So the trip organizers finally got back to us with details on our options for accommodation.

We have four options. International Students House, two hotels, and a couple of self-contained flats. ISH is by far the cheapest option, and it's nice and central (Marylebone area), but accommodation is in triples, and there's no guarantee I'd be sharing with someone else from Guelph. This does not bode well, although ISH has by far the coolest facility.

The first hotel is in West Hampstead. It's the next cheapest price-wise, but a lot farther from the centre of town and the price doesn't include food (breakfast, yes, but nothing else). However, accommodation is in doubles and I'd definitely be sharing with someone from our own group, plus two people to a bathroom is a much nicer ratio than 10 or so! We don't know anything about the second hotel yet, other than that it's in the King's Cross area, so much more central.

Finally, we have the option of the flats. Much more expensive, food not included in the price (but there are cooking facilities), 4 people to a flat (2 per room), and very central, as well as very close to where our classes will be held.

I'm torn between the student residence and the hotel. I'd like to be staying somewhere central, and the student residence price can't be beat, but my introverted self cringes at the thought of sharing a small room with two people I've never met before and might not get along with (but then again, sharing a room with one person I barely know might suck equally). It's basically a toss-up between having more roommates but a nicer location, and a nicer facility but farther away from stuff.

Grr. My posts have been even more sporadic than usual lately, because my internet connection has been crapping out on me. I'm taking the computer in tomorrow to see what the tech guys can do with it... I may have to get the entire something-board (motherboard? logic board? I can't remember) replaced, which will be expensive but cheaper than a new laptop. We shall see.

At least now we have the internet back at work again.

Finally, a bit of news in keeping with the title of the blog. I've been thinking about where to go after exams in December, before I head back to North America. I want to go somewhere warm, and sunny, and preferably beachy.

So I was at work the other night, and because they've really cracked down on the acceptable internet use policies, 99% of the sites on the internet are now inaccessible to us poor tracers. However, anything on the U of G's website is deemed acceptable by the nanny software, so in between listening to phones ring I've been surfing the U of G site for the last week or so. Thursday night, I discovered the cache of back issues for @Guelph, one of our illustrious publications. That kept me entertained for a good couple of hours, especially the classifieds. There are usually rental ads in there, and this week's issue was no exception. One ad promised a two-bedroom fully furnished vacation cottage for rent.

On the French Riviera.

I e-mailed the author, got the information and some pictures, and the price is good. It remains to be seen whether the price is right, since I haven't even booked plane tickets to London yet. But a week, alone in a little house in Antibes as a graduation present to myself, sounds damn good.

I still haven't ruled out the Caribbean, though.

So I went to see Troy last night. Ian and Aaron, as usual, have posted eloquently on the movie's good and bad points, so there's not much left for me to say.

I would like to point out, however, that any movie featuring muscular half-naked men running around in short skirts (example: Braveheart) that does not feature even one gratuitous ass shot (example: Troy) is inferior, by my standards at least.

My life has been like this lately: sleep, eat, work, study, repeat. The LSAT is coming up in a month, and I'm spending most of my available time studying for it, but I also have two jobs, a distance ed class, and a wedding to be in. When I'm not studying, I'm surfing the web trying to find a cheapish beach vacation package for December. I'm dreaming of finishing the London semester (my last one as an undergrad), flying somewhere hot and sunny, and lazing on the beach for a week. Hopefully I'll find something affordable.

This post of Aaron's ("Poor sad cat") made me go awwww. I like Houdini, skittish little thing that she is. Maybe I should bring Maddy over for a visit and see what happens... she's been extra-cuddly lately, and in this weather, it can get a bit uncomfortable. It's cute when she gets too warm and rolls over belly-up, one front paw over her face in the classic "Oh, life is so hard" pose. I can't tell if she and Houdini would like each other or eat each other.

Well, it looks like I was one of the only ones who survived last night's party relatively unscathed. I say relatively, because while I wasn't sick (owing to the fact that I'm a temporary teetotaler), I was awfully tired when I got up at 9:30 this morning for my LSAT class. Going to bed at 3:30 will do that to you. I feel much better after a nap.

I'm sitting here, eating orange pepper slices with hummus. The cat does not like this particular snack, but every five minutes or so her little brain resets itself and she comes sniffing up to lick food molecules off my fingers. She sniffs, makes the "ewww!" face, backs away, and watches me suspiciously until her short-term memory is gone and she tries it again.

It's a lot funnier than it should be, really.

In honour of No Pants Day, here is my result!

You Should Wear Panties! Panties are sexy, but not too aggressive. You might feel a little naked at first, but just remember: "naked" means not wearing ANY clothes at all, so that naked feeling must be wrong. Find out which No Pants Day outfit YOU should wear! No Pants Day is May 7th, 2004. To find out more about No Pants Day, visit www.NoPantsDay.com

Confidential to Aaron: I should have made that bet with you, 'cause then you'd owe me $20.

Bridal showers are one of the most pointless traditions ever. Even when they're nice. I mean, once upon a time they were useful, so a young couple getting married could get stuff for their house, but nowadays by the time anyone gets married they mostly have all that shit already, and sometimes even two sets of that shit if they haven't actually shacked up yet.

I think around the time everyone leaves home/goes to university/hits the age of majority, they should have a "house shower." They get a big party, everyone gives them nice stuff, and then they don't have to ever have one again unless they have a kid and need stuff for the baby. (Note to repeat wedders: there is no fucking point to having a second bridal shower. You don't need it, and it pisses off your friends. Throw a party by all means, but don't expect tea towels and potato mashers.)

Gee, wonder what I spent my weekend doing?