bar burrito, buxton + balls

it has become clear that our lack of social stimulation has led to an increased interest in food. it is difficult to think of anything to write about except food. not that i am neglecting of our hiatus here, but my time is spent temping at the highways agency, downloading american tv shows and cooking. the first two are just as exciting as they sound.

friday peter met me after work to drink two-for-one margaritas and chips and salsa [that tasted like ragu pasta sauce] at bar burritto. we then picked up wine and headed home to eat pasta, roast a chicken and have more drinks. being the old woman that i am i took a bath then promptly fell asleep on the couch around 10. peter finally put me to bed at 3 a.m.

saturday morning we went to buxton. it was the most scenic train ride yet.. lots of baby lambs trotting along their moms and dads. white lambs and black lambs.. white lambs with black legs and some old gnarly looking grandma and grandpa sheeps too. some of our fellow train passengers with what seemed like severe mental disabilities added to the ambiance by making very loud farm animal noises, so the petting zoo vibe really came to life. anyhow, it was incredibly adorable. it only got better when we arrived. there were so many cute dogs i thought i was going to lose it. the kids were well behaved, not scary mini versions of their track suit wearing parents. even the ducks were too friendly. we bought sandwiches and ate in the park then wandered. the weather and abundance of cuteness put us in a really good mood but by mid afternoon we were back on the train struggling to stay awake. back in manchester we waded through the usual weekend crowds to buy groceries then went home to make some soups.

the matzo ball soup experience ended up going fairly well. they tastes a bit like pretzels, but besides that it was a-ok. eating them caused sever drowsinesses, so we lounged like hobos for the rest of the night. tonight we made mac & cheese with broccoli and cauliflower. we also made a disgustingly buttery pineapple upside down cake. disgusting in the best kind of way. surprisingly we have not yet exploded into fatties.

springtime

it is spring time finally. it will be springtime until wintertime here, because summer does not exist. this morning it was sunny until i left for work. on the walk in it poured and my pants were wet to the knee due to lots of splashing. the sky was dark all afternoon until i got off work.. then it was sunny. we walked to the only store near city center that supplied matza crackers. we [i] am going to attempt matzo ball soup and peter is going to attempt to eat chicken. hopefully we survive. even though peter is a jewish he doesn't observe. we pretended to celebrate passover, whenever it is/was by making latkes and apple sauce last week. actually peter sat on the couch and i made them, but saying "we" sounds better. we both ate them with yogurt as sour cream doesn't seem to exist here.. they were good and the apt. smelled of grease for the next few day, which was strange but good.

i started working in a new office last monday and instantly got sick. by saturday i was feeling better-ish so we went to heaton park thinking it was spring. we saw hairy cows and baby ducklings. it was windy and cold but the park was giant and pretty so we walked around lots until i felt like poo then ate sandwiches and apple/rhubarb crisp in prestwich and went home to lay down.

i miss my family.. i'm glad we were able to see them lots before we left.. i've never been one to be too homesick, but i had a feeling it would be different than being away at school or in lansing, and was taking advantage of being home. i did not know how strange it would be being here and realizing things are going on back home even though i'm not there. it feel like when we go back things will pick up where they left off, but that is far from the truth. i miss my cat, my little sister is turning 21 and my oldest sister is getting married. other people are buying old smelly stuff from my thrift stores and my friends are getting drunk and hanging out without me. pshhhhh

london, bjork, booze

peter is playing games and i am trying to understand why i felt i had to finish last night's kabob for breakfast.. and why there is an open bottle of bulmers in the fridge.. or , back to the food, how all the sweet pink sauce soaked into the samosa to make a cold mushy cumin-ey doughnut. sound gross and probably is, but i enjoyed it.

so, here are some photos from london.

highlights include a semi-authentic mexican meal, actual authentic spring-like weather, managing to get on the correct trains, cookie monster in oxford, being serenaded by a pre-schooler in regent park, sunset in hyde park, stolen greek history at the british museum and the map exhibit at V&A.

anyhow, i must document last night before my brain forgets how strange it actually was. thanks to cousin ian we were able to attend the bjork show at the manchester apollo. and because the tickets were free we felt obligated to spend the money we would have spend on admission on beers instead. we got there earlier than necessary, picked up our very unconvincing tickets from will call and wandered in to the tiny pub behind the venue.. the only real thing in the area [besides a william hill gambling outlet]. it was tiny and the walls were decoupaged with guest passes. notable shows included chippendale's and the beach boys.. which when combined would make n*synch, but more talented. inside we met two flatmates that classed us as "alternative" americans. i'm not sure what that means, but they originally guessed us to be canadians, so it must be a positive. after some brewskies we got a cider and watched adorable bjork prance and throw her fists into the air.

afterwards we went to gigantic pub just off piccadilly. on peter's way upstairs from a goodbye pee his hat was stolen by drunk girls. it all started off innocent enough, they called him sherlock holmes. we had been on our way out, so we asked for it back.. they asked where it was from and we told them it was from america, thinking that might make it sound special.. they asked if it was to cover up petey's thinning hair.. then they asked if peter was "a jewish".. ahhh, it is strange how english people can be so rude and sound so nice at the same time.

on the way home we got a veggie kabob at the usual place.. while waiting an older, drunker couple came in to get some cheeseburgers. the woman was very concerned about her order and kept repeating "salad but no chips.. no chips!" she especially wanted us to know about her request, which was very nice of her.