I Guess I Look Trustworthy?

So this past weekend, John, Brooke and Eric came up to visit, which is sort of awesome. Got to go to Applefest and do the usual Ithaca stuff, but we decided to make a field trip up to Canada to see Niagara Falls from their side of things (meaning the clean side with the Horseshoe, not the lame parts).

So going there and coming back, we had to get our passports checked, which we did without complaint. On the way there, they pretty much didn't ask that many questions. Because they're Canadian, and they don't really think people care enough to bomb them. On the way back into the US, they questioned everyone hardcore. Made them take glasses off, confirm their middle names, ask birthdays, the usual. Everyone but me.

This is the third time this has happened to me. When I went into Germany, I got a quick visual scrutiny from Hans and Franz behind the counter, a stamp proclaiming I had entered through Schoenfeld International Airport, and I was on my way.

When I came back from 5 months abroad, I didn't get a second look coming back through Newark Liberty Airport. The guy looked at me, gave me a quick "How you doin'?" and a stamp and nudged me through security with my huge bag in tow. Not a look, not a question, it's like he saw my Italian last name and my New Jersey birthplace on my passport and figured I was legit.

When we came through Canada, I was the only person in the car that didn't get asked anything. John got asked if he was bringing stuff back through (a hat and a mug), how we all knew each other (high school friends), and how long we had been there (like 4 hours). Brooke got asked to confirm her name and got a visual scan —meaning the customs guy was checking her out. Eric got asked to take off his glasses, confirm his middle name, and confirm his birthday. I got asked no questions, they simply smiled at me and handed back my passport.

I find it amusing and sort of frightening that security doesn't seem to pick up on me. I mean, I have nothing to hide, really. But you never know. Certainly makes traveling to foreign countries easier, though.

My Driver's License! Now with 100% More Federal Compliance!

I guess one of the perks of getting my whole purse and wallet stolen was the fact that I had to renew my license for my 21st birthday. So Corinne and I took a field trip to the local DMV to get my new license.

After missing the turn and almost hitting a dude in a pickup on the way in, we took a number and got behind the other half of the state. Seriously, like 50% of the population of Delaware must've been there, and like 50% of that 50% had tattoos and looked like trash. We were A286, and we came in where it was A212. So it was good there were two of us to talk, because I had no book with me.

Once I got up to the front of the window - 2 hours later - I provided all the information to the guy behind the counter. He stared at me like I was stupid and asked "And where's your old driver's license?" I had to explain my whole purse got stolen, and he pretended to be sympathetic. He told me that I had enough stuff to have a federally compliant license (well, duh, that was the point) and when it came time to pay, he saw my check and said "I can't accept third party checks." It was one from my Mom, I don't have a checkbook myself yet. Thank God Corinne was there, again, because she had her debit card and ID and I can pay her back.

So yeah. I have a license now. And it's semi-cute. And in a month, it'll be flipped horizontal.

Knock Knock! Who's There? Your Purse Got Stolen

Unfortunately for me, a good date sort of ended with a stolen clutch.

I was mini golfing with John and must have set my zipper purse down for a minute when I realized I had left it behind. I went back for the thing and realized it was gone. It wasn't there, and no one on the course had it. These guys on the side of the place were driving away and laughing hysterically.

The purse didn't have too much cash in it, but it did have my debit card, Kohl's card, student ID, and license.

Mmmmm...the sweet taste of FAIL.

You're Going to Get Robbed. But Enjoy Yourself.

"You'll have your passports stolen in Prague, your credit cards stolen in Barcelona have your pockets picked by those skillful Roma children..." - Bevan
"We're going to al those places." - Addison
"Well, at least you know ahead of time." - Bevan
"I'll cancel everything accordingly." - Addison
"Oh, I know the feeling. I got my whole wallet stolen in Beirut. At least there's police in Barcelona, I suppose. So! Monty Python!" - Bevan

Tuesday: The Best Day Ever?

So I haven't actually been through Tuesday yet, but I'm thinking it's in the running for Best Day Ever.

Parliament in the morning, then Imperial War Musem at night. Wonderful!

You Have A Baby! In a Bar!

So when we went to Bath yesterday, we decided to get some lunch at the local pub, Sam Weller's. We went and sat down in the back and waited (forever) for our food and this guy walked in with this adorable little baby girl. She had this fleece onesie of penguins on, looked totally content, really just cute. Her dad put her down on the table and ordered a ton of food.

When his wife and other daughter (also very young) got there, he put the baby on the floor to roll around and cry a little bit. And it was really just cute to see this guy with his kids.

But there was a baby. In a bar.

5 Cities in 2 Days

I have been to some of the most beautiful towns that no one cares about in England.

So first up on the tour was Avebury, which is this ancient rock formation made at the same time and on the same plain as Stonehenge. Which begs the question "Why two random rock formations?" but whatever. At that point, we didn't really get it and it was pouring rain and cold, so as we slipped through the mud and froze our asses off, we were taking joke pictures and mocking the fact that we went to go see big rocks. Woo hoo, right?

The rocks there weren't as smooth as the ones at Stonehenge, and were dragged a longer distance by another Celtic tribe hoping for fertility from big ass rocks in circles with ditches. I wonder if it worked out.

Next up was Glastonbury and the remains of its Abbey (church where the abbott lives). It was burnt down, rebuilt, then knocked down by Normans, then rebuilt, and then knocked down again, but there are still remains there. We had the best guide ever, this hobbit dude that told us everything we wanted to know about the place, and some we didn't. Apparently they faked King Arthur being buried there, and there's rumors of Joseph of Arimethea and Jesus and Mary going there, but if you look at dates, someone did some crap math.

We got to climb the Tor, AKA the really big hill in the town, and got to see the entire outlook of the area, which if my Facebook loads it, is GORGEOUS. The view was fantastic, and even though it was a crazy long walk, it was totally worth it.

Wells was after Glastonbury, where we saw yet another church (absolutely beautiful) and shopped around a little bit. Saw dog that looked so much like Zeus I teared up a little bit, and then we were off to the Bath YMCA for the night. Sarah made a joke that it would snow when we got there, and lo and behold, it totally did. Not for long, but the whole time we were waiting outside to get into the place it did. Thanks, Sarah.

We got to tour Bath the next day and look around the Roman Bath ruins still in the town. The baths were still hot to this day (albeit untreated), and it was really tempting to escape the 30 degree temperatures and jump in. We also got to see other stuff around the town, like the Royal Circus and Royal Crescent, as well as a family with a baby in a bar (more on that in another post).


Stonehenge was last, and I gotta tell you, it was more impressive in pictures than up close. We of course took the photos where it looked like we were carrying it (me and Steph) or placing stones in certain places (Sarah and Carrie) or jumping (Sarah and I) or grinning like an idiot really excited to see more rocks (Elise). But you aren't allowed to get close to it at all, and it's a much smaller circle than I thought it would be. And by that point, it's built up and something of a disappointment. Still cool, though.

Overall, it was a great trip. The bus was comfortable (except to sleep on), my iPod held out miraculously through the whole ordeal, as did my camera (others weren't so lucky). And I got some fun photos and such out of it.

We Wanted to Be Toys 'R Us Kids

(My pictures will come later, as soon as they load from my phone to my e-mail)

In my late teen years, I've found that it's even more fun to do kiddie stuff when you're old just to release your inner child every now and again. Or make for a fun photo op. Or both.

(Speaking of, my own photos will be added as soon as they actually send to my phone).

So after we took a trek to Border's to get Laura a beach read (she decided on "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" and I decided on Raisenettes, since I already have "The Gun Seller" to read and the book list-added "Kitchen Confidential" to hold me through a week in Corolla), we decided to take a field trip down the road to Toys 'R Us to look around.

The task for the day was to find the Scene It? 2 for vacation/college (there's no way I'm giving it back after vacation), so we headed over for the board games aisle. Imagine my surprise when we found a hot pink Life, a hot pink Monopoly, a hot pink Ouija board (perfect when Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board gets old), and a hot pink Rubik's Cube. Apparently, for girls' night in, they made pink teenager versions of these games. So rather than getting a job and having a family in Life, you go to prom, a sweet 16 party, and the college/job decision comes at the end of the game rather than the beginning. I had to call Dave immediately for two reasons: one, he's a huge Star Trek fan. Two, I didn't have Eric Holland's number. His response?

Dave: I must play this game.

So we kept looking, and after deciding on Scene It? for me and nothing for Laura (she considered some Trivial Pursuit cards, but they were too expensive and too high in difficulty to make a game of it enjoyable), we decided to browse the rest of the store. We found Rachel's birthday present (Rach? You probably already got the picture of the motorized Barbie ATV) and found some dolls that when they got put in the boxes, their skirts flipped up over their heads and showed their undies, which...sluts.