International Day

I had a very international day in London yesterday. Started off with the Brits at the gym, listening to one woman tell another how she was having trouble finding a venue for a charity event. "It's so difficult to find somewhere nice, but also a little different." I thought, "lady, you're in LONDON. If you can't find something here, you're probably just out of luck!"

Then it was off to the post office where a lovely Indian woman helped me send packages to Skip's friend from college who's been called back into service and sent off to Afghanistan--leaving a wife and two kids back in Milwaukee (potential friends for Rob and Brooke!). So I learned that sending two packages that way under 2 kilos is a lot cheaper than sending one 3 kilo package. Just like in Germany, they don't price by exact weight, so going over by just a little can put you in a whole different price range. I had to wait in line twice. Once to find this information out and then again after purchasing two smaller boxes and repackaging the items. But it was a savings of over more than 25 pounds--even with the cost of the new boxes! My second time in line, there was a woman beside me who kept sighing loudly every 2 minutes. I so badly wanted to tell her that standing in line at the post office beats living in a tent in Afghanistan any day. But I figured that would not be helpful.

While I was at the post office, I parked my car in Sainsburys and had it cleaned by the #8 car wash guy, Tom, who is Nigerian and whose name probably is something more elegant and difficult to say than "tom". It's a great service. While you're grocery shopping or running errands, these guys with cleaning carts clean your car inside and out. Each cart has a number on a flag at the top, so if you like the job someone did, you can find him again the next time you're there. I've been having it cleaned about every week since we've been trying to sell it so that it will look nice if anyone comes to see it--kind of like the house.

And on that note, I'm about to hire a Polish house cleaner to come in once a week until we leave. Our schedule is getting so full and there are so many little details that will need to be attended to, that having someone come in to clean (especially with the potential renters coming in and out), will really make life easier. I realize that I am spoiled beyond belief. I'm using the excuse that people can really use the money right now and I'm helping to stimulate the economy.

Some friends are taking me to lunch for my birthday today and tomorrow we're thinking of driving to Bath for the day. Monday is a holiday here and even though Skip is working for both the UK and the US offices, he's taking the day. His work schedule is just stupid crazy right now. Am hoping a three-day weekend will give him a chance to recharge.