Alien Spouse

The Accidental Snow Day.

I took an accidental snow day today.

The snow started again yesterday, and when I woke up this morning the very first thing I did was look at the University's website to see if there were any delays.  All classes were canceled until 12.30, which based on previous class cancellations meant the snow equivalent of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man was marauding around campus.  I thought the storm must be a lot worse in town than it was around our house at that point, so I simply checked in with my office by e-mail and went back to sleep. 

As it turns out this entirely logical assumption was mistaken.  It's a bit of a mystery why the University canceled the whole morning, because apparently the roads really weren't that bad; so my colleagues made it into the office quite easily.  I did not know that until well into the afternoon however, because we lost power for a few hours, and I wasn't able to access the internet or e-mail. 

It could have been worse.   I had power for long enough this morning to make a huge cup of tea, and watch "Shaun of the Dead".  Then I had a lovely nap, until the power came back on and woke me up by sounding the smoke alarm (which indicates that it's wired directly into the mains, which I hadn't previously realised).  By that point there was nothing more to be done with the afternoon then have another cup of tea, put a load of washing on and watch some police procedurals.  Lovely.

Of course tomorrow I have GOT to get to the office, because I will have a ton of stuff that has GOT to be done for the event of Saturday.

Happy 60th Dunkin'!

One good thing about having to drive for two hours to get to the specialist's office was that we could detour via Dunkin' Donuts. 

It's Dunkin's 60th birthday, and I love the paper cups with all of the fabulous logos they've employed in that time.

I'm also quite keen on the chocolate frosted donut with heart shaped sprinkles, but obviously only because it makes a great photographic opportunity.

The Most Mondayish Monday Ever.

This morning started with what our local weather guru was referring to as a "Saskatchewan Screamer", which in our neck of the woods was a high wind with powder snow.  Lovely.  Apparently it's perfect for skiing in, but it's not so much fun to be walking around in, and when Doc eventually found a parking space it was less of a space and more of a snow bank.  Which he had to dig the Mini out of later.

Anyway...

When we had battled our way through it to the office, things just got better.  My office was in total chaos, with two of the University's handy-men taking my desk to pieces.  They had to do this to get to the leak that had sprung in the radiator, which was covered by my desk.  So I spent the whole day perched on the work surface in the work-study room, I wasn't able to access my calendar, or print anything and my e-mail was patchy.  It was so frustrating!

The good news is that it did prove that the behemoth desk can be dismantled into three separate pieces, which gives me a lot more flexibility with the layout of my office.  As soon as the carpet dries out, I'll try out some new furniture configurations, whilst trying fervently to ignore the smell of damp ten-year-old office carpeting.

Packaging.

I'm combing through my jpeg files to delete anything I don't need, and I found a picture I took on our trip home from Boston. 

We picked up some snacks when we stopped to refuel and I could not resist this artwork.  Isn't that great?  Mama Zuma looks like a fifties pin-up Zapatista, which may be anachronistic but is fabulous none the less.

The crisps were deceptively sweet at first, but there was definitely a kick to them.

LAX-ATL-CLT

It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on earth has ever produced the expression "As pretty as an airport."

Douglas Adams - The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul.

So true. 

Let me reconstruct our journey through the non-pretty...

LAX - Nothing really momentous happened on our way through check-in and security, apart from discovering that the TSA actually don't give a toss if the liquids and gels in your hand luggage are in a one quart clear plastic bag; ours certainly weren't, and no-one blinked an eye at us.  So then we went to our gate to sit and wait.  Boring.  Except it was a pretty busy lounge in the terminal, and when a seat opposite us became free a man sat down who I immediately recognised.  Doc C and I have got to get some sort of subtle code going, because I couldn't think how to alert him to a quite excellent celeb spot without being totally obvious and uncool about it.  Fortunately the actor in question stood up to make a phone call, and I could mutter at top speed "Have-you-seen-"Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer"?-Because-there's-a-serial-killer-sitting-opposite-us!"  Doc C thought I was unusually rude about the gentleman in question for comedic effect, but soon realised what I actually meant and I have to say I was particularly pleased that Doc knew who he was too and we could both geek out.  I delights me to be able ton confirm that Michael Rooker is my first celeb spot since October 2008, and I was starting to worry that I'd lost my celeb spotting knack from lack of practice, so this was very reassuring.  And damn cool too!  The man has had an amazing career!  I have no idea where he was going though, he wasn't actually on our flight.

ATL - We had a stopover in Atlanta, and that felt like the longest part of our journey.  I just hate hanging around at a half-way point like that.  Plus there were no celebs to spot, and instead we had two groups of rednecks in quick succession on the seats opposite.  I wouldn't normally stoop to using a derogatory stereotypical description like that, but one woman was incredibly rude to Doc C and frankly I hope her team loses at the Super Bowl today.  There!  I said it!  I'm sorry Colts, but at least one of your fans is a very poor ambassador for your team, so I shall be rooting for the Saints.  In a vague "I don't actually care" way.

CLT - Finally we landed in Charlotte, I hope no-one wanted a coffee because Charlotte airport, supposedly a travel hub, had not a single concession stand open.  Fortunately we only had carry-on bags, so we could just sprint off the plane to our car and away.  I was wrong when I said we'd get home at 11, it ended up taking a little bit longer than that because we actually landed at 11pm so there was no way we were getting home before 1am.

Heading Back East.

Back on the plane at 1pm, we should be home at, oh, 11pm.

What with the rain, my mono-mandated need for sleep and Doc's schedule at the college, we haven't really explored Pasadena.  This is a pity, because from what I've seen it's our kind of town; let's just hope we get to visit again for longer.

LA Rain.

Doc C is back at the college this morning, and I'm planning to pop out in a bit to get myself a smoothie and a shot of wheatgrass. I've also been told there is a shop that sells British food near here, I may have to check that out. 

It's raining in LA today, and apparently this is regarded as bad weather in Los Angeles - Ha! Back in North Carolina the University is closed for the whole day because of snow.  It's quite nice to all I have to do is throw on my trench coat and grab my ugly kitten umbrella before stroll over to get that smoothie, rather than putting on boots, a scarf, a hat, a coat and find at least one pair of mittens.

Napping in Pasadena.

Today Doc C left the hotel before 9 to go and meet with the Philosophy department of a local college, so I hung out in the hotel.  We've stayed in loads of hotels, but this one definitely goes the extra mile in terms of pampering.  The room has lovely bedding, with complimentary soaps and shampoos in their signature fragrance of white tea and aloe; all of which, and a lot more, is for sale through the hotel's website, which I think is genius. 

I slept until about 2, and then I went to find food.  Pasadena is great for wandering around, and everyone was so nice.  I ended up at a local supermarket, which had a really good deli; so lunch was an antioxidant chopped salad and low-fat rice pudding.  Yum.

My only complaint so far is that Bravo is not one of the channels available to watch.  which means that last night I missed the actual finale of "Launch My Line" and the season opened for "Shear Genius".  And if that's the only problem I can think of, I'm sure you will agree, we really have nothing to complain about.

Hurry Up and Wait.

Today has been a very long day.  It was broken down into sections of travelling, eating, napping but mostly waiting to do one of those three things.

• We drove for two hours to get to Charlotte airport, then flew to Atlanta where we had a two hour lay-over before our flight to LA.  Then we caught a shuttle bus from the airport to the hotel.  That is a lot of roaming for one day.
• The main problem when travelling is finding veggie food, it's lucky I eat fish, eggs and cheese because if I were vegan we would have to plan all of our meals before leaving the house.  Still it's been totally impossible to eat what you might call a healthy diet, whilst on the move today I've eaten a doughnut, half a breakfast burrito (scrambled eggs, potatoes, cheese and salsa in a tortilla), a tuna melt, french fries and a chocolate milkshake.  Dinner was a small shoal of sushi.
• I've slept sitting bolt upright on the plane, which meant my mouth kept falling open (I hate that) and curled up on a seat in the airport with my hand luggage has a pillow.
• The waiting involved a lot of waiting.

Doc and I had to sleep as soon as we got to the hotel, but what really helped was sitting in the hotel hot tub.  I think I could definitely get used to whirlpool hot tubs.

So far I like LA, anywhere that has flower beds full of Birds-of-Paradise on traffic islands is ok with me.

Airplane!

At the airport, waiting for our flight to board. I'm a leetle bit excited; pity Doc C. We had to leave the house at two, so all he wants to do is sleep and I'm full of over-tired manic energy. I really hope I crash on the plane or the poor man will snap before we get to Atlanta, let alone LA.

Packing. I Really Hate Packing.

Packing for LA is going well, because we are only there for three days so it's not like I need a lot of clothes.  I need

1. One rocking dress to go to dinner in. Tick.
2. One pair of pedal pushers. Tick.
3. T-shirts. Tick. Tick. Tick.
4. Swimming costumes.  Tick. Tick. Tick.
5. PJs. Tick.
6. Undies. Tick.

Ok.  Good!

Preparing for a Long Weekend in LA.

This weekend I did a lot of knitting and not much else.  It was very nice.

What I should have been doing is getting ready for a trip to Los Angeles, because we're going on Wednesday and unless my laundry dries super-fast I'm not going to have anything to wear.  I'm not sure I have anything suitable to wear in LA anyway, but I'm guessing something is better than nothing.  Right now the only thing I have ready to pack is three swimming costumes, because our hotel has a swimming pool, a whirlpool hot tub and a sauna.  I am going to look like a wrinkly lobster.

I also need to have decided what to pack by tomorrow evening, because our flight is at four o'clock in the freaking morning.  Which means we have to leave the house before two.  This is the part of the trip I'm not looking forward to, but what can you do?

Tree-Car

You remember that our neighbour's car had a tree fall on it during the Christmas ice-storm?

Well, they've been back home for about a week now, and the tree is still on top of their car.

Doc happened to see the guy the other day, and he was all "Eh, that car didn't go anyway". So, that's ok then.

It could very well be my favourite installation art piece of last year.

A Splash of Colour.

I am back in the office after my Christmas break, and I must admit to having that Monday morning feeling when I woke up today.

So, here is a photo I took in Boston of a gorgeous bunch of balloons in a wintery tree.

It just seemed apt somehow.

Back Home in 2010.

We are back home now, and I'm already in my pyjamas. The cats have made us feel very welcome and we found a packet of shortbread we had forgotten about. In other news it is 13 degrees Farenheit here, which is -10.5 degrees in Celsius, and either way you look at it is still bloody ridiculous! I am SO glad the electricity is back!

The Half-Way Point.

Last time we did the Massachusetts to North Carolina road trip, we just drove until Doc got tired and then started trying to find a hotel.  Which took another hour or of driving around, and I didn't really sleep very well because I've watched far too many movies set in creepy hotels.

So this time, Doc picked a half-way point and booked a hotel in advance via Hotwire.  He's having a bath now, and I'm watching TV whilst I blog.  This is much more civilised.

Tomorrow we are going to sleep late, and enjoy the free continental breakfast before we get back in the car.

Happy New Year's Eve!

It's snowing in Boston, and so our only trip out today was to the cinema to see "Young Victoria" (Emily Blunt was very good as the Queen, and Mark Strong is apparently set on cornering the market for Victorian/Edwardian villains this week) as we are staying at our friend Bob's house, we have made plans to stay in this evening.  We have bought hummus, pita bread, cake and wine, ordered Thai food and sourced a deck of cards.

Texas Hold 'Em and a fine selection of carbs shall ring in 2010.

More Food In NYC And A Shirt.

I know that I am scarcely the first to say this, but it remains the truth: I love New York.  This is mostly to do with the fact that I love to eat good food, and I like to shop at good (not necessarily expensive, but good) shops.  I've been looking for a black-&-white check shirt for a while, and UNIQLO in NYC provided a range of different checks to choose from, all in the perfect texture of warm brushed cotton.  Happy sigh.

Last night Doc C had to go and do conference things (Oh, did I not mention we were here for an actual reason?  Yep, Philosophy Conference.) so we agreed to have a late dinner when he got back.  Which turned out to be around midnight.

Fortunately, I had happened to browse the cookery section of a bookshop yesterday and found Bubby's Brunch Cookbook, which had some delicious recipes in it.  Then I noticed that Bubby's Pie Company, the restaurant the book was based around, was in Tribeca.  Back at the hotel I just happened to wander onto their website, and immediately decided that was what I wanted for dinner.  Which was extra specially good, because it's open 24 hours (except Mondays) and was about 5 minutes walk from our hotel.

Where else, but New York, can you get a perfect Macaroni Cheese in the middle of the night?  Hmmm?  And follow it up with a slice of fresh coconut cream pie?  SO happy!

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. And Books!

This morning I had a bowl of porridge for breakfast, whilst I finished off the detective novel I've been reading on this trip.  Then I walked around the corner to The Mysterious Bookshop on Warren Street, and they had, not one, but two Mrs Bradley Mysteries by Gladys Mitchell; neither of which I had previously read.  Score!

Then Doc met me for lunch, and we went to Le Pain Quotidien, for a simple rustic lunch.  And a teeny tiny raspberry custard tart.  So adorable, and so delicious.

This evening we are going to get a curry.

New York.  I bloody love it!

 

Three Nights in Tribeca.

Can it be? Is it true? Yes! Doc C has found a hotel on Manhattan Island with free wi-fi in the rooms! It's incredible, but true.  Do you know that the hotel in Washington wanted $12 for a day's worth of internet?  Outrageous!  I think we need to stand firm on these sorts of charges, and work towards making hotels understand the importance of being able to browse the internet in the comfort of one's own room.  This is ofcourse the only reason that I broke my run of daily blog posts, I managed over a year but in the end that's what got me.  Ah well!

Fortunately, our hotel in Tribeca is much more progressive on the internet front; AND they have a cafe downstairs.  They thoughtfully provide a copy of the menu in the rooms, which I have perused carefully and tomorrow morning I intend to eat a breakfast of porridge with maple syrup & fresh fruit, most likely with a pot of tea. Lovely.

Oh, and there is a detective novel shop just round the corner.  This place is perfect.

p.s. I will be posting my Christmas Day report at some point soon, hopefully before the start of the New Year but we will see.  You can't rush comedy.

Digging Our Way Out.

This morning Doc C managed to push open the back door just wide enough for him to be able to get to the snow shovel, and dug a path from the front door to the car. Then he dug around the car, before finally getting the snow off the car itself.

He gave the car a snow mohawk, which I had to get a photo of because you can see exactly how much snow the car was covered with. 

And, oh yes, once again we were delighted with our decision to get a car with heated seats.  Toasty!

Christmas Is Not Quite Cancelled. Almost, But Not Quite.

This Christmas we were planning to go home to England and see my Mum, but Mono has put paid to that.  I don't have enough leave left, and I can't imagine what mono multiplied by jet lag would be like, but I suspect it wouldn't be good.

So I don't get to go home.  And it's been three years now. 

Quite honestly, it's very depressing, and I am horribly disappointed. Still "Keep Calm and Carry On".

The plan now is to watch "Sherlock Holmes" at the cinema on Christmas day, so I'll see something of London I suppose.  Plus Doc C realised that if we weren't going to the UK, then we could go to American Philosophical Association's Eastern Division Meeting instead.  woot.

But wait! 

The meeting happens to be in New York this year, so it is somewhat of a consolation.  Now all we have to do is find somewhere to stay in New York between Christmas and the New Year, which is proving to be a bit tricky at this short notice.  Any suggestions, Internet?

House Work and Horror Movies.

Doc C gets home from Denver this evening! I have been tidying up the house so it all looks nice when he gets back.  I'm putting off the vacuuming until sun has moved round, because right now it's streaming in through the living room windows creating optimum sun-bathing conditions for Nancy and she looks so very sweet. If it were Edith rolling around in sun beams I would just get the hoover out right now, because Edith has worked against my whole plan, by peeing on the bathroom floor just after I'd cleaned it.  This is not as helpful as you might imagine.

When I'm tidying up I like to have a film on TV in the background, to keep me entertained whilst I potter about.  This afternoon the schedulers in their infinite wisdom gave me "The Cell".  Who on earth decided that 1 in the afternoon was the perfect time to screen that?  I wouldn't say it's a particularly good film, but the visuals in the dream world are amazing and Vincent D'Onofrio can be so frightening when he puts his mind to it!  And he seems so nice in "Law and Order: Criminal Intent"... To be fair a nice sunny afternoon is my preferred time to watch a scary film, the TV screen gets washed out a bit so you can't really see what horrible things the bad guy is doing and that then makes it SO much easier for me not to get over-involved and freaked out. Why do I even bother watching scary films then?  I really don't know, but for some reason I seem to actually like being scared in small semi-controllable doses.  Usually whilst I'm watching the film, or reading the story, or riding the ghost train, I'm jumpy but laughing at it all.  It's later when my brain starts analysing the scary stuff that I get myself freaked out. 

Which is all a long winded way of saying that I may possibly have, maybe, watched too many gory murder mysteries and spooky Halloween stuff whilst Doc has been away. And OK, yes, I've been sleeping with the light on in the hall whilst Doc's been away, and I am really looking forward to him getting back.

Iced Mini Cooper.

Doc C is away for the rest of this week, he's at a conference in Denver which I was going to go to, but travelling with Mono did not sound like fun.  So I'm at home with the cats, they are thrilled.

Doc left for the airport at 8:30 this morning, and he called to say he'd arrived about an hour ago.  So I can relax now, and enjoy the rest of my "Real Housewives of Atlanta" marathon, shh, don't tell Doc C, but I enjoy a bit of supremely trashy reality TV.

And the photo is from the weekend, when we had our first really frosty morning.

WWZD?

I was feeling a bit sorry for myself frankly.  Yesterday we cancelled my flight to Denver (Doc has a conference there, so he's still going), decided I have really got to pull out of the MA program for the rest of this semester and we were even discussing not going to the Ghost Train this year.  So that's very frustrating and upsetting, I got myself so worked up about it that I didn't sleep at all yesterday, which is not good.

Today I pretty much slept through the whole day, and when I woke up Doc C put "Murderball" on.  He's screening it for a class next week, and he just needs to check the disc is playing properly.

"Murderball" is a fantastic documentary about paraplegics playing full-contact rugby in these unbelivably intimidating wheel chairs, and the American Quad-Rugby team preparing for the 2004 Paralympics.  It's an amazing documentary.  It's also the perfect anti-dote to feeling sorry for yourself when you are having a disppointing few weeks, because you know Mark Zupan would think you were being totally pathetic (And he wouldn't phrase it quite that politely either). 

My new motto for the remainder of this crappy virus is "What Would Zupan Do?"

The Many Many Ways in Which Mono Sucks. And One Silver Lining.

I think I'm going to have to change my Halloween costume plans, because there is just no way that I can see myself making the Bride of Frankenstein wig in time.  It's theoretically possible, but I really think it's just too ambitious at the moment.  Mono sucks all of the energy out of me, and I'm getting really frustrated with the daftest things.  We went to KMart and bought a cheesy wig for Doc's brain slug to nest in, and it took me at least an hour to get the slug sewn on.  It just wouldn't sit in the right place and look in the right direction, I had to keep taking it back off and starting again, and I got SO grumpy about it.  Poor Doc offered to help by wearing the wig whilst I sewed the slug on, and I was extremely sarcastic about that suggestion, which in retrospect was very unfair of me.  Although I still can't quite see how he thought that would work... Anyway...

This Mono thing is just ridiculous. Realistically I'm going to be convalescing for at least another two weeks, I hope that's a pessimistic estimate but let's take that as our working model. This means I have to make some decisions about work, as well as my other commitments and plans.  Work is actually ok-ish, in that my manager is being great about the whole thing and insisting I look after myself, but I want to just have a little chat with HR to see how the land lies on this sort of illness.  I want to know how it's going to affect my annual leave (I will be absolutely bloody furious if I can't go home for Christmas because of this) and if there are any problems I haven't even thought of.

As for my classes the main issue is that they are in the evening, so that's an extra three hours at the end of my working day on Monday and Wednesday and that was tiring even before I had Mono.  I can see myself managing to attend the classes if I rest all day by not going into work, but that seems really cheeky to me; particularly as the tuition is being waived by the University because I'm a staff member.  It's a conundrum.

Finally Doc has a conference in Denver next week, and I am supposed to be going with him.  I've been looking forward to it for ages now, and we've already booked our flight and hotel, but I'm just not sure traveling is the best idea.  Once I get there, I think I'll be fine; I'll send Doc out for food and then just stay in the hotel room watching cartoons and sleeping, the only difference will be I won't have cats walking across my tender spleen at 6 in the morning.  On the one hand, I know the travel itself will be exhausting; but on the other hand Denver has a branch of Lush and I'm fairly sure the retail therapy of stocking up on moisturiser and fabulous smelling soap would be a big help.

I did consider putting another vote up in this post, so that I could canvas for your opinions on these issues because when I'm ill I prefer to abdicate decision making responsibility to someone else, but I know I can't do that.  Apparently I'm an adult now, and that means making my own mind up about these situations.  sigh.

Oh, the one good thing is that I have lost more weight, despite the whole lying around and not going to the gym aspect of the illness.  Don't worry!  I'm not doing it on purpose, and I'm trying to make sure I eat well, but if not having much of an appetite and fighting a virus ends up burning off some fat, well let's not look that gift horse in the mouth.

Shopping.

Don't you just love the first Saturday after payday?  The endless possibilities?  The things you've been putting off buying that are suddenly within your grasp?  Love it!  I'm not talking about desperately exciting stuff even, I just needed to spend some time browsing denim and stationary for my classes, I'm very easily amused.

This morning I had an appointment to get my hair cut, and buy hair styling product. Straight after that we drove off the mountain in search of jeans and other necessary things. 

Doc particularly likes American Eagle jeans, and there is one in Hickory so we went there.  He quickly found a stack of stuff to try on, but I don't find AE jeans very flattering on me so it took me a while.  Once I did make it into the changing room things didn't really improve much. Call me crazy, but I don't like ultra low rise that seem to be so very fashionable.  For one thing, I have a long body, so finding tops that are long enough to meet normal jeans is challenging enough thank you!  Plus there is the small matter of there not being enough waist-to-hip ratio difference to keep the stupid jeans up, so you have to spend the whole day tugging at the waist band as it creeps down your hips.  Annoying. Anyway, all of the AE jeans seemed to be distressed in various unconvincing ways that I'm not convinced do anything at all for a girl's thighs; so I didn't buy any there. 

I did try on a short grey-and-pink tartan pleated skirt, which I liked, but I think my days of getting away with pleated tartan mini-skirts are behind me.  It looked quite good on (The Doc said so!), it's just, well, where the hell would I wear something like that?  To work?  Ha!  Clearly I am becoming more sensible, because that strikes me as vastly inappropriate for the office.  So I didn't buy that either. In fact all I did buy was a pair of grey cable knit tights, which looked nice and warm.  Sensible.

So we went to Old Navy, where I was confident I could find something that would work.  I bought a new pair of painter jeans, and another pair of the flirt jeans I've been living in for the last two months.  It's time to move on and accept that belted in size sixteens just look silly on me now.  I also bought a skull-and-crossbones water bottle, and some more knitted tights, it is going to be a toasty winter if I have anything to do with it!

The main problem with this shopping trip was the mall we went to, which was the hellish polar opposite of the swish one we visited after my biometrics appointment.  Perhaps it was that all of the shops seemed to be blaring out really bland rock music, or that each place seemed to  use a different overpowering air-freshner, but I pretty soon had a headache and the desire to make it all stop.

We drove back up the mountain (well, Doc did, I slept the whole way), stopped off to buy chemist stuff, house stuff and school stuff, then called it a day.

Biometrically Sound.

My Biometric Capturing Appointment was at 11am this morning, and we got to the USCIS office at about 10:15.  I took my camera. phone and iPod out of my hand bag to leave locked in the car, because it quite clearly said on the letter that all such recording devices were not allowed.  I don't know why I still believe that when I read, no-one checked my bag or anything.

There really weren't many other people there, so it was all very quick, I filled out a form with all of my information for the nine millionth time and handed it in.  I was then given a number, just like the delicatessen counter at the supermarket, and there were only three people ahead of me.  Yay!

When my number was called I walked up to the front desk where I was met by a very sweet Spanish lady.  She took me over to this, um, photocopier thingy to take my finger prints electronically.  There was a little monitor that you could see the finger prints appearing on as my finger were rolled over the scanner.  On the side of the screen the scores for my fingerprints came up, and I know that this wasn't a test or anything, but it was still pleasing when a print got a good mark.

Then I had to sign my name on an electronic pad, again, just like at the supermarket.  Finally I had my picture taken.  And that was it.  The nice Spanish lady gave me a customer survey to fill out and I was free to go.  We asked the police lady at the door for directions to the nearest mall, and we were on the road by 11:08.

It seems almost too easy somehow.

Biometrics Day.

Today is Biometrics Day!

We are in the car and on our way to the USCIS office in Charlotte for my appointment this morning.

Details later.

Amigurumi Wedding.

Yesterday I had a twitter from Rowan to say that she had received the amigurumi cake toppers before the wedding party left the chateau.

I had hidden some pictures for Row and Nairn to see in advance, but waited to post the pictures on Alien Spouse until after the wedding.  Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise of the dress!

Over all I think I was most pleased with the kilt and tie on the Mini-Nairn.  With Mini-Row I think that the hair and flowers worked out best, but she also has an impressive cleavage for a crochet lady!

I have to say I was really disappointed with FedEx.  I paid extra for guaranteed two day delivery and the cake toppers should have been delivered on the Thursday before the wedding.  As it was they hung out in a French FedEx depot for three days, and missed the wedding entirely.  It was really frustrating to look at the on-line tracking and see that they were just sitting there!  Ugh! 

Still, although the amigurumi didn't arrive in time for the wedding, but they did go on the honeymoon to Asia.  My crochet is much better traveled then I am!

Parcel Post.

One of the things I like about ordering things, or sending them, is then tracking the progress on-line.  It's nice to know exactly where my stuff is in the world.

Except the Amigurumi departed Indianapolis at 5:03am this morning, and that's the last time they checked in.  What are they doing now?  Are they now on a flight to France, or do they have to go somewhere else in America first?  I'd really like to not only know where they've been, but what their itinerary is likely to be.

I can see why that information isn't given out, because if there was a diversion from the projected route it would be a cause for concern, but it's so odd to have the history of the journey at one's finger tips and no clear idea of what to expect next.

A Mini Pregnancy. (No, I'm not annoucing anything, calm down)

So yesterday was a very long day, and we spent all of it either driving or at the Mini dealership.  The forecourt of the Mini showroom is so much fun, it's covered in Minis as far as the eye can see.  Every colour and optional extra is represented, and it's like being in a sweet shop for Mini fans.  Our appointment was for 11, and Dana (The sales woman who sold us the black Mini) had got some cars lined up for us to look at. We looked at a cream Mini with heated seats, an "Oxygen Blue" (sort of a smoky sky blue, I loved that colour!) with sun roofs, one in the front and one in the back, and a silver Clubman, which is the biggest car Mini makes and has much more room in the backseat and the boot. They were all nice cars, but really if we were going to be tempted away from our black Mini we wanted something with heated seats and sunroof.  Those might sound like cosmetic concerns, but believe you me, on a frosty Monday morning a cold car seat really adds insult to the injury of having to get up for work. As it happened Dana had a "Chili Red" Mini on hand, which had the toasty seats and the breezy sunroofs.  We quite liked that.

Then came the negotiations part, which was dull but necessary.  I won't got into all of the details, because it's snore-inducing, but eventually we came to an agreement that allowed us to drive away a brand new red Mini with ten miles on the clock, and pay less per month on it. It was at this point that Doc posted a Facebook status that said he was, and I quote, "...freaked out, but also excited.", then we went to lunch, before coming back to hang around until we could sign all of the paperwork and finally drove our new car off the forecourt at 5:45.

It wasn't until we got home at about 9 that I logged onto Facebook, saw Doc's status and also that about half of our friends on Facebook took that to be a baby announcement.  The comments section was practically suggesting names already.  We swiftly issued official denials, because really People no I'm not, which in turn lead to my lovely friend Jonny leaving what I suspect will be my choice for best Facebook comment of 2009, "I've already started knitting the bonnet."

I know people say LOL all the time on-line, but seriously that is comedy gold Jonny!

Road Trip to Look at Cars.

Today we are heading to the dreaded Charlotte, to visit the Mini dealership. They called Doc last week, just to say "Hi! And, Oh-my-goodness, would you look at the deals we can offer you on a brand new Mini?"

Can't hurt to look at the cars they have on their lot, and we are also talking about finding some sushi whilst we're visiting the State's financial hub. Yum!

In unrelated news, I feel a lot better today but I am prepared to bet I sleep the whole way there and back anyway.

Written Driving Test: Success!

I took this morning off work so that we could go to the DMV office and I could take the test to get a driver's permit.  That would allow me to drive with a licenced driver over 18 years of age in the car, so in other words I still wouldn't be going anywhere without Doc C for a while but at least I could be driving.

We decided to go as soon as the office opened today, which is 8, and there was no one else there so I went straight in and got on with it.

As far as I'm aware I didn't get anything wrong on the sight test, or the traffic signs quiz.  The officer would have told me, right? Then I had to sit at a touch screen terminal and take a multiple choice test.  I had heard many stories about how ridiculous the questions are, and you have to get 20 out of 25 right to pass.  I've been practicing using an app on the iPod, of course there's an app for that, which meant I got comfortable with only answering if I knew I knew the answer and skipping any I would just have been guessing on.  The ones you skip come up again at the end of the quiz anyway, so you get another chance to answer those.
I answered nineteen questions in a row correctly, and the twentieth question was about the exact punishment is for allowing an underage person to use your driver's licence to buy alcohol.  I know the State frowns on that, as indeed they should, but I wasn't sure how severe the punishment was.  I decided to skip that one, and the next question was one I knew, so that was fine!

And that's how I passed the NC DMV written driving test!  First go!  With no wrong answers!

I was extremely glad at that point to have had my haircut on Saturday, because then I had my photo taken for the official learner's permit card.  Doc had assured me this wouldn't happen, so I didn't put any make-up on this morning, but at least my hair wasn't totally embarrassing.

Doc C had already told me that I was not to pretend to have failed if I had passed, so I went straight back to the waiting room with a big smile on my face and brandishing my temporary permit.  Then Doc drove me to an empty car park and I drove around a little bit.  It was most exhilarating, even if I didn't go about first gear.

Mardy Monday.

The only problem with really fun weekends is that the next working day is particularly painful.  I know I'm hardly being original here, but OMG I hate Mondays.

Monday 3rd August 2009

Dear Diary,

Went to the gym, this morning and did my cardio.

 My main task today has been continuing my forensic examination of the filing cabinets.  Today's best find was a selection of different colour samples of heavy paper for a brochure printed in 1998. 

Mid-morning I went with Doc to get a soy latte, and discovered today was Mayan Chocolate Brioche Day at the best bakery in town.  Much rejoicing.

At lunch time I took care of some errands; paid my credit card bill, booked a hair cut, all that kind of stuff. I also went to the USCIS website to see what I need to do to remove the temporary status from my visa, which is mandatory 90 days before the two year anniversary of being granted the temporary permanent resident card.  Was slightly disappointed to note there is a filing fee of several hundred dollars.

sigh.

Is it any wonder that Mondays get such bad reviews?  Excepting the brioche of course, because that was freakishly delicious.  Apart from enjoying that pastry goodness with a banana for lunch,  I must admit to having been fairly mardy pretty much from 8:30 this morning to 5:35 this evening, which was when my gorgeous husband whisked me away.

By the way, I really like the word "Mardy", but I realise it's probably not widely used in the US.  Actually, I did some research (I googled it - And I'm aware they hate people using the name as a verb like that, but I care not) I found it on the Urban Dictionary  .  Apparently the word is local to Derbyshire, which is where I went to University.  I'd like to suggest that more people add it to their vocabulary, along with the equally evocative "Numpty".

Asheville Sunday.

Yeah, well I don't think I'll be going to the gym today.

For one thing I can't work out where the hell it is, this hotel is in three buildings and the signage is terrible, and I just don't fancy wandering around aimlessly in my gym gear in a strange place.  Call me picky.

Besides, we have got a lot to fit in today.  We are going to the eleven o'clock showing of H.P., so that we get out by 2 and have plenty of time in Asheville.  I need to buy craft supplies, sports gear and maybe some new clothes that actually, you know, fit.

Last night we went out for curry, I had this amazing lentil crepe filled with spiced potato and crab and Doc had a lamb korma.  Then we caught a few minutes of a free open air screening of "Tarzan" with Johnny Weismuller, before going to see "Moon". I've been studiously avoiding reading anything about it to avoid spoilers, so no IMDB link for you, suffice to say it is good.  Sam Rockwell on the Moon for 90 odd minutes is a good evening's entertainment, if you like paranoia driven sci-fi thrillers.  Which I do.

Asheville! We Love You!

We're in Asheville for the evening! Yay!

Our plans are simple.  Tonight we have curry, tomorrow we shop and see "Harry Potter".  In between I'm intending to find the hotel gym and/or do some pilates.  We shall see how that intention pans out.

Weekends.  They rock.

Smiley Face, New Bike.

Doc announced this morning that he was going to look at bikes today, with a view to purchasing one. When he moved to London he brought his trusty bike, The Beast, with him and I remember sitting on the grass outside the National Portrait Gallery when we first started dating and seeing him come cycling up and thinking what a handsome devil he was, so I was all for him getting another bike.  For the past year or more I have been trying my best to persuade him that it would be a good investment in his health, both physical and mental, because the man needs to burn off energy some how!

There are some really good bike shops in town so Doc didn't have to travel far for his fix.  He was gone for about three hours, I didn't go because I would just have been in the way really and I wanted to watch more episodes of "Fantasy Island", then I got a text announcing Doc C was a very happy man.  The smiley face I super-imposed on this picture looks positively dour in comparison to the expression he had on his face when he got home with his new friend.

It's a Tarmac made by Specialized, with an all carbon fiber frame, so it weighs a whole 17 pounds.  That's slightly less than the cats weigh, and you definitely can't get anywhere at all on them.

Driving Test Preparation.

This will be the summer that I learn to drive on the opposite side of the road, it's not the wrong side of the road it is just differently orientated and that's fine.  To get my learner's permit I have to pass the DMV's sight test, sign recognition test and computerised multiple choice test on the highway code; or whatever it's called here, that won't be one of the questions will it?

I have been doing some on-line research to prepare myself, and one of the websites that I looked at had the following dire warning:

"Failing your DMV exam has some harsh consequences.

• You have to make a new appointment at the DMV.
• Take more time out of school or work.
• Waste more time studying the DMV handbook.
• Then waiting in line at the DMV to do it all over again and hope for the best.

Passing is way better. So, make sure you practice!"

So let me understand this.  There is a possibility that I might have to wait in a queue?  To get the opportunity to demonstrate that I will be safe behind the wheel of a car?  And that I will have to waste my time reading the DMV handbook?  When you consider that traffic accidents are only the sixth highest cause of preventable death in the US, that seems draconian.

Insects Sharing A Flower.

This is another picture from our trip to Winston Salem. 

I find insects and flowers don't need any air brushing, but they do benefit from being cropped, before doing some slight alterations in exposure and colour.

Nancy's Obsession.

By way of contrast with her companion, Nancy has claimed my suitcase as her bed and just spends large chunks of the day looking adorable.

When you go into our bedroom now, she'll open up her big green eyes and just watch you, but if you say "Hello Nancy!" she will chirp and coming running over.  This is your cue to immediately sit on the floor and fuss her, or suffer the wrath of a shy small grey cat.  This usually involves a disappointed squeak, and a return to the suitcase, whereupon she will turn her back on you.

I still haven't fully unpacked the suitcase, because that's what is making it so comfortable for Nance.  My plan now is to buy a cheap vintage suitcase, one of those nice old-fashioned rigid ones that are actually a pain in the neck to travel with, and make her a proper bed from that.  I'll probably use old t-shirts that Doc and I have worn for a while, because I think what she mainly likes is the smell of her people.  What with one things and another, Nancy is an altogether endearing little creature.

Longfellow Bridge.

I promise I've nearly finished posting pictures from Boston, but where are at least at the arty looking ones like this one of rusted ironwork on Longfellow Bridge.

Weather Report.

Yesterday it started out sunny and warm, until mid-afternoon when a big thunderstorm rolled in.  It wasn't just a thunderstorm though, it was hailing!  I twittered about it, although when I re-read that tweet it makes almost no sense, but I forgot to mention it to Doc.

Today, when I was at work, Doc C phoned me to tell me that there was a hail storm at the house.  The hail stones were about the size of a pea, bouncing off the roof and covering the balcony.  Wow.

By the time the heart of the storm reached my office all the hail had gone, but the heavy rain more than made up for that.  It was just unbelievable!  Umbrellas where of no use whatsoever, and when Doc came to pick me up he made sure to bring a towel with him.  Driving home we saw the stream that runs through campus making serious pretensions to being a river, and not all the flowers along the banks will be there in the morning.

Hmmm?  The photo?  Oh that's from the beach at P-Town.  I set up a little shady spot under my paper parasol, read my vintage Nancy Drew and it was all very pleasant.  It wasn't as dramatic as a thunderstorm, with freaking pea sized hail, but it was nice enough I suppose.

My Predictions.

We saw "Terminator Salvation" this evening, and "Star Trek" in Boston last week.  I'm sure you'll agree that that places me in an excellent position to anticipate the near future of mankind.  

What I've learned is that Anton Yelchin will be around almost as much as Former Aussie Soap Stars, and that there will be a lot of explosions.  I've also ascertained, from close observation of the women of the future, that there will be huge strides in both lip gloss, false eyelash and hair care technology, although eyeshadow seems to be regressing somewhat.

You heard it here first.

Return to the Gym.

Tomorrow we are going to be back to our usual gym routine, which is good because apparently eating loads whilst in Massachusetts wasn't a great weight loss strategy.  Who knew?  I was still keeping a track of my calorie intake, but I may have been overestimating the amount of exercise I was getting just a touch.

 Anyway, I thought I'd finish off the last of the fudge that I bought it P-Town at the Fudge Factory.  I never saw the shop closed, and on the extremely rare occasions that I went in the same Eastern European guy was behind the counter.  Whatever you asked for one of he would always "recommend two", or five, or whatever he thought he could get away with, like the Count from Sesame Street grew up and started a sweet shop.  When I bought the fudge I only wanted a small piece for the car, so before he sliced it I looked very carefully at the size of the slice before saying yes.  What I failed to do was watch which bit he put in the bag, and when I unwrapped it I saw that he had wrapped up the much larger piece instead.  Sneaky.  Although, it was delicious so I can't really complain much!

Yes indeed, I've earned that early appointment at the gym tomorrow.

Home Again, Home Again.

Safely back up our mountain after two days of driving.  Well, Doc drove and I read, snoozed and sang along to whatever the iPod chose to play.  I'll be getting my US driving licence this summer, if all goes to plan, so next time I can take on some of the actual driving. 

We are getting so used to these road trips though, that we know exactly when in the journey to call ahead and order the pizza so it's ready to pick it up, when we reach town.  This means we can eat the minute we get in the front door, and no one has to cook or wash up.  Perfect.

The cats are pleased to see us, which is gratifying.  Especially as they have clearly been having a lovely time in our absence; for example Someone has been sleeping in one of Doc's flower pots and squashed all of the seedlings.  Our money is on Edith for that one.

It's nice to be back in our house, particularly because I am really looking forward to a good night's sleep in my open very comfortable bed.  That's always the best sleep of any trip, isn't it?

Barely Coherent.

I slept really badly last night, but we are in the home stretch now.  Only a few more hours until we get back to our nice little house, with our comfy bed and our high-handed cat overlords (Is there a female equivalent of "overlord"? I feel like there should be, but I can't put my finger on it when I'm so sleep deprived)

In other news it is getting warmer the further south we head, and there are thunderstorms forcast for every single day of next week.  Humid heat, eh? I look forward to a week of impossible hair styling. sigh.

The Time Has Simply Flown.

This is our last full day in P-Town.  sigh.  Still it does happen to be a gorgeous day so we are making the most of it.  First we went to Cafe Heaven for breakfast (I had the french toast with strawberries, yum!) and then I did laundry whilst everyone else climbed the Province Town monument.  Doc called me from the top of the tower, so I could run out to the deck and wave to them.  In a very Jenny Agutter moment, I grabbed my red t-shirt and I think there are several photos of me using it as a flag. After that we went for lunch and some shopping, before heading to the beach.  I had my sunblock and my paper parasol with me, so I can't be said to have sun-bathed but I do enjoy spending time on a beach.

It has been a very nice day, but it's not over yet; after all we still have to decide what we are doing about dinner. 

Ryan Landry's Showgirls.

We went to see a drag cabaret last night, and, OHMIGOD, it was fabulous! Loved it!  It was a mixture of  amazing professional performers and gifted amateurs competing for a cash prize, although we weren't told ahead of time which was which and some of the amateurs were extremely good.

 Personally I was very fond of Katya, who did THE routine from "Flashdance", complete with back flip and splits, but she was narrowly beaten by Susan Boil.  It was eerily similar to the "Britain's Got Talent" YouTube sensation in that when the queen made her entrance to the stage she looked such a mess we assumed it would be off-key screeching at worst, or lip synching at best.  Instead we got a pitch perfect performance that brought the house down, and won the $500.

 Of the professionals the standard was uniformly excellent, the Mistress of Ceremonies had absolutely nothing to hide by the end of the first number, and was a charming hostess for the whole show.  The co-hostess, Shady, was very sweet and had just the most gorgeous face; in fact I can honestly say that she was making me reconsider black lipstick as a style choice and that thought hasn't occured to me in a good 15 years. 

 Penny Champagne was stunning and I also loved Thirsty Burlington's homage to Little Edie.  I can quite honestly say I haven't seen drag acts this good since I left London, and that's a long time to go without a good wig and the judicious use of diamante.  I feel most refreshed.

Unusually I went out today and took photos to accompany a post I'd already written, so now you can see posters!

The main poster for Showgirls is a take on the logo for a popular brand of salt, but the face has been altered so that it's Ryan Landry.  I put in a picture of him from the poster for "Willy Wanker and the Hershey Highway", so you can see how great that portrait really is.

The poster on the left is for Illusions, but it features three of the Showgirls we saw.  Shady Pines is being very dramatic at the back, whilst Billie Jean is front right and we also saw the gorgeous chanteuse on the left who I believe is Tisch DeWilliams.  Fabulous creatures all of them!

Aches and Fashion.

If you've ever had too much red wine to drink, then you will know how horrible your head feels the next day.  That is a hang over.  Well, this morning my knees felt hung over, after all of the cycling I did yesterday.  When I got up I did half an hour of yoga, which really helped, and I could then cycle back the the bike shop with Doc C to return our bikes.  The only difficulty being that I elected to wear my denim pencil skirt today, and cycling in a straight skirt is, um, problematic.  

I would have changed into my denim pedal pushers, because that's obviously what they are for, but I seem to have inexplicably failed to pack them.  I distinctly remember putting them in the pile to be packed, so I have no clue why they failed to get here.  Oh well, I have my fantastic black-and-white gingham shorts instead.  I bought those about 2 years ago and haven't been able to fit into them before now.  They are delightfully retro, and now I can put them on without distressing over-spills I think I shall be wearing those things for the rest of the summer.

Hoorah!