Friday night Report
E: We have just drunk some wine (2 bottles) and I have creamed Stephen at Monopoly...again...

S: Actually, it's 3 bottles and I won't tell everyone how many typos you just corrected while typing those 2 puny sentences!

E: uh, that's because I didn't have to korrekt any! And We're celebratting--

S: Your illiteracy?

E: no! We're drinking a "toast" to the fact that I've got a 2 weeks vacation! I am thrilled. The opposite of distressed is what I am feeling at this juncture in time.

S: And what are you feeling at this juncture in time?

E: drunk. No, tipsy...no I feel exuberant!!!

S: uh huh...

E: Anyway, I still beat you in Monopoly, --

S: a) I let you win.
b) No you didn't
c) I6t-

E: When I put up hotels on all the yellow spaces, you didn't have a hope ibhee,ki--

S: IT WAS LUCK!!!!!!

E: No, strategy my dear hastings, strategy. I had you by all the worthless properties on auction, while I saved up money to build up my properites. Even though you had Park Lane and Mayfair, it did you no good, because you hadn't saved up enough.

S: Um... Want to watch Fawlty towers now?

E: Yes.

Shopping for food
Things are all in order with our new digs. Absolutely at last. The biggest adjustment for me so far has to do with a less-than-modren Sainsbury's that has marked-up prices to take advantage of all the shoppers at the Woking malls vs. our old ultra-modern Tesco's with it's criminally cheap food and wide aisles catering to crotchety, snobby rich people. This morning I also get to try out the farmer's market as I stock up on fruit & veggies as E and I prepare (Quorn)bangers & mash for dinner. England is getting to us!

On the really, really, really good side, Elisabeth has only a few hours of work left until she starts her two week holiday. Hooray.

Albums of the moment:
Chemical Brothers - Come with us
Kraftwerk - Tour de France soundtracks
White Stripes - Elephant

S.

Wednesday Evening
Yummy. I have just finished eating a delicious burrito dinner that Stephen had waiting for me when I came home. It has been raining and chilly, and I am only wearing a t-shirt and short pants. I could see my breath while I walked. Crazy eh?

Only two more working days until I have a VACATION!!! Two weeks off, two beautiful weeks. I will use this time to regain my health, catch up on sleep, start decorating the apartment, chill out in a Woking cafe, reading...wow so much to do!

I am thinking about trying out for the Woking Female Football Club, on 16 July. I'm not really in shape, and I have a bad back, but if I can discipline myself enough to get in shape in time for the try-outs, it could be a fabulous way to meet people and keep the body-fat in check.

My only problem is that my cleats (good Lanzeras) are in Montreal, and the practice field is no where near the town centre, and I'm not sure how I will get there. But determination is key. I want be a big Bertha and knock over everyone who gets in my way. Yay!

Ok. We're gonig to play Monopoly (thank you Sean!). No more rambling.

E.

All wrapped up
Well, Englefield Green's all wrapped up and we're now officially moved. I've also turned in the car in pretty much the same condition as I got it and am working at overcoming the case of tourette's it inflicted on me over the past weekend.

Nothing very much is going on - I'm trying to get used to the new shopping center now that we don't have a modern one with all the fancy foods we like to eat. Oh yes, and there's cleaning to do. Always the cleaning...

S.

Looking for a new Don Benis
To celebrate our first real day in Woking, we've been looking for a replacement Don Benis - Our first try, a chi-chi little Italian restaurant named L'aroma (Get it - 'La Roma'???) was not a bad start. Delicious pizza, risotto, salad ... a fine house red but alas, the coffee was not up to snuff. 4 stars out of 5.

S.

PS - Added some photos of new members to The Order of the Reindeer.

My First Blog
I strongly recommend the blog. It is most enjoyable to simply create a new entry without having to ask your husband to do it for you : )

So here I am sitting in our new home, looking through the big window which produces a view of more purpose-built housing and parking lots. To my left, if I lean over the table, I can see the train tracks, on which trains are zoooming by. It's not too noisy, and also gives one the sense of being connected to hundreds of people who are going places at high speeds.

Speaking of high speeds, Stephen drove for the first time in England this past weekend. We borrowed the company Volvo station wagon (it sounds like a motorcycle and drives like an inflatable castle) to move our furntiure etc... Despite my shrieks and nervous cries that he is going to hit the curb, a car, or a bicyclist almost every other second, he is actually quite a skillfull (if reckless with the breaks) driver.

Well that's an essay from me. I will retire now to my sitting room, where I shall drink tea and read the Sunday paper. My my, quite the life we lead...

E.

Moved out once and for all
We are now officially out of 3 Englefield Close - Tomorrow I'll turn in the keys and that's it. Horay! And only two arguments between Elisabeth and I - the first about vaccuum bags and the other about the degree to which our old home should be clean. ... Grilled cheese & tomato sandwiches and more cleaning at 31 Dorchester Court.

S.

A New Look for a New Year
Hi all, Elisabeth and I have successfully moved to Woking and are going to be re-doing our web site over the next few days so if some things are not working properly please bear with us.

Hopefully this will make the site more interactive since you can all leave messages after each update and we won't have to rely on the guest book that no one signs anyway. Hopefully Elisabeth will also type some posts.

Anyway, we've just got to go back to Egham today and then give this place a thorough once over. I've so far managed to drive relatively successfully in the UK and things have been smooth so far.

S.