What I'm Reading 1.14

I have been gone for a while but not without taking notes on everything taking place in our interesting world.

- The Christmas season came and went, while I regret I didn't give feedback on the joyous celebrations of the birth of Santa Clause.

- The dog, Bella, has continued to grow - as it stands, after a brief veterinarian appointment last week - she weighs in at more than 17 lbs. But the report did not come without a prophecy from the dog master, who felt she was large for her age and we could be looking at a 80 lb. beast roaming the hardwood floors of the Sheets estate in a short time. Oh and she is pretty well potty trained.

- I think I've drank more tea than Queen Elizabeth in the past month - my thirst for the stuff is fueled by my idea that the more I drink the closer I'll be back in London, oh London, more on that later.

- I've applied for jobs in different areas but have had no good news, as of today at 9:11 a.m. EST, including one data analyst job at the hospital.

- Ball State's football season went into the garbage can after two bad games in a row, and two dreadful performances by QB Nate Davis. And how does Davis celebrate his mediocrity, why he declares for the NFL draft. Seems a bit wrong, despite losing one's coach to warmer conditions and more lucrative deals.

- I finished Twilight - - pretty good series but no where near Harry Potter.

- 29 days until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training!


It has been more than a year since I departed the clutching grip of the U.S. and traveled abroad for the first time.

January 8, came and went and despite my best intentions to skip over the date without feeling at least a tiny bit of regret that I am still have trouble finding what is better here than there, I didn't forget and I found myself dumping trash behind Reid Hospital at 10 a.m.

I have been thinking about the good things and the bad that made my trip so memorable, with the good far outweighing the bad to a degree my vision is clouded about anything bad that happened at all.

The other day I thought about little things, things I can only remember that were insignificant yet are so appealing now. For example, the double-locked front door to our flat and the sound of it slamming; the smell on the street after emerging from the flat: an aroma of exhaust and greek cuisine (there was a Greek restaurant just down the street); the walk to City of Westminster college: through Paddington, around the corner on Porchester Terrance and the smell of the Indian restaurant, seemingly on every corner; the trips to the theatre on Monday and Tuesday nights; No. 15 bus rides; the smell of the Tube. . .

Yes, I miss London and can seriously see myself living there. As I tell everyone who hasn't gotten tired of me talking about it: London is a great city for city lovers and non-city lovers. There is the big city atmosphere but it is more about the differences within neighborhoods which don't act as big-city at all.

I just can't wait to get back and perhaps, with enough luck, have the ability to stay for longer periods of time.