Baby, it's cold outside

It is nearly 6:00 pm, close to pitch black outside and presently 36F outside - temp dropped 3 degrees in the last 30 minutes (so my iBook "dashboard" tells me). Last night, it was 32 degrees outside around 8:30pm.

The very sad bit about that is that it took both JJ & I several minutes to realize what 32F equals in Celsius. Embarrassing even to admit here...what is it about the internet and blogging that give us license to be overly honest....?!!?

Prior to our moment of brain-lapse, I had made a soup recipe my Grandfather gave me - "turkey minestrone" - in this case it had turned into "beef minestrone". Yes, I actually used ground beef - Scottish ground beef. Shocking, given what my past experiences have been. So far, so good, no GI distress. I think that soup is a good way to fill up here - and warm up!
The soup got a thumbs-up from the handful of folks who've tasted it, as well as Joolz & Arlene, who came over for lunch today.
It was great to have them, I hope that our lunch together can become a weekly occurrence.

This morning, I returned to one of my favorite haunts - Kember and Jones. It's a wee gourmet shop with a cafe attached. The menu changes daily, and the food is amazing. JJ hadn't been yet, and was saving her first experience there to go with me. So this morning, we walked over and had a wee brunch. She had this amazing hot waffle (I wasn't aware folks ate them cold) with syrup and berries, and I had wheat toast with ricotta and honeycomb. A delightful treat. It was a good time to just be with JJ outside of home.

So far, I've not done much "work" - simply because our director hasn't told me what all I have to do (though I hear that I will be quite busy), but has given me this week to settle in, and get adjusted. I did hear via a wee bird that I am supposed to create a spreadsheet reflecting team dynamics at some point. Well, a few nights ago I got a bit stir crazy, and created said spreadsheet, with accompanying graphs. It's a thing of beauty...the whole spreadsheet and graph file...and I love my Mac.
And yes, Macs CAN number-crunch.

It has been good to get settled in - I am trying to savor these days, because I am sure that my days coming will be nothing like these! I am excited to receive my shipment, and continue to create home here.

JJ and I also have another roommate, Amy, whose family owns the flat. She's off to NY for an internship come January, and we're already planning a New York-themed going away party for her. Any excuse for a party...

In a bit I am due at the local Starbucks for our weekly "game night". This is a time we open up to other friends, and friends of friends. Looking forward to seeing those friends and reconnecting with them. I'll try to get some photos to share with y'all. I have been forgetting to take pictures, which I need to remedy!