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I LOVE London!
So...where did I leave off...
Right before Halloween I guess...which was pretty uneventful. Scout and I went out for dinner and got to see people all decked out in their fancy dress (British for costumes). It was reassuring to know that Halloween, otherwise known as "Dress like a skank day" is alive and well in England. There was one girl we walked past that had clearly decided that going sans trousers was a good idea.....and I don't mean that she was wearing a skirt....It was fun though and, still trying to satisfy Scout's current "American Food" kick, we ended up at the Friday's near Leicester Square. It was great cause it was packed and we got to place the "Who's American" game. It was really entertaining looking around the room and picked a table and disecting it in an effort to decide if they were American or not.
We did decide to make a relatively early night of it. I had been at work all day (Warner Brother's again...which I love) and was EXHAUSTED....it's amazing how quickly you get out of the habit of working full days when you haven't done it for a while. At home, during school, I was doing much longer hours than anything I have done here, but I find myself dead by 9 after a full work day now...it's kinda pathetic. Anyway, we called it a night and headed home instead of staying out in the mayhem.
I don't really remember what I did on the 1st...although I think that walking was involved....
November 2nd was far more interesting...I went walking and shopping...and then came home to have dinner with Stephanie, Scout and Chris. THEN we were going to some Guy Fawkes Day Festivities...the day itself isn't actually until the 5th, but they do stuff from the weekend before through the weekend after apparently...so we were going to a park to see some fireworks and what-not....
Well...they don't just do fireworks....it was like a carnival! There were rides, and food stands, and EVERYTHING!!! It was really neat...and the fireworks weren't that great (not when I think about the stuff that we do on the fourth) but it was FUN!
Monday, November 3rd, we went to my new favorite place in London. Camden. It was FANTASTIC! There were shops all over the place...quirky shops...with fun tights and corsets and drug paraphrenalia....It was just UNIQUE. The entire area just had so much personality. We also found a place called The Diner...that was REALLY American food...and it was GOOD...so we ate breakfast there (we being Scout Stephanie and I) then we went to do some errands with Stephanie who, after not having much success with her errands (annoying shop policies and stupid banks), decided to go home. Scout and I stayed in the area and shopped....
I swear, we thought that we would never leave...there was SO much STUFF...it was like this area where we were shopping went on forever...they were almost tunnel like. There were little food stands and weird stores that were basically just spaces between two streets (if you can call them streets) with entrances on either side. There were antique shops and clothing stores, knick-knacks, jewlery, and curiosities. It was just interesting and fun and quirky. We had a great time and by the time we had made it through all of the shops in this area we decided to make our way BACK to The Diner to see if Lunch/Dinner was as good as Breakfast had been.
It was...and we vowed that we would go back to try other things as well.
So we finally made it home from Camden after making a day of it and were both pretty wiped out.
November 4th through the 7th I had work...not at Warner Brother's, but at this shady organization that I can't really discribe. Let's just say that sometimes I have to answer the phone as one of their "Cover Companies".....which means people will ask for someone who doesn't actually work there (e.g. John Smith) and I have to look up "John Smith" in the computer to see who it REALLY is (e.g. Chris Davis)...then I have to call Chris and say, "Chris, I have Mary from HSBC for John Smith at [insert cover company name]" so that when I transfer her over he answers the phone as "John Smith" and not "Chris Davis" - even though his real name is Chris Davis.....
Weird right?
So I was working there ALL week...and despite the apparent shadyness the work is really actually quite boring and tiring...so I spent most of this week tired.
It didn't keep me from going out on Tuesday though. In honor of the election Stephanie, Scout and I went to Friday's (again...this time cause Stephanie wanted to go) and drank and hung out....we were even making plans to go to a bar that was doing an election party ALL night, but they were sold out so we couldn't get in. I must admit...I am secretly glad...it would have been a great experience, but I had work the next morning and I would have been less than useless....instead we went to Scout's and hung out for a while until the first results started coming in...finally sleepiness took over and we decided to go to sleep and see about the election the next day.
Wednesday came with news of a new American President....and apparently new respect for American's everywhere. I don't really care what your politics are or whether or not you are happy with the results of said election, but I can sincerely tell you that the rest of the world is elated....at least in Europe they are. People were talking about it and reading about it EVERYWHERE...and the general concensus is that America FINALLY did something good....it was amazing. I am in another country and I didn't even NOTICE because everyone was talking about the elections JUST as much as they would be at home. It was still on the cover of all the papers, people were still asking me questions...it was bizarre.
One difference was that I kept giving lessons in American Government 101....a lot of people don't get the whole Electoral College thing and people had questions about how the government is structured so I kept having to explain it to folks. It was still fun and interesting being over here for it.
Wednesday was also, strangely enough, Guy Fawkes Day....which, for those who don't know, is the day that Guy Fawkes and a group of Catholic rebels planned to blow up Parliament....fortunately (or unfortunately if you believed in their cause) Guy Fawkes was caught in the with the huge barrels of gunpowder, arrested, and later executed (not a pretty execution either)....Guy Fawkes Day is supposed to be a reminder of the events and celebrating his failure and execution...kinda morbid, but they celebrate it with fireworks (blowing things up), bonfires (burning ephangies of Guy Fawkes himself), and a lovely little rhyme:
"Remember, Remember the 5th of November
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot
I can think of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot!"
Lovely isn't it.....
But honestly...it really was. I got off of work and met Scout at Miso Noodle for dinner, but on my way home I could hear fireworks and when I got to my flat I could see them right over the building across from mine. So I went in my room and there they were....right outside my window. So I could sit in my flat, in London, and watch fireworks on Guy Fawkes Day after spending the day discussing the new American president. It was just a really nice moment.
Thursday was a lot less interesting. I woke up to discover a distinct lack of water, but I had to run to work....so I sat at work all day and then when I came home we REALLY had no water....so, what had been a simple leak (something I discovered on Wednesday) was now a leak and no water. I went to Mrs. Laws (the landlady) and she came over and said that she would try and get it fixed on Friday, but for the time being I was kinda screwed....
Friday came, more work, then dinner with Scout at a nice little place in Islington that had pricey, but yummy, food...including a lovely seared tuna that was really nice (and then the most brilliant tart EVER)....and home...hoping Mrs. Laws had fixed my water situation....
No such luck. Got home...no water....then she tells me that I can turn it on and off if I ABSOLUTELY need to....so she left a LADDER...that I have to climb in order to turn on my water....unfortunately when I turn it on the steady drip-drip-drip of the leak becomes a much more constant STREAM that threatens to do some actual damage and flood the basin that is sitting beneath it. Fun times. And did I mention my slipping on wet leaves and twisting my ankle......bad news all around....
But then.........................
HE DID IT!!! 13 some odd years of work and Stephen did it....I had been waiting and thinking about it since 8 o'clock Friday morning (3 am American Eastern time...) and at 9:40 (4:40 American Eastern) he finally got the results of the Bar exam and SUCCESS!!!! It was really hard to stay grumpy knowing that mom and I had been right all along (as if there was ever any real doubt) and Stephen was a lawyer - or...if you're him and arguing semantics...WILL be a lawyer once he's sworn in at a ceremony thing - but the intent is there and that's it....no more waiting, worrying, thinking, etc. He's done...it's done...he did it!!!! (make sure and congratulate him and/or buy him a drink when you see him :-D)
Today I woke up early (and still grinning from the happy news) to start making the preperations for my guests over the next two weeks (Stephan AND Susan - you are surely all jealous and should start planning trips of your own). Then I met up with Scout and we went shopping so that I could get the missing things to make my room comfortably habitable for more than one person.
It actually took longer than anticipated and a detour to the place where I get checks cashed found us right in the midst of a rowdy bunch of football fans (soccer for you non-brits)...I got footage on my camera that will be posted on facebook, but there were two pubs seperated by a street (a fairly busy street), a whole lot of Arsenal fans, a football, and the cops involved. It was truly a "I am in London" moment....and Scout and I stood and watched for a while before hopping on the tube.....
Camden again...that's right....we spent the evening back in Camden...BACK at The Diner....and generally just hanging out.
I also got the most amazing creation on earth.....
I don't know how I never thought to do this, but it's brilliant.....
Floathing Daniels.....a Jack and Coke FLOAT....that's right...Jack Daniels, Coke, Ice Cream. It was brilliant and it was a solid Jack and Coke...only a few shots away from how I would make it for myself...which, for anyone who's had a drink I've mixed, is a pretty solid drink. It was really nice and I was very happy with the evening. Now I am going to probably crash early so that I can be up at a reasonable hour to finish preparing my living space(s) for company!!!
Stephen arrives Tuesday!
I promis I will update while there are people here - and - I am posting an early warning - I can not be held responsible for the posts that are made while Susan is here...she his determined to highjack my posts so it could be an...interesting...week to say the least, but there's time before then.
Anywho...that's all for now and I will try to make shorter more regular posts.
Ta for now!
contentRight before Halloween I guess...which was pretty uneventful. Scout and I went out for dinner and got to see people all decked out in their fancy dress (British for costumes). It was reassuring to know that Halloween, otherwise known as "Dress like a skank day" is alive and well in England. There was one girl we walked past that had clearly decided that going sans trousers was a good idea.....and I don't mean that she was wearing a skirt....It was fun though and, still trying to satisfy Scout's current "American Food" kick, we ended up at the Friday's near Leicester Square. It was great cause it was packed and we got to place the "Who's American" game. It was really entertaining looking around the room and picked a table and disecting it in an effort to decide if they were American or not.
We did decide to make a relatively early night of it. I had been at work all day (Warner Brother's again...which I love) and was EXHAUSTED....it's amazing how quickly you get out of the habit of working full days when you haven't done it for a while. At home, during school, I was doing much longer hours than anything I have done here, but I find myself dead by 9 after a full work day now...it's kinda pathetic. Anyway, we called it a night and headed home instead of staying out in the mayhem.
I don't really remember what I did on the 1st...although I think that walking was involved....
November 2nd was far more interesting...I went walking and shopping...and then came home to have dinner with Stephanie, Scout and Chris. THEN we were going to some Guy Fawkes Day Festivities...the day itself isn't actually until the 5th, but they do stuff from the weekend before through the weekend after apparently...so we were going to a park to see some fireworks and what-not....
Well...they don't just do fireworks....it was like a carnival! There were rides, and food stands, and EVERYTHING!!! It was really neat...and the fireworks weren't that great (not when I think about the stuff that we do on the fourth) but it was FUN!
Monday, November 3rd, we went to my new favorite place in London. Camden. It was FANTASTIC! There were shops all over the place...quirky shops...with fun tights and corsets and drug paraphrenalia....It was just UNIQUE. The entire area just had so much personality. We also found a place called The Diner...that was REALLY American food...and it was GOOD...so we ate breakfast there (we being Scout Stephanie and I) then we went to do some errands with Stephanie who, after not having much success with her errands (annoying shop policies and stupid banks), decided to go home. Scout and I stayed in the area and shopped....
I swear, we thought that we would never leave...there was SO much STUFF...it was like this area where we were shopping went on forever...they were almost tunnel like. There were little food stands and weird stores that were basically just spaces between two streets (if you can call them streets) with entrances on either side. There were antique shops and clothing stores, knick-knacks, jewlery, and curiosities. It was just interesting and fun and quirky. We had a great time and by the time we had made it through all of the shops in this area we decided to make our way BACK to The Diner to see if Lunch/Dinner was as good as Breakfast had been.
It was...and we vowed that we would go back to try other things as well.
So we finally made it home from Camden after making a day of it and were both pretty wiped out.
November 4th through the 7th I had work...not at Warner Brother's, but at this shady organization that I can't really discribe. Let's just say that sometimes I have to answer the phone as one of their "Cover Companies".....which means people will ask for someone who doesn't actually work there (e.g. John Smith) and I have to look up "John Smith" in the computer to see who it REALLY is (e.g. Chris Davis)...then I have to call Chris and say, "Chris, I have Mary from HSBC for John Smith at [insert cover company name]" so that when I transfer her over he answers the phone as "John Smith" and not "Chris Davis" - even though his real name is Chris Davis.....
Weird right?
So I was working there ALL week...and despite the apparent shadyness the work is really actually quite boring and tiring...so I spent most of this week tired.
It didn't keep me from going out on Tuesday though. In honor of the election Stephanie, Scout and I went to Friday's (again...this time cause Stephanie wanted to go) and drank and hung out....we were even making plans to go to a bar that was doing an election party ALL night, but they were sold out so we couldn't get in. I must admit...I am secretly glad...it would have been a great experience, but I had work the next morning and I would have been less than useless....instead we went to Scout's and hung out for a while until the first results started coming in...finally sleepiness took over and we decided to go to sleep and see about the election the next day.
Wednesday came with news of a new American President....and apparently new respect for American's everywhere. I don't really care what your politics are or whether or not you are happy with the results of said election, but I can sincerely tell you that the rest of the world is elated....at least in Europe they are. People were talking about it and reading about it EVERYWHERE...and the general concensus is that America FINALLY did something good....it was amazing. I am in another country and I didn't even NOTICE because everyone was talking about the elections JUST as much as they would be at home. It was still on the cover of all the papers, people were still asking me questions...it was bizarre.
One difference was that I kept giving lessons in American Government 101....a lot of people don't get the whole Electoral College thing and people had questions about how the government is structured so I kept having to explain it to folks. It was still fun and interesting being over here for it.
Wednesday was also, strangely enough, Guy Fawkes Day....which, for those who don't know, is the day that Guy Fawkes and a group of Catholic rebels planned to blow up Parliament....fortunately (or unfortunately if you believed in their cause) Guy Fawkes was caught in the with the huge barrels of gunpowder, arrested, and later executed (not a pretty execution either)....Guy Fawkes Day is supposed to be a reminder of the events and celebrating his failure and execution...kinda morbid, but they celebrate it with fireworks (blowing things up), bonfires (burning ephangies of Guy Fawkes himself), and a lovely little rhyme:
"Remember, Remember the 5th of November
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot
I can think of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot!"
Lovely isn't it.....
But honestly...it really was. I got off of work and met Scout at Miso Noodle for dinner, but on my way home I could hear fireworks and when I got to my flat I could see them right over the building across from mine. So I went in my room and there they were....right outside my window. So I could sit in my flat, in London, and watch fireworks on Guy Fawkes Day after spending the day discussing the new American president. It was just a really nice moment.
Thursday was a lot less interesting. I woke up to discover a distinct lack of water, but I had to run to work....so I sat at work all day and then when I came home we REALLY had no water....so, what had been a simple leak (something I discovered on Wednesday) was now a leak and no water. I went to Mrs. Laws (the landlady) and she came over and said that she would try and get it fixed on Friday, but for the time being I was kinda screwed....
Friday came, more work, then dinner with Scout at a nice little place in Islington that had pricey, but yummy, food...including a lovely seared tuna that was really nice (and then the most brilliant tart EVER)....and home...hoping Mrs. Laws had fixed my water situation....
No such luck. Got home...no water....then she tells me that I can turn it on and off if I ABSOLUTELY need to....so she left a LADDER...that I have to climb in order to turn on my water....unfortunately when I turn it on the steady drip-drip-drip of the leak becomes a much more constant STREAM that threatens to do some actual damage and flood the basin that is sitting beneath it. Fun times. And did I mention my slipping on wet leaves and twisting my ankle......bad news all around....
But then.........................
HE DID IT!!! 13 some odd years of work and Stephen did it....I had been waiting and thinking about it since 8 o'clock Friday morning (3 am American Eastern time...) and at 9:40 (4:40 American Eastern) he finally got the results of the Bar exam and SUCCESS!!!! It was really hard to stay grumpy knowing that mom and I had been right all along (as if there was ever any real doubt) and Stephen was a lawyer - or...if you're him and arguing semantics...WILL be a lawyer once he's sworn in at a ceremony thing - but the intent is there and that's it....no more waiting, worrying, thinking, etc. He's done...it's done...he did it!!!! (make sure and congratulate him and/or buy him a drink when you see him :-D)
Today I woke up early (and still grinning from the happy news) to start making the preperations for my guests over the next two weeks (Stephan AND Susan - you are surely all jealous and should start planning trips of your own). Then I met up with Scout and we went shopping so that I could get the missing things to make my room comfortably habitable for more than one person.
It actually took longer than anticipated and a detour to the place where I get checks cashed found us right in the midst of a rowdy bunch of football fans (soccer for you non-brits)...I got footage on my camera that will be posted on facebook, but there were two pubs seperated by a street (a fairly busy street), a whole lot of Arsenal fans, a football, and the cops involved. It was truly a "I am in London" moment....and Scout and I stood and watched for a while before hopping on the tube.....
Camden again...that's right....we spent the evening back in Camden...BACK at The Diner....and generally just hanging out.
I also got the most amazing creation on earth.....
I don't know how I never thought to do this, but it's brilliant.....
Floathing Daniels.....a Jack and Coke FLOAT....that's right...Jack Daniels, Coke, Ice Cream. It was brilliant and it was a solid Jack and Coke...only a few shots away from how I would make it for myself...which, for anyone who's had a drink I've mixed, is a pretty solid drink. It was really nice and I was very happy with the evening. Now I am going to probably crash early so that I can be up at a reasonable hour to finish preparing my living space(s) for company!!!
Stephen arrives Tuesday!
I promis I will update while there are people here - and - I am posting an early warning - I can not be held responsible for the posts that are made while Susan is here...she his determined to highjack my posts so it could be an...interesting...week to say the least, but there's time before then.
Anywho...that's all for now and I will try to make shorter more regular posts.
Ta for now!
(Anonymous)