You Will Be Re-assimilated

If this day just would stop feeling surreal, that would help me in my re-assimilation back to Trampa time and Trampa things. I barely remember details just relevant things like talking to Yummy in the early morning and late afternoon. He's been up to his elbows in paint. His pet project has been painting a selection of walls in his home. I think he has another coat to apply tomorrow...

I couldn't wait to get the length of my nails to get cut in half! Typing was becoming a chore. I felt happier going from a French manicure to a more lively Italian Red.

Armed with newly manicured nails, Brighton-themed tourist mementos and Cadbury and Galaxy chocolate ingots, I drove to my aunt and uncle's home. They had missed me and had been worried for me traveling by myself to England and to visit, in their eyes, a stranger.

Through my pictures, I was able to show them how much fun I had exploring Yummy's section of England. They also saw him as a real person in candid shots scattered through the over 375+ pics I took. The English culture and terrain were very different and I wanted to capture as much as I could.

My aunt was preparing food and didn't get to see all of the photos. Surprisingly, my cousin Ida was dropped off by her husband so she could spend some time with us and to have my aunt alter a dress for her.

During my UK trip, my aunt had a special sit down bathtub installed in the second bathroom so Nan could have a private bath when she felt like it. It was a pretty penny but impressive with the jets installed where your back would be and your legs which will be great for Nan! Three of us were inspecting it and oohing and aahing over it.

Standing to my left was my aunt and standing to my right was my cousin Ida and we were facing the big mirror for some reason after our admiration of the new bathtub. Ida pulls up her shirt to adjust her bra. I get mischievous and pull up my shirt to flash them, but not to be outdone was my aunt who pulled her shirt up and flashed the rest of us! Oh my God -- what a bunch of cuckoos! We laughed so hard.

Ida told my aunt she had the smallest boobs in the battle of the big boob trio in the mirror. My aunt replied that we got our big boobs from her mother, my grandmother Angela.

Before I knew it, we were having a Filipino meal on one side of the table and American on the other. To add to my feeling of surrealism, my aunt had my uncle put on a cassette with folk songs in the Visaya dialect from her childhood. It was to be "fiesta" soon in Lawa-an and she decided we were to have an impromptu celebration of our own.

I left early so I could make my skype date with Yummy. My evening was made early again by my jet lag and I had to make sure I got up for work the next day. Not looking forward to it either.

You Will Be Re-assimilated

AGOL Takes UK: Chocolate & Champagne

My personal and major objective today was a chocolate run. There was no way in heck I was going to land tomorrow without buying some Cadbury and Galaxy chocolates. My ride home from the Trampa airport depended on it!

Waitrose was to be my source for trafficking chocolate to the US. Around a dozen chocolate ingots weighing 400 grams each and packages of other Cadbury and Galaxy varieties plus three oddball packages of McVitie's Digestive Biscuits came to £45 pounds or $90 worth. The AGOL doesn't play around with her chocolate. Friends and family were being gifted with chocolate.

Yes, there is a picture of the treasure, but you will have to go to Yummy's site to see it on the grocery checkout conveyor. Poor thing. He had never seen so much chocolate purchased at one time. Has he ever had an American Halloween? Didn't think so. Even I must admit it was bordering on obscene, but I didn't care. I just had to get it on the plane.

We dropped the chocolate treasures home before going out again to The Lanes to visit Riddle and Finns for lunch. Not risking any choco meltdown. Too much was riding on their safety. Ha!

Yummy had heard good reviews about Riddle and Finns and we had put it on our mental list of places to try a week before. Here was our chance to sample it since dinner at The Saint was still hours away. Seafood here we come.

The entrance was quite nice and the inside simple with white subway tiles on the walls. The dark wood tables were set quite high. Lunch was almost over so we were the only ones inside. Our order was taken right away and the waiter extremely pleasant and personable. He served us slices of bread with little ramekins of smoked mackerel pate, garlic mayonnaise, horseradish, and onion in vinegar with a side scallop shell filled with butter. What a great way to start.

We had ordered the specials scribbled in chalk on the outside sign. Our starters were the same: crab and feta salad. For the main course, Yummy had Haddock and Chips and I tried Poached Brill with Fennel. Downed with wine, everything was delicious!

Walked around a bit before heading home for an energy nap. Tonight required alertness for all the fun to be had...

Anna, Anton and everyone's friend, Brian came to pick us up. Brian was specially invited into town earlier in the week and we were lucky to have him on a Friday. I found out he was flying to Raleigh, North Carolina the next day about 15 minutes after my plane's flight to Trampa.

We visited two pubs before heading for The Saint where our reservations were secured by Yummy. This Party of Five was definitely starting to get really fun. Did I hear sirens? Just kidding.

I won't enumerate the menu, but suffice it to say everything was great. We all had starters, main course and sinful dessert. A bottle of champagne was popped open for our celebration, liquid gold was poured into our glasses garnished with raspberries. It was indeed heavenly. My time here started with champagne and Yummy felt it fitting to end with some more. What a sweetie! Wine came, too.

Smiley friends: Anna & Brian


Yummy & Anton: Best friends doing their impression of The Clash: Fashion Calling.


Getting happy: Anna, Brian and party crasher, Sean.


Sprinkles & Yummy having had too much sun and now getting striped with wine.


Drinking heaven garnished with a raspberry.


There was a surprise -- a party crasher named Sean. His partner had gone off to get drunk pre-celebrating his 40th birthday. We invited him over and gladly he was fun. Another surprise was Anton remembering him from his school days. Sean didn't remember him, but they had mutual friends he recognized. It was a small world. The evening was wearing and we invited Sean along to our next and my last boozer on this trip.

We took cab rides to The Eddy to complete our beer sandwich. This pub and others will have to deal with the smoking ban taking effect July 1, but for tonight it was smokin' in more ways than one. Loud, but recognizable music played when we came in. Beer-thirty was enjoyed by this (now) Party of Six!

Midnight crept in. It was time to walk home for most of us. Hugs all around. These were good people to meet and a blast to hang with...Too much to drink to think seriously about organizing my things. Of course, I can start packing in the morning before I leave. (Gulp!)

AGOL Takes UK: Chocolate & Champagne