Ladies and Gentlemen, The schist has hit the alluvial fan..

it has officially been 11 days since I last wrote. Sorry about that. I started a Statistics class last week and since then I have been inthe vicegrips of a vivacious analytical distructor. This week I was given a huge data set that I must interpret and create an analytical report.. most of the people I saw around me in class yesterday actually had their reports started and pretty much they were in the middle of it.. where I am not really even to that stage.. I am still trying to figure out what kind of tests to use for my data.. All of my data is non-parametric so it makes it even harder to get my shizz done.. But I will persevere.. this is the challange I was looking for (not quite) but now that its here, I have no clue what to do with it.. however I still have a week and a weekend to finish my report and get it turned in to Cruickshank. I have also been sitting on a presentation I have about done.. I then need to work on a 3 page essay for my soils class on Catena's. Piece of 3.14! hmmm 3.14 that sounds good right now.. I did have a Scotch steak pie for lunch that I ended up burning :( sad day :( Today is a carb day... keep reading to figure out why..

New nicknames I have accepted as fate:

1. AL the Aquitard - that doesn't surprise me. And actually I half came up with it so its alright :)
2. Man-Magnet - Her natural hunting grounds are busses and bus stops.

A lot has happened since I last wrote.. I went to my first Scottish Ceilidh! That was a lot of fun! it was at Elphinstone hall which is attached kinda to Kings College Chapel. It was amazing and a lot of the dances were the same as Irish Ceili's but different all at the same time.. I got to be in the grace of Dafni, Wendela, Ana, and Homan! and of course we all took turns being the man for couples dances :) I can't wait until my next ceilidh.. For this ceilidh I wore my Irish dance dress. however for the next one I think I'm going to wear less clothes.. I got really hot and sweaty.. it was ridiculous but it was amazing. I couldn't have asked to be in better company at all! :) We also had good food! I had my first stovies (middle class food I was told, its like mashed roast and potatoes very good), oat cakes (completely flavorless) and topped it off with some brown sauce! It was great!

Speaking of awesome company. I love my Scotland friends. I'm so glad that I am one of those people who are able to make friends easily but everyone (except bus stop creeper) I know I will have contact with for life, no matter where we are. Hopefully we can have like holidays at eachother's home places! :) I wouldn't mind in the future coming back here, or going to Greece, China or Venezuela! Such opportunities lay ahead and I wouldn't trade my Scotland friends for anything! But I don't want my US friends to think that I am replacing them at all! This is completely not the case!

Last Saturday I had my very first Chippy experience.. I LOVE THE CHIPPY!!! I am trying new things but I haven't gotten into fish yet. I just dont think I can do it! But also last Saturday I had McDonalds for the first time since I left the US.. It was pretty much amazing. I needed angioplasty afterwords but I think its alright :) Rachel and I also went shopping! I went crazy shopping! I bought new boots, a tartan blue skirt, jeans and slacks.. I completely went over my weekly allowance but I've done better since! It was nice to be able to buy some new clothes especially since I have lost so much weight I couldn't keep my NEW jeans on anymore lol. No more clothes buying for another month! But I still have to be careful because next month I am facilitating Thanksgiving and I am also sending out Christmas Presents next month. I figure if I wait any longer than that, things will probably not get there ontime. I'm really excited to send out presents. Of course its not going to be much of anything, but it will be fun.

This past thursday I was excused from classes so I could go to Edinburgh. I got to meet with other scholars from Aberdeen with the Saltire Scholars program as well as the Brittish Commenwealth, Chevving and other scholarship program winners. We got on a coach next to Kings College, and I got to meet Carla from Pennsylvania who is doing MSc. in Celtic Studies. I also met Paolo.. He is well Paolo.. :) He makes me grin. Well, anyhow.. Paolo is from Venezuela. However, he is Italian. Its a really strange concept but I think I've got it.. He wants to come over and cook for me some time.. I didn't say no! but I also didn't say yes! He took my number the next day when we ran into eachother on accident when Rachel and I were on the way to Morrisons. So we will see if he will call.. And hopefully he's not a creeper! For gods sake I did meet him on a bus. its my natural hunting ground. LOL Anyhow, I did get to meet the Minister of Education with the Brittish Council and some leader dude from SNP. Which is completely awesome.. there were a lot of really influencial people there.. too bad I didn't really pay attention much to who I was talking to half the time. I of course was on good behavior but still.. I think I was being possible a little cheeky. oh well.. I will probably never see them again. But the Minister of Magic I mean education, HA dumb I know, was really awesome.. she had amazing shoes on that I completely wanted and she matched from head to toe which was cool and we got to talk about a lot of things. But time was limited. Then I got to go into the Early Scots exhibit in the Scotland National Museum. I really hope I can be around in 2011 when the new museum opens! they are going to have so many awesome things I can't wait! :)

TODAY! is Haloween! HAPPY Scary spooky costume day! I am going as a Giraffe. go figure. Its the leaf and loam society's Haloween night out. Rachel is coming with me (thank god, if it wasn't for her awesomeness I probably wouldn't have as much confidence to leave the house) and we are going to Ma Camerons for the "party" on little Belmont Street. Pictures will be taken.. yessss they will be! I am hoping it wont get all rainy and stuff on our way out.. I think we're taking the bus anyway..

However now I must go and get myself in gear.. I have so much I need to do this weekend including putting the finishing touches on my slides.. and starting my essay.. I am hoping I will have my essay done by wednesday. That sounds like a good idea to me :) .