The calm before the storm

It's been a relaxing couple of weeks. Without school pressures, I've been slowly catching up on the things that I've meant to do in the last few months. I won't get it all done before the next session starts, but I have a lot of time after that to do some of my to-dos, as well.

The builder finally showed up to fix my oven (broken since Easter) and replace my hob (the stovetop thing.) This meant I could finally unpack my better pans and bin the non-stick ones that had coating flaking off, as the new hob won't warp my pans with its extra hot burners. The trellis out front, which I had propped up to prevent looking like a hillbilly, has now fallen again and won't prop anymore. The nice man is going to have to come back to fix that now.

Saw The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants this weekend, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Also watched The Sure Thing, which I also enjoyed though it's a pretty stupid movie I wouldn't like if I didn't remember it from childhood. These are courtesy of LoveFilm, which appears to be Netflix's Eurodivision...even the envelopes look the same. Yippee!! I've missed my Netflix.

It's been sunny and way too warm. Hard to sleep, actually. There's not even a cool spot on the pillow these nights. Hate that.

Had to color my hair, as the grey roots betray my actual age. It's gone a bit darker than anticipated. With the curl in my hair and the dark brown color, it kind of looks like when I was in college and got the "ee-ee-ee-euh" perm on the flat rods and then dyed it black. That's probably the most notable/notorious version of my hair ever, since it has a nickname. (Second place is probably the vibrant red dye-job I got in MSP that got me comments from the waitress and ridicule from Tim Commers when she asked where I'd gotten it done.) So it might not be ideal that I'm equating this hair to that hair. Hoping it tames down. Am trying to hold out until next month on the haircut front, as don't trust anyone other than Amy to cut my hair when it's this long.

Found a positively jammin' recipe for hot and sour soup, which means I don't need chinese takeaway anymore because really that's what I want when I crave chinese food here. (the rest of it is crap.)

Didn't make it to London, but will before school. Instead I went to Brighton and walked the pier and the waterfront. Brighton rocks.

Have reviewed my homework for next term, and it's a bit overwhelming. I started my Project Management stuff this weekend, and will hope to have everything caught up before the 30th when I start class.

My friend Susan is going to be here for the month of July. I won't have much time with her, as she is on a professional education programme and will be travelling the UK all month, and the beginning/end of her trip overlaps with school and my own holiday. But I'm going to have dinner with her in London some night early on, and will meet her in Nottingham one Saturday night, as well. Very pleased to see her.

Looks like my lodger will stay through the summer. Visits can commence after that.

I've figured out how to get my parents to visit England. In May 2008, I'm going to walk through graduation for my MBA. Since I skipped my Luther graduation, this will be their chance to beam with pride at my academic accomplishments. (To be truthful, Luther wouldn't have been that even if I'd walked...)

The Harry Potter film is progressing. We're taking kind of a Benny Hill angle to the script.

Going to Cyprus this weekend. Very excited. Must buy sunscreen.