Maybe I Should Get a Flat in York . . .

It's Wednesday! Aaaah! Where has my week gone? I'm sorry. My only excuse is that I've been out of town again, so didn't get to post Sunday. And to my credit, I did start this Monday. But Monday was rather difficult. And Monday ran into Tuesday. And now it's Wednesday. I'm sorry! Eeeeek! It's FRIDAY!!! I will get this posted today!

So yes, once again I've been in York for the week. It's exhausting travelling back and forth between here and there. Of course, it's even more exhausting attending these conferences. However, this is the last one for a while. That's both a good and a bad thing. It's good because it means I can get back to my life. Specifically, get back to my teaching responsibilities. Thank you Jenny for saving me and teaching my classes for two weeks! You're such a star, and you so own me. I think I'll need to be your slave forever to repay you. I also get to get on with my own research, which is very good and the real test of whether or not these two weeks were well spent or not. I'm confident that they were. The bad news is that I have to do my own work without anyone holding my hand the whole way through. That's not to say that Rebecca won't help me, because she will, but it's not the same as working through things with an expert sitting at your elbow. But it's time for the bird to leave the nest. Scary, but good for me. However, I probably am not totally done with my York visits. There are several other courses on offer to be done: Repair, Word Selection and I forget what all else. Poor Christy has had to put up with me for so long, so often, I figure I ought to get a flat! Last time I was in York, Christy had said something about wondering why there is no "I (heart) Y" for I love York, instead of "I (heart) NY", tshirt. So, as a thank you for taking such good care of me, I photoshoped the NY version, uploaded it, and ordered a tshirt for her. She loved it!









In the middle of the week, of course, we had S.A.D. (That's 'Single Awareness Day' for those of you unlucky enough to get to celebrate it every year.) To commemorate our state of unmarrital bliss, we made sugar cookies.
Mmmmm....










Then we decorated them with cream cheese icing. MMMMMmmmmMMMM! Well thought out Christy! (totally her idea).








After the exhausting routine of 9.30-5.30 CA days, Christy and I spent Friday evening at the movie Penelope. I totally recommend it. It's a Fairy Tail, and a Love Story, but it's very different from the ones you've seen before. Very fun!












Saturday, Christy and I went to Riveaux Abbey, North Yorkshire. As with nearly all the Abbeys in England, it was emptied during the Disolusionment of the Monastaries by Henry VIII. Christy's doing one of her essays on the architecture of Riveaux Abbey, and as she's already been to Fountains Abbey, which is the other grand Abbey near York, we thought it would be good for her essay to visit Riveaux. It was a gorgeous day, and we had a grand time exploring the ruins. The sky was so clear and beautiful, the sun made some great shadows. But the clear sky also meant that the temperature was very low. Freezing cold. But the beautiful arches with the gorgeous sun and shadows.













Some of the remains are kind of funny. There's this one bit that's the base of the vaulted ceilings. It looked so odd just standing there all by its onesie, and really, rather forlorn, too.











But the most wonderful bit was the remains of the colonnade in the cloisters. It was this little corner bit, just 2 arches on either side, meeting in the middle, but was stunning. I can only just imagine what it once looked like. It must have been fabulous.








Yet again, Christy, thanks for a fabulous visit!