A quiet night, a stack of books, a tuna melt on rye

Happy Birthday to me. 

Is there a better possible birthday activity that going to the Panto.  I think not.  The Dame was as good at ever, the silly song was very silly, the messy bit involved mushing grapes, and I got a piece of candy.  Yeah!

Also  yummy, yummy, curry.  It was like a little bit of England here in south eastern Pennsylvania. 

Me: I put the sheet that I kicked off in the middle of the night back on the bed and a spider crawled out.
Mom: Thats because you never vacuum your room
Me: How is vacuuming going to get rid of the spiders.
Mom: You vacuum up their webs, then they don't have anywhere to live and they go away.
Me: the web comes out of the spider's butt, if I vacuum the web they'll just make a new one.
Mom: then vacuum their butt.
Me: ?


Okay, so I thought it was a relatively funny conversation. Oh and

I'm back in the good old US of A. All ready to go back to England. Particularly because here I have to listen to my mother and my brother bicker constantly. Arrrgh.

Finally done with exams! *does happy dance*
The inorganic chemistry went okay. I think I over compensated studying for organometallics, because I definitely knew that better in the exam while I knew coordination chemistry better before the exam. Never the less, I think I did just fine on both of then - certainly made the 40% passing grade.

Went looking for a Brighton tee-shirt to take home with me. Ended up with a poster advertising a London to Brighton train service that says Southern Belle. I figure it will fit right in when I'm back in New Orleans.

Tonight was the final chamber choir concert of the year, which we did in a local church. I think they made people pay to get in. I feel bad for that, 'cause we're so not good enough to be charging people money to see us. At least the concert got better as it went along, so hopefully people left with a good feeling. No one even clapped until half way through - after "Rejoice in the Lamb" - but then they started clapping after every song. I'm not sure what suddenly changed. I was surprised at how good our very last number, "Goodnight Sweetheart" (Awww, smell the cheese), was. I certainly didn't think I knew it any better than the others - and possibly worse than some of them - but then we started and it just felt right.

Last final tomorrow. I studied so much last week that for the last two days I been so sick of Inorganic Chemistry that I haven't been able to look at it. I hope I'm not regretting that decision tomorrow. I suppose I'll be alright 'cause I've done the tests for the past three years so many times I have them all memorized. 40% of that material has to be on this years test. Doesn't it?

Tonight we had a pot luck party to celebrate the end of term and everybody leaving. Granted it was a little early, since the first group of people don't leave until Saturday, and term isn't officially over until next Friday. It was great fun. I brought rice with vegetables and teriaki sauce, since well, rice and pasta are the only things I have left. I don't think its very good, but other people were seriously voting on it for the best dish, so it must be okay.

Damon had everyone sign a big England flag for him. Why didn't I think of that.

Then we got to play catch phrase (I need to find a copy of at home, as it will provide a welcomed relief from Trivial Pursuit) which we always play. This time there were actually other people who know something about entertainment so we got to play that category. Go Abby!

Oh, and Ryan had the tackiest Florida tee-shirt I've ever seen, for which I must commend his parents.

Went to London as promised. Got the express train, which then proceeded to break down at the next station, so then I got a less express train. First went to the TXTS booth in Leister square to get a matinee ticket - which was the ultimate goal of the trip. Ended up with Jerry Springer: the opera, which I was really excited about. Noticed there was a "West End during the war" exhibition going on in the park, and got a kebab which I managed to drop all over my shoes.

I then took the tube - I like subways so much better then buses - to baker street to see the Sherlock Holmes museam. It was too expensive for what it had, but at least I got my picture taken in the living room, so I can look like a cool person - or something. Purchased a pin for my book bag, and headed back to leister square, because the theater I needed was nearby.

Listened to the primary school who was giving a concert as part of the "West End during the war" exhibition - they were as you expect a primary school would be. As saw two older ladies dancing to the accompaning band - who were much more interesting than the singers. By that time it was time to head to the theater.

Jerry Springer: the opera is absolutely hilarious. The first act is just like any episode of the actual show you may have seen, except the guests and the audience all sing. Nothing quite compares to four-, eight- (more?) part harmony on "fuck you" or "crack whore," or the wonder of the "talk to the hand" song. The second act is just surreal. Jerry gets taken down to hell to get Jesus to give and apology to the Devil. God gets to sing a song "it ain't easy being me" and archangel Micheal (or was it Gabriel) is a transvestite.

Came back to Brighton and went to a BBQ. Taught Ryan to play something that vaguely resembled baseball. At least we were playing with a real bat, ball, and glove; although, the (single) base was in the wrong direction and he kept trying to get multiple runs off a hit.

Wow, not so much with the updating recently. I blame exams, and the fact that they give me nothing to talk about except coordination and organometallic chemistry. And really no one wants to know about that.

Yesterday a took a day long break (sort of) because it suddenly dawned on me that I only had 10 days left in England and I still hadn't seen Jane Austen's Cottage, which was one of the things I said I would do last summer. I spent two hours on the train to and from Winchester, then another half an hour or so to and from Chawton, in order to spend an hour in the house. It was worth it, as I have now fulfilled my mission. Next up London for a show (and possibly the Sherlock Holmes museum).

Got to see Prisoner of Azcarban today. Yeah! Cuaron is my new hero. The film was amazing. Love Lupin. Dementors are well spooky, particularly with the whole freezing things bit. I even liked the whole normal clothes instead of uniforms thing which I shuddered at when I read about it in the Newsweek ages ago.

Love the fact that my brother left me a voice mail in the middle of it, saying how mad he was that I got to see it a whole four days before he would even have a chance.

I had something to say in my head about cranium when we stopped playing at 2:00 this morning, but now I can't remember what it was. Was proud of my self for drawing "cricket stump" with my eyes closed when I have no idea what it is. The American version is so much easier than the British version.

In other news I'm going to record my interesting "wow I'm really a university student" story 'cause well I've exhausted people to tell it to. One of my flat-mates decided to erect one of those large glass bong like things that the Catepiller uses in Alice in Wonderland in the middle of our kitchen table.  It was there for a week or so and then disapeared.  This week it reappeared -- in the bathtub.