The Next Chapter

Thanks for all the welcome home comments everyone! It's been a good couple of days getting settled. Ate lots of Mexican and sushi (not together), caught up with old friends, got myself a new phone, signed a lease, and this time tomorrow will likely have a car too. It's really real.

There is no return ticket.

However, I've had several questions over the last few days about what happens to ReckenRoll Lifestyle now that my weekly activities are limited to watching Must See TV and drinking Starbucks.

Let me assure you that the ReckenRoll continues.

However, she's going to take a little blogging break until she gets settled. Anyone feel like guest blogging?

Welcome To America!

I live here now.

Yeah, they let me back in...apparently that crazy night in Amsterdam hasn't caught up with my record yet.

It's weird. I haven't been sad at all, mostly I've been kind of content and there's a definite sense of "finally being home." I wasn't expecting that but I like it!

Friday's Top Five: On Last Thing

I have one more night in London but before that I have a weekend in Rome! I am off tonight to do all five of the following things in the next 3 days:

1. Wonder at the Colloseum, the Pantheon, and maybe even the Vatican
2. Drink cappuccino, espresso and lattes that don't come from Starbucks
3. Eat pizza, pasta, and gelatto til I burst
4. Dodge crazy drivers and Vespas and inhale second hand smoke
5. Relax, unwind, and not think about moving for a full 48 hours!

Thanks to all for the lovely send off yesterday. I will post more photos soon and photos of Rome when I get back.

Fine settimana felice tutto and ciao bellos!

Yo Check it Out

I am guest blogging. It's like when Jay Leno auditioned for the Tonight Show all those many years ago.

Except I have a much smaller chin.

Happy Birthday Jeffe!!

"Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, 'It is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver."

- Deep Thoughts, Jack Handy

Here's to the most unselfish guy I know.

Happy Birthday Jeff!

My Favorite Text Messages

A spin on the usual "what I learned this weekend," instead, I offer up my favorite text messages starting from Friday night. It was a greeeat weekend and included a pub crawl, dancing, and sitting on the floor of my flat (because I have no furniture) at midnight passing around a bottle of cava (because I have no glasses) before trying to go dancing in central London.

No, these are not all from the same people and only one person got 2 texts on the list. Names have been removed to protect the not-so-innocent and times are the local time of the SENDER.

• "Missing you. Plus, I am high." - Friday 3.32 pm
• "I am listening to Silverchair wearing an awesome green super hero cape. Not even kidding." - Saturday 4.20 pm.
• "Guess what. There is an article in the ft weekend about...? Snip snip!" - Saturday 5.01 pm
• "Apparently you have to actually be GAY to get into GAY" - Sunday 12.30 am
• "I is home. nice." - Sunday 4.16 am
• "Hating life right now, also never touching booze again. I guess that's mission accomplished!" - Sunday 4.30 pm

Adding photos to Flickr as well because they can run but they can't hide...

Friday's Top Five: Things I am Looking Forward To in 'Merica

Lest you all think I am doom and gloom about my pending move the PNW, I give you Friday's Top 5 Things I am looking forward to in Seattle:

1. Whistler - "Go to Heaven, Ski like Hell" - I actually used to have that bumper sticker on my car (Heaven is a section of Blackcomb mountain). Whistler is just over a 4 hour drive from Seattle. It's the perfect distance to take off on a Friday and come back on a Sunday for a weekend of skiing/boarding. I plan to do this a lot. A LOT. Plus, I can get my fill of Aussie and Kiwi accents when I am feeling a bit homesick.
2. Baseball - Yeah yeah, the Mariners are not the most exciting team out there, and rugby and football are a good day at the stadium...but honestly, is there anything better than sitting at the ballpark on a sunny afternoon after work, sipping a microbrew and watching the boys of summer for less than a tenner? I would argue not.
3. Driving - I can go to the grocery store, the gym, and Target all in one trip...on my own timeline...without train delays, worrying about if I'll get rainded on, trying to figure out how much I can actually physically carry or being shoved into a train car next to Mr. Smelly and Mr. Stinky. All with my own music playing at full volume. God bless America.
4. My Health - Yes, the car will cut down on the walking but no more black bogies and possible asthma from breathing in the traffic and train pollution. No more pub nights followed by a dirty curry that leave me pushing that belt loop up one more size. I have Green Lake to run around, the Burke Gillman trail to bike on, and Lake Washington to rent a kayak and paddle around. Fresh air. Novel concept.
5. Alaska, California, New York, Chicago, Minneapolis - What does this list represent? My itinerary to visit friends and family. I've seen Europe - now I intend to see more of America. I'll see my faves and add to the list (San Francisco, Boston, New Orleans, Miami, Austin, Savannah). Speaking of faves, anybody want to go to Vegas?!

Sidenote: Just for you my pretties, I added Twitter to the side list so you all can follow my every move now...you know you like to watch.

Back in the Saddle: London Loves

The ReckenRoll is now 90% more free of stuff. All that remain are the UK appliances (including TV and hair dryer) and the wine opener.

You know, the essentials.

So after wallowing in my beautiful melancholy for the last 48 hours I decided to take all 4 of your advice (and one phone call - thank you Jess) and pull my head out of it and enjoy myself.

So today, in honour of my telly and the remaining days on my TV license, I give you London love #3: the London "Celebrity. "

In the US we only have Paris Hilton who is famous for no real reason. In the UK, there are HUNDREDS of people that are famous for no clear reason. From the Big Brother bozos like Jade Goody and Chantelle (still famous and notorious), to Peaches Geldoff (daughter of Bob, founder of Live Aid), to Lisa Snowden (she dated George Clooney I think?) to god only knows who...

When they announced the participants in Celebrity Big Brother I knew ONE GUY. The dude who played Face on the A Team. As far as I was concerned the rest could have been any old bloke off the street.

This is a London Love because London is the centre of these characters fame universe. Much like LA, you can often encounter famous people in real life and it has happened on more than one occasion that a friend will get all excited about some random person nearby and I have no idea why. The conversation always goes like this:

UK friend: (pointing and smiling) "Oh my god it's XXXYYYYXX!"
Me: (looking around puzzled) "Who?"
Them: "What do you mean who? It's XXXYYYYXX!!!"
Me: (still trying to figure out who they are pointing at) "Who?"
Them: "Seriously? They were (insert some random Brit music group I don't listen to or some tv show that I've never seen)"
Me: "What's that?" (50% of the time) OR "Oh, yeah, we didn't have that in America" (the other 50% of the time)
Them: (eye roll) "Seriously? It was the best show/group/movie! I can't believe you never had that in America! Ask anyone. It's REALLY FAMOUS."

To which I always secretly draw on my American superiority complex and internally think, "well, clearly not THAT famous."

I shall miss the random Friday afternoon office discussions of XXXYYYYXX that I can't follow or contribute to yet am always fascinated by. I shall miss the London Paper, the London Lite and the Metro (all free newspapers) that kept me up to speed on what club/outfit/boyfriend XXXYYYYXX is making famous. I shall miss the trashing of XXXYYYYXX that is bound to occur because we are all annoyed they are famous and we are not.

At least I'll always have Paris.