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So it's been forever since I've written anything on here. I do apologize. I haven't felt much like writing the past couple weeks...even though I've been busy with interesting excursions to meet up with friends. Work hasn't been great but I have been working to remedy that situation by applying for a new job in the City. In the meantime though, my manager is out sick for two months and her manager has been trying to set things right. I'm still trying to get my pay sorted and I'll see if I've actually been successful with that when I get paid on Friday.

To recap the past month: For Thanksgiving, I went to Bristol for the day to visit my friend Mya who came over from NC to visit one of her friends. We had a great day visiting and bowling and eating wonderful food. We sampled a mince pie for the first time (BTW, it's vine fruits like raisins and sultannas that make up the "mince" not actual ground beef which is also called mince here). We also went and saw the suspension bridge that Brunel designed, and I traveled in and out of the Bristol Temple Mead station which he also designed. Then, on Saturday, Mya and Michael came into London to see me and do some sightseeing so we were busy that whole day as well.

Saturday night was when I got to have Thanksgiving turkey. I said goodbye to Mya and gave them directions on how to use the Tube to get back to the station they needed and I headed to Islington to meet up with a couple that I know through work. Jen, who came through the same recruiter I did, and her husband, Ryan, invited me over to their flat and we proceeded to do what other Americans did two days previous: stuff ourselves silly with wonderfully prepared food and enjoy each others company.

Nothing much happened in the couple weeks after that. Life was pretty low-key. Work started to wrap up because of the end of term and Christmas approaching so that was nice. Then I sort of had to take care of some pretty major business at home so I tried to deal with the fact that there's a five hour time difference and that I couldn't take care of business immediately. I'm still working to get everything sorted (no, as it turns out for those of you who know the story, it's STILL!!! not worked out). There was also the whole oil depot fire in Hemel Hempstead that I'm sure most of you knew about. The smoke cloud definitely came my way on Sunday, 11 December. I went to the gym and I looked out the window and thought to myself, "Self, that looks like one heck of a front moving in," and didn't think any more about it until I saw the news. I think they finally have the fire out completely, but it took at least three or four days.

Then, this past weekend, I got to spend a lovely weekend in Doncaster visiting Helen and Doug. It was wonderful to get out of London and see people who I know well and not worry about all the stressful stuff going on in my life and with work. We went to the Royal China restaurant on Friday night after I got there and mostly just chilled. On Saturday, we took a six mile walk through a portion of the Yorkshire Wolds. (Wold means a usually upland area, comes from some other word that means forest, and is also just a common name for rolling or hilly region...FYI.) We ate lunch before we headed out on our walk at this really bizarre inn/pub/restaurant/wedding reception place. It was called the Triton Inn and the part that we ate in was some kind of weird cross between Shoney's, IHOP, and a traditional English Pub. The food was good, it was just a random experience. On Sunday, Helen took me discount shopping! I didn't get much, just a springtime jacket, but I had a great time. The rest of England is soooo much different from the part that I live in. I don't live in "London" and I don't live in the "country," instead, I get the random bit that's neither. Maybe that'll change if I get this new job. ;-)

I came back on Sunday night and had relatively few problems getting back. There's some sort of transportation strike going on that means about two of every three trains to where I live are cancelled. One whole train line is closed for the time being because of "slippery rail conditions." Makes it more difficult to travel around...especially at Christmas time.

This week at work has been quiet. The last day of school for kids in this borough was last Friday so I've been catching up on paperwork. I think at last count, I've got 14 reports to write. Not too bad. I've set the goal that I want to be completely done with them by Friday so that I don't have to think about them at all while I'm on holiday.

Though yesterday it seems as if a wrench has been thrown into the whole works. I got hurt. Not seriously mamed or anything, just injured. Nothing's broken though and that's the good news! Here's the whole story. I went to lunch yesterday with my friend Ruth to a little Italian deli in Winchmore Hill (just a neighborhood in Enfield). It was a late lunch because we were both being productive at our jobs and just didn't get around to going until just before one. We had wonderful paninis and enjoyed relaxed conversation away from work. When we finished lunch, it was about ten 'til two and she drove back to the clinic and I headed over to a different clinic by bus. Or at least that was the plan.

It took over 15 minutes for a bus to show up to the bus stop (buses for this route should take between 8-10 minutes). Finally one came and I got on even though the bus was only going two more stops. Me being the person that I am figured that two stops was better than nothing and hopped on. As the bus stopped at the terminal stop, I went to stand up and the bus sort of lunged, as buses are wont to do. I was sort of thrown into the aisle and into the seats on the other side of the aisle. My trousers now have a place on my knee with a thin layer of paint that I took as a souvenir. :-) In the process, I somehow landed on my ankle the wrong way and as I did so, heard a loud popping noise. Not good. Not good at all.

At this point, it's about ten past two and I am doing good to get off the bus and walk over to where I can sit and wait on the next bus. I am headed to one of our main clinics so that I can run an intro course to people who are interested in the field of speech and language therapy that starts at three. I figure I've got plenty of time to catch the next bus, switch buses in Enfield Town, and still make it to this couse for which I have all the materials in plenty of time. I was wrong and continued to be wrong until about 2:35 at which point I've already called my admin office to let them know I'll be late, but that I'm still coming! Just after I hang up, three buses pull up to the stop. Fabulous!!!

Unfortunately, all three buses are packed to the gills. The first two buses let ALL! their passengers off their buses and drive away--terminal stop for them. The last bus is also just packed and will only take ten more passengers. With a hurt ankle and after having sat in 30-something degree weather for almost 45 minutes, I wasn't going to fight my way onto a bus.

I called back to my admin office and demanded the number for some sort of taxi company because I had had enough. Even while waiting for the taxi, no more buses showed up to the stop. I made it to the course I was running about two minutes late and instead of there being 14 people there like there should have been, only three showed up. So, I did my little song and dance about the field and all the interesting things that are available as career options and such and answered questions and showed a video...all from a chair.

After the course ended at five, I was supposed to go to Oxford Street and Covent Garden with my friend Kerri, also another American, to go shopping and enjoy the Christmas spirit. Instead, I came home and iced my ankle and did a whole lot of nothing.

This morning, I went to A&E. Accident and Emergency. It's a good thing that the bus that goes past the hospital was running pretty smoothly this morning or else I think I would have had to just scream! Got there and I was triaged within about 30 minutes...pretty good I thought. Then I was sent to X-Ray and I waited about two hours as every other person that was there before AND after me was taken in. Obviously they though the elderly and very young took priority. Fine by me. I sat in the waiting room and did work. I got lots of looks from the other people that basically said, "Why are you working? Did you not read the sign that said this is a 'waiting area' not an office?" Oh well. At least I got some work done.

After they X-rayed me, I was sent to the "Minor Injuries" department. They told me that I didn't break my ankle (woohoo!) but that I should really rest it and go easy for the next four to six weeks because I sprained it. I told them that I was happy it wasn't broken since I was headed on a twelve day tour of Europe. They looked at me like I was nuts. (Looks like they figured out my secret...I am nuts.) They gave me a really long sock-like thing that works like an Ace bandage but is not nearly as bulky and gave me a little leaflet about ankle injuries and what I needed to do to make it feel better. So far, I've been trying to follow the directions of rest, ice, compression, and elevation. It'll be even better as I work from home the next two days!!!

So, on Saturday, I'm headed to Paris and I plan to go to midnight mass at Notre Dame and from there, I don't really have any plans that are set in stone. I know when the trains are that I want to catch and I know where I'm staying through the night of the 29th, but after that, I don't have anything sorted. It'll be okay though because I've got a 36-hour train ride in which to make decisions.

Hope your Christmas is going to be more injury-free than mine has turned out to be. I will take lots of pictures and post them when I return. I'll probably try to check my email a couple different times throughout the time I'm away at an internet cafe so write to me if you get a chance...I love hearing from you and I can't wait to hear your stories about your Christmas and what's been happening in your life.

Happy Christmas!

With lots of love, Mary

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