Well, I heard from dearest darling Kim yesterday. You won't believe what they've gone and done.
Not only have they booked me on the 1940s murder mystery... not ONLY am I goingto the Tim Minchin concert...
But they've rented me a lovely room in town as well.
Almost made me cry, it did... how very sweet of them both!
So, when I'm in Norfolk, I'll be staying here:
http://www.oxfordhotelsandinns.com/OurHotels/OldBreweryHouse
Thanks for everything Kim and Greg!!!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
It's Fitting...
So, Kim and Greg are spending all their waking hours running around trying to make sure I'm entertained, bless 'em. Haven't heard a peep from Sarn, so not sure how my plans for that end of the trip are going. I hope to hear something soon, though.
At any rate, Greg writes me that they need my clothing sizes so they can outfit me for the 1940s railway adventure...
Have you ever tried fitting yourself overseas?
Let me tell you, being a curvy American in England can be a challenge! Brits seem to usually be thinner and less-busty. Smaller all round, I'd say.
So, if you're a size 14, say, in US size... you'd be a 16 in the UK (boy, doesn't that make me feel better about all those past twinkies and choco shakes?).
Here's a cool tool that lets you convert dress sizes with a click: http://www.85b.org/dress_conv.php.
But as soon as you get that all figured out, then the shoe sizes come at you!
If you are a size 9 ladies in the US, you are a 6.5 in the UK (or a 40 in Europe). There's a similar conversion tool for shoe sizes here: http://www.onlineconversion.com/clothing_shoes_womens.htm.
Now, I don't mind going down a few sizes... but from a 9 to a 40???? I'm starting to feel like something from Gulliver's Travels.
Ah well, it will be interesting to see if what they get me actually fits. :)
Off for now, me ducks!
At any rate, Greg writes me that they need my clothing sizes so they can outfit me for the 1940s railway adventure...
Have you ever tried fitting yourself overseas?
Let me tell you, being a curvy American in England can be a challenge! Brits seem to usually be thinner and less-busty. Smaller all round, I'd say.
So, if you're a size 14, say, in US size... you'd be a 16 in the UK (boy, doesn't that make me feel better about all those past twinkies and choco shakes?).
Here's a cool tool that lets you convert dress sizes with a click: http://www.85b.org/dress_conv.php.
But as soon as you get that all figured out, then the shoe sizes come at you!
If you are a size 9 ladies in the US, you are a 6.5 in the UK (or a 40 in Europe). There's a similar conversion tool for shoe sizes here: http://www.onlineconversion.com/clothing_shoes_womens.htm.
Now, I don't mind going down a few sizes... but from a 9 to a 40???? I'm starting to feel like something from Gulliver's Travels.
Ah well, it will be interesting to see if what they get me actually fits. :)
Off for now, me ducks!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Lastest itinerary stuff
Hello me ducks,
Just heard from Greg and Kim, and have some other itinerary changes, so I thought I'd go ahead and post here.
Tuesday: Leave the US.
Wednesday: Arrive in London. Staying at Melrose House
Thursday: London
Friday: London to Stoke-on-Trent, then to Leicester (long day!)
Saturday: Sandringham Castle (or wherever). Saturday night, 1940s train ride http://www.nnrailway.co.uk/1940s_weekend.htm.
Sunday: Leicester to Norfolk for the Tim Minchin concert.
Monday: Norfolk to Edinburgh (Castleview B&B)
Tuesday: Edinburgh (Tour bus to the highlands and whiskey distillery)
Wednesday: Edinburgh to Keswick (Goodwin House)
Thursday: Keswick
Friday: Keswick
Saturday: Keswick to London
Sunday: Leave London for the US
Just heard from Greg and Kim, and have some other itinerary changes, so I thought I'd go ahead and post here.
Tuesday: Leave the US.
Wednesday: Arrive in London. Staying at Melrose House
Thursday: London
Friday: London to Stoke-on-Trent, then to Leicester (long day!)
Saturday: Sandringham Castle (or wherever). Saturday night, 1940s train ride http://www.nnrailway.co.uk/1940s_weekend.htm.
Sunday: Leicester to Norfolk for the Tim Minchin concert.
Monday: Norfolk to Edinburgh (Castleview B&B)
Tuesday: Edinburgh (Tour bus to the highlands and whiskey distillery)
Wednesday: Edinburgh to Keswick (Goodwin House)
Thursday: Keswick
Friday: Keswick
Saturday: Keswick to London
Sunday: Leave London for the US
Monday, March 2, 2009
News Flash
Well, here it is! Still 189 days to go and (as I suspected), my travel plans are morphing. :)
Heard from Greg and Kim yesterday (which was luvly). I was so glad I was actually home when they called! But anyway, we were discussing which days we were going to get together so they could show me Windsor castle.
This lead to a discussion about how it couldn't be the weekend of September 12 and 13 since they were going to a concert. "Oh," says I... what concert? And not really meaning anything by that - really just curious... out of that all of a sudden, I had a ticket to this concert! LOL... God bless Greg and Kim, they are the best.
Anyway, I'm going to see some bloke called Tim Minchin (who I've never heard of before). But I Youtubed him, and he seems hilarious! So, I'm very much looking forward to that.
Tim Minchin
Gregus and Kimus Maximus want to take me to Windsor (as I said), but that is like a billion miles away from either of them. So, I'm not sure exactly, but here's (so far) how my schedule looks.
Wednesday - arrive in London
Thursday - London
Friday - Day trip to Stoke on Trent with Sarn
Saturday - London to Windsor - stay at Leicester? (still working the bugs out)
Sunday - Leicester to Norfolk. Tim Minchin concert that night.
Monday - Norfolk to... ? Edinburgh?
Tuesday - From wherever I am to Keswick
Weds to Friday - Keswick.
Saturday - Keswick to London
Sunday - Leave for the states
I also need to find Sarn to see how all this plays into what they wanted to do. I had hoped to see them in the Lake District, but don't know if they can afford the time off during the week like that.
Anywho, it's all good. :)
Heard from Greg and Kim yesterday (which was luvly). I was so glad I was actually home when they called! But anyway, we were discussing which days we were going to get together so they could show me Windsor castle.
This lead to a discussion about how it couldn't be the weekend of September 12 and 13 since they were going to a concert. "Oh," says I... what concert? And not really meaning anything by that - really just curious... out of that all of a sudden, I had a ticket to this concert! LOL... God bless Greg and Kim, they are the best.
Anyway, I'm going to see some bloke called Tim Minchin (who I've never heard of before). But I Youtubed him, and he seems hilarious! So, I'm very much looking forward to that.
Tim Minchin
Gregus and Kimus Maximus want to take me to Windsor (as I said), but that is like a billion miles away from either of them. So, I'm not sure exactly, but here's (so far) how my schedule looks.
Wednesday - arrive in London
Thursday - London
Friday - Day trip to Stoke on Trent with Sarn
Saturday - London to Windsor - stay at Leicester? (still working the bugs out)
Sunday - Leicester to Norfolk. Tim Minchin concert that night.
Monday - Norfolk to... ? Edinburgh?
Tuesday - From wherever I am to Keswick
Weds to Friday - Keswick.
Saturday - Keswick to London
Sunday - Leave for the states
I also need to find Sarn to see how all this plays into what they wanted to do. I had hoped to see them in the Lake District, but don't know if they can afford the time off during the week like that.
Anywho, it's all good. :)
Friday, February 27, 2009
Because I was afraid of worms, Roxanne! Worms!
Ah... I loved that movie. (Roxanne, if any of you didn't get the quote.) Steve Martin as a Cyrano type of figure was trying to feed a tongue tied hunk lines to win over Roxanne. The tongue tied hunk couldn't hear too well.
Anyway, what does this have to do with travel in the UK?
Well, when I first got to England it started out as kind of annoying to find out those darn British don't speak English so good! I was in dire need of a restroom at a department store one day. Let's just say my eyes were floating. :)
I run up to the nearest cashier and with a crazed look and no-nonsense approach, I boldly ask for the restroom.
"Th' wha?"
"Restroom!"
Blank face.
"The bathroom."
"You want to take a bath???"
NO NO NO!!! My poor bladder was about to burst.
Quickly thinking of synonyms... I tossed out, LadiesRoomPowderRoom... and the final last ditch effort... "WC!".
"Ah," says the lady and points.
England and America are two countries separated by the same language. -George Bernard Shaw
I had a few other run-ins with the "English" language while over there. Let's see...
I was talking with a telephone operator and asked if she'd transfer me to Information.
dead silence.
"What?"
"You know, directory information..."
Silence.
"OH!!! You want directory INQUIRIES!"
Whatever.
Just like that post in that last blog on various foodstuffs. Aubergine/eggplant. Lift/elevator, flat/apartment...
The cute part of British English (to me) is their colloquialisms.
Bob's your uncle.
Getting a leg over.
'ave a Butchers.
LOL, I still don't know what they're saying 'arf the time, but I'm learning.
Oh, and if you really want a laugh, try asking an American to say:
"Sort it out"
With an English accent. I've been trying for YEARS!
Tirrah for now, me ducks!
Anyway, what does this have to do with travel in the UK?
Well, when I first got to England it started out as kind of annoying to find out those darn British don't speak English so good! I was in dire need of a restroom at a department store one day. Let's just say my eyes were floating. :)
I run up to the nearest cashier and with a crazed look and no-nonsense approach, I boldly ask for the restroom.
"Th' wha?"
"Restroom!"
Blank face.
"The bathroom."
"You want to take a bath???"
NO NO NO!!! My poor bladder was about to burst.
Quickly thinking of synonyms... I tossed out, LadiesRoomPowderRoom... and the final last ditch effort... "WC!".
"Ah," says the lady and points.
England and America are two countries separated by the same language. -George Bernard Shaw
I had a few other run-ins with the "English" language while over there. Let's see...
I was talking with a telephone operator and asked if she'd transfer me to Information.
dead silence.
"What?"
"You know, directory information..."
Silence.
"OH!!! You want directory INQUIRIES!"
Whatever.
Just like that post in that last blog on various foodstuffs. Aubergine/eggplant. Lift/elevator, flat/apartment...
The cute part of British English (to me) is their colloquialisms.
Bob's your uncle.
Getting a leg over.
'ave a Butchers.
LOL, I still don't know what they're saying 'arf the time, but I'm learning.
Oh, and if you really want a laugh, try asking an American to say:
"Sort it out"
With an English accent. I've been trying for YEARS!
Tirrah for now, me ducks!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
An Eggplant by Any Other Name
While living and traveling in England, I've run into various and sundry strange eating habits! A lot of things have changed since the early 80s, but some haven't.
Take Marmite, for example.
I've determined that it's something between marmalade and a termite. Generally, it has the consistency of axle grease (though axle grease tends to smell better).
But, Kim and Greg seem to like the stuff. I guess it's an acquired taste.
When I lived in Yorkshire, I loved the Yorkshire pudding. But, beware! Black pudding is NOT nearly the same lovely stuff.
Black pudding or (less often) blood pudding is a British English term for sausage made by cooking blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled.
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the black pudding is fictional creature of the ooze family. It resembles a bubbling, heaped pile of thick, black, pudding-like goo, roughly fifteen feet across and two feet thick. I sometimes wonder, when I see Black Pudding, if it reaIly *is* a fictional creature!
Now, why can't the Brits be more like us???
Personally, one of my favorite breakfast dishes is grits.
And don't be doing yankee messin' wid perfection stuff. Eat grits as they should be et. With butter and salt. Grits are made of corn, for Chrissakes! What's all this "milk and sugar" or "syrup" business? Eat grits with butter and salt. Period, the end!
And yams... I once sat down to a meal in England where the restaurant served up the nicest meal with mashed sweet potatoes... or so I thought! Yams/sweet potatoes... similar enough in taste that I don't notice a difference (if there is one)... are God's own tuber. With a little butter, cinnamon, and sugar - you have a veggie delight that is almost akin to a dessert! Plus, ladies, all that plant estrogen in sweet taters is way good for you.
However, back to my restaurant story. I'm looking at my "mashed sweet potatoes" all slavering and stuff... took a bite, and AAAAKKKKKKK!!!!!!!
What *was* that stuff? It's like going to hug your granny and getting mugged instead!
This stuff is called Swede. And it's NOT like a sweet tater. More like a turnip. *insert green face here*.
And the terminology for stuff even if it IS similar to things we know in the US is just mind boggling.
I was asking a neighbor in Yorkshire once about where to find eggplant. She looked at me like I was crazy!!! Eggplant??? You must be joking!
And when I tried to explain it was a large, purple, bulbous kind of thing - she further snickered behind her smile. I could read "what a nutter" crossing her mind.
But, the next day, she comes back and says... I looked it up, and what you are describing is an Aubergine! A what??? Aubergine?
Who knew the English would find some french word to describe a veggie. Eggplant. Much more suitably English in nature. :) That's my stand and I'm sticking to it!
I'll write more later when I'm back from eating breakfast. Which will, of course, include grits. With butter and salt. :)
Take Marmite, for example.
I've determined that it's something between marmalade and a termite. Generally, it has the consistency of axle grease (though axle grease tends to smell better).
But, Kim and Greg seem to like the stuff. I guess it's an acquired taste.
When I lived in Yorkshire, I loved the Yorkshire pudding. But, beware! Black pudding is NOT nearly the same lovely stuff.
Black pudding or (less often) blood pudding is a British English term for sausage made by cooking blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled.
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the black pudding is fictional creature of the ooze family. It resembles a bubbling, heaped pile of thick, black, pudding-like goo, roughly fifteen feet across and two feet thick. I sometimes wonder, when I see Black Pudding, if it reaIly *is* a fictional creature!
Now, why can't the Brits be more like us???
Personally, one of my favorite breakfast dishes is grits.
And don't be doing yankee messin' wid perfection stuff. Eat grits as they should be et. With butter and salt. Grits are made of corn, for Chrissakes! What's all this "milk and sugar" or "syrup" business? Eat grits with butter and salt. Period, the end!
And yams... I once sat down to a meal in England where the restaurant served up the nicest meal with mashed sweet potatoes... or so I thought! Yams/sweet potatoes... similar enough in taste that I don't notice a difference (if there is one)... are God's own tuber. With a little butter, cinnamon, and sugar - you have a veggie delight that is almost akin to a dessert! Plus, ladies, all that plant estrogen in sweet taters is way good for you.
However, back to my restaurant story. I'm looking at my "mashed sweet potatoes" all slavering and stuff... took a bite, and AAAAKKKKKKK!!!!!!!
What *was* that stuff? It's like going to hug your granny and getting mugged instead!
This stuff is called Swede. And it's NOT like a sweet tater. More like a turnip. *insert green face here*.
And the terminology for stuff even if it IS similar to things we know in the US is just mind boggling.
I was asking a neighbor in Yorkshire once about where to find eggplant. She looked at me like I was crazy!!! Eggplant??? You must be joking!
And when I tried to explain it was a large, purple, bulbous kind of thing - she further snickered behind her smile. I could read "what a nutter" crossing her mind.
But, the next day, she comes back and says... I looked it up, and what you are describing is an Aubergine! A what??? Aubergine?
Who knew the English would find some french word to describe a veggie. Eggplant. Much more suitably English in nature. :) That's my stand and I'm sticking to it!
I'll write more later when I'm back from eating breakfast. Which will, of course, include grits. With butter and salt. :)
Friday, February 13, 2009
Winter Rates
Well, my friend Lisa has been posting me all these wonderful airfare rates to England. $599 for airfare and six nights in London!
A shame it's only through March.
I've also been bemoaning the fact that I am going at the wrong time of year to see the live show of Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds (http://www.thewaroftheworlds.com/). The small consolation is that I have a DVD (British format only) of the show. Now, to figure out how to get my tv to play the darn thing!
The other news is that I've been discussing the trip with my adopted mom (Joan). We call her Woofie... not sure where she got that... :) Anyway, Woofie has always wanted to go overseas , so I'm going to take her out to Valentine's lunch tomorrow and go over things to see if it's really something doable. I hope so, because I think she'd have so much fun!
So, if she does come, I'm guessing the itinerary would be reworked quite a bit. Less time on the road - more time in centrally-located spots.
We shall see!
In other news, I've been in touch with Kim and Sarn again. Sarn is working on some ideas for the Stoke-on-Trent and Lake District part of our trip. Will keep you posted here on any major updates to the schedule.
I'm off to go look at some guided tours for Woofie... maybe I can take her some brochures tomorrow.
XOXOXO
A shame it's only through March.
I've also been bemoaning the fact that I am going at the wrong time of year to see the live show of Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds (http://www.thewaroftheworlds.com/). The small consolation is that I have a DVD (British format only) of the show. Now, to figure out how to get my tv to play the darn thing!
The other news is that I've been discussing the trip with my adopted mom (Joan). We call her Woofie... not sure where she got that... :) Anyway, Woofie has always wanted to go overseas , so I'm going to take her out to Valentine's lunch tomorrow and go over things to see if it's really something doable. I hope so, because I think she'd have so much fun!
So, if she does come, I'm guessing the itinerary would be reworked quite a bit. Less time on the road - more time in centrally-located spots.
We shall see!
In other news, I've been in touch with Kim and Sarn again. Sarn is working on some ideas for the Stoke-on-Trent and Lake District part of our trip. Will keep you posted here on any major updates to the schedule.
I'm off to go look at some guided tours for Woofie... maybe I can take her some brochures tomorrow.
XOXOXO
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