Day Trippin

So we finally have some time to explore this ol' county. Yesterday, I got out my England for Dummies book and we decided to go to Rye. Rye is a little town in East Sussex which used to be an island. Ya know, waaaaaaaay back. It was a major port of smuggling and defence, etc. Anyway, now it's a beautifully preserved little Tudor village.

We caught a train and a bus, and walked around the shops while Jesse tried to de-carsick. We stopped into this FABULOUS hat shop. I mean amazing. Hat sculpture pretty much. We looked around, then read their little brochure and found out that they're this famous big deal, and they only have this little store in Rye. They made the hats for lots of movies, stuff like that. Look at this stuff!

Sigh. Allison, these reminded me of you. Sorry for that loooong tangent. No, I didn't drop the 250 quid to buy one.

After a few more shops, we walked up the hill to St. Mary's church. Have you heard that song The Bells of St. Mary's? This is that St. Mary's. In the 13oos, some French guys (ghees?) ransacked the town and stole the bells, and the next year some men from Rye went to France and stole them right back. This was a beautiful place. We climbed the bell tower and saw some great views. And the bells, of course.


We also saw the Lamb House, a.k.a. Henry James' house.

It was freezing, and I don't have a hat, so Jesse bought me one. I love it!

We had lunch at the Mermaid Inn, a gorgeous old building which was rebuilt in the 1400s after the French burned down the city. On the walls were lots of autographed pictures of famous people who have stayed there. People like Johnny Depp, Pierce Brosnan, Dame Judy Dench, Michael Cane, Andy Garcia, and the Queen Mother. Just to name a few! We decided our table was probably where Johnny Depp tore a pheasant with the Queen Mother.

The only building which was not destroyed by the French in the Fire was the Ypres tower, which we visited last. Over the years, this castle has been a prison, a mortuary, and a defensive fortress. Now it's a museum. We got to see what life was like for those poor prisoners--

made a trip to the loo,

and played dress up.

I walked out and realized I was still wearing my damsel ribbons... Oops. I guess I still had hats on the brain.

After returning the ribbons, we made our way back home. A really nice date, I think.

Birthday Girl

Our awesome Annieface turned 26 and we had to celebrate! Our first step was to decorate the house. Kathleen bought animal shaped balloons... I still don't think they look like any animals I have ever seen. But they were still awesome.




Jesse wrapped the present. And what a fabulous job he did.



Then he had to be the annoying older brother and keep her present from her.



Finally she got her present.



She opened it and loved it. It is such an Annie apron.


After dinner, dessert, and general good merriment the Thorsons decided to be a little crazy. They were like a performing act from the circus. The best idea they had was to try and get a tic tac from Jesse's mouth into Kathleen's nose and out her mouth. Unfortunately they failed; but it was hilarious.





And the best way to end the birthday evening was with a rousing game of wordtwist. The Pilgrims household is obsessed with that facebook game. Annie, Kathleen, and I were trying to play, but were being distracted by Jesse. Annie and Kathleen were not too pleased by the distraction.





Birthdays are awesome!

The end!

we aren't quite dead

--just mostly. So our "adventures" lately have gotten a little less silly, and more studly. Studily. Studious. Our final essays/poetry portfolios are due next week, and school starts up then too. Our dear Sarah has fallen ill and is feverishly trying to finish her essays on European theater.

Annie has now come down with the bug as well, and the two sickos stay up in their room writing and sleeping. Jesse and I have decided they're the grandparents from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Poor old Grandpa Joe.

Jesse is healthy so far, and has the most writing to do out of all of us. When he finishes his Shakespeare and Material Culture essay, he has vowed to never teach or read Shakespeare again. Unless he wants to.

I am taking a break for a moment from the oft-deflating process of poetry writing and translation. Aside from my own work, I'm currently translating the poetry of former Elle editor Denise Jallais. It's fascinating stuff, and as far as I've been able to find, hasn't been translated into English. In fact, although she has five books of poetry published in French, I haven't been able to find almost any biographical information on her. I'm not even sure if she's still alive. If any of you poetry peeps have any information, please let me know. Anyway, we're not dead yet, just actually doing schoolwork.

Warning: this post may offend your sensibilities.

Annie and I thought we'd get a birdfeeder. Like ya do. So when I was ordering my groceries online at Tesco, I looked them up. My options were a little surprising: I could purchase either a "Peanut Pecker" or "Fat Balls." That's right. Fat Balls are made up of seeds and beef fat (cuz cows are birds' natural prey) and are available in packages of two. I know. So I thought what the hay, and ordered both.

I was still asleep when the Tesco delivery man came this morning. Do you know what it's like to wake up to someone informing your husband (in a loud Conckney voice) that they were out of Peanut Peckers and had just given him two packages of Fat Balls? I think we got shortchanged.

Winter Break: We've Got Cabin FevER! ya ta ta ta da da DA!

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You know four people have been in a house together without getting out for too long when, over breakfast, you debate whether Pauly Shore could be Dinah Shore's son. Or looking up Dinah Shore, finding that she once dated Jimmy Stewart, and wondering if Pauly Shore was their love child. Then laughing because Dinah Shore sounds like dinasaur.

Or start saying things like, "If we ever get a fish together, let's name it Mitsy."