Is she alive or dead? It's been since NYE!

Yup...I've been overtaken by that thing called 'life.'

I'm enjoying my new Londres world so much; I can hardly believe I've been here for (gulp) seven months already. Whew...

Let's see...How can I sum up the past 3-1/2 months in a nutshell?

Steve left for New Zealand in February. The night before his departure we had the most lovely night in the world. He treated me to a fab dinner at Quaglino's and then on to see The 39 Steps at The Criterion, which I'd wanted to see since I'd heard it was here. It was fab...He's an awesome beau!

Steve goes to NZ...

He left the next morning. I was sad. His uber-fun mom, Charmian, invited me to her house that Sunday for a roast dinner and some chat time. We giggled all throughout the afternoon, even forgetting that we'd left the crackling in the oven. Darn -- that's one of the best parts of a roast din (save for my fave Yorkshire puddings, of course!).

At about 3 p.m. that aft, Steve's dad, Greg, came by. It was time to go to celebrate Granny Cust's 88th birthday with tea and cakes at this gorgeous place right near them, Langshott Manor. It was a beautiful, 16th century manor with amazing stained glass windows and the most English of gardens. Wow.

It was so incredibly kind of them to invite me and his cousin, Imogen, even said, 'Are you now replacing Steve at family gatherings? I like that...' hehe...

Nonetheless, it was still very hard to be apart for three weeks and Steve cut his trip short to return back on Valentine's Day...He'd arranged for wine and flowers to be delivered to me at work for the holiday, but he was the best present I could've gotten. Aww.

Valentine's Day

Funny story: Steve had sent me wine and flowers to work. He knows I detest roses (for reasons I won't go into here...suffice it to say, my ol' Premier coworkers sure know why). When the girls yelled for me to come into the hall, I saw a vase filled with a dozen red roses. I was absolutely floored. 'Why the heck would he send me roses? He knows I hate roses!'

A moment later, the flower guy came back with another arrangement of wild flowers with a bottle of wine -- addressed to my coworker, Vicky. 'No, no!' I yelled. 'Those are mine. I'm sure of it! They just mixed up the cards.' hehe...Yup. She did have to check with her hubby, but yup...I was right. (winks)

Anywho, we won't bother with any more about cutting the trip short...

Field trip to Horsham!

On a grey-ish, rainy-ish Saturday (I know, I know -- hard to believe in England) Steve and I hopped the train up to Horsham for a field trip with his mom. Charmian had grown up there and I'd been there once before. It's a really charming town, very English and just...super quaint. At the risk of sounding like a total Yank girl for saying that, it truly was.

We wandered 'round the village, stopping into a kitchen-y/cook shop, a cheapy shop (I love those), a few other places and of course the village pub for a coffee. Some things still just floor me...There was a place I suppose akin to a Home Depot design center only teeny-tiny and selling just pricey stoves. These Aga stoves...er, cookers are 'cast-iron, gas-fueled, enamel-glazed cooking stove that uses non-drying radiant heat to gently cook food.' These guys start at about £5k. Whoa. Seriously? Upon further inspection, it appears one can buy them in the States -- in Charlotte, in fact. Have I been missing out on these all my life?

Steve's aunt and uncle have one in their house. It was the coolest thing to see at Christmastime when I was there. Talk about feeling ol' skool English. All I needed was Tiny Tim in the corner spouting out a 'God bless us, every one!'

Anywho, we had a fab time together. Steve even was able to pick up 'sticks' for the red vase he'd bought for his kitchen. I love that: sticks. I'd say 'decorative twigs' but y'know...que sera, sera...hehe...Steve also picked up a [reallllly heavy-what's-it-made-of-iron?!] bowl to be filled with pinecones and the like.

We three giggled our way around a craft shop, too. Char thought she'd make up some picture frame/art for Steve's place like we'd seen in a mall that day. We started playing with ribbons and wires and could barely keep Steve away from the model airplane section. hehe...

View the Flickr stream.

Maz's birthday

Although I'm going in non-chronological order (ahh, seems the story of my life...hehe), I must include some fun from Maz's birthday celebration 30 January.

Maz had sent 'round an e-mail asking all of us for input on restaurant preferences. We all agreed that an English place, Tryst, sounded nice and was in walking distance of Maz and Jon's house.

Dinner was lovely. They sat us in the front window 'round a large table. As we inspected the menu, a few of us wrinkled our foreheads in confusion. 'Um...hon?' I whispered to Steve, 'Is "monkey gland sauce" an English thing?'

Rest assured, it's neither an English thing nor a monkey thing...heck, nor even a gland thing for that matter. It's a South African curry/spicy barbeque-like sauce for steaks. Whew. Thank goodness!

I learned a few more things that night, as I always tend to do in this country. First, that I'm um...'severely handicapped' for not liking seafood...(giggle -- thanks, Greg! hehe). Second, I learned the phrase 'suffer fools gladly,' which I must admit I've heard before...likely in a novel in my British novels 1870-1920 class in college; I don't think I've ever actually heard someone use the phrase. I like it, though... I think it's one we must bring back to our lil' everyday expressions. I think the same thing about the word 'cepaceous' too, but...

After our scrumptious dinner and vino, we went to the nearby pub to for some later-laughs, pool, and chat. Steve played both of his 'rents in billiards (his mom was thisclose to winning!). It was such a lovely time, and again, I felt so lucky to be invited...Aww. They're too kind!

View the Flickr steam.

My birthday

Aww...So with my Steve back in London with me, I had a fab birthday. He, with the help of Greg, arranged for a fun-fun eve in Tooting at The Tramshed. I have to say: I have some of the most kindest, wonderfulest friends in this town ev-ah.

Kerry-Ann, although ill that night (poor lil' thing!) had sent Greg in with a yummy gift for me -- American cupcakes. Truth be told, I'm not sure what the distinction is exactly, but these were the kind with that cream cheese-y frosting rather than the sugar frosting. They were beautiful and I shared, even though I wanted to eat 'em all for myself! hehe...

Mel-Jen and Chris were there, too. Mel-Jen looked positively model-esque, having had her hair all done that day. Talk about dolled-up. I think Chris hardly blinked all eve. hehe...

Maz and Jon were kind enough to make the long trip to Tooting, even though they'd just arrived home from NZ but a day or so prior...same with Tree and Sean.

Anton and Rob were there, adding to the laughs, too. We even had a few Tup regulars join, just out of coincidence. Interesting times, these are.

In any case, I felt like a lil' princess...Steve had picked up a pink balloon and a super-sweet card. Awww. It was a wonderful, wonderful birthday...until, that is, I came home and found that Star had had her own party --in the garbage. Argh.

View the Flickr stream.

Trip to York

My darling Steve took me to York for my birthday. The pics probably tell the story better than I could...
The pics are posted on Facebook...(giggle -- and thanks, Beth! I'm sure Steve will love that comment that he's hot. hehe...He is, isn't he? Awww... //blushes)

However, I do have to include the YouTube vid that I took. I do love how Steve and I can act like we're absolute boneheads. Whilst walking through the city, there was this awesome street band. With a rather large crowd. All around.

I talked Steve into doing a jig in the middle of the circle. Love it...
Although it's only seconds long (it was on my 2006-era camera), it kills me every time I watch it...
Watch the video.

Chartwell: Winston's home

Steve and I popped on up to hang with Char on another Saturday. She'd planned for us to go to Chartwell, the private home of Winston Churchill. It was a sunny day (albeit a bit muddy!) and the grounds were really nice.

Now here are some things I never knew about Mr. Churchill:
1.) He was Prime Minister not once, but twice. Really? Who knew?
2.) He possessed a keen talent in painting, and took lessons from accomplished artists. It was his way of chillaxin'. Rock on. His canvases were really cool.
3.) That he was part of the Blenheim Palace family. I've been there. Talk about having some scratch...er, pound-a-roonies...

The house was really interesting, filled with books and art of the era. The breakfast room really took my breath away for some reason. It was filled with sunshine and opened up to a lawn. Wow. I'd liked to have dance-dance-danced across the yard after a croquet game in that place. Yeah, I suppose I got a bit carried away with my imagination.

Super funny: There was a guy near us at one point talking about the peculiarities of Americans...specifically, he'd mentioned Texans and NYers. Char and I giggled over that one...hehe...I'll just leave it at that... (winks)

View the Flickr stream.

Finally! A blog post!

I have been the world's worst at updating here and have been receiving -- ahem! -- nudges to do so...
In order to try to fix my wrongdoings, I will create headers, and you can scan to the areas as you wish. (winks)

New Year's Eve

Ok, I'm going a bit back in time here, but suffice it to say, New Year's was fabulous. Steve and I went to Maz and John's, for a relaxed evening with them and another couple, Tom and Abbey. It was just as I'd wanted.
I'd rushed around a bit the day of, trying to make a breakfast strada (mom's recipe which clearly stated to use at least two layers, lest one risk a soggy morning treat), dyeing my hair (which came out a bit too red than I'd have liked), running the dog (as she'd have to await my return in the hungover morning) and wrapping a last minute hostess gift. Whew. So much to do, so little time.

Nonetheless, the night was positively lovely. Maz and John made a fabulous roast dinner, we giggled all night, even played some Wii -- as everyone ought to on NYE, in accord with those exercise resolutions.

What was so different this year was the fact that instead of watching Dick Clarke's Rockin' New Year, televised from Times Square, with the ball dropping and the drunks galore, was that I was watching a similar site -- um...but minus the Times Square and plus a Big Ben.
Admittedly, there's something oh-so-romantic and fab for an Anglophile like me to hear Big Ben chiming away at midnight. Admittedly, just like Times Square, I'd not want to actually be there, I'd just like to see it on tv, enjoying it in a warm home, with vino and very fun peeps all around me -- just as it was.

Borough Market

Now, it must be said that I love food. I love eating. I love cooking. I love pawing through recipe books 'as though they were novels,' as Mom would say. (Ah, she and I are exactly the same!) I have learned, quite sadly, that my cooking is not like it was back home. That is, I realise full-well that I'm not a chef, but I used to cook reallllly well when at home. I could make any dinner and even a first attempt yielded something not only edible, but actually --gasp! -- tasty!

I'm not sure if it's a measurement thing, a temperature thing, or the fact that everything tastes slightly, if not more, different here (e.g. sour cream, butter, beef -- the staples). I could've been smart and realised, as Steve's mom easily pointed out, 'Are you cooking American recipes or English ones?' Oh. Right.

With one easygoing question, I think I had an epiphany: my States-side recipes aren't going to taste the same here and even more so, I nearly wonder if my palette has changed -- if even slightly -- in the few months since I've arrived. (Ok, ok, I'll always have a palette for 'dirty Mexican' food -- oh, yum!) but I think Charmian is exactly right: I need to expand my culinary horizons, and this adventure is exactly what I needed to do for that.

With that in mind, Steve and I went to my favorite-of-favorite places, Borough Market. It's a foodie's dream. And on a Saturday, one can find millions of like-minded foodies wandering around, trying 'drunk cheese' (that is, aged in wine -- and the red wine one was amazing, by the way), perusing the stalls with plucked geese and local game and being astounded by the squid, seafood and enormous fish, as though we were in Japan.

We tubed on down to Borough one cold Saturday, had a spot of lunch from a Greek stand with grilled halloumi cheese (which smelled like tires -- or tyres) yet amazing lamb burgers. Get on. It was awesome. Eating fab food in the shadow of the historic Southwark

Cathedral? Ah, it doesn't get much better than that...then we wandered into a local stall that sold pork, beef, chicken, eggs...everything from the local counties.

Feeling brave, we decided to pick up a lovely lamb roast. Yum. We asked the guy behind the counter how to cook it, but didn't really understand the response. No matter, Steve said he'd take care of it...and take care of it he did.

We roasted the lamb (ok, he roasted the lamb whilst I relaxed with a glass of wine) to perfection. Add amazing rosemary/olive oil potatoes, some veggies, fab wine, and a cosy night in. That, my friend, is what makes one's toes curl.

My new job!

Before I begin, let me first say thank you to all who have sent their prayers and thoughts to me whilst I was interviewing and looking. It worked!

Next, I must yet again reiterate my belief that I've held true for the past decade or so -- if it doesn't work out, it's not to be. Ain't it the truth? (winks)

It must be said that my first week here, I had interviewed for a job that was quite good: fab salary, rather prestigious, heck, even a relatively easy commute. I didn't get that job... even though I thought the interview went rather well. They'd told the recruiter that I didn't tell them enough about my accomplishments. Aww...I was trying to be not-so-braggy-American! Meh, I knew then that it just wasn't where I was supposed to be. There's always a reason why things do or don't work out, I've found.

When I'd interviewed for this role, Casey was on the last day of her Thanksgiving visit. Her lovely encouragement and support was, just like my family's all along, what I needed to hear as I trekked off to the interview. They did, in fact, hire me. Yay!

I love this place...It's rather familiar like my Premier, filled with uber-ambitious, smart people who are cool, sweet and non-political, though this role has the opportunity for me to actually make a difference and show them something they don't already know. My immediate boss, Katie, is smart-alec-ly, dry-witted (as I adore in the English) and may I even say a bit offbeat in the coolest of ways (she recently wrote a novel and placed in a carry-the-wife-on-the-shoulders competition somewhere in Scandinavia) and my boss's boss, Lucy, is just like my old boss, Stacey: smart, incredibly efficient, and knows everything about the industry in which she works and has a personality with which I just click.

Everyone else in the office? Fun and fab. I feel as though I've landed in a BBC America show (um, not The Office) where everyone is close, a little silly and a lot of awesome. That, my friends, is why I didn't get the role that first week. Had I been hired for that, or any of the other ones, I'd have missed this chance...and I love it here.

I'm in Waterloo, near the North Lambeth tube station, across from the Imperial War Museum. In the evenings, when I walk back to the tube, I can see the London Eye lit up against the night sky and something inside me just smiles.

Across from the Museum is a row of gorgeous townhomes. My English coworker with the perfect posture and the posh accent, Alice, had pointed out that it was likely a square but that in the war most of it had been bombed...hence the 1960s/1970s architecture that surrounds our office. Wow. Hadn't even thought of that...Without getting political, it's so hard to imagine war on one's own home soil and the damage that can be done. Suffice it to say, it was yet another epiphany for me.

Now, if I can just prove to them my abilities...(winks) But the fact that there's a really cute pub catty-corner from the office, The Three Stags, where we're having anti-Valentine's Day drinks is groovy in the meantime, too. hehe...

Ok, it's late...This is long...and I still have many more stories and pics to post. Up next? Maz's birthday, Steve's departure, and a fab Sunday roast and tea/cakes with the family...

My first Christmas in London (albeit now three weeks ago!)

The NY family comes to London...

I had a blast with the family here in London for Christmas. Goodness, but we did an awful lot in a week!

After a horrific delay from the weather for their departure (they were supposed to leave at 10:30 p.m. from NY, which was pushed back-back-back to --gulp! -- 5:30 a.m. the next morning!), Mom, Dad, Tante Helga, and David all arrived at their hotel in St. James. I met up with Mom and Dad the first evening and we hopped down to the Alexander, a quaint pub on the corner. They'd all not only visited London before, they had, in fact, stayed at the same hotel...and even popped into the same Alexander pub. Perhaps London isn't as big as I think? (winks)

The following day, we went to Kensington Palace to see "The Last Debutantes" exhibit and all of the Princess Diana dresses on display. As we wandered through the palace, it started to snow...hard...very hard... We hopped into a nearby pub for a late-afternoon lunch/early dinner and decided to call it an early night, fearing the transit situation. (In fact, it took me about an hour and a half to get home, though it should've only been about 40 min. Ugh.)

We went to the German Christmas market near Oxford/Regent streets, which wasn't exactly a market per se, but did provide a place to pick up a yummy hot mulled wine, aka gluwein, in between our shopping stops. David had a chance to stop at his favorite HMV with Tante Helga, and my parents and I checked out M&S for some edible goodies that they could take home.

One highlight of the week was hearing Handel's Messiah at St. Martin's in the Field. We had our own little wooden box on the left side, with a partially obstructed view, yet the music was still phenomenal and a real treat. The narrow, wooden benches on which we were seated, however, may have left my heiney with a bit to be desired. ("That's so you don't fall asleep," quipped Daddy. hehe)

We also went to Westminster Abbey on Christmas Eve for the 4 p.m. service. It must be noted here that as I've never lived in London before, I'd no idea how long of a line would await us when we arrived. Crikey! The line to get in stretched for blocks...though we were able to find a place within it. We won't say how here, but thanks Tante Helga! hehe...The service was quite nice, though it was standing room only in there. The choir sang traditional English carols, and when I say "traditional," I mean from the 15th and 16th centuries. Um. Ok. There was no humming/singing along for us until we got to "O Come, All Ye Faithful" and "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing," the only two with which I was familiar. It is a beautiful place, nonetheless, even if the service was a bit unfamiliar to us.

Christmas Day lunch was a lovely, memorable experience. With so many restaurants closed for the holiday (and no buses nor tubes operating either), pickin's for a place were slim. We went to The Artisan, a very nice restaurant at The Westbury Hotel in Mayfair. The pricey outing provided us with a -- yikes! -- seven-course meal, including a traditional roast entree. Thus, while we'd all likely have been quite satiated with the generous portion of roast duck and turkey and all of the trimmings, they brought over three starters and three desserts in addition. I think we all had to roll out of there with so much food. Yikes. Ah, but The Artisan also provided for a bit of celebrity spottings, as James Earl Jones (the voice of Darth Vader and the king in Coming to America) and Phyicia Rashad (aka the mom from The Cosby Show) were seated at the next table with a half-dozen other friends. Good times.

The family even had a chance to meet up with Steve a couple of times, which was fun. I think he passed the test. (winks) Oh, of course he passed the test; he's too fab not to. I, too, had a chance to see Steve's family on Christmas Day, as he kindly picked me up from Victoria and drove me to dinner at his parents' house. It's nice when one gets along with the other's family, and to me it's even quite essential, as my family is so important to me.

My first London Christmas was so incredibly special, and I realise (yet again) that I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have the family that I do. My uber-fun aunt was the one who concocted the idea of hopping across the pond for the holiday, and I can't be grateful enough that they all actually did it. It's a big deal to travel during the holidays, especially to another country. The laughs and love during the week made me feel so warm and reiterates yet again how Christmas is always a time to be with family.

Thank you Mom, Dad, Tante Helga and David. You'll have no idea how much Christmas 2009 will forever live in my memory and it's all because of your oh-so-kind-and-generous-and-fun selves coming here to visit lil' ol' me.

It's beginning to look (and feel!) a lot like Christmas...

Snow! Lights! Christmas mirth! Hooray!

The Christmas season has arrived here in London, that's for sure. Everyone is in the holiday spirit, and along with scores of Christmas carols, the line "as the shoppers rush home with their treasures..." is front of mind, er...at least my mind. Let's see...

Snow's [non] impact on a theatre trip...

On Wednesday morning, snow arrived in Colliers Wood. Now, this was exciting -- my first London snow! I happily tweeted it out, and then did a quick search to see if anyone else in my post code was experiencing the same glee. Interestingly enough, the hashtag #uksnow was instantly rising to the top of the trending topics list. It shot up to number one so quickly that I was even compelled to write a short blog about it on my other site, "Using Web 2.0 tools for instant information: Murderers, earthquakes, and snow — oh, my!" (Yes, one respondent noted "that's quite a combination!" to the title...)

In reading the #uksnow tweets, I learned not only where it was snowing and how hard the flakes were falling, but also that London is akin to Charlotte, whereby a small dusting can close down the city. Yikes! Steve and I had tickets to see Avenue Q that night, a birthday gift to him from Maz and John. Would we have any issues? Oh, no!

Luckily, all was fine. I met Steve at his work for a quick drink at the work Christmas do, after which we hoofed up to TheatreLand to meet Maz and John for the tickets, and then it was off to the show to see the Bad Idea Bears (aka Steve and me) and the rest of the puppets. The evening proved to be incredibly cold and still a bit snowy, but we encountered no issues in our travels and, in fact, barely a dusting was left on the streets. Aw!

Christmas shopping throughout the city...

To celebrate Maz and John's new home, I hopped up to the John Lewis store in Kingston for a small gift card, as well as a quick spot of lunch with Phil Squirrel. What a lovely little town next to the river Kingston is! In the Christmas market tent I gleaned all sorts of gifts, hoping to find treats for my family back home. (No such luck -- darn, darn!) Nonetheless, I enjoyed listening to the carols in the square, as folks rushed about, hurriedly searching for the "it" gift for those on their lists...

With no luck for my shopping list in Kingston, Steve and I traveled down to Oxford Street on Saturday. Steve was muttering under his breath that everyone would be getting off the tube at Oxford Circus, and yup -- he was right. Admittedly, we were both a bit surprised that it wasn't quite as manic as expected. In fact, I believe that 5th Avenue at Christmas is oodles more crowded with tourists.

As evening fell upon Oxford Street, the Christmas lights came on and made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside...though I'm not quite sure of the Christmas significance of an umbrella, but...um...ok...It is England; maybe that's their national symbol..?

Spending quality time with family and friends...

Now, truly...The wonderful thing about the Christmas season is the time off for enjoying friends and family. As my family is some thousands of miles away, I've been borrowing Steve's of late...

On Friday night, we went to Maz and John's new house, where his mom was also visiting. The five of us trekked through the cold, smells-like-snow evening to a rather nice pub/restaurant. That's one of the things I love most about living here: One gets so incredibly numb and drippy-nosed during one's walks in the freezing temperatures, only to walk into a cosy, fireplace-heated pub that smells like British beef and pies. Does it really get any better than that?

After dinner (in which I got my steak and ale pie, which was -- hooray! -- accompanied by my favorite, Yorkshire puddings), we went back to Maz and John's to enjoy their Christmas tree and some mulled wine. This is another warm UK treat. With every sip, the warm wine just feels like it's heating your tummy to happiness. Aww...

On Saturday, Nic had arranged for all to get together at the Tup for some holiday mirth. The Tup's Jim had arranged to get a tup (er, ram) ice sculpture to be used as a vodka shot chiller. That is, one is instructed to put one's mouth over the head or um...rump end of the ram ice sculpture whilst Jim would pour a shot of vodka through the carved channel at the top. I've seen plenty of vodka ice chiller things, admittedly, but they've typically just been in a simple slide formation. This one was a bit more interesting, I'll say. Mel Jen was a sport and volunteered first to be the shot-drinking guinea pig. She looked absolutely ladylike as she poised her mouth over the ram's heiney in preparation for the forthcoming vodka. Go on, Mel!

Soon after the ram/ice drinking moment, the DJ started up with his tunes, as it was Saturday night. Goodness, though, but it was loud! As we sat around the large table, we found ourselves screaming at each other in order to be heard. Hmm...Half-joking that we were just getting old and preferred a quieter setting in which we'd be able to actually -- gasp! -- speak with each other sans screaming, we decided to change venues, and walked down the high street to a different pub, The Nelson Arms. It must be noted here that upon moving to London, I had put down deposits on two flats in the area near the Nelson, both of which fell through. One wonders what turn my life may have taken, had I not settled in my cosy lil' ColliWood flat, met Steve that first night, and subsequently moved into this fabulous group of friends. (Whew, but I'm lucky the other flats didn't work out, though it hardly seemed such a positive thing at the time!)

Anywho, as we entered the Nelson, we were greeted with their happy (and huge!) Christmas tree, that just added to our festive spirit. We giggled and laughed through the evening, and Steve even had a chance to show off his mad dart skilz.

As we said our goodbyes and happy Christmases to each other at the close of the evening, it made me feel so good to know that everyone would be traveling home to spend time with family during the Christmas holiday. I remember reading a blurb in Seventeen magazine many moons ago (when I was a teenager) that this season should be all about presence, rather than presents. For me, it's that I'm usually catching a flight from Charlotte to NY to be with family. This year, however, I'm in a very new place, filled with all new fab friends. Whilst a bit odd to know that I won't be seeing my parents' Christmas tree for the first time in a long time (I believe there was only one holiday that I've not been home in my entire life!), I feel so completely blessed to have family joining me here in my new city. It reminds me of the old saying, "If Mohammad doesn't come to the mountain, the mountain comes to Mohammad"...which might suggest that my family is a mountain. Um. I guess so, if one considers the strength of a mountain's foundation, then yeah, it makes sense...

This season, be sure to remember the presence of those around you. I know I surely will be...

Lori C. comes to visit and I take a healthcare field trip...

It seems my invites for people to join me in London is working. (Mwah-ha-ha-ha...)

Lori hops into London...

Shortly after Casey's departure, I learned of another ol' skool friend who was coming to London for work. Hooray! Lori C., my Long Island friend from UNCC (or uni, as they say here), was hopping across the pond for meetings...and some giggle time with me. It was the first time we'd seen each other in a decade and a half. What fun!

I met Lori at her hotel in Paddington and we were off to Gordon's to get a glass of vino. Lori suggested the Nero d'Avola, which was simply yum. My little haunt was quite crowded that night, so we were bumped around here and there before we decided to move outside to hang under the less crowded, heated tent-ish/umbrella-y tables.

We giggled over date stories, exchanged some relationship talk, and discussed visas and international moves. I learned, for example, that I am, in fact not a cougar as previously thought. Rather, I would be a puma...Who knew? (The difference, for those of you who may not know, is the difference between a woman in her 40s dating a younger boy versus one in her 30s. Good to know...)

Steve joined us soon afterward, and we went for a quick bite of Italian at La Piazza before calling it a night. Lori was surprised to see that the tubes close so early and that transportation after 22:00 is rather reduced...sigh. It's not New York, sister! (winks) We set her on the tube and took our own back to Colliwood.

With Steve's exam hovering over us like a cloud above the Grusomes, the Flintstones' creepy neighbors, we decided to take it easy this weekend. On Friday, I took a break from job hunting and running around for some "me" time, which led me to the somewhat-gruesome-yet-super-interesting Old Operating Theatre museum in Southwark.

The Old Operating Theatre - best healthcare field trip ever

The museum, in the roof of St Thomas' church (which was part of St. Thomas' Hospital until 1862), was rediscovered in 1956 and offers a tunnel back to healthcare in the 1800s in the UK. In addition to the operating theatre, which I've seen only movies with such a thing!, there's also a fabulous collection of surgical objects and descriptions of their use in amputations, trephinations (operations in the skull, a new word I learned), bleeding and childbirth. The experience can be summed up in one word: fascinating.

Who knew, for example, that post-amputations blood vessels were cauterized with boiling oil and hot irons? Who knew the full story behind the development and patent of aspirin? Who knew how pills were made in the 1800s? It was an educational afternoon for me and awfully eye-opening. That is, I'm so amazed at how far we've come. It's almost crazy: if we consider boiling oil for cauterization barbaric -- and that was just 150 years ago -- what will people in a century and a half think of our current practices? We think we're so advanced with our xx-slice CT scanners and our new fancy cancer drugs, but they'll likely be viewed as just as rudimentary to future generations. Wow.

I must note here how incredibly helpful and informative the staff here are. The two heads of the museum not only gave me a rundown on healthcare history in London and the UK, but also provided stories of Charles Dickens and his...um...offbeat habits and behaviours.

The weekend gourmet trend continues...

I popped into the George after my healthcare field trip, to wait for Steve's workday end. Whilst perched on a stool near the window, I overheard three married men talking about their wives. A sentence muttered by one of the guys just cracked me up and served to yet again illustrate the differences in the sexes: "She keeps looking for new recipes for parsnips. They're parsnips, for the love! You roast them!" Giggle...

Steve arrived and we walked down the Thames, as it was a lovely night -- clear, not too cold, not too windy. We walked down the Shad Thames and had dinner at a wonderful restaurant, Le Pont de la Tour, where I had the tastiest beef bourginon ev-ah.

The next day (Saturday), still high off of my dinner and the previous night's parsnips snip, I wandered down to Berwick Market for veggies to accompany my planned Sunday sauerbraten meal. I learned that markets like this are the best place to buy veggies. Not only are they super-fresh, but they're also super-cheap. A bag containing nearly three pounds of new potatoes plus a pound and a half of snap peas cost just £2.30. Love this place. Yum.

I wondered through Soho, up Regent Street and into Mayfair, where I paused for a rest at the Coach and Horses before wandering past Berkeley Square, where the nightingale sings, and back home to Colliwood and the Berry Shoppe for last-minute dinner necessities. What a lovely afternoon!

I made my sauerbraten on Sunday afternoon. Steve popped over as a study break for dinner. After dinner, I noted how I likely should've left the meat in to cook a bit more. Beef here has such a different taste, that I'm not quite sure what, if anything, I can do to bring it back 'round to that which I'm used to. "I would think that it's a bit overcooked," said Steve. "I tend to like my beef a bit pinker..." Um. But not for stew-like meats, I tried to reason.

Maybe I must try harder than originally thought to alter my recipes...sigh...

'Tis the season! Savour the soppy moments...

'Tis the season!

Christmas is yet again upon us...I can hardly believe it. Where does the time go? And does that mean that my time here in England is quickly running out? Perish the thought!

Funny Mark used to joke that the second hand on my martini wall clock used to move much quicker than the true timing of seconds. "I guess that just means we're moving much quicker to our deaths," I morbidly replied. Nowadays, I believe it just means that we must savour every moment that life gives us, most especially those with family and friends. After all, isn't that what life is truly about?

Now, before I get all sappy (or soppy, as I believe they call it here), allow me to share yet another instance of those just-so moments...

Kerry-Ann and Greg arranged for a night of Christmas mirth at the Dog & Fox in Wimbledon, before they ventured off to sunny South Africa for a few weeks. After arriving and moving to our reserved area, we enjoyed white wine/beers and many, many laughs during the evening. From debates over the wholesomeness of a certain children's show star, to chats about traveling in today's world, to playing the BubbleWrap game on Sean's iPhone, we smiled 'round the table for hours. Good times.

The evening also gave us a chance to celebrate the new jobs of the New Year -- both Kerry-Ann's and mine. Hooray! How wonderful it will be to be a part of the working world again. Kerry-Ann will be starting soon after her return from South Africa. It's as though we're on the same schedule, she and I. She arrived just two weeks before me. She got a job just two weeks before me. She begins her job...well, at the same time as I do. Whew, we both smiled, it's nice to have that bit o' stress off of our backs in order to fully enjoy the Christmas holiday!

In her stressless mood, a celebratory Kerry-Ann also picked up the Christmas Santa hats that we're wearing in the pics. Apparently, the proceeds go to charity. Ah, yet another way to give back during the season. Doesn't it all just make you feel so good?

The cameras started snapping and we all got a bit silly. Ahem...exhibit A, to my right. What started as a picture of Kerry-Ann and Greg, our hosts for the evening, ended as one with Steve in front, and Sean pitching in his Santa hat at the moment just prior to my click.

We were still able to get couple-y pics of both our hosts and Steve and I, proudly wearing our Santa hats. It was a wonderful night, and made me again realise just how lucky I am to have found such wonderful friends here in London. It's definitely something for which I'm thankful.

Nonetheless, I still have moments of homesickness...Being far from my family. No Mexican food, as my previous post's rant clearly showed. Hearing about the parties -- and warm weather! -- back home. And still feeling a bit lost amongst the British brands every single time I go to the supermarket. While typically just fleeting thoughts, as I do feel I'm "in my element" here in England, as my boss, Stacey, had mentioned earlier this week, I did have a bit of a difficult evening the other night. And Steve was right there to pick up the pieces and make me smile again, without even a prompting word from me.

I've been arguing with Bank of America for an entire week. They were supposed to link one of my accounts for electronic bill pay last Wednesday. They didn't do it. Then I was told the system was down. Then I was told it wasn't. Then I was told my account was linked. Even though it clearly wasn't listed in the "pay from" tab. Grrr...This frustration culminated in a nearly-four-hour chat exchange with them. Argh! Added to that, I again threw out my back, and was painfully hunched over like a greater than/less than sign. Added to that was this darn sickness that came back with a vengeance and knocked me out -- again -- complete with fever, chills, and aches. Indeed. Show's over. I'm done. Stick a fork in me.

Steve smartly suggested that we have a chillaxin' Saturday night in. He invited me over to his place to watch Elf, my new fave holiday movie. It quickly moved into the number one space a few years ago after my sistah Alli introduced me whilst at home in Huntington together. Steve, however, had not yet ever seen it. Gasp! How can that be?! And would he think that I were a cotton-headed ninnymuggins for enjoying it as much as I do?

Anywho, we went back to his flat after stopping at the Berry Shoppe for a rotisserie chicken and fixin's for din-din. There, he'd cleaned up oh-so-well, and had set the table fabulously for me, complete with candles, wine glasses, and...wait for it...wait for it...a bottle of my fave, Veuve Clicquot champagne, to celebrate my new job. He obviously had listened when I'd mentioned it two weeks ago. Aw.

Whilst he slaved in the kitchen, I relaxed with a glass of wine, listening to the classical music station he'd put on for me. After our tasty candlelit dinner, we retired to the sitting room for Elf, laughs, and champagne. It was as therapeutic as I could ever imagine and, at the risk of sounding uber-schmoopie-esque, made me pause yet again to note how lucky I am to have met him. Good job, m'dear...(winks)

I had to take the pic with both the flash on and off. I was hoping to get the romantic mood lighting in the one without the flash. Um...yeah. Guess I'm not so good at a point-and-click camera. Please also note the Thanksgiving cards from both Steve and Maz and John. How incredibly thoughtful of them to send to this lil' Yank girl who was spending Turkey Day in the UK, no? C'mon, everyone, can I have an "Awwww..."?