There's No Such Thing As An Uneventful Week For Me

So, as you know, I was finally able to sit back and relax this past week in Exeter because it was one of the first weekends that I wasn't traveling.  Doesn't it sound nice to rest in bed and to be able to take naps at your leisure?  Well, that's what I did do this past week, but not for the reasons you think.  Yes I was stuck in bed, and yes, I did take naps on and off, but not because I was resting, it's because I probably had a concussion.
After such an active weekend in Wales, all I wanted to do was rest, and I especially needed sleep so I could work on my paper that was due (which was last Thursday).  So five days ago, on Wednesday, October 27th, a day before my paper was due, I decided to walk into town to go to the Orange store to get my phone fixed.  I had recently switched my phone over to my Verizon Blackberry, but since I am on the Orange network in Britain, my e-mails and internet weren't working correctly on my phone.  So I went into the Orange store and they fixed my phone with no problems!  I was glad to be rid of my little international phone and happy as ever to be texting back on my USA miniature keyboard.  As I was headed back to my flat to go work on my paper, I passed a brand new store that had just opened with a sign reading that they had toilet paper for less than a pound!!!  Unable to pass on that offer, I decided to go into the brand new store and stock up on toilet paper.   This store was amazingly priced.  It is definitely the Wal-Mart of England.  So as I was picking out my toilet paper and minding my own business, I felt my body being slammed into the toilet paper display.  I was knocked over so hard, that I fell forward and hit my head and hip, and was lying on the floor with a bloody head.  As I was getting up, I realized that I had just been hit by a motorized wheelchair!  NO JOKE.  I honestly wish I was kidding, but sadly, this is the truth.  Many may wonder: How does one get hit by a motorized wheelchair?  My response: It comes with living the life of Logan Kinsey.
But anyway, there I am laying on the floor of this new store with a bleeding forehead with toilet paper all around me.  As a result of being hit by the motorized wheelchair, I fell into the toilet paper display case knocking them all over.  Luckily, one of the store managers saw the accident, helped me up, got me some bandages, and gave me my toilet paper for free!  He even threw in some paper towels and let me pick out free candy for me to take back to my flat.  He was really nice and even went to the back room and came back with a 15% discount coupon off of select items for the next time I shop there.
However, the woman who hit me was not as thoughtful.  I have no idea how she lost control of her wheelchair, but somehow how it happened.  She waited around to see if I was okay, and then as soon as I got up, she motored off.  If you ask me, I would classify it as a 'hit and run'.  I didn't even receive an "I'm sorry" from her.  And another thing I would like to add, as she motored off, she seemed to have pretty good control over her wheelchair....
I ended up walking home even though my leg and hip and head were still hurting.  As soon as I got back to my flat, I curled up in bed and fell asleep until my next class.  So there you go.  I did get some rest this week, but only because my body needed to relax after being hit by a motorized wheelchair.  My forehead looks all better, but the bruising on my leg is still a bit puffy.
But my week got better.  The next day, I turned in my paper, and did a little shopping as celebration.  And guess what?  I found the best sale of my entire life.  I bought a dress for 2.50 pounds!  And it's a really cute dress that was originally over 30 pounds!  That made my head and bruising feel a lot better.  Later that night I called my Mom (it was her birthday!), and went out with some friends.
Friday morning I woke up early with the rest of the Kenyon-Exeter group and headed to the train station and visited our Kenyon Professor in Topsham.  Topsham is only four towns over from Exeter, and it is only a 20 minute train ride.  Once we got off of the train at Topsham, our Professor was waiting for us with her dog!  I can't remember what kind of dog she has, but it was so adorable.  It made me miss my 17 year old, Lucy so so much.  In Topsham, we went walking next to the river, had some lunch, and did a little shopping.  A lot of the stores reminded me of my Mom and her friends because they were all cute little vintage stores.  Also, I found a little something that reminded me of my brother, so he may or may not be getting a holiday gift from Topsham.  There was also a great wine and cheese restaurant there that  my friends and I went to later so that we could have a wine and cheese poetry reading party for the night.  Here are some pictures of Topsham (and there is my Professor's dog):

And then there was saturday...HALLOWEEN (well, technically it was Sunday, but we all celebrated on Saturday because once it hit midnight, it was official).  I dressed up as a candy cane.  I don't know why I chose a candy cane.  I think I am now realizing the effect that Candy, the stripper from Wales, had on me, seeing that I chose to be candy and that is her stripper name.  And speaking of Candy, we have spoken on aol instant messager since I've been back at Exeter.  She's back home in Swansea right now, but is heading back to Cardiff next week to get back to dancing.
Also, just to give a sort of sense to some of the people that I am studying with here at Exeter, I have a story.  Last week in class, my lips were burning so much and I forgot to bring my chapstick.  I leaned over to another American student and asked if she had any chapstick.  She said yes, dug through her backpack, and handed me a pair of CHOPSTICKS.  I looked at her funny, and then she said, "Oh, did you say chapstick rather than chopstick?"  I nodded my head and then she said, "Yeah, I was wondering why you wanted chopsticks." But anyway, WHY was she carrying around chopsticks in her backpack? And what did she think I would do with chopsticks during class?  It turned out that she didn't have any chapstick, but only had chopsticks.  Who carries around chopsticks and not chapstick???  My lips burned for the rest of class.
That is basically all that has happened to me this week, but the wheelchair incident was quite a traumatic happening.  The other day when I was in town, I saw a motorized wheelchair and grasped the arm of one of my friends.  Hopefully I'll get over my fear of motorized wheelchairs, but it was a very painful experience...motorized wheelchairs are heavier and more powerful than they look.  Next weekend I go to London to see a few shows and the weekend after I am going to Paris with some friends from Exeter and I am meeting two other good friends from Kenyon; one who is studying in a different part of London, and the other who is studying in Paris.  Check my blog next week for updates on London!