Christmas in Stratford-Upon-Avon

About two weeks ago we had the Shakespeare Institute Christmas Party. It was great, I danced all night long (as is usual for me) and got pretty drunk on Champagne.

This is Cassie and I making a sandwich out of Victoria.

General shot of Shakespearean scholars and wanna-be scholars partying in a mid 18th century hall.

This is my friend Amanda from Florida and Victoria, from Birmingham.

Christmas here has come and gone and I am now going back to work on my papers starting tomorrow. I was able to write a good chunk of one of my papers last week, despite that the weather made the library close one day last week. On Christmas Eve I went to the Carol service at Holy Trinity, then over to a friends for dinner with the other sad Americans left here. After dinner we went to midnight mass at the church, it was very pretty and nice. After mass I came home and called grandma and talked to everyone at her place.

On Christmas my friend picked me up and I went to her place to spend the day. I was supposed to spend the night there but something happened at my apartment and I had to come home (everything was fine, it was a false alarm). At Harriet's, my friend, we attempted to make a snow man, but the snow was too powdery so we just kind of carved one in the snow. We had a great dinner and played some board games before watching Coronation Street and then East Enders (soap operas). I have never watched either of these shows, but I was instantly hooked on East Enders; I barely know what was going on but it was riveting!

The first picture of os Stanley the cat and I sleeping off dinner on the couch. The next is Harriet and I after making the snowman-like-thing.

I didn't do much today: just the gym, then I took a load of laundry to a friends to wash it (the pipes in our laundry room have frozen so I can't use them now) and watched a movie. I have been washing my clothes in the bath tub very slowly over the last few hours....I do lead such an exciting life here! Luckily we have a dryer in the laundry room.

This week is a week of research and writing. I hope to finish one essay and finish most of the research for another by Friday night. I am going to Birmingham to use the library sometime this week, but I don't know which day yet.

I am planning on going to London the week after New Years for a day to see Derek Jacobi in King Lear, I am pretty excited about it.

Football Christmas Dinner and other Christmas-y Goings On

Hello all. Last Friday the Institute Football people, like me, had out Christmas party at the Shakespeare Hotel and Restaurant. It was great: the food, the people, the music (well the music was stuck in the 70s for a bit) and the dancing.

The dance floor....my legs hurt more the next day than after and hour and a half at the gym.

The ladies!

We all had these balloons to blow up and then let fly, but they were hard to blow up. Emma had quite a problem, but was successful in the end.

The next day we had a secret santa party at Emma and Red's house. I got the tea pot I have had my eye on since the beginning of October. On Monday we had a party for our friend Gareth, were we watched Eddie Izzard and ate a "Cake or Death?" cake. Then last night Emma and Red came over and we exchanged presents. I got the tea cups and saucer that match the tea pot I got for secret Santa! YAY!!

This is Emma and Red in front of my Christmas display (thanks Kak and Grandma for it).

Wait, no, I mean......I have spent every waking hour studying, reading and transcribing, yes that is it.