Winter Sailing Trip

Recently I started dating a new person... and he has a yacht!

I'm not going to go too much into it the whole thing except for saying that I've actually known him for a few years but have just been dating him for just a few weeks. It seems to be going pretty well but, well, you've witnessed my pathetic relationship history first hand so I think it prudent to not speak too soon and jinx the whole bloody thing. Don't worry though, I'm sure I'll see him off shortly. 

Anyway, he has a 33ft yacht and at the end of November (before we 'got together') he took me and another one of his friends out on it. He's a proper trained diver and sailor and two other people on the boat were also very experienced (there were five of us in total) so I didn't feel apprehensive or unsafe at any point. Cold, however is something that I did feel.

Always inappropriately dressed for whatever weather conditions I'm faced with, I'd decided it would be a great idea to go out on a boat without any socks on. I looked marvellous obviously, but I was a bit cold if I'm honest. 

The whole trip was fantastic. We were out for about three hours, the sea looked incredibly beautiful and I even got to see what Brighton Pier looks like from the other side. I don't get sea sick so I loved being out on the water. We had some snacks and champagne and, because I don't know a thing about boats and it was my first time, I didn't have to lift a finger. I just kept out of the way and enjoyed the whole experience.

The sea looked like liquid lead as we sailed west from Brighton Marina to Hove Lagoon, we then turned round and sailed east all the way to Seaford before we returned to the Marina. It's weird how the temperature drops just as you come out onto the sea and, even though we went out again on Boxing Day, I still haven't quite mastered the art of staying warm the entire time.

I'd never been out on a boat into the Channel before and I absolutely loved it - although I can't help thinking what a shame it is that I wasn't dating him a few months ago as we had a really hot summer and I might have been appropriately dressed for a change!

Amsterdam Birthday Trip

It's been nearly a week since I returned from my birthday trip to Amsterdam so thought it was about time I actually put the photos up!  I'm going to be honest and say that it wasn't the best birthday trip I've ever had but it had some great moments and definitely turned out alright in the end. 

It was a long day driving and by the time we arrived my temper was fraying somewhat. I kind of felt like I'd pretty much spent my entire birthday in a car (and the landscape was pretty boring and samey the whole way) so wasn't feeling that chipper. I loved chatting with my friend, but if someone ever says "hey, do you fancy driving to Holland?" say "hell no, let's get the plane"!

I'd been to Amsterdam once before when I was around 29 and we did a lot of the touristy things then (Red Light District, Flower Market etc) and the place is quite pretty to look at. My friend had never been but has travelled all over the world and is very easy to get along with. I'm not sure many people would have been able to stand me for 3 days actually so I was very lucky to be with her. I'm very picky and particular (read a total pain in the arse)

The ferry trip over was great as I love being on boats and it was a beautiful sunny day. It was  a very long trip and the Air BnB place was really sweet when we arrived. It was small but had everything we needed as well as a Nespresso machine (I'd never had one). It was in a great part of town and was very cosy. We then went out for some food, drank some birthday Prosecco then went to bed.

The first day was a mixed bag - It was freezing and I'd forgotten my gloves and hat, it was raining, the food everywhere was awful but we did find an ace little bar with grapefruit G&T's, my friend lent me her gloves, the cafe on the corner from us was just lovely and we went to the Van Gogh Museum.

There were bikes everywhere and it was really hard not to get hit by a car, a tram or a bike - especially as they drive on the right so you're always looking the wrong way! I loved these kiddie trough bikes.

And these large red clogs...

Saturday (our last day) was 100% better and we went on a fantastic little boat trip around the canals and out into the port. It was fascinating and great fun.

The guide told us that all the houses have these hooks above them to lift furniture up into the house as they're so narrow (they're narrow as they used to be taxed on floor space) and that some of the houses were built leaning forward to counteract the weight. If you look at the photo below you can actually see a couple of the houses sticking out at the top.

At the end of the day we met up with two friends of hers who lived there. They were appalled that we had eaten such shitty food during our trip (Holland is not known for its cuisine) and took us to a fantastic little place around the corner from our flat where I had one of the best meals ever. It was a really nice way to end to the trip and I liked her friends immensely. 

I don't think I'll be going back to Amsterdam again, but overall the trip was 'an experience'. I loved spending time with my friend and am eternally grateful for her patience (I would have killed me). I definitely won't be spending any more birthdays in a car or eating any more calamari in Holland though. You never know what you're going to get when you go away, but the experience is what matters. 

Back on Form (And 10 Reasons I'm Lucky)

Thank you so much for your kind comments. Even thought the whole thing was a bit of a shambles, I've bounced back and feel happily back to my usual self. I also have some amazing things to feel grateful for:

1) On the 6th November (my birthday) Star Trek Girl and I are driving to Amsterdam to spend three days drinking good coffee and wine, eating nice food, wandering the canal-sides, looking at art and admiring clogs. 

I usually go to Italy but my friend has never been to Amsterdam, is half French so used to driving on the other side of the road, speaks six languages, and I haven't been since I went for a boyfriend's birthday around 15 years ago. We've booked a lovely little apartment through Air BnB that comes with two bicycles and is right near the museum district. It's going to be great!

2) My American client has just renewed the contract on my flat so I have at least another year being able to live by myself in my gorgeous, bright, happy little home.

3) I've just had a bumper month work-wise. I'm making around £300 per month in passive income through download sales which I aim to take up to £1000 within a year. I have lots of interesting, satisfying work and I'm still able to work completely virtually.

4) The last time I took my little cat Treacle to the vets for a check up, they said her heart murmur was a lot less severe than they had initially thought and that it might've just sounded louder because she was stressed. So she's pretty much fine.

5) Two books of beautiful poetry arrived through my door today. Winter is coming and it always makes me want to read poetry and ghost stories for some reason. A Scottish friend often posts poems up on Facebook and, after a particularly gorgeous poem the other day (Infinity by Giacomo Leopardi) I asked him to recommended some books and I ended up buying The Bees and Love Poems by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy. 

6) I'm dating someone new. I decided to go back on the dating site for a month and have been on four dates with a guy called Peter. I wasn't sure if he was 'romantically interested' so I asked him on our fourth date last night if he was (we're all busy here pal) and he said he was interested but that he was a bit shy when it came to these things. He also finished a five year relationship at the end of last year and I think he's a bit out of practice!

I don't feel any urgency, but dating has certainly cheered me up and restored my knocked confidence - which was the point.

7) I've been planning another trip away. I've mentioned this before, but I'd really love to go on a  three-day winter break on the island of Sark. It's a Dark Skies island and I want to take a good book, go on some brisk clifftop walks, then cosy up with a brandy and read in front of an open fire. How lovely does that sound?

8) A friend is coming up from Cornwall today, another friend from London is joining us and we're going out for sangria and dinner at a Spanish tapas bar before heading to a Mogwai gig in town. My Cornish friend is doing some work for them so we're all on the guest list. 

9) I went to my first Star Trek Convention the other week. It was brilliant to be around other nerds, to see people just wandering around in Starfleet uniforms and to not feel awkward discussing the common ancestry of Vulcans and Romulins! I loved it.

10) After I got dumped by email and had a horrendous eye infection that left me taking a five-day, four-a-day course of hardcore antibiotics, a friend sent me a lovely card from Devon saying how wonderful I was, my best friend came through as she always does and was an incredible source of support, another friend came over with paleo cherry and chocolate scones, my cousin called me to see if I was ok and another two friends came over to cheer me up.

So actually I have a pretty good life, things are pretty peachy and I did not let that bloody loser get me down! 

Loser in Love

And three months later I'm single again. Who'd have thought it? 

Everyone who knows me I suspect.

I'm surprised you guys are still even here and bother to read this to be honest. I fuck off for three months in a swirl of hope and happiness then reappear all forlorn and sad expecting you to still be here. 

It did not work out. I feel sad even writing that because I did actually like him. I liked the way he made me feel, I liked that we had a connection... I liked so many things about him. But, like many men before him, he lost interest. It went from "it's you and me now doll" to being dumped by email cos he just wasn't feeling it. "He couldn't muster it" were his exact words in fact.

How shit is that. I'm the kind of person that gets dumped by email. I'm that woman.

There's a scared part of me that wonders if I'll always be single. I don't mind being by myself but I hope to not be forever. I'd prefer nothing to nothing special but I'm kinda ready to meet that something special if I'm honest. It's been long enough.

Each time someone hurts you, you have to pick yourself and be all cheery and happy for the next person. You can't take any kind of damage with you because it's not fair on the next person - but that really is hard. If you were kicked in the face time and time again then there would be some kind of physical damage. It'd be expected. But to keep brushing off hurt and disappointment time and time again is really really hard.

I know it's silly and I know what things everyone says to cheer you up because I've heard them time and time again. But there is a little part of me who doesn't want to admit it but truly wonders if anyone will ever be in love with me - and stay in love with me. 

I don't think I have unrealistic or massively high expectations either.... just the usual ones. I want what most people (men and women) want. I'm not looking for perfection.

So here I am again. I'm just fortunate that the rest of my life is pretty good because my love life is, and has always been a bit of a joke. 

Anyway, enough about loveless little me - how have you guys been? So sorry I've neglected you. x

I Think I Met Someone...

If you look at my last post you'll see that I was about to go out with three more people through the dating site. I went out with Steve and I also went out with Frank... but just once.

Because Steve was taking up all my time, was free very soon after our first date, emailed or texted me every day and seemed very interested, I decided to cancel my second date with Frank as I'd been out with Steve three times at that point and I felt quite uncomfortable dating two people. I could foresee complications if I ended up liking Frank too. Frank was good about it and said he appreciated my honesty and not messing him about.

Three weeks and loads of dates later Steve admitted to not being entirely sure what the hell he wanted. Because I'd felt this I hadn't invested any emotion into him so decided to be cheeky and contact Frank. I'd wondered what he'd been up to and thought what the hell, he can just tell me to fuck off.

He didn't. 

I asked if he'd like to go out for a drink with me and so last Sunday we met up again. We had a brilliant time and, at the end what I guess was our second date, he told me I was "proper beautiful" and asked to see me again. We've been out to see films and dinner (quick work!) and last night he asked if we can "do this thing properly?" which turned out to mean "will you be my girlfriend?". I happily agreed.

Despite not being my usual type (he's like Ray Winstone) Frank is fucking amazing. He's big and blokey and lovely and sweary and honest and he seems to adore me (he doesn't know that I'm really annoying yet!). He tells me how beautiful and lovely I am all the time and just says what he wants, plans ahead, gives me attention (and is attentive) and has made it very clear how much he likes me. 

I've only been seeing him for a week but it feels like forever. I've been around long enough to know not to count my chickens yet, but I also know what someone being honest and not messing you around looks like. It feels like the real thing and I would be truly surprised, gutted and would have egg all over my face if he turned out to be playing me.

He's a playwright for a living but speaks like a right geezer. He's really easy company, funny, intelligent, open, warm and makes me feel like a princess. I think I've finally met someone who is going to make me very happy. I already kinda adore him and am really looking forward to seeing what happens.

Man, I hope this works out... 

Internet Dating - The Story So Far

As you know, I've been dipping my toe back into the world of Internet dating. I know a few people who met their partners this way and a ton of people seem to have friends who've done the same. 

It's a really nice way to see if you've got similar interests before you meet too - chemistry is great but if you're into different things or have different values or goals then it'll never work. But you have to actually meet to see if there's any chemistry of course.

I've found it a really good way to 'get back out there' and re-learn how to flirt and talk to men. I'm a pretty chatty person, but dating is a whole different ball game so the practice is useful!

So, here are the scores on the doors so far:

Date 1: Ian - (41 with no kids) Christmas hadn't been kind to Ian and, although lovely in character, he was carrying way more timber and chins than I was led to believe and I did not fancy him at all. He came to Brighton, we had lunch on the pier, wandered around the shops, had coffee, then I sent him on his merry way.

Date 2: Geoff - (44 with no kids) I went on 2 dates with Geoff. Date one was bowling (this is a brilliant first date as it's fun, you can flirt, you're focused on a shared goal, and you get to check out each others behinds) where there was a lot of chemistry. He was tall which I really like as I do like a nice heel and the date went well. Date 2 was to a country pub where I discovered he seemed to have no passion or drive for anything and I wondered if this extended to people. 

When he dropped me off he told me he'd been on another second date 2 days before and they'd decide to start seeing each other - he'd wanted to keep his date with me as we'd already arranged it. I personally wished he hadn't as I could've done something else more interesting that day.

Date 3: Terry - (43 with no kids)  I went on 2 dates with Terry as well as I don't think you can

always tell from 2 or 3 hours in someone's company whether there might be something there. He was absolutely lovely but we didn't feel any chemistry and decided to stay friends. He's since found a new girlfriend from the site which is proof that it does work.

Date 4: Russ - (38, divorced with a 5 year old daughter) this is a hard one to discuss as it was quite a mental experience. We went bowling and hit it off immediately. We got on so well that (at his request) we saw each other 4 times in a week... and then he just went weird and bowed out. 

He said his feelings were all over the place and he needed time to sort them out (bla-bla usual bollocks). I was pretty cut up actually as, although I'd only known him for a week, he was good company and I was having fun. I was very confused as to what had happened but am now sure that I had a narrow escape from a dickhead. Anyone who freaks out after 4 dates is pretty pathetic - but I was very surprised at how bad I felt after he did this.

Dates lined up:

These are dates I have yet to go on but that have been scheduled.

1) Joe: (44, divorced, no kids) I was supposed to see him last night but he cancelled as he had to work late. I'm not sure either of us are feeling this.
2) Steve: (44 with a 3 year old daughter) He's a writer who I'm meeting on Monday. He seems pretty interesting so we'll see.
3) Frank: (44 with an 11 year old daughter) He works in the Arts and I'm meeting him on Tuesday night. I'm looking forward to this one the most as his messages have been really interesting and he's a geek like me. 

Divorced men and/or men with kids are actually quite good to date. They've messed it up once so are now hopefully wiser as to what they want and what makes a good relationship. If they have kids (and they're a GOOD Dad) they know how to budget and plan and put someone else first (if they're a bad Dad then you just avoid them) and, because they have their kids a day or 2 a week, you get a nice amount of time to yourself as well. Also, meeting a guy in his late 30's or 40's without kids is quite rare nowadays!

So that's the state of things as they stand. I'm not desperate to find a boyfriend, but I'm putting myself out there in the hope of meeting someone to have fun with and connect with I guess. I'm not into conventional relationships where you spend all your waking hours with someone then move in together, have kids, take all your holidays together and check with them before you do anything though. 

I don't want an open relationship but I'd like to create something modern based on what we both individually want - I like my own space and like living by myself for example. I like most of the things that come with a relationship such as intimacy, sex, closeness and having someone you love and can do romantic things with, but I don't like being told what to do and I really hate it when you feel strongly for a person so things they do or say unsettle your emotional stability and bring out less-than-pleasant emotions.

It seems that you can't have one without the other though...

There's Star Trek Nerds On The Starboard Bow Captain!

* Warning - this post contains references to nerd items such as gaming and Star Trek terminology. You may choose to look away. I will understand.

Since earlier this year I've been going to loads of Meet-Up groups in my local area. I've mentioned the website before because, whatever you're into from different sports and rambling to pub lunches and wine tasting, there's a group for you. I've been going to a gaming group and I LOVE it.

It started when I checked out the weekly email that tells you what's going on that week whether you're a member of the group or not. I glanced down, saw the words Star Trek and was hooked. Someone had bought the Star Trek Attack Wing (STAW) game and wanted to know if anyone was up for playing it in the pub that Saturday. "Only Star Trek geeks need apply - who's in?".

I WAS!!

So I went along that weekend and played STAW in a room above a pub for hours with 3 blokes I'd never met. It was brilliant. Since then I've been going regularly to their gaming sessions and learning how to play all kinds of things - I'm still completely into STAW though and even bought my own copy of the game and played games at other group member's houses. In fact, I'm hosting my first game today!

Oh yes, five guys (I know them so I won't be attacked and murdered in my own home) are coming over later to play STAW. We've even bought our own ships and might even play in factions. I don't own any Federation ships yet - apart from what came with the base game - and prefer to play 'baddie' ships.

I feel like I've found me 'tribe' with the group. It's really relaxed, I'm never the biggest nerd in the room, I can discuss Star Trek and other nerd subjects such as Android and Smart Watches (I have my eye on a Samsung Gear 2) without fear of ridicule and the games are really fun. None of my other friends really play anything more than Scrabble so it's great to meet new people and be introduced to new games and things. They're people of all ages so it's not like I'm some old granny hanging out with the kids either.

I think you need to keep learning as you get older as it's really easy to stagnate and get into a rut with the same people talking about the same old shit. I go to the Movie Club group and am a member of a few Social Groups too. I go to pub meet-ups and lunches and all kinds of things. But the gaming group is definitely my favourite one. 

Live long and prosper. x

Well Hello There - It's Been AGES!

Blimey, I haven't posted for ages. On one hand there's been nothing to tell you and on the other there's been loads. Now it's all build up so I'll  bring you up to speed by doing a round-up kinda post then I can get back on track and you might actually know what the fuck I'm talking about!

Love life - my love life is rubbish. There's no two ways about this one. I've started doing some Internet dating again... I'm sure a few of you may recall how THAT one turned out but if you weren't a reader, it was both funny and a shambles at the same time. These are my dates so far:

Two dates with Terry who was lovely despite the awful name but there was no chemistry. We are going to be friends though because he's interesting and local.

Two dates with Geoff who told me after our second date that he'd been on another second date with someone a few days before and they'd decided to start seeing each other. I was pretty annoyed that he didn't cancel his date with me thus wasting my Sunday and his. I may have had a lucky swerve though as he told me on the date that he felt no passion or drive for anything which made me wonder if that extended to people. Also he couldn't see a face in the grass I was trying to point out in a field (we were up on a hill) which possibly meant he had no imagination. Plus his name is truly dreadful.

One date with Shailen who, despite saying he had a great time and asking to see me the next week, never contacted me again. Pretty fucking rude.

Even though I'm good at being single and love most aspects of it, this doesn't mean that I want to be single forever and spend the next 40 years by myself. It's really hard to meet people though - especially someone who is interested in me in return it seems.

Social Life - excellent. I've joined a few Meet-up groups and can go out every night of the week if I like. I love the gaming group I go to and really like a guy there but he's 9 years younger than me. We get on really well and it's a shame about the age as I'd ask him out otherwise. I also have some amazing friends who have been brilliant recently as I've been feeling a bit down this week. One even came round with cake and took me out for coffee to cheer me up.

Emotional Status - rubbish. This week has been utter pants and I've been feeling quite sorry for myself. There's a few reasons for this:

1. I've hurt my back and can't get comfy
2. My business has been quiet (which never happens) which has made me start to worry a bit about money
3. My ex has a new girlfriend which he met because she lives in his road and just went and knocked on his fucking door. I'm annoyed about this one as, although I don't want him back, I feel that he was responsible for the breakdown of our relationship, my resulting unhappiness, and that he doesn't deserve the ease at which he's found someone new when I'm much more deserving and nobody wants me. It's hard to admit that I'm bitter and angry about it but that is the truth of the matter. I don't want him to be unhappy but I'm annoyed that he met someone so easily when I can't.
4. Feeling rejected emotionally. Even though I don't care what strangers think about me, I guess it's only natural to feel rejected and confused and all sorts of other horribly damaging emotions when someone rejects you (Geoff & Shailen). Even though they were clearly dicks, it's still quite hurtful and has knocked my self-esteem more than I expected.
5. I fell off my new way of eating when my best friend came to visit. Thisnot only made me physically sick (my body actually immediately rejected what I'd just eaten) and ropey, it made me feel weak for going off track so easily once I had company.

Work - mixed. My main line of work has been really quiet (but looks like it might be picking up from today) and I'm in the process of setting up a new online business which I'm pretty excited about. I'd shelved it for a year as I'd been too busy so, whilst it was quiet, I took the opportunity to finish writing the new website and get the logo designed etc. 

Health - I leant over to readjust the sofa cushions last Saturday and twinged my back. It often just sorts itself out in a day or two but hasn't this time - so I feel about 80. I've also started a new way of eating which seems to agree with me. I've been eating a paleo diet for a couple of months and have never felt healthier. It's stopped my sugar cravings and apparently I even look leaner which is a bonus. 

I've never craved pasta and bread (although I like them) but when I fell off the wagon and ate bread and cake recently, I felt like I'd been poisoned and felt shaky and just dreadful really. It's also made me start cooking, which is something I've never been a big fan of. 

Summary - actually overall things are fine but this week has definitely knocked me sideways and I've been surprised at how being rejected by a couple of men has made me feel. I'm not getting any younger and it would be nice to have someone to share things with and I would like to be in love again one day soon. I have my friends but I mean romantically of course. Being rejected makes you question your personality and your appearance - I know you shouldn't feel that way but you can't help it. Your brain just doesn't play ball sometimes!

I've still been reading your blog updates of course and I so hope you haven't all forgotten me just because I dropped off the radar for a bit. x

Glad to be Home From Austin

I returned from Austin four days ago now and I feel I've only just recovered some sense of normality. I'm really glad I did the event but it was incredibly hard work and I felt like I earned every single penny. Working 12-15 hour days in a windowless, wood-panelled room mainly by myself and only eating when someone bought me food, I was so busy that it took me hours to eat that food and I didn't stop all day. It was completely exhausting.

When I finished work I would call a taxi and hope one turned up as not one knew where the University was even after I gave them the address (in fact not one taxi driver knew the way to anywhere I ever asked him to go in 2 weeks). I would then give them directions every step of the way and fume when they asked how much change I wanted back) I would then occasionally flick through 40 channels of banality before I crashed out so I could get up at 6.30 to do it all again. Thank God the hotel served Illy coffee cos I would have gone postal otherwise.

I did get 2 days out of the 18 to explore and I can tell you that I wasn't impressed with Austin much. Like most US cities it was sprawling and I think people generally drove to the mall to do their shopping. Nearly every place sold food in some way (takeout, fast food, restaurant, 7-11) and most of the food I had was horrible. Nearly everything had fake cheese on it and lost weight when I was there as I could barely look at some of it. I was offered deep-fried ice cream one evening ("hey, it comes with cream on the side!"). Those poor people didn't have a chance - you would have to have a will of steel to live there!

It was a complete culture-shock for me actually. The ineptitude of the US team was staggering but they whooped, high-fived and congratulated themselves when they did anything remotely resembling competence. The red tape we had to navigate so that nobody got sued was jaw-dropping. The taxi driver at the airport refused to lift our suitcases because he didn't have any medical insurance and the competitors had to sign waivers for 100 things before they could do anything. It was most odd. 

We did find a few gems on the faculty though. People we hadn't even known about suddenly appeared and went over and above board to save the day. They were amazing and, whilst the rest were completely out of their depth running an international event of that size, without these gems, the event would have failed in my opinion. They were completely undervalued and underused at the university and were thrilled to get to get to use some skills for once. 

There were a few good moments though. The people were at least friendly, the weather was nice most of the time, I had a laugh buying my cowboy hat and watching people dancing to live music, the margaritas were amazing (they free-pour over there!), the Four Seasons was obviously fantastic and my bed was like a huge marshmallow with clouds for pillows, I liked seeing squirrels clambering everywhere and the buses were cheap.

I'm truly glad I had the experience, and I'd do the next one in London if asked, but I didn't really like Austin much. From being made to stand in a booth with my hands behind my head and then fingerprinted and photographed like a criminal at customs, to the ineptitude and greed of the taxi drivers, half and half, and the lardy food, I'm glad to see the back of it to be honest. I'd still like to see some more of America, but Texas wasn't for me I'm afraid - maybe I'm more European than I realised.

My home for 2 weeks

I'm back to work tomorrow and, having made some big changes to my business just before the event, I'm looking forward to seeing how that pans out. Spring also seems to have finally arrived in Blighty and next week is predicted to be fine and sunny which is something to look forward to. I'm very happy to be back to my cats, Italian coffee pot, TiVo, the cinema and my darling seaside town though.

PS: to my American blogger friends, please don't take this post as a criticism of you. I've only been to two places in the US and am just saying how I personally found the experience. We have plenty to moan about here and, if you'd love to come and visit, I would be delighted to show you around and see what you hate too! 

Weird Things About Austin So Far

Well I've been in Austin three full days and I've already noticed some really odd things about the place:

• Half and Half - it's an abomination and wrong on so many levels. I was told "we have 10 different kinds of milk" in the Wholefoods store and they still didn't know what I meant by a normal white coffee with full fat milk or just with regular full fat cream. The food in the 'health' store was not particularly healthy when you read the label, and they had help-yourself breakfast buffets that looked like seven shades of E.coli were residing on it.
• The food and people come in sizes large, massive and wow. It's nearly impossible to get a mini tub of ice cream or a pint of milk but I can buy most things in a size that is larger than my head if I so wish.

Massive Yoghurts, milks & some 'real' food

• They have super sucky toilets and no hand dryers. All the toilets in Austin are like airplane ones that suck away really fast rather than flush. Plus I've not seen one Dyson airdryer or any other hand dryer since I arrived - they're all paper towels here.
• Petrol is a third of the price it is in the UK. The equivalent of 50p a litre in fact (it's around £1.30-£1.40 in the UK). Which I guess is why people drive everywhere.
• They have little TVs in the back of taxis. They are not interesting to watch - the same as the TV in my hotel room.
• The food is pretty full-on. I already feel larded out and am craving something that isn't fried, full of sugar, covered in weird stuff, or an odd mix of lots of things I'm not used to seeing on the same plate. 
• The price you see isn't the price you pay. They have state taxes or something which means that you have no idea how much money to get out of your purse and feel that you're being conned and the cashier is just randomly deciding on a figure.
• The service is very good in restaurants - they check back on you around 600 times whilst you're eating but once you have ordered or refused dessert the bill is bought immediately even if you haven't asked for it. There are no 2-3 hour leisurely meals like on the continent here.
• They say flaaaaaarn and not flan - it's mesmerising.
• They also 'reach out' to people quite a lot here instead of just contacting them.
• The coffee is very different to European coffee... and I love my US readers so that's all I'm saying on that one.

I know it does sound like a huge complaint but I'm British and that's what we do. Austin is not a place I would want to live but I have bought a cowboy hat which I'm refusing to take off.

The competition hasn't kicked off yet but the US team we're working with are pretty incompetent and every day is a bit of a struggle. Some of the people are fantastic but others are woefully unprepared for the task at hand. This is not because they're American of course, but because they're just not very good at their jobs.

I shall of course give you more info about my stay when I get more time - I'm here for 18 days altogether and I move to the Four Seasons on Thursday (L'occitane products in the bathroom!). I miss my cats A LOT but I don't miss the crappy English weather. I half expect the UK to have blown away by the time I get back actually.