the good weekend.

This weekend the weather was stunning. Not the temperature, necessarily…but the weather. There was sunshine all day Saturday and Sunday, which made for excellent walking-around time. I was somewhat tired on Saturday morning after a chilly night spent doing the evening door shift at the hostel, but I was rested enough to shower, put on some nicer-looking clothes and hit the medieval City Walls that surround York…with my camera. Yes, my York documentary was conceived at 10:20, greenlighted at 10:22, and production began at about 11:30 (after hair and makeup, naturally). Sadly, I didn’t make much of a dent in filming because my camera ran out of memory AND battery not long after filming began. I still managed to get some decent shots, however, the best having the background sound of York Minster’s noontime bells.

Once filming was halted, I stopped at the York Hog Roast and got the most amazing lunch—a roll with pork, applesauce and stuffing inside. It was heavenly—and I ate it outside in King’s Square while watching a really funny street performer escape from chains and a straightjacket. I tipped him a pound because I was in such a good mood.

I walked the city walls more after that, just looking at the rooftops of York in the sunshine while Los Angeles was blasting on my iPod. Yeah…I really should stop with that thing because most of the songs on the playlists I like acutely remind me of this time and that time…and for some reason at this time it was just one song after another that made me think of California, or LA. And the sunshine added to that. But it was so beautiful I couldn’t stay in a bad mood.

I laid low until later that evening, when I was forced to eat soup and broccoli for dinner because someone had stolen my spaghetti. They had also eaten HALF of my Gloucester cheese. Ugh. Anyway, then my roommate Sarah and I got ready for our planned “night on the town.” We behaved like girls, trying on outfits and putting makeup on. It was pretty darn amusing to everyone else in the room. We got to the Vudu Lounge early, before it got too crowded. It is a very classy bar (there are a lot of very classy bars in York—this town has a booming night life for its size—looks like I found the perfect place!), and Sarah bought the first round of drinks. Purely by chance and not for reasons of nostalgia, I ordered a Beverly Hills Iced Tea…basically a Long Island but with champagne in it too. Sarah had a Los Angeles Iced Tea, which had Midori (ew). I thought those drink choices were rich. We moved on to Cosmopolitans after that. We didn’t have very much luck with the men…there were a lot around but none coming up and talking to us. I found that to be quite a travesty. But we had some great talks (much as we could over the DJ noise), and ogled the bartenders who were doing all sorts of acrobatic tricks with the drinks they were pouring. I wish I could post pictures.

After that we headed to another club, called Kennedy’s. Its top two floors are classy restaurant/bar, and the basement is another bar and a dance floor. So guess where we went. Basement + tequila slammers + Greatest Hits of 2006 (“hung up” being the highlight of the evening) = Happy Mateja. Until my stiletto boots started getting the better of me, and it got so crowded you couldn’t turn around without hitting someone. So we left and I opted to walk barefoot home. We stopped at a takeaway place for some chips (meaning fries, of course) and onion rings.
Today I did a little more walking around, this time to grocery shop. I got lunch for the same Pork Roast place again, which made me super happy. (I noticed a sign on the wall there today that says that they use “rape oil” in their stuffing. Rape oil?? That sounds so wrong…) What also made me happy was that I got all the food I needed for the week for under 10 pounds! I made an excellent stir-fry this evening, for example. Oh—and on the walk back, I discovered the York version of the Restoration Hardware shortcut from the 3rd Street parking lots to the actual Promenade. Same thing—parking lot through a posh furniture store to a no-cars shopping thoroughfare. What a small world, eh?

So I got back, sorted all my food, scribbled my name all over it and hit it waaaay in the back of the fridge. Then Sarah and I walked all the way to Holgate, past my work, to visit our friend Meimei who had just moved into her new apt. It is a cute little place, and she seems happy with it. We chatted for a while, then came home and made plans with Christine to try and watch the Superbowl tonight. I made my stir-fry and drank tea which miraculously cured the throbbing headache I’d had all day (hangover? Nope, serious caffeine withdrawal!). I opted out of a game of Monopoly. Bleargh.

Up in my room, I got into a discussion with this very friendly Chinese girl staying in here. She translated the LauZoo t-shirts and laughed. She’s a really sweet girl, and told me I was “very brave” to come over here all by myself and find a job and everything. She’s a sweetie.

So here I am sitting here, about to go downstairs and make sure what’s left of my Gloucester cheese is still there, and make sure my name is on it. Maybe I’ll make my lunch for tomorrow, too. Before this entry is over I’ll add on who won the Super Bowl. If the Colts win, Becca (works here, is from Indiana) will not let me forget it. Bear down, Chicago Bears!!!


….

Stupid Bears. But I did have a really good time watching the Game with Jaqui and Christine. We drank Buds, ate pizza and CHILI!! And we found hot wings in the fridge. Didn’t eat them, but liked that we had the option. We interspersed the game with singalongs to all the music from the South Park movie. It was great. Went to bed at 2:30am not knowing who won….and when I woke up I avoided everyone so that I could find out on my own at work.

…and I did. And I swore out loud.

Still—good weekend.