Wait, what?

So apparently it's the last day of February. What?

The last part of my week last week did not go so well. Fail ranged from completely bombing my tutorial, having no self-esteem to continue my essay, not falling asleep until 3:30 (and learning that, apparently, I should be able to control all sources of bad stress in my life), getting the "You all right?" "Yeah." "No, really, are you okay?" conversation four times on Friday (tutor, till worker at sandwich shop, and librarians at both the Philosophy library and the New College library), being so tired at Guest Dinner that I'm sure everyone was convinced I was drunk, wanting to sleep on Friday night yet having the world conspire against me OMG, etc.

Yesterday was a bit of a turn-around for my luck, though. Kate and I went to the International Festival at the exam schools across the street for lunch, which was fun. We got coupons for a fiver and I spent mine on a huge plate of fried rice and a cup of chai. Kate also tried Turkish Delight for the first time and is probably now convinced that England is Narnia. Kate also showed me to a new library, the Radcliffe Science Library. I like it in there, and even though I'm no scientist, I may go study in the room she showed me, because I think it is awesome.

Also, apparently gypped is a racist term. I feel bad for not knowing that before (and also not knowing that that's how you spell it, thus my complete ignorance). Sorry, world :(

Today I'm trying to get my reading done pretty quickly, as the Failed Novelists (my writing group here) are going out on another pubbing adventure across Port Meadow tonight. I'm not sure where we're eating dinner but I can guarantee that wherever it is, it'll look like Middle Earth, and for that I am excited. To celebrate, I am wearing my "I'm an English major: you do the math" shirt, which also makes me excited. I'm also doing relatively well on my reading for this week, all things considered, and today I slept in, so that was also good.

Tomorrow I may or may not be going to London; it all depends on how I feel. If I don't get enough done today, I may pass London off until next week (I keep putting it off but I just want a few hours at the Tate Modern so badly...). Anyways, must get back to work, this Internet break has lasted about 15 minutes too long.

- Jen -

ETA: Also, I only have about 550 pages of reading this week. Which doesn't sound all that good until you realize that probably 150 pages of it is re-reading from last week because, durr, I had no comprehension skills, and the other 400 pages is all English-type reading about literary criticism that reminds me of my most favorite poem ever, T. S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land'. So, I think this is a win-win.

Also, I saw snowdrops when I was at Balliol for my tute on Thursday. Apparently in this country that means it's spring already. I love it here! Especially since, for the past two days, it's been mostly sunny (only occasionally rainy) and I haven't had to wear a coat as much. I'm going to hate going back home to Ohio where there's apparently 3 feet of snow on the ground.