Running, Balls, Laundry...Life.

You know the opening of Chariots of Fire? The part where they're running with a look of absolute bliss on the lovely shores of West Sands? The sun is shining brilliantly, and you wonder...'Can I ever be that happy while running?'
The answer is yes! Just blow out your knee in a sporting match, crawl around awkwardly for the next four months, then suddenly go down to the beach on a beautiful morning and RUN! The chilly wind in your face and the warm sun at your back, the soft sand cushioning your feet as you let the realization wash over you...you can RUN!!!
That was the feeling I had on Friday morning, a clear sky above me, the cold shores of the North Sea at my feet, and me...running! And yes, the music was going through my head. I'm pretty sure I was smiling the entire time too, which is unbelievable, because I loathe running. Well, I did, until now. Kate and I now have a schedule set out for us, three times a week, a quick run on the beach in the morning (weather permitting of course...what permitting? Who said that? [Sgt. Bilko moment]) Hehe...

Friday night saw the evening of the University Hall Ball. The theme was A Night at the Oscars. Though I really don't know that many people in hall, I found myself rather spontaneously deciding to go. I spent the afternoon with Katelyn shopping for a suitable pair of shoes to go with my sparkling silver dress, as well as a fun hairpiece to complete the outfit. (Picture soon to come) She was a lifesaver helping me get ready. She gave me a lovely hairdo complete with my new (and very cheap) silver flower hairpiece with small shining feathers coming out the top. That afternoon, the sun disappeared and it began to snow like crazy, huge flakes falling from the sky. So I ended up walking to Younger Hall, the music building where the ball was being held, in my blue wellies. I must say, I was quite a sight, walking up to the door in my stylish hairdo, vintage looking coat...and muddy wellies. I was greeted with champagne and a chocolate, after quickly changing into my black heels. The night was looking very fine, until I realized we wouldn't be let into the venue until about an hour later, and my shoes were a size too small. Needless to say, I found a chair the moment they opened the doors and sat there for almost an hour without moving, just wanting to be off my feet. The Ball started off with a Ceilidh (traditional Scottish dancing) which was very fun to watch. I didn't join in until later on, however, because even barefoot my feet were sore. I found a few friends later on and we all spent the rest of the night together. After the Ceilidh, we went to the free ice cream bar, which was very much needed. A DJ came on for a little while, who wasn't actually that impressive. A live band followed, but we only stayed for a few songs. The night was past the elegance and glamour part and into the drunk people making out on the dance floor part. The three of us headed back for hall, with me taking a quick detour to Kate's place to pick up my stuff.
The following morning, Uni Hall served brunch, since most everyone slept in. It was nice, with a selection of breakfast pastries and breads, bacon, eggs, coffee and juice. That evening we met up with our friends who had taken the trip to the Highlands that day. Kate and I had already eaten, but we joined them at a hole in the wall Chinese restaurant and heard their stories from the day.

Sunday it was still very icy from the storm, so the walk to church was a slow one. The sun was out yet again so we picked up a complimentary donut and coffee afterward and just sat outside enjoying the warmth. We decided to meet after lunch and go down to the beach to get some studying in because it was such a beautiful day, but of course, right after we got down to the beach, it clouded over and got cold. The only cool thing was that we saw a group of students playing baseball on the beach! Ah, America's favorite past time. So, we decided to go back to her room and watch Harry Potter, which was followed by Moulin Rouge (I know, procrastination tactics...awful) and after our movie fetish we once again met up with our friends at The Rule to hear their stories, this time from Loch Ness. I was again very glad that we had done these tours already, especially during the summer time when it was warmer!

Monday it was back to school, but not without another run on the beach! The sun came out again for us, and it was very cool because the higher part of the beach was still covered in snow from the shower the night before. We stuck our feet in the water when we were done because we wanted to cool off...yea, that lasted about half a second, and then we were definitely done! After the run, I did some reading before my pirates class in the afternoon and caught up for my masterclass the following morning. My desk is currently piled high with every possible book on piracy, privateers, buccaneers, and maritime history in Scotland and England.

Tuesday...another run! I know, I never thought I would be so into this whole running thing...go figure! I read up some more for my masterclass, then afterwards, went to the library to pick up some more books (I think half the history section is currently in my room) to start work on my first essay. Didn't get very far on it though. Since I have a welcome wine reception on Wednesday, Kate and I did our Prince Caspian night that night. We've been filling in during the week until NCIS comes back...next Tuesday! Or, Wednesday for us.

Wednesday was a nice free day, but the weather turned vile. We woke up to snow, sleet, rain and wind. It was awful. Good thing we weren't planning to run this morning! I used the day to read some more and went to the library to get deeper into my essay, and came back with seven more books! Some of them look very interesting actually. Since the day was dreary, I warmed myself up with a mocha and caramel shortbread at Costa. Half the university was in there with the same idea, but I didn't care. Luckily, it wasn't raining too badly on the walk back.
Laundry was waiting for me when I got back. It ended up costing about 10 U.S. dollars (no more complaining about paying for laundry at Gordon!) but it was worth it to have clean clothes. Dinner's been over for a while, and now I'm off to a lovely wine reception. Talk to you all again soon (hopefully).

Cheerio!