january filers!

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Oh - on the subject of my avatar, someone (NOT me - I can't claim credit) made this comic:

(Click to enlarge)

[Sal and Jay 2]

Oh - on the subject of my avatar, someone (NOT me - I can't claim credit) made this comic:

(Click to enlarge)

[dbears 1]

Oh - on the subject of my avatar, someone (NOT me - I can't claim credit) made this comic:

(Click to enlarge)

Now, if only I could eat that much and not gain weight like that girl.

[BlakeandOlha 0]

Bryan doesn't post here either. he doesn't even read this forum, unless I send him a link with something important (well I hope he does read what I send him! )

svache, you're not the only male here, there's also Blake. There might be a few other ones but I can't think of any right now.

There was Chris, but you wouldn't like his posts anyway.

I was actually going to file all the paperwork in December, but.... Olga left out a couple of key words in the letter of intent due to a pretty bad cut and paste job on the example I sent her. By the time I had received another signed (and complete) letter more than 30 days had passed and well, I found myself with the rest of you January filers. Thank goodness, because this is a great group of people. If I do have to wait a long time for approval, I can't think of a better group to do it with.

[dbears 1]

Bryan doesn't post here either. he doesn't even read this forum, unless I send him a link with something important (well I hope he does read what I send him! )

svache, you're not the only male here, there's also Blake. There might be a few other ones but I can't think of any right now.

There was Chris, but you wouldn't like his posts anyway.

I was actually going to file all the paperwork in December, but.... Olga left out a couple of key words in the letter of intent due to a pretty bad cut and paste job on the example I sent her. By the time I had received another signed (and complete) letter more than 30 days had passed and well, I found myself with the rest of you January filers. Thank goodness, because this is a great group of people. If I do have to wait a long time for approval, I can't think of a better group to do it with.

Oh yeah, there was ChrisFuture also, a fellow January filer who filed @ CSC january 30.... poor bloke has been waiting 50+days already and he was probably expecting to have the approval in a week... it was just too much for him & his very patient fiancee. BLESS THEIR HEARTS! .

[JeroenAndMichelle 28]

poor bloke has been waiting 50+days already and he was probably expecting to have the approval in a week

I think we would all like such a fast approval but yeah, the truth is different unfortunately :/

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Now, if only I could eat that much and not gain weight like that girl.

I think we all wish for that!

I have to admit; I went added sugar-free for the whole of February and my skin cleared up considerably (it's not usually too bad, but I went from a couple of spots to none) and I felt a lot less bloated. I think I'll have to make the effort to go added sugar-free permanently. It shouldn't be too difficult as my only real vice is chocolate - but what a vice that is!

Alex often drinks a soda or two a day but he didn't have any yesterday and said he felt less sluggish - so maybe it's a diet change we can make together.

I've already given up dairy and wheat (well, except when friends offer me lasagne) as milk and cheese give me a bad taste in the mouth and pasta bloats me horribly, but as I prefer soya and rice alternatives anyway this hasn't been too hard to do.

There was Chris, but you wouldn't like his posts anyway.

I was actually going to file all the paperwork in December, but.... Olga left out a couple of key words in the letter of intent due to a pretty bad cut and paste job on the example I sent her. By the time I had received another signed (and complete) letter more than 30 days had passed and well, I found myself with the rest of you January filers. Thank goodness, because this is a great group of people. If I do have to wait a long time for approval, I can't think of a better group to do it with.

I whole-heartedly agree!

We were originally going to send out the package last September/October but for various reasons delayed it until January - it's all turned out for the best, though.

[Amanda+Stephen 0]

Exactly ... I haven't eaten a lot of sweet stuff since the beginning of the year ... I've seen differences because of that.

But no, yesterday he stops by a sweets bakery on his way home from work and picks up some EVIL stuff, and puts it in the cupboard. I go out to the kitchen to make a cup of tea and like what is that. So I ask him, and he's like, oh, I bought one of those for you So I had half of it this morning with a cup of coffee (it's a marzipan sweet - with a dense cake/bread outside -- had like a 1 inch thick layer of marzipan). Anyhow, yes, it was to die for, but wow, it sent me crashing ... I got completely tired after eating it!!! Complete proof that sugar doesn't always give you a high!!! Won't be eating that again .....

Or who knows, maybe it's clicking on me that I fly back home in 2 days hard to say at this point!!!!

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Exactly ... I haven't eaten a lot of sweet stuff since the beginning of the year ... I've seen differences because of that.

But no, yesterday he stops by a sweets bakery on his way home from work and picks up some EVIL stuff, and puts it in the cupboard. I go out to the kitchen to make a cup of tea and like what is that. So I ask him, and he's like, oh, I bought one of those for you So I had half of it this morning with a cup of coffee (it's a marzipan sweet - with a dense cake/bread outside -- had like a 1 inch thick layer of marzipan). Anyhow, yes, it was to die for, but wow, it sent me crashing ... I got completely tired after eating it!!! Complete proof that sugar doesn't always give you a high!!! Won't be eating that again .....

Or who knows, maybe it's clicking on me that I fly back home in 2 days hard to say at this point!!!!

That reminds me of when I was visiting Alex over Christmas - his parents usually eat very healthily; grilled lean meat and salad, so all of the chocolates and sweets his mother received she was passing over to me. 'If you don't eat these, Rachel, I'll have to throw them out.' Well, I do so hate to see food go to waste!

And it's always sad to leave. Always ruins the last week of the trip for me - we're just counting down by that point. Hopefully for you, me and everyone else here, this separation is our last!

So, yesterday I vacuumed the office and wiped down my desk and cleaned my keyboard - what to do today?! Maybe I'll finally update my website. I'm not quite sure with what, though. I have so many websites; gimmick sites, social networking sites and a journal that I rarely have anything with which to update my main, official site about.

[Amanda+Stephen 0]

LOL ... well I cleaned up the house before I left, so should still be in one piece!! So when I get home Sunday afternoon I can just unpack and chill.

So tell me, do you know if the time change happens this weekend in Europe? I thought I had read that somewhere, but can't seem to find it again. Just don't want to miss my flight Sunday morning because we forget to adjust the clocks ...

And you know, I have to wonder .... why on earth do they have different chocolate bars here (in Germany) and the UK by Nestle ... that just kills me. So love the mint Aero bar in the UK, nope, can't find it in the US (good thing though, because I don't need them) and then here, some bar called a Lion Bar ... yumm ... good thing can't get those over there either ...

But I can have an Aero bar in 3 weeks, haha .. have to goto Brentford, UK for 1 week on business. And might just come back over here since his interview might be end of April or beginning of May ... (if we are lucky)

[JeroenAndMichelle 28]

So tell me, do you know if the time change happens this weekend in Europe? I thought I had read that somewhere, but can't seem to find it again. Just don't want to miss my flight Sunday morning because we forget to adjust the clocks ...

yep, saturday on sunday... we'll miss 2am as it magically will go to 3am lol

gawd im so glad i wont have that either anymore once im moved

[Alex & Rachel 78]

The clocks go forward this weekend, yes.

I don't understand the different varieties available in different places either. It's like how Heinz and Mars, although both American food companies, offer a larger selection of goods (including some better products, too!) in the UK.

[Amanda+Stephen 0]

Yep, I knew it, I'm going to lose 1 hour of my life this weekend!!! Like permanently. We had our time change in the US the first weekend in March, so I lost 1 hour there. Then I lost 5 hours in the time change flying here. So that's 6 hours lost, then add in the European time change this weekend, and I lose 1 more hour. So total loss of 7 hours, and I'll only gain back 6 flying home!! It's like the twilight zone hee hee! Only way to get it back is to come back in the fall when Europe changes time, lol!

Yeah, I have to admit, the options that some of the US companies provide in Europe are better than what we get in the states. And you'd think, with all the nationalities in the states, they'd have them there too. You'd be surprised though, US & UK Heinz Catsup are practically identical. German Heinz Catsup, doesn't even taste like Heinz ... it's got barely any spices to it! There is always World Market in the US to get some other country foods, but it's barely a dent in what is really available in European countries!

Edited March 28, 2008 by Amanda+Stephen

[Sal and Jay 2]

Yep, I knew it, I'm going to lose 1 hour of my life this weekend!!! Like permanently. We had our time change in the US the first weekend in March, so I lost 1 hour there. Then I lost 5 hours in the time change flying here. So that's 6 hours lost, then add in the European time change this weekend, and I lose 1 more hour. So total loss of 7 hours, and I'll only gain back 6 flying home!! It's like the twilight zone hee hee! Only way to get it back is to come back in the fall when Europe changes time, lol!

Yeah, I have to admit, the options that some of the US companies provide in Europe are better than what we get in the states. And you'd think, with all the nationalities in the states, they'd have them there too. You'd be surprised though, US & UK Heinz Catsup are practically identical. German Heinz Catsup, doesn't even taste like Heinz ... it's got barely any spices to it! There is always World Market in the US to get some other country foods, but it's barely a dent in what is really available in European countries!

I know im gonna miss heinz salad cream cant get that anywhere in the states.

[Alex & Rachel 78]

When Alex came to visit I sent him home with a bag stuffed full of British foods - mince pies, a Christmas pudding, chocolate digestives, tea, etc. - and a big bottle of Heinz salad cream.

Unfortunately I packed it in his hand luggage without thinking - of course it counts as a liquid. It was confiscated at the airport - big, unopened bottle of salad cream.

Oh well. I managed to bring some through with me when I visited the next year. I just made sure to pack it in my hold luggage this time!

I'm going to miss condensed milk and golden syrup - or am I? They're key ingredients in the most delicious recipes (i.e. chocolate caramel shortbread) but I suppose I may have a better diet this way.