by the end, they had all combined in my head into one giant gray drafty place without plumbing

Yeah, this is the darkside of travelling in the UK with castle freaks. I tried to space it out and plan other stuff the last time I organized a big trip there. Still, lots of castles.

Oh, Nora. That's so amusing, the shot of Tom in front of the Phi Dept, because I saw that today and said glumly, "Our Philosophy building sure doesn't look like that."

it looks like we'll be going to Tantallon Castle and Dirleton Castle. Not that I know how to get there.

Cool. North Berwick is the beach we went to all the time when I was a kid. No coaches run out that way? IIRC, you aren't that far from Dunbar and the Bass Rock and such stuff, but that may not be real convenient if you don't have your own wheels. Lemme google.

I'm home. Party shopping (except for alcohol shopping, which is happening tomorrow) is done. Now I just have to get baking and cooking and shit. But, first I nap, 'cause I'm exhausted.

Nora, I'm glad you've been able to calm down a bit. Hopefully Tom will be able to convince them to go ahead and just deposit the check. This is one of the reasons I refuse to switch banks, even though my bank is an hour away. They deposit payroll checks (and they consider disability checks as payroll) to be available for immediate withdrawal. I don't know of any other bank in the area that does that. Some days it's worth having to drive an hour to have the entire amount available immediately.

Oh, but Nora, if you need someone to drop by with a tea of coffee or something, give me a holler. I'm available.

I'm going to Canterbury when I get back to London--I'm really looking forward to it.

At night was come into that hostelrye
Well nine-and-twenty in a companye
Of sundry folk, by aventure y-falle
Into fellowship, and pilgrims were they alle
That toward Canterbury woulden ride

I really should go to England someday--I'm such an Anglophile. Heck, I should actually get a passport and leave the country for a trip somewhere!

No coaches run out that way?

I'm sure there are buses, but I don't know their numbers or when they run. I expect a stop at the Tourist Information Center before I leave.

IIRC, you aren't that far from Dunbar and the Bass Rock and such stuff

These sound like things I should see. Off to google too.

It's 60 degrees in the house. I don't know yet if the furnace can be repaired. The guy will probably show up before 1.

I like Salisbury Cathedral. I need to go back to Britain and go to museums and drink beer. I also need to find someone else insane enough to want to walk along Hadrian's Wall [link]

On the eastern slope of Doon Hill, by Dunbar, can be seen the outline of the foundations of a British lord's feasting hall and that of his Anglian successor.

Looks like there's an active archaeological project going on there, SA. Might be worth poking into.

Ginger, I probably won't ever do that walk, but I just remember that I really should see Hadrian's Wall while I'm here. So thanks.