Friday, November 26, 2010

Trapped in a Flying Tube

First, to answer Claudia's question, the reason why our trip was so convoluted was because I wanted to fly Air New Zealand (because they're totally awesome, that's why!), and they only fly into Heathrow and LAX.  Hence why we had to get to Heathrow, and from LAX.  And because we don't have a car (or friends) to get to the train station, we had to take a bus, and because Huddersfield doesn't have direct trains to King's Cross, we had to change at Leeds.  And though Heathrow has a tube station (3, actually), it doesn't have a train station (enh, the tube is the same basic thing).  On the US side, you can get direct flights between Eugene and LAX, but I hate those airlines, and most flights make you go to Portland or Seattle first anyway, so we took Southwest (who is also totally awesome) to PDX and begged Mom and Dad to pick us up--and stop at a German restaurant that Adam (and I) really love on the way down.

As for the actual travelling, it was fine.  Boring and long, but fine.  Loads of legroom on the Air New Zealand flight, seats that reclined way back, and better still, we were in the very back row on the side, so only two seats--window and aisle--for us, and no one behind us, which was glorious.  The food was better than it was when I flew out, and the wine was, too (free).  The only problems we had was a slow check-in process, which wasn't that big of a deal other than people in line were whining about it, and we did leave nearly two hours late.  However, we landed only 40 minutes late.  The problem after that was basically Adam's and mine, though I won't take full blame.  Essentially, we waited in the wrong line for nearly an hour.  It turned out that, since we were the last people off the plane, we got into the "continuing on to Auckland" line, and the woman checking our boarding passes apparently didn't notice.  The flip side though is that we got to go right to the front of the appropriate Immigration line.  And since we were sleeping in LA that night (hotel, NOT airport because I am not crazy, even though Adam is and we once did sleep in Stansted airport), not much was lost other than sleep.

Adam was very well behaved on the flight.  I slept through the majority of two of the movies I put on (Salt and The Last Airbender), but we both watched Despicable Me and loved it.  Very cute.  I felt bad, though, because after he fell asleep, they posted a message that someone had lost a ring in the loos, so I wanted to make sure it wasn't his wedding band.  It wasn't, hence why he was mad at me for waking him  :(

The trip has been so fast and so short, so I'm hoping we can find a way to make it longer next year.  No notion if that will happen, or if we'll meet up with Mom and Dad in Napa (they went at the end of October and loved it).  Still, we can hope, right?

Adam's reading over my shoulder, and that's starting to creep me out slightly, so I shall wrap up.  And now he's mocking me (and wants me to go up to the top).

Monday, November 15, 2010

Travelling Tomorrow

Sonata should be taking hold shortly, so this shall be short--if I stay awake too long, I start hallucinating, which is both disconcerting and awesome.  Up at the ass-crack to catch a bus to catch a train to catch a second train to catch a third train in the form of the Tube to catch a plane to catch a shuttle to the hotel to sleep to catch a shuttle back to LAX to catch a plane that stops in Oakland on the way to PDX to hitch a ride down to Eugene with my folks (thanks guys!).  Whew!

My new laptop has arrived at my folks' house, so as soon as I get that set up and functional (Friday at the latest, I hope; if I'm doing really well I might try to take care of it on Wednesday) I'll blog about the 11 hours and 40 minutes of flying with Adam from Heathrow to LA.  It should be...interesting.  Thank the gods that I love him...

Belated happy birthdays (sorry gals!) to Heather and Sarah.  And Al.  And probably a load of others as well.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Obligatory Posting #2

So once again, it's been quite a while.  I apologize, but since I just spend about 15 seconds searching for the hash/pound key (#) on Adam's laptop, that's my excuse.  Yes, ladies and gents, British keyboards are different from US ones, and even after about 2 months of using Adam's computer daily, I still can't find stuff.  But soon, my dears, soon, I shall have a computer of my own again.  I'll be ordering a new MacBook Pro, to be delivered to my folks shortly before Adam and I arrive there.  Which happens in just under 2 weeks.  Yay!!  Most excited.  Lots of tasty food, a better bed, and a puppy who (hopefully still) loves me.  However, I fear Adam may be right; after Faith sees me, she'll look behind me and see Adam, and then look behind Adam in the hopes that she'll see Mark, whom she loves because he played with her several times each day when he went out for a smoke.

Beyond that, I'm sick.  I have the plague.  I'm blaming one of our regulars at work, who had a cold last week.  Carmel wanted to know what we were doing.  Hell, for that matter, I'd like to know what we were doing.   I'm coughing up chunks (yeah, it's more unpleasant for me than the image is for you). The cold nicely matches all the other physical crap that's been going on for the last few weeks (strained groin muscles, leading to a pregnancy scare, which, if I decide to write about it, is it's own whole post and strained intercostal muscles, which led to a prescription of nice high-powered drugs).

The good news, though, is that Karen is back at work.  She came back last Friday, and is working her regular schedule this week.  It's really great to have her back.  She's doing as well as can be expected, which is good, but it still makes me sad; she told me that she cries her eyes out each night before she goes to bed.  It's only natural, but it's heart-wrenching.  Even so, she's coping pretty well at work.  And it's really nice to have her and her sense of humour back with us.

Lastly, I'm envious of Mom and Dad.  They abandoned the puppy--to be left at home, in the care of an apparently very nice British woman who's house/dog sitting--and headed off to Napa Valley for a week.  They're staying in the same B&B that Adam and I stayed in for our honeymoon, and are actually staying in what was supposed to be our honeymoon room (we were upgraded because there were "plumbing problems").  Monday they went to Conn Creek and blended their own wine--as Adam and I recommended, because it's the most awesome experience ever--and last night were supposed to go to La Toque, where Adam and I also ate, and was also fabulously delicious.  I am most envious, and both Adam and I want to go back to Napa (actually, we've decided we want to move there, but that's down the road).

I'm tired of writing, so I will abandon you all for now.  Again.

Monday, November 1, 2010

2010 Reading List: October

50.  Lion in the Valley*, by Elizabeth Peters (Amelia Peabody novel)
51.  Naked Empire, by Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth Series Book 8)
52.  Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha*, by Dorothy Gilman (Mrs. Pollifax Novel)
53.  A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax*, by Dorothy Gilman (Mrs. Pollifax Novel)
54. Chainfire, by Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth Series Book 9)

Agatha Christie
 1.  The Tuesday Club Murders (Miss Marple; a series of short stories--good intro to character)
 2.  The Labors of Hercules (Hercule Poirot; a series of short mysteries with an overarching theme)

Margaret Truman
 3.  Murder in the White House (Capital Crimes novel: no recurring characters, but sort of a "set")

Isaac Asimov
 4.  The Caves of Steel (A Lije Baley & R. Daneel Olivaw novel)
 5.  The Naked Sun (A Lije Baley & R. Daneel Olivaw novel)
16.  I, Robot

J. K. Rowling
 6.  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone* (Harry Potter Series Book 1)
 7.  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* (Harry Potter Series Book 2)
22.  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban* (Harry Potter Series Book 3)
32.  Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire* (Harry Potter Series Book 4)

Mary Francis Shura
 8.  Kate's Book* (one of two books featuring Kate Alexander)
 9.  Kate's House* (one of two books featuring Kate Alexander)

John Bellairs
10.  The Spell of the Sorcerer's Skull* (A Johnny Dixon mystery) I'm not sure if I've finished this one before, but I know I have started it in the past.

Erle Stanley Gardner
11.  The Case of the Stuttering Bishop (A Perry Mason mystery)

Carl Hiaasen
12.  Flush

E.L. Konigsburg
13.  Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth William McKinley, and me, Elizabeth

Carol Ryrie Brink
14.  The Pink Motel*

Jeff Burk
15.  Shatner Quake (More of a novella.  Whatever it is, it defies description.)

James B. Garfield
17.  Follow My Leader*

Jean Fritz and Tom Clute
18.  Champion Dog Prince Tom*

Janet Evanovich
19.  Full House (Several characters appear again in other books)
20.  Smitten

Jonathan Stroud
21.  The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy: Book 1)

Dorthy Gilman
23.  Mrs. Pollifax and the Second Thief* (Mrs. Pollifax Novel)
52.  Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha* (Mrs. Pollifax Novel)
53.  A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax* (Mrs. Pollifax Novel)

Robert Rankin
24.  Nostradamus Ate My Hamster

Elizabeth Peters
25.  The Seventh Sinner* (Jacqueline Kirby novel)
26.  Borrower of the Night* (Vicky Bliss novel)
28.  Lord of the Silent* (Amelia Peabody novel)
39.  A River in the Sky (Ameila Peabody novel)
41.  The Falcon at the Portal* (Amelia Peabody novel)
42.  He Shall Thunder in the Sky* (Amelia Peabody novel)
48.  The Mummy Case* (Amelia Peabody novel)
50.  Lion in the Valley* (Amelia Peabody novel)

John Grogan
27.  Marley and Me

Terry Goodkind
29.  Soul of the Fire (Sword of Truth Series Book 5)
36.  Faith of the Fallen (Sword of Truth Series Book 6)
47.  The Pillars of Creation (Sword of Truth Series Book 7)
51.  Naked Empire (Sword of Truth Series Book 8)
54. Chainfire (Sword of Truth Series Book 9)

Terry Pratchett
30.  Strata (precursor to the Discworld novels)
46.  Unseen Academicals (A Discworld Novel)

Jan Siegel
31.  Prospero's Children (Fern Capel Trilogy Book 1)

Roald Dahl
33.  Matilda*

Nadifa Mohamed
34.  Black Mamba Boy

Alexander McCall Smith
35.  The Miracle at Speedy Motors (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Book 9)
38.  Tea Time for the Traditionally Built (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Book 10)
40.  The Double Comfort Safari Club (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Book 11)

"Richard Castle"  (ghostwriter unknown; Rick Castle is Nathan Fillion's character on Castle.)
37.  Heat Wave

Christopher Moore
43.  Bloodsucking Fiends* (Vampire Trilogy, Book 1)
44.  You Suck (Vampire Trilogy Book 2)
45.  Bite Me: A Love Story (Vampire Trilogy Book 3)

Sharyn McCrumb
49.  Zombies of the Gene Pool (sequel? to Bimbos of the Death Sun)

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Obligatory Posting

Though I don't post as often as some would like, not having my own computer certainly lessens it.  Since I had to login anyway to add to my reading list, I figured I'd do my blogger duty and actually write and post something else.  So here goes random thoughts and updates.

1.  I think I am in love with Adam Baldwin.  He is the greatest Baldwin brother of all, perhaps because he isn't a Baldwin brother at all (no relation to those idiots).   You may know him from such shows as Chuck (John Casey), Serenity/Firefly (Jayne), and Independence Day (Major Mitchell).  He's also been in about a gazillion other things, and he seems to rock every role he's in.  I dearly love him.  My Adam is less pleased about that.

2.  Carmel is back from her holiday tomorrow.  It should be...interesting.  She told/warned me that she's a royal bitch when she gets back from Crete because she loves it there and never wants to leave.  I told her she could be a bitch until Monday, when I wouldn't put up with it anymore.  I've had no word from or about Karen.  I hope she's doing as well as she can be.  Sarah was nice and very helpful/hardworking.

3.  The trafficking of girls is a horrible, grim thing.  I encourage awareness of this worldwide phenomenon (yes, it's all over the States and UK as well, and includes domestic girls from both countries, and well as foreign nationals/illegal immigrants), but would not suggest immersing yourself in the topic as full as I have done over the last week or so.  Girl Museum research, FYI.  Also, Girl Museum has a new exhibition that I forgot to mention earlier: Hina Matsuri: Celebrating Girls' Day in Japan.  Go check it out!!

4.  Beer Festival this weekend.  Two, as a matter of fact, but Adam and I are skipping the one here in Huddersfield (it was only "enh" last year, even with Matthew the freakishly bearded with us) and heading down to Nottingham to what looks like will a totally awesome, rocking, drunken good time.  They have over 700 real ales and ciders/perries down there, and it's in the Castle grounds, behind Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem (the oldest pub in England, and it has good food and damn fine beer itself).  Plus Matthew (of the freakish beard--he grew it at some point in the like 3 years we hadn't seen him before last year.  Mountain man meets Wandering Jew) and his awesome woman Ami will be meeting us there, as well as Claire and her Matt.  Claire, Matthew, and Adam all were in the physics department at Leicester, and Matthew is one of our favorite drinking buddies (Gareth is another, but he sucks and won't come visit), and Claire is just a blast.  Plus, both of their partners are fun, smart, people, so it should be a good time.  No word on Ms. Claudia's attendance at this point, but she may also make a part of the drunken festivities.  Sadly, we're heading down early on Saturday, and back on Sunday, so we'll probably be tired for a good chunk of Saturday, and, shall we say, delicate?, on Sunday.  Still, the things we endure to experience good beer!

5.  Brewing.  We bottled our fourth batch weekend before last (I think).  Very dark, chocolaty.  First proper tasting should happen this weekend, but it won't be truly ready for consumption for a couple more (or longer) weeks.  Tony is taking me to pick up ingredients for our next batch and the one after it tomorrow.  My recipe is the next one to go into the fermenter; I'm hoping to make a sweetish, darker ale with a smoky aroma and flavor.  We'll see how it turns out.  The batch after that has already been named: The Bastard Brew.  It will be made from all our leftover grains, bulked out with some basic malt, and some random hops that Adam decided on.  My batch will probably hit the fermenter weekend after the beer festival, and we'll bottle it right before we fly out to the States for Thanksgiving.  The Bastard Brew will, if Adam gets his way (and we have time), be made between our returning in the beginning of December and the New Year.

I'm going to lay down and read for a while.  There is probably more to say, but I feel I've covered at least my basic blogging obligation at this point.