Early Night -

Had another good day at work. I was open in the afternoon so was helping on some “Look & Feel” boards with my coworker, Tom, who looks DEAD ON like the new guy on SNL, Bobby Moynihan. He’s like a tall Hobbit.

Jen and I had dinner at the Coach & Horses - their logo is cute - I had to tell Jen it was a Cinderella reference... get it? The pub was packed - the dinner room - empty! So it was pretty quiet eating, the atmosphere was fun and tent-like. Jen ordered Hare Meatloaf. Yes - rabbit meatloaf. And I had this meat/tapas type appetizer which included prosciutto, duck, ham and a 4th meat. Basically it was too much for me to handle, and WAY too salty for one person. I’d recommend keeping it as an appetizer than a meal like I tried to do.

Jen and I then hit my local, Sekforde Arms, where Beth and Lou were to meet us. Jen was being friendly and said hello to an older gentleman who looked like he’d had a few pints. They then had a 20-25 minute conversation about politics. I won’t even pretend to know the first thing about politics so I sat there politely. Then when he left we all reminded Jen you probably don’t want to do that in pubs b.c you WILL get roped into a 20 minute conversation every time. Ha!

My congestion was filling my head again so we left around 11ish in search of a kebab place so I could get one with chili sauce to hopefully clear my head! I sat down, dug in and my head nearly exploded [I’m a wimp with spicy foods]. I really tried and the experiment ultimately failed.

Jen and I were in bed by midnight! That’s early for me on a weekend. I actually slept pretty good, but then I woke up coughing at 7am and here I am - up at 7:50 on a Saturday morning doing laundry.

Tottenham Hotspurs play Arsenal at 12:45 here - I am a Spurs supporter and Arsenal is the ENEMY. It’s essentially like Bengals/Steelers at home. So I plan on hitting the Hobgoblin at noon to at least watch the first half, then Jen and I are off to Finsbury and Clapham this afternoon to look at flats. Which is probably a good thing in case things get out of hand at the pubs b.c of this football match!

My “SNL” coworker

Next Phase - Roomie!

I really did feel better yesterday, except my congestion had to be the worst I've ever had - to the piont both passages were blocked and I had to eat my peanut butter sandwich with my mouth open - vulgar! And no one has rubbish bins at their desks so I was shoving all my used tissues into an old tissue box under my desk. Lovely.

My 1 of 2 days back this week was fine - was simply making a guidelines chart for some detergent. My Director is actually only part-time so she left around 3pm yesterday and said "Have a good weekend!"

My afternoon was spotted with welcoming Jen here and getting her partially situated in my flat for a temporary time while she finds her own place to live here. I think having her and Beth meet will be good - one ExPat meeting another and Jen can ask questions galore.

This weekend looks rainy - booo! - but I know we’ll be flat-hunting for Jen!

[Almost] All Systems Go -

I feel [almost] like a new woman today! Even woke up at 6:47 which is early here for me. The only thing holding me a bit down is a stuffed up nose. But I can deal with that compared to the past 3 days! Drinking coffee this morning is a big step.

Jen lands at noon today, so the apartment is clean and as germ-free as I could manage.

Onward and upward!

Sickness Update:

Woke up this morning and still had lingering symptoms; achey, chesty cough and runny nose. At least the sore throat is gone. So I bucked up and got on my bike and rode to the nearest NHS Walk-In Center. It wasn’t nearly as shady as it might sound. I think I waited for an hour... painful.

Finally my name was called and the girl took my blood pressure, checked in my ears and throat, poked and prodded all around, listened all over my torso with her stethoscope and came to the conclusion that I have an upper respiratory infection. Which antibiotics do not help - nuts. She recommended paracetamol tablets, a decongestant and some type of menthol inhaler. So I got all that and will take as much as I can... I’m just a little surprised an upper respiratory infection includes these aches.

I really, really hope I get over this hump tomorrow. I already feel guilty for missing 2 days of work this week for being sick. My point being here was to help the London team out... but I know taking care of myself is more important! All I know is at least I didn’t have H1N1 - part of me was convinced I had it!

Sick in a foreign country is beets.

Well I thought I was okay to go in today - grabbed 2 OJs, some throat lozenges and more tissues and headed in. People could tell just by my froggy voice that I wasn’t doing well.

My Director came in and I just happened to cough and she was truly concerned and suggested I go home. I guess some girl had H1N1 at our office, and is back now.

So I walked back home, and realized it was a good idea I wasn’t at work; still achey, chesty cough and sore throat. I slept from 11:15 - 12:45 and have been slamming the usuals; OJ, chicken noodle soup, tea with honey, oscillococcinum every 6 hours, throat lozenges, bought some expensive chesty cough syrup and have been gargling with hot

salt water [Mom’s cure-all].

I got some recos for walk-in clinics if I feel this way tomorrow. Being sick away from home is always harder. I can’t seem to find

Saltines - the one staple that goes with noodle soup!

Too Fast...

Sunday Tim and I woke up and walked close to my place for a “Full English” - which means a traditional English breakfast: bacon [which is straight up ham at home], brown sausage, baked beans [not sweetened like you Yanks are used to], mushrooms, and egg sunny-side up and toast. It was pretty stellar!

We walked to a sports shop to buy some football [re: soccer] gear and made our way to Regents Park - a very beautiful park, but a bit too long to walk to. We were pretty exhausted and took a cab home : )

We rested here together and watched multiple episodes of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia online - perfect for our last evening laughs! At 6pm we met up with Lou and Beth for dinner at The Crown and played some Scrabble. I had some good words like gnu [the gazelle-like animal] and orzo - which threw Lou for a loop b.c you can’t find orzo pasta here!

Tim and I didn’t sleep very well and on top of that, I started feeling pretty sick last night with a chesty cough, aches and chills. I finally got out of bed at 8am and we made our way to the Tube to Heathrow. Saying bye and feeling sick has made this day pretty hard on me, but I know I’ll get through it and my time will fly again. Plus, my coworker/friend Jen is moving here Thursday, so that will be helpful too!

Tim and I at the Crown with my new shirt - which apparently over here means “underwear” - !!Tim and I at Regents Park with some beautiful plants behind us:I’m pretty sure this is more original Bansky - ??
Our amazing Full English!

Few Extra Photos -

The Krons in Russell Square Park

I finally got a taste of fall! (I know, it’s still green though)

Tim and Beth

We originally learned about Bishop’s Finger beer a year ago in Philadelphia - so when we randomly passed this pub, I nearly lost it. I found the Bishop’s Finger.

Another view of St. Paul’s Cathedral

Walkin’ About

Friday was FULL! Tim and I got to St. Paul’s Cathedral at 10:30am and bought tickets for a guided tour - luckily there were only 13 people in our group. We were glad we did it, learned more with someone telling us about the cathedral. My only disappointment; no photos allowed! We left at 12:30 and were starving. We almost went to Fuller’s by Smithfield Market, but pies were about £11, so we wandered just a bit farther and found a pub off the beaten path, much more authentic and we got 2 pies and 2 Sam Smith pints for £14! Pretty good deal if you ask me.

After literally cleaning our plates, we got some coffees to walk with and walked across Millenium Bridge - looking at the skyline wasn’t very nice b.c there are cranes EVERYWHERE. It kind of ruined the view, but cool nonetheless. We saw Globe Theatre [Shakespeare’s Theatre for those of you who may have forgot], and wanted to walk around it, but you could only go in with a guided tour, we were done with that for the day.

So we walked allllll the way back home. And it IS walkable, but our dogs were barkin’. We sat around here for 2 hours, resting our feet, then met up with Beth and Lou at Camden Head for pints. Then Tim and I hit the Tube to head up to Camden to The Enterprise [Beth & Lou biked there]. DJ Sue plays Friday nights - she looks like your middle-aged Aunt, but plays fantastic Motown, R&B and great stuff from the 50s-70s. Great fun to dance to!

Today Tim and I kept it a little more chill. We ate a late lunch at Dollar Grill, good food and special £5 lunch - woo! We walked to the British Museum, but it was terribly crowded and we weren’t really in the mood for a museum. But it was nice to just walk around.

Great ceiling at British Museum

Krons at The Enterprise in Camden

Globe Theatre

St Paul’s Cathedral

Amazing and cheap English pies!!

Friday 23/10/2009

Tim got in with ease! They barely questioned him at customs and we were hugging by 12:40! He said he barely slept, but everyone knows it’s uncomfortable in those seats for 7 hours. Gave him some coffee, some food and decided to keep Thursday low-key and just show him around my neighborhood. We did pub crawl a bit; Three Kings [Landor pub], Camden Head, Hobgoblin and my local, Sekforde Arms.

We went through Sainsbury for a pizza crust, came home and made a yummy pizza and were in bed by 10pm! My baby was exhausted, and I’m pretty certain he fell asleep in 30 seconds, I’m not even exaggerating.

Up this morning and plan on going to St. Paul’s Catherdral to do a guided tour [Beth said it’s actually a good guided tour]. Not entirely sure what we’ll do after that, but tonight meeting up with Beth & Lou to enjoy DJ Sue at the Enterprise in Camden - she reminds me of someone’s mom who plays great old Motown, R&B, older-type records, and the kids love it!

Tim enjoying a pint at Camden Head in Angel:

Hey Everybody

Tim and I met up with no snags - and the Tube is not terribly intimidating.

Off to show him the neighborhood now that he’s washed the planeride off! [and no, he did not sleep well even with the drugs, but too bad - no sleeping so he gets used to the time!]

Time for Tim!

I made my first trip to Sainsbury with my bike/basket combination. 1 1/2 bags is about the maximum I can ride back with! Sainsbury was nice and large with most everything I could need - except I didn’t find a pre-made pizza crust. Tim and I will experiment with packaged naan bread - haha! I even bought a Glade Spiced Apple candle so I could have a bit of home fall here.

It’s strange b.c the trees here aren’t quite changing or falling yet. I’m guessing b.c I’m in more a city environment instead of suburban/rural at home, it isn’t as apparent.

Wednesday was great b.c one of my Creative Directors from Cincinnati was in to give a talk during lunch! It was really great to see Steve, a familiar face from home who knows me slightly better than the folks at the London office. Steve made the Cincy office look great, and is a great presenter.

Today [Thursday] I cleaned up the flat with the tools and cleaners I had. [Found out cleaning is NOT complimentary - oh well] I’m going to set out soon for my first solo experience on the Tube. Pretty nervous, but people are generally helpful when you need it and I’m not afraid to ask for help! Hopefully I have no snags!

Trivia - English Style

Last night after some cheap, good burritos at Burrito Bros, Beth, Lou and I went to The Well across the street from my flat for Trivia Night. £2 to play - the winner received £100 in gift certificates, 2nd place got a bottle of house wine, 3rd place team got a round of shots. This trivia night was very fast-paced with 40 questions. Luckily and secretively, Beth and Lou had experienced a good deal of the questions asked. Which means their Trivia Guy isn't very creative if he's pulling off some trivia site everyone references!

Anyway, I thought the questions were pretty challenging. I was good at the hairstyle anagrams; "Seinfeld's in a twist" = Jerry Curl! Some folks there had never heard of it, and I felt weird trying to explain a greasy perm - ! Additionally, when we were reviewing answers and I yelled out "Jerry Curl!" some Brits asked me to say it again b.c of my good ol' accent.

I could also easily answer the photo question featuring Andre the Giant with his eyes blocked out. What is the property that causes rotation? Torque? Didn't know that. Formula 1 questions? That's like our NASCAR, right? Overall, it was fun, but not sure we'll go back to that place for trivia. We'll probably try a pub with music trivia where the emcee plays a keyboard - score!

One of my Creative Directors, Steve, is in the London office today to speak during lunch! I hope my schedule allows me to see him - he's a ball of fun and it'd be great to see a Cincinnati face.

Also need to get ready to welcome Tim tomorrow afternoon! It's proving difficult meeting up through tube stops - neither of us have experience with the Tube and Tim's cell phone wont' work once he's here. So basically I'll just be waiting for him at the Terminal.

Another Fun Weekend -

Friday night was another fun night of various pubs and biking. Saturday I woke up around 9:30 and had to exchange a bike light at Condor Cycles. Then I hit Exmouth Market which was full of adorable shops. Also hit Camden Passage - another strip of really great shops and cafes as well as flea-market type shopping - it's literally a treasure hunt of amazing finds. I only bought a coin purse, came really close to buying some Spanish leather gloves for £25 - and I now realize I should have brought gloves - specifically for bike riding! My hands are already cracking and bleeding from being dried out!

Rolled into Hobgoblin [my favorite pub thusfar] to check football [read: soccer] score as they rolled in. Beth and I ate dinner at The Albion while Lou met up with family for a bit. The Albion was a little too upper-scale for our taste, but still very nice. Then we hit Hope & Anchor for some pints. Beth and I were unfortunate enough to meet a very drunk fellow who apparently hates Americans and was not shy telling Beth and I that we were daft idiots for being women drinking pints - he displayed his displeasure for us by making vomitting motions. Utter, utter ass. We moved away, and luckily the jerk left shortly after. We met at least 2 more characters who weren't AS bad as the first guy, but the night was full of some intoxicated characters.

Sunday Beth and I went to the British Portrait Gallery to see Bowie to Beatles - portraits of musicians from the 60s. It was really great, some really cool photos. It was quite crowded and Beth and I commented how certain cultures have no knowledge of personal space, or saying "Excuse me"/"Pardon me" and it's a little annoying. But, I guess each culture has their own way with public crowds.

We had a late lunch/early dinner - I had a great risotto with rocket [greens] and wild mushrooms. Then we wandered to a Borders so Beth could buy the first season of The O.C. - a good thing to have b.c we'll be turning our clocks back next weekend and it'll be dark sooner and getting colder!

At 5:30 we went to Hobgoblin b.c they were showing the Giants/Saints game - woo! So it was fun to watch ol' American football for about 2 hours, and tried to keep up with the Bengals/Texans game [boooo].

At Trafalgar Square

Some super-hot chairs at Camden Passage.

Shoppers at the market.

I just like the juxtaposition of the modern building among older English buildings.

Craziest playground I've ever seen.

And a few extra photos -

My “local” (closest pub) - Sekford Arms

Beth along the canal - please note the random fridge floating in the canal. How beautiful.

Me sitting along the canal with a Saturday afternoon wine!

Me and Rocket!

Fish n Chips n Mushy Peas

Tuesday I dropped Rocket off for a puncture fix - only £10 - not bad! Also got a lock, bell [safety for pedestrians], and a front white blinker [safety among cars]. Last piece of the puzzle is a basket so I can cruise around buying my groceries and London products to bring back to my Cincy beauty team!

Wednesday was another day of sketching at work. Good thing we’re experienced sketchers from the Cincy office! Perma-lancer invited me to Three Kings for a drink and lunch. He was nice enough to get my wine and spinach-feta parcels with hummus and pita. Funny how I eat all these other ethnic foods and have yet to eat a proper English meal.

Thursday was another full day of sketching. I seriously got hand cramps, but I can’t complain b.c I’ve probably only had 1 full hour of actual computer work since I’ve been here! We had a farewell party for a woman heading out on maternity leave. She was wearing heeled black biker-type boots. Totally badass. So some wine and beer was the perfect way to end a chill day!

Beth took me out riding around again this evening - got Rocket worn in a bit more. We had a great dinner at a nicer fish-n-chips place with some white wine. So finally - nearly 30 years into my life - I have FINALLY had fish and chips - and the proper kind with mushy peas and all, folks!

Let's Get Cookin'!

Pete at work was great and told me about 3 nearby bike shops for my puncture and accessories. Luckily my week of sketching had a chill out and I actually left at 5pm. Headed down Clerkenwell Street to Condor Bikes - decent-sized store and lots of people working to help me out - someone actually approached ME! They couldn’t fix my tube right there, so I have to pick up Rocket tomorrow a bit after 9am. Bought a lock, front light and bell - now all I need is a basket [and Rocket back with me!] It was also nice to venture a little further from home and check out some new areas.

Tonight I’m finally back to cookin’! I'd accidentally bought some pre-packaged chicken bits [thinking veggies were included], so I cooked up some red pepper, onion, brown rice and dumped in a jar of Indian Royal Korma sauce - include some cheap red Australian wine - and my dinner was great! Now if I can just get up to Sainsbury on my bike instead of Tesco Express, I can really cook how I want! *Note the plate on my saucepan because there is no lid!!

Weekend - HIYOOOHHHH!

Friday night Beth and I had a gals' night - hit my corner pub, Sekforde Arms - very small cute place. Then we bopped around to a couple walking-distance pubs. Had a great experience in a Mediterranean restaurant - very crowded, small space, but felt like you were in someone's old house. However, I did manage to lose my double-canopy umbrella as well as the belt to my raincoat : (

Saturday we met up with Lou - he and some other tenants at his building are involved in a ping pong tourney! They were only practicing, so I was able to jump in and show my skillz. We headed out on our bikes to a great canal-side tavern. Lots of people and dog-watching in the sunshine. We hit a few other pubs Saturday night, catching various football matches. A lot of fans were in an uproar b.c the England/Ukraine match was only showing online - ! Poor crazy bars were trying their hardest to show it [barely].

I had a falafal burger Saturday night that kicked butt - highly recommended!

STILL need to get a bike lock, basket, and lights. I wanted to tonight, but got home around 7pm - boooooo! Fingers crossed I can make it out on time tomorrow to accessorize my bike and buy a new umbrella!

Superb Day

Had some design work before and after lunch... all the while talking with Beth over email about the pros and cons between buying and renting a bike... we hit Gumtree.com - a classified here in the UK. I found a purty old classic for £110, and within walking distance - I called him during lunch and we were set to meet at 6:30.

This afternoon I had a brainstorm/sketching session which was great - it felt good to get my creative gears going again - it's been a while since all the traveling and settling in. So hopefully tomorrow is more sketching/brainstorming.

After work Beth and I grabbed a London Pride at Three Kings Pub, then walked all the way down Old Street [ended up being half an hour walk] to our meeting place with Simon. He was a character - I think he had an army green jacket on, riding gloves and his glasses had one tinted lens and one clear lens. Beth and Simon told me to take it for a test ride and I was a little nervous to leave Beth with him [he was fine]. I talked him 'down' to £100 and Beth and I were off on the road!

We stopped at this amazing organic pub/restaurant - had some organic pints and amazing food - I had a butternut squash with mozzarella and greens - fantastic!

It's been awhile since I rode, so I was slightly wobbly when starting from a standing point, but overall not a bad ride. It only has 3 gears, but in this city, I shouldn't need any more! I definitely want a basket [for groceries!], a lock, safety lights and a helmet. Look out London, here comes Christine and Rocket!

Oh no...please not sick.

Okay - the eyemask blocked the light, but I'm still having trouble falling asleep!! I've read that you shouldn't stare at a computer screen before bedtime, so maybe I should log off of IM earlier. I'm also THISCLOSE to downloading some audio beta waves [thanks for the tip Pam!] to help me fall asleep. But mainly, I think it's the flat, shapeless pillows! I've tried folding them, stacking them to no avail, it takes me ages to fall asleep. Maybe I'll just buy one and pass it along to Jen when she gets here?

Work was good and decently busy today. Had a Pub Thai lunch - which is interesting to find in a Pub. Had a pint of Fosters with my veggie Pad Wood Sen. It was great to talk to another gal, Kate, in the office - she's very bubbly and easy to talk to.

Got back to work and had an instant coffee [everyone drinks instant - it's a little bizarre]. So thai + beer + coffee = unhappy digestive system. Now I swear I'm feeling achey and chilled. Taking some Oscillo then later Alka-Seltzer Cold & Flu, lots of OJ and try AGAIN to fall asleep early, this time with my beta waves playing in my ears. Wish me luck!!

10/6/09

I think I have to start falling asleep with my eyemask on - the streetlights leak through the blinds - a reddish cast - I can tell through my eyelids, I swear! Back home our suburban bedroom is nice and pitch black! Two "typical" English days so far - drizzly and grey! It was tough getting out of bed this AM under the snuggly bed.

My hoover is a glorified Dust Buster. Sweeet. What this place REALLY needs is a Swiffer! And ya'll will laugh, but I CAN actually have someone come in and clean my apartment FOR me. But I like having control over at least SOME of my cleanliness : )

I've had two girls ask me to join for lunches this week! One is more a group, the second with our studio manager - it lifted my spirits b.c I'd forgotten how hard it can be as the New Kid at work - ! I'll try to make more of an effort now when I come back to make new hires feel welcome.

I had my first small meeting on some design work today - I didn't feel shy at all chiming my opinion. My work [though it wasn't a big job] was received well, so that was comforting.

AND the coolest thing today - I looked into renting a BIKE! I found a place that will give me a decent deal, so Beth and I are going Thursday after work to pick it up! It is THE way to get around here - I'm looking forward to it!

The Laundry Trials -

It's been tricky learning the military time [a meeting from 12:00 - 15:00?] What's also interesting is that everyone at one point or another asks everyone around them if they want any tea - and one person gets like 4 cups of tea for his/her coworkers! How courteous!

Pretty sure I was the FIRST to go to lunch at 12:30 - geesh!

Left at 5:30 and headed up to bustling Angel for some Boots face lotion, gum, tissues and honey for my scratchy throat. Seeing rush hour was neat - the number of bikes are at least equal to number of cars! AND I saw that the stoplights turn yellow BEFORE they turn green. Huh!

On my walk back, I saw a burrito place that was pretty much like Chipotle and it just sounded good and filling, so not very "special" but it tastes great!

So now I'm attempting to do some laundry. This little guy is ridiculous. I can only fit like 7 items in here and whatever cycles I chose, they were bad b.c the time show 4+ hours!! So I paused the cycle and chose the 30 minute cycle instead. Lordy. Thank goodness there's a drying rack here - I usually hang dry anyway. Wish me luck!

Heading into First Full Week -

Saturday was another fun day of walking about the area with Beth & Lou. Another late night - yipes!

Had a very lazy Sunday on the couch. Tim told me I could watch the NFL games virtually on ESPN's GameCast - it worked well and felt just as stressed as I would watching the Bengals on live tv : )

I slept terribly last night and didn't want to get out of bed - it's a drizzly Monday and my first full week of work. Got some design work this morning, so I'm being kept busy.

My skin is not doing well - it's dried up quite a bit since being here, need to find some major moisturizer. The serum I brought isn't doing the trick.

Hobgoblin beers!The massive grill at the awesome Turkish restaurant we went to Saturday night - KEBABS!
I forgot to take a "before" photo - I just couldn't wait - it was some great chicken, the hummus and yogurt dip were sensational. And the salad was even unique and delicious!

First Night Out -

Met up with Beth & Lou at Three Kings around the corner at 6:30 - same place I had “chili” on Thursday. People were literally spilled into the street - very very crowded. And there are no open container laws here - which explains why I saw a guy yesterday drinking out of a beer bottle while walking down the street!

Apparently to some, Stella Artois is considered “wifebeater” beer - like lowbrow stuff - according to Lou - ! And I got a “look” for trying to order a Carlsberg too - ! Guess I have some learning to do on proper pints. Or just drink what I want : )

Then we hit a smaller, less crowded place up the street. Not trendy, but easier to get a seat. Then we hopped to at least 2 other bars - did some boogying. Beth and I crashed out at her pad around 2am.

I’m being very lazy today, need to do some laundry eventually and buy a bit more food and goods.

Friday night finally!

I told Tim I can't believe I was actually home just three days ago - it actually feels like a week. My afternoon went somewhat quickly - more image wrangling for our 'attitude' video. I'm glad I was prepared with snack this afternoon. And the day ended with doughnuts! Not in the morning!

The music on Spotify [I think it's similar to iTunes streaming radio] is amazing. I think someone created a personalized playlist, but I literally own 3/4 of the music I hear in the office - sweeeet!

I will say the kitchens at Landor Cincy are quite nice. Plus we're super spoiled with our Starbucks machines. I wonder what the London office would think of that? Probably not care since they're on the Tea Train.

This is the courtyard of my complex.

This is the facade of my office.

The lovely front doors.

Cheers! Off for dinner & pints with Beth!