Grass, Sherlock, and Dinosaurs .....and Josh Ritter

So yesterday morning I got up (!) at 9 or so. I went to the Imperial College, home of the Imperial Stormtroopers, birthplace of the Imperial March. Or so I predict. And there I got a (free) membership to that student union, they do it so that we can meet other British lads, and the drinks are cheaper. Then I went over to the parks, to Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park.

$#@^&(@#$(*&^@!#@!#!

So there was going to be a picture there, but then I went to my memory card/camera, and ALL my pictures from yesterday are just...not there. It decided that they weren't worthy of Kodak C743's high standards, so they decided not to keep them. It still has the pictures from Sunday, but not any from yesterday. It's not all bad, I had pictures of the parks, which I'm sure I'll be back to, and the museum, which weren't too exciting (but terribly clever), and Josh Ritter, which were blurry anyways. But still, how does that happen?! I hope it doesn't happen when I go somewhere more exciting. Oh no!!! I had one in the Underground while I was waiting to get on the train, something to do with Escalator something something, and I had a great joke. AND a police officer told me I couldn't take pictures. So I risked my life for this photo, and it's not there. Bloody British.

Anyways, so then I had British Crime Fiction, and we just talked about different crime fiction we'd read, or watched (extensive discussions on Law & Order and CSI) and started reading a few short stories. That should be a good class.

Then after that I had a couple hours to burn so I went to the Natural History museum, the huge, awesome-looking place that was the perfect camera-moment, something that everyone took pictures of because of its grand stature and monumental-type look.....blast. But there were dinosaurs and snakes (I had a picture of a snake, and I was going to say "That's what you get for being a snake - you die!" because I hate snakes, but then without the picture I don't get the chance). There was a T-Rex, but I was quite disappointed, it was a big animatronic thing that moved and roared, it was a little cheesy. I was hoping more for just a skeleton, something that felt real. Maybe the animatronic one was with a real skeleton, that would have been slightly better, but still.

Then at night Sarah and I went to Josh Ritter at this place a few stops away. There was a big line outside, but when we got in, it was in the "something Ballroom" and it was basically like a highschool gym, a really cool, small place with the stage at the end. And we were like 6 rows back from the front, standing, so we were really close. The show was really good, the opener was Dawn Landes, who I decided I could indeed marry on the spot. Then Josh Ritter came on, and they played a pretty good set. At one point, he noted the room's four disco balls, and ordered them on, and told the band to play slow dance music. Then he urged everyone to slow dance, and brought a girl up from the front row to dance with him (Sarah was not happy about that one). Then in the encore, Dawn and her drummer came on for a big group set, played a couple songs. I've never seen anyone so happy to be playing than Josh, he has the biggest smile, constantly throughout all the songs, like this is just the peak of his life, and it's really genuine too, it was pretty fun.

Today I have three classes - British Life & Culture, Urban Anthropology, and Shakespeare in London. Then tonight we're going to Richard II, the Shakespeare play we are reading, in the Roundhouse Theatre, so that should be cool.

HOPEFULLY my camera will keep the pictures today. Otherwise I shall toss it into the street, turn my back, and walk away.