Picnic At Your Own Risk

Today around noon on my way to retrieve the newspaper, I glanced casually down the street looking for threats to my person in the form of traffic and instead was greeted by my border collie prancing triumphantly towards me with an entire bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

When approached, she relinquished the bucket graciously, deferentially, and without undue fanfare and wiggled delightedly as I inspected the twelve pieces of unmolested Original Recipe that it contained. However, when engaged about the origin of this fresh, still-steaming chicken, her eyes narrowed and she seized the bucket again, sauntering off like she had been deeply insulted.

I would like to extend my heartfelt apologies on behalf of my dog to my chickenless neighbors, but if it makes you feel any better, she didn't share with me, either.

I Still Love London

So, in case you missed it: London got bombed. I'm in London. Here's my story (the short version):

I had just gotten to the King's Cross station via the Metropolitan line and was waiting to transfer onto another train when the (second, I found out later) explosion happened. It was loud and yucky, and it seemed like it took forEVER to get back up from underground, but I'm fine and everyone here with our study abroad program is fine.

Thursday night after all this happened, we went to a few bars. The atmosphere was much different than the night before, when everyone was celebrating the Olympics, but we met some cool people and had a great time anyway. When we left the last place, the bartenders thanked us for coming out. I love London.

All-Nighter

Last night was one of those nights you just know you'll still be talking about years later.

And I can't even do it justice. I don't think I should even try, really, because details keep coming back to me that suggest that this entry would be of epic length. Suffice it to say, if I left this fucking country tonight and never came back, I could feel confident in asserting that I have experienced more of this place and its people than just about anyone else on this trip will the entire time we're here.

I love London.

An American Psycho in London

Yeah, I'm aware I had to combine movie names for that pathetic excuse for an entry title, but I don't have all day to be creative for you people.

So this trip? Is forty-two kinds of awesome. And for some reason the fact that I knew only a few aquaintances before I got here has made it even better. I think it's the added challenge of making a whole new group of friends without the safety net of someone who already knows and likes you. Or maybe I'm just really weird. Anyway, we have a great group, on the whole, and it took about three seconds for everyone in my new little circle to meet and become friends. Our friendships were solidified last night when we all ended up at the bar while everyone else went to bed. I mean, we may not have slept in 48 hours, but hell if we were going to let that hinder our beginning-of-the-trip drinking binge. What better way to start a trip than wandering through a Westminster parking lot with a group of (comparatively sober) Italian summer study students who don't really 'speaka the English' and trying to explain to them why your barefooted friend is peeing next to that chartered bus?

I don't know how I meet these people. I really don't. But I'm beginning to think they seek me out. Anyway, I have never been so unabashedly thrilled to crawl into a prison-regulation single bed in an 8-by-8 room in my entire. life.

Anyway, so today we toured London, which was good times, and now just about everyone is resting up for another drinkfest tonight. Except for me, of course, because being immortal and all I don't really need much sleep.

EuroTrip

Yeah yeah, so I haven't posted in forever. I could say it's because I've been really busy, which is true, but we all know the real reason is because I'm lazy and uninspired. But! Now I get to be lazy and uninspired in Europe! Le sigh.

I didn't think I could be more excited about this trip, but then I went to my first day of class. Holy shit dudes. Who knew that fucking "Acting Shakespeare" was going to be the most fun thing ever? Because, like, it totally is. And my teacher loved me and my performed monologues and scenes. Fucking incredible.

The psych class is cool too. My group is doing our final project comparing Irish culture and American culture, and we're going to Dublin for the weekend for "research". And by "research", I mean "barhopping".

I want to leave, like, yesterday. But I don't leave until June 21. I guess I'll just have to resume my intense schedule of baking Snickerdoodles, napping, reading the 20+ books I got at the library sale, playing with the cat, watching Netflix DVDs, trying to make my Martha Stewart sim do something besides throw tantrums and pee in the floor, shopping, and hanging out. It really is a wonder I'm able to take time to maintain this weblog at all.