Mike Birbiglia

Did it come up in your google alerts? If it did, let me tell you you need to do a London show. Because I live here now, and not in Arizona, or wherever you are going next. PS I love you.

Everyone else ignore this post, yeah?

I've been told..

that everyone has a secret that would break your heart if you knew. I disagreed for about a week, I couldn't think of any secrets I had at all! Such a transparent person... but I've finally come to the conclusion that I could break a couple hearts with my secrets. So yay! Kind of. I now wish I hadn't thought about it, and that I didn't think I had any.

Be back in 10...

I walked down Fulham Road around midday on Saturday, and came across a closed clothing store with a sign out front that said 'Gone for prayer, be back in 10 minutes' and was taken aback! Probably because I couldn't imagine seeing something like that ANYWHERE in Boise, Idaho! I wouldn't think someone would close their store to go home to pray, even if they were Muslim (which they probably were, right? Don't they pray 3 times per day or something??). I've walked past that store a few times since then, and the same sign was up. The most interesting part was that the other signs on the door to the shop were advertising a giant closing down sale (everything must go, etc). Can anyone guess WHY the shop is closing down? Perhaps, just maybe, its because the store is never open!

Just My Luck

Today I wore a skirt, no tights. I did this so Annie or one of the physios could look at my knee, as I really don't wear shorts... so the day I wear a skirt, and no tights, of course is the day it decides to rain. And hail. And of course this starts when I'm out in it! Yes, I got stuck in a massive hailstorm, one that turned my poor umbrella inside out and got my entire bottom half completely soaking wet!! As cold and wet as I was, it was a scene out of 'Singing in the Rain'- I was dancing, avoiding puzzles, and listening to my ipod with a huge smile on my face. A little silly perhaps, a little odd, but this, my friends, is why I came to London. Vive la pluie!

Ew.

I had to clean the bathroom yesterday. Sam asked me to. Because he cleaned the living room. If he had given me a choice, I MUCH would have preferred to clean the living room. The black hole of bacteria that is our bathroom is NOT my fault- rather, it is probably more due to drunken men missing the toilet and then not bothering to wash their hands? Just a guess. But I did it, I washed EVERYTHING, it smells like apples in there now. I'm thorougly grossed out and not doing it next time if I can help it! Then I cleaned my room, and I can walk around in there now! (I mean kind of, it's basically a closet!) So I'm pretty chuffed with myself.

Sam and Kate made a roast dinner last night! It was just so... civilized! It was fantastic! I need to have real meals more often!

I Love London

I miss my family, and a few of my good friends, I miss my car, my home, and my dog. I get lonely sometimes, but I do think moving to London was the best decision I've ever made. I love the lifestyle here, and there is so much to do and see! I used to get a 'dreading' feeling about a lot of the things I did at home, and I realized yesterday that I haven't had that feeling in awhile! There is not too much to worry about; I'm just happy to be here!

Getting home shouldn't be this exciting

So last night,

The 9pm guy actually left without me making him leave, perhaps it was because after I wrote to mum, I walked on the treadmill for 5 minutes (burned 50 cals!) and played hearts on the computer instead of bothering him. When I went to close up, it was pouring rain, and I put my closed purse on the concrete for a moment, because I have to jump up to get the gate down, and there is no way I can do that with anything in my hands! I don't think that's when everything got wet, I think that was just from the rain, perhaps getting through the zipper area?

Anyway, so I sat down at the bus stop, was making sure everything was working, and playing with my poor phone! When this bigger black guy (Byron) came and sat down next to me and said 'can I talk to you a minute?' I asked him if he had a bus to catch and he said no, he just wanted to get to know me. He asked if I wanted to come have a drink with him and his mates, to which I said no thanks, and when asked why I told him I was going home I had to work in the morning. At this point his friend came up and started talking to me, guessed I was Australian and generally invading personal space. Thank goodness a guy who didnt know them or anything appeared at the bus stop, so they couldn't gang up on me or anything wtihout being noticed. Byron asked me for my number (he was actually quite cute, if i had met him in a bar it'd have been a maybe) but i said no, he said he was looking for a nice girl at the moment because he's single (nice girl? Doubt it!) so I said 'So you're soliciting girlfriends at bus stops?' Turns out soliciting was too big a word for him, so he and his friend gave up and left.

THEN the guy who stopped them from taking me away started telling me i should get on his bus as it was unsafe to stay here alone.. apart from a few 'we should go out for drinks' comments which I cunningly diverted, he was pretty much harmless. I told him I'd wait for my bus, as it wouldn't be far behind.

So on the 391 to Fulham, an Irish man in the very back started yelling Irish songs. There was a guy around where I was, in the front, who was looking in the Irish man's general direction, and started getting abuse! 'Don't you f-ing look at me, I'm just too f-ing Irish for ya, cant take an Irish man, can ya? Too many of you lot in f-ing london (he was some sort of ethnic.. )' etc. The bus driver didnt do anything! And because I couldn't stop laughing and smiling and the abused guy was looking at me, he was doing the same, and getting more abuse! I suppose if I were a bus driver I would be iffy about doing anything, because i wouldn't want to get in a fight... anyway, so I walked home, and everything was much cleaner than when I left that morning! That could only mean one thing- Sams' home.

Staying until 9.

There is a guy who comes into the gym after 8pm every day. We close at 9pm. And every time he arrives, I know the evening is going to drag out just that much more. Because this guy is going to work out. He is going to work out until I physically throw him out by his camo singlet. I give him all the warning signs, the gestures- I turn off the music at 8:45, I come up and close the windows and the balcony door, turn off the TV, wait around impatiently.. I come back upstairs after I've done all my other duties with my coat on, but he refuses to put down those weights until the clock hits 9:01. Which would be fine, but then I have to wait for him to go into the locker room and mess about for a bit. How irritating!!

There's a great guy who comes here every day (was really impressed today when I said 'Hi, Greg!' and remembered his name) who has graduated from a theatre academy, he's doing a play called 'New Boy' which is here in Chiswick, if it does well it might make West End! So he wanted to make sure I was coming, and I said of course, and he told me to bring all of my friends. Hhahahahahaha!! I don't really have friends yet, Greg. Thanks though!

And finally, my mum sent me a package from Victoria's Secret, the surprise arrived today! FANTASTIC!!!! Made my day! =D

I really want something to eat... oh dear.
Time to start irritating the guy who won't leave!!

Pros and Cons of selling my left arm for a ticket to see Michael Jackson in concert

Pros
1. My left arm is used significantly less than my right arm, and won't be missed as much as that or either leg.
2. I would be fullfilling my destiny to go to an MJ concert- I went to his concert in the womb!
3. I would be able to check one objective off my 'List of things to do before I'm 30'
4. It would take a good 20lbs off my weight and I will take up less space on busy tube trains
5. MJ music can make me happy no matter what happens!

Cons
1. It would probably be much more difficult to get a date with one arm
2. Multitasking would be a challenge
3. I wouldn't be able to shake the hands of left handed people

As you can see, the pros outweigh the cons. I HAVE to go to that concert!

Rubbing elbows with Oscar winners

We have so many famous people at my new work! The best of which is the actress Vanessa Redgrave, who is training to get fit for a play she's doing in the West End, at 71! She has something like three Oscars, she has the triple crown of acting, she was the voice of the old woman in Titanic, and best of all, her daughter is one of the lead roles, Julia MacNamara, in my favorite show ever, Nip/Tuck!! So now I'm starstruck, and I can only hope Loely Richardson accompanies her mum on one of her visits!!

A post about the weather!!

It is the most beautiful day outside! It's over 63 degrees and sunny!! At home I would be out at Camelsback, Pollo Rey or Lucky 13, driving around with the windows down, oh man I love summer in Boise. Though I don't want to go back to live in Boise, I hope I can come home for the summer in the next couple years. Just two months or so then come back to real life here!

GOD its beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!