mk is home.

last post in scotland

train tomorrow: east coast express, 11.30 from waverley to kings cross
hostel: clink hostel on kings cross road
plane: aa79 LHR to DFW departs 1.05 GMT arrives 5.55 CST

it's too close to talk about. too unreal but still too scary. what do you mean i won't be back next semester? that i won't be back til who knows when? can't talk about it.

penguins on parade

new photos up on picasa:
www.picasa.co.uk/marykatherine.mcelroy

things i've done, places i've been, foods i've tried

eaten vegetarian haggis
visited edinburgh castle
seen stone of scone/destiny
visited culzean castle
visited loch ness and urquhart castle
visited glamis castle
seen hairy cows in real herds
attended and participated in a caleigh
climbed arthur's seat
took ghost tour of edinburgh
visited the museum of scotland
visited stirling castle
climbed wallace monument
took jacobite steam train
went to isle of skye
climbed scott monument
stayed in that castle hostel up north (carbisdale)
visited the scottish sea bird centre
visited the world's largest wooden tree house
tried a real mince pie
tried christmas pudding
visited museum of childhood
attended lighting of christmas lights in edinburgh
attended christmas market in princes street
visited rosslyn chapel
drank mulled mead
ate vegetarian haggis fritters
saw folk music in concert
visited national gallery
visited botanic gardens
visited zoo and saw penguin parade
wandered around calton hill
visited museum of edinburgh
visited edinburgh writers' museum
climbed nelson monument
toured holyrood palace and photographed abbey
found spectacular patisserie, miss cranston's
visited glasgow cathedral
toured glasgow city hall
went on pub crawl
tried hard cider
attended christmas pantomime
saw 'the tales of beetle the bard'
had lunch at clarinda's tea room
visited 'the people's story' museum
climbed to top of old tollhouse

to do, see, try

visit that triangular castle down south (caerlaverock)
climb salisbury craigs
pull off scotch accent
learn to caleigh and/or scottish country dance
see a puffin live and up close
visit dynamic earth
take decent photos of hairy cows up close

to do, see, try at a later date

visit fort william in summer
wander through glencoe
stay in glenfinnan sleeping car and take good photos of viaduct
visit portree on skye
visit orkney islands

carbon offsets

http://oneday.brighterplanet.com/users/3243/passes/public/UJ4-VZA
Brighter Planet will donate a day's worth of offsets to the first 50 people to follow the above link. Yes, that's 50 of you, not 50 people ever. So get clicking!

updateage

1. finished both seminar classes
2. turned in both essays
3. got my brit soc essay back - a2 by the skin of teeth
4. took brit soc exam, although still have/had class today and tomorrow
5. received both seminar exams, due 15 dec
6. lost and then regained internet in my flat
7. slipped on the first ice of the season
8. successfully purchased james michael's christmas gift, which he might get at epiphany
9. friends are coming to visit manana
10. going out clubbing with my slavery group tonight. mildly panicked
11. started (ever so slowly) to write postcards, finally
12. reading for fun, although i should be revising
13. will post more photos momentarily
14. vaccuumed floor for visitors
15. will write more later...