I'm Back!

Back to the blogging world after a long break.

And also, back by popular demand: the running log! I started listing my miles in Jan and quickly took it back down because I wasn't running distances to be proud of. Fortunately now I am- or at least I should be because I'm running a 10K in a month and I don't want to be the last to cross the finish line! It feels great to be going a bit farther then is typical for me and the weather has been perfect lately. I run through the park and then down an old railroad corridor that has tons of flowers in bloom right now. It smells wonderful.

I on the other hand have not been smelling so sweet. My biggest complaint right now as far as running goes is that I hate to shower afterwards. I hate to shower because I hate my shower! Mom can tell you- it is cold, awkward and down right miserable. I go in steaming hot and come out shivering. It's complicated and time consuming to explain how ridiculous it is but basically it's like taking a sponge bath where you have to squat and a cold fan blows on you. Ick!

Okay, don't get totally grossed out- I DO shower. I just hate to.

Kelsey needs...

Here's something dorky you can do on google: Type your name and then "needs" into the search box and see what comes up.  Apparently I need many things.

Kelsey needs...

1.)to stop being a mat for everyone to walk on

2.)to find a home that will treat her like the little princess she is

3.)to learn how to dance

4.)some sleep

5.)a cool myspace name

6.)a family who will adopt him and his brother (yes HIM)

7.)anger management

8.)more camera time

9.)her mom

10.)to be in a mental institution... she was trying to kill the ducks at the park... while making extremely annoying duck noises...

That last one is by far the best!

Camera Fun

Can you tell what this is:

How 'bout now:

You guessed it!  A rose!

I'm not sure who sent this!  It's from "a secret admirer from the office".  I don't know what office they're talking about.  I keep thinking of the tv show.  I think it might be from my landlord which is a little weird- what office could it be?!?  Did someone back home send this as a joke?  It sure was nice to get a valentine even if I can't figure out who it's from.  I think I'm going to make some rose petal jam.  Yum Yum.

Snow Day!!

We woke to 3-4 inches this morning.  No school because of the long commutes!

Finsbury Park just across the street  

  

I don't think London gets this stuff very often.  Kinda special.  It's been warm- well, in the 40s- so I've been thinking of spring.  I stopped wearing my winter coat and almost packed up my sweaters.  This may have been brought on by the fact that my room feels like the tropics and I have to strip as soon as I get inside.  But now my running might be on hold because I'm a whimp and my hyacinth looks a bit funny.   Argh- and it's sideways!

Yes, I live in a hotel.  Glamourous?  No, not really.

New Digs

Here's my new place!  I feel like I live in a hallway.  Didn't think I could get much smaller than my place in Guerneville but somehow I managed.   Hate to think what my next place will be!  But actually it's absolutely perfect for me.  One of the things I've been enjoying most is that I can bake all I want and so far that has mostly consisted of banana bread.  I've brought some to class already, and the lady next door just gave me two rotten bananas (random) so I told her I'll bake her some bread.  She doesn't speak english much at all so I think she'll be surprised when I bring her a loaf and tell her the bananas are inside.  Apparently no one else does banana bread.  When I brought it to school they said it was a cake.  I guess so, but bread sounds healthier. 

There are a few quirks to this place which hopefully won't be a big deal.  One of them is the heat.  It has two settings: tropical and off.  And it takes anywhere from 2-5 hours to turn on after being off so I've learned to open the window if I need some air and wear shorts and a tank top most of the time.  It makes for great plant grow though.  The hyacinth on the window sill is already beginning to bloom and I took this pic 2 days ago.  I'll have to make a garden.

Oh the Power and Beauty of Musical Theater!

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Global Health Debate

Here is a BBC debate that I was able to attend.  They discussed maternal health, private vs public funds, population growth, and basically just how interventions should be run. The panelists were representing some pretty powerful organizations so it was interesting to compare their views.  It's not all that riveting but has some good moments.  It was cool to be on a tv set!  All the cameras and lights and watching the hostess do her thing.  I'm sitting on the far side where the hostess was standing and you don't really see me very much (thankfully because I was probably scratching my nose at all the wrong times)  You can tell where I am a bit just because I seem to become a pale blurr with my hair and my face. 

My bravest moment

I want to cling to the ground just looking at this!
A friend just sent me this picture from Copenhagen.  This is the scariest thing I've ever done in my life.  Sky diving was nothing compared to this.  I'm sitting because I couldn't stand I was shaking so badly.  I'm so glad there is a picture to document it even if it doesn't look quite as high as it felt.  It's a great shot.

  This is the Church of Our Savior and the spiral dates back to the 1700s.  The railing was lower than hip height where I am and you can see how the stairs were getting narrower until they ended completely where Brian is standing and taking my picture.  On the climb up inside the building there was an old clock tower and we could see all the original gears from the 1600s with the King's seal.  Then the huge bells and old rope.  It really was amazing; we just stumbled upon it and wer

e the only ones there.  We were looking for Christiania, the famed self-governed radial commune area and we thought maybe we could see it from up there and sure enough we found it- we could see the entire city!  

I just read that it is now closed for repairs so I'm glad I crawled the last few steps.  This was definitely more dangerous than skydiving in my book.

(And I've decided that this blog won't have much to do with school because that's all I do the rest of the day.  Unless I feel like writing further about morbidity compression or statistical power I'll just keep posting silly things.)

5th of November

Today is a day I will always remember.  What a wonderful day for America.   I am renewed with hope and love for my country.  I think I am feeling this even stronger now that I am away, and even stronger after being disenchanted for the past few years.  I am excited to be coming back to the US next year even in the worst economic times of my life. I feel like trust has been put back in the people and our ability to work hand in hand.  Our dedication to justice and peace will not be in vain.  I have been moved to tears.  

Prop 8 in CA is a different story all together that I'll address later- it's a huge downer on such a great day.

Here in England today is remembered for other reasons.  I've heard the poem 'remember remember the fifth of November..."  but I never remembered the rest! Today is 'Bonfire Night' or 'Fireworks Night' and as I type the neighbors are setting some off.  It is a day to commemorate Guy Fawkes' attempt to blow-up Parliament back in1600-something but according to my English friend nobody really knows that.  She couldn't remember the poem either and was surprised that I knew it.  It's just a holiday where everyone sets off fireworks at home and there are big displays on the Thymes.  It has been made popular recently by the film 'V for Vendetta' which raises many questions about terrorism and government.  Odd mix of oppressive government and radical change today.  Now I know what I'm supposed to be remembering.

But tonight it seems like the fireworks are for Obama and the people of the US. 

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I can think of no reason

Why the Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent

To blow up the King and Parli'ment.

Three-score barrels of powder below

To prove old England's overthrow;

By God's providence he was catch'd

With a dark lantern and burning match.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

RIP Floyd E Queeb!

Today we remember our beloved friend Floyd.  Although I never had a chance to meet him I have felt his presence in many mysterious ways.  What a legend you are, you are known around the globe!  I wish I could be there to eat spicy chili (yes, that is a paddle in the cauldron) and take a shot of tequila in your honor.  Okay, maybe not the tequila- but I do love the chili!  Tonight I'm remembering the cold nights dancing in the mud and singing around the fire, crazy costumes, lots of dogs, hidden fields, moonlight, old drunks, young drunks, pumpkin art, dancing profs, freezing cold tents and all the joys that are Queeb!  There simply is nothing else like it.  Wherever I end up I will be making a pilgrimage in 2010!       

For This Week Only!!

I am one hour closer to you!  That's right folks!  If you find yourself on the East coast I am now 4 hours different than you.  If you're in middle america I'm 5 hours ahead.  And if you're out on the western seaboard I am a mere 7 hours removed!  Get it while it's hot!  

Apparently Daylight Savings Time is yet another subject where the US and Europe differ.  And once again Europe is ahead of the US- by a week.  

SUGAR!!!!!!!

Oh well, I guess you can't see it.  It was a picture of an ice cream cone and a doughnut running through a sprinkler that was spraying sprinkles!  Ha!  It took me actually writing that to get the pun!  Now I think it's even cuter.  I am such a dork!  I'm going to search for it again to try to post, otherwise I'll move on with my life.  (Or find something cuter)

This is so frickin cute!  

I promise my next post will be about school or something a little more worthwhile.

Tube Poem

There is a series of poems posted on the tube.  It's called 'Poetry on the Underground'.  What a fabulous idea!  Here's one that I scribbled in my notebook on my way home:

She Tells Her Love

She tells her love while half asleep,

In the dark hours,

With half-words whispered low;

As Earth stirs in her winter sleep

And puts out grass and flowers

Despite the snow,

Despite the falling snow.

-Robert Graves

My venture into European Pop

Techno is very popular in the UK and while Aqua will always have a place in my heart (and my Dad's-ha!) I just don't quite get it.  One of my flatmates is a DJ and he plays weird remixes all hours of the day which has brought me to the conclusion that I can only handle acoustic before 10:00AM.  Most of the time I hate it, but recently another housemate has been playing Roisin Murphy.  She's Irish and used to be part of a technoy kinda group Manolo.  I really like her!  She's pop but has a great voice.  I love this song and now I can't stop playing it over and over!

Classes this week

My favorite classes right now are International Health and Social Epidemiology.  Here is some of what was discussed this week:

-Morbidity compression.  Life expectancy is lengthening throughout the world and growing much longer in developed countries.  But is the quality of life in the final years shrinking as well?  Some suggest that life expectancy is growing and the years spent in poor health at the end of life are shrinking.  This would be the best scenario.  Absolute morbidity is shrinking (compressing) and living longer for an overall increase is healthy years of life.  There are also studies that suggest the opposite: we are living longer but we are sick longer (or living with a disability or form of impairment).  Some even go so far as to say that we are living longer but the years of impairment at the end of our lives are growing to an extent that our total years of 'quality life' are shortening.  Are we really improving?  How long can people really live?  Have we reached our limit?  I don't think so.  But we need to think a bit more about how we are dealing with chronic disease.  

I'm rambling, but this is really interesting stuff- no?  If no one reads this at least it's good for me to think things through.  

Some other random thoughts:

*Why doesn't mac recognize epidemiology as a word?  It is always labeled as misspelled when I'm writing and it is really annoying because I write it all the time!  Epidemiology!  Epidemiology!  Epidemiology!  I know I spell a lot of things wrong, and I'm grateful for the automatic spellcheck but it's getting on my nerves.  And now I'm always paranoid that I misspelled it.

*London actually isn't that cold.  I'm beginning to think that MN is the only place where my knitting skills can be put to good use.  I probably will be proven wrong in a few months though which is both good and bad. 

*I wish all my friends and family wrote these things.  

*My internet was down for the past 3 days and it drove me absolutely crazy!  I'm addicted.  I can't imagine days before skype.

*I mailed in my absentee ballot earlier this week!!!  WooHooo!!!!!!  This time next month it will all be over.  I'm excited to come back to the States next year and take part in some changes.

About the bread theme

First of all: Hurray!  It looks like I've figured out how to do this blogging thing.  Now I can procrastinate even more!  Secondly, I had to think of a title and I went with the bread thing because it has always been one of my favorite lines.  I can't remember who wrote it, and I've tried googling it and I just can't find it.  It is from a poem about baking bread and it gives me a warm content feeling.  Waiting for something to rise and bake.  Letting joy slowly build.  Satisfaction in small steps.  Ooo it just sounds so good.  Slow, soft joy.  This blog isn't about bread, but I think it is a great way to start.