The holidays have arrived!

Whilst I was traveling on the train today from Gloucester to London, I saw snow on the ground. Then I read an article in the paper about a guy who brings his reindeer to the pub. Apparently, reindeer lose their antlers in early December or he wouldn't fit through the door. Good to know!

Downtown Portishead is decorated with tree tops secured to the buildings with twinkling lights, and then long strings of full-sized bulbs strung from building-to-building and light-post-to-light-post, which they secure in the sidewalk. Look closely on the left side of the photo. It almost looks like something out of a Dr. Seuss book. And so was the scene when they were being strung. Both Sunday mornings, I happened to be on the High Street waiting for the bus. The groups of folks whom [I suspect] volunteer to put up the decorations are animated as well. They all wear yellow safety jackets with the project printed on the back. There are about 400 people, mostly men and their sons. They move extension ladders and scaffolding down the street as they hang the decorations. I missed the lighting ceremony, but will make sure I participate next year.

Off of the holiday topic but onto something British, can you believe how mini the original minis are? I thought I was going to be able to get one [nostalgia] and get the girls in there. Good thing I didn't. Misty may have left home.

Speaking of, I will be seeing the girls next week for the holidays. Seventy-four days until they move across the pond!

Take care all and Happy Christmas! I am still waiting for my phone and broadband hook-up in my house. Five weeks and counting. I'm quite certain they will be "on" about the same day I leave for the holidays. Cheers!

On-line ... finally! At least for tonight

Just returned to my hotel after spending a day in Highnam. I am working in a business park that is a converted farm two days a week. The small office that I share with my colleague, Yvette, is in the barn. It is a very small town. The business park is next to a golf course. You can play a winter round for 15pounds with a full English breakfast. This is the part of the UK, by the way, that was under water this summer, so naturally it rained today, trapping us in the club house for a longer lunch than we anticipated. The golf course required your pull carts to have "Hedgehogs", which are spiked wheels like you might find on a front loader or back hoe.

There is one village store and post office where to post mistress sits in a tiny glass ... almost phone-booth-looking ... cubicle that is the back of the very mall store. I'll have to get a picture of her next time I'm there buying my daily allowance of diet Cokes! This is not a good picture, but you get the idea. Better one next week.

Good news! I have my car! I picked it up on Monday. I had to pay the down payment with 20pound notes that I got from the cash machine. My sales rep, Mark, didn't think he could count that high and couldn't remember the last time he dealt with pound notes. I shared before the model. Well, here is the color. Shocking! Officially, it's yellow. More like the yellow guts of a bug smashed on your wind screen / windshield. The first thing I did was install my TomTom and take a ride to get lunch so that I could practice driving with navigation.

And I have officially received my first visitor. His name is Flat Stanley. Here he is pictured with my colleague, Yvette. I'm sure many of you are familiar with Flat Stanley's plight. He's been inadvertantly smashed and is now globe trotting with the help of friends and families via post. He was sent to me by my friend Susan's daughter, Flat Stanley has made the dash down the chicken run and met my friend, "Buddy". I don't really know his name, but everytime I pass him I say, "Hi Buddy".

With the addition of my car to my house, I may not have quite as much dependency on the chicken run, but it is the easiest, most direct route to the high street. My "stuff" is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. For the first time since 23 Oct, I will have a bed with sheets and pillows to sleep in and a couch and chairs to sit on! I can barely contain my excitement. What I still do not have is a phone or broadband. After my third phone call to the all-in-one provider, they decided to forward the welcome packets to my for both. I'm hoping to be able to enjoy the modern conveniences that technology brings to your home VERY soon! Thanks for your posts. More soon! Cheers!

Soggy check-in

Hello all. More to be posted soon. I am staying dry and have been traveling between Portishead and Gloucester. I have wheels. I don't have the Internet. Safe travels!

Finally posted!

Alright. I'm finally getting this thing on-line. Not having regular Internet access is definitely an issue! It is the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I am back in London for a few days. This is going to be a big week. My "stuff" docked Thursday and is currently being process by Customs. On Thursday TV and cable will be installed. I also have an air shipment ready to be delivered! Broadband is supposed to be ready this week, too. I will be back in the thick of it! This is the view from my home office

I put a deposit down on a car yesterday. This is pretty much what it looks like ... except that it is ... well, officially they call it yellow. I would put it closer to a pea green. I'm pretty sure the folks in town will soon recognize when "the American" is in town. And to Kimmers, Heidi and Jyl ... you whom I harassed for driving mini-vans, I am officially eating my words. It's not as large, but for all intents [removable seats] and purposes [room for the dogs], it IS a mini-minivan!

Btw, here is where the Megane [car] will be parked. The curb appeal is not the best, but the location is great for the daily workout up and down the hill. Since I have not had a car, my commute consists of walking down the "chicken run" [verticle trail to the high street], catching a bus, riding into Bristol, walking to the train or wherever I am going, etc. This puts about 2.25 mi on my pedometer. This is good ... unless it is raining! Taxi rides from the train station to my house range from 22-32 pounds [double that for dollars!].

Did my first couple of loads of laundry this week. Interesting. First of all, the washing machine is in the kitchen. Secondly, there is no dryer. So, down the chicken run and into town to buy a drying rack. The hot water is not hooked up to the washer, so I pick a temperature, put in a load of dark color-fast items and 1 hour and 45 minutes later, they emerge ALL with some shade of blue added. I did know that you could change the color of polyester or nylon. Turns out, every form of detergent has bleach in it. I bought some color fast tablets and haven't had trouble since. I did, however, have to turn over my second "loo" to the place to dry my stuff!

I am not sure what I am doing yet, so this will be it for now. Take care and keep in touch!