Having served my 99 year sentence on the commuter trains from Hell, I am at last out on parole and shall never again have to endure the 4:40AM alarm calls, the early morning scream of horror, THIS and being forced to go to bed before nine every night when all my friends are out enjoying themselves.
For anyone sufficiently masochistic, here is a link to all my old posts about the sheer Hell of my commute. If ever I think I've made the wrong decision and get all nostalgic for lunchtimes in St.James's Park I shall click that link and read the tales of terror within.
Yes, I have finally left Metropolis, hung up the cape and have taken a job at the architectural practice of an old college friend in Smallville. Look out Lana Lang!
I plan to post a series of photos from Smallville which should illustrate the degree of culture shock I am experiencing.
This is the kind of food shop window I am used to in Westminster:Fortnum and Mason of Piccadilly.
And this is what I shall have to get used to from now on:
Francines Home Made Pies
of Thoroughfare, Smallville.
As you can see, the apostrophe has not yet reached this far into the wild. I hope one day to pluck up enough courage to try one of Francine(no apostrophe)s pies and will let you know whether the fare is thorough or not.
More dispatches from Smallville soon.
28 comments:
bless your heart, but if y'all are happy, then i'm happy, sugar! xoxoxoxo
You know me, Savannah: I can always find something to moan and rant about.
Hee hee.
xoxoxoxo
I am completely speechless! There was no warning whatsoever and I'm not sure if I can take the shock!! :D I'm leaving on a trip in an hour or two but when I get back I hope to see much more on this giant change in your life. I cannot even imagine what you are feeling about it all!
CONGRATULATIONS DIVE!!!
Thank you, Shan.
It's been pretty hectic and weird these past few months, which is one reason my blogging dropped to almost zero. Now I am not commuting on those damned trains I have around seven hours a day extra to fill and as I cannot sleep through all of them I might start posting more often again.
We shall see.
CONGRATS, CONGRATS, CONGRATS!!! I am so happy for you, Dive. This is such a huge weight lifted.
Now the real question: will you ever take a train or go to London again?
Oh, there's no doubt I shall visit London again, Katherine, but I shall never, EVER take the train to get there. It's quicker to walk.
Always have correction fluid to hand! I'm sure Francine will appreciate it.
Now what will you do with the extra 21 hours a week???
Joy: I shall probably sleep through most of them. I might also soak in long hot baths and read books.
I shall not read books about trains.
Yay! Sleep - good. Long commute - bad. I'm sure you'll find some good feeding spots in Smallville, just have to poke around.
Dive, seven hours a day! It's like getting a whole new life. Congratulations on your rebirth! I'm looking forward to all the stories.
Dive, I think the first thing you should do is to sneak over to Francines in the dark of night and plop an apostrophe before or after the "s". Who knows--there might be two of them.
After that, maybe you should put Home Made or Pies in quotes.
You can become the guerilla of Smallville.
BTW, I just had LANA (as in Lang) as a crossword puzzle answer.
Congratulations on your move to another firm. What kind of buildings will you be designing?
Vanda: Yes, I have about ten years of lost sleep to catch up on.
And mercifully, Smallville is a bookshop / gallery / organic market / deli kind of place so finding reading spots will be no problem.
Petrea: It is certainly a shock to the system and will take a little getting used to. With all these extra hours in the day I might have to think about getting a life. Yikes!
Lupine Lady: Hee hee! I am already a veteran of many a guerrilla beautification campaign so Francine might find herself a victim of the apostrophe police at some point.
Yay for getting 'LANA' in your crossword puzzle. I do like synchronicity.
As for buildings, the first one I have been working on is a new conference facility cum restaurant cum sports villagey thing at a large hall about ten miles from where I live which is quite fun.
I may post stuff when I've done a little more.
What a fitting weekend for you to declare your independence from the train commute! To quote from our Declaration of Independence (changing a few words where needed): The history of the present National Rail is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over commuters. Yipee -- you're now absolved from allegiance to British Rail!
And now I dare you to go into Francines and ask to buy a pie and an apostrophe. Can't wait to see more photos and dispatches from Smallville.
Good for you!! Now you can get a life, pub crawl with friends, play music (alone and with others), meet new people, work in your back garden, read books, cook, explore...oh the list is endless! No time for sleep!
Looking forward to seeing pictures!
Hee hee, Katie, that is brilliant!
Yes, I have thrown off the yoke of tyranny and achieved independence of a sort, which is reason enough to celebrate, especially on a weekend like this one (though of course unlike you guys I don't get to stay home on Monday).
I shall definitely venture into Francine(no apostrophe)s and buy a pie to try, though I won't ask for an apostrophe as I can see she's all out of them.
If I like her pies and get to know her over the coming months, however, I will probably ask her when she expects the next delivery of them. I do love risking a good slap.
Cynthia: Getting a life sounds scary after not having one for so many years. I was out with friends at a gig last night but by nine o'clock I was almost asleep. My body clock has some adjusting to do.
Smallville is actually a very charming and picturesque place and I shall definitely post more photos (not always silly ones like today).
It is officially a town (it has a charter going back to Domesday) yet is smaller than my village, almost like a little film set. I like it there.
Glad you had a good time last night.
Smallsville as you call it is indeed a nice place to work as both your dear dad and I well know. enjoy and hopefully you can have a better lifestyle now. x
Mum: we had an incomparably spiffy time last night and then again this morning with the gang and Joy and Thom.
Once my body clock re-sets itself to a non-vampire rhythm I intend to go off in search of that thing called a life.
xx
Congrats! Wonderful news! You'll like having a life. It's really nice. Or so I hear. :-)
Cali: Yes, people have told me it's nice. Now where do I go to find one?
The world is your oyster(or some other slimy raw piece of seafood) now dahling! Go get it!!
Yay congrats. Sorry I missed this the other day. I now commute from one Smallville to a smaller than Smallville. I get myself into the city when I need a dose of culture. My daughter will be living in Philadelphia so I expect lots of train rides, but in off hours.
Enjoy your free time!
Oh well done my dear friend. Your quality of life will improve in leaps and bounds and there may even come a day when you look forward to a train journey into London for a bout of shopping at Fortnum & Mason's.
I bet those new pies are spectacular and hopefully, delicious too.
Congratulations!
Shan: The world is my yummy raw octopus. Mmmmmmmm.
Neetzy: That sounds like a great lifestyle (all except the trains).
Yahoo!!! Welcome to Smallville. You will love it at 4:30 am when you can rollover but there will be times.......I was over the moon today when I found arborio rice in the local supermarket - first time in 10 yrs!! Good thing is you can ride the trains at a decent hour and go hunting and gathering in the big smoke.
PS Apostrophe's are so often u'sed incorrctly I prefer not to s'ee them!!!
Enjoy the peace and quiet dear Dive!!
Mme: My quality of life has already improved, though I think the day that I take the train to London again will be the day America elects a Marxist woman as President.
I shall let you know what the pies are like once I've plucked up the courage to try one.
Jules: I have been surprised and delighted with the shops in Smallville.There are three bakers, two butchers, two grocers, an organic supermarket and an organic deli. I've been quite spoiled for choice when it comes to esoteric eating, so I don't think I'll bother taking trips to London to stock up on stuff I can get thirty paces down the street. Hoorah for Smallville!
Belated congrats on your new life! Will look forward to your photos and verbal witticisms as you explore Smallville :)
arrrrrggggghhhhh...I've tried 3 times to say: wooooohooooo! Yippieeeeekiiiiiyaaaaaakiiiiiiooooo.
and...it failed.
SO - I wish you well. Congratulations! Love your life. Be relatively stress free....
YAY!
Ms.M: Not so sure about wit but there will definitely be more photos.
Shazza: Hee hee. Success at last.
Thank you so much, and Congratulations right back at you for launching the amazing world of Idiosyncrazies upon the world.
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