Dave and I went all the way down to Greenwich yesterday, in South London, and yet somehow I managed not to take a single photo until we were back on our street walking home from the tube. This California lilac (Ceanothus) is such a vivid cloud of blue in this front garden, especially against the electric green of the euphorbia and the maple in the background.
So, yes, we ran our errand, in which our friend Sally signed the papers with the annotated and then mysteriously glued photos of us to submit with our citizenship application. I have another meeting with another friend on Wednesday to get his form signed, and then I'll upload everything. From there, it's just a matter of waiting.
I had a fairly lazy morning, sitting in the sun in the garden with Olga. I finished Bob Mortimer's entertaining book "The Satsuma Complex" and read part of a New Yorker. Once again, I'm about six issues behind on those, so some catching up is in order.
Then we hopped on the tube ("Don't hop on the tube -- it's dangerous," Dave would say) and went down to North Greenwich, from which we caught a bus to the Green Goddess pub in Blackheath. Sally and Mike met us there and we marveled that we haven't seen each other in person in TWO YEARS, which is just ridiculous. If you'd asked me I'd have said a year. I had no idea it had been twice that.
(Of course the name of the pub made me think of Green Goddess salad dressing, which I used to love but haven't had in years. I'm not sure it's even a thing in England. My mom used to buy all manner of Wish-Bone salad dressings, bright orange French and dark orange Russian and pale orange Thousand Island, and nowadays Dave and I just use oil and vinegar.)
Anyway, we had a pint and then another pint and discussed all manner of things, from what's new on TV to Trump and Keir Starmer and the politics around transgender issues. One of the bartenders was getting a graduate degree in gender studies so Mike called her over to give her opinions, and the conversation got very involved. Dave, who wasn't drinking because of his Crohn's, looked on gamely while the rest of us got buzzed. We were there about three hours.
And then Dave and I hopped back on a bus ("Don't hop on the bus -- it's dangerous") and came home, where Olga was eagerly awaiting us. She is prone to dizzy spells when she gets up suddenly and runs around with excitement, and she had such a spell in the back garden upon our return, so I had to sit with her for a moment until she calmed down and walked back inside, and then she was totally fine. Old dogs!
This morning, Dave is off to Michigan. He has to be at the airport at 9:30 a.m. and he hasn't even begun to pack. I'll miss him but I'm glad I'm staying home.
Got buzzed is got pissed in English and female bartender is a barmaid.
ReplyDeleteI think pissed is more drunk than buzzed. Being buzzed is somewhere just beyond light-headed. I suspect this gender-studies bartender would have objected to the term "barmaid"!
DeleteBuzzed is not a word used in Britain relating to drinking. We would say 'getting pissed' or just simply 'merry'.
DeleteThere are numerous interesting differences between American English and English English. Buzzed is definitely a pleasant not-very-inebriated effect here whereas wasted is extremely drunk. And pissed means angry.
DeleteWhat a full and lovely day—between the striking California lilac, reconnecting with friends over pints, progress on the citizenship application, and a sweet welcome home from Olga, it all sounds both meaningful and beautifully ordinary
ReplyDeleteI was indeed happy that we got things done AND enjoyed ourselves.
DeleteWhen I hear Green Goddess I think of the green painted Bedford chassis fire engines.. originally military I think, but many still survive thanks to enthusiasts
ReplyDeleteOh, this is not a Green Goddess usage I'm familiar with! Must look that up!
DeleteSafe journey Dave.
ReplyDeleteNow Steve, what are you going to do with all this time to yourself??
I am going to sit in the sunshine with Olga and putter around the garden and read some books.
DeleteThe Green Goddesses referred to by GZ were used in the bleak year of strikes in Britain in 1977. They were indeed provided by the armed forces to fight fires and I remember seeing them when living in Newcastle Upon Tyne.
ReplyDeleteSo that must have been the miners' strikes, right? Which continued into the '80s, if I'm not mistaken.
DeleteMany bad industrial relations in the 1970s. Power cuts, three day week, strikes in all industries, shorter working hours because of power cuts.
DeleteIs "buzzed" a Floridian term for getting rat-arsed? I bet you were staggering on your way home. Good job Dave was there to steer you.
ReplyDeleteLOL -- buzzed is not THAT drunk. No staggering involved!
DeleteI think the phrase for boarding a tube train is 'battled our way onto the tube train'.
ReplyDeleteI've not heard of Green Goddess dressing. It makes me think of the 'Green Fairy'.
Your lunch sounds great, and educational.
Safe travels to Dave. Has he left you some ready to heat meals?
We do have some leftovers, fortunately, so I shouldn't starve.
DeleteI hadn’t given the word “buzzed” a second thought. Always surprising to realize the words and phrases that don’t cross over in English. It was a term used everywhere I lived in the States. My immediate thought when I read your title was “salad dressing.” I only ever had the Seven Seas version.
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah, I think we bought Seven Seas too! This whole "buzzed" conversation/debate is interesting. Two nations divided by a common language!
DeleteWhen I saw 'Green Goddess' I immediately thought of an army fire engine - very old!
ReplyDeleteI love ceanothus and have had several in the garden. They flower beautifully but are not long-lived.
I like 'buzzed' - it sounds fun and livelier than 'merry.' We might say 'tipsy,' which is part-way to drunk, but still in control, more or less.
Tipsy is polite circles.
DeleteYes, exactly -- buzzed is just pleasantly, lightly tipsy but not outright drunk.
DeleteI remember all those dressings, and see them in my parent's refrigerator in my mind, and yet we only use oil and vinegar, too. Things change.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a lively conversation in the pub, as they are when pints are involved I guess!
I suspect people have moved away from all those processed dressings. I'm sure they contain a ton of sugar and other dubious stuff.
DeleteThis sounds like a wonderful day in every way. Good friends, good conversation, glorious lilac, a task done and a wonderful homecoming to Olga. I see recipes for Green Goddess dressing all the time online so maybe it's making a comeback.
ReplyDeleteYes, the day was a perfect combination of business and pleasure! I suspect homemade Green Goddess is much better than the bottled variety. (As is true with most things.)
DeleteThat's a marvelous picture of shrubs. I'm glad you got the signing and gluing accomplished. I think it's a mean joke by the immigration people to see who complies!
ReplyDelete"Picture of shrubs" -- LOL!
DeleteGood luck with the citizenship. I'm currently trying to find out the date my British mother became a naturalized US citizen and hoping it was after I was born. I have her original birth and marriage certificates, but nothing on naturalization and it doesn't seem like it will be an easy find. I think it was after my birth and if so, I plan to go for my own British citizenship even though I am old.
ReplyDeleteSo I take it you are entitled to British citizenship if your mother was a citizen at the time of your birth, even if you were born overseas? I guess that makes sense, given that there were probably tons of British babies being born in overseas colonies long ago and they would have needed British citizenship.
DeleteHe leaves at 9:30 and hasn't packed? If that man was anymore laid back, you'd have to check for a pulse!
ReplyDeleteThat lilac is gorgeous. I can't wait for lilacs. Actually, I can't wait for it to be warm.
Ha! You made me laugh with this comment. Dave is VERY laid back about packing (and unpacking)! He does it a lot to travel with his students so he's got it down to a science. (Well, except he once forgot his underwear. Don't tell him I told you that.)
DeleteI think we only ever got the French dressing. Why? But in restaurants, my grandfather always got Roquefort which I came to love and still do. But yes, now I make my own salad dressings.
ReplyDeleteExcuse me but what the heck? Buzzed is a very well-known American term and is used just as you described, Steve. A pleasant feeling acquired after a drink or two. Definitely NOT pissed. Good Lord. Why must we all feel the need to correct others? Especially when there is no correction needed.
Thank you for validating my use of the term "buzzed"! I guess now that I'm becoming a British citizen there's a feeling that I must talk like a British person, but I'm not sure my American vocabulary will ever subside! (Nor should it, in my opinion.)
DeleteMy theory for the writing on the back of the photo is that many people use a glue that doesn't hold over time and so the clerks can figure out which photos go with which forms if the photos come loose in the files. After typing that out, I realize that I have thought about that too much, Steve! ;)
ReplyDeleteHope you have a wonderful relaxing time at home.
That is a VERY GOOD theory! You may be right! I never thought of that.
DeleteOil and vinegar or a simple vinaigrette is all I've ever used. Don't have anything else in the house. I never liked those thick heavily flavored dressings, that's all you can taste.
ReplyDeleteThat lilac is gorgeous. Buzzed is pleasantly euphoric, pissed is falling down drunk.
The key to salad dressing is not using much. Some people really slather it on and that kills the salad, in my opinion.
DeleteThat lilac is gorgeous. I love lilacs and I have a few varieties in the yard, to extend the wonderful scent as long as possible.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad everyone got the whole buzzed thing sorted out for you:) And so nice that you got to visit with friends. Enjoy your time off, I'm sure it will involve cleaning, reading, and gardening. Tell me I'm wrong:)
Ha! You know me too well! I cleaned the house and watered plants this morning. (Monday)
DeleteThat burst of purple in your photo is a welcome sight.
ReplyDeleteDavid and I were just talking yesterday about a friend of ours that we haven't seen in two years. Time passes so quickly. I remember my parents saying that when I was a teenager and of course I thought they were crazy. It doesn't seem so crazy these days.
It really is true, especially as we get older. It's astonishing how quickly time flies.
DeleteSo at this off time it's good to relax with friends. It's time to unwind.
ReplyDeleteExactly! But also get this citizenship application sorted.
DeleteTime does fly, doesn't it? I lose track of when I've last seen or talked to people, then realize that it's been months if not years. Especially when one works, the focus is on the day-to-day. I hope Dave has an easy and uneventful trip back to MI.
ReplyDeleteI was stunned that two years had passed, though. I consider Sally a good friend and had no idea it had been that long.
DeleteGorgeous photo, Steve. Lazy mornings can be a time to relax and reflect.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am so in need of some lazy mornings! Now if only I could get the dog to let me sleep past 5 a.m.
DeleteI like Green Goddess dressing and remember the others you named, too - though my mother made Russian dressing from scratch. I still have the recipe around here somewhere. These days, I prefer a balsamic vinaigrette or sweet onion dressing.
ReplyDeleteI knew exactly what you meant by buzzed.
Russian dressing from scratch?! Wow, I've never heard of that. What's in it? I couldn't even hazard a guess.
DeleteIt sounds like you accomplished everything you wanted to, plus having a good time with Sally and Mike.
ReplyDeleteThe lilac bush is filled with blue flowers and truly outstanding especially against the light and darker green plantings.
Wishing Dave smooth and uneventful travels back to MI.
You and Olga will miss Dave but are likely to have a few adventures of your own.
Olga's adventures may largely entail lying in the garden!
DeleteI miss my ceanothus ,it was a tiny shrub when we moved into the cottage and quickly grew into a tree, I miss it after a storm a few years ago
ReplyDeleteThey do grow quite large. There was a big one on the housing estate near us that got cut down because it was uprooting a wall.
DeleteI'm curious. What caused you to move to the U.K.? How long have you been there? Do you think this is now your home for good? Sounds like a blog post.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I've written about this a million times, but probably long ago! In a nutshell: Dave got a job here at the American School in early 2011, and we moved for that. We're not sure whether we'll stay for good or not, but there's a very good chance we will.
DeleteWe were a Thousand Island family - the more the merrier. Which is to say we liked a little salad with our dressing. Ha! Now Dr. M & I make our own (or rather he makes it) - a balsamic vinaigrette that we really like.
ReplyDeleteI like Thousand Island on a sandwich, like a Reuben. But I never buy it now.
DeleteI miss my younger days of having a selection of salad dressings to choose from. My wife is an oil and vinegar user due to her foreign upbringing so other types don't get stocked too much in our house and often salads are pre-dressed so that adding one of the few we do have still isn't an option. But being married, I don't complain, I just eat my pre-dressed salad and enjoy it.
ReplyDelete