londontown (leaving the UK)

23 june
-went to the soane museum and the british museum.  i hadn't been to the soane museum.  it's his house as he wanted it, just full of tons of random stuff he amassed.  pretty intriguing to walk through.
-visited the 'olympics related' sights at the british museum (along with assorted other things).
-got a ticket to see sweeney todd (kim performing in it) so i saw that in the evening.  was a great show, and really nice to see something in the west end.
photos: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/london-museums.html

24 june
-went to the mall where the olympic stadium is.  it was raining but we saw it from inside the shop out the window in the proper gray, london weather.
photos: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/olympics.html
-went back to the hotel and helped the sheas get part way on their journey.  traveled back on the underground to the hotel and hung out for a bit.  unfortunately couldn't get things to match up with meeting any of the perez's so i sat outside the underground in canary wharf for awhile but then something was worked out.  so i dropped my stuff at their flat and then met carlos.
-we had sushi and then went to the globe to see henry the v.  it was a good show and really nice to hang out with carlos again.
photos: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/globe.html

25 june
-rode the underground with jonna to start my day (he headed to work and me to walk down the thames/southbank.
-had a lovely stroll. went in the tate modern.  had a sandwich from pret.  really enjoyed the walk as usual.  part way, carlos managed to catch up with me.  we walked across the bridge by big ben and up to the wetherspoons by trafalgar.  so i could have a summer pimms (delicious).  then we walked over to covent garden.  i had snog (again delicious).  and then we walked along to picadilly circus so i could see it without scaffolding.  then as we walked, one of the new buses came by so we hopped on board so i could experience that and rode to victoria station.  it was a great london day.
photos: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/thames-walk.html
-had dinner with abner.
-played uno with abner and rachel in the evening and it seemed as normal/usual as ever.  as though it was a sunday night while i was living in london.  it was great.  i miss that a lot.

26 june
-got up early and hauled me and my stuff to heathrow.  collected the suitcase i had left there and checked in for my flight.  flew to dulles.

trip to the highlands

saturday 16 june
-didn't do a whole lot on saturday. went to newtonmore (a tiny nearby town) and talked to a woman about walking around the town (there's the wildcat walk) and went to a little cafe as they had internet.
-we also drove into the property to see the backside of the large house.  oh there was a wedding that happened in the morning at the house and we stood and waved from our gatelodge.
photos: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/highlands-1.html

sunday 17 june
-we went to the crazy department store complex of the highlands (clearly the day's event for anyone who lives there).  i did have some tasty free trial snacks in the food hall though.
-we went to a castle (and it's garden).
-we stopped by the 'queen's view' looking point.  very picturesque.
-we walked a small portion of killiecrankie.
photos: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/highlands-2.html

monday 18 june
-we went to the 'old world wisconsin' equivalent: the highlands folk museum.  some anthropologist collected stuff and rebuilt buildings.  lots of different dwellings - farmhouse, other houses, a school house, post office, store, curling hut, old time pre-town little group of things. very cool.
-we walked the wildcat trail.  or at least half of it around newtonmore.  that was pretty cool.  you just walk through different farmers' plots.  sometimes on the other side of a fence from coos and sheep and sometimes just right there with them.  always just making sure you close whatever kissing gate you've opened to walk through.  beautiful scenery and views. and a waterfall and creek.  it was lovely.  and we beat the rain - only started to drizzle as we made it out (back by the folk museum) to walk back into newtonmore.
photos: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/highlands-3.html

tuesday 19 june
-we drove further west to take the ferry to the isle of skye.
-had lunch in the wee town and then drove back to take the bridge back.
-stopped at the 'most picturesque castle in scotland' and saw it from the outside.  got on the webcam so people could see us (and it apparently worked which is fun).
so we saw more nice scenery of scotland including coastal, island goodness.
photos: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/highlands-4.html

wednesday 20 june
-went for a walk on the property.  beautiful, reflective loch.  had to go through the bit where they do the logging and then didn't get very far upon realizing it would take forever to follow the map to get to the waterfall so we turned around and went back.
-had lunch and then went to the dalwhinnie distillery.  glad to check going to a whiskey distillery off the bucket list prior to leaving scotland.  friendly tour guide and learned more about the differences in whiskey depending on where they're made in scotland.
-popped back to the lovely cafe in newtonmore
photos: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/highlands-5.html

thursday 21 june
-drove north.
-went to the public library in some other random tiny town.  which took a bit of work to find but we got there.  and saw the wildcat woman there, so clearly it's the happening place.
-saw some awesome coos.
-drove up the cairngorms but didn't end up going up to the top on the funicular railway.  just enjoyed the view from 2083 feet up.
photos: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/highlands-6.html

friday 22 june
left the highlands and drove back to edinburgh (photo: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/to-perth.html); sat in the edinburgh airport for most of the day as alison and mrs shea were on an earlier flight and i couldn't get switched.  then my flight was delayed but eventually i got into heathrow.  dropped off my big black suitcase to leave at the excess baggage place and took the underground to the other side of london.  i love the first few rides on the underground after a long time away.  or maybe it's just that i love the underground.  it makes sense to me, i know how and where i can go.  and i can swipe the card and go.  it was nice. it was like being home.

the first half of june

still in edinburgh for the first half of june:

friday 01 june
-ellipticaled 7km
-met with morag (the loan person) on campus.  in person we had a lovely meeting.  she told me she'd work on getting my disbursement paid in line with my unenrollment process
-worked at oscars even though it was friday.  fridays are long days but we went to the park as a field trip so that was nice and not too bad.

saturday 02 june
-ellipticaled 8km

sunday 03 june
-ellipticaled 8km
-had dinner with brittany and jane-marie.  we went to pizza express and then had frozen yogurt at the nw (kind of like snog but not the greek sour goodness) place. mmm. was a really nice dinner outing.

monday 04 june
-oscars work

tuesday 05 june
-skyped adrian in the morning
-oscars

wednesday 06 june
-hwu postgrad research conference
i presented my work (thought i was going to have 30 minutes but got there and realized it was only 20 so it was a bit rushed).  i presented in the morning.  brittany was able to just make it and jet out but it was nice that she made it.  the guy who went after me did well and actually got an award.  but most of them had no relation or real interest to me.  got lunch though and sat with some of the marine biology folks.  had a little wine&snacks reception at the end which was nice and then i went straight to the gym which was an interesting choice.
-ellipticaled 9km

thursday 07 june
-oscars work

friday 08 june
-skyped adrian at 9
-tried to get some work done on campus
-ellipticaled 8km

saturday 09 june
-moved brittany into her new flat.  helped put together her dresser and had some pizza
-went to campus and ellipticaled 8km

sunday 10 june
-my twitter anniversary
-went to brunch and for a nice walk with brittany.  we went to the place i had wanted to try down closer to holyrood park.  it was a delicious full scottish breakfast.  although i didn't actually get sausage....but i did get some haggis with it.  and it was delicious and only 5 pounds with tea. mmm.  the place is known for burgers which is too bad we never got there earlier.
PHOTOS: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/brunch-walk.html

monday 11 june
-spent all early morning dealing with my visa application.  it all seemed very difficult to deal with but when i came home from work i had an email stating my application was approved.  so that was all very strange.
-ellipticaled 7k
-oscars work: i spent my time building a working windmill for mini golf out of cardboard.
-hung out with brittany.  we went to the world's end pub to have a drink and then we walked over to new town to have the burger and pint deal at wetherspoons.  it was a super fun evening.
PHOTOS: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/end-of-world.html

tuesday 12 june

-ellipticaled 8km
-tried to do a bit of work on campus, but really just got to borrow jane-marie's scale to weigh my luggage.
-oscars work: i built a couple other things for my mini golf and a sign with some kids.
-got a ride with folks back to town although we ended up on the other side of town by the train station. so sandi, bernie, and i walked through the train station (saw the m&s where bernie also works) and then i walked down princes street home.

wednesday 13 june

-ellipticaled 8k
-last day at heriot watt
PHOTOS:http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/leaving-hwu.html
-oscars work: my amazing mini golf. which the kids enjoyed playing as it was awesome.
PHOTOS: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/bus-to-pentlands.html
-went to the pub after work with sandi and met bernie there as a goodbye drinks outing which was nice.
we almost saw the torch on our bus ride through town but we were just slightly ahead of it.
- met jane-marie to do one of the underground tours since i hadn't done it and it was a two-for-one deal.
PHOTOS: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/underground-tour.html

thursday 14 june

-brittany and i got up super early to go see the torch start its relay.  she met me at our flat and then we walked over to the little plaza to see the torch.  i got to touch the torch and i was glad that we got up (even though it was early) to do something olympics  related.
PHOTOS: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/olympic-torch.html
-we then spent the next 3ish hours cleaning our flat.  i spent basically the entire time in the kitchen while brittany did the living room and bathrooms and her room.  we got to lunch time and it was basically finished (other than my room and mopping the floors).  so that was an accomplishment.
-last day at oscars.  we had a special snack.  they gave me a rasta mouse stuffed animal.  i hit a kid in the forehead playing cricket. it was a nice last day.
-went to brittany's new flat to have a little bbq with brittany and janemarie.  we bbqed in her back yard and had some cava (bought for my leaving).  it was a nice evening.
PHOTOS: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/bbq.html

friday 15 june

-spent the morning cleaning my room while waiting for the internet box to be picked up.
-finished cleaning and since i no longer had internet, i went to starbucks to use the internet and wait for brittany to finish her shift to then hang out in the afternoon.  marek also came into starbucks so we sat an chatted for awhile.
-of course it was a gray, rainy, scottish day outside so brittany and i rode the bus over to the museum and then decided to eat at biblios (since we had never been there).  i had a super delicious haggis appetizer and she had a burger (i had already had 2 burgers earlier in the week so i didnt want a burger).  we then went to new town and ended up going to m&s to have tea and cakes.  i had a victoria sponge cake (even though i was full enough without it).  then we walked to where she was taking the bus to go tutor and where i was meeting mrs shea.  it was a great final afternoon in edinburgh.  wouldn't have known it was right as i was leaving other than that was the case.
PHOTOS: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/edinburgh-farewell.html
-had a drink at mrs shea's hotel and then went to my flat to wait for alison.  finished the last cleaning bits and then alison arrived.  managed to get all of our luggage in the car and went to the big sainsburys on our way out of town.

the rest of may

20 may sunday
-the hearts beat the hibs in the scottish football finals. so there was a parade for the hearts through town.  it went down our street so we watched it from our window.
PHOTOS: http://blogographannex.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/hearts-parade.html
- walked 4km

21 may monday
-ellipticaled 5km

22 may tuesday
-ellipticaled

23 may wednesday
-oscars work

24 may thursday
-ellipticaled 8km
-oscars work
-went to dinner at wagamama with danny and sandi.  we then got frozen yogurt from the new place and walked around town. it was a beautiful evening.  we went down princes street up the royal mile to the castle, back down the royal mile, and back across the bridge and down rose street. we went for a drink and it was a nice evening.  it showed me what edinburgh in nice weather with people could be.  too bad both danny and i were soon to be leaving.

25 may friday
-skate 6mi
-worked on reading some articles in the sun on campus

26 may saturday
-went for a looonng walk with brittany.  we walked the waters of leith from where we could get to it by our place and walked all the way through to leith.  ended up having a pint on the river down in leith.  beautiful weather.  and then we rode the bus back. fantastic use of the nice day and took care of a 'to do list' item (walking the waters of leith)
PHOTOS: http://blogographannex.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/waters-of-leith.html

27 may sunday
-went to campus
-skated 4.5 mi

28 may monday
-oscars work

29 may tuesday
-ellipticaled 8km
-oscars work
-worked on my power point slides for the hwu postgrad conference presentation (brittany helped tremendously)

30 may wednesday
-ellipticaled 8km
-worked on campus
-oscars work

31 may thursday
-oscars work
-chatted with steph online

super big catch up time

it's july. my last post was from may. in that time, i have moved out of the flat in edinburgh, and moved out of the uk.  currently i am home in wisconsin and soon will be leaving to move to perth, australia by way of a conference in greece.  things pertaining to this move have been crazy and a large undertaking of planning.  onward we go though.