Odds and Ends From the Last Few Weeks

 Black Hawks v Canucks

My last few posts have been specific to certain topics and it dawned on me that some of the actual interesting things I have been up to have not been talked about lately. There are not many really, but people may enjoy hearing a bit about them I suppose.

Alex and I opened a Blockbuster account. We had a free two week trial where we got one rental a day at no charge. We did rent movies most of the nights, but a lot of times Anna (Alex's sister) picked them out because we had other plans or we going to watch the movie as a family sort of thing in the evening. We saw a few good ones, and more then a few terrible ones. Anna has been on a horror film kick lately so some of them, as I am sure you can imagine, were completely awful. Apollo 18 was one of them. Apparently on this secret mission to the moon the Americans found life on the moon. Some moon rock aliens that turned into spiders and burrowed under your skin, only to make you go crazy with rage and eventually explode. We also saw the new Three Musketeers. It was also terrible. It did not follow the books and it was very boring. Some of it was just completely unbelievable and huge plot jumps none of us cold really buy into. 

We went to see the new Muppet movie. I have not laughed so hard in a film ever. It was so amazing. The songs were wonderful and very amusing. There were some great cameos. The plot was amusing. I think it was great for both kids and adults. It was just pure, clean, fun. I do believe we will be buying it when it is out on dvd here. 

Alex gave me a french manicure whilst we watched the end of The Omen and the beginning of Final Destination 4. He only did one hand, but it turned out ok. Some of them actually looked nice and he only got a bit on my fingers. He was very bored and Anna's manicure set was next to him on the table, so he decided to give it a go when I jokingly asked him to paint my nails. He was reluctant at first, but then kinda got into making an effort out of it. He says next time he will do all 10 and try for a design. I am sure it will be interesting. The half manicure only lasted for about a week before it was all chipped off. It was amusing to show off to people. 

We attended a surprise engagement party for our friend. I got to meet her fiance at that event. 

We attended a hockey party. Hockey is not on tv live so we have to live stream it from the Internet at midnight or later our time. Our favorite team (the Chicago Black Hawks) played Luke and Jo's favorite team (the Vancouver Canucks). We constructed a cardboard box hockey rink and make cupcakes for players. I even labelled them with the last name and number from their jerseys. We even had two refs. It took us two days to make but was so much fun to construct together. The cupcakes were very yummy and everyone seemed to enjoy them. The game was fun and we did not get home until 4am.....but our team won in OT. It was a very tense game. Super exciting. Lots of fights. Altogether a huge success. I was also very pleased that this is one of the first crafty things I have done since being here. Aside from create the odd card or something for Alex when he is away at work or school.

I have been helping Alex prep his Nerf guns to be modded. Basically I have been sanding off all the warning labels and writing so that he can modify it to make it shoot further and then I can paint it some fun color so it is not bright yellow and orange. An odd project, I know. He is hosting a Nerf gun battle at his house when his parents are away. It will be a full on team vs team battle in costumes and with a storyline. It may sound a bit geeky, but its really gonna be no different from paintball - cept it will hurt less, be in our own comfy location, and I can wear what I want. I imagine myself, Jo, Irene, and Anna will probably play for a bout an hour before giving up and watching films with some drinks in hand. I imagine the boys will take it much more seriously. Either way I get to dress up in a fun costume and do something interesting and different. It should be fun. I am mostly looking forward to helping set it all up. 

We have booked my first geeky event. I will be attending a LARP event. For those that do not know what it is, it stands for Live Action Role Play. It is the geeky sword swinging stuff from Rolemodels but better. Yes, it will be a very very geeky camping weekend....but I am looking forward to it. I have gotten to create a character with a role during the event (I'm basically a nurse because I don't want to mess about with swinging swords, going on missions, or pretending to do magic). I am actually looking forward to it. It is not as strange as it sounds....ok

Alex took me to have proper afternoon tea and scones. We got all dressed up and went into town to a tea shop. We had the Queen's Cream Tea Special for Two. We each got our own fancy tea cup and saucer and our own little pot of tea. It came with a shared cream pot and then sugars to add. The place was sadly our of scones, so we got to upgrade to cake for free. I had the coffer pecan and Alex had the caramel apple. It was so much fun and very tasty. We had a wonderful time and I was very pleased Alex suggested we go. We decided to make it  a regular thing to do. When its warmer we are going to take it outside on a picnic sometimes. That will be fun. We bought our own scones the next day so we could have afternoon tea in his garden, but then it was cold and yucky out. Then people came over and all of them were eaten with apricot jam while we chatted and sipped tea in the dining room. It was equally as fun and a very casual happening, which I found extra fun because people do not do such things in America.

I think that is pretty much it for things that are out of the ordinary for me. It has been a great last few weeks and I am sorry for leaving all of this out in previous posts. 

One Month Out

Welp, it is official - I have been in England for one month now. Kinda strange to think about. Sorry for not photo today. I have not been taking many photos at all since being here. I should probably get on that so everyone can better know what I am up to these days.

The last month has been a great one. I am all settled in and part of a routine for the most part. Its nice. I enjoy having a bit of normality in my life. Particularly since in reality I do not have much going on. Its very nice in some ways, and kinda not in others. What I mean is, its strange to be on such an extended holiday. I have not had a job in several months. The break has been wonderful. I enjoyed spending time with people before I came over and it has been very nice to just relax and take my time getting settled here. But it is coming to a point where I would prefer to be productive. Sure, I keep plenty busy spending time with Alex and job hunting. It would be nice to feel like I am making progress though. All in good time I suppose. I have a few mini-maybe-job leads. My fingers are crossed that something will come out of them once the correct people are reached and get back to me. This whoe job thing is such a slow moving process. But, then again, I have only been here a month and everyone is struggling to find jobs these days. Its really no wonder I have yet to find something. The right theng will come along eventually.

I must admit that it is a bit strange living in someone else's house. It feels wonderful to be here, but I have yet to make it a home for myself. Don't think I will be able to until Alex and I have a place and I have found a job. Til then I am so very grateful for being able to stay here, in the Kubara household.

It is very strange, as I have saying, to live in someone else's house though. Among other people's things with no real space of my own. Of course, Alex provides me with more than enough. I most certainly have all I need and more. And I do have a bit of my own space on loan from Alex. Which is very nice. It still is a bit odd.

I am not used to living with people. I have been on my own for the most part for years. Doing what I want when I want and how I want. Accommodating for a household of people who will someday be in-laws but are not yet is....well, strange. That is the best way I can put it really. Not cooking for myself all the time. Having to eat when others are eating. Not playing my music loud. Not being able to get ready at my own pace. Having to share a bathroom and make sure I am not using it when others that have actual responsibilities need it. Not getting to watch the tv shows I want. And worse, having to suffer through all of the episodes of M*A*S*H and sports. Telling someone when I am leaving the house alone and where I am off to. All adjustments I have had to make. Do not get me wrong, I am not complaining. It is just an adjustment that I have come to accept this last month.

It all is most certainly worth it for the time being. But I very much look forward to moving past this awkward stage and actually having a life of my own. It will come with time, when the time is right. I am (surprisingly) not getting impatient about it. I am just letting people in on the oddities I stumble upon in this new life I am starting.

Now, I must be off to create a pretend name for a pretend persona I am playing in a few months. Best be hitting the net for some costume ideas before making my way to the charity shops. I love getting all dressed up!

Early Morning Blog Time

Tea + Sporting Event = Me Officially Being English

Dawning my glasses and retainer, I write this from the desk of my boyfriend, whom was off early this morning to learn at "University". (Sidebar - people laugh when I call it "school". I've know they call it Uni, but did NOT think it would be such a big laugh when I slipped up and called it school to one of his friends. I found it a bit rude at the time, to be honest, as I had just met him and was trying to make polite conversation.) It is 7.30 am here and I am sad to say that I am up for the day. I technically do not have to be up for a least another 3 hours, but having no properly functioning cell phone I have no reliable alarm clock. I had considered utilizing my old cell, but am unsure if I trust it. Same with his I-pod docking station. Therefore, here I am, blogging away earlier than I care to be awake in the morning sunlight, in my jammies. Seems as good of time to update this dealy anyways, seeing as I haven't all week. 

My last blog was about my new hobby as a mead maker. This one shall be about my other new hobby, that surprises even me. I am a budding rugby enthusiast. Yes, that is correct - I now like a sport other than hockey. For those that are uninitiated, there are two kinds of hockey. I prefer the one less like American football, the type most people think of when they think of rugby.They call it the 'gentleman's sport', although I do not know why because it has a lot of violence in it really. People get very hurt sometimes. I suppose they do all end in cheering for one another's teams and shaking hands. Still, there are much calmer and civil sports...

You may be asking yourself such a thing as 'how in the world did Cassie, whom loathes most sports, come to enjoy such a game as rugby?' Well, I am glad you asked and you are in luck, because that is exactly what I am going to tell you eager readers about today. 

Awhile back, Alex became a certified rugby referee. When he does not work on a Saturday he goes to the Willenhall Rugby Club and ref's games. This is the rugby club that Alex used to play for back in the day. These games are largely the veterans or U16 (this stands for 'Under 16's' and means that all the players are 16 for the most part, no older, perhaps a few almost 16-ers) games. Every Sunday he ref's children's games, whom have slightly modified rules but make up for it due to the amusing parent situations and the fact that they fall down a lot more. He does not have a set reffing schedule, per se, but has consistently refereed like this since I have been in the country. He gets an email or phone call on a Friday, with information regarding what games still need to have a ref. He only ever accepts the ones at this specific rugby club.

He sports an official 'badge' ('pin' to Americans) and a special tie with the club's design on it. This is, of course, paired with nice jeans and a long sleeved collared shirt. The interesting thing about this outfit is the badge. When wearing it, he is supporting and protected by the rugby club he belongs to. If he were to get into an accident of sorts (even if it were, say, a car accident that was his fault) the rugby people will completely pay for all the medical bills and damage that is a result. God willing, he will never have to use it for such reasons. It is nice to know that it is there for him though. Come game time, he switches to his rugby 'kit'. I always help him coordinate the outfits and I particularly like trying to guess what jersey he should wear that will 'stand out' the most from the players. Since I have no idea what the team colors are going to be (apart from the Willenhall ones, whom are always a maroon color) it is sometimes interesting. I typically pick his yellow jersey or his pink camo jersey. For any 'official' or 'important' matches he always wears his special embroidered rugby shorts with pockets. For general games he will wear one of his other random pair that also has pockets....he has to have something to keep his official referee notepad and score cards in while he runs round after the teams.

Being the legitimately interested and wonderful girlfriend that I am, I have attended all of the games he has refereed since being in the country. I have been accompanied twice - once by his sister and once by our friend. Luckily, the second game I attended a friend of ours tagged along. It made it less confusing for me than the first game because somebody was there to explain what was going on when I got confused. I have watched rugby before, on tv when visiting here in the past, and Alex has explained to me what is generally going on. I still really had no clue when trying to figure it out on my own. To help me out, Alex lent me his official law book. Yes, the call the official rule book for rugby a law book. And it contains laws, not rules. I read the whole thing the first Thursday I was here, when he was going Uni work. It helped some and I asked questions, but I was still lost. 

During the second time I went, I spend a significant amount of time making up my own rule changes that I thought would enhance the game. Definitely better distinguished kit is needed. Home teams should be required to wear a jersey with some sort of striped pattern on it and socks with poky dots on. The visitors much wear poky dot jerseys and striped socks. The ref gets solid colors or a distinctive pattern. There should be half-time entertainment and a tea cart available (although often on  Saturday the club house is open and it sells a large variety of hot, cold, and alcoholic drinks as well as food such as chips and various sandwiches). Throughout the game there should be a tortoise race that is bet upon. Anyone can enter a tortoise if they wish. There will be one decorative tortoise that belongs to the rugby club. It will have a painted shell to distinguish it. The race spans half the field and is places right next to it. Teams are penalized if the ball interferes or harms the tortoise race. Once the special tortoise reaches the finish line, the teams must do a dance and swap sides of the field....these are the main changes I would make. 

Since this time I have learned the basic gist of the game. I actually enjoy going, as long as it is not too terribly cold out. I always bundle up and bring a thermos full of tea. I have hand warmers in my purse, just in case it gets extra cold, and leave a blanket in the car to sit on if it is nice out. It is surprisingly interesting to stand on the sidelines and listen to the crowds comment on the game. Particularly during the kids games. Like other sports in the states, the parents get really wound up about their children playing and shout a lot of stuff - at their kid, at other kids, at the other team, the coaches, the ref, just in general. I enjoy listening. Undoubtedly, at least once during the afternoon of rugby games (he ref's between 1 and 4 games an afternoon, but it is typically not more that 2 with the exception of children's tournaments because those are shortened in time) someone asks me the score. Firstly, I never know which team is which unless I have seen the Willenhall team before. Secondly, scoring is one of the things I do not quite have a grasp on yet. I can tell someone how many have been successfully run to the correct location and touched to the ground by a player and how many have been successfully kicked in the goal posts for each team. I cannot, however, keep up with the point. I generally just know which is winning and if it seems to be by a lot or a little. Its a start really. 

Alex has encountered some interesting situations at refereeing. He has had to red and/or yellow card several players, sending them off for a particular amount of time, or permanently for the game. Mostly for fighting after he has told them multiple times to stop and they continue to make dangerous tackles. He once had a kid punch another straight in the face because they had been mouthing off to one another the entire game and the one kid got sick of it. Full on fights between some of the teen players has also lead to kids being kicked out of the game. He has had to send parents of kids away to sit in the clubhouse. This actually has lead to him being directly threatened by a parent for doing do. He has to write up a report anytime he does something like that, just in case something comes out of it later like a severe injury, accident, or complaint. For the threat he received he has to even go to court and read through his report, adding or subtracting anything he wishes, so that the man can be penalized accordingly. Pretty serious stuff, that. At least he is being taken seriously and is being protected. 

So yeah, I am a fan. I enjoy watching the game, the fights, the crowds. I particularly like seeing Alex enjoy himself and use his authoritative voice. All in all it is a good time. I am, however, a bit sad to report that I have yet to see someone's ear be ripped off in a scrum. In all reality, that would be really gross but it is something that I hear happens. 

I have yet to watch Alex play rugby. He does sometimes play, but not often and not since I have been here. He has been asked, but has not been able to accept for multiple reasons - he has had to work on a Saturday or has already agreed to ref. He also does not go to practice unless he knows he is playing. He would play with the Willenhall vets team if they are short players or if he is not needed as a ref. I would love to watch him play, seeing as I adore watching him play soccer, sorry 'football'. I am sure I will eventually, but for now I am content watching him ref on the weekends and playing soccer on the occasional Sunday evening. It will be even more fun when the weather is warmer! I look forward to continuing to be a good 'trophey wife' and attending these matches with him. 

Alrighty, I am off to literally have tea and a crumpet while I watch some tele. Ha, that sounded so English :)

New (and interesting) hobby

 The current stage of  what we call Weaping Kettle Mead

A bit of an interesting update of sorts. I have most certainly begun to fall into a routine here. At this point it mostly revolves around Alex's schedule since he is the one with school and work. I do not mind as I have pleanty of time to do both the things I want and need to get done during those times that he is gone. Case in point - I typically write entries in here when he is at work, which would be currently. I enjoy having a bit of a routine, as it keeps me focused and on task for the few things that I actually need to get done around here. 

This, however, is neither very interesting to you readers nor what I wanted to write about. What I wanted to make people aware of would be my new hobby of sorts. Alex has, in the past, made his own wine. Well, we have decided to take on the task of making our own mead. Yes, you read correctly. Alex and I are attempting to make a mid evil alcoholic drink which I have only had once at a Renaissance Fair and was not too keen on. In case you are uninformed on the subject, mead is a honey based alcoholic drink that is thick and sweet. I cannot drink much of it at once, as it has an oddly thick texture some would not enjoy and is very strong int he alcohol department. 

The process is pretty simple really, but it will take around a month to make. We think at this point that our batch is going to be extra strong and not as sweet at some come. I am ok with this I suppose. People can always heat some honey in it if they want it sweeter. As for the strength, well, that could be a bit of a concern because the kind I had had before was quite strong. Alex has drank mead on many occasions in the past and says that typically 2 small cups of it and you are most certainly good for quite a bit. We have been making ours for about 4 days now. It currently sits and ferments. We have already dissolved all of the proper chemically things into the honey mixture after we completed the tedious task of sterilizing everything. It smells very strongly of rubbing alcohol at the moment. We are hopeful that it will come out nice. I look forward to trying it. 

We (and this time when I saw we I mean mostly Alex) has also been helping Luke and Jo (and by that I mean mostly Luke) make elderberry champagne. That has also been interesting and is quite a similar process as far as I can tell. I enjoy watching them pretend to be manly while they 'create' their drinks. As far as Alex and I can tell, Luke and JO's champagne is going to turn into wine instead, but it should still be very tasty.

I really look forward to telling my brother-in-law Paul about this adventure. He makes his own beer and lemon cello. I think he will be proud.

Dream # 8 + childhood nightmares

 For those of you whom are avid followers, you may remember when I was having strange dreams during gradschool and would post them on here....even though they were very creepy and sometimes a bit messed up and morbid. Wellll, I have been having some strange dreams again and thought it might be an interesting thing for people to read once again. I had two of them. Not last night, but two nights ago. So basically Thursday night for those of you who  get confused with the time difference and such. Here they are.

The first was during the night. I was actually woken up by Alex from this dream. Apparently I was making strange and creepy muffed noises in my sleep. First he said he found it amusing and then he thought it was creepy so he woke me up. It took me a long time the next morning to remember this dream, but I was able to remember bits of it.

I was running from someone or something that I never saw or spoke about in the dream. I definitely was afraid and knew what it was in the dream, but it was never hinted at during my actual dream. For whatever reason I knew that I had to kill whatever or whoever it was before they killed me. (sidebar - to be honest, I think this dream stemmed from the horror films we have been watching lately) So there I was, walking and running around this house that looked a great deal like the house from a videogame Alex and I are currently playing. I was holding a butchers knife for protecting and knew I needed to use it in self defense, once I found whoever was after me. I don't remember coming face to face with anything scary or dangerous, I only remember looking and being afraid. Then my memory goes a bit blank about what happened in the dream. Somehow I got from that house to a generic English looking corner shop/convince store. For whatever reason I was looking for a half gallon of milk.

This is when Alex woke me up in real life. I remember him nudging me and I assumed in my sleepy state that I must've been stealing his covers or pillow or something. I rolled over and the dream continued. For whatever reason, in my dream this made me decide that I was simply not going to find any milk. I was not particularly bothered about it in the dream and left the store. Then the dream goes black. (sidebar - I also think that scene was a bit from the videogame we have been playing because |I was at this point watching myself in third person and my movements were very stiff and emotionless, like in the videogame. Then, of course, when a scene in the games ends the screen fades to black)

The other dream took place that morning. Alex had to take his mom into work and I stayed in bed, falling back asleep because it was quarter to 8 in the morning. In this dream I met Alex at a restaurant. As I was being shown to my table (where he was to be waiting) I passed by a table of some of my best friends from back home. They all said hello to me and I chatted them up for a few moments before telling them I would be back later to talk to them. I remember being genuine about coming back to speak with them, but I never did in the dream. When I got to the table I was met by Alex and some pregnant girl I had never seen before that looked a few years younger than me. I remember being irritated in the dream because Alex was overly concerned with this pregnant girl that I knew nothing of. The almost child did not belong to Alex, but for whatever reason he was a bit protective of this girl and her unborn baby. I was feeling very isolated and was getting upset as we ate a meal in this semi-fancy restaurant. As my irritation grew, Alex because irritated with me but never said anything to me directly. Then a friend of mine showed up (not one from the table I passed, but another friend from back in the states). She was my reinforcement, even though she had to sit opposite me at the table. At one point she was trying to communicate with me but I could not read her lips. I got up and walked over to her so that she could tell me whatever was on her mind, Alex got really upset even though my friend had whispered something in my ear. (sidebar - I forgot to mention that this dream was entirely in third person. Also, I did not hear whatever it was my friend said. Dream me did, but not me the observer). So anyways, Alex started yelling at me for offending someone who was carrying a child, saying I was being insensitive to the girl's needs. Thats when Alex came back form dropping his mom off and when I got up for the day.

Of course Alex did not like these dreams. Found the first really creepy and the second offensive because he thought it was implying either that he got a girl pregnant or that he would stick up for someone else over me, neither of which he would ever do. I just see them as dreams. Definitely there are connections between the films we have been watching lately and the videogame we have been playing.

The first was in first person. I was in the house I grew up in, but it looked as though it had been burned down or like a tornado had made its way through the house. The rest of my family was gone, but it was not as if they were dead or had been hurt. They just simply were not there. The only other person in the house was a Spanish speaking man with a banjo. I know, it sounds ridiculous. He never spoke, he just played a banjo and sang a song in Spanish that I did not understand. I can't tell you what the song meant or even if he was for sure singing in Spanish because it has been so long since I have had the dream. But the tune was always the same and had the same words I did not understand. The whole dream was me wondering around the house. Sometimes I walked slowly, and other times I ran. Usually both happened at some point in the dream. No matter where I ran in the house the banjo playing man would be there as I entered the room, sitting on a pile of rubble that once was my family's possessions. He never did anything else. Never even gave me a mean look or moved from his pile of rubbish. He was a static, robotic like Spanish man that seemed to not even be aware of my existence. But he always played and he always looked straight ahead of him. The whole dream was me going from room to room, trying to find a way out. I never really disturbed anything in the rooms. All the door and windows were blocked with things. There was no room left on the house and in played the walls were down, but I never climbed the piles of broken things to get out. It was like I was trapped in the open paths of the house and knew that disturbing anything in the house would just collapse it or make things worse. I was just always searching for a way out and always terrified, even though nothing ever directly threatened me. I was not afraid of dying or scared without my family. I just wanted away from the Spanish banjo man.

The second reoccurring nightmare I used to have was in third person. It had an old black and white cartoon feel to it. There was no sound, which probably ups the scary factor. Unlike the first nightmare where things where in variations of grey, this dream had things only in black, white, or one shade of grey. There were no shadows or depth to the dream at all. In this dream, I watched myself in a field. Grass was grey, flowers were black, I was in a white dress with simple black features and a ribbon in my hair. I was picking the flowers. I would bend over slowly to look at them before picking them. They all were sortof in a convenient row, although I was surrounded by a field of them. I was oblivious to anything else around me. There was no other scenery besides the field covered in flowers. There were some hills. After picking a few flowers the dream would zoom out to a wider shot. In this wider shot was a bit, black steam roller type machine rolling towards me. The machine was largely lacking in detail. It had sharp angles and was big. The machine had a giant shoe on an arm that came off the front of it. As the machine rolled towards me the shoe would come down and smash the flowers behind me. In the dream I knew that the show would smash me but because dream me was obvious to what was happening, I had to watch as the machine steadily came closer to me at only a slightly faster rate than I picked flowers. It was a long dream and nothing changed from there. The machine would get closer and dream me would keep picking flowers. Dream me never noticed the giant shoe until it was about to smush me. Then dream me turned around to see the shoe hovering over me, only to sit there and watch and scream. I always woke up at that point and never actually saw myself getting smushed.

It really is pretty amusing now that I think of it. I was basically in an old black and white cartoon where a shoe was big enough to smash me. a be weird and not actually that scary. But man was it as a child.