Roller Derby and Tom

Honestly the only reason I don’t blog more often is because of the picture optimization! Anyways….so what is going on with me now?

Well, let’s start with roller derby. Unfortunately, I have sustained another injury. A few weeks ago at practise I took a hard block and ran into some wooden benches at the side of the hall. My knee is messed up and I am currently awaiting an MRI. I may have torn the lateral meniscus of my left knee, but I am hoping that I will be able to skate once the surrounding tissue heals. Meanwhile, I have resorted to swimming. The league is going awesome though. London Rollergirls (LRG) has really grown leaps and bounds since I first got here in April. Along with two other girls, I was recently elected as one of the league directors, so I am right in the thick of things. We have garnered a lot of publicity, a ton of new recruits, and the skating is looking really good. We should have the opportunity to play some travel games soon, and may even have some visitors from overseas…ooooo!

BAD LEFT KNEE

On September 8th, just before my euro trip, we staged our first expo bout. That was pretty fricken awesome. It was the first roller derby bout in the UK, and it went great…we even sold out our venue. My team didn’t win, but who cares because it was all about the league. We split into Team Pink and Team Black – in honour of our league colors, and we dragged Bikini Killer back from Detroit to play on Team Black, since she spent all summer with us helping the league grow. A few pics:

TEAM PINK!

MY BOOTY


PIVOT


FAIL


AND FINALLY.....VIDEO!!

What else is new? Well I am once again in a relationship. I kept saying I didn’t plan on coming to the UK to get involved with another Brit…been there done that, etc….but I suppose that was a bit silly really. I am in the UK, so it’s likely that I would end up dating here, right? So I met this guy named Tom, who is the housemate of one of my work friends. He came to my Notting Hill Carnival after party, and Francisco gave him the seal of approval (F was here visiting for carnival). We have pretty much been dating every since, and are now definitely in a “relationship”. He should be coming with me to the US in February, so some of you can meet him then. What is he like? Hmm….well he doesn’t really like roller derby, he works in the “city” doing high net worth tax consulting for a big 6 accounting firm, he is very English, he talks “posh”, he votes Tory, he wears a lot of suits, he has blue eyes and light brown hair, he is 6’4”, and he is a bit younger than me. ;) People say we are very different, but somehow it seems to be working out nicely.

POOR JET LAGGED TOM AT A DERBY EVENT -
ASLEEP ON THE COUCH AS LRG DIRECTOR
SLICE ANDICE AND HER HUBBY REF BALLISTIC
WHISTLE GIVE HIM A GOOD DERBY TREATMENT

So probably in part because I have someone to spend it with, and also because of the ticket prices, I have decided to stay in London for xmas. I will have Christmas dinner with friends and Tom, and just enjoy the wintery goodness of a London xmas. Shame I can’t ice skate because of my knee.

Instead of coming back in December, I am planning a visit in February. I was hoping to get some sun at my dad’s place in Mexico, but it looks like I will be heading to LA and Bend, OR instead. Oh well, I’ll get plenty of heat in August at Rollercon 2008.

Eurotrip 2007

God, I feel like a blog slacker…..

So yeah, obviously I have had a crazy few months. After my little visit to the US, I was back for mucho carnival, derby, and Eurotrip madness. So this blog will be about EuroTrip 2007 – ‘cause those are the pictures I finally uploaded last night. 

First off, my brother/mom/her boyfriend arrived in London. That was fun, since they got to see where I was living, and I got to introduce Kalon to Europe. We had a few days in London before we took the Eurostar train over to Paris.



Paris was good, but I wasn’t enthralled. I have been there several times before so none of it was new for me. We also had a few annoying encounters with taxi drivers that left me seething and cursing the Parisians as a whole. We got tired of walking around, and ended up doing L’Open Tour bus, which turned out to be great! My French language skills started to come out again, as they always do when I am in France. 5 years of high school and university French and I cant actually speak it….but when I am surrounded by it, I realize I know more than I think. I often end up being the one who has to communicate with the locals for the family.

My mom and Don and Kalon enjoyed seeing the sights…a first for them. We had few amazing meals – with a friend of the family, and also with my Aunt Linda, Aunt Carol, Uncle Brent, and cousin Morgan – who we met in Paris. Kalon and I ended up trawling the streets later in the evenings. We really enjoyed the café culture, although were constantly shocked by how expensive cocktails were.

Highlights of Paris:

Jardin du Luxembourg

Drunk guy on the street (broke a bottle on my foot and made me bleed!)

Cathedral’s by night….then watching the quad skaters do their thing on the bridge
(sadly forgot to take pics)

And then to the countryside……….

We had a gîte rental in the village of Busserolles in the Dordogne countryside for a week with the whole family. I was woefully inadequate with the pics of people and the actual place we stayed, but I got lots of scenery. We stayed here: http://www.lamaillerie.net/ -- which is the gîte property that my mom’s former computer consultant bought with her partner. Tanya, Lisa, and Cole were great hosts and we had a fun time sitting around the fire pit by the waterfall and drinking lots of wine and ale with them. We sat around a lot, read The Dirt (Motley Crue book), ate some amazing food, and generally relaxed with the family.

Highlights of the Dordogne:

Birthday lunch at the Ferme Auberge “Les Forges de la Valade”
5 courses and champagne for my 34th birthday

The AMAZING Go Kart track

The beautiful town of Brantôme

Before the week was up, Kalon and I packed up our bags and headed back to Paris to pick up our friend Paul for the rest of our Eurotrip. Relaxing time was over, and it was back to party mode. We had Eurail passes, which were awesome. When you get a Eurail pass as an adult, it’s automatically first class. You still have to pay for the reservations on each train, but it’s totally worth it. So we picked up Paul at the Gare du Nord in Paris and hopped our Thalys train to Amsterdam. Had a great time on the train, chatting to a French woman and indulging in the free alcohol.



We arrived in Amsterdam and figured out how to take a train to our lovely budget hotel….the infamous Hans Brinker. This place has a bar and nightclub on location and is full of young party seekers. Our room was pretty funny….three single size beds with nothing else except a full size school locker each. Klassy. Beer was cheap though. And they have great ads.





Amsterdam is pretty cool. This is a city I have always wanted to visit, and it didn’t disappoint. The weather, unfortunately, was crap…so I would like another visit in the summer time in the future. I think this is a city that lends itself well to short sleeved shirts and riding bikes in the sun, so that’s how I want to experience it next time. Anyways…the city is quite charming, with the tall old buildings – complete with hooks at the gable tips to haul furniture and goods up into the houses out of the canals.



Kalon and Paul wanted to check out a coffee shop – otherwise known as the place you can buy weed – so we headed to the red light district and a well recommended spot. Can I just say….the red light district of Amsterdam is a surreal experience. The reality of scantily clad women behind glass walls just waiting to be engaged for paid sex is odd at best. Walking around and making eye contact with these ladies gave me a really weird feeling. I can imagine it’s totally different for guys, but for me I was just astounded by the obviousness of it all. Men and woman certainly are different. Anyway, certainly worth a stroll, at the very least…

So we went to the coffee shop and I had a laced cookie which did nothing for me except make me more sleepy. This is why I hate pot – and all drugs to be fair. But yeah, pot is just not for me. Never liked it, never will. Kalon wasn’t too keen either. He didn’t get much out of it that night, and had an experience the next day that really put him off it. I practically had to drag him out of a coffee house before he collapsed. Think I’ll stick to my drugs of choice: sugar and alcohol. Oh we did meet a vacationing couple in the coffee shop that was from Boston. WICKED accents too. Good times.





So the rest of the Amsterdam visit was good. I did a few culture things, including the Anne Frank Huis. That was pretty amazing for me, since I have been wanting to see it for a long long time. In middle school I became slightly obsessed with reading accounts of holocaust survivors, and I think the Anne Frank diary started it. Going through the house was like putting a mental picture into reality. I felt like I knew the people and the house already, because of all the reading. I was affected by it, and I am glad I took the opportunity to go.

I really liked the vibe of Amsterdam. I felt very comfortable there. Even though it’s Europe, and totally different from the US, I felt that as a casual liberal urban west coast girl I really fit in. Everyone seemed really chill and open minded and creative and just nice. I definitely want to go back. Plus, they all speak English.

And so on to Munich…our last stop.

Paul and Kalon and I boarded the ICE train (first class, with our own private cabin, natch) and headed to Munchen via Frankfurt. We were heading to Oktoberfest. Beer and pretzels called.

Scuzzi!

Back when Kalon worked at Accenture, he was on a training course with a great English gal named Victoria. They became friends, and over the years Victoria and her husband Alexander had visited Los Angeles a few times. Luckily for us, Alex is from Munich, and his family still lives there. So we were heading into Oktoberfest with some great local hosts, which proved to be a great benefit. We also met up with Wen, who flew in from Los Angeles to meet us.

We didn’t know what to expect when we arrived, but were immediately taken in by the Hurth family and given the royal guest treatment. A traditional Bavarian welcome dinner, followed by a sleep in a wonderful hotel next door to the family home, and the next morning we were ready to enter the Hippodrom tent for the official opening of Oktoberfest.

I was SO jealous of all the people in traditional costume. It was really impressive to see all the Bavarian pride and culture on display. Next time I am bringing a dirndl for sure! What can I say about Oktoberfest?! It was amazing. We spent the entire day in the beer hall…drinking liters of the good stuff, singing traditional songs, dancing, and just having a grand old time. I would go back any year for sure.

Alex and Vic

the Hippodrome

Beer me!

Hold on, still drinking!

Calf warmers, y’all!

Totally stole this cookie...

Drunk German biker dudes (the fat one tried to pull me…eww)

So if a day in the beer tents wasn’t enough, we had more Bavarian fun! The next day the Hurth family took us out to Lake Chiemsee (aka the Bavarian Sea) and the foot of the Alps. It was absolutely beautiful. We took a ferry to an island on the lake, where mad King Ludwig built a small replica of Versailles.

The Lake

Mini Versailles

Then we drove up into the hills overlooking the lake, and checked out the Hurth family property, where they are building a charming vacation home. The land has a beautiful view of Lake Chiemsee on one side, and the Alps on the other. What a great place…



Our day ended with a sunny spell in a biergarten at the foot of the Alps, drinking some cloudy wheat beer and taking in the Bavarian countryside. I think it’s safe to say that Bavaria and Munich were the highlight of the trip. Alex’s family was amazing, and we just had the best time with them. His mother only speaks German and French, so I found my French language skills getting better and better very rapidly. I could completely follow the conversation, and was able to pipe up every now and then. I think I really want to take French classes again, and become fluent.

I loved Munich, and definitely want to go back and check out more of the city. Also, the Bavarian culture and people were really charming. It felt totally different from the rest of Germany…and I hadn’t realized how much they are their own culture before I had a chance to see it for myself.

And so back to London…..a long day of first class trains and we ended up back at my flat in Notting Hill. The boys were in town for a few days, mainly because Kalon and Paul missed their return flight. (I came home to find them drinking a case of Stella and eating steak and chicken pies….good British day)

And that, my friends, was Eurotrip 2007 in all its glory.

Next blog: Notting Hill Carnival, London Rollergirls Expo Bout, and the new boyfriend…

P.S. if you getting this via email...make sure you check out the pics if they dont come through...just go to the actual blog page

Yes, I am still here!

Sorry...been a bit distracted. I will soon soon soon write up my whole euro vacation blog, but it requires me to upload and optimize a bunch of pics, thus the wait.

Meanwhile, I did have a blast, and now I am back at work in Notting Hill. Also dating someone, so there is news on that front.

To be edified soon....

Courtney went to America

Well I am sitting here on 4th Street in Santa Monica at my brothers apartment packing for my return trip to London. This has been quite a whirlwind visit, in many ways, but I am totally ready to go back.

More precisely, I really really need to get out of here now. :)

I think I haven't been gone long enough to be comfortable coming back here yet. As I predicted, just driving around LA and seeing so many familiar things often made me feel unsettled and strange. I dont feel I belong here, yet its soooo familiar that my mind is confused. London feels a bit distant too....was the past 4 months a dream?

My trip started by flying into LA and then 4 hours later flying to Vegas for RollerCon. Vegas was fun, if a bit overwhelming. It was great to see the massive quantities of rollergirls all in one place...I actually got to meet way more people than I did last year. I also skated a lot. Did some on skates training, some Flamingo Banks scrimmaging, and most importantly played the Team World vs Team USA challenge bout on Fremont Street. And hey....we totally won! I was there for 5 days and was ready to get back to LA.

So then LA. Yeah....bit odd to say the least. On one hand it was good to see people and some of the old haunts, but at the same time there was that unsettled feeling.

And yeah, not going to lie, dealing with the boy that I left behind when I went to London was a big part of that. I don't need to go into details, because if you are close to me you are probably privy to it anyway. Regardless, there were some ups and downs, some fun, some sweetness, feelings both good and bad, but in the end I think there is a sense of transition to a comfortable and healthy place. That's probably how it should have been when I went to London in the first place, but it somehow didn't go that way, and that led to complicated emotions and actions. I feel all cryptic here, but I am torn between the two extremes of airing dirty laundry and sharing nothing beyond a surface level. Just trying to strike a privacy balance and still communicate my state of mind with some context in a blog.

Anyway, I think the trip has been a little cathartic and introspective for me. I guess that's never a bad thing, although not always chock full of fun. And dont get me wrong, I did have fun. Hung with the ACDG girls and a lot of other friends too. Beach bonfires, bar crawls, crazy shenanigans, beach skating, karaoke, shopping, movies, cuddles, Tequila Tuesday, Tiny's, 107, family time, derby practice on a full track, OnDemand TV, Ice Blended Mochas, sushi, driving fast, Old Navy, The Other Room with Ms D and Francisco, numerous quality times with Adam/Joetta/Shane/Scarlene/Bee/Dia/Vodka/Holly/Minnie that crazy gal...

And now it's back to London. Really glad that Francisco (that's wolfsblood to you MySpaz friends) is coming with me from LA. I think having a good friend visit from home will make the transition back a lot easier. Then right after he goes I have the first LRG bout, then the fam comes over for fun times on the continent.

So conclusion: not the easiest trip....not a vacation in the traditional sense....ups and downs....fun times too....ready to go back and continue my new journey. See ya at xmas. Hope its more chill then.

Courtney On The Move – Coming Atcha!

So I am all the sudden getting frantic before a big trip. Only this time it’s not me moving to London, instead it’s me finishing my job here and getting ready to head back to the states for some visit time. I still have mixed feelings about it. I think it’s going to be a bit “odd” to be back in LA, but living in London. Things are very different than when I left. No more Adam…no more Mo…no more apartment or car. Maybe I will feel unsettled and a bit lost. Who knows…

Course it’s probably going to be fun too. I will have no responsibilities, and plenty of time to skate on the beach, party with my girls, flirt with outgoing American men, and chill with my family. And I am starting the whole thing off with RollerCon in Vegas.

So….for those wanting to know, here is the schedule of “Courtney’s Two Months Off Work Extravaganza!” (Brought to you by Microsoft™...but made on a Mac™)

August 8th – August 13th
LAS VEGAS

Wednesday - I fly into LA at 1pm on the 8th, run around getting stuff, then fly to Vegas with Dia Blow at 8pm.

Why? RollerCon…that’s why. Drink, drink, schmooze, talk derby, meet rollergirls, drink, sing karaoke, sleep.

Thursday – on skates workshops at the Imperial Palace, meet more rollergirls, drink water only, eat healthy. Meet up with Team World at 7pm in the lobby of IP for meet and greet…then we head to Flamingo Banks for the pick-up scrimmages…then back to IP to make our shirts for the challenge bout.

Friday – on skates workshops…..say hi to all the LA rollergirls who are starting to roll into town. Trade pins, stickers, etc…. Make team lineups for challenge bout. 5pm on Fremont Street – TEAM WORLD vs TEAM USA, with me as Team World captain. Kick ass and wipe the concrete with Team USA….watch the other scrimmages….head back to IP. Roller Derby Coaches meet and greet pizza at the IP. Eat, drink, schmooze, drink, talk derby, drink… Back to the room to get ready for the Black and Blue ball. Party hard at the Black and Blue ball. Maybe hit the OG for late night action. Get obnoxious on the strip in our Ball outfits. Sleep.

Saturday/Sunday – drink, sleep by pool, skate, schmooze, drink, etc…

August 13th – August 24th
LOS ANGELES

Back in Hell-A. Party with Joetta and the girls. Tequila Tuesday debauchery. Bar Marmont, Tiny’s, etc… Skate, skate, skate…on the beach and practice with ACDG. BBQ at my mom’s in Topanga. Visit from my dad. Buy a ton of stuff to bring back to the UK. Get a massage on Main Street. Generally feel rich with my UK pounds. Pine for real pints.

Leave on the morning of the 24th. Francisco is coming back to London with me, so we are flying on the same plane.

August 24th – September 12th
LONDON

Saturday/Sunday/Monday – recover from jet lag, get coffee at Coffee Plant, intro London to Francisco. Sunday and Monday are the Notting Hill Carnival, which is supposed to be a bit mental. I live in the heart of it, so we have a security guard posted on our door the whole time. Probably going to have a party with our flat as homebase. At least we don’t have to use the port-a-loo.

Next week and a half – hang out with Francisco and show him the sights. Also…big importante…lead up to the first every London Rollergirls Expo Bout!!!

Saturday the 8th – LRG roller derby descends on London full bore. After party at Big Red…drink, drink, dance, drink, get obnoxious, stagger home.



Sunday the 9th – my mom, her boyfriend, and my brother arrive in London.

Monday – Wednesday – play tour guide for like the 5th time this year. Should be fun though, since my brother has never been to Europe!

September 12th – 19th
FRANCE

Take the eurostar to Paris with the family on the 12th…meet up with two aunts, once uncle, one cousin in Paris. See the sights, play tour guide again, attempt to remember my five years of French. Fail miserably, but with a good accent.

Saturday the 15th – take the train to Angouleme and then drive to farmhouse gite in the Dordogne for relaxing fun times in the French countryside.

SUNDAY THE 16TH – MY BIRTHDAY….GODDAMN I AM OLD!

Wednesday the 19th – Kalon (brother) and I take the train to Amsterdam for relaxing fun times in the canals

September 20th – 24th
AMSTERDAM AND MUNICH

So Kalon and I are meeting Popo and Wen (two friends from Hell-A) in Amsterdam. I have no idea what we are going to get up to. Technically I don’t do drugs, and that’s pretty much one of the reasons people go to Amsterdam, right? I might have to do some cultural stuff….I actually wouldn’t mind seeing some Vermeer and the Anne Frank house.

Then we all head over to Munich for the beginning of Oktoberfest. Kalon has some pals who have family there, so we won’t be tourists on our own. And we are on a table at the big beer hall for the opening day of the festival. Now, unlike with the drugs, I do partake of the beer. I think I need to buy a drindl to wear. That’s my style.



And…finally…after all that craziness, we fly back to London where the boys hang for another day or so before taking off. Then I probably collapse or something. Oh, and hopefully go back to work somewhere.

Sweet.

Then I start planning my xmas vacation. Or maybe a weekend in Barcelona with the flat mate gals in November

Oh! Almost forgot.....

September 29th -- Joetta and her mom arrive in London! More debauchery! Garlic and Shots...SoHo...Big Red...Camden! Bring it!!

Senior Project Manager SLASH Actor

Check out some of the latest stuff from my job...

These are some results of the banner ad campaign we did the shoot with acrobats for...you can see me in the pink t-shirt on the left....and in here too, holding an arrow sign.

The company also just completed a really cool viral project which you should all send around to amuse your friends. Check it out: Private Dick Movie.

Tea at the Ritz

So last night a group of 6 gals went to tea at the Ritz Hotel. It was fab. A splendid excuse to get all togged up and make a spectacle of ourselves, to be sure. Went with some rollergirls: Slice Andice, Bikini Killer, Lady Frankenstein, and two friend's of Slice's who were visiting from LA (how funny to get a taste of home from them). Slice had her brand new custom fit corset dress and needed a place to wear it, so we all went full out with full rockabilly costumes, including fake lashes and cuban heeled stockings. I saw a hat on Oxford Street that I had to have, and this became the basis for my look. It was super fun. We ate finger sandwiches, tasty pastries, fresh scones, drank champagne and tea, and generally felt very posh. Then we walked through Leicester Square and Picadilly Circus and Soho, and had people stop us to take pictures with them. Good London times. I highly recommend it if you have a spare £36 and wants a taste of old fashioned London....check out some pics:

Group Shot Outsite the Ritz


My Fabulous Hat

New Tattoos

Massive Update

I know you are all wondering just what I have been up to, right?! Well first of all, I have become enamored of the interrobang which is my new favorite form of punctuation. :)

That aside, I have been a busy gal. Work takes up my day, and then I am usually out at night, either at practice, a roller derby meeting, with friends at the pub, or at the gym. Life has taken on an everyday life pattern. I am starting to feel like a real Londoner – which means pretty much what ever you want it to mean, since there are so many different people living here from so many different backgrounds

The job is still good, although not without it’s frustrations from time to time. No matter how much fun you are having in this industry, it’s still the fast paced stressful work of interactive consulting. The pressures of project management mean that you are constantly juggling the needs of the company, the client, the team, the budget, the timeline, etc… It’s often a thankless task – one that brings all the responsibility with none of the power to back it up. I am actually coming to the end of my current contract, and will be taking time off starting the first week of August. I am heading back to the states to go to Rollercon in Las Vegas, and then I will be in LA for a few weeks. Then I am back in London for a few weeks before heading to France with my extended family, then to Munich for Oktoberfest with my brother and some friends. Then back to work again. In theory. BTW….thank you Microsoft for announcing that you are buying Aquantive for $66 a share….that was sweet. (Courtney’s travels and potential to actually own property at some point in her adult future now brought to you by Microsoft™...but made on a Mac™)

I am actually feeling a bit weird about the prospect of being back in LA. I still miss friends and family a lot, but I also feel like this has now been a positive transition for me. So there is this torn feeling of not wanting to feel like I just got back from a long vacation. It’s almost like I haven’t been gone long enough to make it feel like a visit to where I “used to live”. It’s still a bit fresh. I am not sure how I will react….I almost suspect that aside from seeing the people, I will be feeling like I just want to get “home” to London. I guess that would be a good reaction though, as opposed to some great sense of belonging and a desire to stay in LA. Then we might have a bigger problem, right? It’s going to be different either way. For one, I gave up my apt, so even though I will probably hang out in the same neighborhood, I am not going to be someone who “lives” in the hood anymore. No home base in Santa Monica with all my furniture and stuff. I suppose that shouldn’t really matter though, since I grew up in Santa Monica and have lived in other places before. It does still always feel a bit like home when I go back, no matter what.

Also there has been movement on the friend perspective. Mo is going back to Chicago, so while I will see her at Rollercon, when I get back to LA the trio of Mo/Bette/Joetta will be gone. I guess I already broke it by moving, but still….Maybe Joetta and I can get Scarlene roped in for some debauchery.

I do have a massive shopping list though. What is expensive here or what can I not get here?

* Crest toothpaste
* Deodorant that isn’t in a spray can
* Cetaphil
* ANY makeup (it costs more in pounds than it does in dollars!)
* Nail polish (ditto)
* Massive quantities of Emergen-C packets from Trader Joe’s ($30 a box here!)
* Comfortable and cute shoes
* Gym shoes
* a whole new set of roller derby pads
* quite possibly a whole new set of skates (my current boots are not working out)
* SOME GOOD MEXICAN FOOD
* Random items that every person I know has made me promise to buy for them

Back to London though. I know I already said that I LOVE my new neighborhood, but let me re-iterate that strongly. I totally love living in Portobello. Ok, the downside is that pretty much none of the rollergirls live in West London, so it can be a bit of a trek sometimes, but it’s ok. It’s just so pleasant and pretty and eclectic and neighborhoody. It totally reminds me of living by Main Street in Santa Monica, except in a more charming less beachy British kind of way. I am already a regular at the activist coffee shop, where us flatmates and former flatmates gather on the weekends for lattes and flat whites. The street market is always buzzing on a Saturday morning, and there are plenty of great neighbothood bars and pubs to hang out in. I think people can definitely fall into the trap of just staying in Notting Hill, but luckily I like to explore. I always have it as a base, but I also manage to get around the rest of London pretty well. Have discovered the loveliness of a summers eve on the Southbank of the river, the clubs and gritty/arty fun of the east end, the massive after work happy hours of the SoHo pubs (not to mention late nights at The Ship and Garlic & Shots), the ease of the night buses…not to mention the people watching. I have even braved the lines of Primark on Oxford Street….with its uber-cheap trendy clothes luring the shopaholic masses.

Oh, and I got tattooed. Been thinking about that since I was about 19, and other than my little finger mustache from 5 months ago, I had nothing. So I wanted something that represented me in more than a few ways, and perhaps something that also represented where I am now. I ended up with the heraldic rose symbols for a tumultuous period of English medieval history….The War of the Roses. They are about 3 inches across on the lower back of each leg….the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York. Oh and I also got an exclamation mark on the side of my left hand pointer finger. Cause I am funny.

What!!?? You expect pics on this blog?

Next time. :)

So Creepy...

So I just randomly started watching the movie 28 Days Later, which is a bad idea since I cant deal with scary movies...but the whole opening scenes are a guy walking around a completely deserted London. Totally trippy.



Post Script: Totally woke up at 4:30 in the morning and had a really hard time going back to sleep because I kept picturing Rage Virus infected people crashing through my window.

Holy shit, I am in love....

...with my new neighborhood. How dorky am I....I just bought a hoodie that says "PORTOBELLO" on the front. I am officially a West London hipster snob now. HA!

If you come visit me here, make sure you catch a Saturday so we can go down to the market and sip coffee as we people watch.



Good times!

I am Legally Single

Today I got to work and logged on to my email and had this to read:

"So we are divorced..."

Wow...what a way to start the day, eh? I remember actually gasping as I read the words.

I can now call myself a divorcee. That word conjures some kind of Jackie Collins novel image of an older woman on the hunt, and yet it also describes the reality of who I am. Weird.

My divorce took a long time, and the final resolution almost seems like an anti-climax. Especially with me in London and him in California. We have almost switched lives and countries. Funny how life works.

So tonight I need to celebrate/mourn...right?

What about my job?

So I did kind of throw it out there a while back, but never elaborated...

I am indeed a working stiff again. I am doing a 3 month contract at a fun little interactive agency called Grand Union. The people here are really nice, and so far the project work has been varied and interesting, with the usual frantic moments from time to time.

I am even getting to do some stuff that I have never done in my career before. Like the other day I had to spend half a day at a photography studio, while we shot for a sexual health online campaign. This was a project I got thrown into on my first day, and which found me attempting to cast FHM type models for a week or so. All the men in the office kept stopping by my desk to see the model cards.

The creative director and I had an easy fun day at the shoot, and managed to get a canalside drink during a break, and even took some funny pics:

Did I mention I am now addicted to tea?



I work hard for my salary


This is what happens to creative directors who don't listen to their project managers!


So things are good on that front. Monday I get to attend an all day video shoot that involves 15 acrobats doing crazy pileups and pyramids. Banner ads...yeah. Oh yeah, I also do full on web development project too, but thats old news.

:)

I am no longer in danger of being homeless

The search is over! I got a flatshare! Wow, what a process. Seriously, I had no idea it would be that hard. I went through a period of about two weeks where all I did in my spare time was go to 1-3 flats a night to meet people and see the place. I schmoozed my ass off. I brought bottles of wine to callbacks. I dressed conservative, dressed funky, acted cool, acted crazy….anything to make people like me and offer me a room. Ironically most of them I didn’t even want, because frankly they were crap…but I have this unshakeable desire to have people LIKE ME….so I tried to get every room I saw. Well ok, maybe not all.

It truly is amazing how different one place can be from another, even within the same price range. From a teeny tiny closet room with a grungy shared kitchen to a palatial home with built in wardrobes…I saw it all. Near misses: lovely house share in Primrose Hill with three great people, amazing historic Victorian 5 story townhouse mansion in Stockwell with all original features/decorations and 4 fantastic roommates (they will invite me to the parties though).

But…

Here is what I did end up in: big room with massive closets in a 3 bedroom modern flatshare in Notting Hill two streets over from Portobello Road market! My bedroom window looks out on the private garden square behind the flat, I can walk to work, and the two other gals are fun and super nice – what more could you ask? Oh yeah, and once again, it’s Notting Hill. As in posh but cool very-much-like-Santa-Monica area….the place where everyone told me I would love to live, but it was probably gonna be too expensive. Funny how things work out, right? So as of Sunday I will be an official resident of the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.



Hot damn.

flats, flats, more flats

I have nothing new to report right now. Yes, I started a three month contract at an interactive company...but seriously...all I can think about is flats.

All I do every night is go look at flats. Crappy flats with annoying flatmates, fabulous flats that go to someone else. Scary neighborhoods, great neighborhoods. Hauling my bag and coat on and off the sweaty tube with the huddled masses. Blah blah blah...FLATS! ARRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!

Follow up to Grey's Anatomy ... AKA Brits like to drink

So I never did go watch Notting Hill or some other such movie that would serve to make me more flat jealous...but I did go check out a super depressing flatshare near Victoria station. This better change soon.

Flip side: went out with Hula Gunn from LRG and I now must add to my list.

* Staropromen Pilsner = good (thanks Brian and the Astoria Beer Garden)
* Young's Waggledance Honey Ale = good (thanks David from London Walks)
* Magner's Cider over ice = good (I am a slave to advertising and the London Lite free paper)
* Visiting German punk band members telling me how awesome Santa Monica is, and how they miss the Dragonfly bar in Hollywood = BAD cause it continues the homesickness
* Smoking ban in July = good, cause I reek like cigarettes

Why is Grey's Anatomy Messing with Me?

I'll post later about my visit from Brian and all the tourist stuff we did, and all the beer we drank....

Meanwhile.

So I am having a super hard time finding a place to live permanently. Talk to any Londoner about it and they all give this knowing look and make appropriately sympathetic noises. It's second to getting teeth pulled...who knew.

All of this is making me depressed again. I like to be settled in a comfortable place, and my surroundings are VERY important to me. I mean I came from Santa Monica....I need a nice place to live so I don't pine for it too much.

Today (until I go look at a flat tonight) I am doing nothing other than sitting on the couch and watching downloaded American TV, in order to stave off depression. I start work on a 3 month contract at a company in Notting Hill on Monday, and I am just trying to relax a bit and not dwell on being homesick. So I am watching Grey's Anatomy - and it's the episode where Dr. Addison is set up for a spin off by visiting her friend at an integrated medical clinic in BEAUTIFUL SUNNY SANTA MONICA, CA!!! ARRRRGHHH!!!

So on one hand I am uber disgusted by the stereotypical shots of gorgeous people/palm trees/waves/beaches/street signs, and at the same time it made me want to cry because I miss it so much. And I look outside and its raining. Great.

And to top it off, I actually liked the characters and the premise, so now I totally would watch the spin off, and each time I do I will be faced with the same shots.

Fuck you Grey's Anatomy spin off. I am going to go watch Notting Hill or Love Actually or some other London movie where everyone lives in gorgeous zone 1 flats and manages to take black cabs everywhere they go. Yeah, cause that's how it REALLY is.

Guess what? I am OK!

After my first UK post I got a lot of concerned emails and communications, which was great. You know what though? The transition happened quickly, although a bit stealthily. One day I just didn't feel like crying anymore, and then soon after I realized I was pretty happy to be here.

I think the "ah-ha!" moment happened last Friday afternoon. I had been to an interview in the morning with a fabulous company, and then one more in the afternoon on a beautiful side street near Notting Hill Gate. Instead of hopping straight back on the tube, I decided to take a stroll and ended up at the top of Kensington Gardens. The sun was shining, and it was warm. People were out in the park walking their dogs and playing games with kids and adults. All the spring flowers were in bloom and it was green and lush and smelled great. So then I got a phone call from my recruiter with more positive feedback from interviews, along with a stellar job offer (not my first). I just felt on top of the world, and I said to myself "I am in love with London right now!"

Not bad for a week and a half. And not to say that I still don't miss people and things in LA, but it just means this is right for right now, and that I am enjoying myself and relishing the opportunity to be here.

And wow have I been busy! What have I been up to?

.......


Massive Amounts of Job Interviews
* Like I mentioned before, the demand for Sr. level project managers in the creative interactive consulting world is HUGE in London right now, and despite my best efforts to hold off on things, I have been drawn in...(while writing this blog, I have had 3 calls from my two recruiters to set up more interviews!)

* I still plan on waiting a while to start working, but I am happy to say that I have met with some great people and companies, who apparently all are interested in hiring me

* Better still, even though they are in a similar vein to the companies I have worked for over the past 10 years, many of them offer a distinctly different environment and challenge for me, so I am actually excited by the prospect rather than bored by the same old thing -- THIS IS KEY FOR ME -- having done this for 10 years I felt myself on the edge of total blahness and potential burnout if I couldn't find something a bit new that made me excited again...so hooray!


Massive Amounts of Roller Derby
* Been throwing myself into the London Rollergirls of course...practise is 2x a week so I don't miss one

* Also, since I have bouting experience, I have been doing a bit of coaching and teaching the girls more stuff like blocking and strategy and some fun new pace lines, etc...and have joined the athletics committee

* Getting to know all the girls - guess what...lots of Americans, and Aussies too!

* I also skated the Serpentine Road in Hyde Park on Sunday, which is where all the roller disco and London skaters hang out....pretty fun, not quite as fun as Venice Beach, but it's a good substitute alright


Massive Amounts of Socializing, Exploring, and Pubbing
* I have found myself pretty darn busy: running errands to get "life" supplies, job interviews galore, meeting with people for drinks, etc...

* In Camden I have been to The World's End (first large stop off the tube pub), tThe Devonshire Arms (goth pub...also have recruited bouncers for derby), The Elephants Head (rockabilly, punkish pub), The Hawley Arms (uber trendy indie music hipster pub where I drunkenly talked the owner into considering me for a job), and several canalside watering holes as well

* Went to a burlesque cabaret night at the Bread and Roses pub in Clapham (south of Thames) where Blue Murder (LRG) was performing her solo ukelele act and her acoustic duo all in one night

* Been to Anna Monoxide's house several times for a hard core punk show...and for some good takeout Japanese (and free sushi cause we waited so long)...all in Brixton (must go back to the Brixton market for cheap stuff!)

* Wandered into Liverpool Street Station and decided it was one of my favorite railway stations even though its on the smallish side

* Become addicted to cheap and healthy sandwich options at Sainsbury's, Boots, and M&S food halls (salmon and cucumber, british ham and cress with mustard!, roasted vegtables and hummous)

* Took the bus through posh neighborhoods and wished I was a millionare

* Went to a concert with my flatmates at the Shaftbury Theatre, and partied backstage in a teeny tiny dressing room afterwards (because the room I occupy belongs to the pianist, who is on tour and happened to be in London for a show)

* Sang cabaret with a live piano in a small basement jazz club (not quite as well or beautifully as the regulars AND my flatmate R - who is an excellent professional singer)...also poo-poo'd the quality of our cosmos as "way too red"

* Begun to speak with a slightly modified accent, and have adapted British phrases and terms (but seriously, its just easier to be understood)

* Played ultimate frisbee near the Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Park with my other flatemate's regular crew

* Toured round Camden Market with Ethan (Le Grande Morte, husband of La Petite Morte of the Throttle Rockets from Rat City Rollergirls and co-owner of Fast Girl Skates). We discovered we worked for the same company back in the states, ate BAD british hamburgers at a chain pub, and searched for derby accessories sporting a pink star (for the throttle rockets)

* Hoegaarden = good, Guinness = good, bottles of wine in pubs = good (and cheap), vodka and soda with lime = weak cause they measure it, red bull = always good

CONCLUSION: it's all good....

P.S. Next up: my friend Brian from NYC arrives on Wednesday for a visit. He has never been to Europe, so I am looking forward to showing him around and seeing his reaction!

My Flat is Famous!

So I should have realized from the tourists taking snaps from the canal path, not to mention the look of it, etc... (I do wave to them)....but apparently my building is kind of famous. It's the 1988 work of one Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, Architect.

Check it out (pic of the Sainsbury's flats is my building)

Click Here, duh...

Stranger in a strange land

I am here. I actually got here on Wednesday the 18th, but I held off on blogging until now. I was just an emotional wreck...and I couldnt face it.

The build up to the move was pretty stressful, and I didn't have time to deal with the emotions as I should have. Leaving my apartment in Santa Monica took WAY more time and effort that I had imagined, and without the help of my mom and Adam and my brother and Annie and some derby pals I seriously would not have been able to do it. Even on the day I was flying out I had a million things to do...so by the time Adam dropped me at the airport and I tearfully said goodbye, I was a bit of a stressed wreck. A good note: Virgin Atlantic undercharged me for my extra bags by at least $200. HA...suckers!

Of course as soon as I got here, I was again stressed with trying to get all my bags to the flat in a train system that apparently no longer believes in porters. I guess people with lots of bags are now expected to travel by private car in the UK! Despite the hassle, at every turn I was helped out by some nice passerby or train worker or cabbie, as I had trusted would happen.

So I got to the flat...and damn is it cool. I was greeted by R and her mum, who was down for the day. Both very nice, and immediately pushed me out onto the sunny balcony overlooking the canal to have some tea and cake. This place really is cool...its like a modern architectual metal pod house, and literally sits overlooking the Camden Canal.



view from the balcony:



my as yet unpacked room:



Basically after I had been here a few hours I was compelled to rush out and A) get local mobile phone service and B) get a phone card so I could call the US and have an emotional breakdown....which I proceeded to do for the rest of the day. Seriously, I was freaking out. I talk to my mom, my dad, and Adam....repeatedly. Thank god for modern communication or else I would have been even more miserable.

It was certainly not how I expected to feel on my arrival, but I guess in hindsight I should have figured on it. I mean seriously, a lot of people make this kind of move because they are tired of where they were before. I love LA...I love my friends and the life I had in LA. I did this because I always wanted the chance to live here...not because i wanted to leave LA. For me this is a challenge I gave myself....not a reward. So it's hard. But yeah, that day I was seriously questioning myself. And I still have that thought from time to time...but it's more geared towards allowing myself the possiblity of not living here for a long spell...and being ok with going back home if thats what feels right too. People have told me that I am pretty ballsy to make this move, and I get it now...cause it sure aint easy.

So anyhoo...I did go out that first night with one of the London Rollergirls, who I knew from before, and we met up the next evening too. That was good, because I didn't feel too lonely. I also met with a local recruiter, who was very cool, and I am feeling good about my job prospects, and about having the ability to pick and choose because the market for Sr. PMs in the internet industry in London is apparently one of the hottest ones in years. Good timing, eh?

Then Friday I spent a long afternoon shopping all around Camden and Oxford street for a set of plain inexpensive sheets, and perhaps some new comfy walking shoes with a bit of style. IN VAIN. Ugh.... Everything was SO expensive and so crappy. I like good sheets, and in America I had tons. (as you do) So I was introduced to a first oddity....any sheet in the affordable line (i.e. less than 20 quid for ONE) appears to be of the poly/cotton blend. WTF? Hasn't the British sheet manufacturing industry realized that sleeping on and under polyester ain't so nice? I mean I went to fricken high street (term for main shopping area and stores...also kind of means "nicer") department stores and they had walls and walls of poly/cotton blend sheets and then smaller sections of designer 100% cotton sheets for exorbinant prices. Ridiculous. I finally ended up buying some cotton sheets for more money than preferable just because I was so utterly frustrated by the whole tiring experience. Let's not even talk about shoes. Ok, lets.... :)

I used to dream about shoe shopping in the UK. You could always find these great styles and unique stuff here...and then sometime in the last 10 years it all just got homogenous and cheap. I even went to the venerable Shelly's Shoes...where I used to get my cool Doc Martens back in the early 90's....ho hum. So for the first time since I started visiting the UK I actually said to myself "well I guess I can get new shoes when I go home for a visit". HA!

Is this turning into a "Why the UK sucks" blog?

Ok, ok....on to other topics.

Friday night was a bit rough...after the shopping debacles I had nothing to do, and all I could think about was how much fun everyone in LA was going to be having at Mo's birthday party. After a long tearful conversation with Adam, Joetta (over IM) convinced me to go out to the pub by myself. That's intimidating for a gal....especially when you are in a different country. But I did it. I actually went across the street to the Devonshire Arms, which happens to be the goth pub in Camden. And it wasnt that bad. I guess the flip side of it being hard to go out alone as a girl is that you are likely to have men speak to you. Sure enough, I spent the night chatting with a couple of nice guys and forgot to be sad.

And today, finally...my first London Rollergirls practice. It felt good to be skating again, and I was really excited to meet the gals. There are some good skaters, and I was impressed by the turnout and the enthusiasm. Lots to learn for sure, but I think teaching and sharing what I know will make me a better skater too.

After an after practice drink at the local, I headed down to Brixton with one of the skaters...who also happens to be American. She invited me to a hardcore punk show, and I had a good time with her and her Irish husband before catching the last tube back to Camden.

Tomorrow is Shakespeares birthday and I hear there is a festival of sorts (complete with free wine!) at the New Globe theatre...I am gonna check that out for sure. Got to get some culture in...

So ta ra for now!

The Final Countdown -- April 10, 2007

One week from today I will be sitting on a plane, heading to the UK. I seriously can't believe it. It's almost surreal. The past few weeks have been a strange combo of relaxed and frantic. Relaxed because I am done with work (heaven!) and frantic because of the social obligations and THE PACKING. UGH!

I have to be out of my apt by Sunday and it just seems there is still so much to do. Its crazy.

This past weekend I went up to Portland and Bend to visit friends and family (including dad and stepmom) which was lots of fun. The guy came with me, and it was great to have a solid 3 days with him, but a bit melancholy too, since I know it's gonna be very soon that we won't be together.

But I am still here now, and I have lots to do to get ready. My friends are throwing a little goodbye party tonight....gonna miss them terribly. Check out the great flyer Mo made for me:



And so....back to packing....

A Classic - March 21, 2007

Seriously.

People kept telling me that as soon as I made plans to leave, I would meet some guy. I would laugh and say "ha...thats not likely!"...etc...etc...

Yes well, like a cliche in bloom, the very thing has happened. I met a guy. I more than met him actually....in fact I have become quite enamoured in a way that hasn't happened in a long long time. And I am still leaving. And he is staying here. And it sucks cause I miss him already.

Banner prep week! - March 15, 2007

So many things happened all in one day. I talked to a gal in London who agreed to be my first flatmate. She has a great place in Camden town, right over the canal, and I am going to live there for my first 1.5 months in London. I am pretty excited about being in such a happening area for my first foray. Also excited by the idea of having some cool people to meet right off the bat. 'R' and the other guy flatmate,'A', sound like my kind of peeps. One of her questions for me was "what is your favorite drink?"....um yeah....and we established that sharing red wine with housemates is a favorite pastime. That and the high speed wireless net sold me. Oh and the fact that its across the street from the "goth" pub in Camden. I better pack the black clothes.

So...got the flat...check.

Next step...buy a plane ticket...check. One way on Virgin Atlantic from LAX to LHR on April 17th. Non-refundable. (Thanks for the ride, Adam)

Next step...give official notice on current apt....check. It's done. I am having a garage sale on March 25th, and I will be out of my apartment on April 15th. Wow.

So yeah....this has been a week of action. It does feel good. I feel I am heading into a situation that will offer excitement and adventure. I don't plan on working when I first arrive either, so I will have time to explore London from the Camden home base, and just to settle in.

My checklist for arrival:
* connect with wireless internet
* buy sheets and towels
* buy transport monthly pass (zone 1-3)
* mobile phone service
* buy phone card for cheap to US calls
* buy hairdryer (although R kindly offered to let me borrow hers off the bat)
* buy red wine
* find a gym
* pretend to start looking for a job
* go to London Rollergirls practice
* spend prodigious amounts of time in pubs/tea shops/British Museum
* freeze to death and pray for sun

You Learn - March 1, 2007

So this morning I spoke to my landlord and got the official word that I cannot sublet my apt. That's it. The place I have lived for over 6 years, with my ex for almost 5, is gonna be out of my life in one month. It's pretty hard to let go of that place, but at the same time, maybe it for the best. Things and places can carry energy and baggage, and it can be healthy to let that out.

But damn....I am letting go of a 2bed/2bath rent controlled apartment in Santa Monica 5 blocks from the beach and smack dab in my favorite neighborhood. That kind of bites. They are probably going to jack the rent up by $500 a month when I move out. I'll basically never be able to live there again for anywhere near the same price.

Into the fire....gotta let it go.

And no, I am not a big Alanis fan....but these lyrics sure are speaking to me right now.

"I recommend biting off more than you can chew to anyone...."

What is this all about? -- Feb. 22, 2007

I am moving to London. It's been a desire I have had for most of my life....to live in that glorious city...and its finally going to happen.

So how did I get to this point?

I first lived in the UK when I was 19, on a semester abroad in Cambridge. It was wonderful. I absolutely fell in love with the UK during those five months, and I just knew that I would be back someday.

Fast forward to my last year of college....when I happened to meet a British guy online while playing a game. He was in northern England at Newcastle University, and I was at BU in Boston. To make a long story short, after 8 months of online, phone, and mail communication, we had to meet. I flew to the UK for my second time in the summer of '95 and met this Welshman from Anglesey - and ended up staying with him and his family for a month and a half. He became my boyfriend, and eventually my husband....but that all happened after he moved to the US. I always figured that we would live in the UK together at some point, but somehow it just never happened. We were always stuck in jobs, or too comfortable in Boston/San Francisco/Los Angeles, etc...

But we visited all the time. At least once a year we were over for Christmas or other holidays, and I became more and more familiar with the British culture and way of life. It wasn't rose tinted glasses though. I realize that living in the US has a lot of perks....we have it pretty good here....but I still wanted to live in the UK some day and experience all the amazing things that Europe has to offer.

And then one day my husband told me he didn't want to be married to me anymore, and I realized I was losing more than a partner and lifelong friend - I was also losing my direct tie to a country and culture that I had started to feel belonged to me. It felt like a double divorce. I actually mourned the loss of him, and I mourned the loss of Britain.

But there was a catch....I have UK permanent residency, and I was married long enough that it didn't matter if I stayed married to keep that status. So after I got through the painful part....I realized that I had the power to do it on my own.

It's been a long process...I almost did it last year, but I just wasn't emotionally ready for such a huge change. Plus, there is that whole roller derby thing. Oh yeah...I play roller derby. Didn't you know? I have been involved with London Rollergirls since the start, because I knew eventually I needed to be able to skate there if I went, but I have also been firmly entrenched in the LA flat track league Angel City Derby Girls. It's been hard to walk away from a really great league that gives me the opportunity to play derby on the travel team against some of the best leagues in the WFTDA (Women's Flat Track Derby Association), and I think I had to get to the point where I had experienced enough of that goodness to be able to walk away satisfied.

But it's time now. The Permanent Leave To Enter status visa I have in my passport doesn't last forever if I don't get my butt over there, so this year is pretty much my now or never point.

Scary....exciting....daunting....thrilling....a real rollercoaster of a ride. That's what's going through my head now. No matter what though, I keep moving forward. I have placed the stake in the ground. I gave my notice at work, and I have made plans to leave my glorious rent controlled Santa Monica apartment 5 blocks from the beach.

I am moving to London with no job either. I have enough savings to take some well deserved and much needed break time...but the idea of spending hard earned American dollars with the current exchange rate (currently $1.95 to the pound - highest its EVER been since I started going) is pretty daunting for a normally somewhat thrifty and responsible gal like me. At the same time, I am confident that the market for what I do (internet project management) is strong enough in London that I will eventually end up where I need to be. Heck, I was a supervisor at Starbucks for two years in college.....I won't starve.

So this blog is about the whole damn thing. It's about what I will experience...what it will take to make this transition...what I have to share with everyone following along...its about Courtney going to London.

Enjoy.

Los Angeles.....I'll miss ya....