I would like to announce that today, when I got out of bed (granted, that time was awfully close to being after noon), it was 50 degrees outside. Oh, and raining. Little wind, as far as I can tell, because usually you hear it wooshing through the fire place if there is any.

After going shopping last Friday (Black Friday rules don't usually apply here in the UK, but I totally got some good deals, relatively) for some necessities (a winter hat, a sweater) and some non-necessities (this really cute corduroy jacket that I got for 50% off... what girl could pass on that?), I have decided that returning to the States will be much like going on a shopping spree where everything is AT LEAST 50% off. Gas, food, clothing, hot chocolate. Seriously, a cup of hot chocolate in the country costs about $4 (2 pounds). In ths US it would cost about $1, unless you go to Starbucks or some equally fancy sell-out. The exchange rate really makes buying necessities (REAL necessities, like milk and cereal and, yes, even vegetables) a gruelingly painful experience (and yes, being someone who judges people by their uses of grammar, I know "gruelingly painful" is terribly redundant...).

Also, I made a wonderful new friend yesterday. I don't know her name, but she is an extremely handsome brindle great Dane whose head come up clear past my waist. The guy who was walking her (along with another equally huge black great Dane on a leash) kept calling and calling, but in vain, as the dog followed me all the way across Holyrood Park on my way to class. Must've been his girlfriend's dog, as I've seen the four of them (man, woman, two dogs) walking many times before. I do love those giants.