Foul Weather Gear!

We made it to Manchester at 2:30am east coast time, 7:30am UK time.  We're a little jet-lagged but the view while landing was heavenly.  Everything was soooooo green!

The Coast to Coast weather gods obviously have taken us under their wings because it hasn't stopped raining since we got here and it's quite cold.  Hell, its really flipping cold.  We just watched the evening news and the weather forecast is FOUL!  Lauren and I are laughing but deep down, I'm wondering just what we're in for.  The weather is going to be unseasonably cold and wet (even for England!) and the weather wench on TV voiced her surprise and confusion over the weather that's expected for the next two weeks.  Yep, when we order rainy weather we don't mess around.

Our trip here was fairly uneventful except for my neighbor on the flight to Manchester from NYC who refused to turn off his overhead light until midnight....since the flight attendants came around at 1am with breakfast, it wasn't much of a sleep.  He's not getting a post card or a Tshirt.  

I was surprised to find out how sad I was about leaving Dougie behind.  Of course I knew I'd miss him but I didn't expect to be weepy.  He insisted on parking and coming into the airport to say goodbye and seeing us through security, which was very sweet.  I started crying as I hugged him goodbye.  I was trying to hide it from him and Lauren and the millions of other travelers who were watching me fall apart but I wasn't very successful.  I cried again on the plane when I called him to tell us we were preparing to take off.  I realized how hard it is to be excited about this trip when I know I won't see Dougie for a month.  

He assured me I'd be fine and we'll have fun and we'll talk and so on.  He's right, I know but....

Anyway, we're crashing early tonight because we have to catch a 10:15am train to St. Bee's in the am.  We're gonna shop for gloves and warm hats and we've decided we packed waaaayyyyy too many shorts and Tshirts and not enough long underwear and parkas.  The budget is about to be blown on things we'll never wear again....  until our next walk.  Stay tuned for Ireland!!

I know you're wondering.... the beer is glorious!!  I've had ales and stouts and porters and it's only the first day.  Where are those stretch pants.....?