Christmas Holiday

I've taken a Holiday from Christmas this year. No Family & Friends, No Turkey Dinner at Moms, No Presents, No Flights home to book, No ice fishing with Dad AND No Left Overs!!! Bah Humbug - Oh and no TV Watching of either White Christmas nor How the Grinch stole Christmas (cartoon version blows Jim Carey outta da watta). Distance makes the heart grow fonder....

So what have I been doing? Well the Day before Christmas Eve, I went to the grocery store and was denied access at 4:05 pm because the store closed at 4.... This meant no food. So My Turkey dinner came in the Colonals Bucket entitled "Festive Feast". Way to go KFC;) they were open until 11pm. My Christmas Day dinner was all about left over KFC and his original recipe. Ever so healthy;)

I've found myself a Holiday job at the local pub: The City Arms to be precise. I like to nickname it the Slave Factory. Get this British charm when it comes to labour laws:
1) No overtime - every hour you work is minimum wage (even if it's the 13th hour ya still get £5.40!!)
2) No shift restrictions - 12 hr shifts are common
3) No tips - most beverages cost £1.99 - I'd say 80% of customers I've served wait for the penny change
4) No training - Last three shifts I've been thrown to the sharks

This is the funny part of working at the pub:
1) We serve alcohol at 9am - AND have regular customers - who drinks a pint of beer at 9:01 in the morning?? Who orders a double rum and coke at 9:13 am??
2) I've served a little old man 5 pints of beer between 9-11am... how bazaar??
3) Some people live at the pub!! they're there just as long as my shifts are!!

I don't know which is more exhausting - brain numb Bar work for long hours - Or - encouraging 30 deviant children to perform simple tasks in 6 - 50 minute blocks M-F??? One pays triple the wage - I think I'll stick with teaching;)

No other news. I might spend New Years in London - Or I might work at the pub - a couple more shifts at the Pub will help me decide. I look forward to some new New Years resolutions and will devote my next blog entry to it.

Happy Christmas Everyone Live from the UK!!!!

Jaymi, Leeds, Pub & Bike

The world gets so much smaller when your internet provider cuts you off for 3 weeks... I must say i'm outta touch with the world. Can't plan Spring Break, Skype with Family members or download the latest Snow Patrol song... boo urns:P

Many things have happened since my last Post. Got to Visit Jaymi Daniels in Leeds - she's as stunning as ever and we enjoyed some kick ass spinich/artichoke dip with Chicken (killer awesome). It was nice to chill with someone familiar after living amongst strangers for so long. Jaymi you rock!!


Our Merry Christmas Kiss!!!


Since my stuped car, first name never to be mentioned again/I can't even go visit the city now I'm that bitter - blew Up, I've discovered some Glass half full antics to make me feel better. I save £200 in gas and car insurance per month, I get 32 mins of exercise everyday, I got to buy a new bike with all the fixings, I always get to work ontime since the train drops me off 45 mins early and I don't have to deal with bumper to bumper traffic ever again. Yay me for bypassing European Road Rage;)

Since i'm not headed back to Canada for Xmas, i've found myself a job at the local pub. When I say local, I mean I live one block away and can walk to work in 2 mins. It's a weatherspoons chain and I get to pour pints of beer for £5.35 an hour. Roughly $10.70 per hour. Not bad right? no Tips but I think patrons buy you drinks - bring on the middle age bum grabbing soccer moms! Or Football moms I guess they say here. My first Shift is Friday and I get to dress Christmassy.. should be alright.

Teaching's done Friday. One day to go. I have two students that have an EUBER major crush on me and one drew a picture of me in her art class. I've had to refer her to the Deputy Head teacher - There's no way i'm getting canned for little Goldie locks and her 13 year old Peuberty lust. She signed an xmas card, which by the way is HUGE over here everyone does Xmas cards... tres time consuming, with xxx lots of luv Becky. insert barfffff here. I think i'll have to play the stern card with the Girls choir in January.

Besides all that, i'm ready for Winter Break. Should be nice not having to lesson plan and give students detentions. What a nice break. Hope everyone is enjoying the christmas rush and have found those special presents just in the nick of time. It's pretty chill skipping out on buying presents this year. It'll make next christmas ever more special. Wish you all well - Take care.

chitty chitty BANG......[silence........]

Leicester has gone to car heaven and he went with a BANG. I was driving home from my first ever parents evening, travelling down the main motorway between Leamington and Coventry, when my car exploded. It quickly decellerated, and I was left on the side of the road with Semi-Trucks blasting past me. Road Side assistance came about an hour later to tow me away (free of charge with my car insurance - the only bonus of the whole ordeal) and now I'm without a car.

Let's just say the £450 I wasted on Leicester lasted me 6 weeks and boils down to £10.72/day. The BEST part is that the guy who sold me the car, phoned me that exact same evening to check in on how everything was going!!!! Talk about Karma. He insisted i didnt' take care of it like he had explained to me... talk about confrontation... let's just say I kept my cool and said ADieu.

NOw I'm looking at getting a second job so I can get back on the road again and not bust my budget. What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger........