Riding the bus

Yesterday we returned the rental car to Hertz in Nottingham. For a small fee (41 lb - I don't have a pound sign on my keyboard so thats how I will do it) we didn't have to go all the way back in to London.

Because my phone is acting up we decided to take the camera so we could get some good pics and leave the phone behind. After dropping the car and jumping in with Brad's brother who I will call Bob (hello Bob) and his wife who I will call Jane, he dropped Brad, Jane and I in Nottingham shopping district so that I could get my jewelry repairs started. However, Brad realized he didn't have the camera which he was in charge of... Jane promptly called Bob who had to pull off and rummage in the back seat to look for the camera. Not finding it, he then drove back to Hertz and had them rummage through the rental car. No luck. We were positive it should be in the rental because we recalled specifically having it there earlier.

The 3 of us walked around to the Jeweller and both my heart pendant and my Grandmother's ring are being repaired. The ring is getting all new diamonds as somehow the diamonds were replaced apparently with very cheap knock off diamonds, so my most wonderful husband agreed to me having them replaced. He said to get real diamonds put in but that would be around 1500lb ($3000CAD) -um, NO... that just seems crazy to me so the jeweller is putting in some very expensive fake diamonds. The ones in it currently are crystallized he said because they are very cheap but these new ones (200lb/$400CAD) will look just like my wedding ring diamonds and will wear far better than what is in the setting currently. Works for me.

Then off to the mall, man there are a lot of people in that mall! A quick perusal there and we were off to the bus stop for our first bus ride in years. Brad hasn't been on a bus since his bus accident in the military some 30+ years ago and I think I rode a bus last in the early 90's just because I thought it would be a novelty. So its been many moons since then. What an experience, so different than we are used to with a stop and go every 200ft. This bus went and went fast, stopping every couple of miles I'd say. Going so fast around corners, remember its the wrong side of the road for us, and getting so close to buildings, walls and other cars it was shocking at first. As I said, they know how to move the masses over here. Anyone who has been on the roads over here will know what I'm talking about. Freaky anyway.

Back to Bob and Jane's house only to find the camera on the dining room table! Brad had evidently put it down when he put his coffee cup back in the kitchen. (Brad always has coffee in hand) So today at least we will get some pics. Jane made a lovely steak pie and mash dinner for us all which was sooo good. Different than Canadian/American steak pie's in that it has meat in it! Large chunks of steak not tiny slivers of steak and the flavour was amazing too. Kuddos to the Butcher she picked them up from to be sure.

Today Brad and I are on our own for a short while as Bob and Jane have things on the go so we will be doodling around in the market square and getting some grocery shopping done, undoubtedly stopping for a coffee at one of the local cafes and watching the people go to and fro. This evening I believe the plan is for us to take Bob & Jane out for a nice dinner, then likely a cuppa at theirs before heading back to our cottage for the evening.. hopefully we can get some good pics through all of this. This is such a lovely town, our cottage is several hundred years old and only a block away from the town square where there is a Butcher, Baker, Grocer, Hardware, Hairdresser, Pharmary.... everything you could need is within a couple of blocks.

Having lived in the boonies for many years now it is lovely to have everything so handy and I greatly appreciate having fresh vegetables/fruit/meat that I can purchase each day for the evenings meal. I believe Brad will be making Lasagna today (his favorite culinary contribution) for his brother and sister-in-law. I (yes, me) may even get a nap in today....