Home Sweet Home

All of us at work had a big laugh about this fax that came for me from a client today. Of course due to data protection I had to block a lot of words out but I kept the funny bit...

What gets me is that the person that sent it never once mentioned my accent for me being from America. So it was very funny that they added this to the fax. Was very funny!

I am still surprised that not more people ask me about where I am from. Seeing how I speak to people on the phone all day you would think it would come up more. Especially since I can't get on a bus or speak to somebody in a store without getting the dreaded "You are not from around here are you?" or the "Are you American?" questions.

Don't get me wrong I get asked at least once or twice a week on the phones at work but seeing how I speak to around 40 people a day it is not so bad.

Once I was asked if I was from Scotland though! That was a shocker. Then when I said no I was from the US she asked which state. I told her I was from Illinois but lived in Texas for the last three years and she said "Oh yeah, Texas that is the one by New York right?" I just said yes.

The funniest ones are when I get asked "Where are you from?" and I say "America" and then they try to be all rude about it and say "Well I know that I mean from which state".

The people at work think that when asked I should just start saying "I was born and grew up right here in Chorley". That would be pretty funny as most people at work are from Chorley and they do have a pretty thick accent. I wonder if the people asking would question it or just go with it.

I made a Strawberry and Cream cake to take to work tomorrow! I thought it to be very fitting for right after Valentine's Day.

On close up you can see the little edible red hearts. Soooooo cute!

a butt munch!

During the day there are letters that I have to write to clients and various other people but before they can be posted off they all have to be approved and signed.

Well Christian who normally does all of the signing is away for a couple of days so Kevin does it while he is away. Hannah was taking her signing down so she asked if anybody had any that needed to go also. I gave her mine... it was a bad mistake!

This is how it was brought back to me. As you can guess Kevin supports Liverpool FC (ugh I even hate writing it...) and he decided to deface my beautifully decorated signings folder.

This is why Kevin is a butt munch!

Now I will need to decorate a new folder. Maybe I'll make a blue Everton one!

Speaking of Everton... there was a night match tonight against Chelsea and we won 2-1. The atmosphere at Goodison was electric! I love night matches. And since our last one was against Manchester City and we won that 2-0 I am thinking the boys like playing under the lights also.

Oh and on a side note Liverpool got beat by Arsenal tonight 1-0. Double yay!

So... they got the weather right for once. It did started snowing at around noon today. It got very heavy and there was about an inch or so at 5:00pm. However it then turned warm and it started raining... Everything melted. Shame.

These pictures were taken when Andy and I drove to the Co-Op at lunch. I felt like crap all day and had a horrible sinus headache. I had to get medicine.

I am happy to say though that the medicine worked and by the time I got off work at 8:00pm I was feeling much better.

So 17 Days later the snow pile is still around but it is getting much smaller!

The forecast is calling for a little bit more snow tomorrow but I'll believe it when I see it.

By the way... Happy Groundhog's Day!! I used to love Groundhog's Day when I was in the US so I did not let it sway my fun today. I quoted the movie all day and announced that Phil saw his shadow as soon I found out. Yay! Six more weeks of winter. That makes me happy.

I then went home after work and watched Groundhog's Day... just as I have on every February 2nd for the last 15 or so years.

Well you guys may be tired of all of the snow pictures that I post but I'm not! Today was the best snow we have had so far.

Went to bed last night with a tiny bit on the ground... would call it a dusting. And woke up at 6:45am to this! Our 10 minute drive to work took an hour and somehow I was there on time.


Now... other than the beautiful snow that was still falling (hard) the above photo was the highlight of my day. This semi-truck decided to stop by our office to ask for directions, bad mistake! As you can tell in the photo there is a bit of a hill and... he got stuck. A bunch of co-workers had to go out in their work clothes with shovels and cardboard to try to help the truck driver back out. It was so funny. It would look like he was going to get out and then he would stop spinning his tires and he would go back down. Ha!


Seriously not sure what these cars were doing except causing a pain for other people to get in and out. But seriously look at the size of the flakes in this photo... they were huge!


Andy and I left at 11:30am and you can tell here how much more it had snowed from 8:00am to 11:30am. The area around the antenna had not been cleared all the way off earlier but everything else was cleared. That is another few inches at least!


Now last but not least my crazy neighbors again. First they leave their clothes out in the pouring rain (to see proof click here) and now they are out in the snow. But really this photo is to show you how wet this snow is. Look how it is wrapped around the clothes line. That is amazing!

However we all know what is going to happen to this wet snow tonight when the temperature is below freezing... And it is calling for a little more snow overnight. Can only imagine how we are going to get into work tomorrow.

I took a lot more photos throughout the day so please feel free to take a look at them by clicking on the link below.

Today was fun with glitter pens time!

Honestly it was very hard to concentrate at work today. The ground is covered with snow, it looks beautiful out and there are only two days until Christmas... Work is not where you want to be. But I had to work today and I have to work tomorrow so I will make the most of it.

On a fun note... It also started to snow again tonight. Yay! I was sitting in the living room and I heard something on the front window. I went to check it out and found Pazzesca trying to catch the huge snowflakes as they came down. I managed to catch a bit of it on video... how cute is she?

Today was our Christmas lunch at work where we get to exchange our Secret Santa gifts. You can rest assured that this was not Christian's only gift but if it was I am sure he would have been just as happy.

I give him a 9 out of 10. I had to mark him off one point because he was picking the thong out of his butt during this photo shoot.


These are all of my Christmas cards from co-workers. As you can see Laura M will do anything she can to get in a photo... But I will forgive her as she was my Secret Santa and she bought me a beautiful Christmas table runner that I had been admiring while we were out at Botany Bay back on November 21st. Apparently she gave Laura C the money for it and she bought it with me there with them on that day! See... anything can get by me as I had no idea something was up. I was going to take a photo of it today but I think it deserves it's own day so I will hold off.


It also snowed off and on all day and because it was showing no signs of stopping they let us go home early today. I was supposed to be there until 5:00pm so I was able to leave an hour early which was nice. The roads were pretty bad so the extra time helped before the major traffic started.

Oh and for those of you that have not noticed but to the right there is a link to my new 'Crafty Christine' blog. I started it as a way to try to keep track of all of my crafty projects that I have going on. It will not be updated every day but I will do my best to update on new projects that I start and complete.

I actually made a Scrapbook Calendar as my Secret Santa gift for my Supervisor. I have posted pictures of it on that blog if you would like to see it.

I am so starting to feel like a stalker at work! I snapped this photo of Georgia (left) and Imy (right) as they were looking outside at the downpour that had started around 5 minutes before.

I forgot my camera today (first time in one year and 34 days that has happened) so I had to take this picture with my iPhone.

It has rained a little bit each day for the last few days... I am loving it!

High: 50°
Low: 42°
Forecast: A Couple of Showers
Sunrise: 7:13 AM
Sunset: 4:33 PM

Well... Lisa didn't move far but today was the day. Pretty much right after we got to work she got told it was start moving over to her new team.

I sent her a text letting her know that I missed her around the time I took this photo. I hope she doesn't think I'm stalking her when she reads my blog for today...

High: 58°
Low: 48°
Forecast: Partly Sunny
Sunrise: 8:02 AM
Sunset: 5:45 PM

Meet Lisa. She is my co-worker neighbor and she flat out makes me laugh. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it... she makes me laugh and a day without a little Lisa laughter is a very sad day indeed.

But I have a feeling she is going to be moving desks soon as she is going over to another team. When that happens we will just have to laugh with each other across the room instead.

Today is a double photo, there was a rainbow as we were driving into work this morning. I'm sorry the photo is all wonky but I was trying to hurry up and take it before a building got in the way.


High: 55°
Low: 48°
Forecast: Partly Sunny
Sunrise: 7:58 AM
Sunset: 5:49 PM

At my job we have always been allowed to wear jeans on the last Friday of the month if we paid a £1.00 which went to a local charity. But why are Imy (right) and myself (left) wearing jeans when it is not the last Friday you might be asking? There has been a business change and now it is dress down day every Friday. YAY!!

Since I had yesterday off I received a text at around 4:15 or so from Nicola and Laura C who were passing on the good news. Well when Andy got home at around 4:40 I told him and he said he had not heard anything about it so he called his department and they told him they also have not heard anything. He then told me that I couldn't wear jeans if he couldn't... So I called HR and again they tell me that they know nothing about it. I explained that my department had been told and she said they must be playing a trick on me. She said she would check and then call me back.

About this time Laura C confirms that a confirmation eMail had finally been sent to the entire company at 5:04pm and then HR called back to confirm that Dress Down day will be every Friday as of tomorrow.

*whew* that was a lot of drama but I am so very happy to be able to dress down once a week.

High: 57°
Low: 48°
Forecast: Cloudy
Sunrise: 7:52 AM
Sunset: 5:56 PM

The canteen (cafeteria) at work is always the following:

1) Busy
2) Hot
3) Loud

For the above reasons Andy and I have started eating our lunch in the car. I love it!

It is quiet, we can chat or we can each do our own thing for 30 minutes. He usually plays something on his iTouch and I check my eMail, Facebook and text Meg (have I mentioned how much I love my iPhone?).

Our building is right next to a canal but unfortunately there is this rather steep hill and fence blocking us from having a nice place to walk on our lunch. Since we only get 30 minutes it wouldn't be worth the walk down the street to the next closest opening.

However one day I will make it over there so that I can share a picture.

High: 53°
Low: 51°
Forecast: Late Showers
Sunrise: 7:37 AM
Sunset: 6:13 PM

I got this balloon at my birthday party at work 18 days ago and it is still flying high! I don't think I have ever seen a helium balloon last this long. I am keeping it around just so I can see how long it sticks around.

Also, on another note, I can't believe I have almost completed my 365. I started it the day we landed in England and now I am only two days away from being here a year. Wow! It does not seem like a year already.

But don't worry... My 365 will be continuing. I have enjoyed it and am looking forward to seeing what year two has in store!

High: 57°
Low: 52°
Forecast: Times of Clouds and Sun
Sunrise: 7:07 AM
Sunset: 6:54 PM

I had to work until 8:00pm tonight and finally remembered to take a picture of the tree that is just outside my window. I face the window so I get to see it all day.

I love when the leaves change for two reasons. I love the colors of Fall and I love that it means that it will start getting colder and colder going into Winter. Not that it has exactly been hot... but I would never say no to even colder weather.

Working until 8:00pm is not my favorite shift in the World but I have all of next week off so I wasn't about to let the late shift bother me!

High: 61°
Low: 52°
Forecast: Times of Clouds and Sun
Sunrise: 6:49 AM
Sunset: 7:18 PM

My birthday is tomorrow but I have the day off from work so they had my birthday celebrations today.

They got me a card, balloon, cake and some lovely Laura Ashley candles and candle holder.

My camera went missing for a good 30 minutes and it was brought back with some pictures from around the office. Here they are all for you to see:

...To forget my umbrella.

Luckily by the end of the day it had already stopped.

I had an important meeting at work today... Tomorrow I will be able to share the news!

High: 63°
Low: 56°
Forecast: A Couple of Showers
Sunrise: 5:41 AM
Sunset: 8:49 PM

I am addicted to Strawberry Laces... they are so yummy!

Last Friday at work I ate a whole bag by myself, yes you heard that right a whole bag. Well today when Paul (one of my co-workers) came back from his lunch he gave me a bag he had picked up at the Co-Op. Yay!

I had been craving them all week. Now I just have to learn to limit the amount that I actually eat. Maybe it can just be a Friday treat. The only problem is that you can get three bags for £1.00. I doubt I could get three bags and just let them sit in my drawer all week...

High: 61°
Low: 47°
Forecast: Clouds and Sun
Sunrise: 5:36 AM
Sunset: 8:55 PM

Yesterday was the last day for one of the guys we work with and he left his car in the parking lot all night. Well... a couple of people got together today and decided to fill the entire car with balloons, wrap it in plastic wrap, add some colorful post-it notes and then more plastic wrap.

I think they did a pretty good job!

I mentioned earlier that I was moving to a new department at work... well today was my last day with my 'old' department. I will miss the people on my team a lot but I have to say I am really excited to make the transition. I love the work that I will be doing and I know I am going to be really happy. I am still on the same floor as where I was so it will be easy enough to go say hi to everybody I used to work with anyway.

Technically I am only in the new department on a seconded basis so it isn't a permanent move yet. However I have every reason to believe/hope that by the end of the year it will be official. Yay!

High: 66°
Low: 57°
Forecast: Times of Clouds and Sun
Sunrise: 4:55 AM
Sunset: 9:36 PM

We have received more of them but these are the ones that have not yet been eaten! The Dairy Milk Caramel and Smarties is from Andy's mom and the Chunky KitKat is from work. Andy got two from work but they are already gone...

Today is day 2 of the 11 that I have off and I am really enjoying myself so far. The weather has been just perfect. It has been in the high 50's/low 60's and sunny. I know, I know most of you that know me will be thinking 'why is she happy about the sun.. she likes overcast and rain?' But honestly I do not hate the sun now because it is completely different here.

After living in Texas for the last 3 1/2 years it was sunny and hot almost every day. Here when the sun comes out it is still nice and cool... lovely! So I am growing much fonder of the sun when it makes it's appearance because I know by it being out it is still not going to be 95 - 105 degrees.