Last Day in the Hotel (yay!)

Mood: Tired
Theme Song: "Movin On Up" - Ja'net DuBois (Theme from "The Jeffersons")

Tonight is my last night in the hotel - I cannot express how pleased I will be to unpack my suitcases and boxes. I remember thinking that living in hotel would be so exciting and glamourous. I think that even if I were in a 5-star penthouse suite, I would still get sick of it. Yes, there's fresh towels and amenities every day but there's no sense of permanence or ownership.

I spent yesterday miserably sick. It must have been a 24-hour virus because I feel sort of okay today, but yesterday was bad news. I won't gross anyone out with the details - I just hope I never have to go through that again. My whole body ached and there were shooting pains all through my stomach. In talking to the hotel staff, it seems a bug of that sort has been making its way around the staff. So I'm sure I picked it up since I have been practically living at the hotel.

My coworkers are awesome. They all knew I was not feeling well and so they moved all my boxes down to the reception area so it would be easy for the movers to transport. Jenny went to Comet and picked up my TV and washer/dryer so that I wouldn't have to wait 2 weeks for delivery, and Emma drove me to and from the flat today since they knew I was feeling all wonky and am confused by British roads.

The end result? All my boxes are in my flat!!! :) I am going to unpack tomorrow and then go to the various stores to get groceries and other things - like lamps, bath mats, etc. I cannot wait to get settled in.

I learned quite a bit today about British driving laws.  It seems that Brits have to pay what is called a "car tax" every 6-12 months. Upon payment, they get a round sticker that they put on their windshield. They also have to get MOTs done - unlike our emissions tests, which can be perfunctory at best, this test goes over the functionality of the car. Do the wipers work, do the seatbelts work, are the tyres bald, etc. I told Emma that if we had MOTs in the U.S., half the cars would not be on the road. Seriously! How many times have you seen a car held together with duct tape, plastic, what looks like a jump rope - all kinds of stuff! But apparently in the UK, if your car isn't up to snuff, you're not driving it. Period.

I'm doing much better in my driving. I only made one mistake today. I went to the cash point (ATM) to get money for the movers and when I was turning out of the parking lot, I almost turned left into the right-hand lane. Luckily I caught myself and stopped, reversed and went in the left hand lane. The people at the stoplight behind me were cracking up. I might as well have had a big sign on my head that said "American!!!"

I have two new favorite UK TV shows - 1) Countdown and 2) Eggheads. Both are game shows, but they deal with trivia and wordplay. I don't know how to explain it exactly, so I suggest you Google them if curious. Countdown is especially awesome - and hard.  And of course, I'm continuously addicted to Celebrity Big Brother. The highlight of my night last night was when Stephen Baldwin got Alex to pledge his soul to Jesus. Nothing against the Lord at all - but the whole thing just was soooo cheesy. And reminded me while I don't like super evangelical people. Or really anyone who pushes their beliefs/religion/whatever on others.  Can't wait to see who gets voted off tonight - I am really hoping for Katia, personally.

Oh, and I learned that grilled cheese is called a "cheese toastie". They don't really understand grilled cheese. Which is hilarious. I had to explain - take some toast, melt some cheese, put some toast on top. Funniest conversations ever.  But I did get grilled cheese and tomato soup. Nothing like American - but closer than chili con carne!!!