Last Minute Plans,

I know this has been said before ages ago (heck, I might have even said it!), but as the weather begins to get lush again, one thing I do miss is the concept of "last minute plans". It feels like everybody over here needs to have plans made in advance. I'm assuming due to transportation purposes more than anything else as in the US, you are pretty much driving 99% of the time and here it's a bit more of a hassle. I have to say, I miss having my friends I could just last minute meet up and have a coffee with (not to mention, I get a lot of grief for having an iced coffee -but that's a side topic that I felt like has been brought up before as well) or last minute drinks. Just an "I'm in the area, meet up?" or even just a "it's gorgeous out! shall we go get a coffee and chit chat?". Now that I have a dog as well, it makes me miss wanting to take the dog out with a friend to get a coffee, a chat, and a walk about with the dog.

Anybody else feeling the same?

I'm in complete agreement with you.  Every time I've tried to organise something last minute with British people, they get angry that I didn't tell them a week ago.  We finally found another family that goes out for tourism on the weekends and plans it at the last minute.  We text each other (gasp!)! the night before and sometimes they say yes and other times the say "we've got something else planned ".  No problem , but of course they are Spanish.  Try this with British people and they'll soon let you know this is not on.

To be fair, my husband and I have two close friends that live in the same village as us. They are okay to text early in the day and say "video game sesh at ours tonight?" but other than that, all the other people I've met you CANNOT make last minute plans with! As you said, they get annoyed/angry that I didn't know I wanted to spend an hour getting a coffee and having a stroll 3 weeks ago! lol

Also, in fairness, I find it quite hard making my own friends here even after 2.5 years (my husband's friends are great but I struggle to find my own friends I can meet up with) and it might come down to the fact that in the US, you can get a quick cup of coffee or go on a quick shopping trip with somebody last minute and it's not the end of the world and that's how you get to know people better but I wouldn't necessarily put myself out there with somebody I don't know too well to make plans in advance.

It took me three years to get my English friends in Reading to get together for dinner. They have never got themselves organized to do it again despite them mentioning they want to and go as far as giving each other ideas where to go. It's maddening! It's worse when you realize we last went out together in 1999, I left the UK in 2004 and even a member of our group passed away in 2012. I'm thinking, it "may" not happen.

I have a Scottish friend here in Houston. She texted me on Wednesday that she wanted to meet for a coffee "sometime". I told her I was free at that moment. It's now Monday and I'm still waiting for a reply. Argh!

It took me three years to get my English friends in Reading to get together for dinner. They have never got themselves organized to do it again despite them mentioning they want to and go as far as giving each other ideas where to go. It's maddening! It's worse when you realize we last went out together in 1999, I left the UK in 2004 and even a member of our group passed away in 2012. I'm thinking, it "may" not happen.

I have a Scottish friend here in Houston. She texted me on Wednesday that she wanted to meet for a coffee "sometime". I told her I was free at that moment. It's now Monday and I'm still waiting for a reply. Argh!

I only just moved from Reading a few months ago and I would've killed for somebody to go and just grab a coffee or lunch or dinner or a drink with! Especially because there was SO many options in Reading! There were a few times it was so gorgeous out when walking home from the train station that I would text a friend who also lived in reading to see if they wanted to get a drink before I left the centre (i lived walking distance as did they) but they would give a "Oh! It's  bit last minute! Wish you had told me sooner!" type response. Not so much because they had other plans (which I totally respect, but more because they had already sorted out what they wanted for dinner and what time they'd eat, etc. - which I also totally appreciate but I think it's just harder for people to make plans on the fly here vs in the US! Wasn't sure if it was just me having those issues or not haha. As I said, I do think it all comes down to the "commute" to hang out over here as compared to the US (where you are already prepared to drive regardless of where you're going) but it does make a person a bit lonely sometimes!

My husband and I talk about this all the time! Thankfully we've got friends who live close by who are open to last-minute plans, but all our other friends seem like they need written invitations well in advance! It's so frustrating.

My husband and I talk about this all the time! Thankfully we've got friends who live close by who are open to last-minute plans, but all our other friends seem like they need written invitations well in advance! It's so frustrating.

hah yeah it's pretty much ONLY our friends close by we can do things lastminute.com with. It seems like everybody else needs to know a week in advance that I might feel like I want to go to the pub the following Friday. With last minute plans, like I said, I totally appreciate people not being able to make it but I do get confused the people that can't seem to understand the concept of deciding last minute that you're bored and you'd like to get together even for like half hour to an hour!

I used to work in Reading and went out to lunch by myself most days.  I would have been happy to meet up, especially at my favourite Jamaican place.  Oh well.

I used to work in Reading and went out to lunch by myself most days.  I would have been happy to meet up, especially at my favourite Jamaican place.  Oh well.

I don't live in Reading anymore - moved to Crowthorne, but is the Jamaican place you are talking about the one that's by Grey Friars?

I don't work in Reading any more either.

The Jamaican place I liked was near the Oracle, opposite a tiny square with a memorial, near the Bang and Oulsen shop and across the square fro Greggs and the Sony Shop.  They made fantastic oxtail over rice with a side of Mac N Cheese.  Sometimes I stuck out like a sore thumb when I ate there, but everyone was nice. 

I don't work in Reading any more either.

The Jamaican place I liked was near the Oracle, opposite a tiny square with a memorial, near the Bang and Oulsen shop and across the square fro Greggs and the Sony Shop.  They made fantastic oxtail over rice with a side of Mac N Cheese.  Sometimes I stuck out like a sore thumb when I ate there, but everyone was nice.

I lived in Reading before the Oracle was built. I used to work for the Reading Evening News and I remember seeing the page layouts of the "plans" for the shopping center. I haven't been to Reading since 1999. The fact that it's now got a Jamaican restaurant pleases me. I remember that it was the only town for miles that had a Subway back in 1998. That was as exciting as things got then. I may have to go for a visit to the town next year when I visit. It will be nice to take my 19-year-old to visit his "hometown". I bet it's really changed so much from my memories. Is Heelas still Heelas or is it now John Lewis? I remember that was a topic of conversation amongst locals then. But, it's interesting to note that the people haven't changed much with their strange inability to go out spontaneously.

oxtail over rice

So good. A side of fried plantains are nice too.

So good. A side of fried plantains are nice too.

Yeah, they did those as well.  And curried mutton, roughly chopped up with the bones still there.  I had trouble getting people to go because you'd get a plate full of sharp bones. 

You know it's odd I had to move from Florida to Britain to discover Caribbean cuisine.

I lived in Reading before the Oracle was built. I used to work for the Reading Evening News and I remember seeing the page layouts of the "plans" for the shopping center. I haven't been to Reading since 1999. The fact that it's now got a Jamaican restaurant pleases me. I remember that it was the only town for miles that had a Subway back in 1998. That was as exciting as things got then. I may have to go for a visit to the town next year when I visit. It will be nice to take my 19-year-old to visit his "hometown". I bet it's really changed so much from my memories. Is Heelas still Heelas or is it now John Lewis? I remember that was a topic of conversation amongst locals then. But, it's interesting to note that the people haven't changed much with their strange inability to go out spontaneously.

I don't think you and I are even talking about the same town!  It must have changed so much from 1999 that I am sure you wouldn't recognise anything.

I can't even get my head around Reading without the Oracle.  What's Heelas?  That's not the strange sewing store where they don't even trust the women working there to make change?  They had a central cash office upstairs and they had to shoot the money around in vacuum tubes.  Every transaction took forever!