Countdown begins

I've just booked a flight to Montreal at the end of July. Eleven or so days in Quebec, at a cottage on a lake, surrounded by gorgeous hills, good food and wine, and lots of family history. I am so excited it almost diminishes my deathly fear of flying.

But this is the first summer of my life that I won't be in Kingston at all. It's going to cause some kind of chronological wrinkle in my mind, where I won't feel like a whole year has passed if I haven't been to the market, had brunch at Pan Chancho, and sat on my parents' deck admiring the garden with a Corona in my hand. I also won't be making it to Toronto, though there is a small chance I can sneak home again in September for a certain royal wedding. Otherwise the next time I see home will be in the depths of winter, at which point I'll have been here for almost a whole year, which is hard to imagine. Then again, time IS flying by faster now that I have a job. (The workdays themselves don't always go quickly, but somehow the weeks do.)

At the office they sent around an email letting people know that work can be missed for World Cup games if they are scheduled for late afternoon. And the amount of England merchandise everywhere is almost overwhelming. I'm waiting to see if it's as mad here as it was in Little Italy during the last World Cup. Is driving around all night honking your car horn in celebration a North American tradition? I'd think that fuel prices here would prohibit it. Then again, those little car flags have been showing up on the British equivalent of camaros and honda civics. Methinks I'm in for some sleepless nights should England actually deliver for once!

And for heaven's sake, when does it start getting WARM in this country??!

Thinking of building an ark

Giant mango-sized spider body count: 3
Semi-giant kiwi-sized spider body count: 3

Even though we have also safely evacuated several genetically modified super-spiders, I am starting to wonder if this death toll has anything to do with the forty days and forty nights of rain we are currently enduring. There are ducks on the street outside our house. I rather suspect they know something we don't, and I would sure rather be in a top-floor apartment right about now!


As you can imagine, this weather is trying even my congenitally sunny disposition.

The past week was one of discovery, however. I now have incontrovertible proof that living on the edge and throwing your three white items of clothing in with a coloured load results in grey. I have discovered that the British aversion to salad dressing (besides "salad cream") extends to the cafeteria at work. I've realized that people smirk when I talk about wearing pants to work because here pants generally refers to underthings. I learned that if you stand within twenty feet of the kerb on an Oxford street on a rainy day, you WILL be splashed from head to toe by a speeding bus, and it WILL stain your clothes. I travelled down to the coast for a conference, and found that though the sea looks invigorating from a hotel window, if you walk along the beach you will still be crying silty tears and finding sand in your ears, nose, toes, and hair three days and three showers later. (My skin? Exfoliated!) I also discovered, while driving back from the conference, that the English are letting the countryside fall into ruin. Just look at this dishevelled heap of old boulders that noone can be bothered to haul away:


Finally, I would like to give a shout-out to Marv, whom circumstances have conspired to keep off the golf course over the past month. I personally suspect a plot by the pro circuit, who, having become aware of his recent intensive training and new ability to harness the power of nature out on the green, feared for their titles. You have an enormous fan club, Marv, and we're hoping to see you feeling better soon!

Scenes from a weekend

Over the past few weeks we've been riding the ups and downs, but in the middle of the rollercoaster was just about the best weekend since we arrived. We had the pleasure of some lovely houseguests, referred to in the previous post, and it was great fun.

We punted on Friday night, and both Mark and Andrea risked life and limb to stand on a rickety wooden boat in a river holding a tall aluminum pole while thunder and lightning rumbled overhead. (No rain, though!) Sandwiches, cheese and red wine along the Cherwell river is one of Oxford's greatest joys. Weather permitting. Naturally, the evening concluded at the pub!

Saturday we wandered around several colleges, had pints on a patio, got caught in the rain on Christ Church meadow, and managed to cobble together a great dinner with only the Co-op open to buy supplies. (Darn those British store hours. That is the hardest thing to get used to.)

Sunday, after I accidentally landed us on the slow train that stopped just about as frequently as a city bus all the way to London, it was the V&A museum. We just barely squeezed into the packed Modernism exhibit, but it was worth it. I was impressed by the now-poignant optimism of modernists from countries emerging from war and revolution early in the twentieth century. Many seem to have regarded the philosophy and the new designs for living as a way toward greater equality and peace, unaware of the devastation to come during World War II. The exhibit also had an original fitted kitchen, one of the first, discovered intact in Germany and reinstalled at the museum. The research that went into creating it, and the impact it had on women's roles and home life (both good and bad) is fascinating. I just wish (former student of architecture and design) James had been there, because I'd love to hear his commentary.

After such a highbrow afternoon we shamelessly slummed it on an open-top tour bus around London. Our guide was careful to point out the Hard Rock Cafe, which was a relief. Can you imagine going to London and missing it?*

So thanks for the great weekend, guys! You were awesome guests and we miss you already!




* You know this is sarcastic, right? Phew.

Currently raising my spirits

The fab l'Occitane goodies Rob and Jess sent back with Jeff from Canada. Had they not already had my undying affection, it would have been won with such a thoughtful and unexpected treat!

Andrea and Mark are coming to visit! Andrea and Mark are coming to visit! (It warrants saying twice!)

The fact that printed inside every single roll of toilet paper in the multipack I just bought, it says "HELP" where normally there's just a number code. (I took every last one out to confirm my findings.) The trees have spoken! Hear ye, Stephen Harper! (I imagine him being crushed by Ents.)

Diet cherry coke!

Five weeks' holiday per calendar year (in ADDITION to public holidays) at my new job! And I can wear jeans!

The end of soccer season!

Groovy new sandals! That fit! And are super-comfortable! (Unfortunately I have to wait until the mangling from soccer cleats and non-comfortable non-fitting shoes heals before I can wear them.)

Cosmic balance

Last night a very dear family friend passed away. I found out while I was at work today, and I had trouble keeping it together all afternoon knowing that I couldn't be there with my parents in Canada. But I came home to find an email announcing that another dear friend had just delivered her second child, and that mother and baby are safe and well. It's odd to feel joyful and sad at the same time, but I do.

Done and done!

I haven't written about the best things that have happened lately, because I wanted to make the post worthy of the news and early mornings are depleting my creative stores. But I know many of you are wondering, and I'm feeling terribly negligent, so I'll just put it out there.

While I was in Dublin, Jeff returned to Canada to endure two of life's greatest trials over a whirlwind five days, all while battling jetlag and a seemingly impossible to-do list. I've been worried about all that stress, but he rose to the challenges with awe-inspiring determination and aplomb. He passed his final PhD defense, AND his final graduated licensing driving test!

He is now a bona fide Doctor of Philosophy and a bona fide Ontario driver. Pretty impressive, eh? I was sure he'd get the PhD. He has worked really hard, given so much of his time, racked up impressive publications, and earned great feedback on his thesis. But I confess I was less certain about the driving test given that he'd had no opportunity to practice! I'm so excited for him, and proud of him. He can throw himself into the new job and only look forwards now, and hopefully enjoy some well-deserved relaxation time.

And thinking about that makes me really happy, even when I've been up since 6:00 AM!

Making great first impressions since 76

I got lost in the building for about the 4000th time at work today and had to ask three different people for directions to find my way back. I figured I'd introduce myself to those people while I was at it, since everyone seems to know each other and I'm new. I got back to my desk only to realize that a rather critical button on my shirt had been open the whole time. Gah.

My former coworkers would be astonished to hear that I was at work for 7:30 this morning, showered and in proper business attire (and at that point completely buttoned up ... honest!). It has to be a first. Hopefully, also a last.

Just what I needed after a long day ...

I'm trying to be open-minded about the differences here, mostly with success. But there is one thing I'm finding VERY hard to deal with. The British seem to think their nation is devoid of insect life, bird life, and small vermin in general, and that screens on windows are therefore unnecessary. I, however, beg to differ. Our little corner of this grassy isle is rife with unpleasantness of all kinds.

Because we are plagued with wall-to-wall carpet, our apartment perpetually smells kind of unpleasant to me. I thank my lucky stars I don't have asthma. But every time I have opened a window over the past few weeks, and I mean EVERY SINGLE TIME, some sort of ugly creepy crawly thing has dropped down onto the window ledge and scurried off, forcing me to hunt it down and eject (or squash) it before shutting the window again in resignation. It's a beautiful evening out there, and after walking home from work I decided, optimist that I am, to try one last time to bring that freshness indoors. I have been attempting to cohabit with all the small spiders that have taken up residence in our flat. (Ask my family or Jeff about my history with insects and you'll see that my general loathing of them is well justified.) But today, when I opened the kitchen window, the largest spider I have ever seen inside a place of human abode that wasn't a pet tarantula hit the windowsill with a horrifyingly loud THUNK and raced off along the counter. I'd swear the thing has muscle definition. I lost consciousness for maybe a second due to fright. Then I heroically grabbed a large clear plastic salad bowl and leapt forward to trap it. Now I sit, with shaking hands and a stiff drink at my side, regarding the confined beast of prey warily. It's too fast to try to put it outside, and it would take a shovel to kill it. I'm going to wait until Jeff comes home to deal with it, because, frankly, sometimes I'm just too much of a girl.

But the bigger problem is not so easily dealt with. I can't bear not opening windows. But I also can't bear giant mango-sized spiders, and when bugs do get into the house I inevitably wake up covered in welts. They love me. They really do. Our windows have antiquated latching systems that make it difficult if not impossible to just tack a roll of screen over the opening. You wouldn't be able to open the window. Not to mention that I'm guessing rolls of screen don't even exist in this country. Has anyone ever had the misfortune of being in this situation? Or can anyone offer advice?

And when can we move out?

Bank holiday

I spent the past few days visiting Michael (an old friend from university days) in Dublin, where he is working. It was just what I needed: another dose of city culture (good food, good music, places open late, great street life) and some quality time with one of the friends I've been missing during my isolation in Oxford. And I think I have a new favorite city!

Tomorrow is my first day at the new job ... egads!