Ring in the New

We went to the mall in Crawley today where I spent a mere £15 on 2 tops and a pair of jeans! That translates just over $20 for all of you who are wondering. It's nearly impossible to find a pair of jeans alone for that price, let along 2 shirts plus!

Watch for this post to be edited "tomorrow" with pictures from the party with Cassie's little brother's schoolmates' parents. If it wasn't *the* best time of my life, it was quite close. It's nearly 5 AM here........beyond time for bed.

Happy 10-minutes-til the new year to all of you in the states!

Day 1

(click on the pictures to enlarge them)
I wasn't going to post again today, but then I realized that I had left out one of the more important bits at the airport. I think it's immigration officers' job to give me a hard time. I must be in their system with a footnote *heckle this one. I made sure to get an official copy of my flight itinerary and have all of the information for Cassie's dad's address etc. While waiting in line, I saw a girl I thought looked like she wouldn't give me a hard time. Ended up I was wrong. She proceeded to interrogate me in extreme detail as to why I am here, who it is I'm visiting, why I decided to visit them, how I know them, how long I've known them, how much money I have, how much more I have access to, what I would do if I run out, what my job is, why am I a student, and who is paying for my college education. I was waiting for her to ask me to share my hobbies and pet's name, as well. Immigration officers alllllmost make traveling not fun. But then I get over it.

While I'm at it, I might as well tell you about the rest of the day. Cassie's dad drove us around their town, their old town, and places between. We visited an 800-year-old church in which he and his wife were married. The churchyard is complete with an old (looking) cemetery. Most of the stones I saw read 1950s-70s. One read 2006, although it looked a good 100 years old, at least. We then headed to a windmill that was sold for £900,000 (including the attached house) not long ago. On the way back, we drove down Dame Judy Dench's road. They aren't sure which house is hers, but know she has a lime green car. They run into her at the grocery every once-in-a-while.

Oh...I must include a story Cassie's dad told me. He was at a conference in Portugal that allowed wives to join their husbands a few days into the conference. When his wife flew to meet him, she was on the same flight as Prince William! He helped her with her bags! When they flew back the next week, he was on their flight, again! The Prince was the last passenger to leave the plane, waiting in the front row with his buddies. When he saw them walk past, he said hello to her and asked her how she was doing. I am beyond jealous.

Tomorrow= going to a nearby city to shop, then back here to get ready for the New Year's Eve party. I prepared for it today by watching the Christmas episode of Strictly Come Dancing (the party theme). It's so much more entertaining than Dancing with the Stars. I also watched about 30 of the top 40 Funniest Moments in the Vicar of Dibley, most of a long Wallace and Gromit film and all of a short one. An exciting moment today that doesn't really fit anywhere in this post: while wandering around Horley with Cassie and her dad, we saw a couple kids walking suspicously away from a shop. Moments later, one of the workers came out and asked where they headed. They had stolen something, as indicated by their suspicousness.

And So It Begins

I was going to post something from the Detroit Airport, but one wireless source cost and the other wasn't working. So here is the summary for the entirety of my flight:

No problem checking in. Petra, the Dutch worker was very nice. We're off to a great start. Security check: I went off. It wasn't my watch, so I had to be searched. The woman was nice and I knew I'd go off (My bracelet cannot be removed), so I wasn't too worried. The flight was incredibly smooth, the food was FANTASTIC, my neighbors were fun, and the entertainment was ridiculous. I watched Jeremy Irons in Eragon, listened to part of a Bach partita and the entirety of the LSO Live recording of Mahler 7 (on the in-flight music channel!), took a 1.5 hour nap, then woke up and watched Little Miss Sunshine. I can't get over the tastiness of the manicotti and how the entertainment system!

Breakfast was horrible.

I sat on the aisle in the 4-seat middle section of the plane. The couple next to me was from Sheffield. They had been in Daytona Beach for a week. The guy on the other end was from New Zealand. The British man was venting to the NZ man about how he didn't get to find out why in the world Americans eat "Chicken 'n Biscuits" at Popeye's. For those of you who aren't hip to the Britspeak, buscuit=cookie. He thought it was so hilarious that he took a picture to show all his friends back home. His wife had seen my US passport, so she said, "Perhaps you can explain it to him?"

I'm currently sitting on Cassie's dad's couch in Horley. I love being in a HOUSE and not a hostel.

Not sure what all we'll be doing, but it sounds like there are many many many possibilities. All I know is that we're leaving at 2 pm tomorrow to go somewhere for a New Year's party. The theme is the UK version of Dancing With The Stars.

I just ate my first mince pie. Second breakfast>first breakfast.