Halfway over already.

... My trip to London that is. I've just arrived home from lunch with my good friend Em at Itsu sushi. Best miso soup I've had in a while. I've got less than a week left of the London fog and then it's off to Dublin... I don't know of any nicknames for that city so I'll leave it alone.

It was great being able to pick up where I left off once I arrived here. I haven't done any of the typical tourist attractions and I have no intention of re-visiting the London Eye or Big Ben. I do however, want to check out Camden markets this weekend, as well as the Beatles and David Bowie exhibit at the National Gallery. Would also like to head to the suburbs one day if I have the chance... apparently there's more to London than Zone 1.

I'm so glad I've had the chance to be a part of some of Kaila's first experiences upon moving here. Despite the terrible weather (even more dreary than usual), I think Kay has had a really enjoyable first few weeks here. I'm looking forward to hearing about all of her adventures throughout the semester.

One thing that really strikes me is the disconnect between my own perception of London and Londoners' own points of view about their city. I've spoken with work friends, school friends, and many acquaintances about the differences I see between New York and London. Specifically, the more friendly, open demeanor of most Londoners and the accepting, respectful attitude with which they treat others. And that's not to say that New Yorkers are cold and quick to cast judgment, but I find that more often than not Londoners tend to take others at their word and seem very personable and genuine right away. I've obviously considered that this is all a farce and part of that "British charm" we hear so much of, but my friends and colleagues have continued to impress me with their continued sincerity that has really gone above and beyond any obligation. Perhaps its too soon to generalize about the English, but I do know I have met some of the best people I know in London.

Anyway, I'll write more another time. Heading to Camden with Kaila for a few pubs.

Inactivity and lethargy.

Why is it that when I don't have a million things to do, I refuse to do even one thing. Like the quick, easy errands I have to run... nope. Won't do 'em. And packing for London... not happening. I haven't even unwrapped my new external hard drive to transfer my data to my new mac. If I were working / schooling this month, this all would have been done. What gives?

This is partly why I haven't written in a while... it's one more thing on my To Do List, even though it's enjoyable. Even reading seems like a chore, which is completely ridiculous. It's like my mind has completely shut down and all I can do is chat on facebook and play with my itunes while watching TV. Sad.

But, I'll have to kick it into high gear the next few days... packing for London tomorrow and girl's night out, trip into the city to see Andy and Ash Saturday, meeting my new roommate Sunday, getting set Monday and shipping off Tuesday. I couldn't be happier to be heading back to London Town. I just know it will be magical, as it always is. And Dublin will be equally wonderful I'm sure.

List of pending things to do that may or may not ever get done: add album artwork in itunes, download new apps for my iphone, finish reading Running and Being, get a haircut.

New Year's Resolution (one of them) ... (that I just thought of this minute): run another marathon (preferably the NY marathon in the fall).

Sorry this post is lame. I'm lethargic and inactive.

The End of the End

Two posts in one day? It must be finals (procrastination) time. Two final exams until I am officially done with school... forever. Well, for a few years. I'll be a real person in the real world now.

Big news: just bought a new MacBook Pro and the new Office 2008 for Mac. Super excited.

I'm watching "It's a Wonderful Life." What could be better?! Jimmy Stuart, chocolate chip cookies and red wine.

I can't wait to head home for Christmas... every time I pass the trees being sold on the street (or a drunken Santa wandering around) I can't wait to spend time with the family and catch up with friends at home. We're starting a new tradition this year... Christmas in Manhattan. How modern. As long as there's ham and the smell of pine trees, I'm all set.

Can't wait for my long-awaited trip to London. Catching up with friends, eating meat pies, and meeting friendly and interesting people as is always the case at the pub. And I am infinitely excited to bum around Dublin with Kay. A city with old-world charm, a beautiful, natural landscape, AND casual, flannel-shirt appropriate social scene? Yes, please.

But more than anything I'm looking forward to a new chapter in my life. Beginning in February, I'll be working full time, which is more than just having a more regular daily schedule. No more breaks from normal life without having to take vacation time. No more Wednesday afternoons off to hit the gym. And no more casual attire.

But, more importantly, I think I'll have more control over the direction my life takes. I'm not progressing toward one goal (getting a degree) with thousands of other people all heading toward the same thing. It's up to me now to carve out my future. To take on particular projects, to enter a new social circle, to recognize the impact that small decisions along the way will have on where my life goes. It's exciting. Scary, too, but more exciting.

On that note, time to get dressed and head to the bar. Professor Tom's tonight.

I would be such a good housewife.

Not really.. I don't cook. BUT, I do have a new addiction to the Container Store. It is SO awesome!

So here's my shopping list for my new full-time employment life.

Compartmentalized lunch boxes (for my sandwiches, almonds, grapes at work)

Shoe rack for my closet (so I'll be able to see the floor again)

on-the-go soup containers (for my New England clam chowder)

twist assist jar opener (for those pesky applesauce jars)

dripless wine pourer and stopper

Keyboard vacuum

and also, one of those space saver food vacuum things. Not from container store, but still awesome.

Stop laughing.

No, really. Stop.

Midnight blues.

What should one do when one's eyes feel like they are on fire and about to fall out of one's head in the middle of the night? Well, first, calc homework. Then accounting homework. Then a few lines of a Virginia Woolf term paper. And then blog apparently.

And I can't even go to CVS for some meds at this crazy hour because of the homeless crazies (not to be mean, but the homeless people near Stuy Town are particularly crazy) that hang around 14th Street and 1st Ave at this hour. A few weeks ago about a dozen of them were duking it out in the middle of the road in broad daylight. I'm not going to chance it at 3 a.m.

Tomorrow's a full day - class from 9:30 to 9, so I'll be nice and tired. Great. Thanks, doctor, for telling me to stop taking allergy meds.

Things to do while waiting for the maintenance guy.

1. accounting homework
2. eat oatmeal
3. watch Wizard of Oz
4. remember how awful Wizard of Oz is
5. drink black tea
6. blog.

I'm up to #6. This week has been uneventful, yet oddly fun. I had a half-day on Tuesday because I was inadvertently terminated at work. Basically, my name was kicked out of the system and I could not log on or do anything, so I got a paid day off. I'll take it!

A colleague from London was in the office... it's been great to reminisce. It was great catching up with her and now I'm even more excited for my pending holiday to London. My manager asked me if I'm seeing anyone lately, to which I replied, "Nope. Real men live in London."

I'm now attending graduate lectures for my accounting class instead of undergrad. My prof, who is absolutely fantastic, teaches both and suggested I informally shift to the MBA class... great in theory, but I will probably be almost an hour late for each lecture since I'll be coming straight from work and my Thursday nights are shot. Oh well. It's such a different dynamic in the grad class... it's easier to learn when everyone around me is concentrating and genuinely trying to learn the material, rather than just waiting for class to end. Maybe I'll be taking this same grad class with the same prof in a few years!

This weekend is Kay's birthday so we are all going out tomorrow night. Then lunch with Aunt and Uncle J on Sunday. Should be a good time! But I positively cannot wait until Thanksgiving. Since last year's cranberry chutney did not work out ("it would be cruel to force someone to eat that" says Mom right before she emphatically dumps it in the trash), I'm going to try something a bit simpler... cookies. If I screw them up, I give up. Chinese take-out for life.

That's all for now. And also, I graduate in less than a month. Weird.

Tonight my pulse beats to the electric snake cleaning my shower drain (and also the adorable old man who won't stop talking to me about his 40-year career as Stuy Town handy-man).

A lark! A plunge!

For this first time in a long time (possibly forever), it has been cold for over 2 weeks and I am not sick of it yet. The crisp weather is still energizing me and giving me the sense that anything is possible. Unrealistic and whimsical, I know. But this autumn is magical. Up is down and black is white.

This past Halloween weekend was a bit atypical - drunk Katie Couric, seeing some drunk colleagues and thinking they were other drunk colleagues (oh, did I say Lisa? I meant Beth. So good to see you!) flapper and biker all in one weekend and pub crawl all the way from 74th to 12th. All in all, a great time. Possibly the most dream-like quality of my weekend was the cab ride from my apartment to 51st and park... all the way up 1st ave and over to park and not one single red light! $5 cab to midtown. I'm tellin ya, it's the weather.

To top it all off, yesterday I fixed a flat screen TV at work that no one else could fix (first and last time that will ever happen) and my boss put me in charge of a $400,000 model... which I actually did not break. Up is down and black is white.

Maybe that means I will do well on my accounting exam this morning.... or not. At least the Yankees will clinch the series tonight!