Tired Thursday (16th Sept)

Altough it is now Tuesday 28th, I wrote this next lot on the evening of Sunday 19th September evening, sitting in Baltimore Airport.  Here are my musings from that day on what had occurred from Wednesday to Sunday...

I'm waiting for the flight to Detroit to stay with my Mum’s cousin Stephen and his wife and daughter, Galina and Isobella.  The thing is, I’ve been so busy having lots of fun, I’ve not had time to keep my blog updated everyday, which is not that surprising really.  So what I’m going to do from now on is just give the highlights and some pictures, as otherwise I’d be spending all my holiday writing my blog and not really doing any holidaying.  I hope this is ok with everybody.

I think I wrote about most of Wednesday, but here’s what happened after we landed and after Joe had eaten his first in-flight meal.  

Stuff I did and saw

• Talked politics with the air hostess as we took off.
• First ariel impressions of the grand old U.S of A as we flew in to Washington DC - It is very green in this area - lots of trees and forests.  There are lots of little clumps of houses, but each quite remote from the other.  There were lots of patterns in the street planning.  Not only the grid system, but also the interesting fan effect of the suburban cul de sacs and drives.  The white wood panel houses and the red wooden barns, just like my Fisher Price farm and “Edward Scissorhands”.
• When we landed it was 30'c and 4.30pm local time, but my body thought it was 9.30pm.  It should have been dark, but it was glaring sunshine.  I think it was all exacerbated by the 4 hours sleep I had the night before - I was starting to feel a bit spacey.  We queued to go through immigration for quite some time, but actually got through with no problems, probably much to my Dad’s disappointment, as he had taken great care to prepare us for the interrogation he and my mum and brother got when they arrived in Detroit 3 years ago.
• Dalj and Magali offered to give us a lift to our hotel in their hire car.  Said hire car ended up being a big white beast of a Chevrolet.  He just could not resist the offer to ‘go large”.  So we arrived in refined and leafy DC, in gangster style, complete with blacked-out windows.  
• We gave the shuttle bus driver a tip.  As we were waiting for Dalj to bling up, he came over to me and told me that I was a wonderful woman and because of me he was now going to have a break.  I think it’s because our giving him a tip guilted the other passengers into tipping him too.  He was a nice chap and told us he’d moved to the US a few years ago and that he thought he was a wonderful place.  
• Dalj also hired a SatNav so as not to get lost in a strange town, but the kind man in the car hire place set it up wrong which meant we got a bit lost, but this meant we got to drive around some amazing rural bits of the country.  The houses were H.U.G.E.  Mansions.  But on housing estates.  We got back on track, but in a round-about way, which took us into DC through Alexandria, which was founded in 1749, so we had a treat, passing by amazing old buildings, the likes I had not seen before or even knew existed.  We got into the grid system, the yellow traffic lights hanging over the crossroads and the big freeways dissecting the old streets.  Thing is, the streets and buildings were old, but looked so new.  Not stained by coal smoke like the red-brick Victorian buildings in England that I am so used to seeing.  
• Then we drove through Georgetown, the original bit of DC.  Also old, with the most beautiful houses.  Kind of like I’d seen on TV and films, but better.  DC was also very green, loads of trees.  By this time it was dark.  We drove past the university and down Q Street - original old building with cute shops.  I was starting to feel bit delirious as it was now about 1am in my body (8pm local) and I hadn’t eaten for ages.  But we arrived at our hotel in Dupont Circle at last, dropped off our bags and then walked out to find some food.  Dupont Circle is a classy bit of town, and quite soon I could tell I was in Washington, with the young politicos out to eat and drink, chatting about their days work in the capital of the world.  “My member said this”, “well, my member reckons this”.  The uniform - women in very conservative but casual dresses, the men in chinos, shirts and ties.  All pretty young looking.  We ate some yummy Mexican food then floated home in a daze and fell into bed.

Our ride into Washington

Thursday

Perky perky perky at 6am.  Blooming heck.  We were up, showered, phoned home and out  of the hotel by 8am.  I suppose this is what the jet lag does to you.  

Stuff of note

• We had an amaaaaaaazing American breakfast in Kramer and Afterwords.  Kramer’s is a very American book shop and it had a cafe out the back.  We had blueberry pancakes, with streaky bacon, scrambled egg, maple syrup and a slice of melon and pineapple (to make it healthy).  It was delicious.  The waitresses were very friendly and chatty.

Kramer & Afterwords, where we had our first American Pancakes



Our first American Pancakes.

• We saw: the Whitehouse (it’s quite small), the Washington Monument (it’s very tall), the WW2 memorial (a calvalcade went past at this point), the Vietnam Memorial (pretty intense) and the Korean War Memorial (very eerie), the Lincoln Memorial (it’s at one end of the Mall), the Capitol buildling (it’s at the other end of the Mall) and all the amazing buildings in between.  It is like an outdoor museum of epic proportions.  A National Park in the middle of a city.  We walked from one end of the Mall to the other, stopping off to get some shade and rest.  It was about 2 miles, and it was the middle of the day and it was 30.c and we were jet lagged.  I think we did well.
• As we walked across the green in front of the Whitehouse, a policeman came and chased us off on his bike.
• I walked over a subway vent and the air blew my skirt up, just like it was supposed to.
• We walked from one end of the Mall to the other, stopping off to get some shade and rest.  It was about 2 miles, and it was the middle of the day and it was 30.c and we were jet lagged.  I think we did well. 
• Joe bought his first hotdog from a street vendor. 
• I felt weird - spaced out.
• We ate delicious noodles in Chinatown.
• I discovered rag cut books.  Very nice.
• Book covers have a very different style.
• Free refills of coffee and sodas do exist.
• I haven’t seen any fat people yet.
• The food is not that cheap.
• The meals are not huge.  Maybe it’s just DC.
• We spent the evening in an area called Adams Morgan - an old area with lots of independent eateries and bars.  I saw a proper record shop (like the one in High Fidelity film).  We had our first american burger in “the Diner” a 24 hour joint.
• I slept well.
• TV is pretty dull.  The adverts are amusing and plentiful.

More photos to follow when internet connection allows

Weird Wednesday (15th Sept)

It's now Tuesday 28th September - I've been so busy having fun, I've not had a chance to keep my blog up to date, but here's some more news...

Wednesday 15th September

Today we got the plane from Heathrow to Washington DC.  This all went pretty well.  Dad had warned us that we should expect to be grilled by immigration control on our arrival at DC, and provided us with lots of handy hints to ensure we glided through smoothly.  And that we did.  But getting through security at Heathrow was a little more bumpy.  Once we passed through the hand luggage security scan and body bleep thing, a rather stern looking man and woman asked Joe to answer a few questions.  And that they did.  They said he looked nervous and asked if he was.  He replied he was, as he'd never taken an 8 hour flight and didn't really like flying.  Poor bloke.  If he hadn't have been nervous, he certainly was by now.  They asked him lots of questions about where he lived, his job, what he was doing going to America, what the weather was like.  Then they asked me. I'd heard all the answers Joe gave, so I just gave them the same ones, and then we were good to go.  Phew.

We managed to get good seats, in the middle of the plane, on the front one, so we had lots of leg room.  For the take off and landing, I was asked to sit by the window, which was great as I am a bit of a take-off and landing adrenalin junky.  So, with my nose squashed up against the window I got to see the world get smaller and smaller and then bigger and bigger when we came to land.  The 8 hours went by fine, with rubbish films, Derren Brown, Louis Theroux, Tetris, Pacman and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.  Joe was really calm and enjoyed the flight, despite  even a year ago never contemplating taking such a long flight.

Travel blog Tuesday

It's actually Friday and I am in America!  In Washington DC, to be precise.  I have got a little bit behind with my blogging, but this is because I've been busy on an adventure.  It's one big Bright Side for the next two weeks as going on holiday and traveling around in foreign lands is one of the greatest things I like to do with my time.  This is the reason I go to work.  If I'm on a traveling adventure, I am the happiest I can be.  Thrown into something completely new.  So here I am, uber satisfied.  Thank you very much.

So for the next two weeks, I'm going to turn the Bright Side into a bit of a travel blog.  When I go on holiday, I always keep a diary of what I do, what I see, what's new, surprising, challenging, different, and quite a lot about what I eat.  I also take lots of photos.  So I thought I'd try transferring from paper to laptop for this holiday.  So back to the very beginning...

Right well, Joe and I finished work on Tuesday afternoon.  Got home, farted about for a bit, panicked when my hand luggage was over the alloted weight, then got over it very quickly.  Lord and Lady Bay Taxi service came to collect us and took us to the station.  We were very canny and got the Bays to load up their car, not only saving our delicate backs, but also foxing the burglars into thinking it was them going on holiday and not us.  Er-hum, yeah right.  We are not paranoid about being burgled AT ALL.

Anyway, here we are at the station, full of excitement.

So we gets on the train, and this is what happens, ten minutes into our journey...

That's right, the train breaks down.  To cut a long, boring and at times excrutiating story short, we were stuck on the train for nearly 4 hours.  We were kept going by detailed,, but uninformative annoucements, supplies of crisps, nuts and shit coffee and hot chocolate and by the amusing complaints and panic attacks of fellow dramatic passengers.  Although, I have to say, just as hour three began, I did seriously start to think that we might be on the train forever as the staff just wouldn't tell us how it would all end, like how long would it be before they realised they couldn't fix it and if they couldn't fix it but weren't prepared to let us get off the train onto another one, how the bleep would we ever get to the airport.

Anyhoo,   Jack rang just in time to save me from the ridiculous (but crucially still internal) catastrophic thoughts, during which we were told we'd be going to Derby then taken by taxi to our final destination.  So, although we were only 400 yards from East Midlands Parkway station (the convenient public transport gateway hub to the East Midlands), and therefore less than a mile or so from the M1, we had to go back north up the country on a further hour's journey just so we could travel south again.

Well, well, well, the final leg of our "epic" train journey consisted of Joe and I and three strangers squeezing into the back of a hackney carriage cab and being driven to London by a man who didn't know where he was going or how to drive.  However, I had a great time chatting to the man I sat next to, who was an Osteopath from Melbourne.  Joe had a challenging time, as he ended up sat on one of the fold down seats for two hours.  Although he'd bagged a nice comfy normal seat, we were joined by a man who refused to travel backwards as he assured us he would end up puking up all over us.  Thinking about it now, I think we should have told him to go and get in another taxi.  Joe was a hero, but unfortunately the osteopath, kind as he was, didn't quite feel up to giving Joe a treatment on the roadside in Crouch End at 2am, which was the time we arrived at Emma and Pete's.  Only 4 hours late.

So we went to sleep pretty quickly, getting a luxurious 4 hours sleep, before getting up, bouncy and refreshed (er-hum) for our trans-atlantic ride in the iron eagle the next day.

Monday musings

I realised today, that over the past few days, 3 or 4 people have contacted me out of the blue to tell me how much they like my blog, that it inspires them and has helped them feel more positive and take positive action.  Wowee.  This is ace.  I feel humbled, but good.  It's hard to express in words, but this, I feel, is what life is all about.  Pass it on...

Peaceful Sunday Slumbers

For the first time in months, our Sunday night slumbers were peaceful.  We were blessed with silence, rather than deep bass lines rumbling through our souls and painful wails of the club singer that we are usually subjected to by the social club on a Sunday night.

It seems that "doing something about it" does pay off in the end, even if the process is exhausting.

Midsummer Saturday

I went to Joe's cousin's wedding in the countryside between Reading and Oxford.

This part of the world is famous for being the Chilterns, apparently, but it's more famous in my heart for being the setting of John Nettle's acclaimed series "Midsummer Murders".  Now, some of you may know that MM is one of my guilty pleasures, so I was thoroughly satiated with all things MM throughout the day.

  I gave yelps of joy as we drove through such places as "Gallowstree Common", "Nettlebed", "Chalkhouse Green", "Sonning Common", "Rotherfield Peppard, "Chalkhouse Green", "Devil's Hill", "Shiplake Bottom" and "Perseverence Hill".  There were skulky "oohs" when I heard the Midsummer Murder bird cry of the crows in the field, and disappointment when we didn't have time to visit the ultimate Midsummer Murder fan's place of pilgimage - Wallingford market square, site of "Causton Police Station".  I was relieved, however, not to have bumped into Joyce Barnaby, as doing so usually is a sure signifier of an imminent and grisely demise.  It does not pay to be friends with Chief Inspector Barnaby's wife, in more ways than one.

I saw lots of pretty little red-brick houses with picket fences overlooking village greens and commons which must have looked the same for centuries.

And the wedding was great too!  It was in a beautiful church on top of a hill over looking the Chilterns (and Didcot Power Station), and the reception was just across the road in one of Uncle Steve's sheep fields, in an amazing marquee.  All the family were there and much fun was had by all.

Vaselines Friday

Oh my god!  Joe sent me a link to a preview of the new and only second album from the Vaselines, one of my favourite bands ever.  Also a huge musical influence on me.  Probably the biggest, along with The Cure.  Follow the link below to see what I mean.  They epitomise all of what I love about music in every way.  I am very excited.  This makes up for being out of the country for their gig at the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham (20th Sept - make sure you get down there) and for the rest of their tour.  The first time they have toured in nearly 20 years.  I feeeeeeeeell brrrrriiiiiillllll and alllliiiivvve!  Music is alive for me today, at last!  Thank you thank you thank you the Vaselines.  You can hear what all the fuss is about here...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2010/sep/09/vaselines-sex-x-album-stream

Radio music satisfaction and it's only 8.15am

This is an early post, but already in the first hour of being awake, something amazing has happened.  This is why I love 6 Music.  Shaun Keavney played Blur - "There's no other way", Suede - can't remember the name of the song, but it's one off Suede, and the Pixies - "Gigantic" within about 15 minutes of each other.

This goodness of 6 Music is undermined by the annoyingness of the music news - from Joe.

Wired Wednesday

A meeting I was planning for ages, and potentially difficult, was a success.  Something that hadn't happened before did because of me.  When given the opportunity, I am damn good at my job.  I made a difference no.1

I was able to help two friends who are having a tough time, both needing to be reminded they are brillo people and deserving of respect in one way or another.  I made a difference no.2 and no.3

As you can see, making a difference is important to me, and quite often I feel my efforts are futile, so when I do, I need to recognise this.

The levels of excitement regarding our impending visit to America reached feverish heights tonight.  Eeeek, less than a week to go.

Thoughtful Tuesday

I am not the only one

Material Monday

I showed Tara how to make a simple shoulder bag out of old  bits of material and she rose to the challenge - will need to make the strap next week.

Stylish discovery Sunday

As I was furtling about in a big sack of bits of old material given to me by my Mum, who'd been given it by an elderly dress-making relative, I stumbled upon a rather beautiful upon a handmade silk 1950s dress, which I think might have been made by the said elderly relative.  It is amazing.  And it fits - just!  Here is a photo - it doesn't really do it justice - it's a bit crumpled from being stuffed in the bag, but I've not put a photo up here for a while...

Adrenalin Saturday

I went go-karting.  It was ace.  I came 6th out of 16.  I skidded around loads, and didn't crash.

Energy Friday

I had lots of energy today, for the first time in months.

Intellectual Stimulation

I went to a talk by Germaine Greer about her experiences of being photographed by Diane Arbus, her interpretations of Arbus's work, and it's position in the context of earlier street photographers.  It was at Nottingham Contemporary gallery.  It was really stimulating and made me think about things differently.  I like this feeling a lot and I need to get it more often.  Having Nottingham Contemporary and other cultural resources at my finger tips is something I really love about where I live.  Joe and Katie were there too and I'm glad they were so we could share our thoughts on it.  

Sunshine

It was a lovely sunny day.