Intelligence Via Osmosis

• Despite what you may think, visiting Oxford does not actually make you smarter.  In fact, it might ultimately make you feel like instead of taking this city break, you should really be studying at the library at your own school.  Whoopsies.
• Understandably, touring the storied Bodleian Library and other buildings around Oxford is pretty humbling.  Built at a time when books were a luxury few could afford, the Bodleian now contains hundreds of thousands of manuscripts, printed books, and other treasures.  The nerd in me came out to play for realsies, even throwing out some knowledge courtesy of my "History of Books" course back in the day (thanks UCLA!).  My friends showed obvious enthusiasm at my limited, and probably incorrect, recollections about illuminated manuscripts.  Team players.
• A cold crisp day of sightseeing is such fun!  Warm ciders followed by pub lunches by the fireplace are a great way to spend an afternoon.  But then the sun goes down.  And it starts to rainsleetsnow.  And then the crisp day turns into wet soggy night.  And then it's time to go home.
• London snowball fights are fun but they can still make you miss those quality DC battles during Snowmageddon.  And all the friends who enjoyed them with you.

Aunt Katie

• Finding out that I am going to be an aunt as of September 2012 was, by far, the best Christmas gift I received.
• Keeping that information secret during our whole-family Christmas dinner and the months since has caused me physical pain.  Many, many moons of agonizing silence.
• Stopping myself from walking into every single baby store in London has been even worse.  Especially the ones with the mini-person shoes in the window displays.
• I may or may not have cheated on both of the above efforts.  Minor detail.
• Witnessing Sarah and Mike's excitement as they broke the news to us Christmas morning made me imagine how wonderful it would have been to have Dad standing there with a video camera, unknowingly recording the announcement of his first grandchild.  He would have had a montage edited by lunchtime.

Congratulations to my beautiful sister and her wonderful husband!  

I love you both and can't wait to be your child's favorite relative.

**The happy parents have requested Facebook silence...for now.