Well the epic journey is over. A taxi, two buses, a ruthless check-in desk agent, dozens of security checks, two planes and three airports, and a terminal mixup later, we're in California. I can see the clear blue sky shining through between the redwoods and other trees outside my bedroom window as I type this.
So, we made it.
Maybe I'll chronicle the journey later today. Or maybe I'll just let it fade from memory and be glad that both of us are here at last.
Tuesday 12 May 2009
Thursday 7 May 2009
Journey to Essex
Safely arrived in Chelmsford. The train journey with five suitcases, one giant hiking backpack, two normal backpacks, a handbag and a grocery bag with the cab ride (a normal car cab, not a good large black cab mind you) to Queen St, then two changes of trains, first in Edinburgh and then in Peterburgh before finally arriving in Chelmsford, the only one of the four stations not to have baggage carts available, then downstairs and around the corner to another taxi. I have to say though, the ramps and bridges at Peterburgh proved worse than the cart-less Chelmsford since Chelmsford had a lift. Anyway, all of that while ill. And some minor adventures besides. (They put our luggage in the front car and locked it in and forgot about it and the train almost left Peterburgh with us still frantically knocking and waiving our arms...)
All that considered, is it any wonder I took yesterday off to just read and drink fluids. We ventured as far as the grocery store and got me some chicken soup and other food. Anyway, I'm feeling much better today.
Now we're desperately paring down weight and planning travel to Heathrow and trying to meet with friends in the London area and basically working madly again. I'd love to be able to utter (or, rather, type) some witty or profound remarks about this whole process about now, but I guess I'm not that recovered. You'll have to wait and hope for next time.
All that considered, is it any wonder I took yesterday off to just read and drink fluids. We ventured as far as the grocery store and got me some chicken soup and other food. Anyway, I'm feeling much better today.
Now we're desperately paring down weight and planning travel to Heathrow and trying to meet with friends in the London area and basically working madly again. I'd love to be able to utter (or, rather, type) some witty or profound remarks about this whole process about now, but I guess I'm not that recovered. You'll have to wait and hope for next time.
Monday 4 May 2009
Feverishly Packing
"Working feverishly" takes on a rather different tone when you're feverishly packing not only because you're racing against a deadline to move out, but also because you literally have a fever. Ok, so it's not much of a fever, but I mean seriously, who needs a sore throat and hot and cold swings and trembling exhaustion when you're trying to pack for an international move? Don't worry, it's just a nasty cold. I'm sure if I had the luxury of "lots of rest and fluids" I'd be doing better already. Instead I get to be a plague rat and spread it to everyone on the train tomorrow. My apologies in advance to the faceless strangers I'll encounter tomorrow!
I'm so looking forward to tomorrow. We're over our weight limits on the suitcases, and we're at the maximum number of suitcases, which doesn't matter tomorrow because we'll be on trains not planes. But the only thing more fun than packing and scrubbing and cleaning with a cold has to be wrestling three suitcases and a backpack each on and off a succession of a taxi, three trains, and then likely another taxi because I don't imagine I'll be in much more shape to face a bus at the end of this journey as at the start of it. We'll have to spend some of our time in England re-juggling stuff in suitcases and then either book and pay for and acquire an extra bag (Oooh, so one of us can have 4 bags and a backpack, doesn't that sound like fun?) or, more likely, send a last box through the post. If we'd been a little more ahead, and I'd been a little less sick and slow, we could have done that at this end, though the bank holiday didn't simplify things any.
Sorry if this post contains more than the average level of whinging (is that how you spell that? To whinge...). Clearly I should give this up, pack the laptop and go catch some sleep.
In fact, I'll go do that now...
I'm so looking forward to tomorrow. We're over our weight limits on the suitcases, and we're at the maximum number of suitcases, which doesn't matter tomorrow because we'll be on trains not planes. But the only thing more fun than packing and scrubbing and cleaning with a cold has to be wrestling three suitcases and a backpack each on and off a succession of a taxi, three trains, and then likely another taxi because I don't imagine I'll be in much more shape to face a bus at the end of this journey as at the start of it. We'll have to spend some of our time in England re-juggling stuff in suitcases and then either book and pay for and acquire an extra bag (Oooh, so one of us can have 4 bags and a backpack, doesn't that sound like fun?) or, more likely, send a last box through the post. If we'd been a little more ahead, and I'd been a little less sick and slow, we could have done that at this end, though the bank holiday didn't simplify things any.
Sorry if this post contains more than the average level of whinging (is that how you spell that? To whinge...). Clearly I should give this up, pack the laptop and go catch some sleep.
In fact, I'll go do that now...
Sunday 3 May 2009
Bedlam and Gaming and More Goodbyes
Last night was awesome fun. Three floors of party just for us! Ok, so most of the people there didn't know it was just for us...but who asked them? What's that you say? GUGathons and Bedlam both happen quite regularly? I don't know what you mean.
In case you were wondering, GUGathons are a period of all night gaming in the QM. Technically it only just ended half an hour ago, at noon, but most of the hard core people go home around 7-9am I understand. It's been an age since I lasted nearly that long, so I wouldn't know. However we did make it to the lock-in stage where no one else could come into the QM anymore (3am, we left at 3:30). Neither of us found a role playing game to join in (there being only 3 and 2 of those already filled when we got there) but that was just as well in this case because it meant we could chat and say our goodbyes and whatnot around board games. And it gave me the freedom to head down to Bedlam.
Bedlam is something the QM's been doing for years once a month on a Saturday, though I didn't know about it till a couple years ago. The first floor gets turned into a clubbing atmosphere--not unusual--and the choice of music is goth, industrial and alternative (with a spattering of other loud, hard subgenres). It's awesome! I've never known that music scene (or any music scene) well. One of my 22-yr-old friends was complaining that she was getting old, the music not making sense any more! Well, it's never been a clear picture to me, but however the bands and subgenres and the rest have changed in the eight years since my first exposure (I think we were talking alternative and metal then? And punk perhaps?). So it didn't bother me in the least that there were only two songs the whole night I could lip sync all the lyrics too and one of those a heavier rock cover of "Sweet Dreams."
The other song I could sing along to was a Rammstein song. It was a little surreal dancing for the first time to something that I wrote much of my master's thesis to. I'd chosen Rammstein for writing music because it was high-energy but the lyrics are all in German so I wasn't particularly tempted to think about the lyrics instead of what I was supposed to be writing. But when you listed to something that many times, you're bound to learn the lyrics even if they're in German. Just don't ask what they mean. No really, trust me on this one.
Back to the topic of covers, I think a hard rock/metal/whatever cover of Bedlam Boys would be hysterical and awesome and would get played at every Bedlam. So, any takers?
In case you were wondering, GUGathons are a period of all night gaming in the QM. Technically it only just ended half an hour ago, at noon, but most of the hard core people go home around 7-9am I understand. It's been an age since I lasted nearly that long, so I wouldn't know. However we did make it to the lock-in stage where no one else could come into the QM anymore (3am, we left at 3:30). Neither of us found a role playing game to join in (there being only 3 and 2 of those already filled when we got there) but that was just as well in this case because it meant we could chat and say our goodbyes and whatnot around board games. And it gave me the freedom to head down to Bedlam.
Bedlam is something the QM's been doing for years once a month on a Saturday, though I didn't know about it till a couple years ago. The first floor gets turned into a clubbing atmosphere--not unusual--and the choice of music is goth, industrial and alternative (with a spattering of other loud, hard subgenres). It's awesome! I've never known that music scene (or any music scene) well. One of my 22-yr-old friends was complaining that she was getting old, the music not making sense any more! Well, it's never been a clear picture to me, but however the bands and subgenres and the rest have changed in the eight years since my first exposure (I think we were talking alternative and metal then? And punk perhaps?). So it didn't bother me in the least that there were only two songs the whole night I could lip sync all the lyrics too and one of those a heavier rock cover of "Sweet Dreams."
The other song I could sing along to was a Rammstein song. It was a little surreal dancing for the first time to something that I wrote much of my master's thesis to. I'd chosen Rammstein for writing music because it was high-energy but the lyrics are all in German so I wasn't particularly tempted to think about the lyrics instead of what I was supposed to be writing. But when you listed to something that many times, you're bound to learn the lyrics even if they're in German. Just don't ask what they mean. No really, trust me on this one.
Back to the topic of covers, I think a hard rock/metal/whatever cover of Bedlam Boys would be hysterical and awesome and would get played at every Bedlam. So, any takers?
Saturday 2 May 2009
Transatlantic Moving Preparations Continue
The madness of moving is in full swing. We boxed up most of our stuff last weekend and shipped it away. The place still feels distressingly full though. Most of what is left won't be coming with us: furniture, dishes, lamps, even tools and some of of the electronics. It's a bit of a wrench leaving so much stuff, but it's definitely the practical decision given the rather astronomical costs of shipping (plus the limited space we'll be moving into).
Last night was the first of two leaving parties, the more party-like of the two I think. It was very odd and rather fun having so many worlds collide: friends from Ron's work, GUGS, Madrigirls, and archaeology fun all in one pub together. The only major unrepresented group was church. We started at the Wetherspoons in town across from the dark tower of despair, also known as Ron's former work. Later we migrated to Coopers in the West End. Both are better than most at being able to hold conversations...but the standard isn't very high after all. I think we were all going a little hoarse by the end of the evening from talking so loudly over the music and general clamor.
Tonight we're posting ourselves in the QM to say our goodbyes on one floor or another: the bar, the dance floor for Bedlam, or the all night roleplaying GUGathon being the three choices tonight. Should be good fun. What a party thrown in our honor! ;)
Despite the constant goodbyes over the last couple weeks, the whole process remains rather surreal. That is probably for the best or I'd be weeping more. By the time we're in California, I'll be very excited to be there. But for now, farewells surround me. And Glasgow has been such a part of my life for so long now...
Last night was the first of two leaving parties, the more party-like of the two I think. It was very odd and rather fun having so many worlds collide: friends from Ron's work, GUGS, Madrigirls, and archaeology fun all in one pub together. The only major unrepresented group was church. We started at the Wetherspoons in town across from the dark tower of despair, also known as Ron's former work. Later we migrated to Coopers in the West End. Both are better than most at being able to hold conversations...but the standard isn't very high after all. I think we were all going a little hoarse by the end of the evening from talking so loudly over the music and general clamor.
Tonight we're posting ourselves in the QM to say our goodbyes on one floor or another: the bar, the dance floor for Bedlam, or the all night roleplaying GUGathon being the three choices tonight. Should be good fun. What a party thrown in our honor! ;)
Despite the constant goodbyes over the last couple weeks, the whole process remains rather surreal. That is probably for the best or I'd be weeping more. By the time we're in California, I'll be very excited to be there. But for now, farewells surround me. And Glasgow has been such a part of my life for so long now...
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