Summer 2007

2007-09-04T14:17:00.000-06:00

So... senior year is prrrretty good. That's usually how it goes though: everything falls into place right before it's over. Applying to Grad School is expensive, time consuming, and nerve-racking. But... all else is good. Really, really good.

My new apartment is beautiful.

2007-08-19T03:45:00.001-06:00

Well, got back from Athens yesterday afternoon, and today I moved into my new apartment with Nellie. Well, I haven't atually moved in. I've more like... unloaded. I haven't had time because THESE TWO have been sleeping in my bed all day. Literally.

Anyway, I'm going to start posting the link to my facebook albums. It's much faster.

ROMA

2007-08-07T10:18:00.000-06:00

Devil worshipping River Gypsies.

Rome, as promised.

2007-08-07T09:47:00.000-06:00

Highpants McRedstate and his fat-ankled slave/mail-order friend are not here to interfere with picture posting. Both hotel computers are now equipped with internet, but my computer has been robbed of its mouse. Furthermore, Sarah is presently soaking her swolen feet, so I will do my best in her stead. -Matt

(It's about 15 minutes later now...)
Hmmm.. and everything was going so well until I started actually trying to get images up. Rain check... again.

Rome?

2007-08-06T14:57:00.000-06:00

Well, we would have gotten to Rome tonight if the technologically inept and inhumanely rude old couple hadn't taken advantage of our favor of letting them use the one computer in the building with internet access.

See you tomorrow?

I leave you with this...

Paris

2007-08-06T14:36:00.000-06:00

London: Redux

2007-08-06T13:24:00.000-06:00

End of Oxford

2007-08-06T12:31:00.001-06:00

WE FINALLY HAVE FREE INTERNET.

2007-08-06T10:45:00.000-06:00

Okay, so, a lot has happened. The sadness of ending our experience at Oxford was dulled by the fact that Central England was flooding and we were headed back to London. My dad flew out and met us, jet-lagged pretty horribly. He walked around behind us that whole first day with his mouth gaping open until falling asleep in his first ever plate of curry. That's actually how most of the trip has gone. He's a geezer. All and all, London part deux was a success.

In Paris, I had to sleep on a mattress on the floor... BUT we got everything done that we wanted to (avec Normandy and san Musee D'Orsay). Paris was somehow much more beautiful than the last time I saw it, and being nominated head of navigation made it feel so familiar by the end. I've done most of my shopping at Euro Gaps, oddly enough... the sadlis!... and I've spent nearly all my money and drinks (alcool and non) and gelato.

Speaking of gelato, I'm in Italy now and the quality of said daily treat has increased remarkably. As has the size of my ass. We just got into Florence from Rome (by way of Pisa) and I already miss it so much. It exceeded all expectations. The food was amazing, the woman wore so much make up, the men wore such short shorts, the people to street cat ratio was about 2:1, and so much of ancient Rome is still standing. There were so many historical areas around the city that had been excavated or just left relatively untouched. Every where you turned there was some obelisk stolen from ancient Egypt, a 2,000 year old wall, the tomb of some famous artist\politician, or a lively town square with a giant fountain and venders selling Pope calendars. After I finish seeing every other place in the world I want to see before I die, Rome will be the first place that I return to.

Pictures... in uno momento. I swears.

PARIS

2007-07-31T10:16:00.000-06:00

I completely forgot everything I learned in High School french. Every time I open my mouth, the beautiful Parisian that I'm trying to comunicate with shoots me a very pained look and then replies in a more fluent form of American English than I ever use outside of acedemia.

But, having the time of your life is exhausting. And the internet is slow. I'll finish tomorrow =)

The End of Days

2007-07-21T02:02:00.000-06:00

Blogger is being very unfriendly. I'll have to finish later.

=(

2007-07-19T13:01:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is our last day.

Christ Church

2007-07-15T07:15:00.000-06:00

Virtual Tour

We've been invaded.

2007-07-14T05:37:00.000-06:00

My professor started this study abroad program at Baylor University in Texas, and when he came to U of I a version of his program stayed. Yesterday at dinner a small army of students who just recently have been granted the right to dance came into the Great Hall for what should have been a much nicer dinner. Now, all 40 of them have access to our tiny computer lab. This will not do. They must be destroyed.

Here's some of Matt's pictures:

Home

Salisbury Cathedral:

Filming Brideshead Revisited at our residence:

Bath:

Matt's camera (our only working digital) died right before we entered the bath houses =(

English Countryside Walk:

Dr. Greco took us on a 4 hour walk around the country.

River Peacock.

I really had a much better time than it would appear.

This is Dean. I think he's the most photographed member of our group. He used to be an Abercombie model. Fer reals. He has so many facets.

I had a shoe malfunction, and my feet hurt. A lot.

=(

2007-07-12T07:48:00.001-06:00

I think the converter broke my hairdryer/camera battery charger.

I'll post some of Matt's pictures soon. But, all of my recent ones are captured on this crazy thing called celluloid.

Today was the first day that it did not rain.

2007-07-08T15:03:00.000-06:00

Great Hall

He didn't ACTUALLY carve his name in the 5,000 year old wall.

PUNTING

Andy, Marina, and Dean got a "chauffeured" punt. Assholes.

CRISPS
WARWICK CASTLE

GOLDEN COMPASS MOVIE SET

THE BEAR

POSH NOSH

ABOUT TOWN

Happy Birthday, America.

2007-07-05T08:02:00.000-06:00

So, yesterday we went to Warwick. Fun time, saw a Bird of Prey show (twice). On the way back to the train station, Matthew A. Klomparens stopped to take very dramatic photos of flowers (or something) and lost the group. Several blocks later, we turned around and realized that he was completely out of sight. We headed to the station, figuring that he would make it eventually.
Riley, Kelly, and Dean went ahead to the platforms while Andy and I waited very impatiently in front... Matt's Brtirail pass was in my purse and the train was due in 5 minutes. After maybe 4 (?) minutes we hear a train whistle, Matt comes around the corner like a bat out of hell, Andy jogs over to the train and gets all limbs in just as the doors slam shut. As the train pulls away, we see Riley, Kelly, and Dean on the opposite platform waving their arms and screaming our names. Andy was then headed to God-knows-where. Matt and I ran to the pathway under the tracks and made it to the train just as it pulled up. Wanting to verify that I was in fact stepping onto a train to Oxford, I checked with a passenger standing near the door. He said "No. Well, perhaps.." and advised Matt to check on the map outside of the train. Matt did. Correct train. He got back to the train just in time for the doors to close in his face. I put my hand to the glass and called his name. It was cinemagic. I still had his train pass.

Several hours later...
The British (with some help from their American tourists) were surprisingly good at celebrating American Independence.

£1 Bud imports.
Jock Jams.
Sing Alongs.

I'm very proud of all of us for making it to Windsor Castle at 9 this morning. It probably helped that we stormed out of the club a bit early when the DJ refused to play Journey.

Pictures later. Nap now.

London: Revisited

2007-07-02T10:58:00.001-06:00

(Note: The inability to flip many of my photos while they're saved on memory cards has severly limited my post quality).

London was amazing. We stayed for 1 week at Imperial College right next to Royal Albert Hall. South Kensington is home to several fabulous museums, shops, and restaurants... but the city is so compact and easy to get around in. The dorm had a pub INSIDE of it. Needless to say, I ate and drank close to half of my money that week. The exchange rate is killing us. I find myself saying things like "Oh! A $6.50 bagel. That's not too bad!" or "$18 pitchers? Sounds great!"
The group has exceeded my expectations, though. Everyone is incredibly nice, and the majority of them share in my political views. Which, while taking a political course, I think is quite fortunate. One of the most heated, drunken political debates that I've witnessed between classmates boiled down to what was described as "Whether or not Obama is Awesome... or whether or not he's just really good."

Other Highlights from London:
Seeing Tony Blair resign (see: picture of car with stranger's hand placed most unfortunately).
Seeing Brown come to power.
Avenue Q (A nonstop funny muppet musical with songs like "What do you do with a B.A. in English?", "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist", and "The Internet is For Porn.")

London's Lowlights:
Car bombs placed suspiciously on street corners that we had JUST visited.

Matt's London Photos:
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Oxford, so far.

2007-07-02T10:42:00.000-06:00

These pitcures are only from Christ Church, the college where we're staying. They don't do the University or the city justice. I'm having such a blast. Such a wonderful, outrageously expensive blast. I have to get get ready for dinner at the Great Hall, but I'll be back soon. I finally have regular, free internet =)

omfg my suitcase is exceeding the weight limit

2007-06-23T22:05:00.000-06:00

Well, California was wonderful. Definitely worthy of several heinous application fees.

Amanda turned 21 this week. We celebrated on 2 occasions, even though I'm pretty sure they stopped carding her when she was 14 years old.
She is THE most comical vomitter of all time*. Kristin and I put her to sleep next to a bucket in a cocoon to dish towels.
ALSO this week, the Cubs took the Cross-Town series again, and we attended the Gold Cup Semi-Finals. Those Mexicans know how to spectate! ...And fist fight. ...And yam Cerveza.

*Ashley Allen being excluded, of course.

HiGhLiGhTzz:

Santa Cruz, Stanford, San Francisco.

2007-06-15T10:21:00.000-06:00

Wild About Otters (Monterey)

2007-06-14T09:39:00.000-06:00

Driving up the coast.

2007-06-13T09:34:00.000-06:00

These are pictures from the stops.
I took motion sickness meds so as to not puke in the cookie bucket the whole way up to Monterey, and they knocked me out. I'll not be posting the pictures of me passed out with my mouth gaping open. I'm sure Matt will make them public anyway.

Santa Barbara.. Zoo etc.

2007-06-12T00:07:00.001-06:00

Santa Barbara Duex

2007-06-11T23:36:00.001-06:00

Santa Barbara

2007-06-10T23:40:00.001-06:00

L.A., Venice Beach, Sky. In that order.

2007-06-09T22:03:00.001-06:00

Matt's hometown, Valencia, is paradise.
They have every restaurant or major store you can imagine, the weather is gorgeous, the houses are beautiful, it's surrounded by mountains, it's very near LA, there's extensive walking/bike/horse trails. And it has its own Six Flags.

Just a reminder: Matt now lives in Peotone, IL.
DOWNGRADE.

Got 99 problems, but a pitch ain't one.

2007-06-06T20:18:00.000-06:00

The Best thing about June 6th?
...D-day Marathon on the History Channel.

The second best thing about June 6th?

My Summer Schedule:

2007-05-25T13:51:00.000-06:00

June 7 - PSYC 420 Final
June 9 - Fly to California
June 17 - Fly back from California
June 18 - Booze + Bowling Birthday for Amanda
June 22 - Move out of Big Red, Booze + Swimming Birthday for Amanda/Gina
June 23 - The Snake The Cross The Crown @ Metro
June 24 - Fly to London!
June 30 - Lou Reed in London
July 1 - Move into Oxford
July 4 - Daft Punk in Amsterdam
July 14/15 - Scotland
July 21 - Back to London
July 28 - Ferry to France, Train to Paris
August 3 - Fly to Roma!
August 5 - Pompeii
August 6 - Rome to Pisa to Florence
August 8 - Florence to Padua to Venice
August 10 - Venice to Perugia to Assisi
August 11 - Assisi to Ancona, overnight cruise to Greece
August 12 - Patras to Olympia
August 13 - Olympia to Delphi
August 13 - Delphi to Athens
August 16 - Greek Isles
August 17 - Fly back to Chicago

Hightlights from Eurotrip v. 1.0

2007-05-20T23:05:00.001-06:00

My concerns about the trip this year (i.e. predicted deficits as compared to summer 2004):
Less friends
Less black eyeliner

My hopes for the trip this year:
More photogenic bangs
More weekend benders

Testing, testing.

2007-05-20T21:18:00.000-06:00