Poker

Early on I found a great little pub called the Old Windmill. This place is worthy of a post on its own, but it is only made better by the poker nights. First, the walls are not square. Not many proper English pubs have square walls, and this is no different. There are plenty of oddly shaped rooms. The bar staff is friendly and they make it a great place to enjoy a pint.

It turns out that the Windmill has poker on Tuesday and Thursday night. Tuesday is league poker, play for free, win a trophy, go to a regional tournament. About 20 people play on any given night. Thursday is a cash game with 10 - 15 people. It's a single, inexpensive buy-in for £5 (I don't care to play for more). Once Stella arrived I'd already played the previous week (and won), so I taught her how to play. It has been great fun and we've had a lot of fun meeting people.

Everyone assumes that we are born playing poker because we're American. Sure, I've played before, for pennies, and occasionally (once a year, or so) home games for $20. I never really learned strategy until now, and I really enjoy it. More than simply a logic game it adds the element of understanding how your move will affect the other players, and how their moves reveal what they have. I have certainly made some poor moves, but I learn each time. Stella is also performing well at the game, and we always enjoy ourselves.

On not driving...

I knew I wouldn't need to drive much in this country, but I thought certainly I needed a car to get back and forth to work. I looked around and found the cheapest car that was mechanically sound. Then I checked on insurance. It was double the purchase price of the car, mainly because I don't yet have a British driving license. Luckily there are plenty of options here. The driving test is much more difficult to pass and many people fail repeatedly. In theory the quality of driving is higher, but you still find younger people, or folks with sports cars that love to speed.

Anyhow, it is a chicken and egg problem, but either way, tougher driving tests and more transit options go together well. You might toss really expensive petrol (gas) in the mix as well. The buses are ubiquitous and utilitarian. We moved to a flat near the bus station so that Stella could get to work, and as it happens, it is my preferred method now as well. In fact, I have come to really enjoy it. I have a nice walk in the morning to perk me up (in addition to tea and/or coffee) and I don't have to fight with traffic. I grab a seat, read a book or a newspaper and arrive a bit refreshed. The evenings are even better. Again, no traffic, just a nice book and someone to drive me.

Looking at the costs this really makes sense for us. There is a rental car place in walking distance. If we want to drive somewhere we can rent for the weekend much cheaper than owning for life. Notice the use of "want". There really isn't much "need" to drive anywhere. It's a beautiful thing. We have a cart that we take to the grocery store, veg market and butcher shop. Our legs have served us quite well, and we are fitter as a result.

I mentioned that Stella might need the bus to work. Having gotten into better shape we have discovered another, less expensive form of transit. The bike. More on the specific later, but the cost of a gym membership for the two of us, and bus pass for Stella for the next six months was more than enough to fund an investment in cycles and the accessories we need. Her commute is about two miles, so a bus is likely to take longer. At five miles, I'll need to be in better shape before I ditch the bus.