Fifteen Days: Day 2.elevatorz

**First thing's first, I can't seem to load the pictures I want to which means you only get words today...(cue every reader closing the window in anger)**

I woke up this morning with an odd mixture of fear and joy.  I had a dream that I was married to Drew’s girlfriend, Kate, and that we were throwing a rather extravagant Christmas party.  As we were entertaining the guests, serving delicious hors d’ouvres and holiday punch, our child appeared out of nowhere and began to verbally abuse us.  He was a generic, rather unfortunate looking child and I was instantly saddened by the fact that my child was so unattractive.  Then I was upset because my wife and I had such an ill-mannered child that was embarrassing us in front of all our company.  Then I was sad that I had a wife, regardless of how marvelous a person she is.

Then I found a cockroach in my bed. 

Just kidding.  Instead, that would be every one of my poor friends living in the College View apartments back at Gustavus.  Apparently our school has become the target of German insect terrorists.  There are biohazard bags, free cafeteria coupons, and plenty of disinfectant involved.  It looks like that one scene from E.T. in everyone’s pictures from the cleanup…so unfortunate!  It did make for some very funny puns on Christmas Carols for an event I was invited to on Facebook.  Credit to Alex Grandelis, Kelly Broady, and Julie Bardenwarper for the following cockroach infested song titles: “They Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” “Jingle Bell Roach,” “Hark! The Herald Roaches Hiss,” and my personal favorite, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Cockroach.”

Okay, so I know that that’s not really about my travels abroad, but c’mon!  That’s news folks! 

Anyway: I got up and showered and then immediately retreated to the lounge to work on my paper for Monday.  Turns out, I wasn’t getting much done because I was rather hungry.  So, Izzy, Steve, Drew, and I took a very impromptu trip to The Stockpot, a little Italian place on King’s Road.  Three of us had the carbonara.  WHY IS IT SO GOOD?!  ZOMG!

Right, so following lunch, it was back to work.  Steve-o and I decided we would be most productive at Starbucks so we packed up our computers, notebooks, and some smuggled-from-America pumpkin spice flavoring for Steve’s future latte and headed down King’s Road.  The first stop we made, there was no place to sit and about one-thousand people in line: FAIL.  So we crossed the road and made our way to ‘Bucks number two.  We walked upstairs and found, again, there was no room at the inn.  Wah wah.  So we continued down King’s Road and turned at Muji (a Japanese gadget store that sells cardboard puzzle animals and ugly watches) and walked toward the Queen’s Head pub.  Steve knew of one more coffee shop to check, though, so we started walking toward where his mom stayed during her visit to London town (Hi, Jill!).  We were in luck!  We found not one, but two tables to work at while enjoying some fair-trade espresso products.  Woot.  Not only that, but Steve finished a paper, I got through 1200 words of mine, and I made a makeshift Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Coffee with soy milk—oh, the infamous PSCCwS….so damn good.  Boy do I miss RRC. 

On our way back to the Res Hall, Steve and I had a lovely chat about his dad, his mom, his sister, his brothers, and his life.  It was great.  It is just so awesome to get that persistent reminder that the people in my life, whether they are in London or not, are wonderful, beautiful human beings.  To have such a good chat with Steve and then to be invited to events on Facebook that I clearly cannot attend—I know that sounds so insignificant, but it means a lot somehow—produces so much happiness in me.  Enough to get out me of my funk, even!  Hooray! 

I am hearing frantic shouting from the kitchen next door which can only mean one thing: time to get off the phone with my dad, grab my Tanqueray and lemonade, and get ready for another evening in London.  I am sure I'll have a story for you tomorrow.

At this moment, it feels like the London Eye is staring right at me.  Here's to the 2 weeks I have left in this beautiful city.