Back in the Game

So it's been quite a few days since I set up Kate and Crumpets, and the honest answer for the lack of posts since then, is that I'm very lazy. But, vacation's over!
Classes have started, Joe is off to Hong Kong, and I'm all by my lonesome in the big city.
I've taken the wondrous advice of my followers, and I've found an Oyster card (discount card for the Tube), and I'm learning the cheap eats and free entertainment that comes with being poor in an ungodly expensive town.
It's funny getting to know a city from the outsiders' perspective because I'm sure the things that I've noticed and become charmed by are the seemingly silly things Londoners would never pay attention to. As I've been settling in, most of my first "oh that's so cute of them!" moments have come from observations of food and fashion.
Some of my new favorite things are British cooking shows on the BBC, Cadbury's Mint Aero chocolate bar, all-butter shortbread cookies with tea - and the afternoon tea and snack is an excellent meal that I intend to import. The new fashion here for ladies is skinny jeans tucked into really cool tall boots of all shapes and sizes. Londoners cannot seem to figure out what side of the street they want to walk on, and they like very strange sandwich concepts - butter and ham, cheese and pickle, prawn and mayonaise... all delicious, I assure you. The town also seems to be obsessed with chain restaurants - all UK chains, but still chains - the most notable is Pret for sandwiches, and Starbucks which is EVERYWHERE.
In the past week I've gotten to know the other American MBAs who are in town for the term at both LBS and LSE, and so far we have an excellent crew who have excellent priorities - the email question is always "where are we drinking tonight and where are we travelling to this weekend?"
The weather has been surprisingly good lately, little rain, and a balmy 40+ daily which is nice running weather.
Since tomorrow is the US's big day, the UK is actually really going a little apeshit over it. I've been absolutely shocked by how many bars and big public spaces are going to be holding huge events and parties to watch the inauguration tomorrow, and of course there are fancy balls and parties as well. Normal, average Brits seem to be very excited for tomorrow, and the first thing anyone asks me when I say where I'm from is, "Are you excited about Obama?!" Yes, we are all excited, and tomorrow promises to be an evening filled with cheeseburgers, ketchup, Coka Cola Classic, and other traditional homestyle comfort food to celebrate the occasion!