Um...I Just Thought I Would Tell You...

...a guy vomited on the bus.

Yes, these words came out of my mouth last night. On my way home from work last night, I got on the bus and went upstairs (where I prefer to sit). When I got up there, I was greeted with a smell...it was mostly alcohol, but it stunk. I also noticed liquid moving down the side of the bus. At first I thought someone must have dumped a bottle of alcohol, but quickly realized there seemed to be more than liquid flowing along. Still, I took a seat...on the other side of the bus. And it stunk! So, I looked behind me. One seat behind me and on the other side of the isle was a business man probably in his late 20's or early 30's who had vomited all over. And the worst part was, he was still sitting in the middle of it! And he was looking out the window like he could care less. Well, deciding I couldn't take it any longer, I ran back downstairs...and at this point, the vomit was rolling all over the bus as we were going around corners...it was nasty! I did make sure to not step in it on my way downstairs. Downstiars, I decided I needed to tell the bus driver. I walked up to him and uttered those wonderful words, "Um...I just thought I would tell you...a guy vomited upstairs on the bus." He thanked me, got out of his little drivers box, went upstairs and kicked everyone left upstairs (yes, there were still people up there putting up with the stench) to the bottom level and shut of the upstairs. The best part was, the drunk guy just walked off the bus as if he didn't have a care in the world!

Oh and all this happened at 9:30pm on a Monday. That guy must have been having a pretty bad day to already be drunk and vomiting by 9:30pm on a Monday. I think this bus incident was the least of his worries...

Lies

This guy at my work lied to us. He told us he was moving to another country, so was quitting his job. He has been telling us how excited he is, told us how much he paid for his ticket and more...turns out, he just wanted to quit his job. Why would you lie about something like that? It doesn't even make sense.

It got me thinking about lying. Lying is a way for people to really gloss over the truth. But, everyone has a truth. And, the truth will always be revealed. So, why lie? All it does is get you disrespect later. Is it really worth it? NO

What if I was lying about living in Scotland? I am actually holed up in my house in Pasadena, writing this blog off things I see on the internet! ha, ha. You know you want to drive by to make sure it isn't true! Honestly, it would be pathetic. People would have a barrage of feelings about what I did:

1. Anger
2. Betrayal
3. Thinking I am pathetic

And then you have to ask yourself, is it really worth it to hurt those you love by lying? I know it's not. And I don't do it. But others still do. And they will never realize the stupidity that they are doing until it is done to them. Its such a childish thing and everyone needs to grow up sometime and face the truth.

On a side note, the guy who made up the story at my work is the same age as me...he is old enough to know better than to do something so lame and stupid!

Macaroni & Cheese

For lunch today, I grabbed a box of one of my favorite junk foods - macaroni & cheese. When I was throwing the box away, I noticed on the front of the box it says, "serves 3". WHAT?!? This shocked me! A box of macaroni & cheese fills one bowl, how can that ever serve three people?!? Maybe if it is served as a side? This made me feel like an overeater. I even set down my bowl of mac & cheese when I was about halfway done. Then, about two minutes later, I decided it would be okay to finish my meal, guilt free. I still don't get how this small box can serve three!?!

A Beautiful Saturday

Yesterday, when Ian and I woke up, we were welcomed with a beautiful spring day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and it was a balmy 55 degrees outside. To celebrate this wonderful day, we spent almost three hours wondering around outside, just enjoying the beauty. We even got ice cream cones!



As I suspected, the beautiful weather did not last long. We woke up this morning to cloudy skies, cold weather and gale force winds. At least I will always have Saturday to think about!

Lard

At least I know they aren't lying to us about what we are putting in our food! On a side note, I did not buy any lard at the store, just took a picture of it...thought you would like to know!

We're American...Of Course We Celebrate St. Patrick's Day!

When I switched my calendar to March, I immediately noticed St. Patrick's Day on there and got excited. Then, I was intrigued, as it said it was only a holiday in the Republic of Ireland and the USA. Why not Britain? I asked an Irish friend what she was doing for St. Patrick's Day and was horrified by her response. She told me nothing and that it was just a normal day. WHAT?!? In America, St. Patrick's Day is definitely NOT a normal day. There is the whole wearing green thing, the green beer, the parties and the corned beef and cabbage. Well, it turns out that we may be the only country in the world that properly celebrates St. Patrick's Day. I decided yesterday that I wanted to go out for a proper St. Patrick's Day celebration, only to find one option close to my house...and they weren't even serving corned beef and cabbage! Instead Ian and I split a steak & Guinness pie and Irish stew. It was good, just not what I am used to for St. Patrick's Day. This got me thinking...

As American's, we tend to celebrate any and every holiday, as long as it seems fun. Once upon a time, we were seen as a melting pot and I think because of that, we picked up any and every holiday along the way. There are also about a million US only holidays as well. Maybe America is a country that just likes to celebrate!

The Complaints Girl

As I have been working my way through my to do list this weekend, I noticed much of my to do list (ok, really only two things) compiled of filing complaints with companies. I was afraid that if I googled my name, I would come up as the "complaints girl". Thankfully this didn't happen.

One of my complaints really has just been a follow up with a company. If you will remember back to December, when we were moving our stuff out of storage, we discovered our rug was ruined and our couch was stained (you can read about it here for a refresher). In January I sent a letter to the company, as instructed by the storage facility, and accompanied it with some photos. Well, after six weeks of no response, I decided enough was enough. I googled the company (isn't google a wonderful invention?) and discovered the company listed the email addresses of all six of their owners/investors online (not a smart move, in my opinion). So, of course, I sent them a nice, yet demanding email...I demanded a response within a reasonable two weeks. I got a response better than that. After 10 minutes, I got a response saying they would look into the issue and respond to me within the next 24 hours. Then, the next day, I got a response from the vice-president. I thought this was good. In the response, they admitted to the leak (which was a shocker to me), but of course also said they aren't responsible for the damage. When the vice-president comes in tomorrow, he will have my rebuttle on his desk. My fingers are crossed as to how he proceeds.

My next complaint deals with train tickets here in the UK. There is a stupid policy that only the credit card holder can pick up a train ticket. Of course this is written in small print and of course Ian and I didn't know it when Ian purchased a ticket for me to come visit him in Aberdeen last month. So, we ended up having to pay for two tickets. Now, I am trying to get one of the tickets refunded, or at least get a credit for it.

So there you have it, all my complaints on the table. The hard thing about the UK is that there is absolutely NO customer service, so they don't care how unsatisfied you are, they generally won't do anything, so my train complaint will probably get nowhere. Thankfully the US is different, so I am hoping for a positive outcome with the storage company.

Interesting

This van has been parked right around the corner from my house for about a month now. You can't tell from the picture, but it has a towel hanging blocking the back of the van from view...classy. And there is a bunch of trash all over the dashboard.
But, it isn't the van that caught my attention as much as it is what is on the hood...
Watch out squirrels! What does that even mean? Have squirrels attacked this van before? And what is with the knight sticker?!? I walk past this van every day on my way home from the bus stop and every day, I get a huge smile on my face when I see this. The squirrels should be scared, very, very scared!

My Tank Top

Brand: Ralph Lauren
Purchased: 1998

I put on my tank top last night only to discover a rather large hole in the front. And, I was disappointed. Now I understand that this tank top is 11 years old and can't last forever, but finding another one like it will be next to impossible. I know it may not look like much, but it was one of those perfect tank tops. The straps weren't too wide or narrow. It wasn't too low cut and it was the perfect length. I could wear it by itself or layer it. And it has gotten worn a lot over the years. It won't be easy to replace. I am sure I will buy many a tank top trying to fill that void, but I am thinking the void will never be filled. sniff, sniff

Friends for Life

Yesterday I saw a scene play out in front of me that warmed my heart. I was on the bus, looking out the window when we pulled up at a bus stop. The bus driver had to put out the ramp, as an old lady with a big walker was getting on. Her friend, who used a cane, helped her on the bus. She then made sure she was settled okay before continuing her journey down the street. When our bus caught up with her, she stopped and waved at her friend.

This got me thinking, a friend who is still friends with you when you are old, is a true friend. There aren't many true friendships left in the world. But, it does make me think that when I am in my "golden years" and if I am still surrounded by my friends, I will be lucky. Too many times we allow not enough time, distance and more to get in the way of our friendships...and as the great Baz Luhrmann said, "Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
knew when you were young."

I hope someday some girl sitting on the bus sees my friend loading me on to the bus safely and her heart is warmed at the sight of true friendship...obviously this would mean that public transportation in the States has been beefed up by then!

When It's 28 Out...

When it's 28 degrees out and the sun is shining, where do you stand? When I was waiting for the bus today, I was the only person standing in the sun. I don't get it...it's freezing outside, don't you want all the warmth you can get?

What is your take on this?

A Pink Dolphin

This is not a joke! This pink dolphin, which actually suffers from albinism, lives down in Louisiana. I'm thinking of having a tank made so it can come live with me! Here's the news story, if you are interested.

18 Months

Me, Riley and my Mom at the airport in D.C. right before I took off for Scotland.

When I moved to Scotland 18 months ago, so much was unknown. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know how this would change my life. And change my life, it has. I moved from a society that is based on consumer goods, to a society where money isn't flowing as much. A society where going out to dinner once a month is "normal" and you would never take the kids with you to a restaurant (though this doesn't really matter since I don't have any!). A society where the healthcare is "free" and you pay a tax on your tv. A society that has changed my perspective on life.

I am glad that my need for materialism has been broken. Living over here, cars, the size of your tv and even clothes don't really matter. On the other hand, taking exotic vacations are a big deal. Most people get at least five weeks paid vacation a year and use it all, if not more! People genuinely try to care about the planet, not the way Americans say they do. People drive cars (which most people that I know don't even have cars) that have very little power and very high gas mileage...the Prius over here is always made fun of, as to the Brits it isn't a green car, just an average one. People use only canvas bags at the grocery store.

I still can't get over the fact that I pass a huge castle everyday and it has become "normal" to me. I can understand the accent better than when I first came...Ian even likes to tease me because I say some of my words differently now. I no longer email daily updates to my friends and family back home, but that doesn't mean I don't still think about them. I still think I see someone I know in the streets, only to realize that person is 7500 miles away. I've learned to cook with different types of food, and don't eat read meat often (it has a weird flavor to it). I go to the grocery store at least every other day and am still always out of something. Buying in bulk is not an option. It isn't just about transporting it, but I have no storage space in my tiny little flat.

18 months on, I've learned a simpler way of life. Once I finally do return home, I really do hope I keep some of it. I am sure there is a happy medium out there somewhere. I also know that when I do finally say goodbye to this place, I will be sad. I have made friends and memories here. I have changed and adapted. I have learned a new way of life. 18 months on, I am still glad we decided to come here...