28 Jan

Woke up past 12 this morning and met some other kids for lunch at KCH at 1. I was running low on bread and other groceries, so I headed down to Sainsbury’s for a while to pick up some much needed food. Upon entering the store, I quickly realized that today was sad day for smoothie lovers. Innocent^® smoothies were no longer on sale! I couldn’t see them anywhere! Like I mentioned long ago, these guys make the best bottled smoothies I’ve ever tasted, and I’ve been buying cartons of it rather regularly here (only 5 L total; it’s not like I’m getting tons). They’ve been on a 50% sale since I got here and now, alas, they are selling for a reduced price no longer. I must have spent nearly half an hour there just wandering around and some time waiting in line.

After unpacking my groceries at the dorm, I just messed around for a while on the computer before joining the kids for dinner. Dinner was vegetable lasagna with peas and chips and actually good. Lainey and Kate were at the Imperial War Museum and they came in just 10 minutes after the lunch line closed. They ended up ordering pizza take-away instead that was decent, but they discovered a “large” British pizza is not nearly as large as what we’re used to. Oh well.

Gregg, Liane, and I didn’t have any plans for the night and since I was still itching to play some pool (and not snooker), Liane checked to see if the table was taken. For once, it was not so we hurried down to Checkpoint Charlie (also known as reception or the porter’s lodge) and were finally able to check out the pool set. The table was definitely not regulation size; it reminded me more of one of those 3-in-1 tables that you can place hockey, pool, and table tennis on when you’re six. Also, instead of the standard numbers and colors for the balls, they only have red and yellow and even those and significantly smaller than regulation pool balls. Gregg and I played a game of “reds and yellows” instead of, you know, “solids and stripes” which I almost won except that I scratched while going for the eight ball (at least they have that ball). After that game we played a few rounds of straight pool. Gregg won the first while I won the last two. Liane is improving a bit on her game (she’s hardly ever played before). I mentioned my desire to visit Stockholm and both said they would be willing to accompany me there. I think we’ll go sometime in May before finals, especially since it looks like we’ll be pretty much done with classes by then. If my exam schedule works out just right, I could be done with everything by the second week of May ( I think). My flight doesn’t leave until the 11^th of June.

After pool, Gregg, Liane, and I just chilled out in my room talking again. Gregg and Liane shared a couple bottles of wine while we discussed politics and travel for a while. Tom stopped by after a bit and he chatted with us. They’re good people. Apparently, this counted as a “party” in my room since the hall’s definition of a party is “four people in a room at the same time.” It was certainly the most low-key party I’ve ever been too. Lainey stopped by as well and told us about her experience at the Imperial War Museum. Apparently, she had quite a time pretending she was ten and climbing through the submarine exhibit. She also bought this great postcard which I’ll have to pick up the next time I’m there. Everyone left around 1:30 and then I talked with my parents on Skype and discussed our Spain trip and other stuff until about 2:20. I went to bed rather exhausted at 2:30.

P.S. Happy birthday to Sarah McLachlan!