travels....

Welp I've been here for almost 2 weeks now... it's hard to believe that time has flown at the same time I feel like I have been here forever.  The client is pretty awesome and the hotel isn't too bad.  We have found some really good places to eat but are finding that most places are chains even if they look pretty old/neat from the outside/inside.

This past weekend I went into London to see some old friends from college, Cynthia and Matt.  I got to their place Saturday afternoon and then they took me on their own little tour of London.  Wow, was it fun.  We visited Camden Town.  This place was awesome and I can't wait to take Carl back.  It's like China town in NYC but the people aren't Chinese and most of the shops are retro type of things.  There are an endless amount of shops.  The people are also dressed pretty crazy...  think goth-like.  Hot pink hair, black leather, lots of skin, piercing, tattoos, etc... There is also a "lock" there.  It's to help with the canal traffic.  It was really neat to watch.

We also headed to downtown London.  I LOVE Tower of London.  I can't wait to go back with Carl and learn about it.  It's so old and has so much history.  It's really amazing.  The architecture in downtown London is really original too.  I had no idea that most of the buildings were short and not tall like NYC.  The street's are CRAZY!  I'll take a picture when we go back next week.  We did stop at a couple of pubs for a beer and some street performers (always entertaining).  We circled most of the city before we decided to head back to where they lived in Hampstead.  Hampstead is really pretty.  They live off High Street (aka Main street).  They have a small pub across from their flat and live above a flower shop.  They also live in a dog friendly area, which works very well for their puppy.  We ate at a pretty good Indian restaurant and then went back to their place and crashed.  

Sunday we woke up and headed to Cynthia's lacrosse game.  The team invited me to play, it was so much fun.  We went up to St Albans and played at a rec. field.  It was a pretty close game but we lost.  After the game we headed to Harpenden to a local pub for lunch.  Most of the girls from the team came.  The team was pretty cool as their was a mix of english and american's on the teams.  After lunch we headed back to Hampstead and then I caught a couple of trains back to Maidstone.  

I'm so glad that I met up with Cyn and Matt.  I had a blast and got to see some areas that I want to go back too.  I can't wait for next week.  Carl flies out tonight on a 9:30pm out of BWI.  He'll get in early tomorrow morning.  He'll take a train to our hotel, leave his bags and then be able to travel around London all day until I get there in the evening.  I can't wait to see him.  I hope he doesn't have a lot of trouble.  We leave Saturday afternoon on a train to Paris and we'll be there for 3 days until we head back to London.  I can't wait.  

Cheerio

Welp I made it to Maidstone, UK.  My flight from BWI to London was ok.  I couldn't sleep but it was smooth.  The London airport was HUGE and crazy but not too bad.  I met up with my co-workers and then we drove to Maidstone.  It's an hr drive from Heathrow.  We are out in the country and it's beautiful!!  Driving on the other side of the road is pretty crazy but I'm getting use to see it.  We are in a nice Volvo station wagon.   The Hilton is nice.  No A/C but we do have washrooms in our room, which is great.  

Kimberly Clark is pretty nice.  We have a really nice room for training and there are Huggie's Ad's everywhere.  It's kind of funny.  I think they most disturbing part is the stuffed dog at the front door.

We went on an adventure last night for dinner.  We were looking for a veggie place but found an old little town instead.  It was really cool.  There was a really old pub that was 300 years old and a beautiful old church.  The church bells rang during dinner.  The beer was pumped from down in the cellar and the beer was yummy.  The beer isn't def as cold as USA but it's still good.  It's cellar temperature.  The homes were so small and the doors were tiny.   I got a picture of Tony in the door entry.  Pretty funny.

So far so good...  I'm having fun and it's been a learning experience.  The time change wasn't too bad.  Sunday I crashed from 5pm-8pm and then ate dinner then slept all night.  Yesterday I survived all day and was able to go to sleep at 11pm and again slept all night.  So, I think I'm finally adjusted.

Friday we got some bad news on the IF front.  We have an appt when I get back with the doctor.  The details don't sound good.  Please keep us in your thoughts the next couple of weeks.

TSA Body Scanners - How I HATE thee

So anyone that hasn't traveled by air in the past 4 months may not know but the US Gov't has added a new scanning device (link if you want to read or see what they look like) to security.  (Thank you Stimulus money, each machine is $150k EACH).  The scanning device is suppose  to make you feel more secure, etc.   Let me count the ways of how I loath these machines.

1. you have to get more naked than before... make sure you take EVERYTHING out of your pockets, shoes off, belts off(I never had to do this because I made sure mine was plastic, doesn't matter anymore), watches off, etc....   Basically anything metal (basically your bra, if you wear under-wire)
2. You have to stand like an idiot in the machine...  see picture - hands above the head (armpits out), legs apart.... let's do jumping jacks...  Oh and if your hands aren't high enough or far enough apart they will ask you to raise them, push your elbows back and stick out your boobs.  They will continue to fight with you.... poor old people.
3. So after standing there like an idiot, you now walk outside the tube to a waiting line and have to wait up to 2-4 minutes depending if there is a person in front of you and how fast the person looking at the scans takes.  
4. If the scanner reveals some issues then you get the good ole fashion "pat-down"  So women, if wearing a under-wire bra, they are going to feel under your boobs and if you forgot to take off your watch, they'll catch this too.  The scanners also have problems with jeans that have a lot of buttons.
1. So this is what pisses me off... women wear under-wire bras.... why do you have to feel under my breast?  the scanner can clearly point out 2 fine lines of metal under my breast, what else do you need to know?  I know that a gun is not the size of a fine line (if you so, I might want to get one)...  the normal airport metal detectors have never had a problem with them.
5. Last but not least.... if the line for the fancy scanner is backed up then you can go through the regular old metal detectors....  so if you are smart, you'll find a line that is long or you'll take your time so that you don't have to go though the stupid thing.

Do I feel safer?  No not really because of #5.  They are more time consuming and more of a pain in the butt!  USA is the only place that is using them, so if you are flying in from another country you are shit of luck.  I feel this was a HUGE waste of money and thanks to Obama and his stupid stimulus money, they aren't going anywhere.   TSA is a OVER rated, OVER paid, and OVER authorized as a gov't agency.  

Monday.... time to make the bread.

What a nice weekend!!!  Beautiful day on Friday and Saturday, the rain yesterday wasn't bad either.  


Trying to get everything for my London trip.  I needed a new waterproof rain coat.  I went to Eddie Bauer on Thursday night when I landed and grabbed one off the clearance rack for $50.  I was super excited.   I was also on the hunt for some new waterproof shoes for London.  I went everywhere on Saturday and couldn't find anything I wanted.  So I came home that night and researched via Amazon and Zappos.  I found a pair of Keen and a pair of Merrell that I liked.... so then I researched some places around us that would have them.  We went on Sunday and I bought a pair of Merrells.  I have a pair of Merrells clogs that I LOVE so I figured I couldn't go wrong. I got theses -  Merrell Shoes.      So I think I'm all set.   


Saturday afternoon I spent sometime booking our hotels...  I have been looking at them for weeks but I couldn't figure out where we wanted to stay.  I had already booked my hotel for the client but I needed to find rooms for when Carl came over.  So I started looking at all my points and then all the places that I could stay with them.   I wasn't able to use my points for airfare because I wanted a non-stop for Carl to come to Heathrow and British Airways is the only one from BWI.  I didn't have enough American Airlines for that flight (I could use AA points towards British Airways since they use the same point group) but I did have enough points for hotels.  I'm super excited that we don't have a pay a dime for hotels, we are using solely my points.  We are staying at a Holiday Inn for the first night that Carl comes in since it's close to our train station.  We are then staying at Le Méridien Montparnasse in Paris and then JW Marriott Grosvenor Square in London.  I can't wait!!!!  


Welp this cycle is a bust.  I didn't respond to the medicine at all!!!  So I'm flying back out to my client tonight to finish the week out.  I'll get more information at 2pm for bloodwork but basically it's a bust!!  No biggie.  I can drink lots of champagne in Paris now :)  Plus with how this cycle is going, I think I can wait for another week or 2 for my period, which will be great timing for when I get home from Europe!  

immunity?

UGH so this topic has really been bugging me lately.... I guess mostly because I feel it hurts people more than not.  The flu shot was in the paper yesterday.  They are MAKING people get the shot now.  I think this is crap since it's not full proof and no one really knows the effects of the shot.  I'm lucky that I'm allergic to eggs, so I don't have to get it.  It just pisses me off that if/when I have children that they will be forced to get this shot.  What's going to happen to the children when they grow up?  They have to get SOOO many shots now that they never build true immunity to things.

Chicken pox is another topic.  So part of IF initial bloodwork they find out your immunities.  Well I don't have immunity to chicken pox even though I had them as a child.  They wanted me to get the shot or sign a waver.  If you know me, you know that I signed the waver.  If I had the actual virus and I'm still in-immune, why is a shot going to help me?  My risk isn't as high anymore anyway since kids don't actually get chicken pox anymore.  They get a shot.  They also might have to get another shot as an adult to prevent adult pox (can't remember the true name for them)....  I understand getting a shot as an adult but if they really had gotten the actual chicken pox as a child they would have most likely preventing getting them as adults (yes, I know you can still get them again)....   again we are very dependent on shots and more shots.  What about actually immunity?

Don't get me started on the whole autism/vaccine debate....  until they know what causes autism, I will delay vaccine schedule.  Giving a child 4 shots at one appt is just insane!!  Giving a baby a shot when it's first born is nuts too!!

another week...

What a wonderful weekend!!!  We had a lot of fun!!!  I came home early on Wednesday for testing on Thursday morning (good u/s), so I worked from home on Thursday.   Friday I got to run around and checkup on a couple of things.  I took a trip to my favorite store (Christmas Tree Shoppe).  Well they didn't have much but there is a Ross in the same shopping center.  I scored a Nine West black tank for $10 (clearance rack), 2 black sweaters, and a black long sleeve top for fall... good stuff.  I also picked up my huge bunch of books from the library.  They get all the new travel books so I figured I would check them out and see which ones I like.  I LOVE the Rick Steves books.  They are so good and full of information.  I basically have a plan for our trip now.  I need to book rail tickets, museum passes and hotels.  I just need to decide where we want to stay in the cities.  Fun times!! 

Saturday, Carl took me to the sunflowers.  They are sooo pretty!!!  I want to go back.  

On Saturday we also bought Carl a new car.  We weren't expecting to a buy a car that day but the price and interest rate were what we were looking for, so it became a deal.  The subaru has a lot of miles on it and I was afraid that it won't survive all the miles Carl drives.  I'm going to drive it back and forth to the airport.

Oh and we got iphones this weekend.  I had been wanting them but scared that I wouldn't like them....  well I LOVE it.  It makes life so much easier.  They really have improved things from the 3G days.