Back in the Saddle Again.

Well it's good to be back in Nottingham.

Mostly.

I was pleased/displeased to find that several things had occurred whilst I was away. To my horror I had left my lights on. For an entire month. I feel really bad about that. I take great effort to make sure my lights and computer are off if I am leaving the place. I also am keen on turning off the kitchen light after I am finished doing whatever it is I do in the kitchen. Presumably cooking. Imagine my horror and surprise when I opened my door to find out that I had left my lights on. I'm sorry planet. I'll never do it again.

Also, my room smells less weird than it used to. I must be doing something right. The strange acrid mustiness has seemingly been replaced by a more familiar, warm me-stiness. I guess it smells like me in here.

And there was also the usual, One Thing. What is that look on your face? Confusion? Ah so! I see. You do not know what the One Thing is. The One Thing is (as the name implies) one thing that just chaffs your craw, screws your pooch, throws a monkey in your wrench or does something of equal value to make your day not good. It's usually just bad enough to make you forget about all the good things that happened to you that day. One Thing to rule them all... I digress. Anyhoo, I came back to find that I had no internet. Furthermore, I really needed to look up my exam schedule. I trekked and trudged through the snow and cold and wind to the housing office so that I could simply ask, "WTF?" Upon arriving and forcing "WTF?" into a slightly nicer and better worded inquiry for the girl at the desk, I was told that I should call the (And this is seriously the name for the group that takes care of the intertubes) U-WANT tech support. I suppose the (dis)service is called U-WANT because they always leave U WANTing more.

The grand reason for my lack of internet was: My new computer.

I finally got internet this morning. 2 days after my arrival.

But that's was the One Thing and now it's done. And now I can get down to some serious business. Exams. Fortune smiled upon me (as if sympathetic towards me and my tribulations with my maniacal landlord company) and come to find out I only have 2 exams this week. Not 3 as I had originally feared. So I am able to study at a more comfortable pace. And I feel pretty good about my Chinese, having practiced a meager 10 hours or so while home.

I must say, the travelling was pretty good overall. Because of all the maniacs trying to do bad things with explosives recently, I was expecting all sorts of invasive probings by the airport security. The process was surprisingly straightforward, easy and probe-less. The new security area at Dulles is pretty snazzy looking and reminded me of something out of Blade Runner or Minority Report or any other movie based off a Philip K. Dick novel. They even have cute little videos preparing you for the process as you stand in line.

Lastly, I have a new project I will soon be unveiling. Some of you have heard me talk about. Some of you have helped me come up with some crackerjack ideas for it. Some of you are pretty much the main impetus for it.

That being said. I have a question for any geographers that take the time to read this: If there is one thing that you could tell everyone about geography, what would it be?

Thanks all,

Back to the ol' Zhong Wen (Chinese)

住你新年快乐!

Zhu Ni Xin Nian Kuai Le!

Happy New Year!

- Jonathan "Yet To Be Probed" Trenary