Keys!

Nice way to kill the suspense right off the bat, eh? I have the keys! So I am, indeed, checking out of the evah-so-lovely hotel tomorrow. I'll miss the breakfast every morning though, bummer. Plus, the staff have been really nice.

Anyway, let's start at the beginning of this crazed day, shall we?

So, I slept in again, the interview wasn't until 1PM, I really wasn't nervous about it and again, I'm allowed to do that, I have no boss ;) So I rolled my unemployed lazy self out of bed around 8:15 (in my defence though, I'd set the alarm for 8:50) and wandered down for breakfast...took my time munching and came back up to the room to get ready. My plan was to leave here at 11:30 (for a 20 minute tube ride to the interview), "just in case" I got lost. Shyeah, that's a given. Plus, with the whole money wiring thing still in limbo, I was hoping to check email just before the interview, in case the bank manager replied when she first got in with more questions.

So imagine my amused annoyance when I got out of the shower shortly after 9:30 and suddenly had no net connection. Right then, moving right along, I got dressed, checked www.totalhotspots.com for the nearest wifi spot near the interview and set off, laptop in tow. I'd assumed that with the office a mere 22 minute tube ride from my current very central location, that it was still well within the London I love. But when we were still 4 stops away, I saw (cue Psycho music, please) The Suburbs! Oh dear. So on we rolled, farther into hell and I got out at my stop. And if you thought I was horrified at the sight of suburbia out my window, I can assure you, I was more horrified at the surroundings of my possibly-future-employer.

For you Washingtonians, think east of the Anacostia, only skankier. There were signs of revitalization, with new and nice-looking flats down the street, but still...this wasn't starting on a high note. So, I looked around in a futile attempt to get my bearings and wandered out into the Roundabout of Death in what I thought was on my way to the interview.

And this, boys and girls, is the point in our story when I was very nearly in need of one of two things: the lovely free health care here or a coffin. You see, I crossed the Roundabout of Death that was completely not intended for pedestrians 4 times before I realized I was going the wrong way. Almost got pancaked many times, but I survived!

On my final trek in the wrong direction, I saw the office across the street. Only by "street" I mean a psychotic motorway with 6 lanes, all with tiny lanes and equally psychotic drivers going 60 MPH...so I had to walk back from whence I'd come in order to get there, rather than cross the aforementioned psychotic motorway. At this point, I had written the whole job off...there was no way I'd put up with this every day. But I figured at least the interview was good practice.

When I finally got on the correct merry way, I realized that to get to the office, you go down a nonskanky bike path and do not, in fact, cross the Roundabout of Death. Well, shortly on my way down this lovely path, a feeling crept up in my foot that women everywhere can relate to. That agonizing, stinging, searing pain of a blister...on top of my toe, from my regulation cute, suit-matching shoes. I stopped on a bench and mercifully, had a tissue in my bag, which I put on the offending blister and all was well again.

So now, what with my very-early departure, even with the roundabout debacle, I was in front of the office building nearly an hour early...and the nearest hotspot was a half a block away, at a Mcdonalds, funny enough. So off I went to kill time.

I didn't have the nerve to go *in* the McDonalds, since I wasn't buying anything, so I sat in the little outdoor picnic-type area. And so, of course, could barely see my screen (the sun was actually out in full force)...so I go to connect to the wifi and it was £6 an hour! Good Lord. But blah, I did it anyway...it was 60 minutes, at least, not a consecutive hour.

No email about the wire and eventually, it was time to go do the interview. And it went very well I think, both interviewers were very nice and it just seemed to flow really well. I had to take a numerical reasoning test and I ran out of time, but I think I did okay...it was kind of a fun test, except I didn't get to find out how I did :( So what with the bike path and the niceness of the interviewers, and the coolness of the job, I've had a bit of a change of heart...we'll see.

So, since I'd paid £6 for my stupid connection at McDonalds and it was now well into the workday westward, I went back to use up the rest of my hour...and good thing I did! The bank manager needed a bit more info, so passing on the request to the leasing agent, I left good old Mickey D's and came back to the hotel. I zoned out and missed my transfer stop, so wasted a bit of time, but long story short, everything was all set by 5ish and I raced off to sign the lease and get the keys.

The agent and I chatted a bit and off I strolled, with a signed tenancy agreement and flat keys in hand! I spent about an hour tonight wandering South Ken, half excited, half feeling sorry for myself that it's Friday, I need to celebrate and I barely know anyone to celebrate with, but that will change!

I think I have afternoon tea plans tomorrow and perhaps plans on Sunday, but in trying to juggle both plans, I may have screwed up both of them. Oops. But I'm doing a meetup.com thing Tuesday night...so it's weird, I'm a little sad that one aspect of the adventure portion of our story is over. Just one week ago, I had just arrived with The Suitcases and I was totally overwhelmed and living in a hotel. And now? I have a London address, I'll soon have a bank account...life's about to become a little more mundane ;)