Stuff...& One Big Introduction

Well. Long time, no post. My excuse? An exam. Rather valid, I think. But it's over now (huzzah!) -- so I focus on the next task: a 5000 word essay. But, at least I know what I have to do for it. And by that I mean I've parred down the dates I'm using for my thesis and my essay. So, first I get to look at the events from 1902 to 1910 -- background, basically. Then, it's 1910-1937 for the thesis. I'm sure you don't care, but...well, you'll deal somehow. :P

I'm not looking forward to the class sessions we'll have starting this Friday, though. Two hours -- nine weeks -- all about each person in my group's research. It might end up tedious...but I'll try to hope for the best.

In happier news, though, Sarah's coming to visit this weekend! Yay!

January's almost gone -- a few hours left (for me, not you silly State-side folks). How did this month fly by? Crazy.

Anywho, I should get some cleaning done. Or reading.

Oh! but, I can't go without introducing the beastie/critter/creature.
I leave you with this one warning: my brother (in his infinite goofiness) found it.

Without further ado, I present...William Robert Walker...but you can call him Billy Bob:

A Beastie & a Cold Snap

I completely forgot to mention this last time -- the frustration with my computer made me forgetful, perhaps -- but the fact remains that I have a creature that is in desperate need of a name. A darling ceramic creature that my goofy brother gave me over Xmas.
Now, I don't want you influenced by what it looks like, so as soon as he's named (yes, the beastie is undeniably male) I promise to post a photo. The only guideline I will give y'all is that he is stereotypically Texan & thus needs a name that is equally stereotypical.
The frontrunner at the moment is Billy Bob, if you were wondering, with two suggestions.

In other news, the trip to Dublin went well. Except for a taxi driver who lied about where he was while we stood in the super-gusty wind waiting on him & missed the train & so had to wait 2 hrs for the next one. But, really, that's a minor detail. I was more worried about getting blown away as we walked across UCD's campus.

The weather has taken a turn for the cold again. It was starting to feel downright mild -- meaning on Sunday & Monday I was considering pulling out a lighter coat. Yesterday, though, I felt like my hands were turning into ice as I walked to class.
Nothing quite like the weather back home, I know; but I really can't compete at all with ice & snow in south Texas. It figures, I leave the state & it freezes over! And I can't gloat about being nice & warm either. Alas. :P

Well, back to preparing for that exam in just under 3 weeks.

Long, Long Overdue Update

I had a blog post half-written out & then Blogger decided to eat it. This made me sad. So, now you get the even shorter version of the past month. :)

So. Firstly: Christmas holidays.

Went to Dublin & did touristy things with the family. Finally got to go inside several buildings I've wanted to: St Patrick's Cathedral, Kilmainham Gaol (even though we didn't take the tour, just saw the museum), & Dublin Castle. I also got to see some of the high relics of two areas of my nerdiness. Firstly: Kilmainham Gaol has a lot of artefacts relating to the 1916 Rising, Anglo-Irish war, & Civil War -- which is my time period of study. So that was fun. Secondly: at St Patrick's, a hand-written copy of Handel's Messiah (first performed in Dublin, by the way).

Mom & Dad with one of their favourite people: Sir Benjamin GUINNESS.

Then it was back to Cork with the family. We went to Blarney; and Sean kissed the Blarney Stone (which I could never do, for a couple of reasons).

Sean at the top of Blarney Castle. His head kinda looks like it was put up there to be a warning to all who dare to question the lord of the manor.

And then it was Christmas, and as all Christmases go, I ate far too much.

Family Christmas Eve photo.

And then nothing exciting happened (except for getting my computer fixed). Until this past weekend, that is, when I went to visit Sarah in York. I had a grand time there -- York is a fabulous city, possibly my favourite city in England (followed closely by Bath).

I tried to be a good Victorian school girl. I don't think it worked. And the oversized sheet with the lesson on it didn't help...and I'm not wearing the right clothes (pants! *gasp!*)

My favourite street EVER. For serious. It has held this place in my heart for over eight years now...wow, that's a lot longer than it seemed.

Representin' Major Texas Cities abroad since Autumn 2006.

Term started up this past Monday. I have two classes, which makes me happy. However, one of my classes includes a trip to Dublin tomorrow...and 7am trains do not make me happy; but I'll manage to survive it, somehow.