Wordless Wednesday =/ Phone Dump on Hump Day

I'm sorry. I can't help myself. I'm going to have a ton of photos (of course that's exaggerated!) and some require some explanation.

First attempt at making homemade bangers and mash. The sausage was FRESH! I mean, made at 3pm and bought at 5pm fresh! I heart. But that treacly looking stuff on the taters. (shudder)

Something to be excited about

A friend and I are taking the train one month from now to go watch a wedding procession in London.

 We're going to go see these two ride up and walk into Westminster Abbey. Maybe even watch them come out too. Aren't they cute? Too bad about that hat.  I've got a poll up so make the decision for me what we do that day.

I was thinking I'd go full-out, tailgating style somewhere along the procession route. Folding lawn chairs. A cooler filled with hotdogs and beer for me, peanut butter and honey and Merlot for my friend. A portable radio, blaring pre-game analysis from Joan Rivers. She'd definitely bring something unique and special to this happy occasion. Doubt she's invited though. I'm not either, so it's okay Joan.

Fun Video Friday

Even manatees have to fart.

So many great people have features. I think I'll have one too.  Like minds think great.

They get gawked at at home, why not here too?

I love going to the market square on Saturdays. Where else can you get whiskey flavored fudge, 7 donuts made right in front of you for £1, and hear a couple of buskers perform an acoustic version of Ke$ha's TiK ToK?  Those boys rocked that song without AutoTune. It was a nice thing to chuckle about...THEY WERE SO EARNEST! If I'd had spare change, I'd've given it to them. Le sigh.

But I don't go to the market square to just buy stuff; I go because it's something to do on a Saturday and it's usually free or cheap entertainment. Because the entertainment comes in the form of the locals...

We went for a walk, again.

such a rock star. Just beyond her is a steep decline in the hill. 

Playing poohsticks.

2.31 miles. Around 59º F. Slight breeze. Intermittent cloud, intermittent sun. Hills and valleys. Horses, dogs, poop. Graveled paths. Moss covered trees. Perfect day to go for an explore.

About frickin' time is what I'm saying.

TIL about the Six Nations

Source. The logo kinda looks like a weird reddit alien/Spidey combo.

DISCLAIMER: I'm in no way an expert of anything. Most of the time, the things I write about, I write with the hope that someone can steer me correctly or refute what I have to say. That's how I learn best, I think. I try to relate what I encounter to what I already know, thus drawing conclusions by way of identifying parallels in life. You probably do the same.

Yes Alice, I might to exploit with you.

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

The NY Times is awesome

If you click on this sentence, you will be amazed.

No. This is not spam. Nor is it porn. It's interactive before and after satellite photos of Japan. Thanks SJ!

And if you were one of those people on Facebook who posted that these recent events, the earthquake and tsunami, were payback for Pearl Harbor or was wrath of God due to the onset of Lent or WHATEVER, unfollow me right now and go sell your crazy somewhere else. Don't need your kind here.

Everyone else, I love you realhard still.

EDIT: 1:14 pm 3/16/11

Source: derived from reddit. Click the link below to see original.

A Japanese home adrift in the Pacific Ocean, photographed by U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Dylan McCord. [PIC

Geordie Phrase of the Day vol. 1

Yay, for me. Yay for you too if you need that sort of affirmation. I had my first full shift and there's nothing to tell other than I had a bit of an ache in my back when I finished. Anyone who has ever worked in a mall, selling whatever, knows what I'm on about. Selling nuts and assorted sundries, none of it I can eat or that I should eat (see stage right). Yay for job! I'm as excited as I can be. Really. It's going to get me out of the house! I appreciate all your happies for me. That means a lot.

The non-alcoholic ginger beer/wine was opened for sampling. I expected something similar to ginger ale. I was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Oh how wrong.

 

Supposedly it is a traditional beverage around the holidays as well as a nausea inhibitor...travel sickness, morning sickness. A winter warmer, so to speak. So, where's the antidote to this stuff? What do I drink to get rid of the nausea it itself induced? Oh how I long for a rootbeer. I can get a sarsaparilla or a cream soda...but no rootbeer. No rootbeer float for that matter. What did I learn today? The Dickensian recipe is not my thing, but yogurt covered raisins are okay.

In the course of the day, I picked up a couple of phrases I'd not heard yet:

1) "Flying around like a blue assed fly" and 2) "...having a right bad fettle."

Phrase one: US equivalent: running around like a chicken with it's head chopped off. (That got a small laugh.)

Phrase two: US equivalent: in a bad mood.

Also, the use of the plural pronoun "us" as a self-referencing pronoun. For example:

Friend: You coming out with us this Saturday?

Me: Who all is going?

Friend: Just me so far.

Here's another:

Friend: Och, he doesn't like us today very much.

Me: You and who else?

Friend: No, just me.

I get the impression that this is a language tic that is localized to areas north of the River Tyne.

Daylight savings won't happen here for another two weeks. The clock on my laptop had been the last bastion of my holding out against complete adjustment to life here. Upon arrival and unpacking, I didn't change it to the time I was geographically located in. It was just easier for me to remember home is six hours behind if it (the time) was staring at me from the little box in the lower right hand corner. A little bit of home here that took up neither shelf, floor, or drawer space. I'd look at that digital number representation and see that at 3pm here it'd be 9 am there. It was strangely comforting. It also (just a tiny bit) annoyed my husband. 

Small victories from minor skirmishes wins the war, people!

But since six hours is no longer the difference, due to the dastardly Daylight Savings Time Change, I've surrendered to the inevitable. I must do as the 'Romans' do as converting five hours is too much math for me. Can't be bothered. And since I've no clock hanging on the walls (ours broke during shipping, GAH!) and my phone is not always within reach, I should have the correct time at a glance, ness pah?

Although, in all likelihood (because of my natural prickliness and contrariness) I'll change it back to CST when we have our own time change here. Hey, if I've got to manually make the change, why not put it back to it's original factory settings?

Daunting cycle, innit?

Triangle of Life

What are your thoughts on the "triangle of life" theory?  The first few links from a Google search dismiss it for shoddy and irrelevant research. Not to mention the unlikelihood of earthquake victims making it to the pre-designated zone when a perfectly good desk or doorway is nearby.

The Mean Award

SHAZAAMBOOIE!  Rachel @ The Mean Girl Diaries is great! She made this just for me. I like the phrase, 'some blogs are just better.' Haha Caleb! NYAH NYAH NYAH. She gave it to me first and not you! Oh, um, Caleb doesn't follow me. Ah well. Sest layvee. Can someone tell him about this?

Imma be ordered to share three things with you that I love via vlog. As always, here's my twist...

11 British gifts that wouldn't go over so well in the US

1. Tea Cozy

Most Americans would think it's a beanie.

2. Loose leaf tea/Individual tea packet assortments

Sure I'm sitting here drinking some hot tea, but I can't get an iced tea in the restaurants at any price. I loved getting tea for Christmas, but I'm here. I think someone once upon a time gave me assorted tea in OK and it stayed in the cupboard for several years. No joke, it did happen. Having an electric kettle has definitely influenced my drinking.

They're cutting people in half here!

http://census-campaign.org.uk/

And you can 'like' it on Facebook.

I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of our census. Last I heard, it is 46 pages long. Shazaambooie!

National Crown Roast of Pork Day

Well, if you say so, I guess it is.   Yesterday, we were successful! We made it to the MetroCentre! Last time we went, the three of us, it didn't go well. That particular trip at the time saw us shopping for a couch (IKEA, SCS) and all three of us had tantrums by three-thirty. So, we never made it to the mall proper that time.

Sat across the aisle from four Americans who were heading out to tour Hadrian's Wall. Just sat and listened to them, no interaction was necessary or wanted.

I'm going to hell because of the WWF.

There's been a plethora of door-to-door saleshawkers in recent weeks. They keep trying to get money from me that doesn't exist. Any money I have for expendable, luxury items is going to be spent on nuts and licorice allsorts (still on sale!)  I think I've opened the door of my HP-esque semi-detached more this past month here than I did at the old place.

Today, I opened the door with dirty hair, unbrushed teeth, and long hair on me two legs. I hadn't gotten out of my t-shirt and grey capri-pants pj's yet. Nevertheless, it could have been something important and of course, if that's the case...and I convince myself that it is, I answer. Hygiene and beauty be damned. I already got a man.

How do you say....?

I follow this great gal, Mallori's blog, aiukli. She featured me on her blog this past Tuesday (Thanks! Love you!) and she had partaken in a challenge (Regional Dialect Vlog) where you read from a list of words and answer a few selected questions.


Another example of viral internet going around. 


Now, because of the nature of the "challenge", um, I'd have to do another video log. This is great! But I do assure you that I am not going to overload you with videos of me. Srsly, who would want that?  But because I've made such a big deal about my Dolly Parton accent (or lack thereof) I wanted in on this when it was all hotness and not hotmess

I'm so chuffed!

This is way cool! I didn't think it'd be this soon; I figured it'd be in August when it was my turn.
Thanks for stopping by. And to the new followers, I will come see all y'all in the morning so I can get to know ya. It's nighttime here, you see.

As promised.

I thought I might have some fun with this particular post. Having never done vlogging, how'd I do on my first try?

Canadians: It's aboot 12 minutes long. Don't feel like you have to watch it; I don't want to eat up your allotted bandwidth.