busy day

I had a very busy day – and I am not done. I woke up on time. J Actually that hasn’t been a problem at all. I had an apple for breakfast. I meant to have some cheese too, but I got distracted. Then I headed into the office a little bit early – I wanted to call a mobile phone company to set up a contact. There is one company that is pretty new. They have really cheap contracts right now… I tried to order a phone online, but since I don’t have 3 years of UK residential history, the website wouldn’t let me complete the order. I emailed the company (they are called 3) and asked if I would be eligible for the contract even though I had just arrived in the UK and probably didn’t have any UK credit. They said that since I had a UK debit card, I should be fine – I just needed to call in to the order center. Practically everything here is paid by direct debit. So this morning I called in. I had a plan and phone all picked out. My first phone choice was out of stock, so I quickly chose between 2 others. But then tragedy – I was denied. L They said I should just get a pay-as-you-go phone. 3 is the cheapest for that as well, but more than double what I could pay in a contract. But I got over it. I decided to go into town to the 3 store and either just get a SIM card and unlock my RAZR for UK or buy a new phone.

But before that, I had a morning chock full (they actually say “chocker” or “chock-a-block” when your calendar is wall to wall meetings). Then I had a break in the afternoon and I planned to drive about 12 miles down to Lyneham, another village south of Swindon (I live in Wroughton). There was a dealer there with a car that I was interested in. I drove it. It was a disaster. No AC (and today it was quite hot) and there was obviously something wrong with the clutch. A no-go. So I drove back up to town a little down in the mouth, but realized that I probably had time to go into Town Centre (a really commercial part of Swindon – a set of streets closed to cars that are lined with shops – like a huge mall – it is where the H&M is – but it closes everyday by 5:30pm). I hate Town Centre. It is super crowded and you have to pay to park. Now I hate it more. I got into this tiny parking garage – I parked in the same place in March when I visited, and was super stressed out then too. I parked, but not without first tapping the car next to me with the front left side of the bumper. It turned out to be totally okay – no damage at all on either car – but I found it quite upsetting. L Hopefully it won’t happen again. I was paranoid about accidents for the rest of the afternoon. It is probably the least comfortable I have been in a car the whole time I have been here.

But then onto good things. I went into the mall area and the people at the 3 store actually told me that for pay-as-you-go I should go to a place called Carphone Warehouse. They have tons of phones, all of the mobile offers for all of the companies, and loads of deals (like 100₤ free accessories). So I went over, and once I explained my situation, they surprised me by saying that they do international credit checks and I could probably get a contract. It worked. I couldn’t get a phone today, but they will get me a contract (and cheaper rates) with O2 – the company with the best reputation around here. So that is good. I just need to choose a phone (which will be free) plus I get the 100₤ free accessories and depending on the phone I choose, a free satellite navigation program for the phone with a 3 year free subscription. Not bad.

I had to go back to work for a couple of meetings. But in between I found a couple of Ford Focuses to go see, and one was even in Wroughton, very near my house. So I stopped there on the way home. The car just arrived, so it is in the process of being detailed. I didn’t drive it, and the salesman seems extremely firm on the price – which of course is a little more than I want to pay. There are a few others a local Ford garage that I will check out this weekend. I have the rental for about another week if I need it, but after that it will cost me. I am starting to feel a little more urgency to get a car. Probably due to the bumper rub today.

When I came home I finally got around to mowing the back lawn. My back “garden” is very narrow, but VERY long. I have a little electric mower and a very long extension cord that I have to plug into the kitchen. It took emptying the bin 5 or 6 times. But the garden looks much better. This weekend I’ll probably buy some laundry hanging stuff for back there. The weather is pretty hot. So it will dry my clothes much faster. The washer has a fast spin cycle, but drying stuff is going to try my patience. Back to the heat – my little digital alarm clock has a thermometer in it. Last night when I went to sleep, my room was 79.5 degrees. That is hot for me. I prefer at least 10 degrees cooler. 72 tops. So I am experimenting with the windows. The problem is smoke. One of my neighbors smokes these nasty smelling cigarettes. L

For dinner I made a warm Chinese chicken salad, had Orangina lite (no added sugar, basically no calories) and red grapes. The salad turned out great. I also ate lunch at home today. I’ll have to figure what to take into the office for lunch tomorrow. I still have a lot in the fridge.

I have a meeting tonight – with my trainee back in Oregon. Hopefully she’ll stand on her own soon…I need to focus on my new job.

Love,
Becky