An Update since Bank Holiday Weekend

That’s Memorial Day weekend for you all back home. Things have been busy; I haven’t been home much and when I am I don’t feel I have the energy to blog. I’ll have to write a long one now since I have left so much out . . . So, to start off with Thursday that weekend (26th of May), Brianna, the latest American Social Worker arrived. I met her that Thursday but she was obviously tired after the long flight and the airlines still weren’t sure where her luggage was. I told her I would take her to look at flats over the weekend so we arranged to do that Saturday. That morning as I was leisurely getting ready and having my huevos rancheros, Jackie (my friend that runs the Silverdale Hotel with her husband Martin) called and said I should get over there soon. Brianna was understandably upset because the airline, although they brought her luggage back, could not explain why her jewelry was missing from her suitcase. With it being a bank holiday weekend and half-term break for the school kids, everyone was off and the HR staff that would typically help to get us sorted with basics and flat hunting were on leave. The team she was preparing to work with had no plans in place to pick her up the first day and there was no set induction. I’ve thought quite a few times about complaining on her behalf because they prepared so poorly for her arrival . . . but it’s not my place. :-)




I took her to look at some flats that Saturday. The first was in Brierley Hill; in an area I work and would never recommend living. The last two were in Stourbridge and I thought would be very nice. They weren’t. The first had wallpaper peeling, nasty stained and dusty blue carpet, with a nasty pink carpet in the bathroom (and all fittings were pink, too). The second was huge for one person and reeked of curry. That night Martin made a chili for all of us, including Stacy and Teri- the original two that joined me in January- and we all proceeded to get a little toasty with some wine (except Stacy, she doesn’t drink).




The next day, while English born Dan Wheldon won the Indy 500, we all went to Birmingham for Pride Festival. We convinced Stacy to join us, who I don’t believe has had much exposure to gay culture- she’s definitely never been in a gay bar and has never seen a drag show (how she has survived this long without I will never know!). We took the tram in and when we arrived we were all hungry so we left the festival almost immediately in search of a restaurant. Once we found our way back Martin and I began drinking pints. This festival was not typical of pride festivals those of us who attend would be familiar with. There was a weird mix between a carnie atmosphere and what you would expect of a pride festival- drag queens and pretty boys. There was a whole area devoted to carnival rides and food. We stayed around that area for a while and people watched and then headed up toward the top of the street, were there was a DJ outside and all kinds of dancin’ going on! I hate the trans/techno music but it was bearable with the environment here. Martin and I continued to drink our pints while the other three drinkers had a few breezers. Stacy attempted to absorb the environment that is so foreign to her. As the evening went on we left the outdoor party and headed into a bar that was jam packed and had a drag review on. Martin continuously kept count of how often he got hit on and made sure us girls knew about it. We stumbled home at the end of the night on the last tram home and I spent yet another night sleeping at the Silverdale.




By Friday it was June all of the sudden and Brianna had found a place to live. We went to look at it Saturday and she invited me to house share with her. I made my lasagna that night for Brianna, Martin, Jackie and I and had, yes, another sleep over at the Silverdale. I officially decided the next day I would take Brianna up on her offer and move in with her. Over the past week since, I have been working to cancel/transfer my bills, terminate my current lease, and get furniture for the new place. Over the past weekend we stripped the Thomas the Train wallpaper border in my new bedroom, repainted the room, bought a dining room suite and bedroom suite for me and moved it all in. At night over the weekend I was at the pub and at Lesley’s birthday party (respectively); it seemed like I only stopped to sleep. By Sunday night I was knackered with a sore throat and have spent the last day and a half at home sick. I’ll be moving gradually over the next couple weeks and I’ll get pictures of the place up on the blog soon . . . Right after I am officially settled it will be time to head home for a visit!!!