I can honestly say, things can't get much better than this. Well there could be one thing that made it better but that will fall into place eventually :) I love my job, I love my apartment, I love the area I live in... all I need is the girl ;)
Anyway. I moved into my apartment about 2 weeks ago now. It is a 2 bedroom duplex. I have plenty of room! My mom tried to get me to put more stuff in here, last thing I need is more stuff. I just need what I use :) Typical guy haha. So I have plenty of room if anyone comes to visit me. My address here in Kingsford (irony moving to Kingsford after living in Menominee) is:
240 Balsam St.
Lower Apt
Kingsford, Mi 49802
I started my job last Monday (8/7/06) and I love it so far. Everyone is so nice there and helpful. What I love about it? I work 40 hours a week, hourly waged, optional overtime at time and a half (they let you know that it is only OPTIONAL... LOL), health insurance paid by the company, profit sharing, and I get paid weekly on Tuesdays... can't beat that. I got my own cubicle with computer and phone extension. I also got a cubicle by the window :) OH YEAH! I am still in training for like the next 2 weeks. I pretty much get paid to watch people do thier job and absorb the stuff they are doing, easy stuff so far. I will update again when I know more about it. I can't wait to do some real work to be honest.
I also got a gym membership with a place seriously right outside my door. It is closer to walk there then it was to walk from my room in DHH to the weight room downstairs. Time for me to get in shape :)
Well that is all for now...
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Friday, July 28, 2006
We were off in space... I mean at the Ice Bar
So last night was our last full night in London :( I can honestly say, I am sad to be leaving now. I met some really great people and wish I could spend some more time getting to know them.
For our last night, we went to a place called the Ice Bar. This is a bar made completely out of ice and is basically in a freezer. It was really cool (literally :P). Check out the picture of us in it below :)
After the Ice Bar, we went to Cheers. It is basically an American bar in London. It was really fun! However, 3.50 pounds for a beer was a little steep :( We stayed there for about an hour and a half I think. Not too sure cause I wasn't keeping track of the time.
Overall, very good last night! I will be back in the States tomorrow afternoon at about 4 PM EST! Call me or maybe I will call you :) I can't wait to have my cell phone back and drive my car...
For our last night, we went to a place called the Ice Bar. This is a bar made completely out of ice and is basically in a freezer. It was really cool (literally :P). Check out the picture of us in it below :)
After the Ice Bar, we went to Cheers. It is basically an American bar in London. It was really fun! However, 3.50 pounds for a beer was a little steep :( We stayed there for about an hour and a half I think. Not too sure cause I wasn't keeping track of the time.
Overall, very good last night! I will be back in the States tomorrow afternoon at about 4 PM EST! Call me or maybe I will call you :) I can't wait to have my cell phone back and drive my car...
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
This weekend until tonight... lotsa stuff going on!
Hey guys,
I am down to my last couple days in London. A lot has happened this past weekend and the last couple days. All I can say is this is the best couple days of the trip! I am kind of sad to be leaving right now at times because I am just starting to really get to know some of the friends I have made here. I really enjoy everyone I have gotten to know and hope we stay in contact over Facebook or whatever. Enough of that, on to my eventful couple days.
Friday: This was our trip to Stonehenge, Bath and the Tower of London. We left at like 4 AM and got to Stonehenge first at about 7 AM. The coolest thing about it was the fact that we got to go onto the rocks and inside them and take pictures on them. We actually got there before they even let anyone else in. Another group that went later from USAC didn't get to go up to the rocks. It was awesome! Take a look at the picture to see how close we were. Bath was pretty cool too. Basically it was just the museum of where the Baths from the Romans took place. The last stop was the Tower of London which was boring. There wasn't much to it and I couldn't see paying the like 10 pounds they would have asked for it normally. Overall, pretty cool day.
Saturday: We got up with the whole USAC group and took a trip to Brighton. The day was ok. It rained the one and only day we would be able to go to the beach. The whole day was wet and we didn't really get to do much more then look at a museum in the city and go shopping at some of the local stores. It was nice to hang out with the group for the whole day but it wasn't really too special given the day that we went.
Sunday: THE BEST DAY OF THE WHOLE TRIP! Brandon and I went to the British Open. We left on the bus at about 11:30 PM on Saturday night and got to Hoylake at about 6:30 or so. It was a long bus ride and we had some problems on the bus. There was one lady who was taking up like 3 seats cause she was pregnant and the bus driver has to be called up. She got kicked off the bus at the second stop after putting up a huge fuss and the police eventually came. It delayed the trip like an hour. We still made it to the Open just as the gates pretty much opened. Like my dad was saying, they definately don't water that course. IT WAS DRY AS HELL ALL DAY! I have never seen any patches of grass that dead before. We stayed the whole day and it was well worth the small trouble and the amount of money we put into the trip. We were like 5 feet away from Phil on one hole and could hear him talking to his caddy. We got to see Tiger tee off from the first hole and followed him around as much as we could at the end of the day. We also caught the trophy presentation at the end and Brandon's mom said she saw me on TV at this time!!! If you watched the whole thing, I was near the boy with the Tiger sign and apparently that part was on the tube. The ride back was horrible cause the bus was packed but still couldn't distract from the fun of the day. We were both dead at the end.
Monday: we got up late for class to turn in our final paper. It was all good cause our professor Clark didn't even care :)
Tuesday: Didn't do a whole lot. Went to class and then went to the War Museum and Churchill Museum for class. I really liked the Churchill Museum and the history of his ups and downs becoming the PM of the UK. It was my favorite museum so far!
Wednesday: Last day of Film and Lit class. Brandon and I then went to the British Auto Show after class. It was pretty cool! Got to see some very sweet foreign cars. Even got to see some of the domestic stuff from the US which is hella expensive over here (59,000 pounds for a Corvette Z06 which comes out to almost 120000 dollars!!). It was only 5 pounds to get in and I got some good pics of some of the new cars and even a new Aston Martin concept car :)
The next couple days are going to be hanging with the people I have met and doing some finishing shopping before I head off. Hope all is well at home! I miss you guys too!
I am down to my last couple days in London. A lot has happened this past weekend and the last couple days. All I can say is this is the best couple days of the trip! I am kind of sad to be leaving right now at times because I am just starting to really get to know some of the friends I have made here. I really enjoy everyone I have gotten to know and hope we stay in contact over Facebook or whatever. Enough of that, on to my eventful couple days.
Friday: This was our trip to Stonehenge, Bath and the Tower of London. We left at like 4 AM and got to Stonehenge first at about 7 AM. The coolest thing about it was the fact that we got to go onto the rocks and inside them and take pictures on them. We actually got there before they even let anyone else in. Another group that went later from USAC didn't get to go up to the rocks. It was awesome! Take a look at the picture to see how close we were. Bath was pretty cool too. Basically it was just the museum of where the Baths from the Romans took place. The last stop was the Tower of London which was boring. There wasn't much to it and I couldn't see paying the like 10 pounds they would have asked for it normally. Overall, pretty cool day.
Saturday: We got up with the whole USAC group and took a trip to Brighton. The day was ok. It rained the one and only day we would be able to go to the beach. The whole day was wet and we didn't really get to do much more then look at a museum in the city and go shopping at some of the local stores. It was nice to hang out with the group for the whole day but it wasn't really too special given the day that we went.
Sunday: THE BEST DAY OF THE WHOLE TRIP! Brandon and I went to the British Open. We left on the bus at about 11:30 PM on Saturday night and got to Hoylake at about 6:30 or so. It was a long bus ride and we had some problems on the bus. There was one lady who was taking up like 3 seats cause she was pregnant and the bus driver has to be called up. She got kicked off the bus at the second stop after putting up a huge fuss and the police eventually came. It delayed the trip like an hour. We still made it to the Open just as the gates pretty much opened. Like my dad was saying, they definately don't water that course. IT WAS DRY AS HELL ALL DAY! I have never seen any patches of grass that dead before. We stayed the whole day and it was well worth the small trouble and the amount of money we put into the trip. We were like 5 feet away from Phil on one hole and could hear him talking to his caddy. We got to see Tiger tee off from the first hole and followed him around as much as we could at the end of the day. We also caught the trophy presentation at the end and Brandon's mom said she saw me on TV at this time!!! If you watched the whole thing, I was near the boy with the Tiger sign and apparently that part was on the tube. The ride back was horrible cause the bus was packed but still couldn't distract from the fun of the day. We were both dead at the end.
Monday: we got up late for class to turn in our final paper. It was all good cause our professor Clark didn't even care :)
Tuesday: Didn't do a whole lot. Went to class and then went to the War Museum and Churchill Museum for class. I really liked the Churchill Museum and the history of his ups and downs becoming the PM of the UK. It was my favorite museum so far!
Wednesday: Last day of Film and Lit class. Brandon and I then went to the British Auto Show after class. It was pretty cool! Got to see some very sweet foreign cars. Even got to see some of the domestic stuff from the US which is hella expensive over here (59,000 pounds for a Corvette Z06 which comes out to almost 120000 dollars!!). It was only 5 pounds to get in and I got some good pics of some of the new cars and even a new Aston Martin concept car :)
The next couple days are going to be hanging with the people I have met and doing some finishing shopping before I head off. Hope all is well at home! I miss you guys too!
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Internet is back down...
My internet is back down. I am in the Library right now. I may type up an update tonight and post it here tomorrow afternoon when I get done with class. Everyone get your hopes up!
Monday, July 24, 2006
Perhaps the best weekend ever? Very close!
I am still recovering from the weekend and I will go into detail soon. But to hold you all over till then, check out these :)
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Internet is down... but I will be gone...
Hey guys,
My internet is down on my computer for some strange reason. But it doesn't really matter for the weekend since I have a packed one. We leave for Stonehenge tomorrow at 4 AM, will get back about 5PM or so. Saturday is Brighton and then Sunday is the British Open (and my birthday...).
It has been an interesting week so far... Happy Birthday to me :(
My internet is down on my computer for some strange reason. But it doesn't really matter for the weekend since I have a packed one. We leave for Stonehenge tomorrow at 4 AM, will get back about 5PM or so. Saturday is Brighton and then Sunday is the British Open (and my birthday...).
It has been an interesting week so far... Happy Birthday to me :(
Monday, July 17, 2006
Problems with Pictures
I keep telling all you guys to check out the updated pictures, but Brandon just told me that he can't see it. Looking in to it right now. I will let you know when it should work. Huge update then of 12 Albums.
****PROBLEM SHOULD BE FIXED!!!! That is all...****
****PROBLEM SHOULD BE FIXED!!!! That is all...****
Sunday, July 16, 2006
One Weekend in Paris (France... not Hilton :) )
Well I am back! I must say tho, this was perhaps the best part of the entire trip so far. It is pending on the British Open next weekend. I loved Paris! The only thing that would have turned me off from the country is the language barrier. It is hard to get around there if you don't know French very well. Granted, alot of people do speak English but it is still rough. I was surprised since I thought France hated Americans that everyone seemed so nice and very patient with us and our English-only. Well, now for the breakdown of the trip!
We left at about 6 AM on Friday morning. We took a coach to Waterloo station and got on the Eurostar to go all the way to France. The only thing everyone was looking for during the trip was the Chunnel (the underwater tunnel between France and the UK). We saw it on the way back, nothing special. I slept thru it on the way there (go figure, me sleep in a vehicle :)). The trip went smoothly and the train was just like an airplane on the ground pretty much (the station was similar to an airport). Once we got to France, we went to the hotel. It was the Villa St. Martin (3 star hotel) and it was very nice! Once again, everyone there was so helpful. The people at the desk would draw us out directions and let us use a laptop they had behind the desk.
After we checked into the hotel and everything, we took off to see the city! First, we needed a way to get around. We found the station and eventually got underground passes. This is another area in which Paris seriously lacks compared to London. The underground seems fairly rundown and most people just jump the ticket turnstyles. Nobody seems to care there about the UG, but it worked just fine for the weekend. Our first stop on the journey was the Louvre. It was AMAZING! We got to see the giant glass pyrmaid when we entered (CHECK OUT THE PICTURES!). After getting inside, we walked pretty much straight to the Mona Lisa (no pictures, couldn't take em in there). We walked around there for a good hour or more. After that we walked all the way to the Eiffel Tower. It was a long walk but it gave us a chance to see more of the city on foot. We didn't go up to it on this day but just kinda walked around the area. Finally, we worked our way back to the hotel on the UG. When we got back, we relaxed for a few minutes and then left again to go watch the fireworks for Bastile day! We went up on a hill and saw a nice skyline view of Paris (CHECK OUT THE PICTURES). Awesome view, the pictures won't do it justice at all! We didn't really stay for many more fireworks then the individual ones people were lighting off because we had to get back on the UG since it closed at 12:30 or so. That was day one.
Day two was the best day of the entire trip. I was on my feet literally from 9 AM to about 2AM Sunday morning. We started out the day by going the day with a bus trip around the city of Paris. It was a guided tour of sorts from a coach bus. The tour lasted about 3 hours and we stopped back at the Eiffel tower. From there, we went to Notre Dame and walked around inside. Once again, check out the pictures even tho they don't do it justice at all. After Notre Dame, we went and saw a memorial for the 200000 that were deported from France during WWII to the concentration camps (sorry no photos out of respect for the monument). After the walk around Notre Dame, we headed off to the market. This market was pretty cool. People were selling all over the place. I didn't buy much of anything but the girls went crazy with all the stuff. After the market, it was about 8 PM or so, so we went back to the hotel to meet up with the group that had split off at the market. We then headed back to the Eiffel Tower but this time we went up to the TOP! This was one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen (if not the most). PICTURES! I even took a video or two of it going up to the top. The line to get in was like 3 hours to the bottom floor and then about another 1 to the top... lines everywhere! We got a night view of the city! STUNNING! We eventually made it back down and had a heck of a time finding a way back. Paris night transportation is pretty much Taxi only. We got a taxi and got in at about 2AM. LONG FREAKIN DAY!
Today, we went back to the market for the couple hours that we had left. I bought a Rolex (yes Mom and Dad, I put it on the credit card, don't worry! ;)) We got on the train at about 6 PM and now, here I am! Back to London.
I am working on putting the pictures up. Make sure you find the link that says SEE ALL ALBUMS. I have more that might not show up on the main page when you log in so you may have to click that!
We left at about 6 AM on Friday morning. We took a coach to Waterloo station and got on the Eurostar to go all the way to France. The only thing everyone was looking for during the trip was the Chunnel (the underwater tunnel between France and the UK). We saw it on the way back, nothing special. I slept thru it on the way there (go figure, me sleep in a vehicle :)). The trip went smoothly and the train was just like an airplane on the ground pretty much (the station was similar to an airport). Once we got to France, we went to the hotel. It was the Villa St. Martin (3 star hotel) and it was very nice! Once again, everyone there was so helpful. The people at the desk would draw us out directions and let us use a laptop they had behind the desk.
After we checked into the hotel and everything, we took off to see the city! First, we needed a way to get around. We found the station and eventually got underground passes. This is another area in which Paris seriously lacks compared to London. The underground seems fairly rundown and most people just jump the ticket turnstyles. Nobody seems to care there about the UG, but it worked just fine for the weekend. Our first stop on the journey was the Louvre. It was AMAZING! We got to see the giant glass pyrmaid when we entered (CHECK OUT THE PICTURES!). After getting inside, we walked pretty much straight to the Mona Lisa (no pictures, couldn't take em in there). We walked around there for a good hour or more. After that we walked all the way to the Eiffel Tower. It was a long walk but it gave us a chance to see more of the city on foot. We didn't go up to it on this day but just kinda walked around the area. Finally, we worked our way back to the hotel on the UG. When we got back, we relaxed for a few minutes and then left again to go watch the fireworks for Bastile day! We went up on a hill and saw a nice skyline view of Paris (CHECK OUT THE PICTURES). Awesome view, the pictures won't do it justice at all! We didn't really stay for many more fireworks then the individual ones people were lighting off because we had to get back on the UG since it closed at 12:30 or so. That was day one.
Day two was the best day of the entire trip. I was on my feet literally from 9 AM to about 2AM Sunday morning. We started out the day by going the day with a bus trip around the city of Paris. It was a guided tour of sorts from a coach bus. The tour lasted about 3 hours and we stopped back at the Eiffel tower. From there, we went to Notre Dame and walked around inside. Once again, check out the pictures even tho they don't do it justice at all. After Notre Dame, we went and saw a memorial for the 200000 that were deported from France during WWII to the concentration camps (sorry no photos out of respect for the monument). After the walk around Notre Dame, we headed off to the market. This market was pretty cool. People were selling all over the place. I didn't buy much of anything but the girls went crazy with all the stuff. After the market, it was about 8 PM or so, so we went back to the hotel to meet up with the group that had split off at the market. We then headed back to the Eiffel Tower but this time we went up to the TOP! This was one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen (if not the most). PICTURES! I even took a video or two of it going up to the top. The line to get in was like 3 hours to the bottom floor and then about another 1 to the top... lines everywhere! We got a night view of the city! STUNNING! We eventually made it back down and had a heck of a time finding a way back. Paris night transportation is pretty much Taxi only. We got a taxi and got in at about 2AM. LONG FREAKIN DAY!
Today, we went back to the market for the couple hours that we had left. I bought a Rolex (yes Mom and Dad, I put it on the credit card, don't worry! ;)) We got on the train at about 6 PM and now, here I am! Back to London.
I am working on putting the pictures up. Make sure you find the link that says SEE ALL ALBUMS. I have more that might not show up on the main page when you log in so you may have to click that!
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Paris weekend
Not too much new as of the last post.
Today we went to the Docklands museum. No new pictures again because i couldn't bring my camera and I couldn't take pictures. Not really worth sneaking any pictures anyhow. Another unfortuate occurance took place on our street again today when we got back. The police had a huge area of the roads taped off and we had to go around the tape. I guess someone was hit by a car or semi and killed! So there goes even more luck in the area...
I will be gone all weekend due to going to Paris, so I won't be updating most likely till Monday. It should be a huge update when I make it back too! We have like a four hour train ride or something along those lines leaving at 6 AM or so. Should be a fun weekend and hopefully I can find some nice stuff!
Today we went to the Docklands museum. No new pictures again because i couldn't bring my camera and I couldn't take pictures. Not really worth sneaking any pictures anyhow. Another unfortuate occurance took place on our street again today when we got back. The police had a huge area of the roads taped off and we had to go around the tape. I guess someone was hit by a car or semi and killed! So there goes even more luck in the area...
I will be gone all weekend due to going to Paris, so I won't be updating most likely till Monday. It should be a huge update when I make it back too! We have like a four hour train ride or something along those lines leaving at 6 AM or so. Should be a fun weekend and hopefully I can find some nice stuff!
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
New occurances...
Not too much new stuff happened since the fire the other night. Things changed a bit around the flats. After everything that has been happening, they aren't coming into our individual rooms. We have to option now to let them know if we are in the room and they can come in or we can put our sheets in the hall. It sounds good to me I guess since I have been lucky with everything so far.
Today we went to the National Portrait Museum. Sorry, no pictures! It was alright. The coolest thing was the Beetles exhibit with all kinds of albums and pictures. Other than that, nothing too extremely interesting.
Last but not least, Brandon and I got tickets to go to the British Open on July 23rd. My Birthday! I am pretty pumped to go and see that! I wasn't sure in the beginning but when would be the next chance that I get to see something like that? Oh yeah!
Today we went to the National Portrait Museum. Sorry, no pictures! It was alright. The coolest thing was the Beetles exhibit with all kinds of albums and pictures. Other than that, nothing too extremely interesting.
Last but not least, Brandon and I got tickets to go to the British Open on July 23rd. My Birthday! I am pretty pumped to go and see that! I wasn't sure in the beginning but when would be the next chance that I get to see something like that? Oh yeah!
Sunday, July 09, 2006
So our building was on fire...
Never an uneventful night in London. Tonights event: fire... again... except on the building! It was outside below our window on the ground. I am not sure what woke me up. I think it was the smell that came up to our window but I looked out and saw bright light and smoke coming out like crazy. I tried to wake up Brandon but then I heard someone yell in the hallway so I called out and woke everyone up in our flat. I had just gotten to sleep for about 5 mins or so probably. Not sure. But everyone is fine, nobody got hurt and everyone got out.
So eventful! (Mom, I tried calling home but nobody picked up)
So eventful! (Mom, I tried calling home but nobody picked up)
Not too much to say today
Yesterday morning, we got up early and headed to Portabello Market. It was really cool. They basically have shops all along the street with everything you can think of to buy. They have fresh fruit, cooked food, clothes, etc. I bought a few things but I can't say what they are (still deciding what I am going to give who :)). No new pictures since I didn't bring my camera with me. I finished up most of my homework for the week last night so I was happy about that!
Today, we might be going to a service at St. Paul's at around 3 PM. It is an all singing service according to Lindsey. It will be interesting. After that, Krystal (another girl in our flat) invited us to go with her to meet up with her Aunt (I think) at the Hardrock Cafe. So that is my day today!
I miss all you guys back in the States! Hope all is well back there!
Today, we might be going to a service at St. Paul's at around 3 PM. It is an all singing service according to Lindsey. It will be interesting. After that, Krystal (another girl in our flat) invited us to go with her to meet up with her Aunt (I think) at the Hardrock Cafe. So that is my day today!
I miss all you guys back in the States! Hope all is well back there!
Friday, July 07, 2006
Sad yet happy day...
As you may or may not know, today is the 1 year anniversary of the July 7th attacks on London. For anyone who doesn't remember that day last year, two tubes and one bus were blown up by terrorists. One of the stops, King's Cross, is actually on the Piccadilly tube line which is the one that we use each and every day and the stop is about 2 from here, so it hit close to home last year. It was a day of mourning the people lost in the blasts.
Today, unfortuately for Lindsey, was also her birthday. She turned 20 today! A group of us went to see Pirates today! I was the only one who didn't like it (sorry baby, Depp just didn't do it for me). It seemed way too out there and random for me and considering that most people with us liked the first one better, there was really no chance that I would like this one since I disliked the first also. After the movie, we went to Pizza Hut. The waitress we had seemed so lost, like it was her first day. The only thing is, this is Pizza Hut! Taking Pizza orders isn't really that hard! Like Brandon said, "It would have been easier to order in Spanish" since she didn't seem to understand our English. You had to be there... you would have been amazed. The funny thing is, it takes alot to get me to say something bad about someone but I just didn't understand why it was so freakin hard since she did speak English!
Tomorrow, we are going to a market in the morning. Hopefully I can get some nice stuff!
Today, unfortuately for Lindsey, was also her birthday. She turned 20 today! A group of us went to see Pirates today! I was the only one who didn't like it (sorry baby, Depp just didn't do it for me). It seemed way too out there and random for me and considering that most people with us liked the first one better, there was really no chance that I would like this one since I disliked the first also. After the movie, we went to Pizza Hut. The waitress we had seemed so lost, like it was her first day. The only thing is, this is Pizza Hut! Taking Pizza orders isn't really that hard! Like Brandon said, "It would have been easier to order in Spanish" since she didn't seem to understand our English. You had to be there... you would have been amazed. The funny thing is, it takes alot to get me to say something bad about someone but I just didn't understand why it was so freakin hard since she did speak English!
Tomorrow, we are going to a market in the morning. Hopefully I can get some nice stuff!
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Back to St. Paul's
We went back to St. Paul's Cathedral today. This time we got a guided tour of the place and I must say, I was in awe! I put up as many pictures as I could get since I kind of had to take them from the hip (no pictures were allowed to be taken ;) ). They are up in the album and a few of them give you a good idea of the beauty of the church. They even have a monument in there for all the Americans who gave their lives in WWII and a crypt area where a few select people are actually buried.
After that, we took a trip to Herrod's. It is basically a fancy shopping area. We left quick since everything was damn expensive and it wasn't really the kind of stuff I was looking for.
We came back to the dorms after that and have just been chillin out here. It is Lindsey's birthday tomorrow so don't forget to wish her a happy b-day when you get a chance (on facebook, e-mail or on here blog at http://www.xanga.com/yooperglow). We may be going to Pirates and out to eat for it tomorrow. Should be a good time!
Well that is it! Check the pictures!
After that, we took a trip to Herrod's. It is basically a fancy shopping area. We left quick since everything was damn expensive and it wasn't really the kind of stuff I was looking for.
We came back to the dorms after that and have just been chillin out here. It is Lindsey's birthday tomorrow so don't forget to wish her a happy b-day when you get a chance (on facebook, e-mail or on here blog at http://www.xanga.com/yooperglow). We may be going to Pirates and out to eat for it tomorrow. Should be a good time!
Well that is it! Check the pictures!
Quick update before class
Just a quick one before class. Glad to see you all got a kick out of the photos haha ;)
Not too much happened last night. It was one of the girl's birthdays so we went out to a pub. I had a drink called Pimm's. It was really good! Not sure what kind of stuff was in it but it had mixed fruit and stuff dropped into the drink. Lindsey, Dana and I split a pitcher of it since it was cheaper than getting 3 glasses and we each got 2 out of it. Good stuff!
Lindsey's b-day is coming up here pretty quick and so is mine. We have alot of July birthdays in the group!
Not too much happened last night. It was one of the girl's birthdays so we went out to a pub. I had a drink called Pimm's. It was really good! Not sure what kind of stuff was in it but it had mixed fruit and stuff dropped into the drink. Lindsey, Dana and I split a pitcher of it since it was cheaper than getting 3 glasses and we each got 2 out of it. Good stuff!
Lindsey's b-day is coming up here pretty quick and so is mine. We have alot of July birthdays in the group!
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Since you love seeing me... here I am!
More stuff! You may see me sweating in some pictures... it is really hot here and I sweat... so back off! Haha just kiddin! Hope you enjoy :)
Oh and all the new pictures are up from the last post :)
Cars exploding and more tours
Last night was probably one of the most interesting things I have ever seen. I was laying down in my bed, ready to go to sleep and I heard an explosion. Yes, an explosion! I looked out my window from the 5th floor up and there was a car on fire. Another car that was parked on the street behind it also caught on fire. I woke up Brandon and Lindsey to watch. Brandon has some pictures and a video. The cars burned for a while but the only other explosion was another tire when they were putting it out. It was like our 4th of July in London :)
Today for class, we visited St. Paul's Cathedral. It was alright. We couldn't go in so we just got a walk outside and around. I will get those pictures up soon but they aren't that interesting. I will work harder on getting the car on fire pictures :)
That is about it. Till tomorrow :)
Today for class, we visited St. Paul's Cathedral. It was alright. We couldn't go in so we just got a walk outside and around. I will get those pictures up soon but they aren't that interesting. I will work harder on getting the car on fire pictures :)
That is about it. Till tomorrow :)
Monday, July 03, 2006
Wimbledon
Good news today! While all of you were watching Wimbledon on TV back in the States, I was watching it LIVE! Ok, we only paid 11 pounds and we didn't get in till after 5PM this time but still, it was sweet to be there. I will be putting the pictures up shortly but the internet is slow right now, so it may be a little while. A little cool thing that happened was Martina Navratilova walked right by us when we were watching a match on Court 7. We didn't see any other big names since we basically had the budget tickets, but we got to watch some good matches between the juniors and possibly see some future stars in a couple years!
I bought a few things at the store there to bring back. Other than class today, that took up the rest of the afternoon and night here. We had a hell of a time getting back on the tube tonight because of delays. It was very crowded and hot on the trains but I would say, it was worth it to go see Wimbledon. Definately worth the 20 bucks or so American to see it live :)
Saturday, July 01, 2006
England is out!
Before I go on the my event of the day, I have just a quick note. If you leave a comment, please leave your name! I have no idea who is commenting and I would like to know who all is keeping up with this! That is my rant...
Well my big event of the day is going to a pub to watch England lose a close game in the World Cup. I don't think I have ever seen more energy of excitement and disappointment during an event that I wasn't actually at in person. It was amazing! There were people everywhere since the pub was basically a church converted into a bar. I will put the pictures up here since I only took two. I really didn't want to look like a tourist in there.
England played a good game but blew alot of shots and lost thier two key players during the game which hurt them quite a bit. They looked tired at the end and so were we. We stood the whole time since the place was packed.
Overall, it was a fun afternoon even tho the team lost. The streets were bare when we left the pub because everyone was watching the game.
And that is all.
Picture to make you people happy!
From left to right: Me, Jamie, Trish, Brandon
To make you people happy since you don't believe that I am actually here...
Friday, June 30, 2006
Changing of the Guard
This morning we didn't have class (only Monday thru Thursday), so we got up at about 9:30 and went to the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. We took the tubes to get there. The more and more I go on the tubes, the more I seem to like the system of transportation they have in place here. Seems really well done and there are really no problems getting around anywhere.
The ceremony was pretty cool. It was warm today so it was pretty hard to stand around there but we made it thru the whole thing. I will also put up a few videos this time if I can. I wasn't really sure what was going on the whole time since we were standing back pretty far from the main thing. A few cool things happened during it tho. When we were standing there, the Queen actually came out in a car to leave. I only caught a glimpse but everyone was like "The Queen! The Queen!". The picture I got of the cars was a quick shot trying to catch it. Another thing was the music they played during the ceremony. One was the theme from Indiana Jones and the other was from Star Wars. You might be able to hear it in the video if I can get it up.
After the guard, we went to get a quick bite to eat and see the Millenium Bridge. We learned about the bridge in our engineering classes since it was so poorly constructed initally and had alot of problems. I forget the specifics but I am sure Google has the answers somewhere.
After all that, I came back and crashed for a nap. Felt really good since anywhere you want to go requires a ton of walking.
All the pictures should be up pretty quick here.
The ceremony was pretty cool. It was warm today so it was pretty hard to stand around there but we made it thru the whole thing. I will also put up a few videos this time if I can. I wasn't really sure what was going on the whole time since we were standing back pretty far from the main thing. A few cool things happened during it tho. When we were standing there, the Queen actually came out in a car to leave. I only caught a glimpse but everyone was like "The Queen! The Queen!". The picture I got of the cars was a quick shot trying to catch it. Another thing was the music they played during the ceremony. One was the theme from Indiana Jones and the other was from Star Wars. You might be able to hear it in the video if I can get it up.
After the guard, we went to get a quick bite to eat and see the Millenium Bridge. We learned about the bridge in our engineering classes since it was so poorly constructed initally and had alot of problems. I forget the specifics but I am sure Google has the answers somewhere.
After all that, I came back and crashed for a nap. Felt really good since anywhere you want to go requires a ton of walking.
All the pictures should be up pretty quick here.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Updated Layout
I changed the layout because I couldn't put links on the side of the page. That would mean I would have to keep reposting the link to the pictures because it would slide down the page as I kept posting new stuff. You can now find random London links on the right hand side of the page.
Another interesting fact that may only interest me and another person is the layout name is "Herbert". That one is for you babe ;)
Another interesting fact that may only interest me and another person is the layout name is "Herbert". That one is for you babe ;)
Random Facts that I have Learned
I took this from Lindsey's blog because I learned them too but am too lazy to put them down and added a few that came to mind randomly.
1) Doc Marten's shoes came to be because of a crisis in London. The local police here were right on the hunt to find Jack the Riper. Well, one night the police where so close to finding Jack that the only way he knew to get away was because he heard the policeman's shoes as this policman tried to sneak up behind Jack the Riper. The police decided this was no good, so they hired a local shoe maker to develope some kind of shoe that was quiet, so that they could sneak up on ppl without them knowing. So, the first rubber souled shoes came to be...given the name Doc Martens.
2) Why is Soccer known as Football in in England? Well, in the beginning, there was a game where children would just kick a ball...and try to score on each other. The people gave it the name football...because you kicked the ball with your foot. Well, a college in England named Rugby College, decided to take it a step further and pick up the ball and run with it as well. So, the papers had to find some way to specify what they where talking about when they posted scores. So they called the kicking football, association football, and they called the football that included carrying the ball Rugby Football, since it initiated in Rugby. Well, the papers decided writting out Association Football was just too long, so they shortened it to a.s.o.c.. The locals then took the s.o.c. and developed the word "soccer"...it was considered kind of a cool slang. And so the word soccer came to be, and somehow Americans kept it, the English left it and stayed with Football.
3) The word "Crap" is considered to be just as nasty as saying "Shit" in England.
4) Mad doesn't mean angry, it means insane. That one I knew though, still interesting however.
5) The beds here don't have sheets...they wrap the sheet around the comforter..its like a huge pillow case for a comforter. Apparently Germany does that too....
6) There are no exit signs in London....they spell it out for you and put "Way Out" signs.
7) The gas is so expensive in London, that putting it in terms we would understand..it would be about $8/gallon.
8) Most shops in London close around 6..24 hour specials are very rare.
9) When ordering a meal, they will ask you if you want that to "take away or stay"...if you say "to go" or "for here"...you will confuse them.
10) There are 42 different languages spoken in London, and 12 million ppl living here.
11) The Irish were used in the digging in New Orleans back in the day because people thought slaves were too expensive and the Irish would work for nothing (like beer).
1) Doc Marten's shoes came to be because of a crisis in London. The local police here were right on the hunt to find Jack the Riper. Well, one night the police where so close to finding Jack that the only way he knew to get away was because he heard the policeman's shoes as this policman tried to sneak up behind Jack the Riper. The police decided this was no good, so they hired a local shoe maker to develope some kind of shoe that was quiet, so that they could sneak up on ppl without them knowing. So, the first rubber souled shoes came to be...given the name Doc Martens.
2) Why is Soccer known as Football in in England? Well, in the beginning, there was a game where children would just kick a ball...and try to score on each other. The people gave it the name football...because you kicked the ball with your foot. Well, a college in England named Rugby College, decided to take it a step further and pick up the ball and run with it as well. So, the papers had to find some way to specify what they where talking about when they posted scores. So they called the kicking football, association football, and they called the football that included carrying the ball Rugby Football, since it initiated in Rugby. Well, the papers decided writting out Association Football was just too long, so they shortened it to a.s.o.c.. The locals then took the s.o.c. and developed the word "soccer"...it was considered kind of a cool slang. And so the word soccer came to be, and somehow Americans kept it, the English left it and stayed with Football.
3) The word "Crap" is considered to be just as nasty as saying "Shit" in England.
4) Mad doesn't mean angry, it means insane. That one I knew though, still interesting however.
5) The beds here don't have sheets...they wrap the sheet around the comforter..its like a huge pillow case for a comforter. Apparently Germany does that too....
6) There are no exit signs in London....they spell it out for you and put "Way Out" signs.
7) The gas is so expensive in London, that putting it in terms we would understand..it would be about $8/gallon.
8) Most shops in London close around 6..24 hour specials are very rare.
9) When ordering a meal, they will ask you if you want that to "take away or stay"...if you say "to go" or "for here"...you will confuse them.
10) There are 42 different languages spoken in London, and 12 million ppl living here.
11) The Irish were used in the digging in New Orleans back in the day because people thought slaves were too expensive and the Irish would work for nothing (like beer).
Last First week of classes... ever!
Today was my offical last first week of classes for the rest of my life (unless by some very strange reason, I go to grad school). Today, for class, I had History of London (every Tuesday and Thursday). In the morning we had lecture which is very boring. It will get more interesting when we get to WWII tho, which isn't until like the last week.
In the afternoon, we went to visit the museum, church and hospital of St. Bartholomew. It was pretty awesome. The pictures should be up on the site that I gave you guys last time as soon as this is posted. The church is amazing, since we have nothing that could even hold a candle to that in the UP. There is also a few paintings that can be found in the museum. They are both famous but I don't remember the exact names. Both are religious paintings. There are also a few pictures in there that should look familar if you have seen the movie Closer, can you pick them out? And included is the back of a Aston Martin DB9, cause it is sexy.
Right now, we are just chillin out for a bit before we decide what to do tonight. I may extend this post later with more stuff on the night.
In the afternoon, we went to visit the museum, church and hospital of St. Bartholomew. It was pretty awesome. The pictures should be up on the site that I gave you guys last time as soon as this is posted. The church is amazing, since we have nothing that could even hold a candle to that in the UP. There is also a few paintings that can be found in the museum. They are both famous but I don't remember the exact names. Both are religious paintings. There are also a few pictures in there that should look familar if you have seen the movie Closer, can you pick them out? And included is the back of a Aston Martin DB9, cause it is sexy.
Right now, we are just chillin out for a bit before we decide what to do tonight. I may extend this post later with more stuff on the night.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Link to Pictures!
I hope this works. The site is by like invite only but maybe the link will get there. You need to sign up for the site but it is free so no problem there. Let me know if this works by leaving a comment.
Pictures!
I will change the URL as I add more albums since you can only share what you select at the time. The service doesn't have a limit and it is really easy to upload so that is why I am using this over Photobucket. Hope you like it!
Pictures!
I will change the URL as I add more albums since you can only share what you select at the time. The service doesn't have a limit and it is really easy to upload so that is why I am using this over Photobucket. Hope you like it!
First Wednesday in London
Since I didn't give any information on what happened yesterday, you get a double dose of Tuesday and Wednesday information.
Classes are going alright. They seem like they might be alot of work for 5 weeks tho. I have a few papers to write and 2 presentations in the two classes! Oh well, I think I will get by. Both professors are awesome and I am learning alot of useless information like how they got the name Mayonaise. My film professor is a screen writer for movies so he knows people who have met actors and such so he has alot of good stories to tell us. Funny cause he is from Las Vegas and is teaching over here for the program.
After class on Tuesday, we went out to the pub outside our building here. The beer here is pretty good! Much better than the stuff back home. We had a few there and then drank a bit more in the dorms. We being me and the other girls with us since Brandon doesn't drink, but we will get him to do it by the end. Fun stuff.
Today we went to class like usual and then hung around the dorm for a bit to wait for the girls to get back. Once they made it back, we went to get tickets to go see Stonehenge. It cost about 60 pounds to see Stonehenge, Tower of London, and Bath all in a day trip on a bus, so expensive but it should be fun to see. We aren't going until the 21st of July (2 days before my b-day).
Not sure what is planned for this weekend but I think we want to see the Changing of the Guard on Friday and maybe Buckingham Palace. May just hang out around town when we get there. England also plays another game of soccer on Saturday so we will probably see that stuff too. Who knows?
Classes are going alright. They seem like they might be alot of work for 5 weeks tho. I have a few papers to write and 2 presentations in the two classes! Oh well, I think I will get by. Both professors are awesome and I am learning alot of useless information like how they got the name Mayonaise. My film professor is a screen writer for movies so he knows people who have met actors and such so he has alot of good stories to tell us. Funny cause he is from Las Vegas and is teaching over here for the program.
After class on Tuesday, we went out to the pub outside our building here. The beer here is pretty good! Much better than the stuff back home. We had a few there and then drank a bit more in the dorms. We being me and the other girls with us since Brandon doesn't drink, but we will get him to do it by the end. Fun stuff.
Today we went to class like usual and then hung around the dorm for a bit to wait for the girls to get back. Once they made it back, we went to get tickets to go see Stonehenge. It cost about 60 pounds to see Stonehenge, Tower of London, and Bath all in a day trip on a bus, so expensive but it should be fun to see. We aren't going until the 21st of July (2 days before my b-day).
Not sure what is planned for this weekend but I think we want to see the Changing of the Guard on Friday and maybe Buckingham Palace. May just hang out around town when we get there. England also plays another game of soccer on Saturday so we will probably see that stuff too. Who knows?
Monday, June 26, 2006
First weekend in London
I am in London. I arrived here at about 7:00 AM this time (about 1ish back at good ole CST). I must say, my initial impressions of the city were not great. We came in and it looked very ghetto. Especially where we are staying. The living conditions are adequate for a couple weeks like we are doing but I can't see anyone being here for a year or two.
And everything is damn expensive! The conversion rate here is about 2 bucks per pound and everything is about the same price in pounds as it is in the US dollars, so it makes everything cost double what you pay in the US. Sucks big time!
Another thing is the foreign power. Half of the stuff I have in the US won't work here. Lucky the computer does and so does my headset! So at least I can call you guys back in the States. Skype is the best invention since sliced bread. It is nice to be able to call home for like 2 cents a minute. Also the internet is like 40 pounds for the month but I found a wireless connection that works so I am going to use that as long as I can anyhow. If I have to buy the internet eventually, oh well.
Things are getting way better tho. We bought a tube pass (subway/bus pass). It was damn expensive (80 pounds or 160 bucks in the US about), but it is going to be well worth it to get around everywhere! I saw yesterday, what I thought London was suppost to look like! We went to the center of town on a bus tour of the city. The main city is beautiful! I got a ton of pictures for all of you to see. We also stopped off to get a bite to eat in the city and find a pub to get a drink in. It is amazing because the World Cup is absolutely huge over here and everyone takes it uber seriously. We were lucky that England won because they get crazy. I guess if they lose, chaos breaks loose so hopefully they keep winning. I have some pictures of the guys running down the street kicking a soccer ball and singing and yelling, it is awesome!
Today, I had my first class. Film and Literature in London which is actually taught by an American professor from Las Vegas. It seems like it will be pretty fun and interesting. We have a presentation on a book tho which means I actually have to read something :(
A few of us took a trip to the British Museum after class today too. The only thing I really was interested in seeing was the Rosetta stone. Got lots of random pictures too. I had to go and buy a battery charger here cause mine didn't work here so I can keep getting pictures here. I will try to get most of those up soon. The internet isn't extremely fast so I will have to probably do it overnight somehow.
I went and got food tonight at the supermarketish thingy they have here. Food isn't too bad but I can tell that I am going to come back weighting less. I am walking around like crazy and eating like nothing. I am going to be living on pasta I think (1 pound for a 1 kg bag :)). Found something called Pepsi Max which i think is the version of Pepsi One in the States. Also found some good beer in the pubs, Strongbow and Hoegarden or something like that. Both good stuff :)
Well until next time.
And everything is damn expensive! The conversion rate here is about 2 bucks per pound and everything is about the same price in pounds as it is in the US dollars, so it makes everything cost double what you pay in the US. Sucks big time!
Another thing is the foreign power. Half of the stuff I have in the US won't work here. Lucky the computer does and so does my headset! So at least I can call you guys back in the States. Skype is the best invention since sliced bread. It is nice to be able to call home for like 2 cents a minute. Also the internet is like 40 pounds for the month but I found a wireless connection that works so I am going to use that as long as I can anyhow. If I have to buy the internet eventually, oh well.
Things are getting way better tho. We bought a tube pass (subway/bus pass). It was damn expensive (80 pounds or 160 bucks in the US about), but it is going to be well worth it to get around everywhere! I saw yesterday, what I thought London was suppost to look like! We went to the center of town on a bus tour of the city. The main city is beautiful! I got a ton of pictures for all of you to see. We also stopped off to get a bite to eat in the city and find a pub to get a drink in. It is amazing because the World Cup is absolutely huge over here and everyone takes it uber seriously. We were lucky that England won because they get crazy. I guess if they lose, chaos breaks loose so hopefully they keep winning. I have some pictures of the guys running down the street kicking a soccer ball and singing and yelling, it is awesome!
Today, I had my first class. Film and Literature in London which is actually taught by an American professor from Las Vegas. It seems like it will be pretty fun and interesting. We have a presentation on a book tho which means I actually have to read something :(
A few of us took a trip to the British Museum after class today too. The only thing I really was interested in seeing was the Rosetta stone. Got lots of random pictures too. I had to go and buy a battery charger here cause mine didn't work here so I can keep getting pictures here. I will try to get most of those up soon. The internet isn't extremely fast so I will have to probably do it overnight somehow.
I went and got food tonight at the supermarketish thingy they have here. Food isn't too bad but I can tell that I am going to come back weighting less. I am walking around like crazy and eating like nothing. I am going to be living on pasta I think (1 pound for a 1 kg bag :)). Found something called Pepsi Max which i think is the version of Pepsi One in the States. Also found some good beer in the pubs, Strongbow and Hoegarden or something like that. Both good stuff :)
Well until next time.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Introduction
This is the introduction to my blog. First, a little bit about myself. I was born and raised in Menominee, Mi. I attended college at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Mi where I majored in Electrical Engineering with a bachlor's degree. Somehow I made it out in 4 years and one summer. The one summer is this summer where I will be going overseas to study in London. When I get back, I will be moving to an apartment in Iron Mountain, Mi and starting my career at Systems Control. Enough about me.
I am going to use this a bit differently then I did my livejournal (if you read that before). Rather than update everyday, I am going to update when something happens that I feel should be written down. Since one of my main interest is tinkering with my computer as well as other electronic devices I have around, I will often probably post new things I am working on. Also another main use of this and one of the reasons I wanted to start it was to log my time in London this summer as well as keep people updated with my life in Iron Mountain. A cool thing I found to use with this is the ability to use Picasa and Hello to manage and post pictures easily on the blog.
This in the exit to my introduction. I hope to update again soon.
I am going to use this a bit differently then I did my livejournal (if you read that before). Rather than update everyday, I am going to update when something happens that I feel should be written down. Since one of my main interest is tinkering with my computer as well as other electronic devices I have around, I will often probably post new things I am working on. Also another main use of this and one of the reasons I wanted to start it was to log my time in London this summer as well as keep people updated with my life in Iron Mountain. A cool thing I found to use with this is the ability to use Picasa and Hello to manage and post pictures easily on the blog.
This in the exit to my introduction. I hope to update again soon.
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