Santana

Last night, I had the pleasure of witnessing a true legend in action. Carlos Santana. I have been a follower of their/his music for as long as I can remember. How can someone not love music that appeals to your senses and makes you just want to move....period.

I find that shows in England are not all too different....but there are a few. To start, you can walk into a venue and take damn near anything with you. No frisking at the door...no checking bags or turning you away with a camera case. This I forget too many times and enter without filming material of any kind. Conditioning from living in the states. I could have gotten the entire show on film without any problem. Damn. Next time.

The band started with one of my favorites from their first LP (remember those?) "Jingo". That was at leat 15-20 minutes in length. Jamming for everyone! I was in rhythmic heaven. (barring the Amazon behind me that thought she should screech every chord Carlos played....wanting for a dirty sock or any item to stuff into her huge mouth would have been a gift...) The play list consisted of primarily classic Santana tunes and for that, I am eternally grateful. I know he tries to keep up with the current affairs and music tastes...but I say...if it ain't broke...don't fix it. I think hearing "Smooth" more than once is too many times.....yes...they played it.

Carlos...in his true-to-himself fashion gave the rowdy crowd a 5-10 minute speel on sprituality and God. In England....that left the crowd a bit quiet. Oh well....go Carlos...after 40 years of this...you've earned it.

Thank heaven for modern technology and the huge screen behind the stage...for all to see! Amen sisters and brothers! The band playing and images of Carlos over the years....(obviously I am not the only one who sees him as a legend....he does too!!) Nonetheless....one of the brightest concert moments in my many long years. Good music...good fun. Rock on Carlos and God bless you for it!

Boring Old Farts

I had the pleasure last weekend to experience my first motorcycle rally in England. A friend's sister is a biker and in a great group of folks....BOF (boring old farts...which are anything but). Ever see an old Scottish biker in a leather kilt...with a long grey mohawk? I didn't either til last weekend..:) Impressive. It was a nice English day...(partly cloudy...one minute jacket..next minute sleeveless shirt...weather..) It was as usual...set in an open field with tents all around.....bikes scattered and people standing in groups with glasses of beer. Some things never change.

There were merchants with clothing....and of all things....fudge. Yes fudge and the best damn stuff i have ever tasted mind you! Most people had curries for lunch. Ok...maybe you would never see that in the states...but they did sell burgers and chips (....uh...fries..) Nothing like a cold ale and a plate of hot curry....try it sometime....

The games were the usual...blindfolded wheelbarrow racing, balloon popping, and the yard of ale. The equivalent of chugging a yard of ale from the coolest glass you will ever see. I guess the trick is a good swallow and twist....won't touch that one. Nor did i attempt it. One of the top finishers was a woman though....no surprise there.....won't touch that one either.

There were children everywhere....another thing one would not see at a rally in the states...to my knowledge....Brits have no qualms about drinking in front of little Bobby or Suzie....(see my pub blog for elaboration)

There was live music as well as there usually is in the states.....this band was a young supposed tribute band to Zeppelin that played all from Zep to old Fleetwood Mac. Impressive.

The highlights had to be the bullride and the inflatable mat with platforms for 2....complete with helmets and large stuffed rods geared to pummel each other with. No...Matt and I did not attempt this either.....(though the thought had probably crossed his mind....) Fun for all the kids and adults....(adults that are still really big kids or just like to beat each other with large stuffed items) Also the appearance of Batman and Robin in cosumes straight out of a British show called "Only Fools and Horses" (you'd have to be there...I don't get it either...) Batman pushing Robin in a wheelbarrow blinded is quite funny though...I must say...(again...you'd have to be there)

One thing missing was the bikes. I really look to those to see all the dressed out bikes and admire what I don't have. Not that it was REALLY missed. These folks love to ride...but love to get together and enjoy each other's even company more. No fawning over polished Harleys or showing up the neighbor. Just a group of good folk out for fun. I was glad to be a part of it. Sun, fun and a relaxing day in the fresh air.....right Freddie??

Bye bye Daisy

Today our neighbor's cat Daisy was hit by a car and killed. I did not see it and I am thankful...i got the play by play a bit from the neighbor's daughter...who is close to my age. I guess they have had their fair share of cat burials in the backyard. I cried like I had just lost my best friend. I had only known her a year or so. She was a lovely little being. So sweet and so kind in nature. I recall one perfect photo opportunity when she was nestled in on Matt's lap kneading her paws...(making the bread..) like she always did...drooling like nothing I'd ever seen....(a truly happy cat) Matt was asleep and I thought how I really should have gotten my camera for that moment and didn't want to wake him. Assuming that the opportunity would come again sometime. We always think that...don't we? Next time.

We'll miss her cuddles and her cute little face. Bye Daisy... what a precious little gift you were.

A sunny day out....

My darling, observant husband, knowing that I feel like a rat in a cage most days, took me to the East Midlands today. It was one of the nicest days I've seen here yet....around 70 degrees or better...(don't ask me what that is in Celsius...) Lately, the lack of sun, the job and other things have really gotten the best of me....a sunny drive out was exactly what I needed. He avoided the motorways...(interstates...) and took the scenic and winding road....thank goodness. Such a gorgeous ride. Slowly coming out of the city limits and entering the country has never had the profound effect on me that it does now. I can instantly feel the calm wash over me. Peace and calm.

The roads wind and turn. The fences return to the rustic stone that I have come to associate with being away from the cities here...and there are sometimes miles of them...connecting and intertwined. Along the hillsides, they sometimes look like light dominoes...perfect and in alignment. Most of them having been here and only mended in spots for far longer than I can think. Most often...within these such fences that mark property lines...there are livestock grazing...that would predominantly be sheep. That is the only part that marrs the drives slightly for me....especially being that the lamb frolick in the fields and are a HUGE part of the diet here. At least they are running the fields and not stuffed in some warehouse/battery farm. Ok.....back to the subject.....just gets me every time.

We drove about 1 hour out of town up through Lichfield and into Hope and Castleton. Yes...there is a castle there. At least...what is left of one. Sitting on top of the most lovely village...rustic and cozy. I have fallen in love with yet another English village. These places keep me sane over here...trust me. Anyway....it is a bit of a walk up the hillside...but was worth every step....even if some of the sheep along the hillside begged to differ.

Later, after leaving the hilltop castle and finding Matt some chips at a basic chippy at the bottom of the hill...we opted to walk a bit. We wandered up to a cave-like area and met a kindly 3 legged cat who was the "greeter" at the entance to a tunnel of sorts that led to a beautiful small gorge beneath where the castle stands. I have never walked in such an area and enjoyed the rare fresh air and verdant hillsides. I marvel at the beauty in this country at such times. Plus the added bonus of having basically the entire area to ourselves....which is virtually a miracle in this country I believe.

Back to reality now and home again. Yet much more content and thankful that I have had the opportunity to live if even for a short time in a place of such beauty and history. Now if I could only think like this on the bus tomorrow after work........

annigonol ydy un iaith / dyw un iaith byth yn ddigon

No. My keypad hasn't jammed...I'm not intoxicated. That is the Welsh phrase for "one language is never enough". I don't know Welsh either. I don't know any other language save for a few words here in there. Just as anyone. The usual, Spanish and French. Ok...maybe a few Finnish words too....likely dont' say them right...but I try on occasion.

To the subject....took a recent trip to Wales for the weekend. I must say I was not sure what to expect and had heard that it is a pretty country. I was not disappointed. Brought me back to driving through parts of Montana and Idaho. Rolling hills and mountains, valley streams, brisk and powerful seaside. I took roughly 500 pictures with my camera if that gives any indication. Picturesque.Wales has a high number of castles as well. Being American....how can I not be fascinated by them? The old churches that I love to search out...(not religious pilgrimage...merely fascination) are sometimes dated back to the 6th century. Read that again.....Can you conceive of how old that is? I can't. I bet there were a lot less people around. Refreshing. Unfortunetly, you can be out in the middle of the week, in the pouring rain AND cold....no matter. Harry and the little Mrs will have themselves and their 5 children out for family day at the local castle. Much to my dismay. I don't hate children or parents...just don't care to be around most of them. Not on my day out!

Nonetheless....I managed to enjoy the Welsh countryside very much so. One town in particular, Llandudno...the ultimate tourist trap-complete with Grand Hotel and pier...reminded me greatly of Mackinaw Island with cars. Like going back home for a day...at least close to home. Even found Seattle's Best coffee.....it is a small world after all.

Matt states he didn't hear any Welsh spoken...even away from all the tourists. I thought I did....yet in my naivete...could have been French...Dutch...Italian. Would I know the difference at this point? No. I never even realized until I moved to England that the Welsh actually still spoke Welsh...or that the longest town name in Europe and one of the longest in the world is in Wales. Not the worldly girl I thought i was.

Amazing thing is that all of it is only a few hours away....maybe even two. It takes a couple of hours to drive into another country....which may be true for many in America living close to Mexico or Canada. This country is yet considered "British"....much to it's inhabitants dismay i understand. I also have to remember that Great Britain's inhabitants don't consider themselves part of Europe either. To this day...they are fighting the Euro monetary system tooth and nail. Funny how so many Englanders make fun of Wales or even The Republic of Ireland for maintaining their identity, when they indeed are attempting to do the very same.

Off subject again.... I met my goal of seeing all the castles of Northern Wales and ancient churches that I possibly could. Nothing beats the great outdoors....except perhaps getting a history lesson in the process. THAT is a real bonus.

Can we get much more complicated?

Last week, one of my "chores" to do was to get fingerprinted for my employer. It is a necessary evil to do an FBI background check in the USA. I didn't realize what I was getting myself into. I have come to learn living over here that anything that would "normally" take 5 minutes takes at least 20 in the UK....or more. Finding the site online...it stated that fingerprints would be necessary to do the criminal background check. Actually, I think it would be easier to commit a crime here and get it done more timely. I went to 2 local police stations...the response. "We don't do those here". Hmm...I might have known. Bet they have tea though.

I then had to go into Birmingham City to attempt it. Attempt a good word of choice. The station that does the printing stated that I needed a receipt of payment which I must obtain from a DIFFERENT station up the street. THIS message delivered by 2 young ladies from "upstairs" that joined us after the older gentleman at the desk "found out" what department did them. I would like to be joking...but I am not.

After going up the street...the "other" station stated that I must have a letter or form from my employer stating a request for fingerprinting to be done here as request for background check. *sigh* This gets better.

I returned to work and investigated this through "human resources". The majority of the day in my calls or visits to certain offices...I was met with a most curious look or tone. " I have never heard of such a thing being done here" (!?) Finally reaching the right person...she stated..."Oh yes..we would like that done please....but since it is short notice...we will have to reimburse you." This, mind you, is occuring nearly 1 month already into my employment. I am already working! Yet luckily...she produced a letter for me that day of my appointment...I was impressed!

So...back to Birmingham city i go.....(one short bus ride from work mind you....although the wind and rain was beyond ridiculous) I entered the appropriate station...even 15 minutes early....not much of a line ("Q" the Brits call them...I won't bother to try to spell it) I present my note and am given ANOTHER form to complete....as I am filling in the lines...i hear...."Wait....don't bother completing that form....this isn't acceptable" She states from behind the glass. I only look up with what was probably a look of pure hate. "Excuse me?" I say. "This says you need a CRB...not one word about fingerprints." I actually start laughing rudely and ask her if she is joking. I can see by the look on her stoic face that she most certainly is not. At this point I just turn and walk out....mumbling and good thing i was...or I would probably been fingerprinted if an officer would have overheard me. My mother would not have been proud. I attempted to call the office that had provided me with the letter only to get a student on the phone who has NO idea what I need or who to let me talk to in order to get an answer. The actual letter blows out of my hands out into the busy street. Rather than let it go....I wait patiently for all traffic to go by and trod across the street in the rain to retrieve it. All distraught for what has transpired. Until I realize while walking that this is not my problem....they should have had this rubbish dealt with before I got the job....not 1 month after. Maybe I will get them...maybe I won't. I know that I have no record in the US....they will just have to wait to find out. Of course...now having been here 8 months....I realize....waiting is what is done here.

I'm getting there...

Today was a good day. The sun was shining, for starters. That in itself is a wonder in February, right? I took the bus into City Hospital to give them all of my personal and vital information, before staring my new job. They were kind and chipper. I jumped on what I thought was the same bus to get home and it was the "wrong" number 88. My poor husband really stresses over this one and knows not how it can be! It is honey...it really is so. The kindly bus driver gave me back £1.10 to catch the next bus...which i found VERY unusual...but shouldn't. (Especially cool considering the city had raised bus fare and I gave the wrong change in the morning. The driver had overlooked it, and I gave him the difference before exciting the bus. The look on his face was priceless...he seemed genuinely stunned. To think some people don't believe in karma...) I looked around and decided to walk and enhance my attempts to become fit. (I AM trying...honest...) I wavered a bit and actually decided to trust my instincts and knew it had to be close. I was right. In a city this size to find my way home on foot without asking directions or freaking out was a great feeling. Not that I would have attempted it at night, mind you. I am not yet that brave. Not monumental by any standards...but in my new-found life in England...it feels pretty damn good. As far as the £1.10....I can use it to start a fund in this city to get benches and covers at more bus stops for the elderly. Firmly implanted after speaking with a lovely elderly Welsh woman at my first stop this a.m.(ok...maybe I'll sit or take shelter once in awhile too...)