thank God...

...there is life on this planet. :-)

today started off kind of dismal. i was missing home, i had two flat appointments that i wasn't excited about (one had the word "mansions" in the building name...never a good sign), and i had my first client meeting, which i WAS excited about but also really, really nervous. the hour of judgment is upon us, friends.

needless to say, i went into work slightly panicked and left in pretty much the same state. i'm glad to be busy, which means i was also feeling guilty about leaving at 6. and i was not at all looking forward to flat hunting. again.

flat #1 was about a block from casa de tortugas (friday's nightmare). the place was actually decent, despite it's dodgy location. however, it didn't have a lounge and that's a must for me. i need a couch to slough around on sometimes, you know?

i also was feeling sort of pissy that i haven't made any friends on my own here. i mean, i have been here almost two weeks (ok, my expectations may be a little high, as usual). so when i was trolling about shoeless in flat #1 (mandatory), i was surprised to make a new friend. we were both kind of put off by the place and it made for a good bonding experience. it led to fun drinks at a pub after viewing flat #2.

flat #2 was super cool by the way. it was only one block into the land of endless kebab shops and off license stores (read: ick), there were TWO full bathrooms, and the room was really cozy. it also had a nice kitchen.

perhaps the craziest thing of all that happened today is the fact that i saw a FOX run by as i was leaving flat #2. i have never seen a live fox before. ever. so to see one in london was pretty f-ing amazing to me.

i guess this is one of the reasons i moved away. even if you THINK you know how things are going to go here, sometimes you get a surprise that reminds you that you don't have CLUE...like when you spot a very woodsy creature, darting in front of you on Essex Street in between pubs, parked cars, and chinese restaurants. how very interesting this city is.