We've come a long long way together...

Hello readers, I realize it's been over a year since I last posted on this site. Life has taken over in between...I've been busy writing a dissertation, adjusting to life in the UK, finishing a Masters, and most recently, moving to London.

That's right, I've left the beautiful, cozy little bubble that is Wales, to sketch out a future for myself among the bright lights of the big city. Or something like that. Some cool things about this move include:
-my new flat, located in Crystal Palace: cool location, gorgeous park across the street, and yummy Thai food just around the corner
-the prospect of a few new jobs, including some teaching that I'm finding very interesting, if challenging
-the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends! I've already found myself opening up, becoming less inhibited in social situations. Something about the city does that to you. The vastness of the city is like this blanket of anonymity that you can wrap yourself in at any moment--and the knowledge that you can easily disappear at any moment gives you the liberty to be as open as you want to be.

You know what's strange, though? Moving to London has made me miss my real home, my Kentucky home, a bit more sharply. Over the past couple of years I've come to realize that Wales and Kentucky have a lot in common. I think I took those similarities for granted, and now that I've moved to the big smokes, well...there are moments when I want to drive along the road running from Cave City to Glasgow, or sit with my Mom and Dad in the study, finishing crossword puzzles late into the night, or walk along the Green River like I did that wonderful summer working at the cave. I miss seeing the trees change in the fall, and I miss the landscapes along the interstate and the country roads.

I also miss the people. I never thought I'd say this, but there is a poignancy in the old men eating ice cream at the McDonald's in Super Wal-Mart, and in the gospel music that blares in Hyder's shoe store.

I think the older I get, the more I associate Kentucky with innocence. I know logically, realistically, socioeconomically, that it's ludicrous, but Kentucky and its people have a sincerity, a heart-on-the-sleeve nature that reaches inside and shakes you up a bit. Maybe in a way I'm referring to my own innocence--but that is another topic for another blog entry.

Sorry to unload like this. I had no idea that the sparkly city could bring out the southern girl in me. Wow, who needs a cup of tea?

Workout Mix

The title of this entry refers to the CD mixes Lindsay made for me so I could go to the gym with friendly, get-up-and-go music in my ears.

The mix starts off with a bang--Black Eyed Peas "Pump It Up." Let me tell you, I was in the mood for pumping it up at Maindy Pool Gym! The song got me started off fresh and full of energy. Some of her other choices were...interesting. I honestly laughed out loud when Celine Dion's "Power of the Dream" came on. 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, anyone? Speaking of 19996, that was 10 YEARS AGO. I remember those days, when Keri Strug tore her Achilles heel or something for the good of the team during the vault. Go USA gymnastics! I am old.

I also received pop-music education while listening to the mix. For example, Mandy Moore has a song titled "Yo-yo." Who knew?

I had some stipulations, of course, before Lindsay went about compiling the mixes. Outside the classical realm, I tend to stick to my Radiohead, my oldies, my indie rock, my folk, my bluegrass. I'm not really a sugary-pop, actress crossover kind of girl. I don't love me some Lohan, for example. And my R&B tolerance is minimal. But I have to say, even the one J-Lo song that makes an appearance isn't terrible. The lesson of the week: pop/rock music makes for exercise fun! And so does the occasional Jay-Z song.

So today's shout-out goes to Lindsay Thurman. Well done, sis! It's a good thing you didn't put Garth Brooks "Standing Outside the Fire" right after Celine--I think I might have flown right off the exercise bike with all the inspiration.

Cool Concerts and Crazy Cooking

Good morning, readers! I woke up around 9:30 today, hoping to get in some early productivity before going to a concert at 11:30.

What do you want to do first thing in the morning? I'll tell you what I want to do--pee. That's right (and I don't think I'm alone in this), my bladder is full when I wake up, and I feel the need to empty it. But, dear readers, I was thwarted for over half an hour! My housemate's brother was in the shower. Then, his girlfriend was in the shower. Then, my housemate snuck in to do her make-up. Note: this is a regular occurrence, and is becoming an annoyance.

Although my day started off rather tensely, I actually had a really nice Sunday. I went to a "Coffee Concert" at the History Museum. The museum has a rather nice theater for chamber groups and soloists, and once a month students get in free! With your ticket you can also get a free coffee, tea, or sherry afterwards (hence the name). Today I heard the Royal String Quartet of Warsaw, Poland. Let me tell you, they were AMAZING. I haven't been to a chamber concert that good in a long time. The program had a Mozart Quartet, a Webern slow movement (gorgeous!! Not typical minimalist Webern stuff), and Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8.

If you have never heard Shostakovich Quartet 8 (I hadn't before today), do yourself a favor and find a recording of it. Granted, I'm a sensitive person, but I had tears in my eyes during the first movement. You hear the primary theme from the first movement of his first symphony, but it is set as a dirge, and the transformation of that is just heart-breaking. The program notes set a nice context for the piece in terms of his life and the history in Russia at the time, and it turns out that he wrote the quartet as a memorial to himself, as he expected to die sooner or later under the Communist regime. It is intense, beautiful, and very clever. The concert was fantastic.

Sorry about my rambling--but I guess that's what these blogs are all about.

Today's shout-out (on the topic of randomness) goes to Chad Jewsbury for pestering me to update my blog. Thanks, Chad! This one's for you. :-)

Among other things:

-I have a mild addiction to Sudoku. I can't fall asleep until I've played a few games.
-I got a new phone! It's super-cool, and I get 1,000 text messages a month!
-I'm trying to find a good website to post pictures on, so people can quit bugging me about it.
-I am a chef now! Thank you, Momma, for the cookbook titled "Cooking Thin." (I know that, as the title of a book, it should be underlined, but I don't have underlining in the blogger toolbar. It's the price I pay for having a Mac. And a small one, I tell you.) I make all sorts of things! And they are all low-calorie and healthy! I made baked cod two nights ago, and chicken stew on Wednesday. Basically I'm cooking a new recipe every couple of days or so, and I'm finding that it's more exciting than peanut butter sandwiches and canned soup, and much less expensive than eating out. Plus there's that health factor. The more greens you eat, the longer you can jump across tall buildings and stuff like that, right?
-I have a presentation next Monday and I am not anywhere near being ready for it.
-I'm going to Bath, England next Saturday!
-I got free tickets to see Walk the Line on Wednesday.
-I get to play principal in Beethoven 6! Yay fun! Oh and we're doing the Nutcracker as well. The British are nuts. Come on, who plays the Nutcracker after Christmas? Crazy Brits, that's who.
-Jon Kuhns is the coolest horn player I know.
-I really miss Ruth Ann's ability to organize my closet/life. On that note, I did clean my room yesterday in an attempt to delay working on my presentation. I was on my hands and knees pulling hair out of the carpet. I know, I'm disgusting. I shed when I blowdry my hair. And then I go for weeks on end without vacuuming. Yuck.
-I miss my momma. She's super-cool.

Well, that's about it for tonight. That was a lot about me--now what about you? What's going on in your life? I don't want this to be a one-sided relationship, readers. Let me know what's up with you! :-)

Take care.

Cool Concerts and Crazy Cooking

Good morning, readers! I woke up around 9:30 today, hoping to get in some early productivity before going to a concert at 11:30.

What do you want to do first thing in the morning? I'll tell you what I want to do--pee. That's right (and I don't think I'm alone in this), my bladder is full when I wake up, and I feel the need to empty it. But, dear readers, I was thwarted for over half an hour! My housemate's brother was in the shower. Then, his girlfriend was in the shower. Then, my housemate snuck in to do her make-up. Note: this is a regular occurrence, and is becoming an annoyance.

Although my day started off rather tensely, I actually had a really nice Sunday. I went to a "Coffee Concert" at the History Museum. The museum has a rather nice theater for chamber groups and soloists, and once a month students get in free! With your ticket you can also get a free coffee, tea, or sherry afterwards (hence the name). Today I heard the Royal String Quartet of Warsaw, Poland. Let me tell you, they were AMAZING. I haven't been to a chamber concert that good in a long time. The program had a Mozart Quartet, a Webern slow movement (gorgeous!! Not typical minimalist Webern stuff), and Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8.

If you have never heard Shostakovich Quartet 8 (I hadn't before today), do yourself a favor and find a recording of it. Granted, I'm a sensitive person, but I had tears in my eyes during the first movement. You hear the primary theme from the first movement of his first symphony, but it is set as a dirge, and the transformation of that is just heart-breaking. The program notes set a nice context for the piece in terms of his life and the history in Russia at the time, and it turns out that he wrote the quartet as a memorial to himself, as he expected to die sooner or later under the Communist regime. It is intense, beautiful, and very clever. The concert was fantastic.

Sorry about my rambling--but I guess that's what these blogs are all about.

Today's shout-out (on the topic of randomness) goes to Chad Jewsbury for pestering me to update my blog. Thanks, Chad! This one's for you. :-)

Among other things:

-I have a mild addiction to Sudoku. I can't fall asleep until I've played a few games.
-I got a new phone! It's super-cool, and I get 1,000 text messages a month!
-I'm trying to find a good website to post pictures on, so people can quit bugging me about it.
-I am a chef now! Thank you, Momma, for the cookbook titled "Cooking Thin." (I know that, as the title of a book, it should be underlined, but I don't have underlining in the blogger toolbar. It's the price I pay for having a Mac. And a small one, I tell you.) I make all sorts of things! And they are all low-calorie and healthy! I made baked cod two nights ago, and chicken stew on Wednesday. Basically I'm cooking a new recipe every couple of days or so, and I'm finding that it's more exciting than peanut butter sandwiches and canned soup, and much less expensive than eating out. Plus there's that health factor. The more greens you eat, the longer you can jump across tall buildings and stuff like that, right?
-I have a presentation next Monday and I am not anywhere near being ready for it.
-I'm going to Bath, England next Saturday!
-I got free tickets to see Walk the Line on Wednesday.
-I get to play principal in Beethoven 6! Yay fun! Oh and we're doing the Nutcracker as well. The British are nuts. Come on, who plays the Nutcracker after Christmas? Crazy Brits, that's who.
-Jon Kuhns is the coolest horn player I know.
-I really miss Ruth Ann's ability to organize my closet/life. On that note, I did clean my room yesterday in an attempt to delay working on my presentation. I was on my hands and knees pulling hair out of the carpet. I know, I'm disgusting. I shed when I blowdry my hair. And then I go for weeks on end without vacuuming. Yuck.
-I miss my momma. She's super-cool.

Well, that's about it for tonight. That was a lot about me--now what about you? What's going on in your life? I don't want this to be a one-sided relationship, readers. Let me know what's up with you! :-)

Take care.

Small Victories

Hello Readers--you know, sometimes you just have to pat yourself on the back and tell yourself you're as good as gold. (If you're not from Glasgow, my apologies.) This week I have had many reasons to be proud of myself, and I'd like to share just a few of them with you now.

1) I took the bus by myself and got off at the proper bus stop! This is major, major stuff, readers. It is easier for me to navigate my way through the tunnels of Mammoth Cave than the streets of Cardiff. Let's revisit the events of Tuesday morning. I go to the chiropractor, take a cab there. I have my appointment. I pay the receptionist. I walk outside and turn right down the street. I cross the road and wait at the bus stop. I wait ten minutes for the number 27 bus. I have my 1.35 ready for the bus fare. I pay the driver and take a seat. Ten minutes later I give my seat to an old lady. Twenty minutes later I see my college down the road on the right. I push the red STOP button and walk to the front of the bus. The driver pulls over at the nearest bus stop. I exit the bus and sigh with relief. :-) Oh, the glory! Then all I had to do was walk 15 minutes home from the college.

As if that weren't enough to make it through the week with a smile on my face...

2) I made a salad for lunch! That's right, I went to the grocer and bought weird British lettuce, and I made a salad with tomatoes and cucumber. And to make myself especially proud, I made my own salad dressing w/ oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Yay Shelley! With this meal I also ate potatoes.

3) Finally, I went a whole day and a half without listening to Jason Mraz! (I am sorry for excluding certain readers who don't understand this reference. If you are wondering why it has been so long since I have updated my blog, it's because I have been reading jason mraz's blog. Seriously. His life is way cool.) The day I went to the chiropractor, I listened to Beck the whole morning and afternoon. Yay for ipods!

Speaking of iPods, does anyone want to buy me an iPod nano? :-)

Much love to you all.

Pat yourselves on the back and tell yourself you're as good as gold, from your friends at.....
sorry, I guess I have a hidden desire to become Henry Royse.

The Hills are Alive

Hello again, readers. I've been meaning to put this picture up for awhile now. I spotted this unusual scene on one of my first nights in Cardiff, when my roommates forced me to go to a club with them and we ended up walking back home around 9 pm. Apparently there had been a Sound of Music sing-along somewhere in the City Centre that night. However, I have no idea where catwoman came from. Personally, I think the humor of the photo speaks for itself. :-)

The land of home decor

Hello faithful readers--I am sorry that I myself have not been so faithful to this blog. I appreciate the encouragement from those of you who urged me to continue updating in my time of apathy and sluggishness. *Shout-outs to Linds Pinds and also E Hemingway (no, that's not Ernest, you crazy lit. majors)* I promise you, I will never again neglect my blog for that kind of duration. I also promise to never flood the earth again, and, um, no more taxes. Right. Ok.

That said, a lot has happened in the three weeks since I last left you. I bought a new pair of jeans at the Gap (just to feel like an American again), I tried British beer, and I went to...IKEA!!!!!!

Let me begin by telling you that at a recent IKEA opening in London last month, two people were stabbed. That's right, Britons love their cost-efficient, sleek and stylish furniture--so much that they will kill for it!

Cardiff's IKEA is located in the scenic Bay Area on the other side of town. It's really a beautiful location, and the sea can be quite calming. Perhaps that is why Cardiff's IKEA scene is less violent. I was quite fortunate to be invited by my new friend Liz, who HAS A CAR. We were at IKEA in less that twenty minutes, whereas the bus would have taken about an hour, depending on the time of day. (On a side note, Liz has also taken me to Tesco's--think British super walmart--where I spent 65 quid on things like picture frames, a potted plant, and a yoga mat, in addition to numerous groceries. Liz=not a good shopping influence. She finds a need for everything.)

We arrived at IKEA and parked in a ridiculously expansive parking lot that was also packed. We then noticed the IKEA shuttle dropping people off at the front stairs. I can't properly explain the vastness of IKEA in this blog. The entrance ushers you right into the showroom, which can take more than an hour to go through. It's truly amazing--each exhibit is like a real apartment completely decked out with IKEA furniture and accessories. There are examples of country homes and city flats, student houses and studio apartments. Furniture is selected appropriately for the home of a new working professional or a middle-aged bachelor. There are bedrooms decorated in that urban minimalist chic sort of way (kind of reminds me of Apple like that) and there are bedrooms that look lush and relaxing, in that naturalist spa sort of way. IKEA knows no limits--the bedrooms lead to living spaces with couches, TVs, books and movies (all props for the IKEA experience--IKEA does not actually sell electronics or literature), which then lead to bathrooms.

Oh, the bathrooms! IKEA has the coolest bathrooms you've ever seen. And I can't seem to stress enough how the showroom feels just like you are walking through a person's home. No matter what your tastes are, each example is flawlessly planned and laid out.

What is sad about IKEA? While I was walking through, I kept thinking to myself that I can't wait until I am finally at the stage of my life where I can afford my own furniture and I actually have a place to furnish and decorate, and that I too could plan rooms just like these. And upon expressing this to Liz, we both realized that the fabulously dazzling IKEA examples lacked one thing: clutter! They don't take into account the piles of schoolwork that Liz has at home covering her tiny office space. There is literally no place to put it. And IKEA doesn't account for the ugly filing cabinet you have to buy for all the sheet music you need, and all the articles you have to keep on random subjects that you might use again someday but probably not but you can't bring yourself to throw it away because it was useful once. And the cool little baskets we saw on the bathroom counter we were just passing by? It would be full of hair bands or tampons or something, and then you would accidentally knock the basket onto the floor as you rush out the door, and it would probably stay there for the next week or so.

It's so easy to be swept up into IKEA's fairy tale world of interior design.

But to complete the IKEA experience, Liz and I decided to have lunch before hitting the warehouse section. I know what you're thinking. Shelley, how could you eat crappy shopping center food and pay astronomical prices for it? Well, at IKEA the prices are never unreasonable! And let me tell you, I had salmon, potatoes, and green beans for lunch! Mmmmm. Liz had the meatballs. She said they were yummy as well.

Ok, so the warehouse. I spent no more than 19 pounds, and here is a rough list of what I bought:

-4 candle holders for those short little tea candles
-a cool lamp for 2 quid!
-two fleece blankets
-a silver looking metal paper tray for my desk that has three levels and the baskets slide out (it's super cool)
-matching pencil jar (same silver looking metal) and small pencil jar
-frog notecards to send to people in America!

So now my room looks like someone lives in it. It feels much more like home as well, especially with my 9-photo picture frame full of pics of my old roomies *shout-out to Mushpuff and Liz-Biz* and my potted plant that I have named Cornelius *shout-out to Patrick and his Grandma, and also to Laura, who had to deal with CJ the Frog's untimely death*

So now my room is full of light, thanks to four candles, a lamp, and the over-arching theme of this entry: IKEA.

Well, dear readers, that is all for tonight. I promise I will add something new again within the next couple of days.

Sleep well!

Toffee Yogurt

This post is solely dedicated to the purpose of giving Lindsay Thurman a shout-out: thanks for suggesting toffee yogurt, Pinds. I ate some at school today--mmmmmm. Add that one to the happy list.

Ok, but while I'm here I may as well tell you about yoga class. The College here offers yoga class once a week in 1 hr 15 min sessions, for the small price of 15 pounds per term. I took some beginning yoga classes at IU, but let me tell you, a 45 minute class is in a different world from a class that lasts twice as long. Our instructor ( a skinny, pure muscle 20-something blonde) made us do a sun salutation series of nine poses five times in a row. After we were all panting and sweating, she showed us the extended series of seventeen poses which we then proceeded to do four times in a row! And all the while she kept coming up behind me, urging me to push my sitting bones higher to stretch the legs and elongate the back. Lady, can't you tell a quivering human when you see one? Finally she grabbed my hips and forced my "sitting bones" up higher and further back. It's a good thing this class is only once a week--I will be sore until then.

That's all for today. Although, I would like to pose the question, why does no one in Britain seem to wear exercise clothes? I walked from my house to the college in yoga pants, and I got strange looks from nearly every passerby. Additionally, I never see people running on the street (unless it's someone in a suit late for the government building).

A Rainy Danish Day

Tonight I got to speak to my good friend Bue! He's living in Copenhagen, studying at the conservatory there. Well, he's doing wonderfully, taking auditions, getting some gigs subbing for really good orchestras..but today it seems he had a near-death experience. He was in the conservatory building, going up the staircase from the basement. The staircase goes up for five flights, and it's open; it's possible to see from top to bottom as you are walking up the stairs. Well, today, as he was on the landing for the ground floor, he heard a yell coming from the fifth floor--a split second later a metal music stand crashed no more than two feet away from him! Now, Bue has been known to take some risks in his life, but what bad karma to have been hit by a music stand while simply trying to practice!

Fortunately, no Danes were harmed in the unfolding of the above story. Only music stands and staircases sustained permanent injuries.

As for me, I am currently living in a monsoon. Yes, Wales is quite drizzly, so I generally carry an umbrella and therefore am never caught completely off-guard. However, tonight as I was walking back home with Gemma after practicing, the drizzle turned into a steady rain, so I got out my umbrella and shared it with Gem. Then the steady rain turned into chilly horizontal rain in a howling wind storm. Predictably, the umbrella was turned inside out, and was therefore no use to us for much of our 20 minute walk.

By the time we got home our entire frontsides were soaked. The good thing about Britain is that whatever happens, there is always hot tea awaiting you when you arrive home. :-)

Tomorrow I have my second clarinet lesson of the term. For the clarinetists out there, I'm playing the Muczynski Time Pieces, and I have to play the first two movements next Friday in masterclass (yikes!). Now that the weather has changed, my reeds will be nice and warped tomorrow, and as there is still no sandpaper to be found in Cardiff, my chances of finding a good reed are slim. But, we will worry about tomorrow's obstacles as they come. For now I am curling up in my Indiana sweatshirt with a cup of hot tea to watch a DVD rerun with Jordan Catalano. *shout-out to my facebook group members, and to my wonderful sis, Linds-Pinds, who agrees with us*

Goodnight, gentle readers.

ps-i thought of something else that makes me happy: student tickets to the Welsh National Opera! We're going to see The Merry Widow on Friday for a mere 5 pounds!