Can I have a word … about adverse weather conditions.

Am I the only one who finds the UK’s inability to deal with adverse weather conditions ridiculous and a little embarrassing?

Tuesday I woke up to a light covering of snow! I love snow. No really… and we don’t get to see it to often here on the Wirral. In fact, I can’t remember when. The last time there was snow that actually stayed on the ground was when we got our first snow just before Christmas. I was so excited. I went to my usual four hour shift volunteering at a hospital across the water in Liverpool. Getting there was a nightmare in itself. I bought my usual day ticket which should get me all the way to hospital and home again. The bus was of course running late but I can handle that:  it was snowing. When I arrived in Liverpool it became clear that the bus company wasn’t running its usual service up to the hospital. Rather odd, I thought, given that there was literally just a dusting of snow on the ground. The roads were pretty much ok. Anyways, no big deal. I bought my second ticket and arrived at the hospital about 30 minutes late.

The snow kept falling. I was enjoying watching it from the staff room windows as I was taking down the Christmas tree and packing it away, ready for someone to find next December. A lot of the staff had not made it into work and things were perhaps a little stretched. There was a shortage of bed linen and baby blankets because the hospitals laundry is outsourced and the delivery hadn’t been able to get through. We were all vearing from “oh my isn’t this pretty” … “I’ve never seen it like this before” to “OMG I am not sleeping here tonight” … “how am I going to get home??” People around here don’t have too much experience driving in snow and stories abound of crashes and people slipping off the roads. Some moterways by us were closed, the news informed us. That’s going to make you nervous. By about 2 pm it became clear I was going to have to leave early to stand a chance of getting home on public transport. At this point we’re talking maybe 2 – 3 inches on the ground. The office where I sign out was shut as the occupants having already gone home due to “adverse weather conditions”.  Parents were getting calls (from their kids not the schools!) as all over the region schools were shutting down. Announcements were made on the radio/TV, which is not much help if you work in a hospital and are by and large far to busy to even think about TV.  I repeat 2-3 inches! All the buses had stopped. There was only one way left to get safely across the river Mersey and that’s pray that the trains are still running and thank my lucky stars that I brought my purse with me today because I usually don’t. An hour of queuing later, I finally have a ticket and make it into the relative warmth of the underground station. There is no information on train times and all I’m hearing about are cancellations. Another hour wait just for a train going in the right direction and I’m hoping you’ll agree with me. This is REDICULOUS! 2- 3 inches people!!!

The train was so packed people can hardly breathe. A lady not too far from me is screaming that her baby is being squashed and falling fast into an all out panic attack “GET ME OFF THE TRAIN. I JUST WANT TO GET OFF!!!” Did anyone wait? Nope.  She waited two stops before we were able to get her out and onto the platform clutching this small child. I would have got off with her to check she was ok but I couldn’t move even if I tried. As it was I barely got out in time at my own stop after much shouting that hay there is someone here who needs out. I’m only 5 foot 1 and I’m not joking when I say I spent that journey unable to see sandsquwished between some guys crotch and some dudes tits… being short is a pain in the ass!

I left the hospital at 2pm and made it home about 5.45pm. Our local council has run out of grit/salt, so none of the roads by are being treated at all. Schools have been closed since Tuesday. Universities are closed till Monday. There’s been no postal deliveries (caused by weather or strike action… I dunno which).  It’s a nightmare! KM is holding me captive because he’s convinced if I go out I’m going to break my neck.

2-3 inches!!!!!!!!  Do we need to rethink something … I THINK SO!  How are we running out of grit!? It’s not like we get snow that often.

This is about the third year now that the UK or parts of it have been shut down by “the wrong type of snow”. Perhaps we need to think about a PLAN to deal with it??!  People all over the world must be looking over here and laughing themselves silly at all the panic. And I wouldn’t blame them. It’s stoopid.

I havn’t even been able to take pictures or make a snowman *pout*

Cabin fever!

Ali xX

Wish upon a star.

Snooooow!! It’s white,  it’s cold, it’s falling from the sky… ooooo so its pretty. It has me singing “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” (out of tune) and giggling.

I was already starting to feel better this Christmas Eve Eve. Been out shopping. We have everything we need for Christmas plus  a few little treats  and I’m not saying I’m over my issues from the other day, but its getting easier and I’m looking forward to a nice day on the 25th.

Then this happened. Weeeeeee!! I’ve been wanting snow for months – oh since about the first time Gadget Guy started grumbling about how awful it is because he has far too much of the stuff. It makes for wonderful pictures. Totally <3 his neighborhood lol. I’ve been pleading with him to send me some snow, not that he has any control over these things but ya know …

We can’t remember the last time we had snow here. We’re right on the coast. It never usually gets cold enough and if we do get a few flakes it never actually stays on the ground. I’m from Scotland, though. They get snow up there and I have missed it. I flung my front door open to rush out and enjoy. Love the crunch crunch crunch of fresh unspoiled snow. To be outside when it’s still falling is just magical.

Perhaps some kind of sign? A Christmas miracle?  I can hear my friend yelling GLOBAL WARMING!  but I couldn’t not feel Christmassy out there in the snow tonight  I got my wish ….. We have SNOW.

Ali xX

Journey time

One of the things I’ve promised myself is that when I get back on my feet and actually have one of those job things I will NO longer travel by coach. I’ll pay the extra (even if this sometimes means the fare is doubled) and take the flipping train. This weekend I travelled back home to Scotland for an important occasion and due to the ever present budget issues that come with long term unemployment.  The only way I was going to get up there was buying the budget coach ticket and gritting my teeth for the journey. These are the kinds of things you do for really important people in your life and I don’t regret going one bit, but after this mammoth trip I swear I went to bed that night and I had a dream… a dream of a time when train travel once again became affordable and punctual,  a dream where I had a job and could afford to book a train ticket without agonizing over the cost vs. comfort question. Oh boy it was wonderful. Let me explain: the coach trip from Liverpool to my final Scottish destination takes just under 9 hours. Yes, NINE.  I could fly to from here to Chicago in that time – I know I’ve done it.  Do you know how much it winds me up that what should be a 4-5 hour drive ends up taking up as much of my time as a FLIGHT TO THE USA? Aherm… and I LOVE Scotland and all… I really do… but you know which trip I’d rather be making. Yeah, I love Scotland. NINE HOURS THOUGH!

My train trip fantasies also have the added advantage of more leg room – ability to get up and stretch my legs for even a few minutes because you legally have to be strapped in with a seatbelt the entire time.  The entire time… that is unless of course you need to relieve yourself and you find that you’re starting to wonder if they even have a bathroom on this bus. Push that thought out of your mind for God sakes. Cross your legs. Think of desserts and cream crackers and all things dry. Bite your tongue and hold it because, trust me, you do not want to discover the answer to that “do they have bathroom” question unless you REALLY REALLY have NO OTHER OPTION.  There’s only one thing worse than seeking out the bathroom and that’s being the poor bugger sat near to the thing because – trust me – the smell finds you in a huge waft every time the door is opened and you start to seriously hate those inconsiderate passengers who might need to pee during the course of nine hours… actually shuddering with fear and trying to brace your nose for the tidal wave type assault you know is coming as soon as that little flimsy door is opened.  *gag*

Of course we have to be grateful for small mercies:  the rest stop! A twenty minute break at a service station somewhere in the Lake District to grab some cold food (no hot food allowed on board) and a chance to join the stampede towards the Holy Grail: a proper toilet that flushes and everything!  On this particular occasion, my rest stop was anything but restful. Having left my bits and bobs including my jacket on board, I wandered over to the service station building and casually remarked to a fellow pilgrim… umm… passenger how glorious the sunshine was today. I mean actually short sleeve t-shirt hot.  Big mistake. HUGE MISTAKE. 10 minutes later there I am in the overpriced for a captive audience shop searching for a butter free sandwich (ok butter is a huge phobia of mine. My bad) when I become aware of this noise. It sounds like rain on the roof… but it can’t be. It was sunny not 10 minutes ago… and this is a loud noise deafening. That’s a lot of rain. Yep, I got to the door to discover we’d been lured inside unprotected because of the evil promise of a sunny afternoon and now EVERYONE is crammed into this tiny doorway staring in disbelief at the torrential downpour. I mean, the car park was covered and flooded in minutes.  It was a cruel cruel joke and as the clock ticked down towards the immoveable leaving time. I knew I was going to have to get VERY wet or get left behind… RUUUUUUUN !

I got drenched. Wet right through with 4 hours at least left to sit and stew in my sodden clothes, just to ram the point home. When in the Lake District, ALWAYS take your fu**ing jacket. The coach was back on the road and filled with a stream of 50 drying passengers and 5 minutes later the sun is back out shining bright in the sky and laughing at our naivety for presuming it might stick around for 20 minutes to allow us a “comfort” break. Lesson learned.

I’ve said it already: I love Scotland. I’m Scottish. I love Scotland in the unconditional way I love family. Even when the place pisses me off, I still care. Even if we don’t see each other for ages. Even if I have grown up and moved away. I’ll always go back, I have to visit and gawd help you NOBODY gets to dis my Scotland but me and of course the other members of the human race who can proudly claim they come from the land of such culinary icons as haggis, Iron Bru and the deep fried Mars Bar (yes they exist. In my experience only an Englishman  actually eats one!)  I always forget just how much I miss the place until I cross the border on a return journey. The mountains grow and (usually) the black clouds and the rain rolls in. Welcome to Scotland… oh how I miss thee.

I’d move back tomorrow, but sadly KM being as proudly English as I am Scots (uh huh we bicker a lot)  I don’t see it happening anytime soon..

I arrived safely in Perth at the appointed time and as if by magic through the sun and the showers a pretty pretty rainbow to welcome me and I may have just been hallucinating after NINE hours on a bus sat next to a lovely lady dressed head to foot in the brightest pink I have ever seen, but I swear I heard a soundtrack of the Hallelujah Chorus as we pulled in and that bus door opened… Freedom!

Laugh now, but I am determined to see the day when I can afford to take the train is coming… oh yes!

Ali xX

Hot hot hot.

I am not coping well with the heat at all.  We have had a few really wonderful days that you could actually classify as summer and by God it’s killing me. It all started with the crazy amount of sunburn that turned my neck and arms the most embarrassing shade of “Brit on holiday lobster red” when we were at the beach all because someone was too busy making sure KM actually wore a hat so that he didn’t get the sun on his… aherm… less that well covered pale skinned scalp and therefore avoided sun stroke and a few days of lying on the sofa in a “man who’s sick and wanting sympathy daze”. Success in this area for the first time since I have known the guy (8 years now). He actually went out in the sunshine all day without keeling over from heat stroke or puking his guts up at the end of it. Do I hear a “woot woot”? I think so! Only in this process of nagging, bribing, cajoling, bla bla muggings here forgot her own sun cream. D’oh! Now my bra straps are reminding me of my stoopidity every time I move. It stings it burns uugh!  I feel a fool and KM has far too much “that will teach you to stop nagging” ammunition.

On a short walk into a local village today to run some errands, the air was so close and sticky. I’m really struggling to breathe. Now don’t get me wrong: I’m unfit. I know it, but this was worse than usual. I actually thought I was going to pass out a couple of times on the way back. I was hit with horrid horrid pelvic pain. So much so, that KM is pushing me into a local pub just so I can sit down. This walk usually takes me about 20 minutes and here I am dying in the local bar. It’s not period pain, I know that much.  It doesn’t feel the same but dam hurts and always suddenly takes me by surprise. Very puzzling. Let’s step back from how melodramatic this sounds for a second and tell you that it did, in fact, pass after about ten minutes. Then I was walking the rest of the way home like nothing happened. I’m totally fine today. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I would say I imagined it.

Sleep is hard for me at the best of times, but in this overheated exhausted frustrated mess I can tell you I am no fun to be around. Tossing and turning like a mad woman just trying to find some way to be somewhat comfortable so I can catch up on the sleep I so desperately needed. And this leads me to another pondering. You see, I am prone to dreaming and usually I remember such things, be they harmless stupid things or full out nightmarish style flashbacks, but I have noticed this trend recently that when I can’t sleep because of the heat for some reason the dreams seem to get a lot more off the wall screwed up. Yesterday is a prime example: I woke up from some nightmare involving Avenue Q, Michael Jackson’s Thriller and some weird alien that gave birth to *my* child but presented me with a half formed fetus… all very bizarre and quite horrifying… till I woke up, that is. Anyway, the actual dream is beside the point. I’m left wondering is there some reason that I seem to be more affected by the heat? It is less deep sleep. Or was I just exhausted and that made things worse…or am i just weird?

Anyways, it all got sorted out last night by the most wonderfully loud thunderstorm and torrential rain that passed right over our house in under an hour… but it sure cleared the air! That and, well, I love storms and always find it easier to fall asleep listening to the heavy rain and thunder. I did get my sleep in the end. I shouldn’t complain too much. It’s not like we see a lot of summer round these parts. You know what the most confusing part of it all is?  It’s not like its even THAT hot over here. I’ve been exposed to MUCH MUCH higher temperatures across the pond and never had so much trouble. It’s all very puzzling.

Ali xX

Out in the rain.

Feeling soo much better today mainly thanks to a great night’s sleep… my only problem is I’m still really struggling with eating.

I said I had things to tell you yesterday so let’s start there. I had planned to go out yesterday and have some “me time” (for “have some me time” you should read “do some shopping”) but when it came down to it I was really exhausted and so I didn’t actually get organized till about three. This meant that I would have just got to the shops as they were about to close – a fairly pointless endeavor. Instead Kayak Man very generously offered to take me to the movies and even conceded that we could see one of “my” movies.  He did leave me slightly worried when given the choice between “Duplicity” and “Young Victoria”, he actually chose my third option: “Confessions of a Shopaholic”. Whoa… who are you and what did you do with my oh-so-very-macho-manly Kayak Man. you might think I’m being offensive here, but really I’m not. He would agree with me. He is a man who acts like a man, showing no interest at all in shopping… really none. Hmm when I think of it like that and then realize how much he still agrees to go shopping with me… awwww…  I don’t know what was going on with his film selection but anyhow off we went.

Hunger strikes on the journey!! This is fantastic news. I’ve really missed that feeling, the one that reminds you to eat something. I hadn’t been able to do it all day, not for lack of trying I might add.  I just look at food and it makes my stomach turn. When I’m in a phase like this I do not ignore hunger, so a deal was reached:  he got 2 tickets to see “Watchmen” and I got the best burger I’ve eaten in ages! I also found out that I totally can drink milk…and it’s yummy if you add crushed up Oreo cookies that is! (Hay don’t laugh at me… it was news to me. usually milk, even milkshakes, only lead to one thing and that’s activation of my gag reflex).  It was a mark of just how hungry I was that I finished the whole meal at least 5 minutes before the bloke opposite me (the guy who actually thinks being in an eating challenge would be FUN).  In his very words, I INHALED that burger. What’s more, I topped it off with waffle and ice cream for dessert… yes… yes I know i should be ashamed.  This meal was soooo bad for me – totally packed with all the things I shouldn’t be eating and I would feel suitably ashamed and embarrassed. honest I would except I hadn’t had a full meal in a couple of  days, so if I’ve got to be naughty to convince my body it WANTS to eat, naughty is what I will be!  It was gooooood 

Much better than “Watchmen”. Ok don’t get me wrong. It’s not that the film was bad. It was fun, entertaining, had some good fighting some sexy great costumes, lots of interesting special effects… But I just can’t rave about it the way many of the men in my life do. I found a lot of the scene’s just awkward  as comic book stories go there are better I believe (I’m going purely off the movies. it has to be said I never have read comic’s ) and overall the film just somehow felt… too long!  I’m sure this opinion might make me somewhat unpopular and, in fairness, my judgment could be jaded by the fact that I came out of the theatre with the most awful headache as I mentioned last night.

I found it so hard to get out of bed today … it was just too blinking comfy in there. I love mornings like this when I wake up feeling rested and peaceful, no worrying about anything. Wonderful! But I did get up. Oh yes! I went to the beach today. I absolutely love water. I could stand and watch it for ages in all weather, so despite the cold, the wind and dark skies that delivered a considerable amount of rain, I had the best time just walking, taking pictures…  letting the fresh air blow the cobwebs away – lol … listening to the sound of the waves and watching the occasional ferry go by. Ok, Ok, giggling at Kayak Man splashing around in the rock pools with his full length waders on. That was fun too I can’t deny. The only downside: sheeks this place is seasonal. It’s so sad to see the cafes and ice cream shops with there shutters down, the rides silent and motionless.  It just adds to the bleak feeling created marvelously by the British Weather. The place felt a little… lifeless, but then most people are smart enough to stay indoors when the wind is helpfully blowing the rain in your face.

I’ve added the pictures I took today to my Flickr if you’re interested

Hmmm what else… oh yes got my vitamins all stocked up today, reconnected with a very good friend. Must not forget to call the doctor tomorrow morning!

Ali xX

K.S. I love being out in the rain… when its properly raining not the measly half hearted stuff… the real nosy forceful showers!