The place where lost socks go...

Writing this entry from the Event Horizon! Ah, tis always good to be back! Stumpy has already come out to greet me (and demand the requisite petting), though Chirp is invisible thus far. Perhaps she knows that I'm bringing her to the vet for dental work tomorrow morning?

There's quite a week ahead of me, with both work and play to enjoy. I hit the ground running, as the lovely danaeris will be here in about an hour. After grabbing a bite together, we are off into the city for Poly Karaoke. Looks to be a fun evening to get me started; the work part begins tomorrow morning.

And on Saturday? BIRTHDAY PARTY! Wahoo!!

This weekend was most pleasant, thanks to a delightful combination of the charming danaeris and beauty that is Oxford.

I met up with the lovely danaeris, who is visiting from across the pond, in London at the end of our respective workdays. We made our way back to Oxford, where I re-introduced her to Giles and The Boy at the Flat With No Name. Giles has grown considerably since the last time that she saw him, in June 2008. Then he was just a few weeks old -- now he has grown into a grand kitty!

Eventually, cheshcat and bunnypip arrived and the four of us made our collective way to the Pink Giraffe for dinner. Without a doubt, the Giraffe is my favourite Chinese restaurant in England -- their selection of fake meats makes their vegetarian menu a veritable cornucopia!

At the end of the evening, cheshcat and bunnypip headed out to the Leveret Warren.

On Saturday, after a lie in, danaeris and I headed out to explore a bit of Oxford. This weekend, the Oxford Preservation Trust was running their annual Oxford Open Doors event, in which a large number of colleges and historic buildings open their doors[*] to the public. I do so love my city and have not done any new exploring in some time... so away we went!

We started at Exeter College, founded by the Bishop of Exeter -- Walter de Stapledon -- in 1314. Exter is the fourth oldest college[**] of Oxford University. Fans of Phillip Pullman should note that it is also in the location of the fictional Jordan College from the His Dark Materials series. At Exeter, we strolled the quad and the Fellows' Gardens. We also took a peek in at the dining hall and the chapel. I was particularly struck by the chapel, where the design and stained glass windows reminded me of Sainte Chapelle in Paris. I was pleased to later learn that the coincidence was not a coincidence -- the Exter chapel was indeed modelled on Sainte Chapelle.

After leaving Exeter College, we visited the Baptist Chuch in Bonn Square, which was not nearly as spectacular. Then we headed to the Oxford Castle to join in on one of Bill Spectre's Oxford Ghost Trail Walks. cheshcat and I have seen Bill Spectre before, last Halloween at Blenheim Palace. He is an excellent storyteller... and very funny, too! Many laughs during his ghost walk..... and I also found myself tapped twice on the shoulder by an old ghost!

Finally, we made our way to Cowley to get dinner at a new Indian restaurant there. The food was phenomenal, and I shall most definitely be returning there! When done eating, we returned home and spent the rest of the evening sharing some quality alone time catching up.

On Sunday, the day began with another lie in, followed by a trip to Hythe Bridge to see a slide show and a talk about the floating chapel that used to be moored there for the boatmen on the Oxford Canal. We then strolled alongside the canal until we reached Jericho, then walked over to Green Templeton College. At the college, we listed to two lectures about the Radcliffe Observatory, it's history, and the discoveries made there. The first talk seemed more like advertising for Green Templeton College, but the second was quite fascinating!

When the talks ended, danaeris and I got Thai food for dinner, then ice cream at G&D's for dessert. We returned home and were greeted by the beautiful bunnypip and my belove cheshcat, and we all got to share some more time together. When the hour started getting late, bunnypip drove home. danaeris used some of her ice skating expertise to help me understand why my skates have never stopped being intensely painful -- a fact that seriously curtailed my figure skating progress. Thanks to her, I now know what I need to do to continue making progress in my skating classes. Finally, cheshcat shared some cuddle time before drifting off to sleep.

Overall, a most pleasant weekend! Now a most hectic week awaits, as I depart for Japan in just seven days!!

ETA: Also, a most happy birthday to The Boy, Chirp, Stumpy, and Nona! Hard to believe that, as of Saturday, my litter of little kittens is seven!

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[*] Hence the name. Clever, huh?

[**] After University College (1249), Balliol College (1263), and Merton College (1264).