Five Sleeps Until Christmas

London is covered with a white blanket of the second snow of the season! I’ve never liked the cold and I believe the last time I got really excited about snow I was in the 5th grade and a winter storm had covered Kentucky with over two feet of the white stuff. I remember playing for hours outside and never getting cold (or sick). Now, I’ve always loved snow days but once I could drive I much preferred the snow that cancelled school in the early mornings but had melted by the time I woke up. Then I could run around with my friends all day and not worry about the slick conditions. Here I do not have to worry about driving in the snow, ice or even rain. However, transport becomes even more unreliable than a normal day. Typically, my train is always a couple of minutes late; however, many days I count on those minutes. But add a little bit of snow and you might as well give up getting anywhere on time.

Yesterday I had agreed to work a couple of shifts for a local catering supply company. I arrived in the morning around 7 a.m. and around 10 a.m. it started to snow. It snowed and snowed and snowed. The morning shift was a set up shift for the evening event and was being held in a tent. The tent walls were still being put up so the work was basically outside (and cold), but looking out the edges of the tent I felt like I was in a snow globe that had just been turned upside down. It was gorgeous! The whole of London collected between 2 to 5 inches in about two hours and getting home was a booger!

In the early morning I had braved the bus system and actually found the correct bus going the correct direction to the location with little difficultly. I was rather proud of my small accomplishment. However, the task of getting home on an already unreliable bus in the snowy mess was certain to be an adventure I did not want to experience. I chose to take the Tube to Waterloo station and train from there. I ended up having to change tubes three times and ended up at Vauxhall station instead. I jumped on a train, which was a little late and moving a little slower due to the weather, and just watched the snow covered trees pass the window. Everything was white. I realized, I kind of like the snow. I want to take pictures of it. I even kind of want to play in it (although, I never will … brr!) and if I had no place to go I would definitely be singing “let it snow, let is snow, let is snow.” I guess if it’s going to be this cold (for this long) I might as well be able to look at something pretty.

Well the count down to Christmas has begun and as the Brit’s say “only five more sleeps” until the big day. My Christmas is going to be a little less traditional this year. I have rented a room in London at the hotel where Eastern Boy works. His room is already supplied by his employers since he will be working Christmas Eve and Christmas Night and transport is closed on Christmas. We have tickets to see the new Narnia movie on Christmas day and even found a 3D theatre in walking distances from the hotel. I am still not sure if it has hit me that I will be away from family and tradition this Christmas or if I am just choosing to not think about it. However, for now, I am dreaming of the possibility of having a white London Christmas.