Ch-ch-ch-changes...

I've got big news. It's actually old news, but it's new to y'all. I moved back to the States over the summer. It's been so hectic and stressful and just so everything that I never posted about it before now. But here we are, settled in mid-America. Sort of.

I always thought when I left England I'd make a big post of all the things I wouldn't miss there and all the things I was looking forward to in the US. Now that I'm back, the glaring differences are often the things that I *do* miss about the UK! How's that for a shocker? And that it's hard to settle back in, something we thought would be so simple. But there it is. We love finding products we couldn't get in the UK, but are shocked to find other things we've grown used to aren't in the grocery store at all. We constantly regretted how much cheaper it was in the States while in England, but now back home we notice certain things are much pricier here. Granted, the overall big expenses are still much less in the US (like housing -- man, is that cheaper Stateside), but I sure miss the little deals.

Like sponges. I could get a pack of 10 sponges with a scrubby on one side for a pound in England. Here it seems like it's a few bucks for a pack of two or three. I had gotten used to using a sponge once, maybe twice to clean dishes, then tossing it for a new one. Of course, here our dishwasher actually cleans the dishes unlike the sorry excuse for a dishwasher we had in England, so I don't need nearly as many sponges. Logic does little to ease the sticker shock.

And shipping for online orders. I had gotten used to it being free, or some low amount like 5 pounds for a whole order, even of heavy items. It was a bit of shock to come home and rarely find free shipping, or see that furniture shipping can be quite expensive. It only makes sense, as America is so much larger and the distance to deliver can be further, but it still came as a shock.

I guess settling in somewhere new is always hard for me, and this jerking around between countries is even harder. Add to it this go-round a crappy moving company (wait, that's pretty standard) and buying a new house as soon as we arrived (our first ever!), and it's been a stress bonanza.

Not that it isn't good to be back from Blighty, but, well, I'd finally settled in there. It took several years. Will settling in back in the States take as long? We shall see.

Kindle book deals rock

I love my Kindle. And I love a bargain. Here are a few deals I found that combine the two for folks who use Amazon in the States:

Celebrating and Savoring A Simple Christmas is just .99 through Thursday. I grabbed one for some tips and hopefully some stress-free recipes!

Check out the Kindle Daily Deal, well, daily. They used to be .99, and now they are typically $1.99. Still not bad -- today's deal is "Lit", by the author of "The Liars' Club" Mary Karr. I enjoyed The Liars' Club, so I grabbed this, too!

Bookworms Anonymous is a freebie -- that's a price I can really get behind! I haven't read it yet, but it seems to be for people who like bookclubs and well, I'll figure the rest out when I get a chance to read it.

Speaking of freebies, check out the list here for the Top 100 Free Kindle books.

Happy reading!

The cemetery at Cemetery Junction

Reading Old Cemetery, also called the cemetery at Cemetery Junction due to its location, is interesting and large, with rambling passages, timeworn tombs and monuments, and a smattering of deer and cats to keep watch on the departed. And yes, the Cemetery Junction in question is the one for which Ricky Gervais named a film.

Here are some pictures from my visit there in May.

This is the tomb of 21-year-old pilot Bernard Laurence who died
in a motorcycle and sidecar race after creating two world records.

The entrance at Cemetery Junction

Alabama Shakes

A bit of soul with an echo of Joplin. Nice.

England discovers flavored cream cheese...finally

In this land where Philadelphia Cream Cheese is simply called Philadelphia (as in, would you like some Philadelphia?, which never sounds quite right to my ears), I've only ever seen two varieties of cream cheese in ye olde dairy section: regular or light. None of my beloved strawberry or honey flavor, just plain ol' plain. Not too exciting.

Until now, that is. Kraft rolled out a new version of the cream cheese mixed with Cadbury's chocolate. It's delicious. It's really good on bagels. It's a start. Now maybe someone will get a revolutionary idea and try other flavors (like strawberry or honey, which I prefer). But then again, considering this duo is thought of as "adventurous," I'm not getting my hopes up.

O Waffle House, Our Waffle House

I've been to a Waffle House barely more than a handful of times. Maybe because of that, each stands out in my mind as unique and interesting. There was the time I won a stand-up comedy contest (back when I worked up a routine as a hobby/public speaking/writing exercise), beating out a particularly slimy ex who wanted to do it as a career. It also happened to be my birthday. Four rather cute Air Force officers I knew from a favorite dance club took me to Waffle House to celebrate. It was one my most memorable birthdays.

My visits were all in my single days and usually after the bars closed, once with a group of friends, a couple times with guys I'd danced with all night at my favorite karaoke dive before we moved on to the late-night, post-bar delight that is Waffle House. Once I even took my mom there on Christmas Day after returning from a road trip. I remember it as unusual and fun; she recently told me it gave her indigestion. Oh well, we can't all see the glory in the story of being able to say you had Christmas dinner at Waffle House.

My husband recently pointed me to the worst poem ever, which happens to be by and about Waffle House. Inspiration struck, and I had to dash out my own customer's response. It may not be Whitman, but at least it beats out Waffle House's own ditty. I like to keep the bar low.

O Waffle House, Our Waffle House
You mean the world to Us
The customers, the kings
The folk who need no fuss

O Waffle House, Our Waffle House
You always make Our night
At bars we drink, then waffles eat
There often is a fight

O Waffle House, Our Waffle House
Why do you taste so fine?
Why do a few tequilas
always make Us long to dine?

O Waffle House, Our Waffle House
diced hash browns seem no threat
We love them in the hazy night
But morning brings regret

Dr. Pepper is a many-splendored thing

OK, I know it's goofy, but today I took pictures of sugar-free Dr. Pepper. In the UK, that's called Dr. Pepper Zero, and the packaging just got a makeover. For some odd reason, I found that really cool and interesting -- maybe because I'm been a "Pepper" pretty much all my life.

We order groceries online, and when they came today, the new look gave me a small surprise (seriously, unpacking groceries is pretty dull, so any little thing can spice it up). Still having a six-pack of the old version in the cupboard, I did a little comparison. As seen below, the can on the left is new, whilst the one on the right is the old design. The old design looks exactly like the non-diet version (expect for the word "Zero"). Which seems ill-advised, as I know I've accidentally gotten the full-sugar variety before.



I really prefer the U.S. version of this drink, that being Diet Dr. Pepper and caffeine-free Diet Dr. Pepper. Unfortunately, there's no caffeine-free Dr. Pepper Zero in the UK. Below is a pic found online, which I guess is the current look of Diet Dr. Pepper in the U.S. Dr. Pepper Zero now looks a lot-more like its American cousin. Just a mildly interesting tidbit. Or not, based on your attachment to diet soda.

Come on, wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, too?