Coronation Street, Maps and Winter

listening
to The Queen is Dead.  even though after all these years, she still isn't.  but now i've written this, she'll go and die and i'll feel bad :|  that always happens... 

recovering
from dining at Golden Corral.  i've wanted to dine there forever and it failed to meet my ridiculously low, cafeteria-loving expectations..... everything tasted like it had been in a musty attic for years (?????)  and also: i've never seen so many imperfect people in one place :|  it was just horrible 

dreaming
of taking Morrissey to try a couple of the local vegetarian restaurants.  or making him toast with imported Irish sliced bread and best butter.  or watching Coronation Street with him.  he's my friend - he just doesn't know it yet ;)

watching
Coronation Street 12/12/2012.  i'm a little behind and still woefully confused by all the adopted children and divorces and murders.... corrie.net is my new bible ;)  also notable: my English accent is coming back :)

addressing
Christmas Cards.  i love driving down everyone's streets on google maps street view.  it's soooo fascinating :)  but it is a complete time sink too.  i want to drive down Morrissey's street (wherever he lives.... i need to find out so i can send him a card ;)

hoping
Taylor Swift's guitar ornament goes on sale tomorrow.  i want it.  but i cannot possibly pay full price ;)

loving
flannel sheets.  and heavy blankets.  and fluffy pillows.  and milky decaf in bed at bedtime.  and Winter.

a little piece of Wales (which i now keep in a jar of favorite beach finds)

they don't call him the cat whisperer for nothing

 Black Friday morning - we did not go shopping ;)

we went to Cape Cod instead
Chapaquoit



Old Dock, Cape Cod

even though it's not our Cape Cod house anymore, it will always be 'our' Cape Cod house :)

it was Spirit Day at school ;)

Thanksgiving treats

Next socks

Winter

listening to
"Barbarism Begins at Home".  which t-o-t-a-l-l-y belongs on my "Mean" playlist 

now listening to
"World in Motion" by New Order.  which t-o-t-a-l-l-y belongs on my "Manchester" playlist

thinking
that my big idea to go to NYC to enjoy a nice, quiet Thanksgiving Day was really dumb... at least i realized before we actually went and got stuck in an all-day parade traffic...

going
to decorate the Christmas tree instead.  the first time in this house!  in the pretty light-filled room with the pretty cathedral ceilings!!!  i already hung up Santa's tiny clothes - i could NOT WAIT!!!

needing
to make a mercy dash to the Christmas Tree Shops.  i have a coupon!  and new halls to deck!!

not eating
anything.  England was ohhh sooooo bad.... but in the very best way :) 

but i am eating
pumpkin pie.  i think not having pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving should be a felony.  pumpkin bread too.  and pumpkin spice chai latte  

loving
the nicest neighbors who remember to actually go and buy pies and then give them away :) 

wanting
to watch more Coronation Street.......

back later xoxox

thankful and grateful and blessed and maybe even a little lucky for....

a house that's calm, warm and cozy on a wild windy Nor'easter kind of morning (we're in the NORTH EAST!!!)

a hubbie who caters to my shopping-trip-to-England-jetlag with endless coffee, quiet time, laundry-folding and sympathy instead of chronic eye-rolling :)

Jo Malone Wild Bluebell (the official scent of England 2013;)

Jo Malone Fresh Mint (which is the best incentive to take deep breaths) (did you know they never released Fresh Mint in England?)

really old friends who are as comfortable and soothing as a feelgood favorite sweatshirt :)

really new friends who you immediately place on your Christmas card list and quote endlessly

my Mum who always smells like home and gives the softest, gentlest, most heartfelt hugs and makes the best coffee and toast

a turkey-free Thanksgiving

Taylor Swift diet coke (it's just that little bit more fizzy, refreshing and sweet: just like her ;)

Morrissey - who i can't help quoting because everything that he says rings true

Aussie 3 minute miracle - it really is a miracle :)

Coronation Street. on demand. in America. for real. it's been 17 years and 2 months since i last watched it.... and omg how i missed it!!!!

whoever found my purse yesterday at Target and turned it in (seriously, this is the third time in as many months i've lost it...??? my purse is really really absent-minded and forgetful. but really really lucky :)

new stamps - what, Morrissey's a vegetarian??  who knew!


i HAD to make sure it was edible before gifting it's siblings ;)

Angela-inspired curls


Olympic gold postbox in Manchester


dear pizza express.... i miss you xoxoxoxxoxo


flashback to Thanksgiving on Cape Cod

the story so far....

Manchester-ish from the air

Manchester from the ground

apartments....?

this statue's hand is just begging for an iPhone



.... because of the Smiths :)


my pizza express pizza had a pizza expression. i saved his nose for last :)


he couldn't wait to show me what he got :)


some fancy bridge that looks like the fancy Boston bridge with the instantly forgettable name

off to England's magical somewhere-over-the-rainow.... the Lake District





a cute starfish

cute $6 shoes

sticky toffee pudding and custard (and Coronation Street)

England....? whhhhhat is this?????!!!
(those snippy "what not to wear ladies" were so right. so mean. but so very right :)

things that kinda suck about the UK (only read if you're NOT from there;)

i never thought i'd say it.... but SOME of the people are a little bit miserable.  misery looks handsome on Morrissey but some people cannot pull it off quite so eloquently ;)  they cough too much (like WAAAAY too much and seem to actually enjoy it) and don't smile nearly enough and don't have very good manners. it's not nearly as charming and lovely as New England.  there i said it: i'm soooo going to Old English hell :) 

also know as.....

strictly come dancing.  omg kill me now.  and use a blunt rusty shiv because it would hurt far less than watching strictly come dancing.

paying 30 pence to go to a gross, stinky, cold, public toilet that doesn't even have hands-free towel dispensers. 

paying for shopping bags and the fact that the cashiers don't pack the groceries and wheel them to your car for you and put them in the car while making small talk and then take away the cart and wave as you drive away

oh yeah: and PAYING for a shopping cart!  i don't care if i get it back when i return the cart: free is the only way to live

having to add 2 to your dress size (this is soooooo cruel)

no drink refills and no ice (a.total.deal.breaker.)


those absolutely hideous ugly ridiculous onesies that functioning members of society were actually wearing. in public.  i don't care how cold it is.... it could NEVER EVER be that cold!!!

rain.  it rains everyday.  without fail.  and i love the rain!  but sometimes it just needs to go away and come again another day, but not EVERY SINGLE DAY!

24 hour shopping* (*the asterisk means not really 24 hours, we just like to pretend that's the case but we're actually only open 6 hours on Sundays(??!)

vandalism and gangs of bored teenagers and petty crime

being way too cold outside and then way too hot inside stores (still.  after all these years... they didn't fix this?!)

back with pics of things that didn't suck at all (there are lots of lovely things that didn't!)

things i love about the UK

chocolate (have i ever, in passing, once or twice, perchance, mentioned that i love English chocolate??!

pizza express.  that fiorentina with no olives was sooooooooo good.

diet coke in a glass bottle (but you know the refill issue is next up on the 'things i hate about the UK' post ;)

pasties.  flakey, warm, puffy envelopes of chees-y onion-y lava-y goodness.  heaven on earth. 

on the subject of heaven on earth: fish and chips (seriously i HAD to come home... my pants were about to burst at the seams :)

the Lake District. and Chester.  i think i might finally understand why Americans are so crazy in love with these places.  they're very pretty and so very British :)

scones and cakes and pies and puddings!!! 

Spud-U-Like (the one with the roman ruins in the basement and really nice staff)

Coronation Street.  confusing as hell but totally fascinating seeing people age 20 years and children become adults in a blink of an eye :)    

really cute little hatchbacks.  they don't have really cute little hatchbacks here :(

the smell of trains and diesel fumes and cigarette smoke and rainy pavements (dunno why but i LOVE these smells)

Manchester.  i miss that grey city soooo much and seeing it through Morrissey's eyes this time made all the more wonderful

the shoes: scalloped edges and patent leather and pretty bows and polka dots

Cath Kidston.  i bought nothing.  but loved everything :)

Asda and Sainsbury's and Tesco and Home Bargains and Superdrug and Boots and Marks and Spencer and Harvey Nichols and Primark and Selfridges and Monsoon and Next and... on and on and on :)

English undies: they're just soooo much better, it's unexplainable :)

cold water from the tap... not as much as a novelty as it used to be in the Cali days.... but still amazing :)

back later xoxo

things i'm not doing today

eating (for real.  until 12:30 at least... then: Chili's :)

making pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting.  seriously i should sue Trader Joe for how many pairs of my jeans no longer fit.  it's a travesty and he needs to be held responsible.

dying my hair (and it's driving me crazy.  absolutely CRAZY!)

cleaning any more windows.  OK, this has got to be a New England thing... but the window spray stuff just FROZE on the glass when i sprayed it???!  (yes, outside... at 25 degrees... i hate smudges and fingerprints that much...)

listening to Morrissey.  just the Smiths today :) 

buying espresso Ugg Blayre boots in size 8.5.  nooooo: because sheepskin is murder too (but how i want those boots..... having a conscience really sucks the life out of you)

picking up my brand new very British navy waxed jacket.  nope: but i'm doing that next week!!!!  i've already started shopping and i didn't even leave yet ;)

not shopping at Marks and Spencer.....  but i'm doing that next week too!!!!!  though i have to say.... having perused the M&S selection online... i think i'll find more to buy in the cake department ;)

back later xo

snow, pizza and tv

hoping...
it snows tomorrow (the newsman says it's supposed to!) however, not enough for school to be canceled... but just enough to take a sparkly Winter picture for the Christmas card (and then melt immediately so my plane doesn't skid off the runway....)

listening to....
OMD. it's on my sounds-like-England playlist :) i didn't have my headphones all the way plugged in and thought longlost 80s songs must just sound that bad ;)

feeling...
like i really know nothing of any value about anywhere. and very little about everywhere

loving...
Stash pizza. i don't know what it is about it, but it's absolutely addictive and charred and heavenly

dreaming of...
a Cath Kidston oilcloth purse (polkadotty or flowery. hmm, maybe i need two purses....)
a cheese and onion pasty at every pie shop i pass
buying as many huuuuuge Dairy Milks as 50 pounds allows (and eating what isn't allowed before i check my bags :)
the 2013 Taylor Swift ornament going on sale for $6 instead of $12 :)
sitting next to George Clooney on the plane and sniffing him when he is asleep :)
(because he flies coach, right?)
fish, chips and peas, with thick slices of white bread with way too much butter
humiliating documentaries that make you hide your face with embarrassment
jaffa cakes and bourbon biscuits and milky tea
the Emma Bridgewater factory
poring over every word of Coronation Sreet
stopping at Jo Malone to find a perfume that epitomizes England 2013 (because Nutmeg and Ginger is so England 2007 and Fresh Mint is so Cape Cod 2012;)
burnt toast (with way too much butter also)
a hundred bottles of lavender Zoflora
Johnson's daily essentials night cream
une seconde nail polish
blue Barbour wellingtons
Asda's chocolate aisle (heaven on earth)
Marks and Spencer cakes

eating...
strawberry laffy taffy. i am quite sure it contains some vitamin in which i am woefully deficient because i can't live without it :|