happy birthday petey!

today peter turns 25.

after his first class of the term i took the train out to salford to meet him. it was my first solo train ride, and even though it is only two short stops away, i was proud i ended up in the right place. we then spent the afternoon with a handful of peter's acoustic classmates at the crescent pub where i had my first fruli. i was the only girl and i was drinking a pint of pink "beer." it was yummy.

later in the afternoon i discovered another uniquely english invention. we were served a round of complementary "chip barms." chip meaning french fry and barm meaning bun. we ate french fry sandwiches. sounds like a recipe a four-year-old might make up, but they are very real and an excellent way to soak up that extra booze before you head home. i look forward to eating more of them in the future. and hopefully they will all be free.

tomorrow i have an apt. with kelly services to find a job. i need a job. please hire me.

morethanalot take II

happenings

not much is actually happening. just lots of walking, screwing around [watching tv] and wondering what to make for dinner. last night we watched a very pretentious cooking show featuring mexican food. not only did they garnish black beans with chives, they also made a margarita with orange liquor.. and insisted that using lemons interchangeably with limes was just fine. my heart wept. pshhhh

today we went to the ikea in aston under lyne. it was much more pleasant than our first visit to ikea [in chicago], even though it was a saturday. people here doodle less.. and english kids are less annoying. or something. we purchased a tv stand, bathroom organizer, rug and drying rack. it was heavy. i foresee shapely arms in my future. but probably not.

in other news, i have found a new favorite cereal. for only one pound 6o you get a box of jourdan's couty crisp.. with four nuts! sounds strange, but is, by far, the best breakfast cereal i have ever eaten. it is granola with almonds, brazil nuts, hazel nuts and pecans. big, giant nuts, and lots of them. i am impressed.

i'll close with this, taken from www.mymanchesteronline.co.uk

"Close by the centre of Manchester a new 'Green Oasis' is being created. The advertising extols the virtues of life so close to the amenities of our wonderful, modern, Manchester.
But 100 years ago life in 'The Green Quarter' was anything but idyllic.

Bounded by Cheetham Hill Road and Red Bank and lying between Lord Street and the oddly-named 'Scotland' and encompassing Fernie Street, Verdon Street, Adeline Street and several smaller streets and alleys, the area now designated for development was a crowded mixture of tiny back-to-back terraced houses, small 'sweatshop' businesses, a couple of pubs and a number of places of worship all crammed together cheek by jowel and with little daylight penetrating between them."

and this is where we live. sounds glorious.

i've arrived

today marks day two in manchester. it is better than i could have imagined. our apartment is beauteous. you can get french fries, pizza, a kebab or a curry almost anywhere you go and it is not lansing. that is the best part.

my first day in town was spent snuggling my husband, eating a giant plate of curry, purchasing a uk cell phone, stepping in many puddles and falling alseep on the couch with a glass of wine.

today i made an appointment with a recruitment firm, registered for my NHS number, went grocery shopping at iceland [they had "ice lollies" ha], found some unimpressive charity shops and bought lots of goodies at the fruit and veggie market. the rest of the afternoon was spent watching petey do maths and catching up on my blogs.

here are some things i've come to realize in the last 48 hours:
shower curtains are not overrated
petey has very good taste
i don't like airplanes
bell peppers aren't so bad
i am deathly afraid of our balcony
most english people speak to me slowly

we are currently experiencing gale force winds. tomorrow we may see snow.

hooray!