Storm of Swords

Sunday night brought the premier of HBO's third season of Game of Thrones. Although I'm not keen on burning children or soft porn, I am keen on PARTIES and party is what I did. I am here tonight to share with you the details of our Game of Thrones watch party.

This is the set up. 

My chalkboards the best. It's been featured at birthday parties, weddings, baby showers, potlucks, office parties, and now seen again here. It resides on my mantel where it lives with its co-star, Lady Candelabra, who I picked up at an estate sale in Medford, Oklahoma, pop. 996. Who would've thought?

I was surfing the inner-web for food items pertaining to such an occasion. There were many extravagant recipes for lemon cakes and weasel soup; however, one post just told me to set out some meat and cheese. I liked her thinking. Besides, Brandon and I enjoy cheesus (it's punny. Don't worry about it), so I set up my chalkboard coasters to inform my guests just what they were eating (of course they still asked, which was a good practice in patience). Here we've got, counter clockwise, some french bread, garlic & herb cheddar, bonbel, manchego, sausage, garlic toast points, and the organismically delightful s'mores bars--the recipe for which can be found here from Amanda at Wit and Whistle.

I'm really into keeping permanent markers in the kitchen so that people can write there names on cups. The act itself, I feel, is thoughtful and courteous; however, how much I enjoy it is tilted. I offered Bran and Tyrion the first drinks as the example. We set out a pitcher of water and had a Bota Box in the fridge that we offered up.

I just wanted to give you another good look at the s'mores bars. The lantern to the right was a wedding gift from my Maid of Honor and her family.  I thought they got it from Pier One, but I didn't see it on their website. It's one of my favorite pieces.

No, I didn't take a picture of any of my guests. I swear I had guests. I swear people really do like us and eat our fancy cheese we bought from Buy For Less. And no I don't just create fake parties. I swear I don't.

Tsalani bwino!

Happy Turkey Day From the Miles Family!

This week included six miles', five rudows, four delonys, four poochies, two patriarchs, and one bonfire. Below you see the next generation of coon asses (technical Bayou jargon, thank you). It was great to be together again, and I'm excited to for the next reunion upon Caleb's return from Zambia. Tsalani bwino! (Stay Well in Nyanja, the most popular local language in Zambia where they otherwise speak English)

RANDOM, Misc., Etc.

The end of this trip has been like the final stages of packing up a house/apartment to move. First you're very catagorized and everything is appropriately marked. But more and more towards then end you start writing random on your boxes and things get a little scatter as you pick up the pieces that you just need to get in the boxes.

Their Baby Wrote Them a Letter II

Hi Guys,

Tomorrow, I will begin my day at 7:30 at Westminster Abbey for Matins. That will be closely followed by the Changing of the Guard. I will proceed to Borough Market where I will eat lunch and buy lunch (and eat it standing up). I will wrap up the scheduled day as a groundling on the floor of Shakespeare's Globe theater for a performance of Dr. Faustus. Afterwards, I'll meet up with David Hornbeck and we'll see what the rest of the day will hold! It'll be a good one.

It's been very successful. I've been places I've wanted to go. Done things I've wanted to do. Read a lot. Slept a decent amount. And, in all that, I've been able to maintain some form of abstinence! With thirty pounds to spread over the next day! I'm a good full and it's very happy. 

I'm really ready to get back. Brandon's cooking for me on Thursday and then mom'll be around for the weekend. Never fear! Mom is here! I feel like me traveling alone is like me eating squash. As you'll recall, I ate squash everyday my first couple of weeks of program because it's what I knew how to cook. Eventually I got so sick of squash that I had to stop eating it completely. Every once in a while, I'll commit it again, thinking I may have gotten over it, only to realize, come dinner time, that I still hate squash. I'm so glad I'm not in China.

I'm ready to hug you soon! Y'all are the best ever!

Zoe

Faith with Grace and Bear

Today, I went on an adventure with my friend Grace and Bear. Bear knew a friend from back in his forest days named Duck. They ran into each other again across the pond, and Duck's gone into the sight-seeing business. He's started up his own operation where he carries people around London on his back, and he offered to give the three of us a tour.

Little did we know that there was a man in a red jacket was trying to sabotage duck's business!

As we were driving along London, we saw some great things! We caught a glimpse of Parliment, Westminster, and Big Ben. But then we saw a great big Ferris Wheel! Bear asked Duck "Duck, what's the huge Ferris wheel doing in London?"

Duck said, "Well that's the London Eye. She makes sure that all London visitors are safe as long as they stay within her sight."

Bear sat thoughtfully. "How does she keep you safe?"

"You see," Duck replied, "Big Ben and London Eye are in love, but they can't be together because of the river. Big Ben shows his love for her by chiming every hour, and by protecting the people that the Eye cares about."

"How?"

"By chiming to get their attention."

"Oh..." said bear, giving me a quizzical look.

Our journey continued passed Charring Cross and over Trafalgar's Sq.

"And now to the water!" cried Duck.

Duck descended into the water and splashed us a little. "Duck!" the three of us teased. All of the sudden, we heared Big Ben's enourmous chime's. "What was that for?" Bear whimpered, "It's not a quarter time or the hour!"

Duck was suddenly alarmed. He was sinking lower than normal! He sunk so low that the emergency exit's only exit was to the river!



"What's that under Duck's wing?" asked Grace noticing Duck's uneveness. As soon as she did, a man in a red jacket started pulling out Duck's feathers!

"He's trying to thwart me! Quick! Roar like a lion!" We started roaring like lions (bear being the best of all) and all of a sudden, the Scotland Yard Lions appeared on the walls of the canal, terrifying the man in the red coat so much that he fell off of Duck and was caught up in a fisher's net by the London Water Patrol.

"Man! Glad that's over!" said Bear.

"Me, too," sighed Duck, shaking his head. "That guy's been after me for weeks. I'll see you in the court room," he shouted across the river. We finished just in time for Duck's next visitors to board. We said our good-byes and let him get on his way.

Grace's eyes were still closed with fright, but Bear soothed her. "You can open your eyes now, Grace. It's all okay."

And now the world knows of the beautiful London Eye and the adoring Big Ben.

Poem #2

I like the poem thing.
I'm going to do it again.
It's much easier than describing
All the things that make me grin.

Yesterday I hung out with Grace
and bear came along, too.
We stopped by the Tate Modern
To look at art made with goo.

Today I hopped a bus to Oxford
And wondered around the town.
It looks like a mideval village
and like the clock was turned around.

I walked to Christ Church
and into the great hall
it's like I'd walked into Hogwarts
before they start term in the fall.

And then me and Maugham
Had a little chat
In the Eagle and Child
Where Lewis and Tolkein sat.

I was so pooped when I was done
I went to the hostel and slept
until it was time to talk with Brandon
(an appointment I'm glad I kept).

Their Baby Wrote Them a Letter

M and D,

Woops. I didn't see his burial site. I'm trying to develop a new place concept concerning why we go to the places where genius lived. Is it a matter of wanting to be likewise inspired ourselves or does it make us feel close to them to be walking around in their space? Keats' house was very sweet, but nothing special. And it was nice to walk around Stratford-upon-avon, but Anne Hathaway's house was a farmhouse. It's just something interesting to think about. It is good, though, to picture all these places I've heard about all of my life.

 

The 30th is fine. Brandon and I have dinner plans for that Friday night with another couple (Greg and Brittany. They were the couple that came by my apartment after the engagement party. Greg went to school with Brandon at OBU and they just moved into OKC), and the two of us had talked about going to get a massage on Saturday, but those are the only plans. Earlier today I was scratching at the cuticles on my feet and thought to myself "I need a pedicure." Then I thought we might go together and I was happy.

I think I'm losing weight. My engagement ring is getting lose. Or it may just be that I'm not bloated anymore. Or both. Probably both.

Without fail, everytime I get on off the tube to walk to a new hostel I get turned around. I hate the street signs here and the way that the name of the street changes every 100 meters or so. Today I actually got lost going to my hostel and two Jehovah's witness girls were walking by and offered to take me to my hostel. They were very sweet. They worked together to carry my backpack. It was probably only .2 miles away, but I don't know what I would have done without them.

I don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow. I might go to the British museum in the morning and to the library in the afternoon. I've started writing postcards and buying gifts. I don't know how long the post card thing will last, but it's good for now.

I'm tired. I'm so happy to be here, but I'll be very ready to get back. I thought to go to Brighton Saturday to stay with an FA fellow and eat a few square meals that don't just make me feel like I'm snacking (speaking of food, I had some strawberry grapes today. They're grapes with a strawberry twang and they're DELICIOUS!). I haven't heard from her yet so we'll see. If I don't hear from her by tomorrow afternoon, I'll shoot her another email and then just plan on maybe trying to make a day trip to the hundred acre wood.

Y'all are much loved.

Zoe