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We are all set for our little holiday next week. Well excited.
Going for a long weekend and staying in B&Bs like we used to back in Oz.
Should be interesting considering we don't really know the road rules over here. At least they drive on the 'right' side of the road.
We haven't heard from quite a few of our peeps back home for a while, so we hope everyone is doing ok.
With the big party due to begin anytime soon, we had a lot to do. Woke up very early and was chatting with girl flatmate who asked if we heard gunshots at 6am. Boy flatmate also heard them. Because we are in the basement we are sheltered from outside noise, so we didn't hear anything.
We were on our merry way to get last minute things and get NB's costume together. We walk outside to see that one end of our street is roped off with police tape. Okaaaaaay, we will walk the other way then. We get to the next intersection where a police car is blocking the way. A policewoman got out of the car to inform us that if we left we wouldn't be able to come back, perhaps for several hours. So we walked home and I made the lamingtons (which were an absolute hit - go CWA!)
At midday we noticed the tape was down, so we went and got all required supplies. NB ended up getting a costume as that little gobshite Corey Delaney and I went as Kylie Mole, as planned. On the way back, I asked at the local off licence what had happened, because there were media crews everywhere, police information vans and the local "sandwich shop" had its windows blown out. I tell you what, that sandwich shop did a roaring trade. It was open 24/7 and people would go in and be out about a minute later. You could also get high on the dope smell that came out the front door as you walked past. I think they have pretty addictive sandwiches.
Turns out the police had a little raid on the abovementioned sandwich shop. The shots heard were the police using rubber bullets, which apparently pack quite a punch. We live in a pretty quiet area and this kind of thing is uncommon, so it had all the neighbours out for a squiz.
This was the minor news for the day. The major news was that our Australia Day party went off. Everyone had such a good time and the costumes were pretty funny. We managed to cram at least 40 people into our little flat. A good time had by all. We were also very patriotic, singing the national anthem at least 3 times.
Here we are, celebrating our nation's day a world away. Listening to classic Aussie tunes and making good 'ol lamingtons. Thank god the CWA know about the internet - their bloody recipe better work!
We are having an Australia Day BBQ at home. Neither us nor our flatmates know how many people are going to turn up. The condition is that you have to dress up as an Aussie icon. NB is going as Ned Kelly (we are making the armour out of muesli bar and cereal boxes, very inventive) and I am going as Kylie Mole. Should be rather tragic, but all a bit of good fun.
We all trekked down to the supermarket to buy supplies for the day. In the end, it didn't cost much at all. I think that's pretty appalling, because we bought mostly junk and it is more economical to eat crap. Talking about crap, girl flatmate (note to self - get more inventive pseudonym) and I had to take photos of two quite unusual items, being crustless bread and crisps where you put your own salt on them.
A fellow shopper stopped us when we were taking a photo of the bread.
Fellow shopper: Um, what is so exciting about the bread? (in a terribly polite English accent)
Two ditzy birds who appear to have just gotten off the boat (aka us): We have never seen bread in a packet without crusts before!
Fellow shopper: Well, there's no curly hair around here then, is there?
We felt like such dicks. Even so, it didn't stop us from taking photos of the crisps that came with their own salt sachet.
Exciting news to hand this week - Tricky, Allie, JJ, Guinea & Jess have booked their flights! We are getting our first visitors!!! They touch down on 9th October, just before my birthday - the big 3-oh. Am already googling to figure out what I am gonna do on my birthday - the prerequisite? - tis gonna be huge!
We almost needed the summer weight duvet last night - London recorded the highest ever night temperature for January. A scorcher of 13 degrees....Bliss!
Every day I get the same sandwich made. Every day the sandwich maker asks "butter or margarine?" I always say no. I have not eaten butter or margarine on a sandwich in over 10 years.
Though when I was asked today, my immediate thought was Grandma & Grandpa and having lunch at their place, where Grandma would make lunch and there was always waaaaay too much margarine on the sandwiches. Grandma always made the best lunches.
I'd give anything in the world to have lunch with them both again.
p.s. happy birthday to all the January birthdays. There's too bloody many of you! Suze, Joshie, Mr-T, Phuc, Manda, Guinea & Ad. Gawd, I hope I haven't forgotten anybody....
That was my dodgy attempt at a bad 0055 number ad. Lame, I know.
I am loving Skype! And loving that bit by bit, my peeps back home are discovering it and calling us. I love you guys.
Another thing I love is Super Mario on my DS Lite. I am seriously addicted.
So if you do want to talk to me, don't feel bad that you are going to be interrupting me getting to a really good level on Super Mario. I am addicted and should be dragged away for air anyway, so do call.
If I wasn't Australian, I would have to be Scottish. I have a deep affinity with them. This is not because I have short arms and deep pockets, it is more to do with our mutual opinion of the countrymen of this small island. Also known as THE FOOKIN' ENGLISH.
I really must learn to be more tolerant. It's just that I am used to things like a decent work ethic, logic and common sense. I am told I will eventually get used to not experiencing these things from others.
But listen to me eh? It sounds like I am moaning and complaining - so things are obviously rubbing off on me to a certain degree then.
Truth be told, they do a lot of things well over here, so it's not all tales of woe.
After trawling all over the place since we got here, we have also finally found a gym that suits us to a tee. It's a council gym, like the one we were members of back home. They have a 30 metre pool, which is HUGE for over here. One of the other gyms we looked at had an 18 metre pool. When I exclaimed '18 metres!' I was rather snootily told 'This is London'.
What's the point of a pool length where a girl could stand at one end and be able to pee to the other?
The staff at our gym smile at you all the time, are really polite and address you by name.
I love it and I can't stop grinning like an idiot when I am there.
I didn't nag or whinge about not getting a Christmas present yet. I just did what any normal person would do. Set up a wishlist on Amazon and forwarded the link on to my significant other. Sweeeeet.
So I was well chuffed to get this little message today when I logged into my Amazon account:
Go nb!
So excited about the goodies that have started arriving...and they are still coming!
I'll stop now, don't wanna rub it in :)
so excited....super mario for my ds lite.....pant pant....yippee....ghd straightener.....unreal!....dirty dancing 20th anniversary dvd......oooooh......new Ricky Gervais dvd....Killers CD.....so rad...more books!
Well, the fun was great while it lasted, but now it is back to reality and the holiday is a fond memory. As we are both contractors, it was back to the daily grind to earn the coin.
It's been one of those weeks though. Feels like I have been fighting fires left, right and centre. Had to ring ANZ about an unauthorised credit card transaction of $500. Also had to compile a spreadsheet for payroll to prove that they hadn't overpaid me 2000 pounds as they claimed in an email sent yesterday.
Obviously I am a glutton for punishment, as I also decided to tackle the January sales on Oxford St.
Am now ready for my straight jacket. Or perhaps, this little marvel:
"Virtually impossible to find in the shops and extremely popular in the 1950s, bedside tea makers are the perfect way to start the day. Easy to use, before you go to bed, pop water and teabags in the teapot, set the alarm, go to sleep and wake up to a piping hot cup of tea. What better way to start the day!"
What will they think of next eh? Complete with a frame to put a photo in. Genius at work. Maybe nb could get me that as a Christmas present. Considering I got him a very flash Bose ipod docking station, I think I deserve it.
