Monday, May 07, 2018

Dicombobulated observations

Since I got home on Thursday I have been waking up in the early hours to go to the loo and every time thinking I am in my mother's house and that she is asleep in another bedroom. She died in 2008 and her house is long sold.

And in the morning I wake up as if drugged, and drenched in sweat. I don't know if it's due to jetlag or the antihistamines I'm taking. This morning was worse. I woke from nightmares that I was taking my O levels and had done no work - I mean NO WORK - and I was bunking off to go to the hairdresser's to get my hair coloured. (I did in fact work for my O levels back in the sixties, and did very well in them.) Usually I dream I am taking my A levels and have done no work, which is nearer to the truth. (Again - in fact - I passed them well enough to go on and get a good degree.)

It took me some time to shake this off. A bike ride on my beloved Monsal Trail certainly helped. 





I set off before 9 a.m. to beat the Bank Holiday Monday crowds, and it was very restorative. The cowslips this year are so much taller than last year when we had that dry spring. I love cowslips.




I have some things to say after my trip to Boulder, but they're disparate and fairly unrelated observations, hence the title of this post.

This time on my trip to Boulder I noticed that Americans never say "It's a lovely day," they say "It's a pretty day."

Secondly, people really like the British accent. A waitress in a restaurant overheard Isaac and me conversing and said "I love your accent so much, you could be really rude to me and I wouldn't mind."

Coloradans are very friendly.

I have yet to be in an American house that has china mugs. (I prefer my tea out of a china mug - it tastes so much better.) 

I have discovered (thanks to Dave) that there is far more alcohol in my favourite Colorado tipple - a margarita - than there is in a glass of wine. I am surprised, and somewhat disconcerted, and am considering whether or not this will affect my habits on future trips. Already decided: no.




I went away to America before the trees came into leaf in Derbyshire. Arriving home to all but the ash trees green, I feel as if it's Christmas and I've woken up late to find everyone else has started opening their presents.



Lux and me: photo by Isaac


No comments: