The Gloves are Coming Off

So...I'm walking through the train station yesterday and what to my wondering eyes do appear, but a very skinny man in white spandex bike shorts.

Seriously? Why, on earth, would anyone walk out of the house thinking that was a good choice?

And we all know how much it rains here in England...I really feel sorry for the poor soul that saw him after the rain.

Trying to be nice, but this is just ridiculous.

An Update on the Driving Experience...

All I have to say is "Oh Shit!"

I have a new found respect for driving instructors everywhere.

Trying This Driving Thing...

Today marks the beginning of another brand new experience...driving in the UK!

We've signed up for an all day driving course called "Driving and Surviving" and we have to provide our own car for this course! Strange, right?

So today, we are renting a car in preparation for the big day.

There are a couple of issues here:
1. We've got to rent a car and DRIVE the car this weekend without any lessons.
2. Not only do we have to drive the car a few miles this weekend, but we have to drive it on a highway on Monday to a place we've never been before so someone can teach us how to drive. Seems silly and a bit dangerous, don't you think?

Thankfully, my honey is more brave than I am and will drive us, pre-lesson. I think I'll bring a blindfold and gag to avoid being a "left side seat driver"

More to come...

Salty Fingers - Cheese & Onion

Have you ever had a case of the afternoon munchies? I think we all have. Suffice it to say that I had a bad case today and just happen to have a snack machine close by.

So today, I satisfied my need for a snack with some crisps that I haven't yet tried (even though the snack machine at the office has my favorite) for YOU my faithful readers.

So today, it's Cheese & Onion.

I give these two Salty Fingers out of three. They're yummy,  but if given a choice, I'd reach for another flavor.

Salty Fingers...

Before moving to England, people who had spent any time here often mentioned the "crisps" and how they are way better than our "chips".  Wikipedia does define chips and crisps differently and includes a multitude of snacks fried in oil as "crisps". If you're really interested, you can learn all about it here.

However, I still consider it my duty as your source of valuable and insightful information to conduct a thorough investigation.

So, I've assigned a rating system and will report to you my findings. The rating system is as follows:

1 Salty finger - hardly worth the effort to open the bag...
2 Salty fingers - would eat them again, in a pinch...
3 Salty fingers - Do not pass these bad boys up if you have a chance to try them!

For the first report, I give you "Walkers(TM) Roast Chicken" crisps:

In my humble opinion...these crisps are absolutely delicious and deserve Three Salty Fingers out of Three! Simply delicious and highly recommended. 

Are you alright?

I've been interested by how some people here in England will ask "Are you alright" instead of "How are you?"

For a woman who feels like a fish out of water, this question is particularly amusing because it immediately gets me thinking "Why did she just ask me if I'm alright? Do I look tired? Did I do something so ridiculous that she wants to know what is wrong with me?"

But, after using my keen observation skills, I realized that this is how some people here inquire about your general well being. I'm alright, you're alright. :)

Surviving the First Week

By this time, I've actually made it through three weeks, but I typed up this post after my first week and thought I'd make it my first even though it's a little delayed. 

I'd been in a fog all week due to time changes, lack of good sleep, new patterns and a little bit of homesickness. It was REALLY helpful that I have FaceTime to see and talk to my honey and that my friend Kris was here to keep me company.

So here's a rundown of my first week:

Tuesday - arrived safely and went straight to the office because I
couldn't check into my flat until 3:00. Get to my desk, pull out my
lease for the phone number of the property mgr to let him know when I'd
be picking up my key and realize that my lease starts the NEXT day! I
have no place to stay! Called him anyway to see if I can check in early
and no such luck! I was lucky enough to find a hotel, but this meant
dragging 150 pounds of luggage into the hotel and up to my room. Happy
to have a place to stay! Popped an ambien, watched some tv and fell
asleep!

Wednesday - first day using the train to and from work. This is a very
new experience for me, so it was nerve wracking! Successfully bought a
monthly pass (I know...no big deal...but it was for me). Almost got on a
train to Manchester, but people are so nice here and I quickly realized
it and hopped off the train. Got to Basingstoke and realized that I
wasn't entirely sure where the shuttle pick up was. Had a minor panic
attack, then found a woman who's on my team and she guided me in the right direction. 

I had an all-day meeting then found the shuttle back to the
station and almost got on the wrong train back to Reading. Met the
property mgr at the door of my temporary home and dragged 150 pounds of
bags up three flights of stairs! BTW, my flat has no freezer and no AC!
Lesson learned...when renting a flat in the UK make sure they say "fully
fitted" kitchen. It's good to be "home" and to unpack. Made my first
trip to the grocery store...so much fun looking at all the different
things (yes, grocery shopping IS fun for nerds like me). 

Thursday - Showers are invigorating...especially when there's no HOT
water! For some reason they turned the water heater off before I checked
in and didn't feel the need to remind me to turn it on. On the bright
side, it was exactly what I needed to wake me up! Made it to work with
no problem. Met my friend Kris and one of her old colleagues for dinner in London! I made it all the way to London via train and took the tube all by myself to Leicester Square! Ok, so the train I got on was the slow train and it took me and extra 30 minutes to get there, but another lesson learned...make sure you get on the fast train, even if you have to wait 7 minutes. 

The air conditioner was not functioning on my train and I begin to wonder...did I put deodorant on this morning? I cannot, to save my life, remember any details from this morning. I begin to try to (very discreetly) smell my armpits. They don't smell, I think. I arrive at the tube station, get on my tube and have to stand holding one of those overhead bars because the tube is so full. Again...do my pits stink? Is that guy next to me wishing he had a gas mask? Get out of the tube station and it's like Times Square...so many people! Where's Kris? She's not there so I decide, I MUST find deodorant. Walked a bit...found a store and and bought some. Get the pits taken care of, find Kris...finally, I can relax. Had an amazing dinner in Chinatown at a"grotty" but good place and got to know a new person and hear about his impending move to Scotland. 

Friday - stumble out of bed, take a hot shower (yay!) and make my way to
the station. I get to what I think is my platform and quickly realize
that platform 5 is that platform on the way home, not the way to work. I
run...yes run...to what i think is platform 2, hop on the train "in the
nick of time" and note that I am on the wrong train AGAIN. Oops..went to
the left side of the platform instead of the right. Oh well...with all
of my rushing around I missed my train. Next train is in 30 minutes and
I was frankly very happy to have 30 minutes to breathe and to get my
bearings back. 

This is the universe telling me to slow down and to pay
attention. I'm listening. I decide that I'm leaving the office early
today to come home for a nap before I meet Kris and another ex-colleague
of hers tonight and that I will spend the day really focusing
on slowing down and thinking about what I am doing. We'll see how that
goes!