Twirls in delight (and also help from my UK friends!)

[cornerofmadness]

This turned into a momentous day. I was thinking it was going to be an awful day (and certainly the test I gave was awful and their attempts pathetic). I nearly didn’t have time to open my email but when I did I found out I was selected as the Madog Fellow for 2012-13! That’s right, I should be able to go and study in Wales this summer! WHEEE! I find out more tomorrow as I’m presented to the board and hear the current fellow’s (a good friend of mine) presentation. I'll be studying the Standing Stones.

In fact, I know she and our other friend, BB, would like me to go with them to Wales in July. There are drawbacks to this. It’s when I teach. We would have to avoid London at all costs because the day of their conference there is the opening of the Summer Olympics and thank you, no to that mess. I could give up my class this summer but the truth is where they need to be and where I would need to be are nowhere near each other so really other than if we were to get plane seats close together I see no real point.

So, my UK friends, I would like some help. Anyone know of any tours of the standing stones in Wales? I found one on line (I will be contacting travel agents naturally). I can find a jillion going to Stonehenge, naturally. At this moment, I honestly know nothing. I’m not even sure 100% what this entails and how much money I get. I know I would like to go to London (I do understand flying into Wales from here is not really much of a possibility) and see people there either before or after doing the Wales tour. However, they’re already raising the prices due to the Olympics. I might end up going to Manchester (which is where that one tour leaves from). All I know about Manchester is that’s where my two friends are most likely flying into before heading to Wales and that the people there have an accent which is one of the few I have ever had to struggle with. The other possibility is flying into Ireland and taking the ferry across.

Now I really MUST get my MRI on my arm and find out where I stand surgery wise. Mom says who gives a damn. You’ve had pain for a decade, go to Wales and don’t worry. Then she and Dad are thinking hey if you go in June that’s our anniversary. We could go too. I wouldn’t mind that in theory. It’s about the only way Mom’s getting anywhere.

This made up for the awful test and for the awful smell. Right before the second test, it started smelling like a sewer in my office. It steadily, quickly got worse. One of my students came in and asked about it. I said ‘bet Dr. A is dissecting road kill again in vertebrate Zoo.’ I take a good smell. Hmmm smells like wet dog and putrescence. I was close. Two road kill coyotes. Too bad I had a test. I would have liked to help with that dissection.

I got a very unexpected blog post on my rss feed today. I’ve only know this author briefly when he interviewed me as part of a platform challenge but he was a very active blogger and tweeter. I found him interesting, not only because he could write a good blog post, he had a point of view that I don’t often get an inside peek at. He’s an African-American man who grew up during the 60’s. Anyhow, he rolled up shop, deactivating everything, FB, twitter, the blog and giving up being a writer. I have to say it took me by surprise and I’m a little saddened by that. I'm trying to think of what would make me quit trying and I just don't know.

Comments

[bay115.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the Madog Fellow! :D

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thank ou

[silvrethorn.livejournal.com]

Yayyy, Wales! You're getting to go! I wish you could go in May--it's such a pretty month, and not tourist season yet, so fewer crowds. Also fewer buses running to tourist sites, too, alas.

You might seriously consider renting a car. You're going to have trouble finding public transportation that goes to where you want to go, especially if you're looking at fairly remote or obscure sites. Driving in the UK sounds scary, but people do it all the time and say it isn't as bad as you think. You might look into what you need in the way of permits to be able to drive in Wales while you still have time. It could save you a lot of trouble and headaches once you're there.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Yes too soon for May unless I want to go after my presentation and rely on online photos for my presentation.

Actually I have found one all inclusive tour which would be better than me driving. I'm trying to avoid that one if I can.

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I am so torn between jealousy and saying CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

...must come up with money to send with you for Wales prezzies....

Roadkill coyote? Interesting.

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Wait, you mean Mr. Jones? The one who sent me a book?

That really sucks!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thank you.

if i even stray off the tour track to buy things. not sure how this is going

two of them. one was huge.

[marlex.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! Very very cool!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

it is. thank you

[rahirah]

Congratulations on the fellowship!!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thank you

[purple-smurf.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on the fellowship!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks

[hierath.livejournal.com]

Congrats! Most of Wales is the middle of nowhere ;) I will have a look into tours for you, but if you decide to drive and need someone to read the map... ;) I also suggest, if you can, flying into Birmingham. It's much closer to Wales than Manchester.
And you have to take a few hours out of your tour so we can meet up! XXX

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

hahaha that's what my Welsh students are telling me.

Hmmm Birmingham, i'll look into that. THank you.

I would definitely like that (granted i have no idea where all my English friends are located in relationship to London)

[bob_fish.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! Amazing.

The first thing to remember re. all kinds of transport within the UK is that the country is tiny compared to the US. First thing to know: you can get the train direct from/to London to most big Welsh cities. I've done this. For instance, trains from London to Cardiff leave every 30 minutes and the journey takes 2 hours.

You are going to need private transport for standing stones since most of them are in fairly rural spots low on public transport.

Finally, I'd be delighted to show you and your buddies around London if you'd like! We have space for guests, but we're talking a pull-out bed in the spare room and an air mattress in the living room for any extras, so if it's all three of you, you guys might want to decide if you'd rather stay in style in a hotel or spend less money and stay with us. Whatever happens, it'd be awesome to meet up and I can tell you where to find good food. I can also give you recommendations re. restaurants etc. for a couple of places in Wales (Cardiff and Swansea and surrounding villages) via friends who are from those places. I'm actually going to be in Wales myself 25th-28th July, attending Dr H's twin sister's wedding near Swansea. And on the 29th, H and I have tickets to Olympic beach volleyball, which is absolutely a serious sport.

Driving within Wales is genuinely pretty easy (at least from a British perspective - there are a lot of small country roads) and I'd encourage you to go for it and share the driving with your friends if you feel like it. You'll have a lot more freedom. I'm not sure why people think driving in the UK is difficult, but if you let me know I can get some feedback on those issues from Dr. H, who's driven most places, including Wales? Driving on the other side of the road takes more thought initially but you do get used to it (everyone here has to swap for France and so on).

I don't know tours and tour companies of standing stones, so I'd likely be Googling the same sources as you - but you could try contacting the Welsh tourist board as a starter.

Re. plane ticket costs - I've heard they're getting expensive too. Manchester is a lovely city (there's lots of Victorian industrial architecture, whether that's a plus or a minus for you), and there do seem to be direct trains to Cardiff (one per hour, journey takes three hours) from there, so you could consider flying in there because it's significantly cheaper.

Get your tickets as soon as you can, wherever you're flying! Because Manchester is two hours from London on the train, tickets there will get more expensive too!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much for all of this. I am looking forward to throwing up on the train very much (okay the last time I rode a train I didn't get too sick...)

Most likely I'll be alone unless my parents seriously join me so I really do not want to drive in Wales, not so much because it's the opposite side of the road and the roads are teeny weeny but because I'd be utterly alone in desolate areas. I know I can find at least one professional tour and then take a side trip to Carmarthen to the college.

I would love to see the Victorian buildings in Manchester and I would probably take a train down to London. Thanks verymuch for the offer to stay.

I think i might have to buy a kindle or borrow my SIL's for this...

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Yowza! Congratulations on the fellowship and I hope you find a ton of interesting standing stones to visit! Are you planning a side trip to Hay-on-Wye (http://www.hay-on-wye.co.uk/), perchance? Someday that's where I'm headed ... [dreams]

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thank you very much. Well since i didn' tknow about that, no but i'll look into it. thanks

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

Hooray for you! That's wonderful!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks

[caffeinified.livejournal.com]

What fantastic news!!! That would be so cool! You'd have to take all the pictures to show us.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thank you and I most definitely will

[ital-gal.livejournal.com]

I am so totally stoked for you. It sounds wonderful and congratulations.

between your good news and your fic, you kind of rescued a very crappy day for me!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thank you so much.

glad I could help

[dragonydreams.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the Fellowship! That's awesome.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thank you very much. It's exciting. I was thinking about you and your mom since I know she does (or did) travel stuff.