Freezing Weather and Ice Storms

This week has been very cold in Norman, sub-zero temperatures due to a cold front passing over the country. Yesterday I awoke to a very familiar scene, a completely overcast sky and wetness from the drizzle, pretty average really you'd think, but if you thought this you'd be wrong. On going outside I was not met with a damp path but an icy one, so taking a decision to walk on the grass seemed the natural thing to do except this was just as slippy. Every where looked like it had been covered with a frosting of glazed sugar. This was due to the rain being so cold it freezes as it falls so in effect it's raining ice crystals, i.e. freezing rain.
Ice that accumulated around some barbed wire on a fence thanks to the freezing rain

Over night it started to sleet and in the morning I woke up to what looked like a very snowy Norman. Below is a view from my apartment window.
With drifts over a couple of inchs thick it was out of the question to even think about trying to defrost the car and go anywhere as you can see from the pictures below.
It carried in heavily sleeting on an off all day and it stings as the ice falls on your face when you are outside. The sleet has compacted and it feels very wierd walking on top of it as its fairly hard so you don't sink like in snow, but its not solid like a dry ground.

A very quiet Imhoff Road and some of the ice which thickly accumulated on the branches.

All of campus has been shut the last few days and so that means no lectures, but also no facilities, not even the gym (so no yoga class), indoor swimming pool or in fact the club house office meaning we can't even play a game of pool! Once all the reading has been done for lectures it really is a case of amuse yourself which trust me after 2 days already is starting to wear thin. Campus is closed again tomorrow but hopefully it should be open again on thursday.

We did manage to pass a bit of time however by sledging down the small 'hills' (I use the term very losely) by the baseball courts. Great fun but cold and gives you a wet bum.

(1) Me climbing back up the slope (2) The slopes next to the apartment complex (3) Becky, Rob G and I well wrapped up

Spring Semester Begins

So having spent a well earned month back home in England in which I managed to catch up with many friends and family I found it was time for me to head back to Norman for yet another long semester, made better than the last by the following facts:

• I know where things are and how things work over here now
• It's the winter now, so it can only get warmer and sunnier
• Spring break is right in the middle of the semester and unlike Thanksgiving I actually get a whole week off
• Chasing season starts in a couple of months
• When I'm done I can come home and see my friends graduate, and also be back in time for a few met socials :)
• Mum and Dad are coming to see me

On the not so good side however is the fact thaat the modules are a lot more restricting on choice, but somehow I don't think that my tutors in Reading would be too pleased if I branched out that little bt too far and there is yet a again a lot of work to do and many mid-term exams to look forward to.

So, these past 10 days haven't been so eventful really, last weekend Pete, Becky and I, being the only ones back at this point, went to shop in Oklahoma city and then for dinner and an explore around the older part of the town known as Bricktown, there are no pictures but there are intentions of going back so I'm sure there will be some appearing some day. From there we went to the air port to pick up Laura and Rob and still being tired from travelling myslef went to bed early, (again). The next day was quiet and then on monday we had to make 2 trips to the airport in the day to pick up the remaining Robs, monday was Martin Luther King day so there wwere no lectures scheduled.

Tuesday was the inaugeration of President Obama, we saw the swearing in on television but had to leave quickly as the first lectures of the day started. The following days involved going to various lectures many at annoyingly spread out times (too long to stay in the building, too short to go home) so I ended up staying and being excesively bored. All in all I was very glad when it got to 6 o'clock on friday when I could finally leave for the weekend which i have been taking very easily.

Thursday held the most interesting event as it was unusually warm, it actually managed to get up to 26C! In true British style we immediately took advantage by putting on the swim suits and heading to the hot tub for a long chat out in the warmth. In complete contrast to thursday its forecast to be an icestorm tomorrow and if this happens its likely that there will not be any lectures, this could cause mt problems as I really do need to go and get some more food so I'll have to try do that today I think.

It's only 7 weeks until spring break in which I'm hoping to go to San Diego, and also visit Long Beach and Los Angeles whilst I'm in the area. If I had more time and money I would venture a bit further north though California to San Francisco, but I'm not sure I'm going to manage that sadly.

After that then there are only a couple of weeks to mum and dad's visit and then only 6 weeks including exams to the finish line.