Spring?

Not much to say this week. It's been a bit of bummer week. Using my seer-like powers, I foretold this week was going to be a bit boring. Heather is really busy at work for the next two weeks and then we are off for a super vacation with J + J, so she has to work double hard and gets lots done. Me? I've just been going to the library and thinking of ways to spend my spring.

Any suggestions?

I really enjoy golf. You can play it with a group and it's great or just head out on your own and still have a grand time. It's not over-the -top physical, but still gets you outside. A golf course would also be the greenest place in Manny, as it is almost devoid of parks and trees. The only thing I really hate about it is the cost (and the elitism). I wanted to go golfing by Liverpool on the course that Tiger Woods won the 2006 British Open on, but it was too much. Surprisingly not blow-the-budget too much, but I thought the money could be spent on more appropriate things--like food.

I found this cheap course out in Chorlton, which is the hood we first lived in when we got here. I'm not too sure why it is significantly cheaper than all of the other courses in town---it's still like 89 years old and in great shape. Anyway, I called the night before to make a tee time. I was told I could just get on anytime after 12 and it would be no problem and they rented clubs. I rode the bus out there for an hour and bit, walked into the pro shop, and got a tee time no problem! The issue was not the course, rather they didn't rent any clubs! Jerks. On top of that, they asked why I didn't use my phone to google rentals, so I ended having my mobile phone insulted too. Jerks.

So, I'm quitting golf in Manny. At least for this week.

There was one benefit from this little adventure though...Manny Cats!

Why do they always run away from me? I called out "Peettter. Peetttter. Peeeettttteeer!" Nothing.

I'm quitting cats. At least for this week.

I was going to get this job at a new MEC-style camping/fishing store that opened up across the street from us. I kept checking the website for when they were going to start taking applications, as they had listed all of the other stores across the UK and had vacancies at almost all of them. Turns out, they don't use their own website for the initial hire and it's all full. Crapola. I did only want the job to get the discount on the fishing and camping gear and would have quit in two weeks, but still--Crapola.

I'm not going to get a job now. At least for this week.

As we spend more time here, we are meeting some of the goals we set out at the start of the year. I have come along way in my soup making (mmmm mint, spinach, and pea soup!) and we now have a local pub. We've only been there three times, but I think that it qualifies as our local because we haven't been to any other place more than twice. N'est pas? It's called The Castle and I like it. We did go early in the week and sat beside the stinkiest man I have ever smelt. I don't want to sound too mean (a little is ok right?), but this guy was s-t-a-n-k-y.

I'm not going to the Castle anymore. At least for this week.

Heather and I took a walk into Salford on Sunday and it was spring, spring, spring out. Salford is right beside Manny, separated by the lovely River Irwell.

Salford is a little rougher around the edges than Manny, but that just adds to it's urban charm---and we didn't get beat up which was really nice. We had a nice stroll through the town. Both of us are getting really quite good at looking in the right direction when we cross the street. Every once and a while I forget, but I've only been almost shmucked three times.

We went looking for the Salford Lads Club, but couldn't find it. I guess that's why people carry maps (or not the cheapest mobile phone you can buy). I would like to explore it more and get some chips and a sandwich.

We ended up walking quite a bit, taking the long-way-round to get back to Manny. We walked past Castlefield and the potato wharf and into my new favorite place in Manchester-- the dock beside the Gladys Emily. You'll see soon enough.

Castlefield is pretty cool. It's the place we thought we wanted to live back when we were here for a few days last May. It's got a lot of canals and railway trusses and bridges, but that's about it. There never seems to be any people around. Maybe they are just scared of being robbed and thrown into the canals. However, we did notice there are safety ladders everywhere.

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Update: So I've been working on this blog on and off for two days, and ran out of Internet again. Now I'm at home and can't burn all my data for the rest of the pictures. Bottom line--there is a freakin' cat that lives on that boat and he was very nice. I almost put him in our bag and took him home, but we had veggies in the bag already and it was full.

I'll post more photos from the walk next week.

Oh yeah! I just joined a softball team too. It's popular here--they have 9 teams! Sweet. I was actually getting antsy wanting to play. So that's my answer to springtime malaise--softball, it just won't be as much fun without my old team.

Until next time....CC