Day 153: More like it

This is more like the weather I expect - overcast, grey, threat of rain.

Bonus points for the rain not actually appearing, too. ;-)

Day 152: More signage fail

I originally thought this was really cool and in Arabic or something. (You'd never see a sign in Arabic on the DC metro - someone would panic that the terrorists were sending coded message to each other or something!)

Then I realized...no, it's just someone being an idiot.

Of course, I'm not sure what's up with the giant bit of whitespace, either, you'd think they'd put a picture of...I don't know, a car, or something, in there.

Day 151: Movie time!

I took myself to the movies today to see Sherlock Holmes. It was OK, but not something I'd want to see again.

The Prince Charles Cinema is a pretty neat venue, featuring pretty recent movies (this week, A Single Man) as well as classics (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof). I paid £2.50 for today's film (though I also paid another £10 for an annual membership fee).

Reminds me of The Lyric Theater in good old Blacksburg, Virginia.

Day 150: Eco-laundry

Air drying laundry takes a while, but it's kind of fun.

Today my clothes kept getting covered in cherry blossoms from the nearby trees.

Day 149: Evening in the park

Every evening, you can see people playing football, jogging, out with their dogs, etc.

It's awesome. :) Plus, as a bonus, it's still light out at 8:30pm. Woo!

Day 148: More weird pub names

I'm not sure that I want to know what one does with a Hop Pole, or how one gets hops to form a pole.

Day 147: Feeling Gypped

Another bright, sunny day in London. :)

What about the clouds and rain? Speaking for those of us pasty white people, I could deal with some of the former, and maybe even some of the latter as well, just for kicks.

Day 146: Techie

I bought myself a shiny new 24" monitor, which works pretty well as both a workstation and a mini-TV. (It also happens to be bigger than the TV that was in its place before.)

The desk is a bit crowded between the monitor, speakers, keyboard, mouse, and laptop, but I may investigate stand options to spread things out a bit.

For now, it works.

Day 145: Compensating?

This is possibly the tallest non-tree scratching post I've ever seen.

Ruby seems to like it, though.

Day 144: Cool bed

I bought this neat-looking bed for Ace - it's triangular to fit into corners.

He likes it, though at the taking of this photo he's conspicuously lying 3 feet away from it (on the floor).

He and Ruby cuddle together in it, though my phone ate all my evidence of that (which will be remedied asap).

Day 143: Darwin

Go Darwin!

(Also at the Natural History Museum)

Day 142: Cuddles

It is remarkably easy to cuddle on the couch (with a kitty in lap) - this blanket and this couch are crazy comfortable/addictive.

The blanket's huge so you can't see it, but it's got a cool picture of dolphins on it, and it's super fuzzy and comfy.

Day 141: History

This is an Iguanodon, which is an herbivore dinosaur.

The Natural History Museum had about a dozen other dinosaur skeletons, plus a few neat-looking animatronic dinosaur models that moved.

Day 140: Whoa

I have never seen (and, frankly, hope never to see again) a shirt that involves this many colors. Let alone on a man.

Day 139: Weird pub names

Pubs have the weirdest names here. This one is The Hung Drawn and Quartered.


The plaque reads "I went to see Major General Harrison Hung Drawn and Quartered. He was looking as cheerful as any man could in that condition. Samuel Pepys, 13 October 1660".

I found it both random and amusing.

Day 138: Doggie pubs!

This is a pub in Crystal Palace (southeast London) that serves good alcohol (including something I'll drink, miraculously), so-so food, and allows dogs.

Ace loves making the rounds and getting loved on.

Day 137: Lava lamps

There's a shop near my flat that apparently sells lava lamps.

I'm not sure to whom, but it's still pretty cool.

Day 136: Light

This window lets in a remarkable amount of light.

Luckily for me, these curtains do a pretty great job of blocking out the light.

Also, I love my flavors-of-blue duvet cover/pillowcases.

Day 135: Organized

My clothes are in the dresser, my small things are in the little white chest, my dirty laundry is in the clothes hamper, and my trash is in the bin.

Yay.

Day 134: Clean room

I managed to fit my bed into the corner rather the center of the room, and now I love it.

Day 133: Overkill

This wrist pad came in this box, which is easily 4" too tall and 10" too wide. The only thing it isn't "too" is long.

Still, it got here just fine, and at least cardboard is recyclable.

Day 132: Fashion sense

If I ever wear something like this, please kill me.

Immediately.

Day 131: Waffles?

Since this kiosk was closed, I couldn't tell whether the Gourmet Wonder Waffles were gourmet, wonderful, or waffles.

I do find the concept of a waffle kiosk pretty strange, but I may go back at some point and try one, just for kicks.

Day 130: Marketing

This was on the side of a giant department store.

Obviously your goal is to go to one store and create the "perfect wedding". (I mean, I guess if that were possible, that's great, but I kind of doubt it.)

Day 129: Shopping

Oxford Circus is London's strip mall, I think. There are stores of every name, size, and description all along this street.

It's pretty crazy - this was at about 11am on a weekday and there were still tons of people out.

Day 128: Park 2

This is the other side of the park across the street from my flat.

Day 127: Park

This is one corner of the park that's just across the street from my new flat.

Yay for green spaces. :)

Day 126: Ponies

This is the barn where I went riding, in north London.

None of these horses are the one I rode (a very cute gelding named Trio), but they all looked well cared for and happy.

The lesson wasn't hugely amazing, mostly because of my massive out-of-shape-ness, but it was fun and I'm glad I went.

Day 125: National motto?

In case you can't read the sign in the background, it says "Keep calm and carry on".

This is at a local riding stable where I went riding (yay!). I originally thought it very fitting for riding, but have since seen it several other places, so now I think it's the national motto.

It fits.

Day 124: Beach

Visited friends (human, equine, and canine) today at the coast.

Not sure that I really buy the "beach" bit, as I saw no sand, but it was a really nice day nonetheless.