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Letters from America
An Englishwoman's thoughts from a foreign land
These are the nice and mostly accurate recollections of a middle aged Englishwoman living in Los Angeles, navigating LA traffic, Medical Insurance, Language differences, heat and American politics.
Having worked full time for most of my life, I think the cultural shock will not only be that of American life, but also what to do with my free time. Anything could happen - let the adventure begin....
- BLOG -
Sherran, Obama, Boxer, Lovitz, Holland and Zendaya
I am travelling back from the UK after a wonderful Christmas visit despite the rain and cold and reminiscing on 2023, looking back to fun...
zaphod2010
Jan 4, 20246 min read
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A Trip to Oz, Singapore & Japan!
JULY 2023 Oz, Singapore, Tokyo trip Mark’s role in Blackline is Head of Global Sales and as part of the new take over, he was off on a...
zaphod2010
Jul 8, 202314 min read
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A years worth of catchup - are you still with me?
JULY 2022 Time ran away with me and I lost the impetus to share my journey and also I felt I had said all I had to say about being a...
zaphod2010
Jul 8, 20237 min read
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March, April,May and June...Our feet haven't touched the ground....literally!
So.... my last 3 months have been nuts!! A Blackline BBQ at our house, a trip to Mexico for a week with Mark's top performers from...
zaphod2010
Jun 13, 20225 min read
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Dedicated to Sheila Woodhams – my biggest blog fan
The journey back seemed easier than on the way there, with spectacular views and instead of stopping at the horrible overcrowded gas...
zaphod2010
Jun 13, 20225 min read
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Maui to Canada to LA = Scorcio - il pleut - Scorcio
The last couple of months have been mad! I was so fed up with not feeling control over my weight that I went to my doctor last March to...
zaphod2010
Oct 15, 202111 min read
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Back to the future 'normality'?
July 2019 In my last BLOG I mentioned the fact that we were both now double vaccinated……the result of having received both...
zaphod2010
Oct 14, 20217 min read
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My LA life and other foreigners....
LA wildlife has been interesting. Lots of geckos running around keeping Daisy busy. She only goes nose to nose with them. There are birds...
zaphod2010
May 28, 20219 min read
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That was the week that was ……. or rather -how to compress 4 months into 1 blog entry!
Tuesday November 3rd .. 2020…..the day the rotund POTUS won ...lost….then won….then lost …. Then went to court. As you get older,...
zaphod2010
Apr 19, 202117 min read
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Sorry about the swearing, it’s a medical condition, Lalochezia.
2 months since my last blog and time is slipping away while we all keep watching the news and numbers of cases relentlessly. My phone...
zaphod2010
Nov 2, 202010 min read
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5 1/2 months later....at least there's no zombies!
Wow, I’d actually forgotten how hot the summers are here- although it’s apparently hotter than last year- bloody hell!! I was in good Old...
zaphod2010
Sep 1, 20207 min read
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In a chaotic world, family is sanity…
David Icke believes that an inter-dimensional race of reptilian beings called the Archons have hijacked the earth and are stopping...
zaphod2010
Jul 12, 202010 min read
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Isolation Station
We are now in week 5 of Isolation in California. Parks, beaches and trails are all closed and only stores seen as essential are open. As...
zaphod2010
Apr 13, 20206 min read
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Hello again...
I know that I have let you down ….. I know I promised a regular Blog about the adventures of an Englishwoman in LA ! ……..but you don’t do...
zaphod2010
Mar 22, 20207 min read
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Dogs, Wine, Singing, IMPEACH! and Boris...
I’ve been walking dogs and working in the Animal Shelter on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Dogs such as Bam Bam, Missy, Zerro and...
zaphod2010
Dec 10, 201914 min read
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More American musings and an RV Trip
The Santa Monica Police Department said they received reports that a young man pepper sprayed four to six people at the Santa Monica...
zaphod2010
Nov 21, 201913 min read
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Phoenix and back home....
We flew out of LA in one of the smallest planes I’ve been in, apart from my adventure into tandem skydiving a number of years ago. It was...
zaphod2010
Oct 23, 20199 min read
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It's been a while...
Dear readers, as you know I haven’t written for a few weeks. It started with not being able to use my right hand after the bite and then...
zaphod2010
Oct 10, 20199 min read
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It was all going so well....
I woke up at 5.30am one morning after a dream of losing Lulu. I was so relieved it was only a dream and went to the loo. When in the...
zaphod2010
Sep 12, 20199 min read
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A week of mixed emotions...
I’ve added a picture of a Judgemental Map of the San Fernando Valley where we live. We are in the ‘Surburban as F**k’ area, right by the...
zaphod2010
Sep 3, 20195 min read
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Doggie Walking and Elvis!!!
It doesn’t matter how much sleep you get on the aeroplane, the jet lag always gets you; so I felt somewhat blurry and generally out of...
zaphod2010
Aug 26, 20198 min read
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A Green and Pleasant Land & Afternoon Teas...
On the Wednesday before I left for my return home UK vacation, I went to the Animal Sanctuary and spent a few hours making up Kongs...
zaphod2010
Aug 23, 20198 min read
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Dogs, more dogs and the pellet of youth
Bitter Root pottery was fun this week, though I found out that my old pottery classes, the Berman Ceramic Studio owners, Kitty and Harry...
zaphod2010
Jul 30, 20199 min read
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Gyno Gary, another armful of blood tests and Hugh Jackman
I wanted to start with this hilarious link - you'll love it! Worth watching right the way through. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-LTRw...
zaphod2010
Jul 24, 201911 min read
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LA Animal Sanctuary, an Afternoon Tea and a little on politics...again...
After learning that my efforts at weight loss resulted on me putting on a pound, I went to Bitter Root Pottery, somewhat ticked off. - of...
zaphod2010
Jul 16, 201910 min read
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4th July and earthquakes...laying low :-)
At WW this week, Our Leader Shar, was dressed head to toe in stars and stripes. All very tasteful with a striped blouse, navy shoes a red...
zaphod2010
Jul 9, 20197 min read
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Yard Sale, Medical Insurance and Politics
One of the days whilst walking Lulu on the soccer field, I heard loads of screaming. So…it’s baseball season (that’s rounders for the...
zaphod2010
Jul 2, 201914 min read
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Poppy, Sheila and no, we are still not Australians!
Poppy and Sheila arrived. Mark drove to the airport and I stayed as my mini isn’t big enough for the luggage too. It was wonderful to see...
zaphod2010
Jun 25, 20199 min read
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Jet Lag City and no, I'm not Australian!
Jet lag city!!!! It took 3 days to even start to feel normal. Both of us just seemed to drop off to sleep randomly. It comes over in...
zaphod2010
Jun 24, 20199 min read
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Perth....food, wine, laughter and sunsets.
We were picked up in Perth airport which is considerably bigger than the Sunshine Coast. It was lovely to see Andrew. He hadn’t changed...
zaphod2010
Jun 4, 20199 min read
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Splendid Sydney....
When I returned to Sydney Mark was working, so I dropped my case off and had a walk around the complex casino area. Didn’t gamble this...
zaphod2010
Jun 4, 20195 min read
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The Sunshine Coast, my sister and pugs.
This flight to Sydney was a 7 hour flight. Unfortunately, there was a man with very bad BO. And unfortunately, I kept finding myself next...
zaphod2010
Jun 4, 20196 min read
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Beautiful, humid Singapore - an almost completely accurate diary of events.
It was a 17 hour flight to Singapore, so further from LA than the UK. For the 3 weeks, I took a medium and cabin case with my Backpacker...
zaphod2010
Jun 3, 201912 min read
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Catch up Blog - pre Trip
Sorry about the delay in writing my blog, it has been a mad month of having little internet while I was away. I will catch up in 3...
zaphod2010
Jun 2, 20195 min read
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Live Music, Jake, Avengers and GOT
At WW I lost 3 lbs, which would have been more, but of course I did go to the pool party and definitely had a very large piece of cake...
zaphod2010
May 8, 20198 min read
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Pottery and a Pool Party
Something Ive had to get used to is the USAs use of old measuring systems. Everything is in inches, yards and lbs. Even paper sizes are...
zaphod2010
Apr 30, 20197 min read
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Back to LA life....
It was nice to be back and actually it did seem like home. LA was warm, sunny and green and the house felt welcoming as we got in, but...
zaphod2010
Apr 23, 20197 min read
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'This week I have mostly drinking Margaritas...'
I went for a manicure and pedicure with the gorgeous Jennifer at her recommended venue. I just wore capri trousers and a T Shirt. She had...
zaphod2010
Apr 17, 201915 min read
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TV Politics and a Party
It’s been a funny week, filled with getting back into a routine after the manic week with Max and Dani and the lead up to the Party, as...
zaphod2010
Apr 9, 20196 min read
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'that's all I have to say about that...'
It’s been a very busy couple of weeks with Max and Dani’s lovely visit in the middle. Aqua has been good, though it isn’t necessarily...
zaphod2010
Apr 4, 201910 min read
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Why is there a bomb on my sat nav?
News this week has been very sad, yet our American leader had little to say. USA news includes yet more ravings from Tango man and also...
zaphod2010
Mar 18, 20196 min read
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Oh Fancy That, Legal U Turns and Record launches
WW was good this week and I’m excited about losing 10lb, but also fed up that I’ve got a way to go. When you’ve decided to get on and...
zaphod2010
Mar 13, 20197 min read
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Rain, More Rain and a few rays of Sunshine
When we imagined our life on the outskirts of LA we thought the biggest issue would be the heat , running out of sun tan lotion and...
zaphod2010
Mar 4, 20198 min read
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This week I have been mostly unpacking...
It has been a busy week here, so sorry for the delay in writing my blog lovely readers. Mark and I drove to Calabasas (the home of the...
zaphod2010
Feb 27, 20198 min read
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TV & Cars
My thoughts this week on menus, adverts and news articles from TV: Mac n' cheese obsession - loads of adverts and on so many menus....
zaphod2010
Feb 19, 20197 min read
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Wolves, Lizards and excited Americans.
Watching TV in bed at around 10.30pm and I heard weird noises that I assumed were coming from the TV. I turned the volume down and heard...
zaphod2010
Feb 11, 20197 min read
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Clippers v LA Lakers and other thoughts - Week 4
We went into LA via Uber which at 5.30 is the only sane way to deal with the traffic for a 7pm start of the LA Lakers versus the Clippers...
zaphod2010
Feb 4, 20195 min read
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Death Tour, WW, Agility & Guitar lesson - Week 3
Sunday involved Mark and I travelling into North Hollywood to a tour bought for us by our lovely Max and Dani. It was called the Dearly...
zaphod2010
Jan 31, 20196 min read
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More musings in week two...
We've found a brilliant radio station to listen to when we are in a five lane traffic jam. Its the Beatles channel. They not only play...
zaphod2010
Jan 26, 20194 min read
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Final catch up
We travelled to Malibu on Martin Luther King Day and went to a wonderful meal at Dukes which is an Hawaiian theme. It was so lovely as we...
zaphod2010
Jan 24, 20192 min read
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