Year/Month End Recap

"Oh look she's doing that amazing thing where she tells us about her life... I had completely forgotten that existed."

Me too, Internet, me too...

So what have I been up to the last month? Um... I've done...

Okay so not that much, but I'll try to make the stuff I did sound pretty awesome.

I GOT A JOB - it's a really low key, 4 hour a week, low wage, retail job. It'll help with Tube fare and it makes me leave my cave every once and a while. Plus it massively helps with my "I'm not going to find a decent paying job at the end of this and I'm going to have so much debt" anxiety. Which is important

IN FUN NEWS
A week after the end of term, my friend E from undergrad came to visit for a couple days on her way back from India (!), we made good use of our time with food (can you say Wagamama?), movies on Netflix, lots of chats, and, best of all, a trip to the Warner Brothers Studio Tour (AKA see all the amazing sets and costumes from the Harry Potter movies). Here, have my favorite picture from the visit:

It was really really really cool and honestly, I have difficulty articulating my feelings about it. Well worth the approximately $50 (it's 30 pounds) ticket price. Also, it made me even more appreciate the Harry Potter World detail. Because it looks so so on point with regard to the movies.

So I went to the Studio Tour and guesses on what I bought? Anyone? ...if you guessed another copy of a Harry Potter book, you're right. I picked up a new adult edition of Philosopher's Stone.

I've been doing a good job of getting out more which has included a trip to the West End to see Matilda. Which was an excellent show. And you can't beat the 5 pound pricetag for rush tickets. Sure we were up in the nosebleeds, but the choreography and costumes and everything... just fantastic. If you have a chance to see the West End production, definitely do it!

I've started two knitting projects - my first sweater/jumper which is about half-ish done, and some 18" doll Gryffindor scarves for my mom's Etsy shop. I'll try to remember to post some pictures as I go... next time ;)

I got wonderful surprise packages from both my mom and my brother and his wife - Polish cookies, yarn, knitting needles, and some anise oil to bake cookies of my own from my mom and a wreath and really cool woven wrist wallet and bracelet. Those massively brightened my holiday :)

Oh and on the fitness front I have managed to make it to the pool twice with the help of my London friend S. On our second week I swam a kilometer!! So proud of myself. And I'm on day 19 of the 30 day ab challenge (ooph I still have to do that tonight)

Anyway, enjoy the last few days of 2013. Hopefully I'll be back soon with some New Year's Resolutions (posts once a week? crazy talk!)

Love from London!

4 Essays Down (And None to Go!)

Hello readers of my bloggy bloggy blog (apologies if this come across a bit hyper, I may have just crossed into the land of overtired.)

It has officially been over 2 months of me being here in London! I still can't really believe it, I've been sort of running on all cylinders for the past two months, and I'm really excited to get to slow down. And walk around more of London. And swim. It's on my list and I'm going to do it! This week, maybe! (Yesbe?)

Job prospects are mixed. I have a couple of leads on tutoring agencies that I need to follow up with (I rather like explaining things, and tutoring math in particular would be excellent, I think.) I also applied to a job at Next which is a sort of H&M ish place. Hard to articulate really. Anyway I got called and passed what I assumed was interview one to be followed with in person interview two. Showed up and basically ended up abandoned on the store floor for an hour and an half and told to help customers. Can't say I was overly fond of the experience, but I was willing to tough in out since the online literature said they'd tell me immediately after if I was hired. No such luck. Ended up being a rather awful day for me after that so I'm honestly not sure if I'll take the job after all that. Better than sticking around my apartment for a month though! I'll drive myself and everyone online crazy!

In the land of trying to get out and do things more so I spend less time muddling about inside my head, my choir's concert was on Sunday and went really well I think. There's always a sense in that choir of being vaguely lost, but I really enjoy the work that goes into it, so I'll continue along.

I went to the Royal Society's Best Popular Science Book of the Year awards ceremony (or something along those lines on the name) last Monday. Admittedly, I almost fell asleep, but that was wholly because I think I was running on less than 4 hours. It was actually pretty cool, because the winner was a graduate from the same program I did for my undergrad. And also I learned about a guy who jerked off a bird. You learn something new about scientists every day...

I actually spent some productive time in the Imperial Library, and boy does that place need an overhaul. I'm strongly reminded of Falvey pre reno's. Same temperature issues too, ick!

My evil coughy cold thing seems to have FINALLY gone. Hurrah! (fingers crossed, knock on wood)

I acquired yarn and other equipment to make the sweater that I decided I wanted to make back in September and I'm already a skein in! The yarn isn't exactly what I expected but I'm excited to see how this adventure turns out (how important is a gauge square anyway?)

In that package I also acquired a cupcake tin and some cookie cutters. I'm VERY excited to make some cupcakes and pierniekes in the near future!!

Oh, and I've just finished my last essay of the term. So glad to be done with it!

 Hope Turkey Day treated everyone well!

Love from London!