Brit Gal in the USA

Counting down

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:45:00 +0000

Well I am entering my last week as a school secretary tomorrow. For the past week I have been training my replacement and doing things around here for the final time. I can already tell I maybe a tad emotional when I finally say goodbye a week on Tuesday!

This week is going to be busy, I have two school Christmas parties and my new employer very kindly invited me to their Christmas lunch as well. Tomorrow a colleague at work is cooking me a mexican lunch as her gift to me and we will all get to enjoy it. So healthy eating maybe a problem this week! I just finished baking Sticky Toffee Pudding for one of the parties, my final gift to my colleagues who loved it after I made it once before.

The kids are starting to realise I am leaving and as they come up and hug me and tell me they will miss me, it's getting harder everytime.

And then the little funnies you get with kids happen and remind me why I have loved this job for four years.

Last week I decided to dress for the season and wore bright red lipstick one day. As I left a classroom I heard a third grader say to his teacher "Miss Sarah has ALOT of lipstick on today!". It was very tempting to go back and kiss him on the cheek, but his teacher and I got a big giggle out of it.

I have a feeling I am going to be needing a hankie!

Lost in translation!

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:22:00 +0000

So the other day I had to get hold of a parent after her child puked. I tried calling her to no avail and the child informed me she was now working nights.

So I reverted to the next contact his aunt, also a parent at the school, this was our conversation (names changed for privacy).

Me: "Hi Jo, I have been trying to get hold of Ann because John has been sick and we need him picked up. As you're the next contact and I can't get her, I am calling you"

Jo: "Ok no problem"

Me: "Would you mind coming for him, or do you think you could send someone around to knock Ann up"

Dead silence for about 5 seconds, whilst we both absorbed what I'd said.

Me: "Oh my gosh Jo that's not what I mean't, that has a whole different meaning in England!"

Jo: Trying to speak through laughter "omg don't worry I knew you didn't mean that"

Me: "I am so sorry" also laughing

Jo: "Oh no you just made my day, I'll send Jim to get him"

Me: Bright red with mortification!!

A change is gonna come

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:22:00 +0000

Well there's a good reason I have been silent.

You know when there's something exciting afoot that you can't share, it tends to be all you can think about and that makes blogging kind of tough. Well that's been me for the past 6 weeks because......

I HAVE A NEW & EXCITING JOB!!!!

I have loved my current job as an Elementary School Secretary over the past few years and it gave me a perfect transition into the American workplace. But back in England I was very much an ambitious career woman and I am ready to restart my career, using skills I have the school doesn't need from me. So it was time for a change, plus the Hubster is ready for a more significant contribution to the bank account!

I saw my new job advertised, realized I had previous experience in England that offered the skills they were needing. So I applied, I interviewed, I got it and as it's not the kind of job that will probably come up again in this area, I was over the moon.

The main city in our tri-state area is building a brand new state of the art Conference Center (architect drawing above) and I am going to be an Event Coordinator for it.

It's over 29,000 square foot and will accommodate approximately 650 people in a round table event, 1200 in a lecture type seating, 110 booth spaces, and 75 people in the three training rooms, acting as a hub for multi-purpose conference and education facilitating.

I have given notice at the school and am due to start a month before the building is finished, probably December sometime. I will be an employee of the city Tourism Bureau and that means lots of involvement in promoting the area and events to attend and help plan.

This is a first for the area and I am so chuffed they have decided they want me as part of their team for this exciting project.

Saying goodbye to the school, my colleagues and the kids will be hard and no doubt require some kleenex, but this was an opportunity I just could not turn down.

So now the secret is out, I'll be blogging again!

Teaching 'British'

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:52:00 +0000

Well I got to do something really fun on Monday night, our High School play this year is a Sherlock Holmes skit and they nearly all have to speak with a British accent. So when I was asked to help the students get the accent, I was delighted to help out.

It's not easy trying to help someone sound British, especially when you don't really 'hear' your own accent. So I concentrated on the difference in vowel pronunciations, speaking slower, more clearly and enunciating every letter.

It was a real giggle for all of us, I took them in small groups and read through the lines with them. I got them to watch my mouth closely as I spoke as apparently Brits do not open their mouths as wide as Americans when they speak and we repeated problem words until they improved.

At first they were typical self-conscious teenagers, but then we started to have fun and they relaxed and got better. It was amazing how speaking slower and saying the whole word clearly actually made them sound more British.

I felt most sorry for the young lad playing Jeeves. He was the first one told he needed to spend time with me and I hated to tell him Jeeves was an iconic character who spoke very 'posh'. We persevered and he did improve but it was a real struggle for him.

I did have a success with one of the young girls though. Her teacher commented during the rehearsal afterards that she now really sounded British and was too timid to even try before my intervention. Overall I think they all went away with an understanding of how to sound more British and there was definite improvement.

I also left them with the perfect warm-up word before they go on stage - Water, pronouned war-terr by Brits, rather than the American wadda.

I can't wait to see how they do in November.

Because it works!

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 16:53:00 +0000

I started back on Weight Watchers this past Monday, using their etools program as the closest meeting is 30 minutes from me.

Weight Watchers has had alot of press coverage recently after coming out top on a couple of 'weighty' surveys as the best weight loss plan out there. I also think Jennifer Hudson has been their best celebrity endorsement ever, as she seems approachable, somewhat normal and now looks amazing.

I can vouch for their claim as this won't be my first time, in the past I have not only lost 40lbs but also not been hungry, food obsessed or miserable. The truth is it just works, but the harder part is sticking to it.

But I have finally reached that critical age (45) where it has dawned on me that if I want to live a long healthy life with the Hubster and not bankrupt us with medical costs for knee replacements etc, then I need to lose the weight for good. It's kind of been an awakening and it's all about my age and seeing so many heavy older people having health issues I am headed for without an intervention now.

So actually I am quietly confident this time. I have a good life and I want to be here to enjoy it for many years to come to it's fullest.

So I am putting it out here that I am aiming for 105lbs weightloss, I have gained 35 since that picture over there with the Hubster was taken! You may still think surely she doesn't need to lose that much, well first off I am tall and the weight is spread evenly all over so I carry it. Secondly to be in healthy range I actually need to lose 85lbs but I want to be skinny slim for the first time in my life and get to wear clothes I have only ever dreamed about.

I will add a little weight loss tracker somewhere here to keep me accountable to any of you that want to comment and I may occasionally blog about major milestones. I am going to take it in 25lb segments and my first target is 30lbs by Christmas and since Monday I have lost 5lbs for a great start.

Finally if any of you are using Weight Watchers Online and would like to add me as a friend on there, please email me at sukie175@hotmail.com.

I need all the help and support I can get :-)

Fun in Texas

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 10:52:00 +0000

On Saturday morning the Hubster was reading the local paper when I heard him holler from the kitchen in disappointment. It turned out the Bellamy Brothers were playing just 50 miles up the road in Texas that night and he would have wanted to go. I told him to call the venue, so he did and we got the second to last pair of tickets for the show.

So Saturday night turned into a great date night unexpectedly. We both smartened up, had dinner at the best steakhouse in our area and then saw a world class act in a smalltown venue.

What a great show and we were just a few rows back to enjoy it. The Bellamy Brothers have had many hits over the years but perhaps the most famous are Redneck Girl, If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me and their most famous song, Let Your Love Flow.

They were great entertainment but best of all it was just down the road for us, and living where we do that's a rare treat believe me.

Remembrance

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 17:53:00 +0000

"We never need to forget 9/11. Keeping these 9/11 remembrance quotes near to our hearts is important. We should not allow this fateful day to slip from our memory. In the words of Former President George W. Bush: "These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of America's resolve."

Like many, we are spending our day in quiet remembrance of victims and heroes.

Giving you what you want!

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:08:00 +0000

So I was looking at my blog stats the other night and noticed that the second highest read post I have ever written was made up mostly of pictures of a near naked Matthew McConaughey.

I then took a look at my highest rated 'Keyword Searches' and this is what I got:

brit gal 185
matthew mcconaughey naked 148
brit gal in the usa 135
bwotd 91
storm chasing vehicle 44
storm chaser car 40
brit gal usa 29

So just to keep everybody happy, here is apparently my perfect blog post -

An oldie but a goldie BWOTD (Brit Word of the Day):

Chuffed = being very pleased or happy about something

"I am very chuffed with my discerning blog readers"

and finally......

Enjoy :-)

Have you ever looked at your stats, you might want to check before you have a sneaky giggle at mine?

Happy things

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:59:00 +0000

I think it's crucial to surround yourself with things that make you smile inside your home. So I thought over the next few weeks I'd share a few of the things I have that just make me happy whenever I notice them.

This summer I decided it was time to replace the Hubsters long lasting reliable Corelle tableware with something that would bring me pleasure whenever I used it. So I used birthday money to start off a collection of ..... Fiestaware.

If you were to come into my home you'd guess pretty quickly that I love colour and use it liberally everywhere. When we bought our home it was a standard cream throughout, but now every room is a different color and I mean colour not some faint touch of colour. I can admire the cool creamy perfection of monochrome homes from a distance, but I wouldn't want to live in it, it's just too bland for me personally.

So Fiestaware was just a natural choice for me, I adore the vibrancy of the colours available and the different effects you can create with all the combinations. If you are also a fan of Fiestaware or just beautiful tableware, then you NEED to go HERE for some major inspiration on table settings from a fabulous blog.

Some collectors of Fiestaware stick with one or two colours and get a full dinner service that all matches, but that wasn't for me, I like to mix and match to my hearts content.

So now when I open the cupboard doors to reach for a dish, this is the joyful splash of colour that just makes me smile everytime.

And the big added bonus - MADE IN THE USA.

Gains and Losses - Pt. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 10:00:00 +0000

So as I celebrate the first anniversary of becoming an American this week, here is a sometimes irreverent look at the things I have gained by moving to the USA and Okieland in particular.

The Gains:

Cowboy hats and boots are now just a part of my wardrobe. I can go out in a Cowboy hat here and nobody will assume I am a) at a hen-night (bachelorette party), b) gay or c) attending a fancy dress party. And I love Cowboy boots, not only are some gorgeous but they're also comfortable and practical.

I have the right to shoot someone if they enter my home illegally and uninvited. I can even say to them "C'mon make my day" in my best Clint voice as I shoot them and not get into trouble, because it's known as the 'make my day' law - bizarre but oddly comforting. Now if I just knew how to shoot the gun.....

I can go off and leave my home unlocked and more than likely it will remain unharmed even a week later, probably in part due to the above! Despite this being truly smalltown USA I won't ever try this.

I could park my car, leave it running with the keys in the ignition and pop into a store and nobody would touch it. But again old habits die hard, so I lock it everytime and continue to be amazed at the madness of the locals who do this.

It's nice to have complete strangers greet me and smile as I go about my day. There's none of this standing 2 feet away from someone and pretending they're not there, as seen on the London Underground for example. I have no doubt at all that if I needed help here, someone would always offer it quickly.

Complete strangers call me "M'am" regularly, in fact daily. I think the only person a Brit would address as "M'am" is the Queen.

Country music is a whole new appreciation for me. Before I moved you really only heard the classic country artists occasionally on Brit radio, like Dolly and Kenny. But I have noticed now when I listen online that many of the newer acts like Sugarland, Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum are heard over there. I now really enjoy country music mainly thanks to Brad Paisley.

I could go out locally any night and enjoy a plate of Calf Fries otherwise known as Bulls testacles, however I think hell will freeze over first.

As opposed to England where you have to ask for ice in a drink, over here I have to ask for "easy easy ice" just to ensure I have any actual drink in my cup. And let's not even go there on how many times I've been a victim of the dreaded 'ice slide' and ended up with it all in my lap.

I am often in contact with 'real' men in big cowboy hats, tall boots, driving huge trucks, calling me "M'am", who know how to shoot a gun, and it's ACTUALLY my life not just a Mills & Boon Western romance.

The Hubster can pretty much fix anything or do anything around the home and vehicles himself, there's no need to have a plumber, electrician, mechanic etc come in and do it for us. Men here are impressively self sufficient.

Body weight - sadly what I have lost I have gained again, in part due to the excellent Mexican cuisine in our area. If only one meal a day was compulsory Calf Fries, all my weight issues would be a thing of the past.

New Mexico as a bordering state - the 'Land of Enchantment' has me completely won over. In fact I am already planning our retirement to Taos, just don't tell the Hubster.

I can say outrageous things and get away with it, because a British accent just makes everything sound better - apparently.

I can drive on the wrong side of the road and people just think it's funny.

Blue skies for probably about 90% of the year.

ABSOLUTELY NO TRAFFIC, or at least nothing that anyone who has ever driven on the M25 in rush-hour would consider traffic.

Four cats, I may have left one behind but over here I seem to keep acquiring more.

Access to mainly clean toilets everywhere. I love that just about any store, or garage (gas station), or institution I enter will have a public loo and it's usually alot cleaner than those back home.

A happy content life with the man of my dreams.

Gains and Losses - Pt. 1

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:50:00 +0000

I have been in the good Ole US of A almost 6 years now and an American for a year this week, so I thought I'd take a tongue in cheek look at what I have lost and gained during that time.

First the losses:

3 teeth! Seriously, I lost on average 1 every 15 months when I first got here and it's not like I don't take care of them, I'm actually a qualified Dental Assistant. It was just a combo of continued issues from the UK and then an especially nasty accident where I fell flat on my face and broke a front tooth, well a crown but it resulted in a VERY costly implant. For awhile I began to wonder if there was something in the Okie water.

Bacon Butties - to understand the full impact of this on a Brit go HERE

Some body weight, probably due in part to the above, but also see Pt.2.

Traffic and all I have to say about that is "THANK YOU GOD".

A cat called Felix, who stayed behind with neighbours who loved him very much and gave him a great home.

A Water Butt, for those not in the know that's not a physical affliction, it's a very 'green' rainwater recycling receptacle much loved in England. I have yet to see one here in what's currently the new mid-west desert area known as Okieland.

Umbrella usage, for much the same reasons as above. Although I did import 3 with me just in case when I moved here, it's not easy seperating a Brit from their trusty umbrella. Having said that, I have yet to use one of them as it's either: unbelievably windy, crazy lightening or totally mad rain as Okieland only seems to do severe weather.

Football (Soccer) fever of the nationalistic kind only seen in European countries, I'm not sure anyone here gets the true significance of Manchester United's influence on the World.

Snake free rambles across the countryside, these days it's all too fraught with potential danger for any possible pleasure to be gained.

Walkers Cheese & Onion Crisps, nuff said if you're a Brit.

Pubs, the bars over here are just not the same in either appearance or atmosphere.

The metric system and this is another 'thank god' moment, as I am of the age where I was right on the cusp of the changeover and I just never did.

Close proximity to the Sea, probably the loss I feel the most, that's not family oriented. Brits have a percentage of seawater in their veins I think due to being an island nation and I miss the ability to just go and sit by the sea hugely. If I ever do make it to the seaside here, I am likely to make a spectacle of myself running in fully clothed and dancing with joy.

The use of the word A-L-U-M-I-N-I-U-M, although I do have fun confusing the Yanks occasionally with this one ;-)

Stress free gardening, I have had to learn it all over again moving to an entirely different climate and eco-system. However I am starting to feel better as many of my gardening friends here seem to suffer the same stresses I do and there's some comfort in this.

Historic architecture around every corner. I find it hard to get even slightly excited about something that's less then 150-years old, coming from England.

Indian Curry. I have to drive 3 hours to find one and occasionally do.

Small bugs. Seriously people what is up with bugs over here, are they on speed or something?

Shopping in London on my doorstep, OKC just ain't quite the same.

British humour, nobody else really gets it.

Hats (not cowboy), people just don't wear hats here like they do in England.

Next up the gains, good and bad.

What's your scent?

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:01:00 +0000

Most of us will never meet, but whose to say we can't know each others scent?!

Although I have quite a few perfumes in my bathroom cabinet, there are two I tend to gravitate to most of the time for daytime and evening wear.

For daytime wear I have been a Chanel No. 5 girl all of my adult life. It was my paternal grandma who introduced me to it in my late teens and I have loved it's clean, slightly soapy smell ever since. I keep a spray in my bathroom cabinet and one in my desk drawer for touch-ups late in the day.

Since my late twenties I have loved Givenchy Organza for night time wear, I think the Hubster is also a fan of this as he will often comment on how good I smell when I have it on. It has always struck me as more suited to night time wear, as it's much more exotic and sultry smelling. I also happen to love the shape of the bottle.

My first reserves are: for daytime Very Valentino a delicious light citrusy scent, and for night time Calvin Klein Obsession a spicy opulent scent.

So if we were to bump into each other, what would your scent be?

Unexpected Friday sightings!

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 15:36:00 +0000

A t-shirt with this exact wording on it walking away from me on a 7-year old, maybe it's my smutty British personality but it made me bust out laughing.

And a rather low flying plane fuselage letting "the train take the strain" (infamous old British Rail Ad campaign) spotted locally last night.

Alive and kicking - but a bit knackered!

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 02:11:00 +0000

Thank you for your comments and messages, yes I am still out here in the wilds of Okieland and the whole clan is fine and dandy. But school started back on Monday and this year has been especially crazy as we prepared to restart after the summer holidays.

I now have a new Principal and boss, who I like very much, but the change has mean't I have had more responsibility for getting the school and its systems ready, as it's all new to her at the moment.

I am now starting my fourth year as a small town Elementary School Secretary and I still love my job, even on the stressful days, which have been many recently. But the new boss is a very upbeat and positive lady and this combined with her appreciativeness of my work, is making it all bearable.

After three years it appears I have earned the moniker of 'Miss' Sarah all over the local area! Even when I meet people who know what I do but may not have children in the school, that's what they call me. I find it all very amusing and kinda nice too, as I really feel I have been accepted by the community here.

It was great to welcome all the students back on Monday and I am now reaching the point where I remember them as babies in Pre-K and now they're in third grade, time flies for sure with children.

These first few days are always entertaining as we welcome in the new tiny four-year old Pre-K students and then have the challenge of teaching them the cafeteria routines. It can be entertaining at times watching them try to respond to commands, walk, balance a loaded food tray and avoid being flattened by oblivious fifth graders. But they get better each day and at lunchtime today as they lined up, many of them were feeling confident enough to wave to me as they waited - so adorable and it makes all the hard work so worthwhile.

So just tomorrow to go and then a restful weekend and hopefully a slightly more settled week as we all get back into our routines. For me this will also include being a better Blog Mom :-)

Hope you are all well and have enjoyed your summer, tell me what you've been up to please?

Phew!

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:02:00 +0000

This was our weather forecast at lunchtime today, well actually this is for Oklahoma City.

We are always a couple of degrees warmer out in the west, so that would be a minimum of 102F (38.8C) everyday if it was specifically for us. The Hubster told me at noon it is supposed to get to 108F (42.2C) here tomorrow, so we plan on staying indoors. We have been around these temp's daily now for about 2 weeks and it's getting old in a hurry.

This is our state drought map as of today, we have been in the 'exceptional' area all year so far. In fact we are beginning to feel like we are becoming more of a desert area, certainly I am bearing that in mind when I select new plants. I'm about to turn one of my beds that really tends to bake into a cactus bed, after having alot of success with one I planted last year.

You know it's bad when we all run out in the street to stand in any rain we rarely get here. That's just what we and the neighbours did last weekend when we got 10 minutes of rain. At the time I thought how crazy my friends in rainy old England would think we were.

We'd love it if someone could turn the air conditioning on over Okieland please.

Progress & a Crush!

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 21:37:00 +0000

As these pictures show, Buddy has made rapid progress in being accepted. With Cal-Jo (above), it took a small incident for dominance of the back of the love seat. Buddy just smacked her on top of the head with his paw when she hissed and that was the end of that discussion - a typical boy.

With Bon-Bon we have a slightly different problem now. They are fine together, now he's realised she's a lover not a fighter. Bon-Bon just appears to have a big old crush on Buddy and he has his very own stalker.

She is rarely more than a couple of feet away from him, she follows him everywhere and does everything she can to get his attention. The Hubster has warned him that ignoring her will just make her keener, but most of the time that's just what he does.

Thank goodness they're both 'fixed', as the Hubster commented the other night on what pretty babies they could have made! One thing is clear, Buddy is already asserting his male right to dominance. He is very strong willed as even we are finding out if we try to make him do something he doesn't want to do. He will throw a tantrum worthy of a 3yr old and we are all learning to just stay out of his way.

Thankfully, peace mostly reigns once again.

Introducing # 4 - Buddy!

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 04:48:00 +0000

About 6 weeks ago, we were 'adopted' by a routinely absent neighbours very young cat. He was left outside to fend totally for himself all week and decided our porch was a perfect place to live safely. Little did he know he'd landed in 'cat heaven' at the time. We started to put out food and water, then a bed rejected by our 'girls' and quickly bonded with him, thanks to his very sweet affectionate personality.

The next time the neighbour was home we discussed 'kitty' as he was known by all of us, and it was agreed we would look after him, as we could offer him a safer reliable home. The Hubster had got in the habit of calling him 'Little Buddy' and gradually it just stuck and he responded to "Buddy' when we called him.

So for 3 weeks he lived on the porch, we fed him (he was scarily thin at first) and he was happy with us, but then he got very sick. It started off as weepy eyes and a bad cough, and worsened over 4 days until he was only partially opening his eyes and had a high fever. So we again spoke to the neighbour out of courtesy and for prior health information, who by then viewed him as ours and we took him to the vet.

He had a chronic respiratory infection, plus pink eye, was 2lbs underweight and was kept in hospital, he wouldn't have made it if he'd still be fending for himself. The vet also tested him for all the nasty feline diseases, he was clear and so she gave him his shots and neutered him. She decided he is around 9-11 months old. Since then he has pink eye again and the vet thinks he may not have developed fully in the internal nasal area due to poor diet as a kitten. Needless to say, we already have a healthy monetary investment in him.

By the time we brought him home we were bonded, and so what started off as definitely only an outdoor cat, became an indoor cat. He needed nursing back to health for another 10 days and during this time we kept him seperate from the girls, just letting them see him from afar and regularly swapping them into each others areas to get to know scents. When we were able to let him outside, he was quickly accepted by Sukie and Cal-Jo who were previously used to him being in the garden with them.

However Bon Bon (who is an indoor cat from choice) is taking longer to accept him in 'her' territory. He has been in the house in his 'safe area' for 3 weeks, with nightly supervised visitation into their area, and the above and below pic's are the closest we have got so far. If they move around each other slowly we do okay, but the moment Buddy moves fast, she chases him down and tries to pounce on him and a hissing and yowling match commences. She outweighs him by 4lbs, so understandably he tends to rollover submissively, but he is starting to act like he might stand up to her which is what's needed.

I keep their claws clipped so there is a low risk of injury and we constantly stay with them. A week ago the pictures here would have been impossible to imagine, as they growled and hissed if even in the same area. So we have come a long way, but it's obviously going to take longer with them both being young.

Now we have noticed Sukie is starting to act protectively towards him when Bon Bon is around, and Bon Bon has a healthy respect for Sukie's dominant 'elder' position in the feline heirarchy.

As you can see below, Buddy has a clear message for Bon Bon, because he knows she cannot win this battle, as he has won our hearts.

I've always said I'd end up as a batty old lady with many cats, but 4 is definitely our limit. The problem however is, the Hubster is an even softer touch than I am where cats are concerned.

Saturday night in the cellar!

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 21:49:00 +0000

This was my view on Saturday night for an hour or two, the storm cellar window that overlooks our backyard - as I have said before this window's just so you can watch your house blow by.

About 8:30pm the town tornado siren went off, somewhat to our surprise as we were watching the volatile storms closeby on the radar and from the porch, and they seemed to be just north of us.

Now my outlook on storms has changed alot in the almost 6 years I have been here and this is only the second time the siren has sounded in that time. In the early years I would have been packing stuff for a hour or two before, just in case. This time I was sitting on the porch watching the storm pass by, nothing gathered, nothing prepared including the cellar.

So we grabbed the important things - weather radio, scanner, radio, 3 cats (Buddy was awol), wallets, keys to vehicles, cellphones & charges, rx meds and headed down there. As it became clear it wasn't directly on us still, we took it in turns to run back into the house and grab a few clothes, proper shoes ( the recent tornado hits have educated me on no flip-flops afterwards), lap-top, wedding rings, water, cameras.

And here we are above, well the cats anyway (spot the cat eyes of Cal Jo in the carrier), surrounded by assorted junk and clutter we either store in the cellar or took in there.

This was the Hubster sprinting up the stairs to peek out the door into the yard and see if he could spot anything. I was busy texting local friends for info and cellar/weather comparisons.

And then the whole County lost power and we were all plunged into darkness in a helluva storm. So the extension unit we had setup to power the scanner, lights, fan (it was damn hot down there) phone chargers went down. Luckily we have back-up batteries in the weather radio which was a god-send and the Hubster turned his Pick-up radio up loud on the local station so we could hear it above us.

We didn't get back into the house until about 10:40pm, after a massive lightening show (this picture is lit by a big flash), hail, torrential rain and 70mph winds, but thankfully no tornado.

The tornado went through 3 miles north of us and a number of people we know sustained damage. In fact one lady called me to see if she can visit our storm cellar, as she has now been convinced to put one in having lost a barn and had roof and tree damage. We had no damage, but the power did not come back on until 7:30am the next morning. Buddy arrived on the porch at 4:30am none the worse for wear and so it was a very disturbed night, but thankfully damage free for us.

You'd have been proud of me though - no panicking like a headless chicken, or rows with the Hubster because he wasn't in the cellar with the safety door down.

I must now be officially Okie, as I repeatedly chanced returning to the house in any lulls (I wasn't about to pee in the yard and get struck by lightening), stood in the shelter of a door watching it all blow by at speed and only retreated into the cellar fully to check on our kitties.

Still knocking about!

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Mon, 23 May 2011 02:56:00 +0000

Life is hectic!

School got out here last Thursday and as most of you know I am an Elementary School Secretary, and May is my busiest month of the year. So I have been tearing around like a blue arsed fly trying to stay on top of things and keep on track to finish work for my summer recess from May 31st. I have one more day of enrollment tomorrow for the next school year and then a week to get the end of year stuff done.

At home we seem to have been 'adopted' by a 4th kitty and even Mr. "No No No we're not getting another cat" seems to have been suckered in by his cuteness. I will post a pic of 'Buddy' and more about how this happened to us later this week!

I have always said I'd be an old lady surrounded by cats one day!

The weather here is just beautiful right now, hot but not sweltering days and balmy evenings that can be enjoyed on the patio.

Oh and I have become a big NBA fan (Basketball), thanks to the Oklahoma City Thunder and the great success they are currently enjoying, this maybe my first US sporting addiction!

Life consists of work, basketball and gardening it seems, but I am not complaining and will be free to blog regularly again shortly.

Hope you are all well?

And the last laugh....

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 03:14:00 +0000

went to this Westminster Abbey Verger, who may have had a touch too much Holy Water it seems! Apparently he didn't know the cameras were still rolling and now finds himself a legend in his own lifetime.

I also had the best laugh all day watching Anderson Cooper's (CNN) wrap up show tonight.

They introduced him to the infamous British Bacon Butty (he said cold pizza was better at 3am!), tried to explain what a "knee's up" is to him (much to his bemusement) and then he described walking down what he thought was a smart London street with no bars on it, only to see about 20 drunks, including 1 asleep in a pool of vomit (he took a photo!) and several relieving themselves. The British commentators laughingly pointed out this is just a typical Friday night and what a puritan he is. He said he never knew the British were so CRAZY but had still had a "smashing" time!

What an entertaining day it has been!

A class way to end the day!

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 17:45:00 +0000

These two pictures sum up why William and Catherine have been embraced by our nation so lovingly.

In many ways they are just like so many other young couples, and the difference to the old Royal regime is really pronounced by this adorable and very traditional getaway they made today.

Just watching it repeat with a bacon butty and smiling from ear to ear still!

Just wonderful!

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:27:00 +0000

What a really wonderful wedding it was!

The Bride looked absolutely beautiful, the dress is my favourite royal wedding dress to date, so elegant, simple and yet stunning. I also thought her sister's dress was gorgeous and so flattering.

Catherine already has such a regal bearing about her and seems so composed, she will make a William a wonderful wife.

They look so happy, the service was beautiful and the British are out in force to support them, it's a proud day to be a Brit. Oh and how amazing was the sight of the carriage and lifeguards, just makes me proud of my heritage.

Off to watch the balcony kiss and then back to bed for a few hours!

What did you think?

Pomp, Circumstance and a Wedding!

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:02:00 +0000

Well the big day is less than 24 hours away and I have been loading up on William, Kate & Royal programming for about the last 10 days! It would be fair to say America has gone somewhat overboard on Royal coverage, but I love it.

You will never catch me spouting off about how much the Royals cost the British public (reportedly it’s 1 pence per person per year, hardly a deal breaker!), or why we should abolish the Monarchy. The British Monarchy and its long history, is probably what defines Great Britain to the rest of the world more than anything else. The history and associated events and places, like Royal Weddings, castles, palaces etc. also pull in vast numbers of tourists and their spending money to all areas of Great Britain.

So I am proud of my British heritage, a supporter of the Royals and I will be setting my alarm clock for 3:45am tomorrow to watch it all go down. As I get Friday off work, I can always have a catnap later if needed.

I am going to record the BBC America coverage starting at 2am, also record the ABC coverage as I like all their anchors and then flick between the two live. CNN is also tempting as I love Anderson Cooper, but Cat Deeley being on their team was the deal breaker!

The Hubster is planning to sleep until closer to 5am and then he will get up to watch the actual ceremony and leaving the Abbey, before heading off to work.

I have already warned the Hubster I will probably shed a few tears. It’s hard to explain, but like many Brits, William & Harry hold a special place in my heart and I know I will be emotional and proud watching William marry. I remember watching his mum marry when I was 14 and being spellbound.

I loved Princess Diana and cried for hours the day she died, my family & I went up to Kensington Palace the next evening and laid flowers for her, as that huge sea of flowers was just starting outside the gates. On the day of the funeral, we watched on a bridge over the M1 as the hearse carrying her passed us and headed to Althorp. Like 9/11, that whole sad week is one I will remember as long as I live.

So to see one of her beloved sons marry is a special moment, and I am pleased for Diana’s memory that the world seems to realise it too and is embracing the celebrations.

Things I am looking forward to seeing include:

That first glimpse of the bride, who I am sure will be stunning, and I am expecting a sleek, fitted dress with a sizeable train.

William and Harry standing shoulder to shoulder at the altar in their dress uniforms.

Westminster Abbey all decorated and sparkling.

What the Queen will wear, as she just seems to be getting more stylish the older she gets.

Seeing all the other dresses and headwear, the British love their hats and fascinators.

Spotting famous faces among the guests.

Watching the carriages head back with all the pageantry after the ceremony

The ‘kiss’ on the balcony.

If there is one thing the British excel at, its throwing a grand spectacle and I am sure this is going to be one to remember.

Tonight I will raise the Union Jack on our flagpole and today I am wearing this!

Will you be watching and what are you looking forward to seeing? And any thoughts on the dress we can expect to see?

The King's Speech

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:00:00 +0000

I don't generally bother with movie reviews these days unless it's exceptional, but I am making that exception for The King's Speech.

We finally got to see this last night after our copy arrived in the post. Remember I live out in the back of beyond out here, our closest cinema is a 25 minute drive away and it was closed down awhile ago due to unpaid taxes! Needless to say, this wasn't a problem I faced back in Blighty when a movie I really wanted to see was released.

Anyway I digress.... what a wonderful and uplifting movie, also surprisingly it made us laugh out loud many times. It deserved every plaudits and award it has received and probably a few it didn't as well. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are both wonderful as the soon to be King and his unconventional speech therapist, Lionel Logue.

This was also a very interesting but sad time in British history. I remember my late grandma telling me, that King Edward VIII's abdication over Wallis Simpson almost brought the nation to it's knees collectively, and this was closely followed by the declaration of war against Germany. I also read the Queen Mother (played by the wonderful Helena Bonham Carter) never forgave Berties brother for abdicating and forcing him onto a throne he never wanted, and she was convinced it was that stress that ended his life so prematurely.

All this history and the special relationship and trust these two men develop, make this a thoroughly absorbing and fascinating film, we both highly recommend.

Yes, I am still here!

noreply@blogger.com (Brit Gal Sarah) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:47:00 +0000

I know I've been an appallingly lazy blogger recently and I must thank those of you who took the time to email and check on me. I am fine, just very busy with life and not especially inspired to blog, and I firmly believe in staying stum if I have to struggle to come up with something to say!

Life has just been pretty humdrum day to day and due to being busy, the Hubster and I just haven't done much of anything except relax or work around home and the garden.

The most noteable thing in NW Okieland since I was last here has been the unrelenting wind and the resulting wild fire outbreaks. I know they sing that the 'wind comes sweeping down the Plain' around here, but it has been roaring down now for about a month and it's getting extremely old! About a fortnight ago we had an 18 hour period where the wind blew in straight line speeds at about 50mph with gusts up to 80mph and there was considerable damage done.

Oh and NW Okieland has still had less than an inch of rain since December, so we are rapidly turning into New Mexico, which is fine by me as I love it there!

As most of you know I am an Elementary School Secretary by day and we are now within the last 15 days of school (we have a 4 day week) so work is very hectic right now. I will also have a new Principal and boss after June 1st, whom I met today and immediately liked and am sure we will work well together, so major change is on the horizon.

We have spent all our recent weekends working in the garden when the winds abated enough, and I am pleased to say all our hard work has been very rewarding.

The Hubster built a very nice raised bed for a small vegetable garden, laying cardboard to kill the grass roots left underneath, then chicken wire to keep out burrowing varmints, and a nice trellis at the back.

We planted a variety of Peppers, Summer Squash which will be trained vertically up the trellis to save space, Zuccini (Courgette), Garlic and Cabbage. In the trash can just visible behind it is a crop of Potatoes and then I have a couple of Tomato plants in containers.

We have been busy weeding, clearing, transplanting from one site to another and putting in new plants too. My favourite plant I have discovered in Okieland is without doubt the Crape Myrtle shrub or tree and they absolutely thrive here.

So I placed a repeat order with an excellent supplier I found online last year called Crapemyrtle.com whom I highly recommend, and received 6 excellent plants for $59 plus shipping. They are not as large as you get at the garden centre, but Crapes grow very fast and this company is so much cheaper and very reliable.

This time my order included 3 of the tall Crape trees that will get to 25-30ft tall and the Hubster placed each one in a very nicely constructed tree box.

So this in a nutshell has been our life for the past month, and now I will make an effort to catch up with the rest of you, as my blog visiting has been non existent too!

As for this week, well I am growing increasingly excited about a certain wedding on Friday and will be back for discussion and predictions on this subject before the big day!