Michael Harling's Blog, page 34

The End of an Era

They said it would start in the spring of 2012 and be over by August. Then it was to begin in July, then August to be finished by October. But the scaffolding—in preparation for our new windows—did not go up until the day we returned from our visit to the States in mid-September, 2012. Even then, however, they told us the project would be over by Christmas.


Through hail, wind, rain and snow; I bet the workmen
wished they had begin the project on time.Well, since that day in September, we have b...

Bath

 Bath, as noted in my previous post, is a lovely place. It’s also quite old, dating back to the Iron Age when the settlement was called Bah. This was because they didn’t have a word for “A really pretty place but of limited use,” so when people asked what the area was called they just said, “Bah.” Eventually a settlement grew up around the River Avon and, because “Bah by the River Avon” was too long to chisel into the “Welcome to the Town Of...” sign, they just called it “Bath.”

Bath was...

But First a Word about the Hotel

We just got back from Bath. It is an amazing place. You must go visit it immediately. Go ahead; I’ll wait.
Back so soon? Wasn’t it grand? Well, before we start exchanging snapshots (and believe me, I have plenty) I want to tell you about the hotel.

The Lansdown Grove Hotel is a marvelous place with grand views, bright rooms and a staff of polite and accommodating Eastern Europeans. The food was superb, the atmosphere convivial and the overall impression one of olde worlde charm. I highly recomm...

Foundering in a Sea of Idioms

Having been in the UK for over a decade, I felt confident I was fully bi-lingual. At a recent gathering, however, I used the term “nickel and dime” (as in, “these fees are going to nickel and dime me to death”) and was met with blank stares.
It was also brought to my attention—via Expatmum—that Brits are unaware of what it means to “get the drop” on someone.


Don't get your knickers in a knotIf I had been made aware of these potholes in my linguistic education, say, a year ago, I might not have...

2013 – A Retrospective

What’s this? The 2nd of January already! Where does the time go? It seems like only yesterday we were saying good-bye to 2012 and looking, with renewed hope, into the New Year. Overall, 2013 has been pretty good so far. As I look back over the year I see it has been warm and tranquil, a time of progress, renewed purpose and fun.
2013 began with me out on the scaffolding (apparently, they are going to make this a permanent feature), playing Auld Lang Syne on the bagpipes. Just a bit of holiday...

We Need a Little Christmas

I've been trying to come up with an appropriate holiday post but the spirit keeps flitting away from me. All I know is, this song has been in my head these past two weeks, and I think, given the overall global circumstances, it is highly appropriate: 
Haul out the hollyPut up the tree before my spirit falls againFill up the stockingI may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now
For we need a little ChristmasRight this very minuteCandles in the windowCarols at the spinet
Yes, we need...

The Siege

Counting today—which is just now pink-tinged with dawn—I have been “retired” for a baker’s dozen of days. Of those days, nine have been actual working days and six would have been within my truncated work week. And I have been sitting in this flat for three of those days (plus a fourth one back in October) watching workmen complete a job that I was originally told would take one day.
The first visit occurred during one of my days off, when I was semi-skivving, before begin made redundant I dec...

Holiday Hide and Seek

Ah, Christmas shopping! It used to be, in times long past, that I would put off shopping until the last minute, and then dash to the mall on the 24thto buy gifts for my brothers, sisters, friends and parents. I referred to this sort of excursion as “Panic Shopping” and held to the theory that a short deadline was essential for maintaining focus.

Granted, I usually ended up buying things like corkscrews, hand warmers and novelty coffee mugs, but the adrenalin rush was not to be missed.
These day...

Day One

Today, as the cliché goes, is the first day of the rest of my life. I finished up my last day in the office yesterday, and as of this morning, I am a gentleman of leisure.

At this point I’m not really noticing anything different. I would have been off today, anyway. And on Tuesday—the actual first day that I don’t have to go into the office—it will probably just feel like a vacation.
And December itself was always going to be a relatively work-free month. My part-time schedule, coupled with jud...

Weighty Matters

If you live in the US and don’t get a Christmas card from me this year, it won’t be because I don’t cherish your friendship (even if it is merely a Facebook occasionally-click-on-your-Like-button type of friendship); it will be because the Royal Mail won’t sell me any postage. Allow me to explain:

I went to the post office yesterday. The reason I went to the post office yesterday and not Saturday is because the government shut down about 95% of the local post offices. Granted, they didn’t shut...