Happy birthday Sarah

I was meant to have some friends around this evening for a take away and a DVD, but thy bailed as 1 of them got Olympic ticket and another had to work. Worked out well because when I planned movie night, I forgot it was Sarah's birthday. So... I got to help her celebrate her last year of her 20s! Happy birthday Sarah


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They've arrived - yipee!

Tickets for the Olympics arrived today - yea! Getting excited!!!




Was pleasantly surprised that the tickets came with a travel card for London for the day (that'll save me and my sister about £25). Bonus!!

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Birthdays galore

So Saturday night I was at Will's Prohibition birthday bash and this afternoon was birthday lunch with Louise. I was fashionably late (only by an hour) but made it in time to sing happy birthday which is the important bit, right?




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The Roaring 20s

This evening I went to a  fancy dress Prohibition party to celebrate my friend, Will's, birthday. The alcoholic beverages were served in tea cups, beer had been relabeled "oranje juice", and we congergated in the back room by candle light - "just in case the police raided the party" :-)  A fun night!



My Flapper dress costume, complete with sparkly headband, matching feather


... and cigarette holder thingy

The man of the hour, Will, and I

Vicki and I, distracted by the wall.
(Vicki and I became friends when we worked togehter a couple years ago; I know Will through Vicki)

 

 

The night wouldn't have been complete if we didn't break out the Charleston!

 

Great city I live in

Last night my flatmate, Xander, got me a ticket for a music festival where Macy Gray was headlining in the city. I went in with Mark (my old neighbour) and noticed the Olympic rings had been put up on Tower Bridge - how cool of a city do I live in?! Music Festival, Olympics, Tower Bridge - I'm a pretty lucky gal.

You have to look close, but you can JUST make out the rings on Tower Bridge behind us

Macy Gray in action....

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Mister Right?

Check out this advertisement I saw on the tune this eve...




Now check out the people under the sign. I don't think mister right was sitting there. It did make me laugh though!

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Jenny came to town

My sister* came to London! after wondering about the streets for a while and a failed attempt at getting food somewhere, we stumbled across "The Dinner". Loads of unhealthy American grub on offer, so great! Jen had a sloppy Joe while I opted for a taco salad and we split some chilli cheese fries and mac & cheese.



Dessert was a must - chocolate & peanut butter milkshakes.



I think the only apt way to describe our exit from The Dinner is that we "rolled out" some 10lbs heavier! Thanks for coming to visit, was great to see you!

* Patty and John tool me under their wings and "adopted" me as part of their family when I moved to England. They are my English family. Jenny is their oldest daughter - a mere 2 weeks older than I.

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Bye Aran

I met Aran a couple weeks ago and he's leaving ... when you meet someone cool why don't they stay? Rubbish! I missed his leaving do last night so I told him I'd send him off with banners and balloons today.

Happy traveling new friend.





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A very sad day

My grandfather passed away last night. I love him SO very much and will miss him terribly. He wasn't just a great grandfather, he was a great man.







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Happy St Paddy's Day

... from Northern Ireland!

When in Rome... Guinness and Rugby.









Watching England v Ireland rugby match


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Food, friend and four

... Connect 4 that is. Last night I met Warna (a friend who I met ice skating) after work for dinner. We ended up at a pub which had connect 4, so while we waited for our food to arrive we played. Warna got tired of loosing (this was the decide game in a row that she lost so while I took the picture, she made sure to connect four ... A few times :-)
Fun night was had!


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Glass an chocolate

Cameron and I went to a glass exhibition in town today...







... followed by a trip to Borough Market where I couldn't resist trying one of these bad boys!











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It's pancake day!

Yummy!


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Weekend in the Midlands

Last weekend I headed "home" to the Midlands (where my surrogate family live). I felt like I saw a lot of friends but didn't get to spend long with anyone!

Friday night I stopped with Sam and Nick. We went to a pub for dinner and Nick finally relented to playing a game on his phone with Sam. I was rubbish so I let them play.



Saturday morning (after my jog to work off the chocolate cake I had Friday night) I had my hair trimmed. I was a bit bored and wanted a change. My hairdresser told me to change something in my life; my hair suited me and he wasn't going to chop it off. Takes a good hair dresser to do that.

After my hair appointment, I headed to visit Ken who's been poorly bless him. Saturday evening I spent with my surrogate parents, Patty and John. We went for an Indian and then stopped by a pub before grabbing a DVD and heading home.

Sunday morning was church and then I headed up to Nottingham to have lunch with Duncan, and old friend. I was everywhere and nowhere! Good to see everyone though!


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The Adams fam-a-lee (duh duh duh dum)

A very lovely family that I know from the midlands were visiting London this weekend and invited me to lunch. I often harass them for coming to London and not meeting me, so I was only too happy to hear that they were coming this weekend and free for lunch.

Jake, their oldest son, decoded to try and blow a whole through a piece of ice. Right up my alley - loved it. Loved it even more that he managed to do it!



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Who doesn't love a hand-me-down

I've had my eye on my sister's ring for years. I even asked her to buy me one for Christmas a few years ago, she got me the earrings instead of the ring :-(

Since my sister doesn't wear the ring much anymore she decided I could have it for a discounted price ;-) I very much enjoyed wearing it today!


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Wifi on a plane?

This is totally weird for me - I'm blogging whilst 10,000 feet in the air. Apparently some planes have free wifi these days - who knew?!

Left my grandparents in Virginia this morning (sad) and headed to Arkansas to visit my sister & family and my parents.

I got up early this morning (a shocker to all that know me) so papa and I could make one final trip to Dunkin Donuts. I have a picture, but it's on my camera, not my phone so I'll have to post later.


The taxi driver took this before I left. I wanted to get a picture with both my grandparents but I didn't give my grandmother enough time to get up before I left.


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Christmas Eve activity

My grandfather has been entranced by my work out sessions since I've been visiting. He keeps telling me he's impressed by my workouts. I'm sure my grandfather, being an ex-marine, would have put me to shame when he was my age. Never-the-less he got photographic evidence of my Christmas eve workout (had to work off all those treats!)

A few punches

Press ups

tricep dips - ouch

Love this shot - pain and sweat, the sign of a good work out

Christmas with my grandparetns

Today was a quiet start to Christmas - no small children anxiously waking the adults to let them know Santa had been. I cooked sausage biscuits for my grandfather (something I was looking forward to as I can't get them in England, but the biscuits were a bit doughy and over done - rats!)

After breakfast my grandfather headed back to bed (I think he's stolen the cold I'm trying to get over) and I put the turkey in the oven. About an hour before the turkey was done I took it out to remove the foil so the skin would crisp up. Unfortunately I also managed to spill turkey juice all over the kitchen floor.

So I mopped the floor before I got in trouble :-)

Papa snapping the green beans

...while Nana did her nails :-)

Nana got tired of pictures (while I peeled sweet potatoes in the background)

Nana juggling the green beans, potatoes and gravy

Beautiful turkey!

Who said carving was man's work

I was trying to get Papa to smile for a picture - he showed me his dinner instead

empty plates, full tummies

After dinner, me and my grandparents

Opening presents

Papa with Whitman's chocolate assortment - apparently these remind him of his childhood

Papa mentioned earlier this week that Nana needed some kind of buzzer to let him know she'd heard him. SO I got the closest thing I could find - a very loud bike horn :-) It amused her greatly

Papa with pictures of his great granddaughter

Cheryl got me earrings. Papa got a very scary smile from me

...and he had a few issues with the camera. I thought this was a fun shot :-)

My favourite Girl Scout cookies from my parents

Nana cleaned the kitchen, Papa went to take a nap, and I was left alone with a camera and Christmas decorations - what's a girl to do?