June was a fairly quiet month socially, because it was the month from hell at work. I picked up a new audit (taking into account that I haven't really been doing audits for the past 1.5 years, but more consulting type work) that I got involved in b/c it had a US GAAP element, and the CFO of the company was very demanding and a bit of a bully. Just reminded me of how much I don't want to do audit and made me appreciate the work I've been doing instead. Oh well, it's over now. Until next year that is...meh.
I did get a couple of days out in June to go to the corporate training facility for a three day “development centre”. I felt privileged to go as you have to be nominated to go, but I had heard some stories that it was pretty intense. It was, but not terrible. Basically you just do a load of roleplays, a report and a presentation, and there are some senior managers and HR people that tell you what you need to improve upon to get promoted to manager. It was nice b/c I'd never taken that much time to consider things like what motivates me or how I learn and how I can translate those into the work I do to make it more meaningful. Granted I don't think anything would every make audit more meaningful but hey. It was a good few days overall, and I met some cool people from other offices, which is always nice.
The world cup was on during June, which was pretty exciting to be a part of in Europe. It's such a non-event in the US – someone here just couldn't believe how complacent the Americans are about it and asked me, “Even in '94 when you guys hosted it?” I just blinked at him – I didn't even know that we had hosted it at all! Anyway it is a BIG event here. For some reason they let England, Wales, Scotland, and N. Ireland compete as separate nations even though they are the same country, but England is usually the only one to make it to the final, as it happened this year as well. All of the English were very excited about this, but typical of the English self-defeatist mentality, most people openly admitted that they didn't expect England to win. Can you imagine an American saying that they didn't expect their team to win? I mean at something we're actually good at (b/c the English are pretty good) – it would be like admitting that our basketball team competing in the Olympics isn't very good and probably won't win. I guess this is the main thing I miss about sports in Britain vs sports in America – the passion! There is so much more passion in American sports fans, and yes, it may look a little bit mental at times, but it's so much more fun! I admit, the English had their football hooligans a few years back, and I reckon some of them still exist, but that really is mental, not fun. I went to a big pub for one of the England games with James and his friends, and found it all incredibly boring how everyone celebrated for a goal – a quick little hoorah and then back to relative silence. Maybe it's just me but I love going absolutely crazy when my team scores, and keeping the crazy going for at least a few minutes following the goal. I think this is just another example of the small cultural divide between the Yanks and the Brits – we're just louder. And I love it.
Other than the festivities for the world cup I did manage to get to a birthday/housewarming party of a friend from work, and my grandma's friend from home came to Europe with her daughter and stopped at my flat for a few days. It was good to be around some fellow Americans, and it was her daughter's first trip to Europe so was good to see her first impressions. We went to see Legally Blonde the musical, which was actually better than I was expecting – they really capitalised on the whole dumb blonde sorority girl thing and made it funny. The main song had a chorus of “Oh my God, oh my God you guys” - awesome! It was with these two friends that I was walking when I stumbled across something spectacular – Chipotle!! It was late in the evening so it had already closed, but I made a pilgrimage back that weekend and felt like I heard the angels singing when I walked through the door – it really was Chipotle! I asked the man behind the counter if it was the only one in London, and he said it was the only one in Europe! [I just realised that I've ended the last four sentences with an exclamation point, but I was seriously excited] And it had something even better – they gave you the choice of brown or white rice, which I've never seen in an American Chipotle. I savoured that massive burrito for as long as I could make it last, mmmmm.
Also during June I made a big accomplishment in yoga – I did my first full headstand! I was very proud b/c it's one of those things that when I started doing yoga I thought I would never be able to do and watched enviously as the more experienced ones in my classes would do them. But now I can do it! I can't hold it for very long, but hey – that's why they call it a practice, right?
That's about it for June. I'm on a roll this weekend – May and June done, now just need to squeeze July in and I'll be caught up! And then it will be another three months until I write the August entry. :)
Love to all, miss you guys,
Heather xoxo
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
May 2010 - Stockholm, concerts, and sunshine
Wow. The summer has been busy I guess, considering my silence for the last three months. Well May started out in Stockholm, where James and I went for the first bank holiday weekend to visit Lina, Mattias, and their girls. We took off the Friday (and had the Monday off for the holiday), so it was a lovely long weekend. As it turned out a few girls from work and one of their sisters planned a trip to Stockholm on the same weekend, so it was a fun group trip – they even stayed in our same hotel! Friday evening we had dinner at Lina and Mattias's, and I met their youngest Svea for the first time. She is adorable and looks more like Lina than Astrid does. It was amazing too how much Astrid had grown up in the year and a half since I had seen her last. They were both a barrel of fun – just before they went to bed Astrid started shouting “disco dancing!” and they put music on and everyone danced around the flat for a few minutes! It was hilarious, apparently they do this every night as one last hurrah (or maybe to tire the girls out before bed :). Saturday we took a boat ride out into the archipelago to Mattias's family's country house. It was so cold on the sea! But Lina and Mattias brought us ski jackets and pants – we laughed at first but were so glad to have them in the end! It was beautiful scenery though, a very nice little trip. At one point we hit an underwater rock with the motor and then it wouldn't start for a bit – I was kind of nervous that we would be stuck there! It was fine in the end though, just a few minutes delay. I think Mattias might hear it from his dad though, as it was his boat. Sunday and Monday James and I spent walking around Stockholm seeing the sights, it is a beautiful city and James loved it (he had never been before). Saturday night we had a big fancy dinner with the girls from work and Lina and Mattias at a posh restaurant – apparently there was a famous Swedish footballer at the next table but only Lina and Mattias recognised him. It was sad to leave Stockholm but I can't wait to go back.
Early in May was also the big election in Britain, when the ruling Labour party lost to a coalition of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. I have heard it said that the most conservative politician in Britain is still not as conservative as the most liberal politician in the States, and I think it's got some truth behind it. This is a fairly socialist country after all. But I was pleased to see the Conservatives take power, at least they may be able to get the national budget under some sort of control. Everyone here was very excited about the election – didn't seem to have quite the hype of the American presidential election, but close. Especially when the conservative party didn't make a clean sweep with the votes and had to form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, everyone seemed to be on pins and needles to see what would happen. Lots of people in the office that day were following it live on the internet. I couldn't vote as I'm not a citizen, but it was fun to observe. Now that it's about 100 days after the election that I'm writing, it doesn't seem like the new government has done a great deal but hey. How much can you really expect? Politicians are the same the world over.
That weekend I went on a pub crawl with a bunch of people from work. It was a Monopoly pub crawl, so you try to hit every place on a monopoly board. I didn't realise it before then but there is a different board in Britain than the States. Most of the places are in London, so it's feasible to do in one day (if you start at 9 am like the rest of them did – James and I met up later). It would be difficult to do the American monopoly pub crawl, seeing as how most of the places are states. It would get expensive with the flights. Anyway I think there are 24 places on the board and we made it to about 20, drinking a half pint in each pub. It was fun but some of the people were on a mission and made it more about getting to all of the places than hanging out and seeing friends. I didn't think it was as fun as it could have been but hey. Was still good to see everyone.
In the middle of May James and I made our way down to his parents' house in Dorset to celebrate his dad's birthday. As it always is in the tiny village that they live in, it was a super relaxing, quiet weekend. Lots of delicious food and sleep. His dad got a bike just before his birthday, so most of the presents were cycling-themed – helmet, light reflecting gear, etc. After he opened them all he modeled everything for us – hilarious!
The Monday following our return to London from Dorset James and I went to a concert of a Canadian band called Wintersleep. It was in the upstairs bit of a pub near King's Cross, so a very small, intimate venue. The opening band was a bit weird but Wintersleep was amazing. They sing this song called Weighty Ghost – my favourite. I danced around like a hippy to that one – I stood out like a sore thumb amongst all the reserved Britons, who keep all signs of exuberance to calmly swaying back and forth or maybe bopping their heads.
That week also saw the last of my fashion classes, it was sad to end but a good experience. I'm not sure how much I really learned about fashion buying/retailing/merchandising, but it gave me a taste of something other than accounting, which is what I was after. I'd love to do a job in the field someday, even though it seems like a pretty competitive industry.
The weekend after my last class I went to the wedding of a friend from work. The wedding was held at Leeds Castle, this beautiful castle surrounded by a moat – very medieval. It's a fair way from London so the bride and groom had arranged for a coach to take all of their friends from London down to the wedding. Seems simple enough but our driver was such an idiot. When we finally made it to the castle he nearly smashed into the security guard's car, and ran over a few construction cones. Other than the special driver the evening was fantastic – we had only been invited to the “evening reception” (pretty much the C list of friends – we arrived after the wedding and the meal), but managed to dance the night away and it was kind of her to invite us at all seeing as how we're only work colleagues. When the sun had set, mist started to rise off the moat, and the castle looked like a fairy tale with the way the light shone through the mist. Of course every castle in Britain looks like a fairy tale to an American.
Later that week I tried Bikram yoga for the first time. This is the yoga where they heat the room to about 90 degrees, to aid in flexibility and the release of toxins from the body, or some such malarky. Even though I've been practicing yoga for years I had never tried this before, as I had the impression that people who practice Bikram are more competitive and arrogant that other yogis. I didn't notice any of this when I went, but it still wasn't a pleasant experience compared to other types of yoga, at least to me. The classroom was massive and very crowded – probably about 60 people in the room, no music, and hot (obviously) – there were huge fans on either side of the room that noisily blew hot air over everyone. The instructor wore a microphone – bc the room was so massive and the fans so noisy you would never hear them otherwise, and the routine that they led us through was regimented and we weren't given the chance to take the poses into more advanced variations, and from what the friends that I went with tell me, it's the exact same routine every time. Basically it felt like I was doing yoga in hell, bc of the heat, no music, and the instructor barking instructions at us. I haven't been back but am glad that I at least gave it a go. I'm much happier with my small classes at normal temperatures, even if they don't always play music.
That weekend James and I went to Blackpool to visit his best friend from school Russ and his wife Emma. Russ has been in prison for a few months due to a car accident that he was in in which the other driver died. He is in a low security prison and is allowed home leave and town visits on some weekends – this one happened to be one when we could visit. Blackpool is a seaside town that used to be the big place to holiday in the 50s or so but is a very has-been town nowadays. There are still carnivals rides and cheesy attractions, but it all feels very seedy. It didn't help that the day we were there it rained almost continually, shocking for Britain I know. It was really good to see Russ and Emma though, they seem to be doing well in spite of the situation. As I write this in August, he doesn't have long until he gets out – next month I think.
In spite of the rain in Blackpool, one of the best parts of May was all the sunshine! The British spring is very rainy and gloomy, so the sunshine in May was such a welcome change. It sounds daft, but it really does make my spirits soar when the weather is nice. And in Britain you know you have to take advantage when it is nice – there are precious few days in the year that it is warm at all, compared to the sweltering heat and humidity that I am used to in the Midwestern American summers.
The very last day in May I went to another concert with James, this time an older American band called Sunny Day Real Estate was playing. They are an early 90s band who are sometimes credited with starting the emo genre of music, but they sound nothing like today's emo bands. They split up ages ago but got back together for this limited tour, and this was the first time they had played in Britain. I wasn't that fussed by them but James loves them so I went along. The show had been delayed by the flight disruption caused by the erupting volcano, so the original opening band wasn't able to play. All that was mentioned was a “special guest” would be playing in their place. The venue was the same place that we had gone for the Idlewild concert, so once again James and I got there fairly early since we were coming from work. We were in the back having a few sips of beer when the opening band came on, and we didn't really pay much attention. Then they started playing, and I realised it was Biffy Clyro, one of my favourite bands! They are apparently big fans of Sunny Day Real Estate, and had agreed to open this show as a favour. They didn't have their full band, but just played some acoustic versions of a few of their songs. It was amazing – Biffy Clyro are quite famous in Britain, it would be like having Coldplay open for a pretty no-name band. It was such a good surprise and the best part of the show for me, as well as a fantastic end to the month of May.
Heather xoxo
Early in May was also the big election in Britain, when the ruling Labour party lost to a coalition of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. I have heard it said that the most conservative politician in Britain is still not as conservative as the most liberal politician in the States, and I think it's got some truth behind it. This is a fairly socialist country after all. But I was pleased to see the Conservatives take power, at least they may be able to get the national budget under some sort of control. Everyone here was very excited about the election – didn't seem to have quite the hype of the American presidential election, but close. Especially when the conservative party didn't make a clean sweep with the votes and had to form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, everyone seemed to be on pins and needles to see what would happen. Lots of people in the office that day were following it live on the internet. I couldn't vote as I'm not a citizen, but it was fun to observe. Now that it's about 100 days after the election that I'm writing, it doesn't seem like the new government has done a great deal but hey. How much can you really expect? Politicians are the same the world over.
That weekend I went on a pub crawl with a bunch of people from work. It was a Monopoly pub crawl, so you try to hit every place on a monopoly board. I didn't realise it before then but there is a different board in Britain than the States. Most of the places are in London, so it's feasible to do in one day (if you start at 9 am like the rest of them did – James and I met up later). It would be difficult to do the American monopoly pub crawl, seeing as how most of the places are states. It would get expensive with the flights. Anyway I think there are 24 places on the board and we made it to about 20, drinking a half pint in each pub. It was fun but some of the people were on a mission and made it more about getting to all of the places than hanging out and seeing friends. I didn't think it was as fun as it could have been but hey. Was still good to see everyone.
In the middle of May James and I made our way down to his parents' house in Dorset to celebrate his dad's birthday. As it always is in the tiny village that they live in, it was a super relaxing, quiet weekend. Lots of delicious food and sleep. His dad got a bike just before his birthday, so most of the presents were cycling-themed – helmet, light reflecting gear, etc. After he opened them all he modeled everything for us – hilarious!
The Monday following our return to London from Dorset James and I went to a concert of a Canadian band called Wintersleep. It was in the upstairs bit of a pub near King's Cross, so a very small, intimate venue. The opening band was a bit weird but Wintersleep was amazing. They sing this song called Weighty Ghost – my favourite. I danced around like a hippy to that one – I stood out like a sore thumb amongst all the reserved Britons, who keep all signs of exuberance to calmly swaying back and forth or maybe bopping their heads.
That week also saw the last of my fashion classes, it was sad to end but a good experience. I'm not sure how much I really learned about fashion buying/retailing/merchandising, but it gave me a taste of something other than accounting, which is what I was after. I'd love to do a job in the field someday, even though it seems like a pretty competitive industry.
The weekend after my last class I went to the wedding of a friend from work. The wedding was held at Leeds Castle, this beautiful castle surrounded by a moat – very medieval. It's a fair way from London so the bride and groom had arranged for a coach to take all of their friends from London down to the wedding. Seems simple enough but our driver was such an idiot. When we finally made it to the castle he nearly smashed into the security guard's car, and ran over a few construction cones. Other than the special driver the evening was fantastic – we had only been invited to the “evening reception” (pretty much the C list of friends – we arrived after the wedding and the meal), but managed to dance the night away and it was kind of her to invite us at all seeing as how we're only work colleagues. When the sun had set, mist started to rise off the moat, and the castle looked like a fairy tale with the way the light shone through the mist. Of course every castle in Britain looks like a fairy tale to an American.
Later that week I tried Bikram yoga for the first time. This is the yoga where they heat the room to about 90 degrees, to aid in flexibility and the release of toxins from the body, or some such malarky. Even though I've been practicing yoga for years I had never tried this before, as I had the impression that people who practice Bikram are more competitive and arrogant that other yogis. I didn't notice any of this when I went, but it still wasn't a pleasant experience compared to other types of yoga, at least to me. The classroom was massive and very crowded – probably about 60 people in the room, no music, and hot (obviously) – there were huge fans on either side of the room that noisily blew hot air over everyone. The instructor wore a microphone – bc the room was so massive and the fans so noisy you would never hear them otherwise, and the routine that they led us through was regimented and we weren't given the chance to take the poses into more advanced variations, and from what the friends that I went with tell me, it's the exact same routine every time. Basically it felt like I was doing yoga in hell, bc of the heat, no music, and the instructor barking instructions at us. I haven't been back but am glad that I at least gave it a go. I'm much happier with my small classes at normal temperatures, even if they don't always play music.
That weekend James and I went to Blackpool to visit his best friend from school Russ and his wife Emma. Russ has been in prison for a few months due to a car accident that he was in in which the other driver died. He is in a low security prison and is allowed home leave and town visits on some weekends – this one happened to be one when we could visit. Blackpool is a seaside town that used to be the big place to holiday in the 50s or so but is a very has-been town nowadays. There are still carnivals rides and cheesy attractions, but it all feels very seedy. It didn't help that the day we were there it rained almost continually, shocking for Britain I know. It was really good to see Russ and Emma though, they seem to be doing well in spite of the situation. As I write this in August, he doesn't have long until he gets out – next month I think.
In spite of the rain in Blackpool, one of the best parts of May was all the sunshine! The British spring is very rainy and gloomy, so the sunshine in May was such a welcome change. It sounds daft, but it really does make my spirits soar when the weather is nice. And in Britain you know you have to take advantage when it is nice – there are precious few days in the year that it is warm at all, compared to the sweltering heat and humidity that I am used to in the Midwestern American summers.
The very last day in May I went to another concert with James, this time an older American band called Sunny Day Real Estate was playing. They are an early 90s band who are sometimes credited with starting the emo genre of music, but they sound nothing like today's emo bands. They split up ages ago but got back together for this limited tour, and this was the first time they had played in Britain. I wasn't that fussed by them but James loves them so I went along. The show had been delayed by the flight disruption caused by the erupting volcano, so the original opening band wasn't able to play. All that was mentioned was a “special guest” would be playing in their place. The venue was the same place that we had gone for the Idlewild concert, so once again James and I got there fairly early since we were coming from work. We were in the back having a few sips of beer when the opening band came on, and we didn't really pay much attention. Then they started playing, and I realised it was Biffy Clyro, one of my favourite bands! They are apparently big fans of Sunny Day Real Estate, and had agreed to open this show as a favour. They didn't have their full band, but just played some acoustic versions of a few of their songs. It was amazing – Biffy Clyro are quite famous in Britain, it would be like having Coldplay open for a pretty no-name band. It was such a good surprise and the best part of the show for me, as well as a fantastic end to the month of May.
Heather xoxo
Sunday, May 23, 2010
April 2010 - weekend trips, iPhone, and cheerleading tryouts
April was a whirlwind of lovely little trips, sightseeing, and hanging with family (well, James' family). The first weekend in April was Easter and James took me to Durham, the small town in northern England where he went to university. It was adorable and peaceful, and it was fun to see all of James' old haunts and listen to him reminisce. It did make me a little sad at times though to think about what it would have been like if we had gone to uni together. I often get sad about that – wishing that I had found James years ago so that I could have had that much longer to be in love with him. Sorry, I know you are probably vomiting right now, I will stop with the mush. Besides, if we had met when we were younger we might not have ended up together – Lord knows I needed to shop around before I knew the right guy when I found him! Anyway Durham was super, we had four days there since Good Friday and Easter Monday are holidays in the UK, and we mostly spent it pootling (remember this word?) around the town. We had a tour of the castle (originally built to defend England against the Scots, now a dorm for some of the students), and gave ourselves a tour of their immense cathedral, including the climb to the top of the bell tower. The cathedral is what Durham is known for – it's too small a town to have one really, but was at one point a seat of one of the prince-bishops. On Easter we even went to the morning service! It was amazing, I had never been to a proper service in a cathedral before. I can see why people back in the day would have been so awe-inspired by the building, when all they had to compare to were their tiny houses and huts. I was impressed myself and couldn't stop staring upwards at the stonework and stained-glass windows! The rest of the time in Durham was spent going on long walks and James showing me all of his favourite places, and eating and drinking really cheaply! The beer there was cheaper for two than it is for one in London – amazing and dangerous. Of course we also had dinner at James' favourite curry house!
The next week my mobile phone contract was due for an upgrade. I realise this isn't normally something one would get excited enough about to write in one's blog, but I am because I got – drumroll please – an iPhone, hurray! I was so excited b/c I had felt so left out for a few months. James got one in January and when we skyped my parents that evening they were showing theirs off too - they had all gotten one the same day! So I had to get on the bandwagon. And it is SUCH a bandwagon isn't it? A highly-functional, overpriced, super-slick bandwagon. I will admit that I secretly feel cooler when I get my phone out on the tube now to check the news or my email. And for those sad few months after James and the family had one when I didn't, I secretly felt ashamed of my poor inferior Nokia. I know I sound like an idiot rambling on about a silly phone, but it really is superb – if you don't have one you should get one. Trust me it will be like before you had a mobile and then got one for the first time – how did you ever live without it?! You know what I mean.
Ho hum back to more interesting things...the second weekend in April James and I went to Oxford on Saturday to see his parents and sister – his parents had arrived back in the UK after their six months in New Zealand so we hadn't seen them in ages! It was really good to catch up with them and have a quiet day doing loads of relaxing, chatting, and eating. We all took a walk in the park before dinner and happened to come across a hot air balloon being unloaded from a truck! We decided to stay and watch the excitement and got to see it inflated, loaded with people, and take off. It's surprising how big they are – you forget b/c you usually only see them when they're high in the sky. I was also surprised at how many people they managed to jam into the basket – I think there were about 12 or 14! It didn't look that comfortable really. I'd still like to do it someday, would be fun.
The following day James and I went to Burnham for his granny's 89th birthday party. His aunts, uncles and cousins were all there as well (this was the little do where I met them all for the first time last year, remember?), it was beautiful weather and we had a lovely day. Although I didn't notice it, apparently it was also a bit quieter b/c per his aunt and uncle they live in one of the Heathrow airport flight paths but we happened to be there on a day when the erupting volcano had grounded all of the flights. Super! And no, it wasn't foggy or cloudy from the ash, it was too high in the sky. But yes the party was great with delicious food, I ate so much I thought I was going to have to have James roll me to the train station to get home.
Later that week James and I went to an Idlewild concert on our traditional “date night” - Wednesday. See, it works out well b/c we spend all weekend together and then we see each other on Wednesday night to get us through the rest of the week without each other! Anyway this particular one was a gig – Idlewild, who is one of James' favourite bands. They are Scottish and fairly well known around Britain. The venue was small-ish – about the size of the Uptown in KC. James and I got there fairly early since we were coming from work, and as I was doing some people watching before the gig started I realised that there was a trend among the concert goers – they were all slightly geeky late-twenty somethings! So this must have been the fan base that Idlewild built up through their ten years of playing – let's just say that James fits the picture well. The concert itself was fantastic – I had been ordered by James to educate myself on the band about two weeks before the show, so for those two weeks I listened to nothing else. It worked though – I knew most of the words to the songs, or at least the chorus. James on the other hand knew every word to every song, and wished that they played more at the end of the show. He was happier than I think I've ever seen him – smiling ear to ear, belting out the songs at the top of his lungs, dancing with abandon. I've never seen anything like it from him and it made me so happy to see him that way! Honestly I think I spent more time watching him than I did the band!
One of the last weekends in April we went up to Harrogate for Lisa's (one of James' friends from the English equivalent of high school) birthday. Harrogate is the small-ish town in North Yorkshire where James grew up for those of you who don't remember. We went up on the Saturday via the very expensive train journey (nearly 100 pounds each!), met up with everyone at Lisa's for a light dinner and then went out dancing! While we were still at hers Lisa tried to make everyone a round of Irish coffees, except they turned out like warm milky whiskey, not that great and so strong I would barely drink a few sips at a time. As you can imagine the Harrogate clubbing scene is small potatoes compared to the London scene, but I didn't mind b/c it meant the dance floor wasn't that full. We danced the entire night, it was so much fun. Mark, James' flatmate in London, came up for the celebration and everyone mocked him all night b/c he never makes an effort for anyone's birthday and finally decided to show his face after years. I believe there was even a point where some of the girls were making fun of the fact that he's gotten a bit pudgy since they'd seen him and started stripping off his shirt to see his moobs! Pretty hilarious and slightly disturbing. All in all a good weekend, as it always is with that crew.
On the 22 of April I finally started my class at the London College of Fashion. I say finally b/c I signed up for this class in February – they book up rather far in advance. It was Fashion Buying and Retailing level 1, basically just an introduction to the industry and the roles of the buyer and the retailer. It was a short course, only five weeks long, but pretty insightful and gave me some inspiration. I signed up for it because I've been a bit bored with accounting lately (shocking I know) and am thinking about career changes. Actually, not bored so much as lacking passion. I would like to do something that I am more passionate about and work for a company that I feel more committed to instead of ever growing resentment. But anyway enough complaining about work. The class was actually really good fun, I met some great girls (there was only one guy in the class of 18, and surprisingly enough he wasn't gay!), and most importantly, as I said before, I gained some much needed inspiration for the career path I might take. The job market is terrible now and it's even harder for me with the visa issues, but perhaps one day I will no longer work in a public accounting firm. Let's hope so anyway.
Last but certainly not least, the last weekend in April was cheerleading tryouts for my sister! This was the first year that she could try out and she was nervous about the whole thing, but I did my best to help her through skype (point your toes, arms straight, sharp motions – that kind of thing), but in the end she was a star as usual and she made it! I was so excited that she wanted to tryout, of course I wanted her to since I was a cheerleader and loved it, but I wasn't going to pressure her. Very proud of my little sis for making it her first time! Oh as a side note – Brits love it that I was a cheerleader, and was in a sorority, since they have nothing like either of these things in Britain. Their only impressions of cheerleaders, sororities, and fraternities is through the movies and TV (groan). So they think cheerleaders are all bitchy and promiscuous like the girls on Glee. (I, along with most of the girls in Britain, am obsessed with Glee – it's just as big here as in the States I think).
Ok enough rambling, whew this was a long one! Love to you all, I miss you!
Heather xoxoxoxo
PS – there are pictures of all the weekend trips on facebook - on James' page, but you should be able to get to them through mine as I'm tagged in them. Hope you enjoy!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
March 2010 - markets and musings
March was a fairly busy month at work so not a lot to write about. I did, however, finally buy myself a Nintendo Wii (off of my colleague for a steal!), so I've been playing a lot. The best part is that I beat James in just about every game, other than soccer which I just can't be bothered to learn all of the controls.
James and I spent one weekend in March exploring some of the markets in London. On Saturday we went to Borough market, which is a fairly famous one where you find every type of food and drink you could imagine. Except for cheez-its though, of course. It was amazing though - just walking through the market and seeing and smelling all of the deliciousness was heavenly. I decided that I want to take my family there when they come to visit this summer - I think mom and grandma would especially enjoy seeing foods you don't usually get in the States. I ended up buying some fresh spices (tex-mex and chipotle for Mexican cooking!), and a heavenly raspberry tart when I was feeling a bit peckish. Have I ever used that word on my blog? It's an English phrase for hungry. I really wanted to get some cheese but could never decide which to buy, there were so many! The vendors would have those giant cheese wheels behind their stands and they would just cut some straight off. There was also a stand selling ostrich meat - I couldn't believe how expensive it was! It did look very lean and tasty though.
The next day we went to a couple markets within walking distance of my flat - Columbia Road market which is for flowers, and Brick Lane market. Columbia Road was so crowded it was not enjoyable, and I haven't been back. I suppose it's good for florists b/c most of the flowers were sold by the type, rather than in arrangements. I'm not that great at making the arrangement myself, and in that crowd all I wanted to do was choose and leave, but in the end I found a very nice ready-made bouquet. We have been to Brick Lane market several times, and it is mostly just junk, but it's fun to have a walk around and see what you can find. The area where I live now is very eclectic and edgy and dodgy in some bits, but I really love it.
That's kind of how I feel about London in general - there are some things that I could do without and at times I downright hate, but overall I love it and am so glad I made the choice to come here. There are times when I get fed up with the smelly streets and noise, but then I reflect that it's all just part of the hustle and bustle and excitement of the city. I do feel that I've become a bit jaded from the city though - sometimes I realise that I'm rushing from place to place without stopping to enjoy the ride, and I have found myself at times bumping into people and not apologising, since no one else ever does. I often times relish the thought of moving away to the country-side where you actually get to know your neighbours and have green space to roam, but I reckon I would get rather bored after a month of green and quiet. Someday I will move from London, but I bet it will be having kids that gives me the motivation to do it, b/c I wouldn't be able to afford a big enough flat for kids if nothing else! It's so convenient in London too - everything that you could every want to see/do/need is here somewhere. Except cheez-its and Chipotle. I love being in one of the cities that gets referenced in magazines - in the States they always talk about shops and restaurants to go to in Chicago, New York, and LA which didn't really help much in KC, you know? I think I'm finally really settled in here - making friends and feeling comfortable being an American in London. It took longer than any of the other moves in my life, but then again I suppose it was the biggest one, and the first on my own.
Living in another country (even one as similar to the States as Britain is) really opens your eyes and your heart as well. You gain perspective on Americans in ways that you had never thought of, both in negative (we really ARE terribly fat, poorly travelled and over-worked as compared to other western cultures) and positive ways (we're patriotic, not in the crazy skinhead way, just that we truly believe that our country is a great place to be from, and are proud of it). Americans are also more self-reliant - Britain is called a nanny state for a reason after all. Of course this self-reliance is probably the reason that most Americans have a warped perception of work-life balance and are chained to their desks - we believe you make your own destiny.
I've also enjoyed getting to know people from different races and religions - it has been especially interesting to make friends who are Hindu and Muslim, it's intriguing to me to learn about their religions and observe their devotion toward their gods. It definitely makes you more tolerant and less intimidated by other races and religions when you get to know them better.
I'll stop musing and leave it at that - April's entry will be more exciting and less philosophical, I promise.
Heather xoxo
James and I spent one weekend in March exploring some of the markets in London. On Saturday we went to Borough market, which is a fairly famous one where you find every type of food and drink you could imagine. Except for cheez-its though, of course. It was amazing though - just walking through the market and seeing and smelling all of the deliciousness was heavenly. I decided that I want to take my family there when they come to visit this summer - I think mom and grandma would especially enjoy seeing foods you don't usually get in the States. I ended up buying some fresh spices (tex-mex and chipotle for Mexican cooking!), and a heavenly raspberry tart when I was feeling a bit peckish. Have I ever used that word on my blog? It's an English phrase for hungry. I really wanted to get some cheese but could never decide which to buy, there were so many! The vendors would have those giant cheese wheels behind their stands and they would just cut some straight off. There was also a stand selling ostrich meat - I couldn't believe how expensive it was! It did look very lean and tasty though.
The next day we went to a couple markets within walking distance of my flat - Columbia Road market which is for flowers, and Brick Lane market. Columbia Road was so crowded it was not enjoyable, and I haven't been back. I suppose it's good for florists b/c most of the flowers were sold by the type, rather than in arrangements. I'm not that great at making the arrangement myself, and in that crowd all I wanted to do was choose and leave, but in the end I found a very nice ready-made bouquet. We have been to Brick Lane market several times, and it is mostly just junk, but it's fun to have a walk around and see what you can find. The area where I live now is very eclectic and edgy and dodgy in some bits, but I really love it.
That's kind of how I feel about London in general - there are some things that I could do without and at times I downright hate, but overall I love it and am so glad I made the choice to come here. There are times when I get fed up with the smelly streets and noise, but then I reflect that it's all just part of the hustle and bustle and excitement of the city. I do feel that I've become a bit jaded from the city though - sometimes I realise that I'm rushing from place to place without stopping to enjoy the ride, and I have found myself at times bumping into people and not apologising, since no one else ever does. I often times relish the thought of moving away to the country-side where you actually get to know your neighbours and have green space to roam, but I reckon I would get rather bored after a month of green and quiet. Someday I will move from London, but I bet it will be having kids that gives me the motivation to do it, b/c I wouldn't be able to afford a big enough flat for kids if nothing else! It's so convenient in London too - everything that you could every want to see/do/need is here somewhere. Except cheez-its and Chipotle. I love being in one of the cities that gets referenced in magazines - in the States they always talk about shops and restaurants to go to in Chicago, New York, and LA which didn't really help much in KC, you know? I think I'm finally really settled in here - making friends and feeling comfortable being an American in London. It took longer than any of the other moves in my life, but then again I suppose it was the biggest one, and the first on my own.
Living in another country (even one as similar to the States as Britain is) really opens your eyes and your heart as well. You gain perspective on Americans in ways that you had never thought of, both in negative (we really ARE terribly fat, poorly travelled and over-worked as compared to other western cultures) and positive ways (we're patriotic, not in the crazy skinhead way, just that we truly believe that our country is a great place to be from, and are proud of it). Americans are also more self-reliant - Britain is called a nanny state for a reason after all. Of course this self-reliance is probably the reason that most Americans have a warped perception of work-life balance and are chained to their desks - we believe you make your own destiny.
I've also enjoyed getting to know people from different races and religions - it has been especially interesting to make friends who are Hindu and Muslim, it's intriguing to me to learn about their religions and observe their devotion toward their gods. It definitely makes you more tolerant and less intimidated by other races and religions when you get to know them better.
I'll stop musing and leave it at that - April's entry will be more exciting and less philosophical, I promise.
Heather xoxo
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
February 2010 - rugby, gay bars, and olympics
February was a relatively quiet month overall - both at work and at play - but still over very quickly, as February always is. The weather was crap - shocking for London, I know - more snow but mostly cold and rainy.
Near the end of January James and I made a list of things and places that we want to do and see around London and the UK in the coming years, and we got off to a cracking start at crossing them off by having another "tourists in London" day in early Feb. We tooled around the City (the original Roman part of London, commonly called “the City”) one rainy Saturday and went to the top of the Monument. This is a column that was erected to commemorate the Great Fire of London which happened in 1666. It sounds weird to say that they were commemorating a fire, but it was more like remembering the rebuilding effort and remembering what London was like before the fire, you know. Anyway we went to the top and I thought that we weren't going to be able to see anything due to the dreary weather, but we gladly could see all the important bits of the skyline (pics on James' facebook page). We also saw the London Stone, which I thought was going to be a bit of the old Roman wall (there are parts of it somewhere in London), but it turned out that it was just some old slab of rock found around the area a long time ago – very underwhelming. It was also weird b/c it was just in a little glass case in the side of a wall along the street – if you weren't looking for it you would almost certainly miss it. Odd. After that thrilling piece of history we made our way to St. Paul's cathedral, and went inside for an organ recital. It was SO beautiful!! I had never been inside so was mesmerised by the mosaics and the size, and the organ sounded amazing as well. The unfortunate part was that they close off most of the church on Sundays as it's only open to worshippers, so we couldn't really get a proper look around. But it was still lovely and I'd like to go back someday (on a day when you have to pay – meh) to have more of a tour.
In early February the Six Nations rugby tournament started – this is a tournament between England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, France, and Italy which happens once a year. England did well at the beginning but ended up losing to France, Ireland, and Scotland. Boo. It was really fun to watch though, I would say that rugby is my favourite British sport so far. I still find football (soccer) very boring and miss American sports very much. Although being in a foreign country does have its benefits in that you can forget about the pain when your team chokes in the second round of the NCAA tournament, since we don't have every news station going on about it. Sigh...
The next week Denisse was in town from the States and I had my “staying do” to celebrate my staying in London, as I mentioned in my last entry. That weekend was also Valentines Day, and I told James that we didn't have to celebrate it (since it is a fairly contrived and commercial holiday), but I did say that I would like some flowers. This does not sound as selfish as it sounds – he used to bring me flowers nearly every week as he would pass a flower stand on his way to my house, but since I've moved to Shoreditch he doesn't pass one and I hadn't had any flowers for a while. Hence my gentle suggestion. But I never did get any on Valentines Day! He made up for it a few weeks later though with a lovely bouquet from a local flower market. The rest of the weekend was spent watching rugby and the Olympics (and cheering my Americans onto the top of the medals board!!).
I've discovered the coolest place – a sort of gym that only does classes - your standard cardio and toning classes but also has loads of dance, yoga and pilates! I love it so much – the dance classes are fun, although I feel like a bit of an idiot sometimes b/c I'm so out of practice, and the yoga instructors are really excellent. The other day I did a headstand all on my own, without the wall, for the first time ever! Very exciting stuff.
I also discovered an excellent restaurant in February - I went to a French two Michelin-starred restaurant called Pied a Terre for a work dinner. It was arguably the best meal I've ever had (except for mum's home-cooked meals of course!). I checked online to see about prices as I'd like to go back someday (we had had a set menu), and it was about 75 pounds for three courses! Guess I'll have to make it for special occasions only...
A few weeks ago James and I went to a work colleague's birthday party in a gay pub, and and my favourite bits were how James kept getting blatantly checked out from head to toe, and my in depth conversation with one of the guys about the effect that Alexander McQueen's death would have on the fashion industry. The following day we went to my very first live rugby game with a group of work mates. This was a friendly match (like a scrimmage) between London and Melbourne, and it was League Rugby rather than Union Rugby. It's just two different leagues but there are slightly different rules between the two. Union is the more popular and it's what is played in the Six Nations. The game was awesome to watch, although it was freezing outside and London lost.
Love to all and miss you!
Heather xoxo
Monday, March 1, 2010
January 2010 - cold and snow (boring)
Did I really just title my own blog "boring"? Oh well, it's true - January was a fairly tame and boring month, I mean when you compare it to my normal ultra exciting, jet-setter lifestyle. :)
James and I had a few outings with friends here and there, went to a friend's birthday party who had hired a sommelier for the evening - it was good fun and nice to try all the different wines. While we were there I met one of James' friends from uni who is now a bankruptcy lawyer and was telling us a story about how he had to repossess a woman's Arabian horses but had to bring the police b/c she had threatened to kill herself if the horses were taken. We heard from him later that she did slit her wrists when they took the horses and they are now arresting her on contempt of court - soulless! But also quite entertaining.
We also had lunch at a Peruvian place with friends one Sunday - it was interesting and very tasty. Another weekend we spent a day in Greenwich - all-you-can-eat curry, milkshakes, and the Greenwich market as always. But it never gets old! I love the Greenwich market, but the best bit is seeing friends of course.
There was loads of snow in January in the UK, but we didn't get any snow days this time, at least not if you loved in central London. Everyone who lived outside and has to commute in had about a week's worth of snow days b/c the British can handle snow about as well as the Floridians - basically everything grinds to a halt if there's an inch of snow on the ground. But central London barely saw any - and thus I had to trudge into work everyday.
The other exciting thing that happened in January was that I got the official word that I could stay in London indefinitely! I had been working with the two firms for a few months on either giving me an extension of another year or transferring me over to a permanent contract, and in the end they let me choose, so I decided to go permanent. It makes life a little simpler for me, and also allows me a bit more freedom as I won't be tied to GT under a contract after September. It was a hard decision to make though, b/c I feel like I'm abandoning my friends and especially my family back home. I had a big sob-fest about it a few days after the official word came through. It's very weird - feeling very happy and very sad about the same thing at the same time. My boss was very kind though and got me a "staying" present when he saw that it was hard for me - a set of Legos! Yes, I love Legos even though I should have grown out of them 15 years ago. I also had a staying do - just a small get together of work friends at a bar close to the office. Usually people have leaving dos when they leave their jobs, but I decided it was appropriate to have little celebration for my staying! That was actually in February, when Denisse was here again from KC! She comes in early February every year now, which is an awesome thing to look forward to in the middle of the winter blues after Christmas. We had a good, if not short visit with her and it was awesome to hear all the gossip on all the friends back in KC. I really miss everyone so much. Honestly, when is someone going to invent a teleporter?
Well that's about it for January and a little of February, more on that month in the next entry!
Love to all, xoxo
Heather
Monday, February 8, 2010
New Year's Eve and South Dakota!
After my harrowing trip to KC I was finally back with James! Ok, it had only been two weeks but it feels like two years when you're as crazy about someone as I am about James. I know, I am a mushy romantic, I can't help it. We had an amazing time in KC though, where he met almost all of my friends and it felt like we also gained about 8 lbs each b/c all we did was eat! I had planned a load of lunches and dinners in order to see everyone and it just wasn't kind to our waistlines.
Our first day in KC I hadn't planned much as I figured James would be jet-lagged, which he was. Either that or he was just using it as an excuse to sleep till his normal 1 pm. Either way, we just spent the day running a few errands that I needed to do in KC (like, for example, spending an hour strolling around Target. Ahhh...Target) while I drove the long way in between to show James all of my favourite spots around the city. We had Chipotle for lunch and it was superb and delicious. James loved it as well and still mentions it from time to time - he just did today when we were wondering what to have for lunch! That night was Monday Night Football and James, Myers, Young, and a couple of other guys all went to the ESPN sports bar on the plaza where I introduced James to fried pickles. We all made an effort to teach James the rules to the game and he was getting a few details, but as I've said before I never realised how complicated football was until I tried to explain it to a Brit! He will learn slowly, this fall we're planning to go to Ohio for an Ohio State football game so I will try to teach him before then!
The next day we accidentally slept in ridiculously late and got to lunch 30 minutes late with the girls from GT (well, none of us actually work at GT in KC anymore!). We ate a very large amount of Italian food at Brio, James accidentally ordered the dinner size portion of lasagna and it literally came in a serving dish - he had to turn it sideways just to fit it in front of him. Even with this massive meal though he managed to have burnt ends at Jack Stack that night with Rach, Ang, Jackie and their men. Even though Jack Stack is nice, once everyone got wind that this was James' first BBQ experience they couldn't stop going on about Oklahoma Joe's being the best place in town. I ended up taking him there on our last day in KC. He marveled at the line out the door, ate the Z-man (tried to order it as the "zed-man" and the man behind the counter looked at him like he was speaking a foreign language) and posted pictures of it on facebook he loved it so much!
But rewind a few days - Tuesday night after Jack Stack we all made our way to the Cashew for a few drinks, and loads of people from the GT KC office turned up to say hello! Of course Jenni, Meisel, and Jenn were there as well. It started snowing while we were in the Cashew and James ended up having to push me out of our parking space b/c the car was stuck! Fortunately we made it home safely before the roads got too terrible.
Wednesday afternoon I took James to the only touristy thing I could think of in KC - the war memorial near Union Station. Unfortunately the tower was closed due to "weather conditions" so we couldn't go to the top, but the view from just the base is pretty fantastic, so we kind of got what we had gone for. That evening we met my friend Kelly and her bf for Mexican food on SW Blvd, it was soooo good. We didn't get there until rather late though and were the last ones in the restaurant - we kind of had to rush b/c the wait staff were giving us the evil eye! Still didn't take away from the deliciousness of the food though.
The next day was NYE, and as I mentioned before, I took James for lunch at Oklahoma Joe's with Jenn and Myers. That evening we had dinner at place downtown called 1924 Main with Young and Ashley, Myers, and another couple. The dinner was fancy and very good! I had scallops in some creamy sauce with walnuts, but most of the rest had a delicious steak. After dinner we made our way to the piano bar in Westport, where we had purchased tickets in advance but we still had to wait in the queue for a bit and it was freezing! We finally made it in though and had a blast. James had never been to a piano bar before (I've never seen or heard of one in London), and he thought it was awesome! I also ran into a very old friend from KU named Zach at the bar, it was such a weird coincidence that we were both there!
After the evening of debauchery, James and I had to rise VERY early to catch a greyhound bus to Omaha. We were on our way to South Dakota for my friend and old roommate Heather's wedding, and found that it was cheaper to get the bus to Omaha then rent a car from there than it was to rent the car in KC and drop it off in Omaha. Weird. Anyway this was my first experience on a greyhound, and I wasn't let down by the reputation they get. Let's just say that our fellow passengers were, well, unique. But the service was very good and we even arrived a little early in Omaha. We had an uneventful drive to South Dakota after stopping in Omaha for McDonald's - hangover food. The woman at the cash register had to keep asking James to repeat himself when he ordered, and when I explained that he was from England, she said, "Oh, that's why I couldn't understand a word he said!" Poor James. Anyway we made it to South Dakota and the coldest temperatures that I have ever been in. It hovered around negative 19F (neg. 28C) the whole time we were there. It was so cold that you could feel your nose hairs freeze every time you breathed in! Even if all we had to go was one block, I would get in the car and drive.
That evening was the rehearsal dinner, and unfortunately was also the Rose Bowl, in which Ohio State was playing. I was able to watch the first half, but missed the second. Gladly, Ohio State won. The rehearsal dinner was delicious and I cried when Heather gave me my gift - I'm such a sap. It was just so good to see her! After the rehearsal dinner we went back to the hotel for a small reception, and I introduced James to Sandy and Cameron, some of Heather's friends from grad school. They really hit it off, which was good b/c James had someone to hang out with the next day while I was with the wedding party. I was very impressed with Sioux Falls - the wedding was beautiful! In between the ceremony and reception Sandy, Cameron, James and I all went to this dive bar on the edge of town that Sandy and Cameron had discovered a few nights before. It was awesome and had the dodgiest people, and we got 4 beers for 5 bucks - bargain!
James and I left for Omaha that evening as we had an early flight out the next morning (Omaha was the closest commercial airport to Sioux Falls), and we ended up driving through the worst snowstorm I've ever driven through. It was so scary and didn't let up the entire way. Eventually we made it safely, thank God, and I felt like I had just run a marathon - I had been so stressed and tense. My fingers were sore from gripping the wheel so tightly! I was glad that we had gone that night though b/c I bet they wouldn't have had the roads plowed enough for us to make it back in time for our flight if we had gone that morning. As it was the flight was right on time and we made it to Chicago just fine. We then connected from Chicago to New York, and from New York to London. Except the flight from Chicago was two hours late, and then took another two hours to get us our bags (we had booked the flights separately so had to collect and re-check our bags). So we missed our flight to London but thankfully were able to be put on the last flight out. The only downside was that we didn't get to sit together, but really I just slept the entire time anyway. So we made it to work a bit late (we had planned to land at 7 am and be on time for work), but all was well in the end. We'll just never fly American airlines again - they were the airline that had a two hour delayed flight, and then took another two hours to get the bags from the plane to the baggage claim, and when they finally got there James' bag was cracked on one side! Miserable service. Oh well, as I said all's well that ends well.
Oh also, there are pictures from all of our adventures in America on facebook, if you'd like to check them out.
Heather xoxo
Our first day in KC I hadn't planned much as I figured James would be jet-lagged, which he was. Either that or he was just using it as an excuse to sleep till his normal 1 pm. Either way, we just spent the day running a few errands that I needed to do in KC (like, for example, spending an hour strolling around Target. Ahhh...Target) while I drove the long way in between to show James all of my favourite spots around the city. We had Chipotle for lunch and it was superb and delicious. James loved it as well and still mentions it from time to time - he just did today when we were wondering what to have for lunch! That night was Monday Night Football and James, Myers, Young, and a couple of other guys all went to the ESPN sports bar on the plaza where I introduced James to fried pickles. We all made an effort to teach James the rules to the game and he was getting a few details, but as I've said before I never realised how complicated football was until I tried to explain it to a Brit! He will learn slowly, this fall we're planning to go to Ohio for an Ohio State football game so I will try to teach him before then!
The next day we accidentally slept in ridiculously late and got to lunch 30 minutes late with the girls from GT (well, none of us actually work at GT in KC anymore!). We ate a very large amount of Italian food at Brio, James accidentally ordered the dinner size portion of lasagna and it literally came in a serving dish - he had to turn it sideways just to fit it in front of him. Even with this massive meal though he managed to have burnt ends at Jack Stack that night with Rach, Ang, Jackie and their men. Even though Jack Stack is nice, once everyone got wind that this was James' first BBQ experience they couldn't stop going on about Oklahoma Joe's being the best place in town. I ended up taking him there on our last day in KC. He marveled at the line out the door, ate the Z-man (tried to order it as the "zed-man" and the man behind the counter looked at him like he was speaking a foreign language) and posted pictures of it on facebook he loved it so much!
But rewind a few days - Tuesday night after Jack Stack we all made our way to the Cashew for a few drinks, and loads of people from the GT KC office turned up to say hello! Of course Jenni, Meisel, and Jenn were there as well. It started snowing while we were in the Cashew and James ended up having to push me out of our parking space b/c the car was stuck! Fortunately we made it home safely before the roads got too terrible.
Wednesday afternoon I took James to the only touristy thing I could think of in KC - the war memorial near Union Station. Unfortunately the tower was closed due to "weather conditions" so we couldn't go to the top, but the view from just the base is pretty fantastic, so we kind of got what we had gone for. That evening we met my friend Kelly and her bf for Mexican food on SW Blvd, it was soooo good. We didn't get there until rather late though and were the last ones in the restaurant - we kind of had to rush b/c the wait staff were giving us the evil eye! Still didn't take away from the deliciousness of the food though.
The next day was NYE, and as I mentioned before, I took James for lunch at Oklahoma Joe's with Jenn and Myers. That evening we had dinner at place downtown called 1924 Main with Young and Ashley, Myers, and another couple. The dinner was fancy and very good! I had scallops in some creamy sauce with walnuts, but most of the rest had a delicious steak. After dinner we made our way to the piano bar in Westport, where we had purchased tickets in advance but we still had to wait in the queue for a bit and it was freezing! We finally made it in though and had a blast. James had never been to a piano bar before (I've never seen or heard of one in London), and he thought it was awesome! I also ran into a very old friend from KU named Zach at the bar, it was such a weird coincidence that we were both there!
After the evening of debauchery, James and I had to rise VERY early to catch a greyhound bus to Omaha. We were on our way to South Dakota for my friend and old roommate Heather's wedding, and found that it was cheaper to get the bus to Omaha then rent a car from there than it was to rent the car in KC and drop it off in Omaha. Weird. Anyway this was my first experience on a greyhound, and I wasn't let down by the reputation they get. Let's just say that our fellow passengers were, well, unique. But the service was very good and we even arrived a little early in Omaha. We had an uneventful drive to South Dakota after stopping in Omaha for McDonald's - hangover food. The woman at the cash register had to keep asking James to repeat himself when he ordered, and when I explained that he was from England, she said, "Oh, that's why I couldn't understand a word he said!" Poor James. Anyway we made it to South Dakota and the coldest temperatures that I have ever been in. It hovered around negative 19F (neg. 28C) the whole time we were there. It was so cold that you could feel your nose hairs freeze every time you breathed in! Even if all we had to go was one block, I would get in the car and drive.
That evening was the rehearsal dinner, and unfortunately was also the Rose Bowl, in which Ohio State was playing. I was able to watch the first half, but missed the second. Gladly, Ohio State won. The rehearsal dinner was delicious and I cried when Heather gave me my gift - I'm such a sap. It was just so good to see her! After the rehearsal dinner we went back to the hotel for a small reception, and I introduced James to Sandy and Cameron, some of Heather's friends from grad school. They really hit it off, which was good b/c James had someone to hang out with the next day while I was with the wedding party. I was very impressed with Sioux Falls - the wedding was beautiful! In between the ceremony and reception Sandy, Cameron, James and I all went to this dive bar on the edge of town that Sandy and Cameron had discovered a few nights before. It was awesome and had the dodgiest people, and we got 4 beers for 5 bucks - bargain!
James and I left for Omaha that evening as we had an early flight out the next morning (Omaha was the closest commercial airport to Sioux Falls), and we ended up driving through the worst snowstorm I've ever driven through. It was so scary and didn't let up the entire way. Eventually we made it safely, thank God, and I felt like I had just run a marathon - I had been so stressed and tense. My fingers were sore from gripping the wheel so tightly! I was glad that we had gone that night though b/c I bet they wouldn't have had the roads plowed enough for us to make it back in time for our flight if we had gone that morning. As it was the flight was right on time and we made it to Chicago just fine. We then connected from Chicago to New York, and from New York to London. Except the flight from Chicago was two hours late, and then took another two hours to get us our bags (we had booked the flights separately so had to collect and re-check our bags). So we missed our flight to London but thankfully were able to be put on the last flight out. The only downside was that we didn't get to sit together, but really I just slept the entire time anyway. So we made it to work a bit late (we had planned to land at 7 am and be on time for work), but all was well in the end. We'll just never fly American airlines again - they were the airline that had a two hour delayed flight, and then took another two hours to get the bags from the plane to the baggage claim, and when they finally got there James' bag was cracked on one side! Miserable service. Oh well, as I said all's well that ends well.
Oh also, there are pictures from all of our adventures in America on facebook, if you'd like to check them out.
Heather xoxo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)