You Know You've Been Living in Leeds for a Month When...

I got so excited this morning when the weather lady on BBC 1 Breakfast said it was going to be a high of 4 degrees. Wahoo! Over 0 means that my nose and ears don't have that sensation of being frozen onto my head. I actually managed a celebratory fist pump with my left hand while drinking coffee out of the mug in my right hand, before that same wicked weather lady added, "Though, due to the winds, it will feel more like -2 or below." My celebratory fist pump quickly transitioned to shaking my fist at the weather map showing more snow flurries coming in from the east.

When I first arrived, my morning walks made me feel a little sad as everyone walked freakishly fast with their heads down, double hoods pulled over their ears and not even a brief look up as they passed. I have now joined the ranks of those who have memorized every step of their morning commute and I too can speed walk without looking up (besides the occasional crosswalk, where I still try to provoke a smile out of someone huddling around the stoplight waiting for our green man). It's hard to get people to smile back in the morning, but I've snagged at least one smile on every morning commute (and I rarely have to double back to get one ;-)

This is, by far, my favorite morning train ride. It's ridiculously long, with over two hours on the train, each way. But it's all worth it on the train ride between Manchester Victoria and Atherton. There is a center for training guide dogs en route, and I make sure to sit in the guide dog car, which is always the middle car of the train. In doing so, I get to be surrounded by labs on the final leg of my train journey. Most of them are all business, dedicated to their people, sitting loyally upright beside them. But this one black lab, my new best friend on Wednesday mornings, is not as business-like. He enjoys a good petting - he just can't help himself. Two Wednesdays in a row, he and his person have taken the seat beside me, and while all of the dogs stand in disciplined attention, my new best friend oozes down my leg and offers his chin and head for a good, thorough petting. It's as if he's swallowed all of the love and warmth in the world and he lets me feel it in exchange for a good head rub. The stop before Atherton, he perks up and joins the ranks of dedicated, disciplined guide dogs. I can almost feel the other dogs rolling their eyes at his indiscretions... and I know his person is well aware of what he's doing.. but it's our shared little secret and I do so look forward to it. It makes me think of Gracie and how she is most likely snoring peacefully beside my parents' bed as I am on a train to Atherton... and I hope she can feel me petting her lovingly in her dreams.