Garnet's Life Adventures

1. Meet up with Kristen, PJ, and Corinne in Westchester - maybe for a sushi dinner or something fun like that?

2. Visit Kevin, Sylwia, Owen (5), Maya (3) and not yet born/unnamed baby girl in Connecticut

3. Enjoy the lakes, ie go out on Auntie Ann's pontoon boat and laze around on Schroon Lake; go out on Dan's boat for a bit of water skiing on Saranac Lake; maybe if we're lucky a trip out on Champlain (hint hint)

4. Have breakfast at the General Store in Adirondack, NY - I bet Jim will get the Lumberjack meal, while I'll probably just get french toast with REAL maple syrup!!

5. Get to hang out with my friends from Saranac Lake - K&RS, K&LF, M&BW, S&BM/M&CN, P,K&WL, DB&KD, BH and EE (hopefully the last 2 will be there by then!)

6. Visit some of the sights & sounds of Manhattan as Jim has never been there.

7. Hopefully a drive through VT, but again Jim is making the itinerary so you have take it up with him.

8. BBQ dinner on the deck with Anne and John at "my house" looking out over the lake!!

9. Breakfast at my favourite place in Wallingford, Jeanne's with Matt - I'll be having blueberry pancakes there!!!

10. Hike in the Adirondacks - not necessarily a high peak as I'm not sure Jim would be keen on that, but Phoebe's Knob (in dad's backyard) would be fun.

11. Visit with Auntie Ann and Dad

12. possibly lunch with Bob & Jane at Miriam's in Schroon Lake village

13. and I would be remiss in not mentioning a visit with Pete so that he & Jim can "talk shop" face to face.

Before I start this, do not be offended if you do not make the list - there are many important people in my life, but this post is limited to mentioning only 13. Also I am not listing them in any order, just as they pop into my head!

1. My lil sis, Patty - list is too long for an explanation, but I reckon you know why!

2. My mom - see above reason

3. My dad - see above reason

4. Jim (from London) - for being a fantastic, supportive, loving friend & writing a reference for me to stay in London

5. Rob (from London) - just for being your goofy self

6. Kristen & PJ (from NY) - for always being there for me & being my oldest best friend

7. My boss, Greg - for being so positive & supportive & offering me this awesome job

8. My co-workers, Anna, Tasha, and Karen - for being so easy to talk to & fun to work with

9. Sylwia (from CT - you might think of her as Kevin's wife) - for emailing often with updates on the kids & other chit-chat

10. My flatmates, Zarina, Estee, Antonio, and Giulia - for making our home fun to be in

11. Paula (in NY) for teaching me all the technical skills I have now!

12. Public transport drivers for getting me to & from work safely & on time (almost) each day - not an easy task in this city

13. All you bloggers out there who make me laugh, cry, and think when reading your daily posts.

1. My alarm clock has to end in the number 7, so I can wake up at 06.07, 06.17, 06.27, etc, just as long as the final number is 7

2. On that same 7 theme, the volume on the telly has to end in 7 as well

3. I have a horribly bad habit of cracking my knuckles, so much so it's now to the point of unconscious to me

4. I typically sleep on my side with my back to the wall, front facing the door, unless someone else is in the room, then I can face the wall - it's just in case someone comes into the room I want to be able to see who it is without moving around too much.

5. I love hot chocolate - it's what I call a comfort food/drink

6. I have to wash my hair in the morning before work or I feel dirty all day long.

7. I really like to sit in the window seat, buses, planes, etc - I think this comes from my tendency to get motion sickness.

8. I have a huge fear of anything almond flavoured or almond smelling - I got sick in 2nd grade after eating marzipan - I reckon it wasn't related but it's the last thing I remember eating so I associate the two together.

9. I cut my finger nails about once a week - I enjoy long nails but they don't tend to go so well in latex gloves & nothing is more annoying than popping your glove with a long nail!!

10. Once the weather becomes close to being nice out I HAVE to have my toe nails painted - even if I'm stuck in trainers all day.

11. I have to delete or move into a folder all emails so that I have a maximum of 20 on the opening page - any more than that & I get a bit anxious.

12. I check my diary/calendar at least 5x a day, even when I know there is nothing on it

13. I sleep with the window open or a fan on 90% of the time - I like the fresh air, even when it's freakin freezing out ;)

1. Sometimes I enjoy shopping alone, then nobody is saying, "what about this" all the time

2. Blogging

3. Reading a book

4. Working in the lab - I got a bit spoiled at Trudeau and so now I'm not a huge fan of sharing pipettes or bench space

5. Cleaning the house - nobody else does it the way I do it & if others are "helping" I for some reason feel the need to go over what they've done - apparently I've gotten a bit of my sister's OCD - lol

7. Watch the telly - that way I can watch a show I want without getting grief! BUT having said that if it's a sporting event or Jeopardy, I want people around!

8. Bake/cook - this goes along with people not doing it "my way" . . . anyone remember the famous saying, "me do me self"

9. Drive - gives me time to think about whatever I want - sometimes I blast music, other times I just drive in silence

10. Sudoku - nothing worse than someone saying over your shoulder, "that's a 7"

11. Gardening - nice peaceful time to myself . . now I can't think of any more "alone" things, so I'm gonna end with 2 "not alone" things :)

12. Traveling to foreign countries I do not like to do alone, especially a country where English is not the native language, always helps to have someone to help with directions & split the cost of hotels etc

13. Eating out I do not like to do alone - I'd rather have people to chat with while I eat, but am not one of those who cannot eat alone, just prefer the company.

1. Non hand washers - people who don't wash their hands after being in the bathroom/toilet. I don't care if you just went in to get a tissue, wash your hands, since the rest of us have no clue what you did in there!

2. Pushers - people who push to get on the bus early in the morning - there are many seats & lots of standing room so no need to push/shove (at night I can understand b/c sometimes there isn't enough room & the doors close in your face, but first thing in the morning it's a TOTALLY different story!)

3. Constant commentators - people who feel the need to comment during a lab meeting just to hear themselves speak more than to be helpful or those who ask questions just to try to "trip up" the presenter & then huff when the presenter doesn't know the "correct" answer - WhoTF do you think you are?!??!!?

4. Delinquent dishwashers - people who leave dishes in a shared sink for extended periods of time & then sorta pretend like they have no clue who's dishes they are & make a scene to say "don't know who's these are but I'm sick & tired of them being here so I'll do the washing up" as if they don't recall they were the ONLY one who had avocado for dinner this week & there is avocado all over the dirty dishes.

5. Non-reciprocaters - people who complain about you never coming to visit them (after you've been to their place multiple times), yet they never come to visit you (the same can go for phone calls, "why don't you call me?" as if phones only work in one direction?!?!?!

7. Grungy mugs - from leaving coffee/tea cup/mug on a desk over night so in the morning they have that nasty old coffee/tea sorta dried on to the bottom of the cup/mug

8. Unreturned phone calls, emails, or other types of correspondence & then when you comment about it you get a comment such as, "I'm just so busy" MY reply, "you make time for the things that are important!"

9. Damp or wet trousers - ya know when the heel of your jeans gets wet when walking in the rain & then seeps up the leg - that really does my head in

10. Promise breakers - it's not that hard & if you had no intention of doing it in the first place, why'd ya bother to promise, you could have just said, "I'll think about it" or "I'll try"

11. Improper loo roll replacers - everybody who's anyone knows by now that the loo roll has to come over from the top, not hang down from the underside!!!

12. Sock seams - MUST MUST MUST be on top of your toes in a straight line - I don't want to have to feel the seem under my foot at all - just ask my mom she'll tell you what I joy it was dressing me when I was younger (unless of course there were tree men working outside)

13. Placebo parents - these are the ones who have kids but then end up having a nanny who raises them so that the parents never spend any quality time, or the type who have kids but can't be bothered to teach them manners so by age 7 they are outta control, or those who decide to beat their children, you get the idea . . . dead beat parents should be drawn & quartered!!

1. New Port Richy, Florida - been there dozens of times as my aunt still has a house & my grandparents lived there while they were alive (just next door to my aunt & uncle)

2. Honolulu, Hawaii - went in 1988 with my grandmother & immediate family - it was wonderful - I especially remember the black & green sand beaches

3. La Jolla, California - went to visit my mom's relatives

4. Austin, Texas - went to visit my cousin a few times

5. Rapid City, South Dakota - went to visit my "unk" (not really my uncle) & I remember driving his four wheeler all around with his dog sitting on the back with me

6. Omaha, Nebraska - went to visit my mom's cousins for her 60th birthday

7. Nantes, France - went on an exchange program in HS to learn French

8. Cape Town, South Africa - went for work with my boss but was able to visit with a mate who lived there & do a bit of touring around as well

9. Key West, Florida - went every March for about 2 weeks with all my friends from SL

10. Toulouse, France - went to visit my sister while she was working for a long weekend

11. Reus, Spain - went for 4 days during spring break last year with my mate Susan

12. Portland, Oregon - went to visit my mum at her new house for a week this past October & then two weeks at Christmas time - I think it will be lovely to visit again when it's not constantly raining (lol)

13. Edinburgh, Scotland - went with Amanda & Dom this past March after our MSc graduation

1. Hastings-on-Hudson, New York - I lived in 4 different places - Bonavista Ave, Edgars Lane, Whiteman Street, and Hastings Gardens

2. Yonkers, New York - Warburton Ave

3. Ardsley, New York - Ashford Ave

4. Dobbs Ferry, New York - Hunters Run

5. Hampstead, New York - Hofstra University

6. Northfield, Vermont - Harmon Drive

7. Cranston, Rhode Island - River Street

8. Adirondack, New York - Shaw Hill Road and East Shore Drive

9. Saranac Lake, New York - Park Ave, Main Street, and Ampersand Ave

10. Naugatuck, Connecticut - Albion Ave

11. London, England - Kentish Town Road and current address

12. Wallingford, Connecticut - Williams Road & Prospect Street

13. Newington, Connecticut - Cypress Road

1. Meet new people in London

2. Have produced enough data to be able to present at the 5th World Melioidosis Conference in Thailand

3. Finish reading London, by Edward Ruthefurd - it's interesting but slow reading & I keep getting side tracked by other books

4. Go on a road trip, maybe to Wales (first choice) northern England & Scotland (being my second choice)

5. Get the internet set up at my house - this is proving to be more difficult than I had thought!

6. Spend as much time as I can outside in the parks during the summer months - I spent entirely way too much time inside studying last year!

7. Take a holiday in Thailand - I have to go for a conference, but I want to extend it into a proper holiday & enjoy it!

8. Really try to drink more water every day - I always start off well first thing in the morning, but then I some how loose it later in the afternoon.

9. Try something new with my hair - not sure exactly what . . .

10. Post photos on my blog - I know I've been horrible about it, but I promise after I get the internet at home these things will all fall into place - then you will be sick & tired of my photos, since I've got tons of back logged ones just waiting to come your way.

11. Try being a vegetarian, course I'm not going to be a full fledged one as I still want to be able to eat fish, & I'm not sure I could ever become vegan, but I'm gonna give going veggy a try, not that I eat that much meat now as it is, but I'll have to cut out mince (hamburger meat) in my spaghetti bolognese

12. Go to a "boot sale" not for boots as in the shoes, but boot as in the trunk of a car, I'm 95% sure this is sorta like a huge flea market/garage sale/junk collectors paradise, but I'm intrigued to check it out

13. Visit/meet new friends in Germany - hope to get that done in 2 weeks time!

1. Double stuffed OREOs (especially the chocolate & mint flavoured ones) and how could I almost forgot my much loved Ranch dressing - how do people live without these essential items?!?!?!

2. Having a car of my own & not always needing to rely on public transport, which on weekends can be a total nightmare due to "planned engineering works".

3. Being close (distance wise) to friends & family so I can actually be there in person for events instead of just seeing photos or hearing about them.

4. Not feeling like a stranger - it gets kind old when people continually take the piss out of my American accent or make fun of my president (not that I would ever do such a thing ;).

5. Prices of things being in US dollars and at a more reasonable rate, especially now that the British £ is equal to two US $ - I mean who wants just a hamburger that costs £9 ($18) - cheese, lettuce, tomato, etc are all "30p extra" (60cents more)

6. People who don't argue with me that my name is spelled wrong or pronounced incorrectly- I think I would know both! Sara & Sarah are pronounced differently over here & I apparently pronounce it so that people would spell it with an H even though I don't spell it that way.

7. Fahrenheit temperatures, it takes too long to multiply the Celsius temp by 9/5 and then add 32 to get to F (my cheeky method is to multiply the C by 2 and add 32, that way you are at least in range of the F temp)

8. Ovens with temperatures on them instead of gas marks - what the heck is a gas mark anyways?!?!! They range from 1/4 to 9, so I have no freakin clue what to set the oven at when cooking.

9. Easily accessible public toilets that are clean! Along the same lines I'm going to add on that I miss loo roll - I'm not a big fan of these squares of toilet paper you pull out of dispensers.

10. Snow, we rarely get the snow to stick & even when it does it's only a few wimpy inches, course everything in the city does come to a stands till, but it's not the same as feet of snow like I'm use to in the Adirondacks.

11. Political ads on the telly, especially since it's getting close to the next presidential election - only KIDDING, that's one thing I sure do not miss!

12. People who don't argue with me about what America is like - just cause you went on holiday to Orlando, FL once does not make you the local expert on Americans or America for that matter!

13. Private health care, ie when I call up the doctors office I get an appointment within 24 hours. Over here it's all "free" (remember we get 20% taken out of our wages for taxes) in the National Heath Services (NHS) but when you call to get an appointment you might have to wait up to two weeks. First, you have to find a doctor who is receiving new patients & register with them before they will see you or treat you.

1. I have blond hair and blue eyes.

2. I now live in London, England (again).

3. I've been at my "new" job for just over a month now and I LOVE IT!!!!

4. I live with 3 girls (1 Iranian, 1 Italian, 1 half Indian half English but born & raised in Germany) and 1 boy (not sure where he's from).

5. I don't own a car anymore (sold before moving to the UK), I only use public transport now, which is good for the environment and all, but not necessarily always for my mental health - LOL

6. I have one sister, the best one in the world of course & I miss not being able to see her as often as I would like (the ocean sorta hinders that).

7. Seven is my lucky number :)

8. I've lived in 17 places in 29 years, which encompasses 11 cities, 4 states, & 2 countries!

9. I had to file taxes last year even though I was not in the US & was still able to get money back - how cool is that?!?!?!

10. My parents are divorced, but still best of friends, which is awesome!

11. I was engaged at the age of 21, but that only lasted for a few months. I'm still in touch with his family, they're my "RI Mom & Dad".

12. My first official friends in London were three "bobbies" I met at my local pub one night at dinner with my dad.

13. I've spent 19 years in school (K-12, 5 for my BS, 1 for my MSc) I don't even want to try to calculate the cost of my education, let's just say it's over $200,000 for sure!!!