It is cold this morning, in the House of the Pink Gecko. Winter is coming to Mansfield, TX it seems. That's okay by me, I like the cold, but poor R. is a sundog and doesn't like being chilly. I grew up in a country where anything above 50 degrees was t-shirt weather.

I miss England. Strange to say, but I do. I don't miss the weather. But I miss the age of everything. I miss the pubs that are older than most of Western Civilization. I miss my friends and family. And I hate that I keep missing birthdays and christmases. I miss giving a shit about my neighbours, and having them care about me and mine. I miss walking to the pub, drinking six pints of Scruttocks old dirigible, then staggering to the chippie and floating cod and chips and a Savaloy on top of the whole thing.

I miss leaving a about a quarter of the last pint of the night and having John and Paul give me shit about it. I miss the taste of orange juice and lemonade when it's my turn to drive.

I miss the never-emptied ashtrays, that let you know how much you've smoked in an evening. I miss opening a packet of cigs and offering them around to my friends before taking one myself. People don't do that here. I miss being able to lie on the grass and stare up at the clouds with worrying about what is going to bite me, sting me or eat me. I miss garden centers, on a Sunday afternoon. I miss going for a walk just for the hell of it. I miss people working in stores and restaurants that don't keep their brains in a three ring binder. I miss not having to hear the words 'We have a policy'.

However, I don't miss:

Not getting laid for months on end.

Dark Sarcasm from Bank Managers when you're a little overdrawn. Being Paid monthly. Being terminally broke 28 days out of the month. Getting utility bills only once every three months and scraping around to try and pay the damn thing. Television Licenses. Winds and rains so cold they tear through your very soul. Not being able to spend all night in a pub without some asshole getting pissed at you because you were 'lookin' at me funny'. I don't miss 30 miles being a long ass way. Miles are different in England. Any journey more than 10 miles is a big deal. Over here? Shit, I drive that far to get a six pack. I drive 30 miles each morning to work.

Alright, that's enough for now. John, Dave, Paul, Barry, Steve: Just wanted to let you guys know, I miss you :)