“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
Leo F. Buscaglia quotes
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Friday, January 26, 2007
A touch of home...
No major updates or debacles today. Promise. I was a very good Brit. Serious.
However, I do have one major update. Today my shipment of imported goods arrived from the states. A touch of home was brought across the pond with me. I am so excited. My cowboy hat is now perched precariously on the coat hanger in the hallway. My HOWDY sign greets visitors in the entryway. Family pictures adorn the spartan walls. And my most prized possessions are my Texas A&M quilts that my mother handstitched for Christmas. One is lying on my lap keeping me warm (Where were these things when I was dying of frostbite i tell ya?). The other is wonderfully covering the reddish tint of my other couch. It's a gorgeous day here in England. I am finally home.
However, I do have one major update. Today my shipment of imported goods arrived from the states. A touch of home was brought across the pond with me. I am so excited. My cowboy hat is now perched precariously on the coat hanger in the hallway. My HOWDY sign greets visitors in the entryway. Family pictures adorn the spartan walls. And my most prized possessions are my Texas A&M quilts that my mother handstitched for Christmas. One is lying on my lap keeping me warm (Where were these things when I was dying of frostbite i tell ya?). The other is wonderfully covering the reddish tint of my other couch. It's a gorgeous day here in England. I am finally home.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
American Freezes to Death... Hilarity Ensues
With all moves there is a certain adjustment period. It takes some time to get used to your new surroundings. I acknowledge and embrace this. However, one should never take for granted certain elemental aspects like HEAT for example. Upon arriving back in the UK from the US, the temperatures plummeted to subhuman lows. (See previous post re: snow.. yeah.. Texas girls don't do snow well).
One would assume that the flat would be equipped with heat. It is in fact. I have radiators in each room with temperature nozzels on each one. Naturally I assumed that turning these little things to the left of the right would regulate temperature in said rooms. Hmm. After a few hours of still being frozen like a popcicle, I realized that something was drastically wrong. With little icicles dangling from my eyelashes, I started a frantic search all over the flat. Surely there has to be a main control. A thermostat. SOMETHING.
Hours later, I have scoured the flat, searching high and low for this master control. Standing on chairs to look up at the Electrical Fuse closet (having had to find that my first day here after blowing a fuse), I didn't spy anything that looked remotely like a thermostat. I even got on my knees and crawled the length of the flat searching for a gas nozzle only to end up with rug burn on my already tender knees. Starting to really feel like a hopeless Bridget Jones, I tucked the rogue strands of hair behind my ear and carried on. Chanting to myself, "I will not fail... I will not freeze. I will not fail", I started outside. Maybe there is something out there. Picture the headlines now, American gets trapped in garden entry attempting to find Gas thermostat. Hilarity Ensues".
After locating the water meter, the gas meter, and the electricity meter but no nozzle, I started having flashes of London CSI stepping over my frozen body 3 weeks after I died from frostbite. No one knows where I live. No one will ever find my body. "I am going to die a frozen blue popcicle in the dead of winter in a foreign country", I think to myself. Well not really, this is a little exaggerated. But I did consider that I might possibly fail at being a European on my first official day on the job. Seriously Metalchick, get a hold of yourself.
About this time, I step back into my apartment to notice that the heaters are on! Eureka! Something I did obviously had a positive affect. Well obviously it wasn't that simple. I seemed to notice that it was now exactly 7pm. (yes... hours later... hours of me crawling around trying to figure this shit out). But now I had a different objective. I needed to find a timer. I had recalled the fact that the boiler has a little clock looking thing on it. It was ticking away like a little bomb about to explode. This boiler also happens to turn on the gas when I turn on the hot water... Hmm... Yes. You got it. Only 10 hours after realizing I was freezing cold did I notice that there is a timer on the boiler for the heating element. And they call me an engineer. So sad.
One would assume that the flat would be equipped with heat. It is in fact. I have radiators in each room with temperature nozzels on each one. Naturally I assumed that turning these little things to the left of the right would regulate temperature in said rooms. Hmm. After a few hours of still being frozen like a popcicle, I realized that something was drastically wrong. With little icicles dangling from my eyelashes, I started a frantic search all over the flat. Surely there has to be a main control. A thermostat. SOMETHING.
Hours later, I have scoured the flat, searching high and low for this master control. Standing on chairs to look up at the Electrical Fuse closet (having had to find that my first day here after blowing a fuse), I didn't spy anything that looked remotely like a thermostat. I even got on my knees and crawled the length of the flat searching for a gas nozzle only to end up with rug burn on my already tender knees. Starting to really feel like a hopeless Bridget Jones, I tucked the rogue strands of hair behind my ear and carried on. Chanting to myself, "I will not fail... I will not freeze. I will not fail", I started outside. Maybe there is something out there. Picture the headlines now, American gets trapped in garden entry attempting to find Gas thermostat. Hilarity Ensues".
After locating the water meter, the gas meter, and the electricity meter but no nozzle, I started having flashes of London CSI stepping over my frozen body 3 weeks after I died from frostbite. No one knows where I live. No one will ever find my body. "I am going to die a frozen blue popcicle in the dead of winter in a foreign country", I think to myself. Well not really, this is a little exaggerated. But I did consider that I might possibly fail at being a European on my first official day on the job. Seriously Metalchick, get a hold of yourself.
About this time, I step back into my apartment to notice that the heaters are on! Eureka! Something I did obviously had a positive affect. Well obviously it wasn't that simple. I seemed to notice that it was now exactly 7pm. (yes... hours later... hours of me crawling around trying to figure this shit out). But now I had a different objective. I needed to find a timer. I had recalled the fact that the boiler has a little clock looking thing on it. It was ticking away like a little bomb about to explode. This boiler also happens to turn on the gas when I turn on the hot water... Hmm... Yes. You got it. Only 10 hours after realizing I was freezing cold did I notice that there is a timer on the boiler for the heating element. And they call me an engineer. So sad.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Let it Snow!
Well hello everyone. I haven't posted much lately but I wanted to let you know that I have an apartment and INTERNET. Do you have any idea how happy I am to have internet? It's incredible. I love it. My stuff should arrive on Friday.
Yesterday was a peaceful day in Reading. I did some work and went to dinner with a coworker that was in from Switzerland. We went to the London Street Brasserie and a cocktail bar called Sahara. Both were exceptionally good. It was a great night!
This morning I awoke to find that it has snowed overnight. So I took a few shots of the rooftops outside of my flat. While it's not a novelty around here, I am impressed. Yes. I know I am easily impressed. But it's SNOW. This south texas girl doesn't see snow often. (Noted exception of last week in Austin). Perhaps the frigid air is following me? Hmm. I wonder.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu
It's come to this. My apartment in Austin has been gutted. My entire life in Austin is now in a 10x10 cell block storage area. My car ... history. I made 200 bux on selling my books back... Austin is my past. Europe is my present....
Goodbye Austin! I shall miss your beautiful hills. But mostly I will miss the amazing friends and family I have there. I have a feeling though, I shall be back again someday real soon. Europe better look out for here comes a holy terror that will be unleashed upon the unsuspecting Brits! Europe, lookout cause this Texas gal is coming to town. Weeee.
I'm sitting here at the airport on my final move to Reading. I bid my parents a tearful adieu. My bags are packed. I am off to Europe. FINALLY.
Here I go again on my own
Going down the only road I've ever known
Goodbye Austin! I shall miss your beautiful hills. But mostly I will miss the amazing friends and family I have there. I have a feeling though, I shall be back again someday real soon. Europe better look out for here comes a holy terror that will be unleashed upon the unsuspecting Brits! Europe, lookout cause this Texas gal is coming to town. Weeee.
I'm sitting here at the airport on my final move to Reading. I bid my parents a tearful adieu. My bags are packed. I am off to Europe. FINALLY.
Here I go again on my own
Going down the only road I've ever known
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Hell Freezes Over....
I often reply to all those Europeans that want to know what Texas is like with:
Texas, like most places has 4 seasons. They are just unique in those seasons. They are:
- Hot
- Hotter than Hell
- The Devil wouldn't fuckin live here (delete expletive if in professional environment).
- And sometimes... Just sometimes Hell freezes over...
Well today ladies and gentlemen, Hell froze over. And of course wouldn't you know it, I slipped and fell on my knee trying to get some garbage into the garbage bin... :) But it's ICE and SNOW and a veritable winter wonderland here in TX. Oh what joy is this!
Texas, like most places has 4 seasons. They are just unique in those seasons. They are:
- Hot
- Hotter than Hell
- The Devil wouldn't fuckin live here (delete expletive if in professional environment).
- And sometimes... Just sometimes Hell freezes over...
Well today ladies and gentlemen, Hell froze over. And of course wouldn't you know it, I slipped and fell on my knee trying to get some garbage into the garbage bin... :) But it's ICE and SNOW and a veritable winter wonderland here in TX. Oh what joy is this!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough. ~ Og Mandino
Mea Culpa. My sincerest apologies for not keeping you abreast of my fascinating adventure. I have been remiss in updating. I suppose I haven't been posting because my fascinating adventures have been mundane if not frustrating at best.
I moved into my flat. I even have pictures! Unfortunately I can't really furnish it with all these beautiful things like dishes, glasses, even a desk until I get a UK bank account. Oh if it were only that simple. But you see, here in the NOT SO UNITED KINGDOM, you can't get a bank account without confirmation of address. That requires a utility bill. But to turn on your utilities, you have to have a bank account because they require debit autopay. Now. So let's repeat this vicious circle just so I get this ingrained... Utility bills are sent out QUARTERLY. yes. every 3 months. So to actually turn on your utilities for your 3 month bill to come in, you have to have a bank account located in the UK... But to get said bank account, you have to have a utility bill verifying your address in the UK... Did you get that now because I assure you that is the summarized version of days negotiating with electricity, gas, water, internet, phone, and bank services in the UK.. Not to mention this is all either in queue after queue at each location or on the phone... my US based mobile phone since I can't get a UK number until the bank account is set up.
And so thus, I am the recipient of an unexpected challenge and I am persuing it with relish. I am determined that this move will not break me. It will not get me down and I will be successful. It will be fun, challenging, and I will grow incredibly as a woman and an individual. May no challenge get between me and my goals for I will overcome those obstacles.
GWTW had it the best... Scarlett is my hero!
"As God is my witness, as God is my witness, they're not going to lick me! I'm going to live through this, and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again - no, nor any of my folks! If I have to lie, steal, cheat, or kill, as God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again."
I moved into my flat. I even have pictures! Unfortunately I can't really furnish it with all these beautiful things like dishes, glasses, even a desk until I get a UK bank account. Oh if it were only that simple. But you see, here in the NOT SO UNITED KINGDOM, you can't get a bank account without confirmation of address. That requires a utility bill. But to turn on your utilities, you have to have a bank account because they require debit autopay. Now. So let's repeat this vicious circle just so I get this ingrained... Utility bills are sent out QUARTERLY. yes. every 3 months. So to actually turn on your utilities for your 3 month bill to come in, you have to have a bank account located in the UK... But to get said bank account, you have to have a utility bill verifying your address in the UK... Did you get that now because I assure you that is the summarized version of days negotiating with electricity, gas, water, internet, phone, and bank services in the UK.. Not to mention this is all either in queue after queue at each location or on the phone... my US based mobile phone since I can't get a UK number until the bank account is set up.
And so thus, I am the recipient of an unexpected challenge and I am persuing it with relish. I am determined that this move will not break me. It will not get me down and I will be successful. It will be fun, challenging, and I will grow incredibly as a woman and an individual. May no challenge get between me and my goals for I will overcome those obstacles.
GWTW had it the best... Scarlett is my hero!
"As God is my witness, as God is my witness, they're not going to lick me! I'm going to live through this, and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again - no, nor any of my folks! If I have to lie, steal, cheat, or kill, as God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again."
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