Joe and Dominque and So here's what I have noticed.

... Pictures of Joe and Dominque... Week of Feb 4-10
Joe and Dominique just left today, I am so sad! We
had a great time. Joe even drove the car to Windsor. He loved the Pubs... I think they went to one at least every day. They really saw a lot in their short time here.
On his birthday we went into London, on the train,... visited Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, the catholic cathedral, Westminster Cathedral (very cool), had dinner at a tapas restaurant and went to see the play, Billy Elliot... then back in the tube to the train and home. Next day we drove to Stonehenge... got a little lost, but finally made it there, easy trip home... (you can imagine Joe when we were lost!! He actually did pretty good but we had a navigation system, a map and internet directions and we still got lost.. my fault, really... but now I know where Anover is..) All in all, a good day... On Monday they went into London on their
own and didn't get back until 11:30 (Pub closed...), they went on the London "Eye", a huge enclosed ferris wheel that sits on the Thames and provides fantastic views of London... We went to Windsor for dinner...
expensive but fun (they treated me.) On Wednesday we back into London via the train and tube. We went to the Natural History museum and then to a pub for dinner and then a play at an old theater in Picadilly Circus... 39 steps, a lot of fun.. 4 people do the whole play...
we got tickets at the half price place.. Anyway, fun again. Thursday it snowed!! We were housebound. I worked and they went out for a walk and hit two pubs in the travels... Joe loves those pubs. They had a good day. Yesterday they took the car and rode into Windsor, just missing the castle tour by 10
min...parking can be a challenge.. Last night we
went into Marlow for Indian food...

This morning, we got up, they were all packed and we
drove down to Gatwick airport.. Yes, I did shed a few tears on the way home... It was a good week!

Feb 19, 2007

Well, here we are... mid-Feb... I have already been here six months! My job is very challenging. I am enjoying it very much. The people I work with are great... they think I am a crazy American. Every day they laugh at something else that I comment on or don't understand.. Who knew a "jumper" is a sweater? Who knew that a "jacket" potato is a baked potato wrapped in aluminum foil? What about pronouncing the letter "z" zed? ... and they tell me I don't know how to spell... they put "s" where we put "z," and "u's" for no reason... oh well, we are getting used to each other. They are very quiet people and I think I shock them by being "out there"... I am sure they go home and say, you aren't going to believe what she said today...

My little house... oh sorry, "cottage" is adorable. I am very comfortable, even with guests. It is a cute little place with three floors. Bedroom, bath and office on the second floor, (first floor if you are English). Guest room on the third floor,(second floor if you are English)
...From my front room window I watch people riding horses, walking their dogs, groups of people walking and talking. Most where "welly's" (big green rubber boots) because it is very muddy on the "green."

The neighbors are very quiet. Everyone keeps to themselves except on Thursday's when each of the two middle cottages drag their garbage cans through my backyard (garden) to put out front for collection, and then back in again on Friday. It is so funny, it happen's, but no one seems to run into each other... It is funny to see someone dragging their garbage can past my kitchen window... We just wave to each or nod...

There is a house next to me that is not connected to our cottages. It is called the "Farside Cottage." Bob lives there. He lives alone in a good sized four bedroom house. He is a work-aholic. He has been very helpful to me. He helped me de-scramble my DVD player (it would only play UK movies) and he helped me get my wireless set-up. He is really the only one that talks to me (probably because he isn't connected...) He is actually the only one I have seen outside.. he rides his bike... He has just taken off for a three week vacation to New Zealand where one of his best friend's just moved.

I have been to the local pub a few times. Once with my sister-in-law Shelley and then once with Joe and Dominique. The food isn't bad but it smells like smoke and I don't like having to shower after being there. The people in that pub are not that friendly either, but it is close. There are lots of other pubs, so I am sure I will find one that I like. Joe and Dominique went to quite a few while they were here and enjoyed them. I have actually gone to some really cool old pubs with the people at work for lunch. (usually on Friday's)

Driving is going fine. Only one ticket so far... they have CTTV's every where... no police, just camera's. The biggest problem is parking... the spaces are so small, even my small car is a challenge... I need to lose weight just to be able to get in and out of my car in a parking garage. (I am not kidding!) Parallel parking is difficult from the right side... people are always laughing or honking at my attempts. Luckily I have sensors on my car. I really like my cute little blue BMW. It has a navigation system, bluetooth for my phone, parking sensors and I can play my IPod through the radio. Of course I don' know how to use most of the stuff but it is fun. I only have 800 miles on it... I have had it for four months but I really only go to and from work.

Traffic is the same as the US... too many cars, too many trucks... rrr trucks, I hate them!! They drive even faster here! The funny things are the roundabouts on the "dual carriage ways".. it is like being on hwy 17 and then you have to slow down, go through a roundabout then get back on hwy 17. Wierd. They even built overpass roundabouts... Oh well. They are very considerate drivers unless you go too slow, then they pass you like it is the Indianapolis Speedway... The freeway signs are very big... with large arrows so you can figure out where to go... I guess there are a lot of old people driving around!

The weather isn't bad... a bit gray at times.. Not too cold. It snowed the week that Joe and Dominique were here. We were told not to drive anywhere that morning so we didn't... Oh my God... the news was ridiculus..They cancelled school that day and you would have thought they cancelled school for a month... they had big interviews and discussions about it. It was only one day!! That is how boring a news day is here!

TV... hmmm, I am fairly happy now. I don't watch that much, but now I can watch the new episodes of American Idol, Lost, ER, Boston Legal and "Dr. McDreamy.." so I can't complain, oh also, "Ugly Betty" (watched it for the first time tonight) anyway... they have soap opera's on at night. I haven't gotten into watching them. The nice thing is that they run their commerccials in a very sensible way. You get to watch whatever for at least 30min before commercials and then commercials go for about 6 minutes...

The food... not bad. Fresh vege's and fruits at all the stores, pretty much anything I would want. I have figured out what most things are...chips are called "crisp's" candy is "sweeties" and cookies are "biscuit's."
Take-out is called "take away"... Indian food is referred to as "Curry" and as yet, I have never had anything that I would call curry at an Indian food restaurant... Only food that is so hot, I can't eat it!!

Wine is about the same price over here. I have started drinking white wine (acid reflux...) anyway, I like the Australian Chardonnay. I thrill at the site of a California wine. I even found a bottle of Ironstone (Murphy's) at a local grocery store. I do drink a lot of G and T... (gin and tonic)... and they do ask if you want ice and/or light tonic (diet)... not me, if you going tonic, go for the good stuff...

There is big concerns with obesity here. Jamie Oliver, you know, the "Naked Chef," has made a big thing about school menu's. This year they instituted healthy foods at the school cafeteria's... When one boy was interviewed he said, "... I don't like vege's and fruit and I really don't like Jamie Oliver!!" Out of the mouth's of babe's..

I see a lot of people walking, jogging, riding bikes. You would think it was California. Whatever one might think, these are very active people...

Well, enough for tonight.