And We'll All Float On

Oh hey. Just a typical humpday here in cloudy Northern Ireland. This week has been going pretty good and super busy. I was in the lab foreverr yesterday, but I got a lot of stuff done before my trip this weekend :) I now have all my assignments for the semester here too. Since I'm going home before they have finals, I get to do a paper for each of my classes instead. Pretty good deal to me.

My running here is also improving at a crazy rate. Today I did 10k! I've done it before but with a walking interval in the middle. Oprah was on at the gym and she was interviewing Jennifer Anniston AND Beyonce (my gurlz)...so before I knew it, the hour was up, and I was 6.2 miles farther than I started (on the treadmill). It felt great, and I really wanted to keep going, but my knee is just not going for it. When I did my 10 minute walk cool down, I saw in the mirror that I was involuntarily limping. bad bad bad. So I'm going to take a few days off. I signed up for a 7am cycling class on Friday (yea..we'll see if that happens), but at least it'll give my joints a rest. And maybe there will be some remedy for joint pain in Amsterdam...

So I had a package waiting for me when I got hoooome:
icing the knee+new presents (GRE books, ugh)+food= the current story of my life

weeee GREs! I'll probably take them in the late spring sometime, but I figured now is probably the best time to start looking at it. Although Ireland is an adventure, there is still a pretty good amount of free time with little things to do that don't cost a ton of money. So study it is. Nerd.

And that's my yummy lunch. Zucchini, eggplant, red and yellow peppers, mushrooms, ren onion, asparagus, and tofu in a tomato sauce. mmmmmmmmmmm.

I'm feeling a lot better from Sunday too. Having my family cancel their trip makes me miss them a billion times more than before, but this semester is already zooming by as it is. I look forward to being home with them again, but I'm trying not to take any of this time for granted at all. And I got the best email from my dad today.

Hi Case, I'm so glad that we have normal kids who just like to see the world and be amazed and amazing too. We got an office-wide email today (we get soooo many) asking for financial contributions (some are pretty cool - like the "tequila" tulip bulbs (yeah really) that I purchased at a bargain from a grade school) this time to send a legal assistant's daughter to Rwanda this Spring. OK. Cool. But attached was a letter from her 17 yr old asking for mucho $$$ & explaining that she was going there "to spread the good word of God." Literally. I'm not kidding, nor giving her a dime. Why can't she at least say she's going to build huts or fight genocide or protect the fire ants. Is "genocide" in Rwanda one of those "bad" words of God? Uhhm. Well, I wonder how folks would react if I asked for $$$ for my pagan kids to travel the world for good ol knowledge, insight & spreading some good words to new friends & places. How much would they give me? Even scarier, how much are they giving her? Oh well, I rant. And hope all is well with you & your very, very worthwhile stay in No. Ireland. Even if the "good words" you're spreading are your own. Love, Dad

PS-What was the name of that cheapo concert ticket internet site where you got that last minute Dandy ticket last year? I'm lookin for some "cheap" Dylan tix at the Wang. If any...
Love, Dad

Right on pops :) And oh ya if you're reading this: the ticket site was Craigslist. haha

In other news:
I NEED A HALLOWEEN COSTUME.
I know I'm going to be in Amsterdam, and it is definitely not going to be as big of a deal as the US...but I still love thinking of a cool idea. I was just going to go with a hippie, since thats easy and Ill be in a pretty groovy place, but now I'm thinking I want something cooler.
I helped Bill think of the best thing ever last night. I won't give it away here, but I just want some credit. haa
Olga and I thought of our costume for next year, which will be epic. But that will remain under wraps for another year. muahaha.
HELP!
Someday I will get to finally be this:

But that someday will not be this year due to the lack of pants. and I'm usually very anti skanky Halloween costume, but sometime you just gotta say what the fuck, what your move.

Marco Island for New Years!

AAAAAAND last but not least, I'm working at this tonight. I'm really excited. I didn't listen to jazz for a really long time and am really starting to get back into it lately. I'll let you all know

:) bye