Stranded in England!

    

       England Does Not have True Grit

 

 

 

                    Do I look happy here stuck in miserable old England? 

Do you know that the emergency authorities have asked people not to call 911 in an emergency?  Why--have they turned to delivering pizzas now?

Sorry, everyone, England’s out of grit (salt for de-snowing/freezing the roads) again…or still, I don’t know.

I’m still here in Petersfield, England.  I was supposed to be back in Malta today, but we got stuck in the driveway, attempting to drive one hour to the beloved Heathrow in London.  I had to rebook my my flight---for an additional 60 E—for Friday—and now that’s even questionable.

These English with the snow—We “walked” downtown today and I felt like smacking every snow-grinning Englishman/woman and kid with a shovel that no one was using to remove the snow from the streets.  At least, it would be put to some good use that way.

There were no trains, no newspapers today, no banks open.  For G-d Sakes, in the US they open banks even after they close them down.

Supposedly, shopkeepers are taking to the streets in Petersfield because the city is doing nothing to clean up the snow which is now turning to ice.

Mr.S., who is from Germany, has turned back to bad habits.  After having lived in Malta, he was beginning to ease up on some of his more difficult German cultural reactions.  Malta was, fortunately, changing him.  But now that we’re not in Malta and we’re snowed in and I missed a flight, he is now timing my breathing.

But tomorrow is another day.

 

 

Comments

[Ilene]

--Lynne-I would never have seen that error. I only edit Mr.S's stuff. There are many more days until spring--winter has just started--:-( Ilene

--Lynda--good to hear from you! Visit Malta soon--I wish you were moving here, but I know you have to move where you have to move xx Ilene

--Hi Mib--get back to Malta soon! Jekk Alla jrid--Ilene

[Lynne]

Well I need to say that you look CUTE, and toasty warm in that coat and hood! Sorry your got snowed in, but I'm very glad to see that you made it back home safely!

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Hope to see you soon, Mr. S.  Hope you don't mind that I corrected a few grammatical things in your comment :-)---the Editor

[Mr.S.]

Britain has truly lost its grit now! They have run out of that stuff that other countries put on their roads to melt the snow.

And it's not the shopkeepers who have taken to the streets (most are bankrupt anyway here in England), but the Brits themselves.

In a snowy day version of 'England expects every man to do his duty, teams of disgruntled neighbours have taken to the streets armed with anything that can be used to remove snow from residential side streets.

Most haven't been able to use their cars for days - me too!

In a 'Grit Blitz,' Germany is sending 50 lorries of grit to England on Tuesday, so there is hope.

So see you all back in Malta on Thursday--and my car is extending its stay in England until March.

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Hi EVERYONE--Thanks, to all of you for your thought and advice. I am now back in Malta--very windy, very dirty but no ice or snow.

Some personal messages:

-Dee--I like the way you always agree with me. Yes, I had a warm coat and I needed every inch of it.

-Mike--Shut up.

-Willy--You know how I like to complain. Love to you, too. But I still hate snow--I don't care how much fun it is.

-Antonella--I walked to St. Julian's today and I really missed you when I thought of all the places we used to eat out at. See? I told you not to leave Malta. But I bet everything will turn out OK. Good luck with the sidewalks and job hunting in Belgium xxxx Ilene

[Willy]

Hi Ilene,

What's the problem? Just relax and if it might be of any help, we had a trafic infarct yesterday around Amsterdam and the west coast area. People stood in a trafic infarct for more than 4-6 hours, without heating, food or drinks, the snow shuffels couldn't do anything, because they were stuck in the trafec as well, last night around 2 o'clock the roads were more or less clear again, so, don't bother, you have a warm stove to sit by and you can drink hot chocolate and..... you have something to write and complain about!

Love you,

Willy

[Antonella]

Ohh Ilene, I'm 100% with you !! No heavy snowfalls here for the moment (an inch or so during the night, all frozen again above the old one), but the weekend is gong to turn extra-white... I admit it's beautiful and, thanks to the sun, it gives brightness to my first in the North. BUT: with the sales on there are so many people in the shops that I CANNOT buy a thing and I still do not have proper boots. In Brussels they seem to love paving the sidewalks with the slipperiest stone in the world, so good luck to me. A permanent suicide attempt !
Hope you can make it out of there on Friday and go back to your beloved broken but dry sidewalks of Malta. If not, Mike is right, snow can be fun (it's ll in the mind :-)
Lots of love XXXX

[Mike Owen]

Jeeze Ilene. You are such a whiner. I had to put up with this weather for 40 years. Go sledding, build a snowman with chocolate chips for eyes. (I guess that wouldn't work. You would eat them way before they were used).
Go help the lorry drivers build bonfires under the fuel tanks to thaw out the diesel.
There are so many things you can do to have fun.
Just kidding.......Hope you can get back home soon.
We are sweltering in 90+ degrees here.

[Dee Owen]

p.s. Glad you've got a warm coat!

[Dee Owen]

Nope you don't look happy! Nor would I. The English cannot deal with extremes of weather, cold or heat. I'll say my 'snow melting' prayers that you can get out of there on Friday. Shame on Mr. S. Do not revert to old behaviors or behaviours! But do try and breathe!