Friday, February 22, 2013

Doing SICK in London.....

I know, you'd rather know the fun stuff we're doing.  Well, nothing is the answer.  Between both of us being sick and the cold weather, we've kind of been cooped up inside.

Rick had been quite sick, then I started in.  Yesterday I woke with a horrid sore throat, so wanted to go to the doctor.  Calling my bff, she helped us figure out which surgery we go to (surgery is really a clinic....with the National Health System, you're assigned where you go by where you live).  We couldn't go there because we've not been good citizens and hadn't registered yet.  So we had to go to an A & E (accident and emergency).  Jill was so nice and drove us to one she'd discovered that had parking and was usually not a long wait.

The nice lady took our temperatures (we both had fevers), looked in our ears (they were all a bit pink), looked down our throats (they were both swollen and sore, but no white spots), told us we had viruses, and sent us on our way. ALL I WANTED WAS A STREP TEST!  Her way to treat it was to gargle with aspirin water and swallow it, eat honey for the pain, and eat healthy.  Now, in the U.S., we've sort of been steered away from using aspirin, so I dismissed it.  Maybe that's wrong, but we have no aspirin or honey on hand.

We had purchased some medicine that looked sort of like Dayquil/Nyquil combined in a box. 

(can't figure out how to flip it)
 
After a horrid night, I decided to read the box and see what I'd taken.  Their "dayquil" has a med similar to tylenol, a decongestant, and CAFFEINE!  Their "nyquil" has a med similar to tylenol and a decongestant, the end....NO sleep aid.  So for me, who doesn't drink caffeine, it had me wired all night.
 
I'm now told they don't treat strep throat here anyway....just let it run it's course.  I've had strep without the white spots before.  I've had strep with no sore throat and just a sick stomach.  Hope I can really get over whatever I have. 
 
My new best friends?  Tylenol, and throat spray and throat lozenges.
 
 
 
Weird.  They both have anaesthetic to numb throat pain and antibiotics to help fight throat infection.  Can't get a RX for an antibiotic, but can buy something over the counter.  If I really do have strep, I'm not sure it would be enough to treat it.
......and.....
 
 
Mushroom soup with lots of mushroom chunks.....and...
 
 
Carrot Coriander soup.
 
Just took more tylenol.  Gonna spray my throat.  Then lay down.  Again.  Was supposed to be at "Who Do You Think You Are--Live", which is a big Family History conference.  Was given free tickets.  Maybe tomorrow.  Blahhhhhhhhh.
 
 

Monday, February 18, 2013

And there was light.....and a mirror too!

It finally happened.  We have a mirror in our bathroom! 
 Not just any mirror, a cabinet with fancy lights down the sides and under it. 
 
 
And it only took 6 hours today...
Guess it's kind of tricky putting these things in old places....
Not sure Ben and Tim knew what they were in for.
 
Now, if I could just convince someone that electrical outlets
 are ok in bathrooms.....
 
At least my straightener cord is long enough to reach into here from the bedroom.
 
Hahahaha!  Such silly things to get used to.
 
 


Saturday, February 16, 2013

Wicked and Temple...can we say that in the same sentence?

Hmmmmmmmm.  What to do while waiting for the mirror to FINALLY be installed
in the master bathroom and Rick's standing in line at the theatre trying to get Wicked tickets.....

Take a picture of the synagogue, but from the living room window this time....

 then walk outside and take a picture of the rare blue sky in London....

do a bit of family history.....

and after 3 1/2 hours, this is what we got....

NOTHING on the wall!!!!

So, the management company sent someone out to measure for a mirror
 before I ever arrived.
Yesterday, 2 men came to install a lovely cabinet with lights on it.
Problem:  to hang it where the electrical comes out put it so high I couldn't see in it.
Now, what good is a mirror in the bathroom if you can't see in it?
We discussed options, I was fine to have it lower and cover the cord hanging down with a white thingy.
The management company couldn't get the owner to get his approval.
The 2 very nice men packed the mirror back up and left...
after 3 1/2 hours.
Poor Ben and Tim.  They tried so hard.
I STILL DON'T HAVE A MIRROR IN MY BATHROOM!

BUT.......

WE DID GET TO SEE WICKED!!!
And not just see it, but from the FRONT ROW!
So awesome being able to see facial expressions.  
What a great Valentine's gift!
Before that, dinner at a little Italian restaurant.
Before that, the British Museum.
Isn't my sweetheart the best?

Then today was a ward temple trip....
Left home at 6:30 a.m. and got back home at almost 4:30 p.m.
Awesome, but tired.
Think I'll go to bed.




Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Our Flat

Here's a little about where we live...
Lucky us....our door goes right into our flat, not down a hall with other people's front doors.  Realize, we are one of nine apartments in this building...we take up about 1/4th of the main level.  One day I'll take a picture of the other side of the building....it was probably the main entrance when this was one house.


 A better look at the whole building from across the street...well, more of a view of the side of the building.  The little yellow balls by the street flash.  This tells motorists the pedestrians always have the right of way here.  Yeah, tell that to the motorcyclist who almost ran me over in an intersection like this.  I should have been swearing at him not him at me.


The view from our bedroom window....this garden belongs to the basement flat.

                                                                           and....

The view out front from the guest bedroom.....
...and...
....our very own Spanish/Portuguese Jewish Synagogue directly across the street.  Cool.  It is full of life come Friday night!

Yesterday I went to the post (post office) and then to my little store for a liter of milk.  1.29 pounds for 1 liter of skim milk.  Did it all by myself!

But REALLY proud of myself today....took the tube to meet some people from the ward for lunch.  Took 45 minutes plus changing tube lines twice, and I made it!  Had never even talked to these women before, but we had a great time....2 women from the USA whose husbands work for the embassy, and 2 women from London.  My first BIG solo adventure!  Woohoo! I can do this!




Monday, February 11, 2013

The Beginning

It was so nice to finally join Rick in London.  I must say, he really was living like a bachelor....it's good I'm here to take care of him.  We now have dishes, pans, a microwave, crockpot, garbage cans, ironing board, more food than just milk and cereal and soup, and many other things a woman needs to run a home.  Thank heavens a friend in the ward (their daughter was in our BYU ward) has a car and took us shopping.  Things are much better here now.

Our "flat" is in a cool house that was built sometime around 1890-1910...there are 9 apartments in it.  Two enter from our street and the others from the next street over.  The flat is much smaller than it looked in the pictures, but I'm told is very large and nicely laid out compared to most.  We live in an area that's mostly row houses, so the streets are pretty quiet.  Just a short walk will get us to craziness, though. 

Love having an "oyster card".   Just tap it when you get on the bus or tube (subway) and it deducts from your pre-paid account.  No fuss buying tickets all the time, and so simple.  We certainly do a lot of walking.  And walking.  And walking.  Quite awesome, actually.  I like to walk.

We're set up with UK cell phones, a Vonage phone for family in the US to call us on, and a home phone at the flat which I question it's need.

We are in the Hyde Park ward and can get there by tube or bus or walking about 30 minutes when the weather is nicer.  Such diversity there.  We're not in northern Utah County anymore!  Rick teachers Temple Preparation during Sunday School.  There are people from Mongolia, India, Phillipines, Equador, Sweden and London in the class.  Quite amazing.

Picture will come as I learn how to take them on my new phone and upload them.........WHEW!  Not only learning a new place, streets, buses, subways, money, customs, lingo, etc., but all kinds of new technology too.

Life is good.