I have at least worked out my research aims for the next 3 months, a workable APG plan, part of my methodology, and perhaps even a few chapters of my thesis, though that last part sounds particularly hopeful rather than realistic.

Today I have had a stark flashback to my senior years in undergrad and the dreaded marking of essays. I say dreaded, but it is usually something I enjoy. When the essays are interesting, coherent and on topics of particular interest or use. I'm afraid the day has been full of highs and lows. And another day of the same tomorrow. Still, I feel more a proper member of the department now, with honest work to do.

Autumn has arrived in central England, and it is cold and blustery outside. We have, however, had a lovely few weeks of almost summery weather, so I will not complain. The weather is not particularly wonderful in the homeland either, as this time of year is prone to be. This feels, however, properly English. The very warm weather was throwing my brain for a loop. Now I have an excuse to drink copious amounts of tea and laze around in my university hoody. One does not need to be dressed to be productive.

I am looking forward to next week, when my To Do list will narrow down to research and writing and not the other dozen and a few things I have this week. A few quiet weeks would be most welcome.

The Golden State

California is known for a lot of things. Last week, I got to see quite a few I didn't know much about.

California is beautiful. I could have told you that after my first visit there in 2004. It's a stunning piece of countryside, and I didn't see much of it then.

This time, we rectified that mistake! Between Thursday and Monday I drove over a 1000 miles. I saw the valley, LA, Disneyland, the east side of the Sierra's and the edge of Death Valley, the mountains and Yosemite. (The last two twice). I got to drive some of it too, in a really crappy rental car. Never buy a Hyundai Elantra. It's a horrible car.



The whole point of the trip, though, was to spend time with my sissy, and we got 3 full days together of just the two of us. So, check that box off. It was fantastic to go on a road trip, now that we are proper adults with the ability to rent cars and stay in hotels and such. Of course, we went to Disneyland.

Disneyland California is small. Actually, it's tiny compared to Orlando. But it feels pretty damn big after 8 hours of walking around! We did most things, except the stuff for real kiddies and a couple of rides I refused to go on. Unfortunately, the Pirates ride was closed, so I consoled myself by buying a pirate themed dress at the giftshop. We went back in the evening for fireworks and the Fantasmic show on the Rivers of the Americas. Both were really very good. We didn't get back to the hotel until after midnight!

We had every intention of driving back to Turlock Saturday morning. Well, until we hit the construction mess coming in to LA on Thursday. So, instead of the 5 hour drive up I5, we took the scenic route home. I am laughing as I type this, because I have never taken a more scenic route! It took us 11 hours (with stops)! We went out of the city on the north-east side and up passed Edwards AFB to the 395. This highway runs between the Sierras and Death Valley and finally up into Nevada. It was pretty amazing countryside at the start. There are the mountains on the left and then...desert everywhere else. Just low scrubland and mile after mile of straight roads. And the occasional house. After a couple hundred miles the trees come back and the mountains get bigger (on both sides) and you hit civilization again. Rachel wanted to stop at the Devil's Postpile. Which is sort of like the Giant's Causeway in Ireland, except not. It was an awesome detour into a mountain resort area and then down a very long windy road with towering trees!

After we got back on the highway we turned off at Lee Vining (almost to Nevada!) to head up the 120 through Yosemite. The entrance on the east side is at 9945ft. So, I've been to 10,000 and not just on an airplane! We managed to get across the park before sunset - just. I was so interested to see how the geography changes from one side to the other. And then we took the really fun way down the western side on Old Priest Grade. Top Gear has destroyed me. But damn was that a fun road!

On Monday we set off to Yosemite again, this time to the valley (south of Tioga Pass/120). Just getting there involves some pretty impressive driving (and a lot of construction, apparently). We were a bit late. ;) We stopped at the most amazing look out ever, which Rach and Lizzy said not many people know about. No wonder; you have to park before the long tunnel and walk halfway down to an opening in the wall. At the end, is a hole with a gate across it. Crawl under it and the floor drops away to the valley below. You can look left or right up and down Yosemite Valley and feel like you are standing on the edge of the world.

Once we got to the valley, we did the predictable tourist stuff by visiting the gift shops and visitor's centre. Sent a postcard from the post office and toured the museum. Then we walked up to Lower Yosemite Falls. The waterfalls in the valley are very impressive...in June. By now, they are almost dried up. Still, it makes for a pretty picture. Then we had lunch in the parking lot and drove down to Bridalveil Falls, which was still flowing. We climbed up to the base of the falls (which was a lot of rock climbing, shuffling, sliding, slipping, and scrambling up boulders). At the top is a small pool where the falls empty into before they flow down to the valley floor. In the spring, it's under a torrent of water, but by this time of year was the perfect place to go swimming. The water, being mountain run-off, is only about 45*F, but it was hot out and the climb was tiring, so we went swimming. I did actually swim, without my feet touching the rocks! Once it got too cold we climbed back down to where everyone else was and went to dry off in the car.

We went and toured the Ahwahnee Hotel, which is stunning and then on to The Lodge where we had dinner insight of the Yosemite Falls. And then we drove home.

A fantastic trip. And now it is off to England in a few days!

This Is Not an Update

Off to sunny (and hot) California, in some blatant attempt to extend summer by another week. And to take one last relaxing ::cough::fun::cough:: holiday before the real work begins.

There will be a proper post for September in a week or two.

Last Days of Summer

Quite literally, I think. I always feel a bit strange at this time of the year. This last week of summer for children across Canada. In a few days it will be the Labour Day weekend and then there will be school. For me, this was always the week that seemed to fly by the fastest of all. The week you tried to hold on to like sand slipping through your fingers. Eventually, September always arrived.

This year, this week is both a blessing and a curse. I suppose I could have let it pass by unremarked; simply continued on my usual routine, but I didn't. Instead, I jumped in the car yesterday to head up to the lake house for a few last days of peace and quiet and summer sun. But it has made this whole thing rather bittersweet. It is hard to look at the trees and lake and rocks and every little thing and wonder 'is this the very last time I'll see it?' It's very hard to say goodbye, not knowing if you're coming back. But I needed this.

Tonight the lake is quiet. Almost everyone is up, but the lights are dim and the noise is non-existant. The occasional car passing by on the highway and the crickets chirping are the only sounds. No boats, no animals, no people. Just silence. The novetly of sleeping with the window open never gets old. The sheer peace of gazing up at a sky strewn with ten thousand stars seen by the naked eye alone. The quiet of good company and good food and no need to say anything.

In two weeks I leave for California. Two weeks after that I leave for England. There is so much to do next month and so many things that will change. But for tonight, I can gaze out at my own bit of heaven on these last days of summer and smile.

ETA: There will be more about museums and such in the coming months, I promise.

Travel Plans

Flights are now booked, at least to San Francisco. September 13-21st. It should be a fantastic trip; even if all I do is sit around the house waiting for the sister to get home from work everyday! It will just be nice to see her for a few hours.

It is August 10th. The mandatory check in for Big Bang is in 5 days. I find this rather hilarious, as my Big Bang is not only done, but mostly beta read too and the second one is now finished at 35,000 words! Now I do wish I'd signed that one up too, but at the time I figured that was insanity. Of course, at the time, I had no idea I was suddenly going to be buried by plot bunnies. I dearly hope that is the last of them. I need a break and I have research to do.

I must get to booking flights to England. Hopefully the idiots will stop rioting in Leicester before then, but if not they're keeping well away from the university. And I never go to the city centre after dark anyways. I'm sure it won't last that long, since the rioting in London has already died down. Shite disturbing (excuse the Scottish) never lasts long, even when the disturbers are unemployed.

I have decided to ignore the news for the foreseeable future. I don't consider this burying my head in the ground. I just can't take the large amount of negative/tragic news coming from basically every country. I just want a good news story; is that too much to ask?

Onwards and upwards and the days are getting shorter.

And We're Off

My, well, it has been a while, hasn't it? So many things.

Firstly, the 37,000 word story is now the 43,000 word story. And story number two is 11,000 and climbing. I hate to admit it, but I'm probably using them as a crutch for not doing research instead. Hope to finish by the end of this month and then I will have no excuses in August. [Except that 1000 page novel I'm buying today.]

Things have been coming together, slowly. I now have a student loan, a small scholarship and a visa. Now I get the lucky goal of trying to find flights/trains. The part I really hate about traveling is the planning to travel part. I'd love to just get on the same flight to Heathrow I usually take, but it doesn't make much sense, and I do have to worry about price/baggage/train prices/etc. which I didn't really care about the last few times I did it.

I have an invitation to Germany this year. How lovely! Maybe I'll spend Christmas with family, after all. I'm doing a short holiday in Canada for Easter and then Paris for my birthday next spring. I just need those little trips to look forward to. I don't want too many, though, as that would detract from actually doing work.

July is almost over, and I can't quite believe it. I have so many things to do in August it will just fly by! And I'm probably off to California the week before I leave for England (because I'm just that stupid). Will be a GREAT trip if I do get to go.

Speaking of things to do. The house is quiet. I should take that opportunity to write a few more thousand words!

Apologies

My Number 1 Reason for not updating is very simple. I have spent the last three weeks hand writing 37,000 words of a story I am embarassed to admit to. Basically, I've been busy hiding my head in shame. And will be for a least another week.

Oh, and there was golfing too.