cornerofmadness

Yes, finally. I'm ready to share the rest of the vacation. But first, let me tell you about this day. It was off to a good start, I woke up feeling decent. Sat down and called Direct because stations from the 'ultimate' package (i.e. the most expensive one) had been absent in week one, then appeared and then disappeared. Well over an hour later I'm still on the phone with them, at this point I've lost my temper (which people who know me will tell you is bad. No one will be on TV going 'she was so quiet, I can't believe she killed her neighbors, no they'll be there going, well she DID have a temper). I was SUPPOSED to be getting protection for this so the techs would be free (now 10$ a month but it's 100$ if the tech has to come) but since it's only been two freaking weeks, they'd waive that. But it turns out it's not a tech issue, there's something wrong with the software in the box. You know the brand new one. They're supposed to be calling me back at some point to fix it/replace it. I better be getting my money back.

While this is going on, it's obvious someone is under my apartment in the lake under my bed. I go out eventually to see what's going on. They're there to fix the leaks. I felt bad for him having to slither into that space. In theory it's fixed and lake should dry.

I fight with my online test because the person who helps us at work is gone all week. Sorry but no one should get vacation in the first two weeks. And he didn't say anything until Friday before he left so I didn't have time to get the new site license for the software I know. Blackboard now has its own software. That was easy to do. Getting it to deploy and to all three sections was NOT easy and I wanted it to die.

I go into town to the laundromat and the streets are torn up. I can't tell if they're fixing the train rails or removing them but they're making a mess. Get my trial contacts, my meds, a few things for lunch from Kroger's (splurged on the cotton candy grapes and bourbon and truffle Haagen Dasz) Came home with a migraine.

We went to the national botanical gardens to see the apothecary shop which was super cool. Behind the apothecary was a Physicians of Myddfai garden with all the healing herbs in it. They were labeled with what they were meant to treat. It was nicely done and they used the local slate to help add some design to it. We also saw the largest single span greenhouse which had some nice things as did the butterfly house. It was a fun day, but it went on a bit long as Mary went to pick up her friend (a witch, known as the Talogwitch on FB). Way too long really because by the time we crossed from west Wales to east we only had a half hour (again!) to see the sites.

We wanted to see the Roman baths in Caerleon, but we only got to peek in as a) it was for pay b) the amphitheater was better and c) both were closing in a half hour so we had to make choice. The amphitheater was worth it. I picked up on the excitement and anticipation of the crowd from it and ELD picked up the anxiety and fear (so everyone’s empathy was working but mine was aligned with those enjoying the violence). We also saw the remains of the Roman barracks which were very cool. They had an immense latrine which is an engineering feat really. I picked up a few bits of brick chips from the amphitheater (off the ground, no damaging ancient sites for me)

We drove to Caerwent and saw more roman ruins and an old church St Stephen and St Tathan which had roman artifacts (including a cineray urn with human remains in it). I bought another little booklet and I should have looked it over IN the church because the saint was buried there and you could lift the floorboards and see him. I would have liked to do that.

We hit our destination, the Three Tuns in Chepstow in the shadow of Chepstow castle from 1066 (well the wood and earth one was from then but it’s gone. We’re looking at a stone one built in the 11 and 1200s) and on the River Wye. We walked the bridge and stood between Wwales on one side and England on the other. Now the three tuns was a fascinating place to stay. It dates to the 1400s built on the battle grounds of the Castle. It was mortuary in the 1660s and it still has the viewing window in the kitchen (they let us peek in in the morning). The flooring is original and there is something in the closet that doesn’t really like we’re here. I did a little ghost sweep at night but man I wish we had stayed there a couple more days (though the bathroom was about the size of one on an airplane!!

We ate at the riverside and talked with Mary and Allison for hours in the pub at the tun drinking gladiator cider (6% ) and it was the most delicious cider ever. I’m going to be SO disappointed when I can’t find this in the states. The bartender kept apologizing since mine was the dregs and cloudy but that just meant a)higher alcohol content b) higher sugar content. SO. Damn. Good (and no I can’t find it here, not even online) Mary and Allison gave us the book of spell craft they published and I’ve seen read it. I like it because even if it’s not magic a lot of it helps the wild animals and birds so there’s that. Celtic Spells

Apothecary

A shelf of poisons from Agatha Christie novels

THe Apothecary had tons of drawers with herbs and info about them and what they would have been used for in both English and Welsh (ELD found them first)