Afternoons and Coffeespoons

This is the name of a great song by the Crash Test Dummies which tells the story of a man who's in the hospital for tests and how he contemplates that in his old age, he hopes to measure time by the number of afternoons and coffee spoons. I was going to listen to it as I type, but funnily enough, I think the CD is in the car (Get it? Crash test dummies are in the car?!?!). Here is a video clip of the song on David Letterman (geez, I miss Letterman) from the mid-90's:



Anyway, my Dad's been in the hospital for double pneumonia this week and I've been thinking about him, obviously. (He's doing better, by the way. :-) Which led me to think about how we spend our Sunday afternoons here.

Craig and I have been making a weekly pilgrimage to a favoUrite pub within walking distance on Sunday afternoons. We go for about an hour and a half, have a pint and a half, talk to one another or read, split a bag of salt and vinegar crisps and walk home with perhaps a stop at the local Co-op (small grocery store) to get something for dinner. It's a good way to connect and the kids are old enough not to need us. Finn and Owen have been coming with us as far as the Bath Rd - our mini High St - where we part for them to do a bit of shopping with their pocket money (last week they bought citrus fruit to juice in our juicer - yes, really) and then they head home together afterward.

Craig and I have been enjoying this "date" and have decided to make it a permanent weekly occurrence for the next few months. So if you are interested, meet us at two at the Jolly Brew. It's on Painswick Rd. Maybe email me too so we can make sure we get the right size table.

We will raise a pint to you, Dad, and your speedy recovery. I couldn't think of a better way. I just wish you'd come over in person before we call it quits with England! (Hint, hint!)

Terminology - The Same Language?

Whilst stumbling my way through Britain, here are some fun words, some interesting differences in words and some sayings I've accumulated:

pay packet = paycheck
dead chuffed or chuffed to bits = extremely happy
gutted = extremely sad or disappointed
presenter = commentator or host of a show
adjudicator = judge (of a contest)
invigilator = test moderator
revise/revision = review/study as in schoolwork
unlucky (pronounced "oon lookee" by my favoUrite football presenter) = unlucky, too bad he missed
cracker = a great shot on goal
biscuit = cookie
savoUry = salty, not sweet
savoUry biscuit = cracker
gone pear shaped = turned for the worse
marmite choice = I'm not sure what this means but it's something like: either you like it or you don't?, an unagreeable choice?
scheme = plan in a good sense, like play scheme is a plan for daycare, bank scheme, recycling scheme
well done = good job
gobsmacked = amazed, incredulous
knackered = exhausted
massive = amazing, awesome and is overused as much as we overuse the words amazing and awesome
flapjack = a dense and buttery oat/granola bar - filling and sinful
winklepickers = men's dress shoes, wing tips
plimsoles = cloth slipper shoes like Vans but cheaper without laces
toughened glass = tempered glass
bespoke = custom made
desperate for the loo = really need to pee
wee = pee
people mover = larger minivan or small bus
van = work truck
lorry = truck
coach = Greyhound bus
motorway = highway
dual carriageway = two-lane road on each side of traffic
adverse camber as opposed to crossfall camber = the road tilts opposite the direction you would expect it to on a turn. I forget what we call this in the US, something banked?

If you can think of anymore, message me via facebook with the US equivalent and I will do another blog once I get a fair amount.

Shrove Tuesday

Tomorrow is known as Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday. I googled 'shrove Tuesday' and read this website which pretty much tells it all so I am not going to reinvent the wheel. One thing I did want to point out is the photo of the pancake on the website. It looks a lot like what we would call a crepe because they are much thinner than what we would describe as a pancake and the Brits do put a bit of lemon juice on it and caster sugar which is like regular sugar that's been put in a food processor and chopped up finer. They are good eatin'. While I have never seen golden syrup added to it because we don't fancy the stuff, I don't dispute the occurrence. I need to explain that golden syrup is like really thick syrup and is light golden, like a cross between corn syrup and molasses and is used in baking recipes as well. It is in no way similar to good ol' American pancake syrup (corn syrup and all) or Maple syrup. As an aside, we discovered they do have molasses here and it is called treacle.
We will definitely be eating fat American pancakes (and American sausage links - YUM!) tomorrow for tea (which is American "dinner"), but in actuality EVERY day is Pancake Day in our house for Owen. On Sunday mornings, Craig traditionally makes gourmet pancakes for whoever wants them and the leftovers are refrigerated for Owen to eat EVERY morning for breakfast. Seriously, he has pancakes every morning. He used to eat what we called "pancake roll-ups" which were commercially available pancake and sausages on a stick that we used to get at base. Unfortunately (that was sarcasm), the new base does not carry them. Owen's healthy heart will thank the base in his adult future.

I also found this other website which I enjoyed for it's definition of 'shrove': "To shrive someone, in old-fashioned English (he shrives, he shrove, he has shriven or he shrives, he shrived, he has shrived) is to hear acknowledgment of one's sins, to assure one of God's forgiveness and to give one appropriate spiritual advice. The term survives today in ordinary usage in the expression 'short shrift'. To give someone short shrift is to pay very little attention to one's excuses or problems. The longer expression is 'to give him short shrift and a long rope', which formerly meant to hang a criminal with a minimum of delay." So get shriving before you are given short shrift, people!

I highly recommend following the above link and just reading it. I especially liked the part about the word "carnival" which leads me into a perfect segue for Mardi Gras. I want to wish everyone a Happy Mardi Gras and laissez les bons temps roulez! I will be having a delicious cuppa Community Coffee (sans King Cake unfortunately) because we have the stuff delivered via post but we will return to New Orleans perhaps next year. Which American friend(s) are game? I can be a really good tour guide...

Loovlee Daffs Three Boonches uh Pohund

OK, so I know I am exaggerating a bit on the accent, but the woman I bought daffodils from, well, I just fell in loove with her accent. She was repeating this over and over to sell her flowers. And I even got a "Ta, luv" ("Thanks, love.") when I paid.
I am always amazed at how cheap flowers are and how many people buy them here. It's so European. I just don't remember flowers being inexpensive nor as many people buying them in the US.

It is so loovlee outside today. There were tons of people out shopping on the High Street and everyone was smiling. It was still absolutely freezing this morning, but it warmed up enough that I actually broke into a glisten upon my walk back home because I missed the bus. For once I didn't mind missing the bus because I had my trusty granny trolley. And did I mention it is gorgeous outside?
These were spotted on the way to the High St in Sandford Park.

And just to make you all laugh, here are two photos of the packaging on a Domino's chicken strips/potato wedges combo box. Do you all have these in America with the same pictures?

Keep Calm and Carry On

My head hurts and swims right now.
My body is tired and panicked simultaneously.
We had our pre-PCS briefing today.
There is so much to do between now and 11 July.
I am so thankful for the HR team right now for organizing my to-do list.

Weird

Today a friend and I were talking about Cheryl Cole who will be on the new American X Factor and her Newcastle accent and how hard it is to understand. Then there was a story about the exact same thing in the BBC news online.

Tonight I painted my nails with what is called "nail varnish" which is not something I do regularly and I looked at the Yahoo! home page and guess what was trending? Nail varnish!

I bought tickets to West Side Story and no lie, I Feel Pretty came on the radio when I went to get Finn from his after school club today. On the regular radio, not like a classic Broadway songs station.

Coincidence or fact? You decide.

Worth the Wait

Today I went to a National Trust property called Tyntesfield. For as long as we've been here, this place has been under some major renovation whilst still open to the public. For this reason, I never opted to go because I wasn't really interested in seeing scaffolding all over the exterior and the contents of the house in piles or under sheets. Well, this year, they have taken the scaffolding down and most of the house is uncovered and I am so glad I waited!!! W.O.W! Today was the grand opening day and the car park was packed. I later learned that yes, there were a lot of people viewing the house, but many of the cars were volunteers and paid workers who were still working on areas of the house. This place keeps many Britons employed - from gardeners to tea room workers to technical workers (electricians, plumbers and so forth). It was also nice to see apprentices alongside the professionals to ensure the upkeep of the house and the professions as well.

Tyntesfield was the home of the Gibbs family since 1843. The original part of the house is Gothic, but Antony Gibbs and his family improved and extended the house so it is considered Victorian overall. Antony Gibbs dealt in shipping and his sons, William and George, added to his fortune by primarily importing bat guano from Peru. The last inhabitant of the house was one of the brother's (William's) great-grandson, George "Richard" Lawley Gibbs, the second Baron of Wraxhall, who died in 2001 without an heir and the house was acquired by the National Trust. The third Baron of Wraxhall (Richard's brother), Sir Eustace Hubert Beilbey Gibbs, is a diplomat, and no doubt a very rich one at that after selling this place to the NT.

The house is exceptional. There has been a great kerfuffle over the NT's management and the amount of money poured into the house's restoration, but you know what? It was worth it! If you enjoy olde estates, do not miss this one. It's about an hour's drive away just south of Bristol and well-signed from exit 19 off of the M5.

This is a smattering of the exquisite wood carving throughout the house. Flash photography was not allowed and the interior was quite dim so my woodwork photos had to be scrapped.
I think this is the fourth narwhal tusk I've seen in olde homes. They must've been in fashion. At least they weren't trying to pass it off as a unicorn horn like in Vienna.
The light fixtures were incredible - every single one.
The tile and glass were also incredible.
The Victorians sure loved their fish! Craig and I were in an antique shoppe with many Victorian light fixtures for sale which incorporated metal fish.
Interesting window for a chapel
Tenax propositi translates as "firm/steadfast of purpose". I did learn the difference between the terms "chapel" and "church". One can own a chapel but not a church.
This is the boys' room, complete with stuffed moose. It also contained a gigantic billiard table that was heated so the felt would not be damp and hinder the ball momentum (faw-faw-faw) and it also somehow electronically scored the points at a touch of a button. Amazingly posh and high-tech for 1900, eh? The table was covered or I would have had a photo.
Lots of books in the boys' room including the boys' bible, Hawker on Shooting
Then off to the servants' area - the kitchen
the larderHow would you like to empty that many chamber pots and washbasins?
And the bazillion servants' bells - gaaah!
This isn't even half of them...
The ballroom
This dining room wallpaper was jaw-dropping gorgeous. It was hand-painted on textured wallpaper (I could see the paint strokes) to look like hand-tooled Cordovan leather. I wish the photo was better. It was so awesome.
Off to the chapel which is not a church...
The back of the house which was actually the entrance
Gazebo in the rose garden which is probably so beautiful when in bloom
The tea room and shop were in the stables which incorporated the animal stalls into the whole atmosphere. Very clever that people could eat like pigs and leave their trash for someone else to muck out of a pig's stall!
What a day!