AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I know it's petty, but hey we're in a flooded country. Besides she was driving impaired so SCREW HER!!!
Thank you, Lindsay, for making us laugh (at you).
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Busted again!!!
AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I know it's petty, but hey we're in a flooded country. Besides she was driving impaired so SCREW HER!!!
Thank you, Lindsay, for making us laugh (at you).
Monday, July 23, 2007
I really hope this isn't my 'Groundhog Day'...
What a day. So, as a result of the flooding the train line between Hereford and Worcester is down until August 6th. Okay; no train, no problem. Apparently the buses are running. So I went to catch the bus to Worcester at 6:56 (!) this morning. I waited until 7:15 but it didn't show. I had to bail on work, but it was no problem because they had enough people around. So I went home. Meredith had to go to work at 8:30, but her loaner scooter wouldn't start. It was turning over but not catching...or whatever. Anyway, I said, "Just take mine. I'll see if I can get it going and in any event I'll call the bike shop to see if they have finished fixing your bike". Off she went and I tried for awhile to start the scooter to no avail.
I figured this was a blessing in disguise because Meredith taking the scooter meant that I could learn how to drive the car. I know I'm a pretty good driver, but I have issues, okay. It's on the left side and it's a stick. So, I hopped in and ventured off to town. I stalled a few times on the way to the main road, but I kinda got the hang of it. I was heading down a back road and had to get out of an oncoming car's way (narrow road). When I tried to move again, the car stalled. I tried to start it, and it wouldn't start. Same problem as the scooter. I tried for awhile, waited for a bit in case it was flooded. Nothing. So, I called Alan and he came over and towed me with his truck (attached by a chain...don't try it). We got back and he said he'd have a look at it.
At this point, I figured I'd better call the bike shop. So I spoke to a guy there and he said Meredith's scooter was ready and they'd drop it off between 2 and 3 today. I was going to take the bus into town, but decided to wait. In the meantime, Alan and I had a look at the car again and he tried to replace the distributor cap. I think he put the plugs in the wrong places because now when I turn the ignition it's like the battery is dying. We did this for an hour, and I called the bike shop at 3:15 to see where they were. Turns out the guy was delivering another bike in Malvern (near Worcester) and his truck broke down. So the bike's coming tomorrow. PS: thanks for calling and letting me know, slick.
As I had to get to town to buy groceries and hit the library, I decided to suck it up and call a cab. He dropped me off at the library where I remembered that it's closed on Mondays. At this point, I just started laughing. After that I went to Morrisons for groceries, and caught a cab home. Meredith and I had dinner and she's in bed already (it's 9).
One kinda good thing today (maybe...), I called Kathy Chadd (the temping agency) today. Since I may not be able to get to Worcester for 2 weeks I figured I may as well do some awesome office work in the meantime. They remembered me and said they'd get back to me. So, even though my job situation is kinda uncertain, there might be something on the horizon....after a day like today, data entry doesn't look so bad.
Well, that was a bit of a rant. I suppose I should focus on the positive. So, here goes: Our place isn't flooded, which is quite a reality in these parts lately. I've heard that some towns will have no running water for 3-4 days. Hopefully that gets sorted out quickly. When we got back on Saturday it became quite clear that we are cut off, and that people are freaking out. Check out Morrisons on Saturday evening:
Okay, the last one isn't specifically related to the flooding, but look how cute Phyllis and Cricket are.
Oh, before I go here's another positive thing about today. I made fajitas for dinner and they ROCKED. Allrighty, I'm gonna try the bus again tomorrow. It's a little tough though since 2 of our 3 vehicles are out of commission. Ah, that's a problem for tomorrow. Later.
I figured this was a blessing in disguise because Meredith taking the scooter meant that I could learn how to drive the car. I know I'm a pretty good driver, but I have issues, okay. It's on the left side and it's a stick. So, I hopped in and ventured off to town. I stalled a few times on the way to the main road, but I kinda got the hang of it. I was heading down a back road and had to get out of an oncoming car's way (narrow road). When I tried to move again, the car stalled. I tried to start it, and it wouldn't start. Same problem as the scooter. I tried for awhile, waited for a bit in case it was flooded. Nothing. So, I called Alan and he came over and towed me with his truck (attached by a chain...don't try it). We got back and he said he'd have a look at it.
At this point, I figured I'd better call the bike shop. So I spoke to a guy there and he said Meredith's scooter was ready and they'd drop it off between 2 and 3 today. I was going to take the bus into town, but decided to wait. In the meantime, Alan and I had a look at the car again and he tried to replace the distributor cap. I think he put the plugs in the wrong places because now when I turn the ignition it's like the battery is dying. We did this for an hour, and I called the bike shop at 3:15 to see where they were. Turns out the guy was delivering another bike in Malvern (near Worcester) and his truck broke down. So the bike's coming tomorrow. PS: thanks for calling and letting me know, slick.
As I had to get to town to buy groceries and hit the library, I decided to suck it up and call a cab. He dropped me off at the library where I remembered that it's closed on Mondays. At this point, I just started laughing. After that I went to Morrisons for groceries, and caught a cab home. Meredith and I had dinner and she's in bed already (it's 9).
One kinda good thing today (maybe...), I called Kathy Chadd (the temping agency) today. Since I may not be able to get to Worcester for 2 weeks I figured I may as well do some awesome office work in the meantime. They remembered me and said they'd get back to me. So, even though my job situation is kinda uncertain, there might be something on the horizon....after a day like today, data entry doesn't look so bad.
Well, that was a bit of a rant. I suppose I should focus on the positive. So, here goes: Our place isn't flooded, which is quite a reality in these parts lately. I've heard that some towns will have no running water for 3-4 days. Hopefully that gets sorted out quickly. When we got back on Saturday it became quite clear that we are cut off, and that people are freaking out. Check out Morrisons on Saturday evening:
Okay, the last one isn't specifically related to the flooding, but look how cute Phyllis and Cricket are.
Oh, before I go here's another positive thing about today. I made fajitas for dinner and they ROCKED. Allrighty, I'm gonna try the bus again tomorrow. It's a little tough though since 2 of our 3 vehicles are out of commission. Ah, that's a problem for tomorrow. Later.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Both forward and backward in time
This last week has been overwhelming and very sad. We ended up heading back to Edmonton on Saturday the 14th after hearing that Mike's Auntie Carmen had died suddenly. For his family, this has been an incredibly stressful time. Just over 6 weeks ago Alice died, and while we were in Edmonton, Mike's uncle George also ended up in the hospital and was very unwell. Upon our arrival we headed straight to Bruce and Di's place to say hello to various family members and to see how they were doing. Tuesday we attended Alice's memorial, Wednesday was family dinner and Thursday was the funeral and a visit to George and Shirley in the hospital. In between we managed to say hello to a few people, but mostly we were determined to be around and available to spend as much time as possible with Mike's family.
This was the first funeral I've ever attended. What a sad time. With Alice's memorial on Tuesday, it was to say goodbye and to reflect and remember. She had a long and fulfilling life, and while she will be forever missed, she was ready to go--93 is a lot of years. With Carmen, though, it's different. 57 is practically middle-aged now, and she still had a lot of things to do. I know that a lot of people ascribe to the idea that when people die it's on predetermined terms, but it still sucks a heck of a lot. Nor do I particularly find solace in the idea, but that's my own stuff. There were hundreds of people who came to the funeral, which itself was a testament to Carmen, and Shane got up and spoke about his Mom and it was incredibly touching. I commend that, and his and Wendy and Neil's bravery in the face of all of this. To be left behind is so difficult.
Being in Edmonton was surreal. When we got the phone call from Dolores to come home, we had actually been discussing our need for a visit. The city itself is a bit of a mess right now. Many people had stories about rents being raised $800-1,000 in a single month and that was shockingly evident when we spent time downtown. I can't believe how fast the homeless population has grown and how much devastation has been wrought by pure, unadulterated greed. Landlords who do this kind of thing should be ashamed of themselves.
Mom is mid-reno at our place. The bathroom has been done, with lino as the last step for that room. Our porch looks absolutely gorgeous, as she hasn't had us destroying her hard work and order, although Mike and I collectively knocked over like 8 plants in a single week. *sigh* Next up are the fireplace (she's 
taking off the slate) and the floors (hello, non-ripped Berber) and of course painting. She's already repainted the kitchen once since our departure. She's a paint maniac, of the excellent kind. It was really nice to spend time with the cats, who we've missed terribly since we've been gone. Phyllis was busy being indifferent, Gunther got the tail-shakes when we walked in and Cricket left us a dead mouse by the front door as a parting gift. She's so sweet...
Back on the farm, we've acquired both a spare bedroom and a Pink VW Polo. We're become 'those people' with 3 vehicles to 2 people. This will be handy, though, for visitors, so I am trying not to feel too ashamed by this.
As you can see, our new bedroom is well lit, but missing a chunk of the ceiling. Hopefully that will be rectified within the coming weeks. There was a leak from our shower into the room, so Alan had to tear down that part to allow the wood beams to dry out. However, since it's been raining and flooding nonstop here for like a month now, it's taking considerably longer than initially predicted.
Erika and Lester came the week prior to our arrival in Edmonton, and we spent some time a local Beer and Cider Festival, which was a lot of fun. They're back again for a couple days at the end of the month, at which time they're off to Edmonton for 2 weeks and from there to Japan to start their new jobs as Assistant Language Teachers with Interac. While I'm excited for them, I'm also selfishly sad that they're going to be gone. Having them within plane and train distance again has been wonderful, and they've made settling in here that much easier. However, Claire is still around--she's found herself an apartment in Berlin for July, and from there, who knows...? I'm determined to track her down for the long weekend in August, which will be a lot of fun. I think the next few months promise to be super busy still, with Shannon and her family and as well Dad and Dorothy slated for visits in October. Daniel will also be here in just over 6 weeks, so that's very exciting. Booking our European airfare is a priority this week.
I'm including a picture of one of the Nuclear reactors in Bristol, simply because it's cool to see. There are 3 in a row (I wasn't quick enough to get my camera out) and the installation is enormous. It actually looks really cool in person.
Our journey back to the H was eventful--our train / bus ride from Heathrow airport took the same amount of time as our flight. There has been massive flooding in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, and Friday Hereford alone received over 100mm of rain in just a few hours. Consequently, train lines and roads throughout the areas have been shut, and en route from Swindon to Bath we actually saw a tornado out the window. We didn't see it touch down, and of course my camera didn't have enough resolution to pick it up, but it was really weird.
Reading station was a complete and utter nightmare--people had been stranded there since Friday morning and the train companies were not offering emergency transportation alternatives until Saturday afternoon. We were then delayed on the line for 45 minutes or so because on the train bridge between Hereford and Abergavenny someone was threatening to jump off of it. Cops had to be called and such, but he was brought down safely.
So, we arrived back in Hereford around 7pm yesterday, and we've been hard at work reading Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows and eating lots of Quorn since we missed it a lot in Edmonton. Being home was a bleak reminder of how difficult things have been over here, and we're both set on the idea that we'll be back to Edmonton for Mike to resume his job in June 2008. When I left I wasn't certain which direction this trip would lead me, but the longer I'm gone, the more I'm coming to realize that Edmonton is indeed where I want to be.
I hope that everyone is happy and healthy, and I am committed to being a more diligent poster in the future.
XOXOXOXOXOX
This was the first funeral I've ever attended. What a sad time. With Alice's memorial on Tuesday, it was to say goodbye and to reflect and remember. She had a long and fulfilling life, and while she will be forever missed, she was ready to go--93 is a lot of years. With Carmen, though, it's different. 57 is practically middle-aged now, and she still had a lot of things to do. I know that a lot of people ascribe to the idea that when people die it's on predetermined terms, but it still sucks a heck of a lot. Nor do I particularly find solace in the idea, but that's my own stuff. There were hundreds of people who came to the funeral, which itself was a testament to Carmen, and Shane got up and spoke about his Mom and it was incredibly touching. I commend that, and his and Wendy and Neil's bravery in the face of all of this. To be left behind is so difficult.
Being in Edmonton was surreal. When we got the phone call from Dolores to come home, we had actually been discussing our need for a visit. The city itself is a bit of a mess right now. Many people had stories about rents being raised $800-1,000 in a single month and that was shockingly evident when we spent time downtown. I can't believe how fast the homeless population has grown and how much devastation has been wrought by pure, unadulterated greed. Landlords who do this kind of thing should be ashamed of themselves.
Mom is mid-reno at our place. The bathroom has been done, with lino as the last step for that room. Our porch looks absolutely gorgeous, as she hasn't had us destroying her hard work and order, although Mike and I collectively knocked over like 8 plants in a single week. *sigh* Next up are the fireplace (she's 
taking off the slate) and the floors (hello, non-ripped Berber) and of course painting. She's already repainted the kitchen once since our departure. She's a paint maniac, of the excellent kind. It was really nice to spend time with the cats, who we've missed terribly since we've been gone. Phyllis was busy being indifferent, Gunther got the tail-shakes when we walked in and Cricket left us a dead mouse by the front door as a parting gift. She's so sweet...
Back on the farm, we've acquired both a spare bedroom and a Pink VW Polo. We're become 'those people' with 3 vehicles to 2 people. This will be handy, though, for visitors, so I am trying not to feel too ashamed by this.
As you can see, our new bedroom is well lit, but missing a chunk of the ceiling. Hopefully that will be rectified within the coming weeks. There was a leak from our shower into the room, so Alan had to tear down that part to allow the wood beams to dry out. However, since it's been raining and flooding nonstop here for like a month now, it's taking considerably longer than initially predicted.
Erika and Lester came the week prior to our arrival in Edmonton, and we spent some time a local Beer and Cider Festival, which was a lot of fun. They're back again for a couple days at the end of the month, at which time they're off to Edmonton for 2 weeks and from there to Japan to start their new jobs as Assistant Language Teachers with Interac. While I'm excited for them, I'm also selfishly sad that they're going to be gone. Having them within plane and train distance again has been wonderful, and they've made settling in here that much easier. However, Claire is still around--she's found herself an apartment in Berlin for July, and from there, who knows...? I'm determined to track her down for the long weekend in August, which will be a lot of fun. I think the next few months promise to be super busy still, with Shannon and her family and as well Dad and Dorothy slated for visits in October. Daniel will also be here in just over 6 weeks, so that's very exciting. Booking our European airfare is a priority this week.
I'm including a picture of one of the Nuclear reactors in Bristol, simply because it's cool to see. There are 3 in a row (I wasn't quick enough to get my camera out) and the installation is enormous. It actually looks really cool in person.Our journey back to the H was eventful--our train / bus ride from Heathrow airport took the same amount of time as our flight. There has been massive flooding in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, and Friday Hereford alone received over 100mm of rain in just a few hours. Consequently, train lines and roads throughout the areas have been shut, and en route from Swindon to Bath we actually saw a tornado out the window. We didn't see it touch down, and of course my camera didn't have enough resolution to pick it up, but it was really weird.
Reading station was a complete and utter nightmare--people had been stranded there since Friday morning and the train companies were not offering emergency transportation alternatives until Saturday afternoon. We were then delayed on the line for 45 minutes or so because on the train bridge between Hereford and Abergavenny someone was threatening to jump off of it. Cops had to be called and such, but he was brought down safely.
So, we arrived back in Hereford around 7pm yesterday, and we've been hard at work reading Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows and eating lots of Quorn since we missed it a lot in Edmonton. Being home was a bleak reminder of how difficult things have been over here, and we're both set on the idea that we'll be back to Edmonton for Mike to resume his job in June 2008. When I left I wasn't certain which direction this trip would lead me, but the longer I'm gone, the more I'm coming to realize that Edmonton is indeed where I want to be.
I hope that everyone is happy and healthy, and I am committed to being a more diligent poster in the future.
XOXOXOXOXOX
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Sadness
We will be back tomorrow until Friday the 20th. We can be reached on (780) 298 0024, Mom's Cell, if you need to be in touch.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
What the hell is a CBT anyway?
OK, so I actually hate it here right now. Like, not wanting to make eye contact with the locals hate it. Not because I think that avoidance is the best way of solving problems, but because if I look into a pair of British peepers I will either scream or cry from frustration. Most likely cry, really, because it's me, and it's embarrassing when I get all snotty and puffy and red.
Monday the 25th should have started out a happy day, as it was payday. And that's a pretty momentous thing when it only happens once a month (LAME!). So, I'm all excited about being reinforced for my toil--and then it doesn't happen. Human Resources somehow didn't find the time in the last 10 working days to send a stupid fax to the payroll company. And then they didn't bother to let me know. They knew for like a week that I wouldn't be paid on time. Nice, hey? So, I have to spend a collective 2 hours or so talking to various people--none of whom know what's going on--just to find out they they will issue a check on Tuesday afternoon and put it in the mail. To which I replied,
"Hell, no! Yes, I'll come down and pick it up. Yes, I'll wait. Yes, I know this isn't how you normally do things. Yes, I know this is slightly inconvenient for you. Yes, I will come to your awkwardly located office in the warehouse district behind the local B & Q (?!). Thank you so much for all your time and help. I really appreciate the extra effort. Have a nice day."
I wanted to vomit after faking nice for such an exorbitant amount of time. But, the way things work here, I figured if I didn't suck it up they would 'accidentally' stick the cheque in the local post, where it would likely either disappear or be sucked into the vacuum of postal space. With the ongoing threat of a strike, I was keen to avoid that outcome at all costs.
It wouldn't have mattered, though, because it seems that the bank tellers, 'personal accounts representatives' and bank mangers at HSBC were determined that I not have access to any money regardless. Getting the freaking account set up in the first place was a world class headache, and it's apparently accompanied by snotty, inefficient and incompetent service. Turns out they gave me the wrong type of account in the first place. And then on Tuesday when I deposited the cheque and they told me it would take until Friday to clear, they actually meant Monday at the earliest. Apparently my psychic powers were supposed to pick that up. And then they reminded me that if I wanted them to switch my crap account to one that actually works (ie one with cheques that allows me to have certain portions of money cleared without hold), they will have to take away my bank card and change all of my account numbers. Which could take a week. 'Cause that's a realistic option right now.
Wednesday was an OK day, especially when I found out that my Criminal Record Check still has not been approved. Yet another fax that needs to be sent. So, I'm not really allowed to do anything right now other than visit local agencies and shadow other workers. Which was cool for the first 4 weeks, but since I'm running out of locations and people keep canceling, it's no longer a particularly worthwhile exercise.
Thursday was alright. Nothing disastrous, at least. Well, except for the disturbing stories coming from Chris Benoit's death. Freaky. Apparently his dad lives in Ardrossan. And our shower stall being ripped apart in our bathroom because it's leaking into our newly acquired downstairs room. Right on.
Friday rocked when I had to work an hour unpaid overtime and missed my train to return from a neighboring town where we had been working. So, I got to sit on an unmanned outdoor platform for an hour with nothing to do. And then I found out about the CBT test, which has something to do with our scooters. I don't know what it is, but apparently we each need to have one. You would think that someone would have mentioned it when we were buying, insuring and taxing the things, but apparently not. So this week we will be in search of 'it'.
Saturday was the first really good day of the week. I checked my e-mails and had some, which was awesome, and I got to chat with Mom, which made me happy, and Mike got to start his new job in Worcester.
Today was made cheery and light by the grocery store manager who rudely paged us to the front of the store while we were paying, to inform us that we were to move our scooters IMMEDIATELY from their parking spots due to Health and Safety Concerns. Because apparently the spot we've been TOLD to park in--where all of the employees park and there is no signage--is unsuitable. Like, right that very second?! Again, must-have psychic powers. And also learn to not hate store managers who start sentences with, "If I was being pedantic..." I really do wonder if he'd feel justified speaking to us in that manner if we had British accents. I doubt it, and I think that's what discrimination must feel like. I cannot imagine what it's like to be here and of a different ethnicity and/or non-English speaking. It would be truly awful.
There have been good things this week. We got a tentative invite from my coworkers to go to the local beer festival later this month where there will be like 200 different types of cider to sample, all of which are brewed locally. And Saint Alan, our landlord, has managed to hook us up with a car for 500gbp--hello pink VW Polo. Which will be much nicer to ride in during floods and rain. I'm just having a hard time right now with what feel like endless hoops and choking bureaucracies. And people being rude and dismissive. And having to check, double-check and recheck things, only to discover that we've been given incorrect or just plain wrong information. And then being treated like crap for not knowing so.
Everything just feels hard right now. And there's some wicked self-doubt creeping in. Was this the right thing to do? Can we stick it out? Why the hell am I putting myself through this? I'm pretty sure it will pass, and that culture shock has come just a bit early. Mike made the observation that the forthcoming change in routine as a result of his new job and ungodly waking hours (5:45 people!) will bring about different ways of seeing and doing things. But, I'm tired of things going wrong. I'm particularly tired of feeling powerless when up against said things. And right now I'm tired of complaining, so I'm going to go before this posting devolves any further.
This week will be better, right?
Monday the 25th should have started out a happy day, as it was payday. And that's a pretty momentous thing when it only happens once a month (LAME!). So, I'm all excited about being reinforced for my toil--and then it doesn't happen. Human Resources somehow didn't find the time in the last 10 working days to send a stupid fax to the payroll company. And then they didn't bother to let me know. They knew for like a week that I wouldn't be paid on time. Nice, hey? So, I have to spend a collective 2 hours or so talking to various people--none of whom know what's going on--just to find out they they will issue a check on Tuesday afternoon and put it in the mail. To which I replied,
"Hell, no! Yes, I'll come down and pick it up. Yes, I'll wait. Yes, I know this isn't how you normally do things. Yes, I know this is slightly inconvenient for you. Yes, I will come to your awkwardly located office in the warehouse district behind the local B & Q (?!). Thank you so much for all your time and help. I really appreciate the extra effort. Have a nice day."
I wanted to vomit after faking nice for such an exorbitant amount of time. But, the way things work here, I figured if I didn't suck it up they would 'accidentally' stick the cheque in the local post, where it would likely either disappear or be sucked into the vacuum of postal space. With the ongoing threat of a strike, I was keen to avoid that outcome at all costs.
It wouldn't have mattered, though, because it seems that the bank tellers, 'personal accounts representatives' and bank mangers at HSBC were determined that I not have access to any money regardless. Getting the freaking account set up in the first place was a world class headache, and it's apparently accompanied by snotty, inefficient and incompetent service. Turns out they gave me the wrong type of account in the first place. And then on Tuesday when I deposited the cheque and they told me it would take until Friday to clear, they actually meant Monday at the earliest. Apparently my psychic powers were supposed to pick that up. And then they reminded me that if I wanted them to switch my crap account to one that actually works (ie one with cheques that allows me to have certain portions of money cleared without hold), they will have to take away my bank card and change all of my account numbers. Which could take a week. 'Cause that's a realistic option right now.
Wednesday was an OK day, especially when I found out that my Criminal Record Check still has not been approved. Yet another fax that needs to be sent. So, I'm not really allowed to do anything right now other than visit local agencies and shadow other workers. Which was cool for the first 4 weeks, but since I'm running out of locations and people keep canceling, it's no longer a particularly worthwhile exercise.
Thursday was alright. Nothing disastrous, at least. Well, except for the disturbing stories coming from Chris Benoit's death. Freaky. Apparently his dad lives in Ardrossan. And our shower stall being ripped apart in our bathroom because it's leaking into our newly acquired downstairs room. Right on.
Friday rocked when I had to work an hour unpaid overtime and missed my train to return from a neighboring town where we had been working. So, I got to sit on an unmanned outdoor platform for an hour with nothing to do. And then I found out about the CBT test, which has something to do with our scooters. I don't know what it is, but apparently we each need to have one. You would think that someone would have mentioned it when we were buying, insuring and taxing the things, but apparently not. So this week we will be in search of 'it'.
Saturday was the first really good day of the week. I checked my e-mails and had some, which was awesome, and I got to chat with Mom, which made me happy, and Mike got to start his new job in Worcester.
Today was made cheery and light by the grocery store manager who rudely paged us to the front of the store while we were paying, to inform us that we were to move our scooters IMMEDIATELY from their parking spots due to Health and Safety Concerns. Because apparently the spot we've been TOLD to park in--where all of the employees park and there is no signage--is unsuitable. Like, right that very second?! Again, must-have psychic powers. And also learn to not hate store managers who start sentences with, "If I was being pedantic..." I really do wonder if he'd feel justified speaking to us in that manner if we had British accents. I doubt it, and I think that's what discrimination must feel like. I cannot imagine what it's like to be here and of a different ethnicity and/or non-English speaking. It would be truly awful.
There have been good things this week. We got a tentative invite from my coworkers to go to the local beer festival later this month where there will be like 200 different types of cider to sample, all of which are brewed locally. And Saint Alan, our landlord, has managed to hook us up with a car for 500gbp--hello pink VW Polo. Which will be much nicer to ride in during floods and rain. I'm just having a hard time right now with what feel like endless hoops and choking bureaucracies. And people being rude and dismissive. And having to check, double-check and recheck things, only to discover that we've been given incorrect or just plain wrong information. And then being treated like crap for not knowing so.
Everything just feels hard right now. And there's some wicked self-doubt creeping in. Was this the right thing to do? Can we stick it out? Why the hell am I putting myself through this? I'm pretty sure it will pass, and that culture shock has come just a bit early. Mike made the observation that the forthcoming change in routine as a result of his new job and ungodly waking hours (5:45 people!) will bring about different ways of seeing and doing things. But, I'm tired of things going wrong. I'm particularly tired of feeling powerless when up against said things. And right now I'm tired of complaining, so I'm going to go before this posting devolves any further.
This week will be better, right?
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