and I have what is affectionately known as the "Humboldt Crud" ---everyone calls it that- lovely im sure!!!!!!

Cough - cold - sore throat ----ive had what seems like 1 million vaccinations to get here - how can I catch the lurgy?????

Other than that I met a British bloke in Eureka Natural foods who's been here for 14 years ---It was like he was my long lost brother ---odd or very odd??

And lastly Im becoming American because I ask where the restroom is without cringing and use Zee when spelling my surname instead of Zed cos I cant bear the blank looks anymore

Oh and I have a cell phone - blimey im loosing my identity --get me back to blighty quick!!!!!

Gratz! Just coming up to 6 months in, myself, and slowly getting used to some of the changes even now! (I mean, when eating out, why are there so many options?! Just give me what was on the menu!)

.... and don't forget it's now your 'last name' not your 'surname' ....

thanks! didnt know this! No wonder noone can understand me!

The dreaded lurgy is floating round here too. Get well soon, it usually goes away as the sun heats up
Congrats on finding a long lost rellie

Thank you - you mean it DOES get warm in Humboldt??? Worse than bogner regis on a bad day

The guy i met was just a random londoner who has lived here for 14 years but if felt like he was my long lost brother as its been 4 weeks since ive come across a fellow brit - someone who doesnt need a translation of my accent

I'm used to it by now, but when my parents come over, you've never seen 2 blanker stares in your life when the waitress starts throwing about 400 different options at them... on the side, salad with that, sweetened or unsweetened, no sprite so is sierra nevada ok, etc, etc

I usually step in and answer all the questions like they're little kids

I still nod my head and say yes like a special kid...and the wife rescues me

Amusingly enough, didn't seem to have as many problems eating out while living up in Maine though, maybe it's the pace of life

I do that too, I used to leave them order and just translate for the waitress, but it's quicker if I just order for everyone, like a mother hen

It must heat up some, so all those pot plants can thrive.

Too true. I have to do the same. Translate etc. My mom calls a baked potato a "jacket" potato.

What kind of toast?

Usual reply:

Sliced

ditto....although my Mum gets very annoyed when I order for her and Dad, but it's the only way to get out of of the restaurant this side of Christmas....add to it the fact that we, living in Texas, eat at a lot of Mexican restaurants, with all the different ways you can order a tortilla they're lost!

From my mum: "I ordered chicken steak, this is beef".
Me: "You ordered a chicken fried steak, it's beef but fried like chicken"

Luckily she likes beef, although she prefers is cooked until it has lost all flavour.

Sierra Nevada is the beer.


Them's the joys of travel. We just had the same experience going from Oregon to Arizona. No idea what they were talking about half the time.