The World Outside Scotland Still Exists

While I love Scotland, it is nice to have a change of scenery. Last weekend a friend and I traveled south to Cambridge and London. I'll divide this excursion into two blog posts because I tire easily from posting pictures and trying to remember what exactly the picture is of.

This post will be about Cambridge with the London post following in a couple of days. This way I also spread out my blogging topics, so that I don't have to think of one. I liked Cambridge, but am happy to be studying in Edinburgh.

Cambridge is a university known for adhering to tradition (gasp!, really), and it is readily apparent walking around the campus and learning of its history. It is a lovely campus and city, and I enjoyed exploring for two days which I think is enough.

The famous King's College Chapel. Sorry for the scaffolding.

The Courtyard of King's College. We were waiting in line to attend the evensong concert that features the King's College Boys Choir, a supposedly well-known choir. The best perk of being in the choir, a full-scholarship to Cambridge, to which I say, where is the King's College Girl Choir? Did I say that Cambridge was steeped in tradition?

A note about Colleges at Cambridge. The college you belong to usually determines where you live and eat. King's College is the most well-known, meaning it is the most popular for applying students, as well as the wealthiest. The College that you belong to does not correspond to the program you are studying. If I understand them correctly, the colleges are your living community.

This may be King's College, it may be Trinity College, I am not sure, there were so many. I took the picture because it had snowed on Thursday evening and I just liked the contrast between where the sun had hit and where it obviously hadn't.

Front of King's College

The front of King's College

Random Cambridge street found while wandering around the city

Trinity College courtyard

I am pretty sure this is the courtyard for Trinity College.

This video is King's College Boy Choir contraband. No photos or recording was allowed, but I put my life on the line for you my faithful blog readers and recorded this. If there had been enough light you would have been seeing the floor and my shoes, because I had to hide my camera.

London Calling

I am off to the big city tomorrow and very excited. One, because I am getting out of Edinburgh, not that I don't love the city, just need a change of scenery. Two, I get to see 10 Downing Street, which is the White House equivalent of the UK, only less ostentatious. I may have to convince my traveling companion of that visit. But, who knows how close they let you get.

There will of course be lots of pictures when I get back. But until then have listen to this.

Daily Show Advertisements

I watch the Daily Show the day after it airs in the States. Every week there is a new advertisement that plays between each segment. Last week the advertising was for the National Health Service stop smoking program. The week before that, advertisements for the WWF.

This week however there is an advertisement that ends with the invitation to click to find out more because the part you do see has you wondering what the full commercial is about. Being the inquisitive person that I am, I couldn't keep from clicking and found a commercial that is just a bit disturbing in my opinion, not that I don't appreciate its message. Check it out and see if you think the same, and if it makes you think twice the next time you get in your car.

I post this for my sister-in-law who is a county prosecutor who frequently deals with traffic incidences.

The First Cold of Scotland

I have caught my first cold (and hopefully the only) here in Edinburgh and it doesn't really matter where you are when you catch a cold, you feel sad.

Whenever I get a cold, I invariably start thinking of all the people I have spoken to or all of the things I have touched that could have given me this headache, stuffy nose, and scratchy throat, an exercise in futility.

A random photo I took during my trip to the Highlands back in November

Blog post dedicated to Me

One of my utterly fantastic friend dedicated a blog post to me. It is not everyday that this happens, or any day for the matter, so one must soak it in and share with all.

This is me touching Loch Ness. Those three rocks, arranged in a somewhat straight line, really bone plates on Nessie's back. Notice the ripples behind me, consider how close I came to seeing or being eaten by Nessie?

National Pie Day

Oh, the things I learn from reading other blogs. Today is National Pie Day and I call on young and old to have a piece of pie in honor of this esteemed day.

Now if only there were an international pie day, or year. Life would be better. That thought led me to google if there was an international pie day, which did not return any favorable answers for this kinds of pie


but it did for this kind of pi


My search did lead me to this website that lists all the various food holidays.

Yesterday, January 22 was National Blonde Brownie day.

January 1-31 is Prune Breakfast Month, Oatmeal Month and National Soup Month.

The day I am looking forward to the most is Sneak Some Zucchini on Your Neighbor's Porch Night which falls on August 8th. Make sure you get that one on the calendar.

Random Pictures

When I retire, I am retiring to this place:


Yes, I really am retiring to this place. Beautiful all year round. Is it bad to already think about retirement when I don't have a job? Something has to give me hope.

This photo is of a drawing my little brother James did and entered into a contest at Utah Valley University. He came in second place. He is an amazing artist, who works very hard to develop his talent. I am proud of him.

It is probably redundant to post the picture here, since the majority of my faithful blog readers are my family, and they have all seen this photo already, but somehow I think James' win is made all the sweeter by me posting it on my blog. James is that true?

And this photo is from tonight's sunset. The contrasting colors are not captured properly by the photo, but they were brilliant, IMHO.