My weekend update (try to stay with me, it's long!)

Sunday night and I am coming to the end of my first weekend in the States.

But first of all I have some pictures (I can imagine your shock) from Friday. Roma and I went to Asheville to try to sort out my temporary Social Security Number. This was completed with amazing ease considering it is a government operation.

We also went to Office Depot to get me a new desk chair which was fun to pick out. I worked in DYCW for 11 months and had a broken chair for about 10.5 of those months. When anyone sat at my desk they frequently over balanced and I seem to remember someone actually falling off, but that could have been my memory exaggerating the point. I had mastered the art of balancing on it and so I think David never considered it a priority. However about 2 weeks into Sharon working there she had a new chair. Maybe it’s something you do for new people.

Anyway here’s my new chair. I like it a lot!




This is George helping me build the chair. Actually I just passed him stuff. I am quite experienced at this job from helping Father. I like George a lot. He’s very down to earth (as you can see - he sat on the front row at the Pope’s funeral and here is on my office floor building a chair!) and he laughs at my hilariously funny jokes. He’s very kind. He always opens Virginia’s car door (and sometimes mine if I don’t get there first!).



We went to the mall’s food court for lunch. I got Panda Express. Mmmn. I got Orange Chicken, Kung Po Chicken and Fried Rice.


I didn’t realise I was being so obvious!

On Friday evening Roma (standing at the back of the picture in pink) and George had invited a group from the University of Kentucky to have a pizza for reasons that are too long and dull to explain. I sat beside a girl who was a bit too annoying for my liking. For example when I asked her her name she replied ‘Lydia, like in Acts’. Ok then.


The pizza reception. Sadly 'Lydia, like in Acts' is not in this photo.

On Friday night I went to Maggie’s. We made cakes for the Kentucky students (again long and dull) and watched a video, Ray. Quite good, although I was too tired to enjoy it fully.

On Saturday morning I drove myself to K Mart.


This proves it.

In the afternoon there was a craft fair thing on in Waynesville which George and Virginia had invited me to go to. Virginia bought me a little giraffe for my desk. They close the main street and there are stalls and all that carry on. They had cloggers (not the Dutch kind, it’s like square dancing...apparently) and a Scottish bagpipe band (from America) in the full regalia. It actually drives me insane that American say ‘scotch’ instead of 'scots'. I don’t know what is actually right, but I think I am!


I got this picture message from Julie at the Weekend. It’s made out of those alphabet letter sweets that you can get in Newcastle (I traditionally buy them there). But you have to wonder why she just didn’t text that to me? Not that I’m ungrateful for any text/picture message you understand. I appreciate every 'boing boing' my phone makes. I’m just saying!

On Sunday I went to church with George and Virginia. Maggie Valley UMC is remarkably like Whitehead Methodist, so I’m thinking I won’t probably be making that my church. But it was nice to go with them. For lunch I did something that I don’t think I’ve ever done before. I had fast food! What’s even more crazy is that it was George and Virginia who took me! Taco Bell are not renown for their Sunday roasts so I had a quesadilla.

When George and Virginia dropped me off at the hotel where I was booked in for another night at least, we saw this sign.


Ok so my photojournalist credentials are slipping, but you can kind of tell what the top line says (especially if I tell you the name of the hotel is the Terrace Hotel).

What sort of hotel closes and locks its doors without telling its guests? Turns out I was the only guest so they decided to close but nobody told me! I was allowed to go in and pack up my stuff. They had not thown it over the balcony or left it outside for me to gather up. Virginia came up with me, which was slightly embarrassing because in the morning I chose a shower over tidying. So now I’m in the Lambuth (with a 'u') Hotel. The upside of the move is that the lobby has wireless which my computer works with!


Looks a bit more fancy!

It’s up by the cross. Which incidently, yesterday there was a wedding there. I could have watched it on channel 10! I did not however because I’m just not that sad!

After furiously packing up my belongings I drove myself to Walmart. I think I may be losing some of my Christian morals. I would never go shopping on a Sunday. The earlier Taco Bell incident has clearly tainted me.

Again, proof, if it were needed.

I love Walmart. If you asked me my favourite aisle in a supermarket I’d say the cosmetics and shampoos aisle. Same question for Walmart, I’d struggle to decide. They’re all so good. There is no such thing for me as running in for one item in Walmart. I like to walk around the whole shop. Today I was in for about 45 minutes. I think my love for it began at camp. We’d have 24 hours off before the next batch of kids would arrive. Time was precious but there were just some things we all had to do. For example get photos developed, get a bicycle repair kit, get a prescription, buy envelopes. All these things could be done in Walmart and save us valuable time. However this love is only in America. I do not like to hear reports about Asda and Walmart and their dominance in England and am scared of either coming to NI. I’m a small town girl and I like going to the grocers and the newspaper shop, and then hitting the big smoke for slightly more unusual items. Plus Tesco has won my allegiance. Clubcard points, you’ve got to love them.


Despite my love of Walmart I find this scary. I nervously walked through this area (but returned for a picture, I know, just call me Kate Adie).

The Lambuth Hotel is not doing meals until Wednesday so I had to buy my own outside. So something else I’ve never done, had fast food twice on Sunday. Another part of the '... your way thin' range.


When in Rome…I went through the drive through.


A word of warning. Leaving leftover Burger King in your room does not leave a pleasant odour.


Meesy thinks they made that word up.

Tonight I went to a concert for the UMCOR Katrina Relief. The band were alright, but a little full of themselves and without much cause to be. I came back to the hotel and watched the rest of the West Wing (series 7, ooooh!).

Not much else to report, surprising given this treatise. Virginia says she thinks she’s found an apartment. I really hope it’s decent, she seems to think so. Maybe go to see it tomorrow. The one yesterday afternoon should be reported to environmental health, well at least the carpet should be tested for communicable diseases.

George has gone to Europe for about 3 weeks and Peter is on holiday so it’ll be quiet. Maybe I’ll actually get a productive day’s work done?