wendy house

things are hotting up in preparation for my 45th birthday celebrations,   hotting up with Milk, Lemsip,  Brandy and  Horlicks,  though not necessarily in that order…

One  night before my holiday,   after drinking Stanlake Park champagne in the company of extremely charming, senior, neighbours,   I discovered the potential benefits of a champagne-induced dreaming.   Obviously these are only preliminary findings prior to systematic investigation.   The preliminary findings are looking good.   The dream qualities included but were not limited to:

• warm squishiness.  
• high memorability.
• good mood inducing.

7am on our non-sailing day on Ios while the rest of the crew slept    I found some deliciously  freshly baked pain au chocolate  in the port Bakery.   The merchandising of bakery goods at this early (late?) hour implies some party island requirements.

All day large ferries docked in the harbour and hundreds of young adults with backpacks and wheely-suitcases  rolled on and off.

The conversation in the Borough of Camden off new Oxford St. near Tottenham Court Road paused for a meditative moment while the sugar caramelised over the absinth then the Perrier water mixed with the sugar.

I treasure these simple exotic moments.

Cosmopolitan? thats me!

because I drank a German beer made with the finest organic hemp from a bottle with an English label in a Spanish cafe.      It was all terribly civilised.  

Politeness and respect all around.

Initially baffled by what to do with my bottle of industrial cleaner capacity alcohol, I’ve now found a seasonal use.  

Spice up the hot eggnog.   Yummy.   Cheers everyone..

The UK doesn’t have Liquor stores like the US.   Liquor stores  are a  novel US cultural experience for me.   In Britain you buy alcohol including liquor in many (licenced) corner shops and supermarkets.  There are shops called “off licences’ that specialise in selling Alcohol.   Off-licences normally stock wine and beer as well as liquor.  

While exploring a State run liquor store in Charlotte I stumbled across ‘EverClear‘ amongst the bourbons.    Bourbon is ‘America’s native spirit’.    Evidently you can’t purchase Everclear in Washington State.    I purchased this bottle out of curiosity. It  is  95% alcohol,   190 proof.   That exploded a few brain cells and I hadn’t even taken the cap off the bottle.  

It looks like Meths.   It’s packaged like meths.   Meths is a  strong spirit that can be drunk but is meant for other purposes.    In the UK you occassionally see bedraggled people on the streets drinking it.   I associated it with alcoholism and homelessness.  

Wendy:   what do you do with this stuff?   Drink it or use it for cleaning things?

companion #1:   Drink it.   Carefully

Wendy:   have you ever had any?

companion #2: No

companion #1: Yes.   Once.   At college.   Students drink it.

Other than take the lid of and sniff it I’m not sure what I’m going to do with my bottle.   Suggestions welcomed

Him: ‘Do you like to work out?’  

Eating 2 huge waffles drowning in cream.   Just the thought of sugar for breakfast makes my stomach turn.   Give my curry on toast anyday!

Me: ‘Heck no! Working my body for fitness’ sake,   Yuck!’

eating cheese & ham omelette because curry on toast wasn’t on the menu (neither were Heinz baked beans).   Sigh.

Him: ‘Then how do you stay so slim?’<

Ah,   so for this USian,  Slim = must ‘Work-out’.  

Must avoid provocative prejudicial comments about afluent greedy Americans being obese because the culture encourages ‘gorging’ themselves on unnecessary food.   Food is cheap here.    It’s a stereotype  that is  difficult to shake-free even when living in the US.   How can I explain this tactfully?
Me: ‘I only eat when I’m hungry ‘

Europe has a ‘growing’ problem of obesity.   As usual,   Europe is ‘behind’ America in this trend,   but catching up quicky.   A side effect of wealth and capitalistic lifestyles?   I’ve been in the US for 6 years.  I’m approximately the same size as when I arrived.  

W   suprisingly-slim-by-US-standards

rate wendys scribble

Yeah,   and I’m still skinny!  
Eat lots of cheese, and I’m still skinny!    
Drink some Beer    and I’m stil skinny!
Drive to work,   and I’m STILL skinny!
Never been on a ‘loose wieght’ diet, and I’m steel skinny!
MuuaaaahahHahahahaha…   W

By the label;     Silly!       It’s obvious.

This wine just called out to me….

Wendy Marketing-victim

From ‘Utterpants” (UK):

“Nine out of ten prostitutes are habitual coffee drinkers, seven out of ten women convicted of shop-lifting admitted to drinking coffee only hours before the offence, and almost all female car thieves drink coffee..”

And:

“Since the 1920s, coffee drinking has almost completely destroyed all decency and morality in the United States and Europe. During that time, violent crime, burglary, divorce and the inappropriate use of large vegetables by bored American women, have all increased to almost epidemic dimensions”

W never-touches-coffee-has-been-seen-in-produce-isles