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Ashley’s Interim Adventure In England, First Week

by Ashley on Jan.13, 2012, under Ashley Bingle

So as of yesterday, we have been here an entire week. It has been a very full week, too. As soon as we arrived at the actual OM offices in Carlisle we were toured around and introduced to whoever was in the office on a Thursday right after winter holiday. They were trying hard to keep us awake, and I think it worked, but we certainly don’t remember all the names and faces they pointed out that day.

I am staying with a lady named Becky Barnhart, who has two spare bedrooms in her house, so I get one all to myself. Her house is right near the City Center, and all the shops, just outside the old wall that protected Carlisle Castle. Since it is so close, we have been able to walk back and forth to several places, including the 12-15 minute walk down to 3 Richardson Street, the house where three of the boys are staying alone. They are just around the corner from Keith and Dawn Mallon (and their three girls), who have hosted the boys and I on several nights, as opposed to always eating with Becky.

We spent the end of last week getting oriented and then touring around (town and Hadrian’s Wall). Then on Monday we began in full with the IT work, which we have been doing since then. Each dinner we have been having either with our host families or some team member’s house in particular. Today, Friday, we are on break from all that, and going to another “session” of discussions that is going to last all day until the IT department games evening.

I am more excited about this weekend, because Saturday we visit Edinburgh (yes, in Scotland!) and then Sunday we are going to hike through the Lake District and maybe even go to Keswick (pronounced KEZ-ick). So, this first of two weeks with OM has been pretty good, and we still have more fun stuff left. For now, I’m off to the meeting and then fun, so this is all I have time to say.

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