Finding Nemo

My family and I went the Georgia Aquarium yesterday. It opened just less than a year ago. The main guy behind Home Depot came up with the idea and built the aquarium as his "gift to the people of Georgia". He put up most of the money but also inlisted other major Georgia companies (Wachovia Bank, Southern Power, UPS) to help with the funding. UPS shipped the beluga whales from Taiwan to Georgia. They build special containers for the whales and then flew for 36 hrs. Wow. The belgua whales might have been my favorite part of the aquarium. They really do move like mermaids when they swim. I also liked the jellyfish. I had forgotten that jellyfish are quite basic creatures and really don't have any sort of eyes or face. They are more like sea anemone than cute fish. Well, they aren't fish. Anyway... I wonder what Dr. Dino's theory is on the jellys. :)

Oh yeah! I finished my scarf yesterday. I still have to learn to pearl.

Knitting

I've decided to learn to knit. My mom taught me how to do the basic knit stich a couple of days ago, and I'm about 1/4 of the way through my first scarf. I bought really chunky yarn and huge needles. I'm hoping to finish the scarf before I go up to visit Jed. I also just bought some much thinner green/blue yarn to make another scarf. When you knit the scarf, a stripped pattern automatically appears. I've wanted to use this type of yarn for a while. I really want to make hats, mittens, and socks, but I'm not quite ready for that. Also before I leave my mom has to teach me how to pearl.

I found this really cute yarn store in Islington (North London). I havne't been yet, but from their website it looks like they have really pretty yarn. They also offer classes. Right now it doens't look like the classes gell w. my schedule, but we shall see. Here's a link:

http://www.loop.gb.com/

Home for Christmas!!

I'm back in Atlanta! It's so nice being in warm, sunny weather and being able to see my mom and dad. My sister is in Italy right now and she's flying back from London on Christmas Day. Gross. I'm still jet lagged so I have been up at 6:15 and 7:30 for the past two mornings. Normally when I come home for Christmas break I sleep in. Since I've been up early I've been able to do Christmas shoppign before it gets too packed. I got gifts for my mom in London and GRanada, but I had to get my dad's present in Atlanta. Every year I get my dad a gift certificate to Borders. It's great b/c even though he knows that it's coming he has a huge smile on his face when he opens the envelope and says, "Wow, Claire. This is great"!

Tonight we are going to hear some Baroque Christmas music at an Episcopal Church in town. I'm really looking forward to it. I've been fortunate this Christmas season to see the Nutcracker at the Royal Opera house and the Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall. I loved the Messiah. It's so wonderful to hear the story of the prophesy of Christ, His birth, crucifiction and ressurection told through the singing of Scripture. The ballet dancers at the Nutcracker were incredible. When the men do their leaps they just hover in mid air. So amazing.

Merry Chirstmas!!

he's in the doghouse now

I went up to Cambridge this weekend. As always we had a good time. Jed joined his church, Cambridge Presbyterian, and I wanted to see him join. Whenever churches have new members join it reminds me how God really does call us to live in community with other Christians.

There's a man in Cambridge who puts on a little show on the weekends. He doesn't play an instrument, juggle, or stand still, rather he puts on this dog costume--well, it's more like a Native American wolf skin get-up and climbs into a self made cardboard dog house with hot pink and hot green cutouts. He's in the above pictures. When you put money in his little canister he comes out of his dog house and either does a little dance or tries to grab your leg. He also scratches himself, wags his tail, and acts like a regular dog. He doesn't bark. You probably have to give him 5 quid or something to make him bark. He was wearing a silver bell around his neck to get in the holiday spirit. For some strange reason I really like to watch this guy. Sometimes bend down so that I can get a good look at him. I haven't given him any money. One time Jed and I saw him putting on his dog costume and getting in his box. I wonder what he does during the day. I wonder if he has a "normal job" too. Sometimes he scares little children. Sometimes he scares Jed. I bet that this guy makes loads more money than the people who sell the Big Issues.

Busy week at work this week. I have to do my first set of reference calls. I'm referencing the managing directors for a european venture manager. Should be interesting. I like doing new things at work and am glad that they trust me to do reference calls solo.

I'm going to bed as soon as my laundry finishes washing. Ah, it's so nice having a washing machine in my flat. I didn't have one on Inman STreet or in Pimlico.

morning ride and Telluride

Sometimes I walk to work in the morning and sometimes I take the bus. Today was a bus day. I got a little distracted on the computer before work. Today I saw my favourite family on the bus. The person who is always on the bus is a little, hmm, 4 year old girl who smiles and talks more than anyone I know. She's so cute. Sometimes her mom takes her to school and sometimes it's her daddy. When her mom comes she brings her little sister called Rebecca. Rebecca is about oh, 4 months old. The family gets off at the same stop that I do--right next to Royal China. Royal China is a really disgusting Chinese resturant that some of my coworkers adore. All of the Americans in the office think that it is gross.

Oh I just found out the preliminary line up for Telluride this summer. Ah, at times like this I really wish that I lived in the STates. The next summer that I'm living in the States I am going to Telluride.
Béla, Sam, Jerry, Edgar, Bryan Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas Sam Bush Band Chick Corea & Béla Fleck Emmylou Harris Tony Rice & Alison Krauss & Union Station Béla Fleck & the Flecktones Yonder Mountain String Band Jerry Douglas Band Chris Thile & How to Grow a Band featuring Bryan Sutton Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile John Cowan Band Dougie MacLean Band Peter Rowan & Crucial Country Jackie Green Mike Marshall & Hamilton de Holanda Sparrow Quartet Crooked Still Infamous Stringdusters Avett Brothers Greensky Bluegrass

Couple of interesting points.
Tony Rice (Grandaddy of the bluegrass guitar) is playing with Alison Krauss and Union Station. It's some sort of tribute, celebrating Rice's 35 year career. I actually haven't listened to that much Rice. My daddy has some of his albums. Perhaps I'll load them onto my computer when I'm home for Christmas. Ah, can't wait to get out of this foreign land and home for Christmas.

More importantly, Thile and the How to Grow A Band are still using Brian Sutton as their guitar player and his name is in the band title. Now, my understading was that they were using Sutton to fill in for Eldridge while Eldridge was on tour with the Infamous Stringdusters. Now, the Stringdusters are also playing at Telluride, so why isnt' Eldridge playing with the How to Grow a Band. Is he ever going to rejoin? I'm also interseted in how it works on the business side with the B-artists. I'm not talkign about the A artists, Alison, Chris, or the C artists--Barry Bales, Noam Pikelmy, etc, but the B guys, Tony Rice, Brian Sutton, Jerry Douglas. (Apologies for calling Jerry Douglas a B artist). What cut of the check do those guys get? And yes they are really good, but why are their bands never as good as the A artist bands.

I'm really proud of Crooked STill for getting an invite to Telluride. Go little Boston band! Their sound is so unique. I can't wait to see them in London in January. Jed and I are going to see them. Props to them for making trip over here. They actually tour Europe frequently.

What I would give to hear the Bela, Sam, Jerry, Edgar, and Brian set.

Okay, time to stop lusting after Telluride.

please put a penny in the old man's hat

Yes... Christmas is coming! I went to my first Carol Service of the season last night. Tearfund had a carol service as a thank you to their volunteers. At the service I read Luke 2:8-11. They are such wonderful verses and I usually tear when I read them to myself:

And there were shepards living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and there were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ, the Lord."

Jesus' birth is good news. It's amazing to me to think that the Saviour of the world walked on this earth and was born a baby. It's one of my prayers that I'll be able to remember that on Christmas we celebrate the birth of our Saviour--the only one who can bring true peace.

I also always think of the song "There were Shepards Abinding" from Handel's Messiah when these verses are read. It was so neat sing the Messiah every year at Westminster. What an amazing work! Handel set the scripture to music so well. Oh Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion is one of my favourites. My sister and I are going to hear the Messiah this December at the Royal Albert Hall. I can't wait! While I've listened to the Messiah loads on cd I have never been in the audience when it is preformed live.

I also bought a little potted Christmas tree (above pic) for my flat Marks and Spencer. Mine is a little smaller than the one shown, but you get the idea.

Firedrill day at work tomorrow. Not a real firedrill, but a client threw a fit so we have to scramble to get materials to them.

grantchester

I went to Cambridge this weekend. I feared that it was going to rain all weekend, but we had great weather both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday Jed and I took at walk to Grantchester and had lunch at a cute pub called Rupert (great British name, although my fave is Clive) Browning. Grantchester is a little village about 2 miles up the River Cam from Cambridge. We didn't see as many cows as we saw when we went there last Spring, but we did see a band of hunters. Jed and I think that they were hunting pheasant or rabbit. About 15 men were walking through the fields waving yellow flags. It was slightly odd b/c while there were about 15 flag wavers, it appeared that there were only a few shooters. We didn't see the shooters, but we did hear a few shots.

On Sunday we went to church and then over to a lovely family's home for lunch. There was also a couple from B-ham, alabama there. It's been such a long time since I've heard a strong southern accent. I love it!!

It got dark around 16:15 today. Ah, I really have a hard time with this early darkness thing.