I hope you have 2 free hours… this entry is a doozy! :)

Tuesday, September 22, 2015
I ventured out to the Salvation Army in search of lamps and a side table for Jordan. I successfully found lamps, and a very pretty crystal vase, but not the table. The lamps are clearly NOT something that I would select if I had a choice of any in the world, BUT they are perfectly fine for our time here. They are small table lamps with sequin leopard print shades. Tacky, yes. Lamps that work, also yes. The only trouble… finding lightbulbs for the lil suckers! They are not your standard US lightbulbs. Oh the joys of moving abroad. SO many things are different here.

After the Salvation Army I decided to sit in the park and read for a bit. I met a tiny grey squirrel that I swear was tame. He walked right up to me, chattering away, and practically climbed right in the palm of my hand. I think that he would have but I admit, I got nervous. I didn’t want him to bite me or scratch me with his nails. I snapped a few photos of the fellow and found a bench.

The park is excellent for people watching, which just so happens to be one of my favorite pastimes. I arrived just in time for all of the school children to be walking home with their Mums. (Seriously, I saw not one Dad… all Mums!) I’m not sure how they do it, but there are infinite redheaded children here. They are adorable with their Scottish accents. Children are truly the best. They don’t have a care in the world. Always laughing, giggling, riding their tiny razor scooters, jumping around, pushing their baby siblings in strollers, or doing their best to swing from trees. I specifically watched three little guys find the most perfect dangling branches to grab hold of and swing. They took turns carefully pushing one another and then switched who was swinging. It was the cutest thing. They radiated pure joy and happiness. Their Mums stood around, talking to one another, gathering their petite backpacks and enjoying their sons. It made me happy. I hope this whole bit doesn’t sound creepy. I love happiness spreads like wildfire, engulfing all surrounding folks. Just as soon as they had begun swinging, they had to stop. One little boy had an appointment he needed to get to, and the other two needed to be home by a specific time. I’m thankful for these little moments in Kelvingrove Park.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015
I decided since the forecast was mainly sunshine that I would venture out to the Kelvingrove Art Museum & Gallery. I must admit, I am not a big fan of going to museums and walking around for hours. I get bored easily and annoyed at the fact I cannot touch most things. Regardless, I decided that I would walk around, enjoy the atmosphere, and take in as much as possible. I started out by looking at the Scottish history. Glasgow was a major industrial hub back in the day. TONS of ships and shipping equipment was manufactured here. Then I made my way over to the armor display. It is truly amazing to me how intricate and sturdy armor was. I also cannot believe that men could actually walk around in those getups – they’re SO heavy!

If you’re close to me, you know that time periods are not necessarily a hot topic in my life. I’m not too keen on anything before cars. (There are two reasons I think I’m fearful of these time periods. 1. I watched a TON of Little House on the Prairie growing up. Mary went blind. Caroline gets a terrible infection from a cut on her ankle. Freddie dies. These things are stuck in my memory like glue. 2. When Anthony turned 7 years old, our Mom graciously took us to Disney World. She always let us pick what we wanted to do / where to eat for our birthday dinners. Anthony picked Medieval Times. This is a place where they reenact duals, make you eat whole turkey legs, and drink soup straight from a pot. Before we went to the show we went to the “dungeon” where they showed you how people were tortured and killed during those times. Another memory forever engraved in my brain.) After looking at the armor I ventured on to the French art. Now this stuff was interesting. I had heard of / seen replicas of many of these artists. I saw paintings by Picasso, Monet, and van Gogh, Renoir, and many others. I really wanted to touch the paintings since the brush strokes are what make them so different. Of course, that is not allowed, so pictures will have to do. (Friend me on FB if you want to see pictures). Once I saw the paintings I had my fill of the Museum for the day. Perhaps I’ll go back again when we have visitors or if there is a new exhibit I find exciting.

From there I decided it was time to get my nails done. Man, I am sounding more and more housewife like with each passing day. Lol After many failed attempts (most salons only have one nail tech and I discovered that they are almost always busy! Note to self – book in advance!) I found a salon. This was my first real treat to myself in the UK. Sadly, it was a total rip off. 30#s for her to not do my cuticles, use lotion, OR give me a hand massage. I miss my little place in SF. The hunt for my new UK salon continues.

Thursday, September 24, 2015
It did nothing but rain all day. I had zero urge to put on real pants and leave our flat. A scary glimpse into my future. I read all day. I finished “Yes, Please” by Amy Poehler. If you enjoy “Parks n Recs”, “Baby Mama”, “SNL”, or pretty much anything that she has been in… you will love it. She is my spirit animal soul sister. I love her. ❤ I then started on “Bossypants” by the fabulous Tina Fey. She is a hoot. Again, if you like “30 Rock”, “Baby Mama”, “Date Night”, “SNL”, or anything else that she has been in… you will love it. I would definitely suggest these books to anyone that is in need of a good laugh.

Jordan’s typical work day is 8:30AM – 8:30ish PM, so we had soup and bread for dinner that evening. We like to try and keep it simple since it’s pretty late to be eating a meal. We watched a movie called, “Chappie” after we ate. Honestly, the movies my husband sucks me into watching are so goofy. Let me say that there are actually some big names in this movie… Sigourney Weaver, Hugh Jackman, Yolandi Visser, and Dev Patel (the main kid from “Slumdog Millionaire”). This was how he sucked me in. The entire movie is about robot police officers that Dev Patel created. He finally figures out how to create a robot cop that actually has feelings, emotions, and knows right from wrong. I won’t spoil it for you, but it was SO cheesy! The worst part… we can’t stop quoting this movie. (You probably know that I like to live half of my life via movie quotes… Jordan is also fairly good at this. Lol) Chappie has become a new word in both of our vocabularies. We are weird, but weirdos that love each other!

Friday, September 25, 2015
Not the most eventful day. I drank champagne, made a delicious fruit platter, and finished “Bossypants” What a great read! Her jokes made me laugh out loud and I enjoyed visualizing her at the awkward ages she describes in the book. Jordan and I were supposed to meet up at the bank to setup a joint UK bank account, only to discover the banks here have the most absurd hours ever. They are open Monday – Saturday, 9:30AM – 12:30PM, 1PM – 4:30PM. How do I get that job? Seriously… These are better than “banker” hours in the US. Insane! We went to bed early so that we could get an early start to Edinburgh the next morning.

Saturday, September 26, 2015
We decided that Edinburgh would be a fun day trip. We could take the train and be there in an hour. Jordan purchased the tickets the evening before so that we could leave the station by 7AM. We scheduled one of those suuuuuper reliable taxis for 6:30AM to be safe. (We were only going about 10 minutes away). The taxi arrived at 6:25AM and I wasn’t quite ready… typical Katie time. J By 6:31AM we headed out the door, only to watch the taxi drive away!!! I was LIVID. What a shit way to start our trip out of Glasgow! They are supposed to wait 15 minutes at each pickup… what.a.lie. Jordan called their dispatch office and they claimed the driver called and no one answered. Again, what.a.lie. He had no missed calls and his phone was working perfectly.

We arrive to the station and discover we have 10 minutes until the next train. Great – time for me to go to the bathroom. (What if the train doesn’t have one!?) Well, I finally locate the bathroom, only to discover you have to pay to use it. Ahhh, what the heck?! I find some coins in my pocket and get into the bathroom. I come back to the station as quickly as possible and it is Jordan’s turn to be livid. We missed the train. I had taken too long. Seriously, this was not turning out to be a good day. We spoke to an agent that told us the next train didn’t leave for an hour. UGH. He told us if we walked quickly, we could make it to the Queen Street station and hop on a train there. We BOOKED it to the next station and made it to the train. FINALLY. We got on the train and saw some of the countryside.

Upon arrival I need to buy some chapstick. I couldn’t believe I didn’t pack any. Who am I?! (One of the first things I ever told Jordan on a date was, “I’m a chapstick kind of girl.) Once I located some, we were on our way! The only thing I truly cared about doing in Edinburgh was eating at a little doughnut shop I found on Instagram called Twelve Triangles. Their doughnuts remind me of paczkis. I got a raspberry one and Jordan had a custard one, and we split a chocolate twist. They were SO good. I told him I would take the train there again just for doughnuts. He rolled his eyes knowing that I was speaking the truth. From there we decided to walk around and explore. We stumbled upon a giant military ship with one of the biggest guns on the front I’ve ever seen in my life. It was docked near the Britannia. This is a ship that was previously used as a cruise ship for the Royal family. I was not down to pay 16#s per person to walk around some old cruise ship that didn’t even include a meal! The advertisements they were showcasing featured Hillary and Bill Clinton – not a real big selling point in my book. We perused the gift shop and I determined that it was probably about the same as being on the ship.

We then walked around a mall that was connected to the entrance to the Britannia. Malls here are confusing. Not only do they have your typical clothing, shoes, toy stores, they ALWAYS have a grocery store attached. I guess it’s one stop shopping at its finest, but I find it bizarre. From there we decided to take a taxi back into the main part of town. We wanted to see a castle while we were there.

Traffic was a doozey so we got dropped off before we reached the castle and kept walking around. There were street performers, little vendors selling stuff, and people everywhere. I loved listening to all the different accents walking by. Every time I heard other Americans speaking I pointed it out to Jordan. He was less than amused. Haha We walked through a gorgeous old church. The stained glass windows were magnificent. Before going in we realized that there had just been a wedding ceremony in there before we arrived. The happy newlyweds were taking photos outside. They looked so beautiful and happy. All of the female attendees had one large hats or hair pieces. It was like a scene out of a movie – SO cool. From there we walked around, I bought a sterling silver ring, and we pub hopped. We enjoyed a different beer at each one.

We made our way far enough out of the main square until we found a park. The beer made us a little sleepy so we decided to take a little nap. Have you ever done that? Just picked a spot in a big open field, sat down and slept? It was a dream come true for me. We slept for about an hour and I woke up to notice there were soooooooo many puppies playing near us. I assume that’s what heaven will be like… tons of happy puppies running around and loving life. I admired them for a bit and decided to wake Jordan up. I was starting to get hangry. Lol

We found a cute little pub that looked clean enough and decided to be super touristy and order fish and chips. Jordan taught me that when you order them to order both the fish and the chips crispy. Apparently folks here tend to eat them soggier than we prefer. Anyways, they were delicious. My hanger disappeared and we set out to find William Wallace’s castle. The castle was grand but sadly, a total tourist trap. Again, I was not willing to pay to walk around the castle in a tour so we took some pictures, observed the beauty and found another pub.

Originally we planned to take a train back at 9PM but by 7:30PM we were pooped. We got on the train and headed back to Glasgow. Edinburgh was a really cool place that has many more tourists that Glasgow. If you were to plan a trip to Scotland, I would recommend going there over Glasgow – cooler things to do and the people in my opinion are friendlier.

Sunday, September 27, 2015
Jordan left for work by 9AM since it was the day before launch day. They needed to double and triple check everything before Monday. The weather was gloomy and I didn’t really do much all day other than read. Jordan came home around 6PM and we went to dinner.

We wanted to checkout some Mexican food here in the UK and decided to give this joint called Squid & Whale a try. We ordered guacamole, salsa, chicken mole tacos, and a spicy venison burrito. Wow, I thought that places like Taco Bell or Del Taco sucked. Boy was I wrong! I would LOVE to eat those “Mexican” foods here. The guacamole had no tomatoes, cilantro, jalapenos, or garlic in it. They should really have called it avocado onion spread. The salsa was clearly from a can. The chicken mole tacos were the most decent attempt at Mexican food we’ve tasted. Jordan’s spicy venison burrito was not spicy AT ALL and had POTATOES in it! The potatoes were in addition to the standard beans and rice. We were less than impressed and do not intend to go back. This place got us thinking… we should start a food truck or maybe even a food cart here. We have come up with a name, but I’ll save that for a later date. Lol

We hurried home after dinner since Jordan had to be back to the office by 3:30AM for launch day! I wanted to get home so that I could go to sleep since I planned to wake up for the Blood Moon / Lunar Eclipse that was taking place. Seeing that beautiful experience on TWO continents in my lifetime is really cool. It was so clear out and I didn’t even have to leave my living room to see it! I tried to tell Jordan to look at it on his way to the office but he was so excited about the launch that he forgot. lol

Monday, September 28, 2015
I awoke to a text message the NHS (National Health Service) reminding me of my appointment with them that afternoon. Here’s the problem – there was time or location given for the appointment. They told me when I scheduled the appointment that I’d receive a confirmation letter in the mail within 5 business days. Well, I never did but luckily a phone number was part of the text message. I called and confirmed the appointment and finally was provided the address of where I needed to be. I chose to take a taxi there since I wasn’t too sure of where I was going. I told myself I would take the Subway / walk home.

I arrived to the appointment 15 minutes early and sat down. There was only one other girl in front of me so I figured I wouldn’t have to wait too long. I was wrong. Three other people showed up after me and they were all seen before me. My appointment was for 1:50PM and I wasn’t seen until 2:20PM. I was fairly annoyed, but what could I do? All they did was make a copy of my passport, fill out a basic worksheet with information on it, and then I was good to go. They told me I’d receive my NHS number (which is good for life – even if I move back to America, and decide to move back to the UK when I’m 80!) in the mail within 2 – 4 weeks. I figure I’ll probably receive it in 6 weeks based on how long it took for me to receive the confirmation letter. (That came two days after my appointment).

I successfully located the Subway station, purchased my fare and was on my way back home. Once I got there I realized how badly I needed to do laundry. I’m still fairly creeped out by the washer in our place so I elected to take ALL of our dirty laundry (a large suitcase full) over to the Abbey. I figured while I did laundry would be the perfect time to make some chocolate chip cookies. Let me just say, walking with all our dirty laundry, all necessary chocolate chip cookie supplies (even the hand mixer), and my back pack was HARD WORK! I was exhausted by the time I reached the Abbey. The cookies were done in no time flat but two loads of laundry took over 5 hours. It was NUTS! I am still confused as to why folks here do not want more efficient appliances. Additionally, WHY do the majority not own dryers?! Moving forward I will be taking our laundry to the laundromat right down the street. I have reviewed their facility and it is clean, the machines only take 30 minutes each (well, 30 to wash, 30 to dry), AND I can do more than one load at a time. It is also not too expensive. Only about $1 more than it was in San Francisco.

By the time our laundry was complete Jordan was done working, walked to the Abbey, and helped me take all of our stuff back to our apartment. It was a long but fulfilling day.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015
I finally joined a gym! That being said, big box gyms are not really for me. Women that walk around in the tiniest shorts and sports bras, umm… not my cup of tea. I also do not appreciate the loud grunting from men or having said men stare as I am trying to work out. Gross gross gross. The classes that this gym offers are pretty standard (body pump, their version of cross fit, trx, and ONE yoga class per a day) I watched two different classes and they make me nervous. No one cares about proper form or protecting your body from injuries. Sure, flip those tires as fast as possible, do as many reps as you can! Oh, you hurt your back? Your neck? Hmmm… maybe it was because you aren’t lifting with your legs and your spine is all out of whack. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Pure Barre and how much I miss it!? Oh, no? Well I do! I wish that there was a studio here. I’ve done research on barre classes in the UK. There are a couple variations in London but that’s it. What.the.hell. Get with it!

Wednesday, September 30, 2015
It turned out to be one of those days. My Grandma is currently in the hospital (has been since Sunday) and it really hit me hard this day. I think that it was because I talked to my Mom (it is her Mom in the hospital) for a while and she told me the cute things that my Grandparents were saying about one another and to each other. My Grandparents have been married for 61 years and have been very fortunate with their health. Knowing that my Grandma is currently in pain, and separated from her husband makes me really sad. Being 3,000+ miles away, an ocean apart, makes me feel even sadder. I wish that I could be there to visit with her. I wish that I could help my Grandpa go and see her in the hospital. I know that sometimes they annoy each other to no end, but their love is real. They worry about one another and long for each other when the other is not there. Basically, Grandparents are the best! Make a point to call your grandparents, or better yet… go visit them! They will be over the moon to see you and will probably try to force feed you some homemade goodies. J

Thankfully the internet and cell phones exist these days, making it a lot easier to communicate with our loved ones. My Mom let me talk to my Grandma via FB Messenger and she said to me, “Oh my goodness. It sounds like you’re just in the next room!” She couldn’t believe that we were able to talk so easily despite the distance. If you pray, say a prayer for my Grandma, and if you don’t, send some good vibes her way. She could use them and I am forever thankful.

Since I wasn’t really feeling that up to do anything all day, I decided to read a book. When I say read a book, I don’t just mean that I read part of a book. I mean that I read the entire 800+ page book in one day.  (Thanks Accelerated Reader! Lol) The book of the day was called, “What Alice Forgot.” It is about a 39 year old woman that passes out during a spinning class. She hits her head extremely hard on the way down and wakes up thinking that she is 29. She literally lost 10 years of her life. If you like to read I suggest this book. I could not put it down! It also makes you think about what your life was like 10 years ago and how different things could be / feel. (She didn’t remember having her three children, she thought that she was still married (she was getting divorced at the time), and she couldn’t remember her best friend dying). I initially bought it for my Kindle thinking that it was a different book, but I am really happy about the mistake. It was a fantastic read that I highly recommend.

Thursday, October 1, 2015
October already? Where did the time go? I spotted my little cow kitty on the way to the gym. I’m convinced she has a home because she’s so clean, but she is definitely skinny. I need to buy some kitty food and make sure that I have it with me.

The gym was fine. I did my PB routine, extra arm weights, some more abs, and discovered they have the same trigger point therapy roller I have!! (Mine is still currently in SF… hopefully I’ll get around to having those bags shipped soon.) I SWEAR by these rollers… I’ve purchased 3. Lol They can seriously crack my back like nothing else can. It helps with my posture and sleeping better. Anyways, I used it three times while I was at the gym just because could. After my workout I tried to do some meditating in the sauna. It was definitely relaxing but got hot reaaaallllyyy quickly!

Jordan didn’t come home until 9:30PM tonight. Ugh. I miss him so much when he is at work and by the time he gets home he is pooped. He fell asleep before 11PM. That means we only actually get to spend 1.5 hours together a day. I know I shouldn’t complain because that’s more than lots of people get, but in a city where we don’t really know anyone else… it sucks. I want to travel. I want to see other places and other things. Yes, he says I can certainly go by myself to other cities to visit, but that is crappy for both of us. I don’t want to do it alone and I know that he’ll secretly be upset if I do go. It is a lose – lose situation. I think that both of us are ready for his work to slow down a bit. He tells me that the next week will be like this. I tell him that people cannot function properly when they’re expected to work 12 – 14 hour days, 7 days a week. No offense to his career, but they aren’t doctors. They aren’t nurses, or police officers. They’re space engineers that should be able to take breaks every now and then. For heaven’s sake, he should at least get one full day off a week to recharge. Even hospitality gives you that much! It is ludicrous.

Friday, October 2, 2015
I finished another book! It was called, “What She Left Behind.” It is a book that time hops from the 1920s to the late 1990s. A teenage girl, living with her foster parents that happen to be museum curators, stumbles upon a diary while they are perusing old luggage at an insane asylum in their town. She becomes determined to reunite the owner with the diary. The story is definitely a thriller that keeps you on your toes the entire time. Honestly, some parts scared me. I think this is because my imagination is extremely vivid and I am also extremely empathetic. Books can bring me to tears in an instant. (Yes, movies, tv shows, the news, even commercials all do too.) The book isn’t terribly long and makes you SO thankful that we live in the time we do, with the knowledge and freedoms that we have. After I finished the book I went to the gym.

I’m still not in love with the gym experience here. I do my own Pure Barre exercises each day and do my best to zone out as I do them. The problem is, when I open my eyes… people are clearly staring at me. I don’t know what it matters to them what exercises I’m doing. I am not staring at them as they workout… it doesn’t matter to me what they do. I did notice this time that there were at least 12 different personal training sessions going on. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen that many at once. It pained me to see a girl near me doing forearm planks as her “trainer” was not really paying attention. The poor girl was not holding the position correctly. The PB teacher in me so badly wanted to help her with her form. I believe that is my biggest hesitation with big gyms… they are not so keen on form, rather how many reps you can do, or how long you can do a specific exercise. This is probably why I won’t belong to this gym once my month membership is over.

When I left the gym I called my Mom. She was clearly upset. My Grandma was not doing well at all and was going to need surgery. I asked to speak with my Grandma. She sounded tired but was doing her best to remain positive. She told me that the Vicar was there and praying with her. That made me smile. The Vicar is new to her church and happened to perform the sermon when I had taken her to church most recently. She said that she needed prayers and still wanted to fight. I told her that I had been and would continue to pray for her. She said something that made me cry and I will never forget… “I hope I live to see you again.” It broke my heart. I couldn’t help but cry. I did my best to mask the sound of my voice and told her that I loved her. She said she loved me too and let me talk to my Mom again.

I walked home from the gym feeling the most lonely and sad that I have since I moved here. I wish more than anything that I could be in MI with my family, especially my Mom. She is such a strong, tough lady, but even she gets sad. I wish I was there to comfort her and be a shoulder for her to cry on. I truly am inspired by her every single day. I hope someday that I can be the role model she is to me to my very own daughter.

Saturday, October 3, 2015
My Mom’s birthday! Before I left for Scotland I hid a bottle of champagne and a card in her house. That way she would still have a present from me on her special day. Obviously, I wish that I was in MI celebrating with her, drinking that yummy champagne, but perhaps soon enough. It also happened to be MSU’s 100^th homecoming game! Luckily they won (just barely) – their 2^nd half performances have been shaky so far this season. Get it together, boys!

I finished another book called, “Mickey Outside.” It was a white collar crime thriller. It was a great read and just what I needed after my last book. I enjoyed the characters and the fact that it took place just a few years ago. I always try to find something to relate to in all of the books that I read, and this one did not disappoint. One of the main characters was from MI and was a diehard Tigers fan. It was an easy read and kept you reading to find out if they were successful or not in their scam!

For dinner I decided to once again make my version of fried rice. It consists of brown rice, scrambled eggs, broccoli, green beans, carrots, mushrooms, onions, salt, pepper, and of course butter! J As I was chopping up the produce to put in I had the sweetest memory come to mind. The last Saturday that I was in Michigan, I went to my Grandparent’s house to visit with them, eat dinner, and take my Grandma to church. My Grandma had homemade pulled pork for dinner with a yummy tomato and cucumber salad. As we sat down to eat she asked (slightly yelled so my Grandpa could hear), “John! Do you want some onion?” He looked up and said, “Yes, ma kettle.” (One of his terms of endearment for her). She happily cut a thiiiiiick onion slice for each of their sandwiches. It made me smile and brought a tear to my eye. (It was not the onions, promise).

My Grandma was supposed to have surgery earlier in the day, but they discovered she also had pneumonia on top of the other ailments she was having. This meant that her surgery would be pushed back until at least tomorrow. I honestly was somewhat thankful because I didn’t want my Mom to have to experience this on her birthday. Again, I still wish I was there to comfort her and to be with my Grandma. Every time I talk to my Mom I also ask about my Grandpa. I worry just as much about him too – he would be so lost without his Big Red.

Jordan had to work from 9AM – 1AM. I don’t know how he does it. My brain would be total mush after 12 hours. It makes me think back to my early days in food and beverage at The Princess. On Fridays and Saturdays I would work 8AM – 1AM and I still do not know how I did it. I guess because I was younger, and really wanted to round out my experience, but just thinking about it not hurts my feet and back. Man, it’s crazy what 5 years can change.

Sunday, October 4, 2015
Jordan left for work by 9:30AM. Seeing a pattern here? I have lots of time on my own. More than what I initially thought I would have. It leaves me lots of time to think and process emotions – sometimes this is a good thing, other times I think it is a bad thing. I woke to see my Mom had called and quite early for it being a Sunday morning. I called her back and she told me that my Grandma was in surgery. I asked, “How? They just determined she had pneumonia yesterday. How could she be stable enough for surgery today?!” She told me yes, she still had pneumonia and that she was also experiencing irregular heartbeats, along with blood clots they found in her legs. I cried again. How could my Grandma go from being fine not even a month ago, hell, even 10 days ago, to being so sick she needed surgery ASAP? This world doesn’t make sense to me.

She said that my Grandma would be in surgery for at least three hours and that post surgery they would keep her feeling comfortable and somewhat sedated for at least 24 hours. This would help her incisions to start healing, and for her body to have a chance to relax. I’ve always been SO thankful that my Mom is a nurse because whenever we get sick or have something wrong we can call her and talk. In this situation I almost wish that she wasn’t a nurse because she knows so much. She knows exactly what is happening, and it doesn’t allow for doctors sugar coating things. She has to be the translator to the world around her, and I feel like she just needs to be a daughter, a sister, and a mother. I wish so badly I was there with her.

She called again to tell me that the surgery went OK but that the next 48 hours are critical to my Grandma’s survival. She will remain in the ICU and will be monitored closely. She told me to keep praying and thinking about all the good times with my Grandma. This of course made me cry again. When I think about my Grandma I think about some of the silly stories she told as she got older. Ones that always made us blush and then laugh out loud. I think about her playing the piano at Christmas when I was a little kid. I think about all the times my brother and I played air hockey in her basement, or went “shopping” in her basement whenever we needed groceries or household goods in college. I remember her always crocheting afghans for people at church or family/friends that were expecting. I am going to keep thinking of all these positive memories, and pray for her recovery.

Monday, October 5, 2015
Backstory: our oven would not do anything and the handle was broken off. I sent a formal, but direct email requesting someone to come and fix it asap. Finally, one week later they sent someone to “fix” it. This is where the KathWrath kicks in. I open the door to see the kind maintenance man (who is probably 6’4” and maaaaaaaybe 165lbs) CARRYING a brand new oven up the stairs… all by himself! I felt horrible! I wanted to help but he refused. KathWrath for two reasons A. Why would they send someone to do this job on their own? Clearly he was struggling to move the damn oven on his own and probably hurt himself in the process. B. The landlord clearly KNEW our oven didn’t work when s/he rented the flat to us. How nice. What a jerk. Anyways, he successfully removed the old broken one, and installed the beautiful stainless steel one. Finally, I can make cookies!!

I started reading Outlanders. This is a book that Grandma Carole gave to Jordan and I on tape when we lived in AZ. He listened to the entire series in about two weeks. I tried and got motion sickness trying to understand their accents, visualize what was taking place, and drive at the same time. Anyways, this book once again time travels. I am not too far in, so this really isn’t spoiling anything for anyone, but WHY does she have to get separated from her husband?! That is one of my biggest fears. It bothers me and makes me sad to read about someone experiencing such a major loss. I am going to keep reading but I’m currently not sold on this book.

Once I did my morning reading time I went to the gym. It was a little chillier than normal so I decided to wear one of my coats on top of a zipup hoodie, and my amazing furry hat. To continue that visual I was wearing my favorite purple lulu wunderunders, and my gray / neon orange Nikes. I was definitely a looker to say the least. Lol I was almost all the way there when all of a sudden two creeoy dudes in a white utility van cat called me! I laughed to myself and then said outloud, “It doesn’t matter what city, country, or even continent you are on. Men are still pigs.” The young guy walking past me shot me a dirty look and kept walking. Guess what buddy? I stand by what I said.

Post gym session I had setup a series of mini treatments at their in-house spa. I was having a scalp massage, back massage, hand, and foot treatments. Wow… was it ever relaxing. I tried to meditate the whole time, but my brain kept trying to remember what she was doing so I could do it to Jordan when he got home. The scalp massage was amazing. That relaxed my entire body almost instantly. I would definitely go back again. I think that part of being healthy is also making sure that your muscles, joints, and skin is taken care of. It shouldn’t be called pampering or considered a luxury. It is routine maintenance that we all need and deserve.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015
We finally got the Internet hooked up! #firstworldproblem After the gentleman was done setting up our wifi, I went to Lupe Pintos Deli. I scored two cans of black beans, Jordan’s favorite hot sauce, the most amazing, salty tortilla chips, corn tortillas, and some A&W root beer. I was headed to the gym when I decided to call Jordan. He said, “I’m just leaving work. I’ll meet you at the bank in 15 minutes.” I was confused because I did not know that we were going to the bank that day. (This is something that we NEED to do together and his work schedule is pretty limited based on their hours.) This was a slight annoyance to both of us – I was convinced he didn’t tell me, and he was convinced I just forgot. Regardless of who was right, I met him at the bank.

We got there at 3:45PM and they closed at 4:30PM. The lady proceeded to inform us, “Oh, you can’t just add her to the account. You’ll need to make an appointment for that.” We were both really confused because there were multiple tellers working and no one else in line. Why couldn’t they just help us then? She continued, “Well, this is something that requires an appointment and the earliest we have here is next week. I could see if I could schedule you one at another branch for sooner.” Talk about a KathWrath… OMG. Why does everything here have to be so challenging?! How can you want to have customers / members at your bank if you cannot even get them appointments in the same week? I find it completely absurd. We scheduled an appointment for Saturday at 9AM. You better believe that I’ll be there at 8:30AM waiting, so that this cannot be screwed up.

We left there and I decided that we needed groceries. I came home to pick up the reusable bags and made my way to Lidl. Since I was making Mexican food for dinner that night I needed some supplies. Lidl kind of scared me the first time we went in there. It was really crowded, they sold an odd assortment of items, and it appeared that the stock was never replenished. After some research I discovered that they are the same company as Aldi. Thinking about how Adlis are setup and the products they sell helped me love Lidl. They offer name brands, their store brands, and TONS of fresh flowers each day. I was and still am sold.

I came home with two fuuuuull bags of groceries and got to work. Guacamole is a labor of love I tell you, but I was determined to make it. The guacamole we’ve had here in pubs and restaurants is less than stellar. There are never any tomatoes, jalapenos, or cilantro in it. It’s basically just mushed avocados, onion, and the tiniest bit of garlic. YUCK. I figured that if we had homemade versions of Chiptole bowls that would satisfy our craving. Boy was I right! We ate every last bit on our plates and then did the dishes together. I love that we do that together. Might seem strange, but it is a fun time that we just get to chit chat, clean up, and one of us always ends of getting towel whipped.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015
I did my morning routine of reading and then went to the gym. There weren’t any locks to be checked out which slightly annoys me (why offer them if you don’t have enough) so I carried my bag around with me. It doesn’t bother me that much but clearly is an annoyance to other gym patrons. Oh well!

In the evening Jordan and I had our very first Ex-Pat meetup! I was nervous but excited! This would be my first real chance to meetup with other people that aren’t from here. The event was at a pub not too far from where we live and started at 8PM. I didn’t want to be the first people to arrive so we showed up at 8:30PM. The first 5 minutes were awkward. We didn’t know anyone and most people appeared to be much older than us. We got two beers and went back to the group. By that time a few other people our age had arrived. We spoke with them all evening and made some really great connections! It is so funny the questions that people ask Americans. They loved talking to us about food and television. This was great for me because those are two of my favorite topics! My new favorite friend is a guy from Poland, Bogdan. He seriously loves all the same shows that I do… his #1 is Parks & Recreation! He said he’d marry Amy Poehler. I knew the dude was cool, but once he said that I knew we’d be good friends. He told us that concerts are a pretty big deal here and we should see what ones are coming up. Him and Jordan hit it off because they are both engineers. (I came home and looked up concerts… Dave Matthews Band AND Mumford & Sons in the next two months. OMG. This is awesome!)

The meetup event was really fun and took both Jordan and I a little out of our comfort zones which is exactly what we needed. I will definitely go back and have signed up for a few other groups. I found one for Ladies Only (they do lots of coffee dates, and dinners – yes, please!), a bowling group (channeling my inner Sam Darling), and an Arts & Crafts one. I am excited to meet more people and make new friends!
Thursday, October 8, 2015
I was not feeling the gym when I woke up aka perhaps I had one too many Joker IPAs at the meetup event. lol I read a little bit in Outlander and decided I really wanted microwave popcorn. There was one slight problem with my craving… we don’t own a microwave. I figured whatever, I’ll just go buy some pre-popped stuff from Lidl since it’s literally a 2 minute walk from our doorstep.

Maybe it’s the Marion in me, or maybe it’s the Margaret in me, but I love looking around the entire store and I LOVE deals! As I’m walking up and down the aisles that sell homegood items what did I discover?! Microwaves! That’s right, the big guy upstairs was looking out for me and they were selling microwaves ON SALE! It was kind of like winning the lottery. Now remember, I walked to Lidl but I don’t have a car, or even a cart to transport items in other than carrying them. Do you think that stopped me? NO! I bought that dang microwave, and some other random food items and carried that sucker home. One lady even stopped me and asked me how far I had been carrying that because she was impressed. Let me say, I was impressed with myself. That thing was HEAVY!

I got it home, took it out of the package, took off all the wrappings / coverings and made popcorn. Sweet, sweet success.

For dinner that evening I decided we’d have homemade burgers. Making them took me back to my days working in the halfway house at the Saginaw Country Club. I seriously made 15 – 20 burgers on a busy day. I thought I was such a badass when I made them. People actually enjoyed them and complimented me on them. I was always destined to love food, and beverages of course. I know the saying is happy wife, happy life, but in this case it was all about my husband. Making him happy, and seeing him enjoy a true, home cooked meal was what it was all about. I guess it did make me pretty happy too.

Friday, October 9, 2015
I woke up and realized, carrying that microwave may have been a mistake. I could not straighten my arms this morning without flinching. Seriously, my biceps must have ripped yesterday when I did that. To quote the fabulous Miss Ronda Russey, “I’m not a do nothin’b*tch.” Lesson learned.

I needed to send something to the good ‘ole USA for my love so I ventured to the post office. What an experience that was! I was informed that I need to write USA on all mail, and that anything being sent there must be individually weighed. That is annoying to me. I wanted to buy a roll of stamps like I’m used to in America but since each item must be weighed I couldn’t. It is like they want to trap you into having to come back to their store each day. While I was there I bought a postcard and sent it to Sam. I know if I was 9 years old, getting mail from another country would have been the coolest thing ever!

I was literally in the post office for MAYBE 10 minutes and by the time I was ready to leave it was pouring rain. I mean like, soak you to the bone rain. Luckily I chose NOT to wear my moccasins and remembered to wear my raincoat. I found a new gym on the way home… Pure Gym. I saw an advertisement for one of these and was instantly drawn to it based solely on name. Pure Barre is the best thing ever and my name means pure. I love all the little connections. Come to find out, this location has only been open for a few days and they’re running a special right now for 10.99#s per month. Oh my goodness, yeesssss, please! That is a steal compared to the other gym I’m at right now. Not only is it less expensive, it is significantly closer to our flat. I cannot wait to join there!

Jordan came home around 7PM but still had at least an hour left of work so I made us a fruit and cheese platter. I’m getting really good at these babies! We devoured it and I started looking at flights to Dublin, London, and Paris. These are three cities I would like to go to soon and are really accessible since we’re so close in location. Currently Ryanair is running a special for Dublin. I could fly round trip for 75#s (all fees, taxes, and bags included in that price). I am eager to do this but Jordan more than likely cannot come because of work. Again, I want to go but I know he will be sad if I do without him. I also do not like the fact that his work is dictating my life so much. Ahhh, the married life. Lol We’ll figure it out soon enough. I have faith in the situation.

I spoke with my Mom and my Grandma is having a better day today. She’s still in the hospital, but today she is stable. It seems that every day is different and our emotions are on a rollercoaster ride. Please say a prayer for her, or send the best vibes possible her way. She is a true fighter told me she wants to live to see me have a baby. If that isn’t some motivation, I don’t know what is. Haha She still has her sense of humor, and I think that is a great thing!

Tomorrow I have my appointment at the bank to setup an account. HOPEFULLY this time works out because I’m really starting to become annoyed with their operation procedures here. The lack of customer service is upsetting. After my appointment I plan to do laundry, and then head to the gym. In the evening we are heading out to the West End of Glasgow for drinks with some of Jordan’s co-workers. It should be fun!

I promise to post more frequently. I doubt you all have 2 hours to sit here and read my novels. I appreciate your time SO very much and hope you all have a wonderful Friday and even better weekend.

Cheers,
Katie