Today's feature: A Guest Author& Oxford Day 2

I am passing onto you all my latest traveling saga via a guest author. My partner is crime is responsible for this one...
I saw that your car was gone. After making a few phone calls, the police told me it was towed on June 29. I have located the car, and it is fine (good news- that's the good news?! Am I in some alternate universe?!). The complex towed it so they could paint the parking lot lines (bad news). After getting some legal advice from Robin( I am forever indebted to you), who along with Brad and I, was really floored that the complex would do this with absolutely no notice. I need you to fax a signed, notarized statement to the towing company with your name, car description, and vin # giving me permission to get the car out. There is a chance that the complex can have it returned, but I will not know until Tuesday. It could have been much worse (stolen). Isn't he such the optomist? The towing company also said that the complex planned on towing my car, but the painter had enough room after your car was moved.convenient no?!
So needless to say my car is in a impound lot in Orlando... The complex does this after I had been in 3 times before I left to tell them I would be gone... blah blah blah and they never told me they were painting... or to move my car. And why couldn't they move my car to an open spot?!
To make matters worse, I need to get a notary to sign a legal slip saying that others have the right to get the car. Oh and by the way in England, there are no such thing as a notary- you see a solicitor for that- a solicitor is an attorney!So I would have to pay an attorney to sign this paper saying the others have the right to get my car out of an impound lot in which my car was towed to due to the complete incompetence of my apartment complex. I believe irate would be a good way to describe how I was feeling at that point...
But things do work out, more than anything because I have really good friends. If they were here I'd treat them all to chocolate, gummy candy or any other goody they may so desire. Hopefully my car will be returned in tact tomorrow. Let's just hope that the cool headed ones can take care of this. I have learned a lot from watching the Scots over here and I think Conway Station just would not want to talk to me.
ps deb- I hope the races were good and thank you soooo much!

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And now onto today's activities outside of cursing Conway Station at regular intervals.
I actually had a normal breakfast this morning of cereal! it was welcomed and the tea woke me up a bit. I journeyed out to find shower shoes - never thinking to pack some- the joys of dorm life! Did I mention that my room is on the top floor I have to hike up 4 flights of stairs to get there and if I am not in excellent shape after this month, I don't know when I will be. I must have hiked them at least 10 times today. The stores here are little city shops some trendy some just holes in the wall but all interesting to look at. it always freaks me out when I see a McDonald's around...
It was so cold today! I was shivering wearing cords and a fleece sweatshirt I brokedown and had to get a sweater- kinda pathetic- makes me realize just how used to the Florida climate I am.
I had an orientation to the Libraries here at Oxford and I have access to all of them and it is jsut weird to think of the texts I could be handling... I feel way over my head and am having flashbacks to my undergrad days when I was boggled by so much.
The fellow ( not a synonym for guy- think professor but more important) who is teaching my Cold War to present class is a wealth of knowledge and talked pretty much non stop for 2 hours- without any notes. I don't think he blinked. I was good for an hour- what he was talking about really did interest me. But my mind as it does started to wander. For those of you who don't know, I have an incredibly short attention span and a hour is quite long for me. i believe i started thinking about the amazing capacity of my tutor's hair to be so many places at once. Then onto , why is it that historians are always rounding old men, with a not so good fashion sense? or What is the correct way to spell programme? program? I did make it out and as we exited one woman asked if i had noticed her nodding off; at least I wasn't the only one!!
I managed to sneak in a bit of a jog in the drizzly 60 degree cold. As I ran down the narrow streets a guy ran up aside me and asked if I knew any good places to run. When I said no, he took of like a shot- I passed by him later and reported he had found nothing promising either. So it looks like cobblestone sidewalks lined with 17th century buildings will be my paths.
After dinner we had our first lecture, on British Politics in the Recent Election. It was really interesting to learn more about Blair and his new labor party. Especially how the Iraq war had done quite a bit of damage to his rep. Those eager historians asked many questions at the end and in all reality, I just wanted to go to sleep!
So here I sit typing away in the basement computer 'lab' of 13 computers. My bed is once again calling, so I will bid you all goodnight.
Cheers!