So green

I'm sitting in a park on a bench. It's lightly raining but I'm under a big oak tree so I've got a sheltered view of several acres of mostly empty green grass. I'm glad I got out of the house, but still didn't feel like going into town for hours of pushing through crowds. Just me and the few dog walkers is good. The pathways are just so lovely around here! I took more photos but I'm conscious of the fact that it's just more trees and flowers and stinging nettle and ivy and river. Actually, through some of those paths it almost felt like I was heading to the beach. The highway sounded a bit like waves...

Uh oh, the rain just got heavier.

Hermit mumbles

I had a completely lazy day today. It rained. Welcome to summer! I made a discovery with my aunty on the phone that the average max temp for summer in London is quite similar to the numbers that Brisbane is having... right now. Funny old world.

I was going to go to Camden Markets or go and see Westminster Abbey or something. But I am wretchedly tired and needed one of those nothing days to regain my composure after a long week. London sights aren't going anywhere. Besides, the air show for the Queen's birthday flew right over our house so I could see it from my window. (I didn't realise what it was at first, because the planes were flying so low and they didn't look like passenger planes. I'm not one to freak out about stuff even if it's possible, and the sky was too blue for an invasion, but it certainly came into my head.)

Sorry there's no interesting news, and I know I go on about being tired a lot but if you saw the skin around my eyes you wouldn't wonder. Oh actually I rode in a convertible car yesterday, my host mum has one. The roof was down. That's a first for me. The dad has a porsche, and I guess when I got a lift home from the airport that was my first time in one of those too. I'm such a country kid... Little Man asks me what kind of car I have, and I say "Toyota Camry." One time he said "Oh yeah I've ridden in one of those." "Uh-huh, do you know what they look like?" "Yeah, um, sports car." Mmmhmm. It's a pretty wealthy neighbourhood. There's a stretch limo parked outside the school every afternoon, I have no idea why. Maybe I don't want to know.

Phone update

This is a quick note to say that I finally have a UK SIM card. As of a couple of hours ago my Australian mobile number will no longer be checked, so if you want the new one (for Viber or Whatsapp) let me know. Or ask Izzy. Cheerio!

My day

Well let's just say that getting off to school this morning was a bit of a drama, so after that I decided to go for a walk along the river. It's so pretty, I love it; and I wanted to find that echoey train tunnel... I wandered along further than before, then sought out the path through the paddock of shoulder-high grass. I came to a gate but it was to the main road which I don't think has a footpath, so I turned around and found my way through nettles (was safely clad in warm jeans, boots and coat despite it supposedly being summer) to what opened into a small flattened nest-like area with... a purple balloon? Ugh that's not a balloon. Yuck yuck yuck. I came away feeling disgusted and very disappointed, and on the path back to the river I saw slugs. Seems it was destined to be a bad day.

But then I found a place to cross the river, and on the other side there's a proper path made of gravel leading through a much nicer open mowed grass area. Passed some friendly dog walkers and eventually found the tunnel!

The path divided and led to the main road again (I saw a notice that I think said path closed - oops), or through a golf course. Not sure how to get to those fields mentioned but I'll keep exploring. By then I was sneezing constantly and my eyes were weeping from hay fever, so I went home and had ice cream and watched some drop dead diva before pick-up time at the nursery. Now I'm sitting in the swing while Little Miss makes new friends at the park. She's good at that.

Spot the pidgeons!

Yesterday was my one-month-in-England day, and I didn't even commemorate it with a post. Oh well.

I met the kid's grandparents and they're lovely. I feel at home already with them which is great. There are some
things about being a nanny which I find draining and often disheartening. It's hard work. I need strategies but mostly just love and patience. And a good walking path like the second one I discovered today. Not the first. The second one of which I saved some for another day...

I'm sleeping better now. I still wake up at 5, but I go back to sleep again and wake up around 6:30 or 7. I think I just needed it so badly and told myself to change the pattern. If you expect to wake at 3 - you will. If you think you're so tired you'll sleep through - well you've a better chance. I realised I'm doing that eat-when-bored/stressed thing. And there's so much snacky sugary salty stuff in these cupboards it cannot go well. Actually it goes really well. Which is not well at all. Deary me.

Anyway, happy birthday Sarah & James! It's yesterday's jam for you now, but I'm still on the 12th. Hope you had a great day.

Leaf Blower Bandits

So now, I've finished for the evening and had a nice chat with the parents and aunty (it's Little Man's birthday and we had a lovely dinner) and I'm signing on to yatter out my post for this evening (which will actually contain an interesting anecdote) BEFORE I flick on the telly. Isn't that great? And a fantastically long sentence?

Sorry to those people I haven't replied to via email. It takes a different mindset to write more personally, and I want to do it when I'm fresh and perhaps with tea in hand.

You know, I'm called a nanny. But if you were to picture a nanny from a hundred years ago, or even now maybe, they wouldn't be part of the family like I am. They wouldn't be invited to the Christmas holiday in Spain. They wouldn't have a cup of tea with the kid's mum, or the relatives. I feel accepted. I've only just put my finger on that. I'm looking forward to meeting the kid's grandparents who have been in America since before I got here. I'm part of the network. I feel at home - almost.

Anecdote

I was walking to nursery to pick up Little Miss, and I saw a truck that was some kind of gardening maintenance business. I became aware of a grey-hooded fellow who was digging shiftily into the tray of the truck and looking mischievous. Then a white van (really!) pulled out from the other side of the truck and the guy shouted - he took a leaf blower out of the tray, looked around and laughed and got in the van. I'm pretty sure they saw me but I'd only just figured out what was going on. The van sped off (I know it's sounding silly but I'm serious!) and they honked and hooted as they turned the corner. I stepped into the yard of the house I thought the truck was at and rang the bell. No one answered so I stepped into the street. An old lady was there and she said "are you lost?" I said "no but do you know who that truck belongs to?" Then a young guy came out of the door and said "that's me sorry I'm just moving it" I said "no it's OK, well, um, some guys just took your leaf blower!" he said "really? Which way did they go?" (sounding really agitated obviously) "yeah, there was a guy in a grey hoodie and they got in a white van and drove that way. I didn't get the license plate or a picture I'm sorry" And he went off after them. I hope he found them or phoned the police. I felt stupid for not whipping out my iPhone and snapping them. Or running up and yelling "HEY! Whatcha doin' punks!?!" And then later I thought 'oh man, he might think I took it!' But I was wheeling Little Miss' scooter at the time so probably not. But I was wearing a grey hoodie... Oh my gosh I just googled "stolen leaf blower" and it's so common!! Bizarre.

Anyway there's some London drama for you. Hah.

Penny drops

Woo, clocked a thousand views. Someone must be reading this gabble. I realised last night (and I should have known earlier) that blogging helps me wind down and process stuff. I used to journal, when I felt I needed to, and it was worthwhile. So... you can figure out how things are going to work from now on I think. I'll keep up the exploring chronicle of course but this isn't really a travel blog. It's a me-happening-to-be-in-England blog. Waffly-waff-waff-blub. Feelings.

Little world

Well yesterday I topped up on things that I should have bought when first I arrived - nail clippers, cotton tips, extra writing paper and more toothpaste - that sort of thing. The nearby shopping centre is in the same place as my new church, only 3 pounds away. Poundland - oh wow. Three crunchie bars for the equivalent of $1.50. It's awkward that my keyboard has a dollar sign but not a pound sign. And that I still have Australian chargers so I have to use my power point adaptor.

I had a rotten sleep - it was 3am this morning and at 5am I gave up and ate a crunchie (terrible, I know). I think I went to sleep for a bit around 6 but it was that rotten sleep that makes you feel like your head and limbs are stuffed with really heavy chicken fat. How is that a feeling? I don't know but I really should be trying to sleep now.
Anyway after church - which was lovely and they sang familiar songs and the sermon was really, really good - I went back for Little Man's birthday barbecue! It was great fun, a terrific afternoon. Lots of ten year olds being fun and loud, and I had a good chat to a few of them and some of the parents. The cake said "Keep calm and eat cake" in that propaganda poster style. Cute. Then I watched more IT Crowd and my host mum recommended Drop Dead Diva. Oh yes, Legally Blonde as a TV series but the girl, her soul has been put into the body of a less-than-skinny brunette... I don't really like court room dramas, or rom coms, or American TV shows, but for some reason I want to stay up for many more hours watching it. Perhaps it's the guardian angel character... Oh gee I really am tired.

Oh man, I'm so tired I'm not even going to brush my teeth. Don't worry grandparents! I am a responsible and hygienic adult and I "hoovered" my room yesterday and changed my sheets too but I just have to sleep.

But about bigger things: I've got holidays in July and am wanting to travel around the UK and maybe some of Europe... where do I even begin??