Justin visits York-shuh

Last Thursday, a friend of mine from Tacoma stopped by Leeds on his way from India to Tacoma. I picked Justin up from the train station at TWO in the morning! Which in my other life would have been beyond late, but I am grateful that this rowdy graduate school lifestyle has acclimated me to late night adventures such as this; we certainly sat up talking until the weee hours of the morning.

Partially due to my upbringing in the great Northwest United States of America, and partially from my experience with weather here in Leeds, when it was sunny on Friday I ensured that Justin and I had a decent amount of outdoor time. We headed up to a little town near Leads, Knaresborough. The train ride alone would have been enough to satisfy the eyes with their fill of rolling green countryside and trees with leaves turning that last bit of rusty yellow before the next storm strips them bare, but wait! There's more!

I love the changing of the leaves. Deciduous forests can be so beautiful. I can hardly contain myself. :o) Upon arriving in Knaresborough we discovered a path that wound through (maybe not as literally through the trees as the picture above may suggest) the trees and next to the river Nidd, and we could look up to the historic bridge which gives really adds to the beauty of this town.

We stopped by Harrogate on the way home, wandering around town and stumbling across some really lovely rose gardens.

We rounded off the evening with viewing of a cult classic, With Nail and I. Let me just say this: hilarious.There. That's it. Done. My friend, Maddy, joined us for the film and whilst Justin fell fast asleep in the first 30 minutes, Maddy and I stayed up to watch the main characters use plastic bags for rain boots and we acquire great fodder for movie quote banter such as: "Don't threaten me with a dead fish." There is also apparently a couple drinking games that can accompany this film (they are especially clever here in the UK for their games involving alcohol) and one variation involves matching the main characters alcohol consumption drink for drink... well, this would make you very ill indeed.