Moving on up to the east side!

Well, crap. I lost my iPhone at Ikea yesterday. Things were really looking up with the use of that thing too. I lost it somewhere between kitchens and storage. I've retraced my steps about 15 times since then. I am so sick of that place. Unfortunately, I think I am going to have to go back there pretty much everyday this week because I'm too cheap to get a taxi so that I can get everything all at once. Besides, buying furniture for an entire flat at once is quite overwhelming. Hence the lost iPhone. Anyway, I'm so glad that the guy talked me into getting insurance when I got the phone (three weeks ago, sigh). In order to make an insurance claim, I had to make a police report. Therefore, I have had my first encounter with The Met! The Met is the police department in London. They walk around with those funny hats. I was disappointed to find out the lady taking my report wasn't going to put her funny hat on in order to help me, but I didn't feel like it was my place to ask her to. I'm sure that they don't really enjoy making reports on people that have lost their phones at Ikea.

On my way home from the police station, my bus got into an accident...which was very exciting! I was just happy not to have been behind the wheel in this one. The bus driver slammed into the car in the next lane. It was very obvious that she had done it, but she just kept driving! Eventually the crazy guy we hit (he had what could only be the English version of the mullet) caught up to us and blocked the road so she couldn't go any further. There was then lots of commotion...yelling, horns, etc. All in all, after surveying the damage, I would say the guy made out pretty well. After all, a double decker, bright red bus had slammed into the side of his car. Really the extent of the damage was a broken side mirror. It sounded so much louder than that.

I have spent the majority of the weekend moving into my flat. I'm very excited about it. (I'm not excited about how much time and money I've spent at Ikea, but I'll stop dwelling on that.) My suitcases are very excited to be unpacked and in my closet. On Friday, I had a sofa bed, my bed, and a bookshelf delivered. I assumed the sofa bed would be put together. I assumed wrong. I didn't know that a sofa bed could come in 4000 pieces, in 2000 boxes. I can't believe I put it together by myself. I did have some extra screws at the end. I'm not sure what that's about. Oh well, that's not my problem. I don't plan on ever sleeping there. (Sorry guests!) I also successfully put together my bed. Putting together all the furniture has taken a toll on my back. I feel like I'm about 80 years old. Getting out of bed the last two days has been very rough. I'm so stiff! I also think that I'm allergic to all the fake wood that I now have in here. I can't stop sneezing.

I'm living in South Woodford, which is a little community in Eastern London. It's a nice, quiet little area...with lots of cute old people. I can't get enough of the old Enlgish men with their houndstooth hats. I talk to them all frequently at bus stops. My hope is that after 80 years, they have figured out London and they can give me some insight. This place is a little difficult to wrap your head around at times. It's so huge...with so much to do and see. Now that I'm almost settled, I really plan to make the most of it.

I'll post pictures of my flat when it's a little more put together. It's condition is a little embarrassing right now.

Happy Mother's Day!