Post-Abernethy Problems

Right, in no particular order, Hannah and guest/co-Author Hannah S. present "Post-Abernethy Problems"

1. No hot water boiler.

Now this may seem a mere trifle, but it is a catastrophe. It means no more practically automatic cups of tea, like now you actually have to wait for the water to boil. It's super sad. Also, you have to estimate how much water to put in the kettle because you wouldn't want to boil too much because that just takes that much longer.

2. Feeling out of the loop

So you spend a year or so being part of the Abernethy life--you work, sleep, eat at the same place with the same people and all of a sudden it's ripped out of your grasp. Suddenly it's not your concern what groups are in  and who's DO tonight. You don't have morning meeting anymore, so there goes the daily information of general Abernethy concerns. And you just feel a little lost. On the one hand, you've escaped but you've completely lost your routine and now you have all this extra time on your hands.

3. Adjusting to normal life

You mean I don't have to eat dinner at 5:30? You mean I can eat whatever I want? You mean I actually have to sort my life out? You mean I have to be a responsible adult? You mean I have to leave the house in order to actually socialize; I have to go out in public? Is this what real life is like?

4. Center Jokes

Every Center has their own set of inside jokes and nicknames. When you leave all of a sudden they're all gone. You have no one to share moments with, because, let's be honest, retelling a potentially funny story someone who would understand is never as good as actually experiencing it together. So you sit around and talk to your non-abernethy friends and family and get a little bit sad and depressed when a perfect moment for a joke comes along and there's no one to share it with.

5. No cooked breakfast

Well, I mean you could just cook it yourself but that's so much work...and really who wants to be up at 7:30 cooking breakfast for yourself when you could be in bed an extra half hour and have cereal....

6. No Potato Scones

Now, this may not be a UK problem but it's definitely a problem in Canada. I don't know how I'm gonna survive...

7. Not living with your friends

This is both a good thing and a bad thing. On the one hand, you get to have some time alone and be more responsible and adultish, but on the other, you're so used to being surrounded by all these people. You can no longer just pop next door and annoy people or borrow a book or a film or just hang out. Again, you actually have to leave the comfort of your own home to socialize. Which means you need to put on proper clothes because it's not really sociably acceptable to go to the pub or a restaurant in your pajamas (though it really should be...) and going to hang out in their kitchens is also not sociably acceptable...

8. Lack of Official Breaks

Right, so every center has slightly different break times, but generally they're around 11 and 3. Now, you could just take a break then and eat some toast and have some tea, but if everyone else isn't doing it it doesn't feel right and then you feel guilty for not working or being productive.

9. Sorting your evenings out

Right, so now you no longer live in the middle of nowhere, so what are you going to do with your evenings? You actually have no excuse for being a lazy person. So get up and do something, but really all you want to do is sit on the couch and watch TV or sit around on Tumblr or netflix but that's what lazy people with no life do and so you attempt to convince yourself to go do something sociable but really all you end up doing is sitting on Tumblr or watching a film. It's a recurring circle of guilt because really you no longer have an excuse for not doing anything. Well...I do...I live in the country and don't have a vehicle yet...I'm sorted..for the time being anyways. . .

So there you are. A few post-Abernethy problems. We hope you've enjoyed them. Hannahs' out.

There....And Back Again

I have been asked many questions in the past couple of weeks since being back in the Motherland, the chief of them being "Aren't you happy to be back?" The answer being, quite frankly, no. No, I am not happy to be back in Canada. I am happy to see my family and friends again, but I am not particularly overjoyed to be back. Though, do rest assured that I am becoming more and more content with my lot and I know that it was the right decision and that this is where God wants me to be right now; but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it. To be honest, it feels a bit like someone died; the end of an era.

I miss rolling hills outside Barcaple. I miss the country lanes. And, of course, I miss the people. They weren't just friends, they were family. And still are. But being an ocean apart and a five hour time change from them is more lamesauce than I could have possibly guessed.

I feel lost and out of the loop and so I sit and wait for Uni to start so I can distract myself with a little more ease. But I have things to do, and for awhile it seemed like I just couldn't manage to get my life sorted. Now, I've finally got all my things in my new place and am all unpacked. I can finish getting OSAP things sorted this week and then it's just getting a phone and a vehicle that I really need to do.

But it hasn't all been bad.

My brother, Nick, got married and that was super fantastic. I got to wear a brilliant dress and see highschool friends I haven't seen in forever.

I got to hang out with my sister, Christina, and do things like shop, play video games, and generally just laze about.

I got to move in with Angelina which has been amazeblankets.

And, of course, I have been able to play with my nieces and nephews. They are adorable.

But these don't out weigh the pain of leaving, but they do help to soften it a little. Which helps. And skype helps.

Honestly, I just want Uni to start so I can get back to school and back to learning.

But enough moping. Here are some pictures of ma new room!

This was this morning...such a tip

Summerish Walks and New Horizons

Good Heavens, where to start. I was all "I'm gonna blog! Hooray!" and now I'm a bit "uhhhhh what was I gonna say again?"

Okay. Exciting news first. I got into the Dramatic Arts program at Brock University! HUZZAH

Ummm....I go to Birmingham for a few days this week to spend some time with Bradie, which I am very much looking forward to. Perhaps I shall take pictures and things. You'll just have to wait and see.

The weekend after, I get to go to another Ceilidh, so that's all gonna be fun times.

My parents come to bonnie Scotland at the end of June. They're gonna spend some time toodling around Glasgow and Edinburgh and then pop down to Barcaple at the end to see me and forcibly drag me away back to Canada.

I have very mixed feelings and emotions about leaving, as you do.  Part of me is all "Yay! Family, real pianos, wedding, uni, dramatic arts, freedom, holiday, hooray etc." and the other half is all "Waahh, Barcaple, UK, countryside, adventures, friends (though really more like family) etc." I go through stages of wanting to be home and wanting to be home. (See what I did there? You didn't?...oh...oh well...) 

I know I'm going to come back but it's such a long ways away.

Anyhoo, enough melodramaticness. Time for the pictures you've been patiently waiting for...there are 40 odd...you're welcome

This is from ages ago. Probably November time when we went to Staff Conference hence the frost and 8 o'clock sunrise...

This is for Katie L. (she will understand). It's in Covent Garden in London

This somewhat sums up our relationship...though usually my facial expression is more similar to Katie's...

All the snowdrops! (again from ages ago)

Enterprise. Cloud. That's all.

Ah the wonders of spring floods

More Flooding! (Again, from months ago...)

Snazzy Tree

My face

View from Snazzy Tree

Sunset

 

More sunset

Moon

A lovely Singer picture for my mummy dearest

Ah. Now this is from today

Mmmmm green

Hehehe sneaky angle

Dandelion fluff

Sunny sneaky angle

Why, yes, I did lie down in the middle of the road (and yes I did end up having to scramble out of the way of a couple of cars...)

In the hedgerow

I had fun taking pictures at stupid angles

Clouds. Clouds. Clouds.

Clouds at a stupid angle (so I could get the telephone wire out of the way)

Queen Ann's Lace

ooo trees

more trees

even more trees

Gasp! Can it be--Trees AND the drive?

Sneaky rhododendron mixing with the trees

That is all. You may resume your normal lives.

DRAGONS!!

As requested:

Dragons are epically cool. They fly. They breathe fire. They ravage cities. They get lots of gold and things. Everyone loves a good dragon, including me. But dragons aren't all burning and pillaging, they also love warm sand and sunny beaches. They're a bit like very large, flying, scaly cats...that can breathe fire, and eat you. But they're basically the same thing. Dragons are my favourite. Yay for dragons! Here's a picture of a dragon...I didn't take it....

This is Droofus the Dragon. He's got a lovely little lamb keeping him company. (If you haven't read How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head by Bill Peet you need to get your priorities straight...)...

So there you are. Dragons are pretty cool. There aren't really many downsides.

Bits and Pieces

I have no idea how to start this post. Hmmm...what have I done the past month? Worked...a lot... *sits and ponders what else she's done....

I went to Gravity Camp as the chief and only Kitchen person. Gravity Camp is a downhill mountain biking camp that Barcaple holds at Innerleithen and Glentress (2 of the 7 Stanes). It was only the weekend camp (we hold a week long camp in August) but it was nice. I mean, it was work and tiring, but it was a stunning location and it felt fantastic to be away from the center for a bit. Here is some evidence...

Casual Selfie

Paul's game face

Ah pictures taken from a vehicle...my favourite

So I think that sort of wooded area on the hill closest is part of Glentress

I climbed to the top of a hill...it was very windy..I almost got blown over

Ah...the Southern Uplands of Scotland (no joke, that's actually what they're called)

That town is Innerleithen and the hill beside it on the right is where the Stane is

Eilidh and I went and found a castle!

CASTLE!

Looking back towards the Royal Burgh of Peebles (the closest town to where we were staying)

In other news, I went on a wee jaunt to Dundee to see my dear friend Hannah, who I met at Ardgour last summer. We had a lovely few days and I bought a dress for my brother's wedding! It is fantastic and you all get to wait till the wedding to see it!

As I'm sure I stated earlier, I am hopefully going to be attending Brock University in the fall and studying Dramatic Arts. I just sent off  (as in not more than 30 minutes ago) the written work I had to do for the interview process! All I have to do now is a video portfolio and have an actual skype interview! So all prayers would be extremely welcome! Thanks :)

I made the incredibly difficult decision of staying in Ontario when I come back for the wedding. So As of July 1st-ish you lot are stuck with me for at least the next two years (I'm hoping to go on exchange in third year)...we'll see...

Sadly this beaut leaves me tomorrow :(

I will miss my dear, dear roommate and friend very much! But it won't be for too long as we are planning to get together next summer! So that'll be grand! She'll just go off to Montana and rope cattle and find a cowboy (obviously)! Au revoir, my dear Molly Gifford!

And on that very sad note I shall end this post....