Happy Birthday Big Guy!

Again on Tuesday, I went back to the library to do more research. Our first progress report was due on the 1st of October so I wrote that up and sent it out along with a rough outline of my paper. I've always thought that a 40 page paper like this one was not going to be any problem and after writing up the outline, I see that I have a lot to write about. I probably won't even think about pages until I'm done writing everything I wanted. By that time I bet I'll be over 40 pages. No worries on that one. I ended up staying at the library until about 2pm, so fairly late. Got lunch at you know where and ate it outside. The rest of the day was a hunt for the first Lord of the Rings, which I never found, but I did get to walk around a part of town I hadn't been before so that was nice.

Dinners have usually been at restaurants where I can get 3 courses for anywhere from 9-12 pounds. I've known this to be a little much but didn't think much of it because I was getting a good quality meal which was important to me. Tuesday night however, I went to a local cheap chain grocery store called Tesco. I bought 2 rolls, a chunk of cheese (don't know what kind but it was pretty god), salami, and a muffin. All that cost me about 3.50, I'm gonna do that more often! It was a bit of food too. So nothing fancy for dinner, but I shouldn't have fancy every night anyway. Good thing I learned this early on!

As you all are (or should have been) aware, Wednesday was my birthday! It started out with breakfast at a little cafe by Hyde Park, nice and simple. After that I went to the science museum. It was cool but also kind of boring. Most of it seemed to be a history of science museum. Are most like that? I like St. Paul's better, but maybe that's because there are dinosaur bones there. I don't blame London's for not having any dino bones because the museum of natural history was next door. I was going to go there, but ended up spending all my time in the science museum and had to head back for dinner.

On the walk back, I have to admit, I was getting lonely on my birthday. But I stopped at a library and got on the internet and I have to say thank you to everyone who sent me an email of facebook comment because it really did cheer me up. Being in London is a good way to spend your 21st, but it would be a lot better if there were more friends to enjoy it with.

Anyway, I met up with Carly and we went out to an Italian place which was nice. I was going to treat myself because, hey, it's my birthday! So I got a martini, at least that's what it said on the menu. I told the waiter when he asked me how I wanted it to make it however he wanted. So he did. I don't know what he did, but I was expecting a gin a vermouth or something of the like in a martini glass, James Bond style. It ended up being something brown in a tall glass that was only like 1/8 full. Found that a little strange and disappointing, but that's okay, I'll have a James Bond style martini somewhere else.

From there, we headed back to my pub and had a few more drinks throughout the night. We also talked with a few different people, so the morning may have been lonely, but that evening made up for it with all those people. Ended up going to bed around 3 or 4, cuz you can't have an early night on your 21st right? That's what I thought. I did plan on buying a whole cake and eating it, but that never happened because I didn't see any. If I see a cheap cake, I still might do that. I have walked past a couple bakeries, but their cakes are expensive and fancy and I would want to share that. So can't do that. Maybe Tesco has cakes.

Thursday I got up feeling just dandy so I took another walk around town, starting in the new part I hadn't been in before. I went in a few more books stores to find LOTR but none had the 1st one. I saw the 2nd and 3rd but you can't really skip over a book with a story like that can you? Well, unless it's the prequel, but I just finished that one! Then I came on the computer and tried to find a train and a place to stay in Leeds, my next destination. I found a train quite easily, but could not find a cheap place to stay for the life of me! So I'll be in London for a few more days until I can figure that out. I may just have to get a hotel for a few days until I can find a hostel. How frustrating!

Today was my last day at the Wallace Collection's library for a while. For these days I can figure out what I am doing about Leeds. I may come back later to do some additional research but there is a library at Leeds too. While there I used their computers to try to find a place to stay in Leeds. Something will work itself out. I got an email back from a curator there and will have a meeting with him on Thursday.

It's a cold and grey day here, not good for much. There is a guy in my hostel who is has LOTR and will do a book trade with him when he finishes (hobbit for Lotr) so maybe he'll be done and I can spend the rest of the day reading, with a short trip to Tesco in between :)