Bank Holiday Monday - here and gone

I have just sat down to watch the Lost finale. A couple in my ward burned it to a CD for another couple, and that couple passed it onto me. :) Thank you April and Greg! (and Hanna and Adam). It seems to have started off in some sort of flashback/futureflash. I have no idea what is going on. It is gripping. I know what I'll be doing for the next 2 hours.

I hope that I can find a way to post pictures within a blog - instead of just along the sides...I think that would encourage me to take more pictures. So far I have taken zero. I need to take some of the people I work with and the people that are starting to become my friends. Then I'll be able to talk about them in my blogs more easily.

I just got home from eating with April & Greg and their two children and some of there friends, Jared and Sheri and their two children. We ate at Pizza Hut. It was a Pizza Hut with waiters. Weird but it tasted good. I had a chicken salad. April and Sheri are both American. April moved here nearly 11 years ago, and Sheri 9 years ago. Sheri sounds absolutely British. It is nice to have a few people that can relate to my situation so well.

So today is a Bank Holiday. This morning I went and re-test drove a car called a Citroen Xsara Picasso. It is an odd looking car. I still haven't decided if I will get it. It is a diesel and gets fantastic mileage. It carries 5 people and would have good cargo space (either for luggage or for a trip to IKEA). It is a little more than I wanted to spend, and has a crappy turning radius. I am still thinking about it. Tomorrow I am test driving another diesel Ford Focus. We'll see if it is more up my alley. I am just so bad at buying used cars. Car shopping with a deadline sucks. I think I am going to ask to see if I can extend my rental car (since I only spent 2 days in the hotel - rather than the 30 days I was approved for).

My mobile phone is fabulous. I really am pleased with it. Right now my ring is American Woman by Lenny Kravitz. It probably is too obnoxious to last long, but it makes me smile. If you are in the market for a new phone, check out the Nokia 6300.

Once I got home from my morning out, I planted several house plants that I picked up at IKEA - including a paddle plant and a jade. It is starting to feel more like home everyday. :) That is good. I also bought some clematis to plant outside - but it has been too rainy. The weather is a lot like Portland. Yesterday was quite winding with heavy rain, but today it was mostly just gray - with some drizzle. Everyone keeps asking how I like the weather. They don't realize how similar it feels.

I've been looking at airfare - I may come back for my cousins wedding in August (with a day at Disneyland thrown in for fun). Prices have looked outlandish - like 800 or 900 pounds. I found a ticket for 550 (yes pounds) from London-Gatwick to Portland. I think that I'll probably buy it. If you are thinking about coming to visit, check fares to Gatwick (LGW) or Bristol (BRS). Bristol is very close (well, like 45 minutes or so) - closer than Heathrow. Gatwick is on the other side of London, but still do-able if fares are cheaper. The summer is definitely the most expensive time to come here.

Things are going well. I drove home a new way tonight, and there is a lovely view from just up the street from my house. I'll take a picture and post it soon. I really live in a beautiful place.

Next week there is a regional conference here - I think like 4 or 5 stakes. President Hinckley is presiding via satellite. I am excited to see what he has to say to the saints of England, especially now that I am one of them. Incidentally, Greg is in the ward bishopric. Tonight he was asking me what my past callings have been...we'll see what I get called to do. My records should be arriving very soon.

I am sleeping well. My skin seems to be figuring out the water situation. My back is flaring up a little, but I think that is mostly due to stress and bad ergonomics at home with all of this typing. I'll work on resolving that. I also need to start going to the gym. I think that will help. I just need to start figuring out my routine - once I buy a car that will help take a major task off my settling in list and free up a lot of time. I can't wait.