Capturing Robert Burns

August 18, 2009

Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies:
But, if ye wish her gratefu prayer,
Gie her a Haggis!

- Robert Burns, Address to a Haggis

Robert Burns is a great poet. When Liz and I traveled through Scotland this spring, we couldn't escape the prominence of this 18th-century genius. There were statues, exhibits, letters, paintings, and memorials in his honor in every city we visited on the isle. We were enamored by his work, his talent, and his intellect. But even more so by his dashing figure and charming smile. Robert Burns is our historical heartthrob.

Last week I learned that Cheyenne has its own Robert Burns statue. Asked by a tourist why it would even exist in a dinky American railroad town formed a century after his existence, I was speechless. I've known this statue my entire life but have failed to recognize that it was Robert Burns. The Robert Burns, I tell you!


So I had to get a picture with him. Without anyone to help me, I made a fool of myself trying to get my camera at a decent angle. After many failed attempts and snickers from passing cars, I barely succeeded.


And I still have no idea why Robert Burns would be in Wyoming. He's just that cool I guess.

Free Parking?

August 15, 2009


Other than a life-size Monopoly board, my bathroom has several unusual functions.

Our dryer broke last month and my dad has yet to fix it. Unable to live as a civilized being without clean clothing, I've found other means of drying them. After rejecting the Uncle Buck method of microwaving my shirts or suspending my jeans from the ceiling fan, I've resorted to hanging everything in my bathroom. Now it is a jungle of preshrunk fabrics and polyester blends.


In addition to a makeshift laundry room, my bathroom has also turned into a dictionary. Preparing for the GRE, I've compiled a heap of essential vocabulary words and hung them all over the wall. Over the course of the summer, I've kept adding to the list and transformed that empty space into a lexicographer's nightmare.


I will miss my multifarious bathroom once I head to school.