Our stuff arrived from Finland last night. All 9m3 of it. So the flat looks like something exploded again, with boxes and random bags everywhere. It's very nice to have everything here, though, it feels like we're properly 'in' now. And it's nice to get my clothes. Living out of a suitcase for a month is a bit complicated, especially since I had to pack for two different types of weather--summer and autumn, so that effectively halved my 'available' clothing. And my BedHead stuff is finally here, oh bless.
Of course there is still that one trip to Ikea... We're missing a dining table and two chairs (they didn't have them in stock last time), a tv-stand and a lot of storage boxes. The one complaint I do have is that there isn't as much storage space as I would like, so we're really going to have to be inventive about where to put stuff.
I guess there won't be any doubt as to what we'll be doing this weekend, though.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Serendipitous Coincidences
#1 So I was looking for a place near where we live for Ashtanga yoga. Step one of procrastinating: make it seem as though you're just getting information to get going, and that that is the reason you haven't done whatever it is you're not doing. Five minutes into browsing the website I get spam about Ayurvedic treatment and yoga in Kerala, India. I did not give my email address anywhere, nor have I ever gotten spam like this before. Quite funny, really.
#2 Last night we spent our last £10 note and were out of cash. Walking home, I spotted a £10 note on the sidewalk.
#3 On Friday I went to the Pitcher and Piano for a post-workweek drink and to read the newspapers before MrPicky got home. He called me, and I told him where I was. He then told me that two people we were supposed to be meeting up with later in the evening were there as well. I wasn't about to give up my comfy couch, and as I couldn't see anybody fitting their description, I decided to stay put until MrPicky got there. Ten minutes later I see a couple approach my couches (there are two), and they just sit down. They also fit the description. What cinched the deal was they then spoke in German. I figured the chances they wouldn't be the right people were so minimal I could take the risk. I introduced myself and we had a good laugh over the whole thing--they'd wandered over because there were no other sets of couches available, and they figured they'd just smoke me out eventually, LOL!
#2 Last night we spent our last £10 note and were out of cash. Walking home, I spotted a £10 note on the sidewalk.
#3 On Friday I went to the Pitcher and Piano for a post-workweek drink and to read the newspapers before MrPicky got home. He called me, and I told him where I was. He then told me that two people we were supposed to be meeting up with later in the evening were there as well. I wasn't about to give up my comfy couch, and as I couldn't see anybody fitting their description, I decided to stay put until MrPicky got there. Ten minutes later I see a couple approach my couches (there are two), and they just sit down. They also fit the description. What cinched the deal was they then spoke in German. I figured the chances they wouldn't be the right people were so minimal I could take the risk. I introduced myself and we had a good laugh over the whole thing--they'd wandered over because there were no other sets of couches available, and they figured they'd just smoke me out eventually, LOL!
Monday, September 18, 2006
Life Goes On
I got a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my coworkers today.
Everyone has been very supportive, MrPicky especially. I don't know what I would do if it wasn't for him. I'm glad he and dad got to know one another.
Despite everything I feel very lucky.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Sunday Church
The weekend was absolutely gorgeous here. Warm, sunny, what else can you ask for?
Now, Sundays are all about relaxing. I think we managed quite well by first experimenting with tapas at La Tasca. They have tables outside, and in the bright sunshine (and what seemed to be +25C degrees) it really felt like summer. But that was not enough. Oh no.
We then proceeded to church.
And sat comfortably at the altar.
Drinks were a bit pricier than elsewhere, but one gladly pays the difference. We must try their food out at some point too, it looked quite good.
This city never ceases to amaze me.
Now, Sundays are all about relaxing. I think we managed quite well by first experimenting with tapas at La Tasca. They have tables outside, and in the bright sunshine (and what seemed to be +25C degrees) it really felt like summer. But that was not enough. Oh no.
We then proceeded to church.
And sat comfortably at the altar.
Drinks were a bit pricier than elsewhere, but one gladly pays the difference. We must try their food out at some point too, it looked quite good.
This city never ceases to amaze me.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
What Have I Done To Deserve This?
I may have mentioned the fact that Nottingham has an endless amount of good, cheap restaurants. On Monday we were convinced we were pretty much through all the places worth going to (with an impressive list of at least 25 different places visited), and then we found it. A buffet that does incredible Indian food (I didn't even get to the Chinese or Thai...), Red Hot. And, to make matters worse, it's less than a two-minute walk from where we live.
It seems I'm going to have to start going to the gym three times a day just to keep my weight static. Losing any, at this point, is probably beyond possible.
Did I mention this place is near the best Chinese Buffet I've ever been to? That place is actually better than many Chinese restaurants I've been to.
And we live right by Scruffy's. Their mashed potatoes are honestly the best I've ever had--MrPicky held the record for the best mashed potatoes on the planet, and I was almost scared to find that one broken. Believe it or not.
I'm now relinquishing all hope of getting to 4550 Miles from Delhi ever again. Sigh.
I could start listing all the restaurants here, but there would be too many...
So there. I just look forward to taking fellow food-appreciator visitors around town, and watch their eyes pop out of their heads. Or buttons pop off their trousers, more likely.
It seems I'm going to have to start going to the gym three times a day just to keep my weight static. Losing any, at this point, is probably beyond possible.
Did I mention this place is near the best Chinese Buffet I've ever been to? That place is actually better than many Chinese restaurants I've been to.
And we live right by Scruffy's. Their mashed potatoes are honestly the best I've ever had--MrPicky held the record for the best mashed potatoes on the planet, and I was almost scared to find that one broken. Believe it or not.
I'm now relinquishing all hope of getting to 4550 Miles from Delhi ever again. Sigh.
I could start listing all the restaurants here, but there would be too many...
So there. I just look forward to taking fellow food-appreciator visitors around town, and watch their eyes pop out of their heads. Or buttons pop off their trousers, more likely.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Beat Me While I’m Still Down, Not Right When I’ve Managed to Get Up, OK?
Oh boy was I wrong last night. This morning I went to the wonderful café with free wireless only to find a notice on the door saying “Closed until further notice”.
I was there at 8am, right when I was supposed to start working. I then proceeded to trek over to the centre, trying to frantically locate another café with wireless. I managed to find a Café Nero eventually (great day for wearing not-so-comfortable-to-walk-in heels, it was supposed to be a 2min walk after all), and forked over £5 for 24-hr internet access. Well, it turns out they had no sockets for me to charge my laptop, and as I’d drained half of the battery last night expecting to plug it right in this morning at the previously mentioned wonderful café, I was in for another trek to yet another Nero (as my £5 investment is only good at Café Neros). I did find one, and was able to convince some people to move from the only table close enough for my battery cable’s reach.
Somebody threw MrPicky’s borrowed bike into the trash, and now that’s gone. Will be fun explaining that to the wonderful Samaritan who lent it to us out of the goodness of their heart. We still haven’t got our electricity bill (proof of address for our bank account), and it was supposed to arrive by yesterday. There’s no knowing when we’ll get internet either. The sporadic internet we get at the flat? That’s somebody else’s unprotected network, which they (understandably) switch off when they’re offline. Unfortunately for us (in this emergency state, you see) they do not seem to be internet addicts. They clearly aren’t WTers either.
But at least the sun is shining beautifully, and the birds are singing. Well, now that the throng of 20+ loud (words fail, and so does the decibel scale) teenagers have gone back to school or wherever they escaped from, I can imagine the birds singing outside.
Although I must say I’m now kind of nervous about what will happen next. Three Café Neros are not going to simultaneously close “until further notice”, are they? Are they?
It is worth mentioning that we must really love this place. Even though we’re getting shit shovelled on us at record-breaking speed, we still love it here. And that’s quite the achievement, all things considered.
I was there at 8am, right when I was supposed to start working. I then proceeded to trek over to the centre, trying to frantically locate another café with wireless. I managed to find a Café Nero eventually (great day for wearing not-so-comfortable-to-walk-in heels, it was supposed to be a 2min walk after all), and forked over £5 for 24-hr internet access. Well, it turns out they had no sockets for me to charge my laptop, and as I’d drained half of the battery last night expecting to plug it right in this morning at the previously mentioned wonderful café, I was in for another trek to yet another Nero (as my £5 investment is only good at Café Neros). I did find one, and was able to convince some people to move from the only table close enough for my battery cable’s reach.
Somebody threw MrPicky’s borrowed bike into the trash, and now that’s gone. Will be fun explaining that to the wonderful Samaritan who lent it to us out of the goodness of their heart. We still haven’t got our electricity bill (proof of address for our bank account), and it was supposed to arrive by yesterday. There’s no knowing when we’ll get internet either. The sporadic internet we get at the flat? That’s somebody else’s unprotected network, which they (understandably) switch off when they’re offline. Unfortunately for us (in this emergency state, you see) they do not seem to be internet addicts. They clearly aren’t WTers either.
But at least the sun is shining beautifully, and the birds are singing. Well, now that the throng of 20+ loud (words fail, and so does the decibel scale) teenagers have gone back to school or wherever they escaped from, I can imagine the birds singing outside.
Although I must say I’m now kind of nervous about what will happen next. Three Café Neros are not going to simultaneously close “until further notice”, are they? Are they?
It is worth mentioning that we must really love this place. Even though we’re getting shit shovelled on us at record-breaking speed, we still love it here. And that’s quite the achievement, all things considered.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Back from Oblivion--Megapost
We finally moved to Nottingham a week ago, and here’s how it’s going so far:
#1 Two hair-raising days at Ikea and a week of more hair-raising activities of furniture assembly later our new home is starting to take shape. If only someone had the energy to carry the roomful of cardboard boxes out. But our flat is really nice, our cats are settling in (I swear they were less harrowed after the flight than I was, and we got them out in record time), and we’ll have a nice, three-week breather before we have to carry a vanful of stuff all the way to the 2nd floor when our stuff from Finland arrives. How much would it cost to hire somebody to carry the boxes for us, I wonder? In the meantime I will proceed to increase my stamina (How many non-Brits does it take to change an innocent-looking ceiling lamp? Apparently two, armed to the teeth with all sorts of sharp and blunt don’t-run-with-these-or-somebody’s-going-to-get-hurt instruments) and bury my head in… well… alcohol? to ignore the coming dread.
#2 Despite all sorts of acrobatic maneuvers, we still have failed to secure a bank account or an internet connection at home. We’re living in hope day-by-day, waiting for the postman to arrive. Is postman-watching a national sport yet?
#3 My detailed account of our NY-LV-LA holiday is still nowhere to be seen. I can blame a multitude of things on this, including two weeks of pack-sleep-pack and fly-drive-shop-shop-sleep-unpack-assemble ad nauseam. But of course what it boils down is the fact that I haven’t had enough time to surf WT, let alone post on it, or update my blog. Must spend more work time on TT. And on the blog. Less time working. Gotta remember that one.
#4 I have successfully began my new job today. It wasn’t easy, but I did it. My morning began with a sluggish walk to the nearest Starbucks. Yes, I was prepared to pay the £10 for a day’s worth of internet, but when in a tight spot, squeeze yer already thin wallet. And what happened? I was unable to get intenet access of any kind, let alone one you pay for. At that point I was starting to worry, considering my options were pretty limited. My second option was a place that offers 30 mins of free internet to customers. I went there, trying to figure out how to arrange my work life according to perhaps two or three half-hour intenet slots. I was able to get online, but my joy was shortlived as I then proceeded to drop my mobile on the floor. Yes, you guessed correctly, it cracked, and for a grueling five minutes I thought it had gone the way of the dodo bird. Apparently there really is nothing tape can’t fix, as it now works perfectly well again. It was just the thought of being there, with no secure work access (which at that point was still not working and I really need that for work) and no phone, and no way of contacting MrPicky to come help me out. He did arrive, no armour or horse, but at that point I was more interested in his IT magic skills anyhow. And in a very knightly manner he did indeed relieve my distress (which, I might mention, was somewhat acute at that point) and provided much needed moral support.
I have saved the most horrendous part of this gruesome tale for last: all of this happened before 8:30 in the morning. Also before I’d had a drop of coffee.
But all is well, and I’m happy to have started my qualified-for-one’s-job-no-longer-temping life. Despite the fact I have to spend the next week (well, hopefully less but please, really, no longer, right?) working from a café –but they do have FREE WIRELESS (yes, you read correctly. I have free wireless for a month at the café now). Good? I don’t have to make coffee or food. I don’t have to pay the violently expensive £10 per day that I would’ve had the connection worked at Starbucks. Talk about a massive case of lucking out.Bad? Chairs are some kind of ancient torture devices (yes, they look gorgeous, but try sitting on furnishing-meant-to-be-eye-candy for 8 hrs), I have to dash out for a cigarette, keeping a watchful (and nervous which kind of defeats the point but anyway) eye on my laptop, and spending full workdays at a café will get expensive even if I do really only get two cups of coffee and a sandwich in the course of the day. Which I’ve gathered is pretty much the minimum if I don’t want my ass hauled out of here in the middle of important wo… oopsie, did I almost say work? Surfing, I mean.
#5 We’re more confident than ever that we made the right move moving here. So the clubs are death traps where you’ll either get shot or stabbed? We prefer being blissfully passed out from early drinking at that time anyhow. And, besides, the rumours are wildly exaggerated. The restaurant-café-bar scene here is truly amazing. Counting the 4-day trip in June, I have spent a total of 14 days in Nottingham, we’ve eaten out every day (we figured last week was the last week of “holiday” (although who was the sick fuck who thought that furnishing a flat from scratch by means of spending 20 hrs at Ikea and then countless days trying to assemble the mess would count as a holiday, inverted commas or not?), twice on some days, and we still haven’t gone to the same restaurant/pub/bar twice. I’m now starting to fear it may well be April before we’re done trying the new places and get to go to 4550 Miles from Delhi, the Best Indian Restaurant Ever.
#6 We finally saw Snakes on a Plane. Yes it was campy. Yes it was good. The fact that we have two movie theatres within a 5-min walk from the flat is blissful, especially since one is one of those colossal, megalomaniacal attempts at Hollywood barrage, and the other one shows independent movies we’ve been downloading till now. Of course the fact that our desktop computer (the mothership, in other words) is somewhere en route between here and Finland and the fact we have no internet to download with have absolutely nothing to do with this newfound love for movie theatres. Or should I say cinemas.
#7 Post-script: When I dragged my feet home, I found my wonderful MrPicky at home, no cardboard boxes in sight, and even wardrobe lights connected (a task I suspected would be completed in the gentle spring sunlight). Oh, and he craved chocolate. Which was a first (men just don't crave chocolate, ever. MrPicky normally rarely even wants any). So we went to the Hotel Chocolat, a chocolate shop in the center. Also known as Heaven On Earth. We even have internet access at home for the moment (sporadic but hey, gift horses, mouths and so on). I think I’ll now take a bath, then read the day’s papers while conducting scientific research into the benefits of chocolate.
#1 Two hair-raising days at Ikea and a week of more hair-raising activities of furniture assembly later our new home is starting to take shape. If only someone had the energy to carry the roomful of cardboard boxes out. But our flat is really nice, our cats are settling in (I swear they were less harrowed after the flight than I was, and we got them out in record time), and we’ll have a nice, three-week breather before we have to carry a vanful of stuff all the way to the 2nd floor when our stuff from Finland arrives. How much would it cost to hire somebody to carry the boxes for us, I wonder? In the meantime I will proceed to increase my stamina (How many non-Brits does it take to change an innocent-looking ceiling lamp? Apparently two, armed to the teeth with all sorts of sharp and blunt don’t-run-with-these-or-somebody’s-going-to-get-hurt instruments) and bury my head in… well… alcohol? to ignore the coming dread.
#2 Despite all sorts of acrobatic maneuvers, we still have failed to secure a bank account or an internet connection at home. We’re living in hope day-by-day, waiting for the postman to arrive. Is postman-watching a national sport yet?
#3 My detailed account of our NY-LV-LA holiday is still nowhere to be seen. I can blame a multitude of things on this, including two weeks of pack-sleep-pack and fly-drive-shop-shop-sleep-unpack-assemble ad nauseam. But of course what it boils down is the fact that I haven’t had enough time to surf WT, let alone post on it, or update my blog. Must spend more work time on TT. And on the blog. Less time working. Gotta remember that one.
#4 I have successfully began my new job today. It wasn’t easy, but I did it. My morning began with a sluggish walk to the nearest Starbucks. Yes, I was prepared to pay the £10 for a day’s worth of internet, but when in a tight spot, squeeze yer already thin wallet. And what happened? I was unable to get intenet access of any kind, let alone one you pay for. At that point I was starting to worry, considering my options were pretty limited. My second option was a place that offers 30 mins of free internet to customers. I went there, trying to figure out how to arrange my work life according to perhaps two or three half-hour intenet slots. I was able to get online, but my joy was shortlived as I then proceeded to drop my mobile on the floor. Yes, you guessed correctly, it cracked, and for a grueling five minutes I thought it had gone the way of the dodo bird. Apparently there really is nothing tape can’t fix, as it now works perfectly well again. It was just the thought of being there, with no secure work access (which at that point was still not working and I really need that for work) and no phone, and no way of contacting MrPicky to come help me out. He did arrive, no armour or horse, but at that point I was more interested in his IT magic skills anyhow. And in a very knightly manner he did indeed relieve my distress (which, I might mention, was somewhat acute at that point) and provided much needed moral support.
I have saved the most horrendous part of this gruesome tale for last: all of this happened before 8:30 in the morning. Also before I’d had a drop of coffee.
But all is well, and I’m happy to have started my qualified-for-one’s-job-no-longer-temping life. Despite the fact I have to spend the next week (well, hopefully less but please, really, no longer, right?) working from a café –but they do have FREE WIRELESS (yes, you read correctly. I have free wireless for a month at the café now). Good? I don’t have to make coffee or food. I don’t have to pay the violently expensive £10 per day that I would’ve had the connection worked at Starbucks. Talk about a massive case of lucking out.Bad? Chairs are some kind of ancient torture devices (yes, they look gorgeous, but try sitting on furnishing-meant-to-be-eye-candy for 8 hrs), I have to dash out for a cigarette, keeping a watchful (and nervous which kind of defeats the point but anyway) eye on my laptop, and spending full workdays at a café will get expensive even if I do really only get two cups of coffee and a sandwich in the course of the day. Which I’ve gathered is pretty much the minimum if I don’t want my ass hauled out of here in the middle of important wo… oopsie, did I almost say work? Surfing, I mean.
#5 We’re more confident than ever that we made the right move moving here. So the clubs are death traps where you’ll either get shot or stabbed? We prefer being blissfully passed out from early drinking at that time anyhow. And, besides, the rumours are wildly exaggerated. The restaurant-café-bar scene here is truly amazing. Counting the 4-day trip in June, I have spent a total of 14 days in Nottingham, we’ve eaten out every day (we figured last week was the last week of “holiday” (although who was the sick fuck who thought that furnishing a flat from scratch by means of spending 20 hrs at Ikea and then countless days trying to assemble the mess would count as a holiday, inverted commas or not?), twice on some days, and we still haven’t gone to the same restaurant/pub/bar twice. I’m now starting to fear it may well be April before we’re done trying the new places and get to go to 4550 Miles from Delhi, the Best Indian Restaurant Ever.
#6 We finally saw Snakes on a Plane. Yes it was campy. Yes it was good. The fact that we have two movie theatres within a 5-min walk from the flat is blissful, especially since one is one of those colossal, megalomaniacal attempts at Hollywood barrage, and the other one shows independent movies we’ve been downloading till now. Of course the fact that our desktop computer (the mothership, in other words) is somewhere en route between here and Finland and the fact we have no internet to download with have absolutely nothing to do with this newfound love for movie theatres. Or should I say cinemas.
#7 Post-script: When I dragged my feet home, I found my wonderful MrPicky at home, no cardboard boxes in sight, and even wardrobe lights connected (a task I suspected would be completed in the gentle spring sunlight). Oh, and he craved chocolate. Which was a first (men just don't crave chocolate, ever. MrPicky normally rarely even wants any). So we went to the Hotel Chocolat, a chocolate shop in the center. Also known as Heaven On Earth. We even have internet access at home for the moment (sporadic but hey, gift horses, mouths and so on). I think I’ll now take a bath, then read the day’s papers while conducting scientific research into the benefits of chocolate.
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