Monday, January 25, 2010

Wandering, Wandering...LOST!

Yesterday was Sunday. I decided to go for a walk to explore the city and enjoy the brisk, January air. Off I set--I decided to wear my warmest coat and my tennis shoes so that discomfort would not be the cause for me to return to cozy House 10. I headed to city centre. I decided to stop in the covered market for a cookie. I cannot seem to be able to venture away from the Triple Chocolate Cookie and a cup of cold milk; however, I think the next time I go to Ben's Cookies, I'll follow the example of the girl who ordered after me who, when asked what she'd like, responded, "What is the hottest?" And that's what they got. Mmmmm...a hot cookie with cold milk would be so perfect! I'll be sure to let you know how it turns out next time I go.

Anyway, with cookie in one hand and milk in the other, I turned onto High Street past Magdalen College (CS Lewis is closely tied with this college, but I'm uncertain whether he attended or taught there). The buildings were very beautiful.

I continued walking over a bridge and into a part of town to which I'd never been. Looking back, I should have turned around at this point, but I foolishly kept walking. And even more foolishly, I kept walking. And kept walking. I turned once and then decided to just try to find a different route back to city centre so that I could see more of this mysterious side of Oxford. I ran into Cowley road and turned left. Then I walked for about thirty minutes. At every bend in the road I thought, "Surely I'm close. Surely." Around 3:45, I started getting nervous and began to think that I was lost. I realized that I probably wasn't in the best spot of town. The next bus stop I got to, I stopped and read the sign. It read, "Towards City Centre." So I sighed, sat down, and waited. A couple of shady characters walked by, but soon there were about six people at the stop, all of which seemed to be nice and "posh." When the bus finally came, I got in and asked the driver to take me to City Centre. "1 pound 80, please," he responded. I paid, took my ticket, then relieved, I took a seat. The ride lasted about 10 minutes and I realized my folly: when I'd reached Cowley road, I should have turned right instead of left. That way I would have arrived back at city centre "lick-a-dee-split!" The bus driver pulled up to the intersection of Cornmarket, High Street, Queens, and St. Aldates. I then walked as fast as I could back to the house. Lesson learned: If I wander by myself, I should always turn around before I get too far from the familiar.

Since Dr. Lytle is here now after the Presidential interviews, we had management for the first time today. I really enjoyed it and the two and a half hours seemed to fly by! Afterward, I began working on my new goal: jogging. I donned my sweats, grabbed my iPhone and earbuds, and hit the street headed for University Parks. I need to download the "Rocky" theme song to really get me pumped while I jog. It wasn't pretty, but it was a start. Contented, I returned to the house and tried to warm up by taking a hot shower. Soon, it was time to cook tacos with Claire. Our jalapeno cheese really added to the entree. After dinner, my sweet tooth was back with a vengeance! I asked Malia if she was interested in G&D's ice cream for the second night in a row, and she heartily agreed to come with me. Ryker and Christie joined us as well. I ordered a Brownie Sundae. It was amazing! The brownie was so warm and soft it melted in my mouth. The Bailey's ice cream added a burst of flavor, and the whip cream and chocolate sprinkles completed the ensemble. I ate the entire thing on the walk back to the house. It was GREAT! It cost 5 pounds, so there is no way I'll be getting that very often, but perhaps it'll be a good treat to have every couple of weeks--when my sweet tooth is inconsolable.

Now, I'm in the common room watching a movie with many of my fellow adventurers waiting for 10:30 to roll around so that Jason will be out of class and can Skype with me before I retire for the evening.

Good night world! Your traveler is weary.

No comments:

Post a Comment