ah yes welcome back from one of the many armpits of the U.S.

a fun place, but, meh..i dunno, it's not the best place to go for your first trip into the states.
all your concerns about us...most americans have about you english folk. I personally love the english dry/dark sense of humor, and have grown rather tired of the 'slap stick' comedy that seems to have taken over the majority of tv these days.
anyway, glad to have you back!
