Week Forty-Nine: Doctors and Dingbats

Quick plug for an opener. I'm turning 31 next month, and will be closing out the 365 project. To celebrate, I've pledged my birthday to charity: water in lieu of asking for pressies. If you'd be interested, check it out. This week is fun stuff heavy at the front end, but a bit weak for the rest of the time. These things happen.

Day 1 (337): 10th of November
I think I need to dye my beard blue or something. As part of the Haj to Cardiff, made it down to Cardiff Bay and the Doctor Who Experience. What a time. Had fangasm after fangasm and even made the occasional undignified noise of delight. Was supposed to take a tour of the current TARDIS set, but due to filming or some other lame excuse, they had to cancel. Tried to point out that I do a world renowned impersonation of a church mouse, but alas they did not buy it. What follows is a mad assortment of just a few of the photos from the Experience and Cardiff. Enjoy.

Wonderful way to be greeted at the entrance.

The exhibits that follow the tour are pretty fangasmarific. Proper old sets.

Proper old companions. Tried to treat the photo to a oldification.

AAAAK! Sorry. I'll just...

Mehhehehe. Gaahh! You can still see the bits that got a bit singed in the explosion...

Gvahgahablah! The DOOR!!! THE DOOR!!!

Sorry. That was bad. THE FACE OF BOE!!! AWWWW

Really. Not sure what came over me. Just going to calm down... But!

Outside. Outside is better. Wait! I know that restaurant! Must have Turkish for lunch.

Silly but sweet and a little sad. Poor Ianto. Every lovely fictional character deserves a shrine.

Day 2 (338): 11th of November
Lovely day in London to close out this trip. Remembrance Day, Veterans' Day, and the anniversary of the day my grandmother died in 1988. Here's the story for the day. Was wandering in Hyde Park near Albert Hall, and a little guy asked me for the time. I obliged, and as I did, he took my hand and told me I had a colourful, artistic aura. This then led to fifteen minutes of this bloke telling me all sorts of things about myself. And I think he's been in my head or something, because he was freakishly on the mark. Said I need to do the things I want to do. Said I want so much but don't know where to start. Said the pain in my lower back is tied to the thing or person (maybe an ex-boyfriend?) that is emotionally draining me. Hmmm. The things that happen in London. Hello Magpie.

Hello Squirrel.

Hello Ponies.

Ahhh fountain at the Italian Gardens. Something Italian that doesn't drive me to drink.

Day 3 (339): 12th of November
Back to the grind, though it is always odd to have a Wednesday act like a Monday. Thought about calling it Mendsday, but that sounded too much like Mensday, which either sounds like a day for the dudes, or an awkward celebration of Female Issues. Tried Wonday, but as the day was hardly the top of the standings, it seemed a bit to obviously ironic. And the last thing one needs is obvious irony, right? Only one shot today. Cool sky.

Day 4 (340): 13th of November
Spent most of the day listening to "academics" to prepare for an upcoming embarkation, but really the lectures piped over the computer speakers did more to confuse me about the whole ordeal. Learning about logistics, "best practices," Command and Control, and Cyber things was truly a thrill to end all thrills, but what really took the prize was the bit about targeting. By the end of it, I realised I have no idea what I do for a living. Pretty impressive work, that. A lecture that is so convoluted and poorly presented that it leaves experts baffled and perplexed about the very nature of their field, is a lecture for the ages. Driving home took too long so I had to grab the sunset via iPhone on the way.

And came to find the tree outside my kitchen all gone. My landlords are rather chop-happy of late.

Day 5 (341): 14th of November
Really hate having to get work done on the car. Not even because it is rather pricy ($250 to replace two tires...are they made from panda skin?), but just because of the Neapolitan flare for making things harder. Mission accomplished, though, so now dear old Gertie can be street legal again. Also meant I got to veg at a cinematic showing of a cute kids film Big Hero 6, which I'd never even heard of, but which was rather charming. Got some Moment shots on base before the show.

Not great, but not too bad.

Day 6 (342): 15th of November
All the traveling makes for disaster areas. The house is always a bit messy, but at this point it was truly horrendous. All better now. And got to torture Merry with the Terror Sucker Monster, so that was fun. Only one shot today. Flower hiding from the cloudy day.

Day 7 (343): 16th of November
Last night as I enjoyed my champions dinner of Easy Mac and Coors Light in front of a roaring Gilmore Girls binge, I realised I'd managed to travel in time to my university days. All that was missing was a bean bag, a papasan, a Target lamp, and my old roommates. Funny old world.
Yesterday's flower is a bit happier this morning.

Finally got a yellow thing to not be washed out. Maybe I'm learning. Probably not. Am a bit thick.

Obviously rained last night.

Quite the ramble this week. But this funny old world will have that effect on a person. 

Week Forty-Eight: Cardiff When it Drizzles

Alright, so perhaps it's not as sexy as Paris, and no one thought to put Audrey Hepburn in a film about it, but Cardiff is just fine by me. Besides, with a name like Rhiannon, I really was overdue for a visit to Wales.

Day 1 (330): 3rd of November
Damn you, Netflix. You are adding to the shameful wretchedness that is me. A certain show that shall remain nameless has sucked me into a binge spiral and reminded me of better days. Not enough of a sharer to go any further into the explanation of that, but suffice it to say a good (nonfictional) man really is hard to find. So are nice looking boots that don't give one blisters. In other news, this ought to be a good week. No school, four days of work, big pay increase coming, and a Haj to the Whovian Mecca that is Cardiff. Happy little weedy plant.

Day 2 (331): 4th of November
It's rather irritating when someone decides to put a perfectly disorganised process to rights. Sometimes, not following a policy is the best thing. My ancient BMW has to get inspected every year to stay registered, and in the past those inspections were wonderfully simple and done in a delightfully Neapolitan way i.e. strolling around the car with a clipboard, vaguely checking things off the list and asking overcharging to "repair" problem areas. When I say repair, I really mean sell a person the wrong kind of headlight bulb for twice its worth. Now, the inspectors are all about following the process, and insist on properly fixing broken headlights and slightly bald tires. What was wrong with looking the other way and charging for "new rims" that never get installed. Hydrant. In greyscale. Because.

And another gratuitous sunset shot. When life gives you sunset lemons, it's best to make photos.

Day 3 (332): 5th of November
Remember, remember. Remember to never check email or answer the phone as you are on the way out the door at the end of the day. It will inevitably mean at least another hour spent at work. Even if that hour is a good one and good things come out of it, it will be tarnished by its temporal location. As it is trying to be winter-ish time, the sun sets sooner now, which means a later depart time is a darker time. And photos look like this.

Found a pretty necklace I'd forgotten I had. Really wish I'd found it in time to wear it to the ball last w/end.

Day 4 (333): 6th of November
Once upon a Thursday, a rather charming young lady rocked the house. Or at least the office. Nothing like great tunes and halfway productive days to put one in a good mood. Add to that the prospect of being on leave and you have yourself a giddy gal. Why then, does she take photos of Naples rubbish? Who knows.

My landlords chopped down this nice old tree nearby. Rather sad, now I look at it.

Day 5 (334): 7th of November
I think I again have that look about me. You know, the one that screams either "I need saving" or "I'm a troublemaker." First there was the snotty guy at customs grilling me about why on earth I'd be going voluntarily to Cardiff when there was a perfectly good NFL game attracting all the Americans to London. Now, I love a good NFL match as much as the next gal, but I've better things to do. Then the gal at reception of my hotel in Cardiff kept asking me about how many people would be in my room (how many times do I have to say "just me, thanks"?) and pointing out that the hotel locks the front door at 2300, so I'd have to buzz to get in. Must have put on my Worldly Trollop face this morning. That said, I could ride a train through the Welsh countryside for days. So lovely.

Artsy rail tracks from the hotel window.

Day 6 (335): 8th of November
Bonus round of awesome. Both Nerdy Things and Rugby Things in one day? I win. Met more cool people, got soaked by the rain in Wales, then got to see the season opener as Wales lost to Australia. Tough loss, but a good, close game, which is my favourite kind. And the seats were fantastic. And the drunk Welsh boys sitting to the left were in good spirits. They insisted on trooping off to the Great Western (a pub conveniently across the road from my hotel), where much merriment was had. See? Rugby fans are the best; even when their team loses, they still have fun.

Love this sport. Love playing it. Love watching it. Especially love watching professionals do it. No tubbos on these teams.

Nope. No pads, no flabs. All power.

Tried for a few action shots, but this was the best one (i.e. least blurry).

Ahh Cardiff. So lovely when you want to be.

Day 7 (336): 9th of November
Remembrance Sunday. Also the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Also the 10th anniversary of my signing my life away to Uncle Sam. Never really put the Berlin Wall bit with my enlistment date. How selfish. I even remember the fall. Odd, as I was all of a month shy of the ripe young age of six, but I remember the news footage. Strange the things we recall, no? Was enjoying a latte (sorry, Italy, I have to do it when I can) when the premises went silent for two minutes at 1100. Kind of moving thing. Was surprised that there weren't more people wearing poppies. Hell, I've been wearing one since I arrived in the UK on Friday. Had a nice walkabout in town and found some nice shots.

Statue of an old dead guy. A staple of European cities.

Had some fun at a fountain. Am quite proud of how this one turned out.

This one, too. Not that water is a hard thing to photograph, but I don't always get it right.

And in honour of Remembrance, a lovely poppy tree art thing near the stadium.

Honestly, why does Cardiff get such a bad rap? I could have a good time here anytime. I'll have more tomorrow as well, if you don't mind.