Moving Day

One area where the UK whips the US is in promptness. When someone makes an appointment for 9am, they usually get there about 15 minutes early. When my stuff arrived here last year, I was told 10am and it got here at 9:30. When the repairman says 1pm, he usually means about 12:55. So today when the movers told me 9am, I knew I better allow an extra half hour, and sure enough the knocked on the door at 8:40. In America, when Comcast says they'll be there between 1 and 5, they are still usually late.

So the packers just put the guitar away are just about done. I was told that in England, the best way to speed up the process was to offer them tea. They definitely appreciated it and are working at a furious pace.

Tomorrow at 9am I hand in the keys and take my luggage and laptop to me new double room in Uxbridge. It's gonna be quite a change going from 3 bedrooms down to 1 with a shared living and dining area. But the price is right and so is the commute. So, farewell 39 Edith Rd. Thanks for the good times and memories, but not so much the lame neighbors who complained about laundry after 10:00pm and shoes in the kitchen too early. They suck.

Quick Update

So today is my third-to-last night in the W14. My lease expires Friday and I decided not to renew in favor of cheaper and more convenient digs. And by cheaper I mean a quarter of the rent, and by convenient I mean to work. I am still waiting to get official word on when my last day is, either February 22 or March 28. Either way, the new place is flexible and cuts my commute from an hour to 12 minutes each way. The only down side is I will have some roommates, but they seem nice and responsible. And did I mention I'll be paying a quarter of the rent and the tube-free commute will only be a fifth compared to my current place? Let me just run some quick cost-benefit analysis, and yep, it's better. In fact, the never having to rely on the tube might be worth it alone.

So the movers come Thursday to send my 78 cubic feet of goods back to America, and Friday I take my 2 suit cases plus laptop bag up to the UB8 for the duration of my time here in England. More reflective thoughts to come, I'm sure, as I wind down here and start thinking about repatriation.

Yes - We - Did

There's something slightly lame about watching the U.S. Presidential inauguration on BBC. Especially when it's online and the live feed keeps having to buffer. But at least I got to watch, even if it was from a packed conference room on the 3rd floor listening to some English bastard claim "My Country 'Tis of Thee" is our national anthem.

I found the ceremony to be just alright (that pastor dude's 10 minute speech lasted about 9 minutes too long and the stumble during the oath was slightly humorous), but man I felt a swell of pride at seeing all those folks on the mall. I lived in DC for 2 years before coming here and never could I imagine people from all over the country packing that tiny little space to see a man. Most on a TV screen no less.

A truly great time to be American, and a truly poor time to not be in America.

Gross

Today on my way home there was a Q-tip stuck to the seat. The back of the seat. Normally gravity does not allow such things. These people gross me out.

Wow, That Was Close

In case you've been in a coma for the past 6 months, or if you only read at a third grade level, the world's financial systems are on the verge of total and utter collapse. I actually heard one guy say he was moving his family to Zimbabwe. And as I learn to count better with negative numbers, I am reminded of when I first arrived here. I spent a few weeks looking for a place to live, spending all my free time surfing craigslist and exploring different neighborhoods. When I finally broke down and enlisted a Realtor, I was getting bombarded by them. Literally one e-mail created a crap storm of phone calls. On one particular call, the lady asked me that fateful question: "Are you interested in buying?"

Sadly, I made the mistake of actually entertaining this idea for about 6 seconds. She pestered and pestered me, and my crap storm of phone calls turned into class 5 shit twister (I almost had to call Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton). But then I started doing the math. This was mid-April, and the best case for finding a place is about a week. Factor in an aggressive 4 week closing period, and add on an extra 2 months before the first payment is due, and I pretty much was looking at having to sell it before I even made a payment. And what would I do with a house in a foreign country after I was gone? It would be a nightmare trying to manage or sell it so far away.

Needless to say, I decided to pass. And today when I read that UK home prices had fallen 16% in 2008, and experts are predicting an even worse downturn in 2009, I nearly cried. Tears of joy. I mean, even if I did manage to sell before I leave, the Pound is down 25% as well. Talk about a Chuck Norris 1-2 kick to the crotch.

The moral of this story is: I am awesome.

Happy New Year

So, I am back in the UK, and couldn't be less thrilled about it. My two and a half weeks of vacation were awesome and helped solidify how much I love home. Plus it's like 6 degrees here right now, and I just left 50 degree weather, so that's not helping. And I am somewhat upset that United put me second on the upgrade list and there was only 1 business seat left. I was really hoping the guy ahead of me missed his connection or stubbed his toe so hard that he couldn't walk, but no luck.

As a bonus, upon my arrival I learned that TFL has made a resolution to continue to screw over their customers in 2009 by raising their fares. An off-peak journey on the tube (before 7am and after 7pm) now costs 1.10. That extra 10p better make my travel time more consistent and less delayed. Or at least cleaning the seat cushions once a year.