I Am A Bad Blogger

Yes, it's true. I am a bad blogger. It sure is easy to write about things when they're fresh and new. But settle in, and the drive to write just, well, dries up. Other things take up the space. When I first started my blog about England I felt quite isolated. Imagine that, a country with... Actually, I only know the population of Brighton - 800,000 - and only because my Dad asked me and I looked it up on Wikepedia. The English sure can squish 'em in! It's really the size of Victoria but with that many more people. People that cannot stay on one side of the sidewalk, who cut you off and never apologize. Who bump into you and give a dirty look as if it were your fault. Good at queuing, the Brits, but bad at negotiating any sort of outdoor space.

We went to Prague last month and it was a delight. Yes, the city is beautiful and full of history. This is not what I am referring to. What I mean is that the Czechs (and the thousand of tourists) know how to walk on the street. You stick to one side! It was so relaxing, even amidst throngs of people.

I have an uncanny way of losing my way. Craig and I were on Paros, in Greece many years ago and bickering about directions. I was adamant that I was right so he asked me to take us to the sea. In a huff, I did. Unfortunately, it became obvious ten minutes later that we were obviously going uphill. I had the same problem in Prague. I really did look at the map. But, I also thought that if I just kept walking over the hill I'd end up at the River. Yep. A problem. I refused to get a cab because I need to learn to navigate. I did eventually do it! But not before circling around and ending up at the Charles Bridge twice.

It is our penultimate night here in Brighton. Jay is asleep and I'm trying to "organize" for the movers tomorrow morning. Which is why I'm writing this right now. So, gotta run. See you back in Canada!

Anyone for Some

 

Our Sarah Silverman Adventure

We've gone to the Hammersmith Apollo in London a couple of times now. Both times have been fraught with tension and large sighs as we negotiate the Tube, rush around and generally get upset before arriving at the venue on time and invariably wait for two hours before the main act is on. So, we took this into account when "planning" our trip into the city yesterday to see Sarah Silverman. The tickets said doors at 6:30 and the train takes about 50 minutes, then the Tube from Victoria Station.

Jay came down with a cold after his trip to Dublin and despite my bragging about rarely getting sick, I was feeling poorly by the time Saturday night rolled around. It would have been so simple to just blow the whole thing off, but she's hilarious (and the tickets were expensive). So, we bundled up and walked down to the train. There are two options at the station: purchase the tickets through the wicket or with the machine. I find the machine challenging to figure out and always worry the person behind me is fuming about how long I'm taking. The queue for the wickets is always impossibly long. So, Jay went to buy the tickets as I looked for the platform number and departure time of our train. Strangely, there were no trains to London. And then an announcement came over the loudspeaker (which is only marginally better than the ones they use in airports). There was engineering work being performed on the tracks and we can catch a bus to Hayward's Heath and then take the train in from there. Great!

We packed onto the double decker bus which is so full that we can't sit together. I was right up front and could see my reflection in the windshield. The lights on the bus stayed on but the roadway was very dark. We were flying along very narrow roads at very nice clip. We'd watched many horror movies over the weekend and, well, I felt a little nervous.

Of course nothing bad happened and we arrived safely at the train station, then took the train to London Bridge. It was pretty cool seeing that peeking over the buildings. By the time we got to the theater it was around 8pm. Plenty of time! But no, the foyer was deserted. She was on stage. And had been for a while. And seeing stand-up isn't like seeing a band. There are no real breaks so you can slip into your seat without bothering anyone too much. And the "usher" just told us our seats were "over there". No nice little light shining the way. We watched the remainder of the show by the exit doors, which was fine - great sightlines!

And as for the show, well, it was okay. I had read that she doesn't like doing stand-up much and only does a few shows a year. It showed. And her outfit was hideous. Nevertheless, we laughed. Not tons, but enough to make the whole trip worthwhile.

And the added bonus - I saw Julian Barratt - aka Howard Moon of the "Mighty Boosh". If you're not familiar with it - check it out!

The Big News

Well, the picture pretty much says it all! Jay asked me to marry him last week and I joyfully accepted. We're betrothed! We have no idea when the wedding will be right now as things are still very up in the air in the UK. However, we hope to have some idea if we'll be staying here in the next couple of weeks.

Frondy & Figgy

 

We have two new additions to our home - meet Frondy & Figgy. They are Phoenix roebelinii palms, also known as Pygmy Date Palms. Frondy is pictured above and Figgy is on the deck. It is amazing what a difference plants make! I hadn't realized how much I'd missed having one until Jay bought these.

And, I realize that it is a little juvenile to continually name things, but I just can't help it.

The Royal Pavillion

 
 

I prefer to call it "The Palace"... sounds fancier that way!

Construction Woes

I slept in late this morning, and awoke to a beautiful fall day in Brighton. The sun in shining, the wind is calm... Alas, the peace as shattered, as is has been every day for the last few weeks, by the sound of heavy machinery, saws, hammers, drills, you name it. Our neighbours are doing a massive renovation and the City is putting in new water lines. Last week it was sandblasting and cutting through pavement. The white wall is ours. The wall next to it used to look like ours. You can imagine how much work it was to strip it back down to the flint. I'm told that vegetation into the house - I guess that would be a problem. As for the roadwork, I have to say that the city crew was amazingly efficient. I was a little concerned when we got the letter from the Council that estimated 8 - 16 weeks of work. They were done in just over a week. I just took the photo from our top floor looking west down Victoria Road. You can see St. Michael's in the background. The church was built in the 1850s and boasts some of the finest stain glass in Sussex. I've gone in a couple of times and peeked in and it is incredible. Jay & I meant to go in last weekend for an organ recital, but Paul Kelly & his dad, Harry, were in town, so we met them for lunch instead.

It Seems I've Locked Myself Out!

Silly me! Jay's in a video conference meeting for god only knows how long... Thank god for the pub!!

Not Much to Report

I seems to have blogger's block. And not much is going on. Just enjoying myself here in Brighton. Nick was down on the weekend and that was very fun (although pretty foggy for bits!)



Paul Kelly & his dad, Harry, are coming on Friday for a couple of days and I'm looking forward to seeing them. Saw John Waters in London a while back, which was awesome. Very funny. He's been around, that guy!

So, bear with me, I'm sure I'll have some amusing anecdotes in the next day or so...

I Funny Thing I Thought Up

I have a photographic memory, but unfortunately I left the lens cap on...

I Got My Money Back from Zoom Airlines

Yippee!

I Have A New Friend

And she's human!

Who Says You Need a London A-Z?

I'm scared of taking the London Tube by myself. Which is obviously an embarrassing problem. But, it does have a few advantages... I see things that not everyone gets to, just because I walk. Although, come to think of it, I would probably see way stranger things if I just hopped on the Tube and hoped for the best. I guess my survival instinct kicks in and tells me that is just nuts.

There's a cool thing called room auction/hotel auction or something like that - you can bid on hotel rooms and we were lucky to end up in a five star hotel for $125 USD a night. What a deal! We stayed at the Wyndham Grand in Chelsea Harbour.

One of the great things about London is that pedestrian signage really very good. I started out and followed the Thames Path all the way from Chelsea and ended up at the Tate Britain, where I checked out the Francis Bacon exhibit. Amazing. Along the way I stopped at the Chelsea Physic Garden, which was started in 1673. Every kind of plant you can imagine, it's there. Over 50,000 plants there. I had a lovely cheese plate and chatted with some older English ladies as they drank tea.





















So far, so good! Then I made the fateful decision to cross over to the other side of the Thames and see London for the other side. Again, the signage for the Thames Walk/Riverside Walk was excellent. However, there is a lot of construction going on and I must have missed the sign because all of a sudden I was in Battersea nowhere near the river. The nice thing about the mountains in Vancouver - you can see them from pretty much anywhere. Stupid rivers and their low ways. Did you know that Battersea has the biggest and most famous dog and cat shelter in all of England? I saw it. (Luckily it was closed, or who knows what might have happened.)I finally realized that I wasn't getting anywhere so I turned right. You won't believe it, but I turned right onto Battersea Bridge Road (honestly, I didn't even look at the road sign) and was back on track. Forty five minutes later I was back at the hotel soaking my tired body in the tub.

Sunny Weekend in Brighton

It’s been sunny and warm the last couple of days in Brighton with, surprisingly, very little wind. Jay went into the office on Saturday. I took my tea outside to the patio and soaked up some sun. It’s strange being so high up in our 150 year old townhouse. The sight line to the street is blocked by the similarly tall buildings so it’s as if you’re the only one out there. Other than the rare sound of a passing car, all I can hear is the seagulls. No music, no conversation, just quiet. In the middle of a city with a population of 800,000. On this rare summery day, dozens of boats were cruising around – even saw a couple of waterskiiers. And lots of sailboats – it looked like a regatta farther down in Hove. It certainly didn’t feel like September in England.


Have you ever been walking in a lovely park and then come across a patch of grass where a dozen or so rats are grazing? No? Well, I have! Those little buggers are hard to photograph, though. The groundskeeper figures they were pet rats that someone set loose in the park. They do have a urbane look about them. The are remarkably fearless, although they aren't fond of sudden movements. But, who is, really?




And now for something completely different – went down to Madeira Road for a motorbike show – Ace Café in London was celebrating its 70th anniversary. There were about 30,000 bikes there – every sort of motorbike you can imagine – it was there. Tons of Rockers, a few Mods and a LOT of leather. Our friend from Vancouver, Karen Porter, came down from London. She is doing r&d for her documentary “Ton Up (the Film)” about Rocker life and motorcycle culture. I lent Karen my camera, so didn't get any shots.

I Need a Moggie to Pet!

One advantage our old place had was a tiny green space out front and door access to passing animals. Victoria Road is like a fortress – nobody can get in without permission. Our front door opens directly onto the sidewalk and our other external door is on the fourth floor. I can see out but can’t entice anything to come in.

I often hear our neighbour’s fat tuxedo cat (I’ve named him Nigel) meowing. I can only comfort him by talking to him – I can’t invite him in for a delicious piece of ham. Today I was looking outside and shrocked (which is similar to a shriek, but in a lower pitch) “moggie!!” But, upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a huge orange rabbit on a shed roof. And I mean large and in charge – he’s the size of Phillip! And in need of a good brushing.

I woke up early this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep (stupid bladder) and decided to have a nice bath . I love that we can see the ocean from the bathroom and the kitchen windows. (If you haven’t figured it out yet, our new place rocks!) I looked outside and the first thing I noticed was that the sky was blue. The second was that the bunny was back on the roof. Chewing leaves, looking in the window, hopping around, shedding, sniffing – you know, bunny stuff.

David Sedaris is a God

A couple of years ago, my dear friend Carolyn gave me a book for Christmas – Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. I hadn’t read a book that made me laugh out loud that much ever – even on second and third readings. I (and millions of others) became a devoted fan. Cathy & I went to see him at the Chan Centre in Vancouver two years ago. We had never been there before, and there were some minor mishaps – mostly involving parking, a skill I have not managed to master yet. and brand new knee high boots that were too tight... Anyway, the Chan Centre is beautiful but it is huge – and we had the theatrical equivalent of the nose bleeds, despite the rather steep ticket price. He came out and was brilliant. Of course.

I received the CMPCA News on Friday. What is the CMPCA you ask? It is the Clifton Montpelier and Powis Hill Conservation Area. And, according to the newsletter – “all residents can call themselves members and membership is free”. Alright! Just by living here I’m a member of something and didn’t have to exert one iota (or is that erg?) of energy! So, I read all the articles like a conscientious member and then scanned the events section. There he was in black and white – David Sedaris! There would be no way tickets were still available but Jay & I went down to the book store (the fabulous City Books in Hove) and they did have tickets!! For 6 pounds!! Which included a free glass of wine and 3 pounds off his new book. What a deal. Finally, something that is cheaper in England than at home.

The event was held at the Old Market – a theatre built in 1828 and then remodeled in 1998 – no tiered seating, just fold up chairs squished together to fit the three hundred rabid fans…

Most people showed up early to get their free glass of wine. I got there extra early because Jay doesn’t drink, so I wanted to get my two free glasses. Those literary types kept the bar a hopping! I was chatting with two lovely older English ladies when I looked up and David was standing right in front of me. I had joked to Carolyn via e-mail yesterday that maybe I could stroke his sleeve or at least sneeze on him. This was better! I had brought my copy of his new book, When You Are Engulfed in Flames just in case I was lucky enough to see him. We had a lovely chat – he was charming and adorable. And of course he signed my book.

Booth's Natural History Museum, Part II

I took Jay to Booth's Natural Museum on the weekend. He was impressed, and there was even more stuff than the last time I went. Apparently behind the scenes tours can be arranged where you can check out the thousands of other exhibits they have stored away but don't have the space to show... I can only imagine what they have back there!! The pic is of Herman the Merman. (NB not his real name).

Autumn in England

This it the view from our living room. You can see the ruined pier in the background on the left side... That dilapidated old thing really intrigues me. I wonder how long it will take until it finally sinks below the waves?

I walked down to the sea today and took a couple of photographs. Of course I left from USB cable at home so I can't download them to post. One day I hope to be organized. But for now running back and forth/to and fro because I've forgotten something is my exercise program. (No special gear required.)

During my walk to the sea I realized Brighton is one place where a dollarstore (or poundland here!) umbrella will not cut it. I bought one with an adorable duck handle a few months ago. I used it for the first time and it lasted for all of three minutes.

There's something about getting completely soaked and knowing you can go home and have a nice hot bath and put your pyjamas on. I washed all the towels this morning. They take about four days to dry. We have a combination washer/dryer but the dryer doesn't really work. It didn't work in the last place either. I'm told none of them do. For real. I guess the obvious solution is to buy more towels. Lots more towels.

Lasagna Night

As most of you know, cooking isn't my forte. But I managed to pull off lasagna, garlic bread & salad (all made by me!) last night. We had a friend over for dinner, and he finished his plate. I'm going to take that as a good sign. And, I finally recognized one of my fundamental cooking problems. I don't eat all day, then get nervous and drink way too much, which usually means I don't eat dinner, either.

So, yesterday I went to the pub and ate lunch! Wow! It works!! I was well behaved until MUCH later. Now if I could figure out when to stop before I make the inevitable faux pas. Some many issues, so little time...

Yay! I Wasn't Ripped Off!

Our windows are filthy. And we have four storeys of them. On way to the pub yesterday, I ran into a window washer. And his company is "Bee Clean"! We negotiated a price (well, he named one and I agreed.) Then I handed over the twenty quid and merrily went on my way. It occurred to me halfway down the street that he could easily just walk off with the money. I didn't want to jinx things by writing about it yesterday, so just decided to wait and see. Our windows are no longer scream out "we don't own, we just rent!"

I'm Back in England (Finally)

Zoom Airlines tried to keep me away, but I got here! I flew with Air Canada again, and overall the experience was pretty good. The baggage agent at YVR chastised me for laying my suitcase flat on the conveyor belt commenting "I don't work on my knees". It took a lot of self control not to give her a zippy retort, but I managed to hold my tongue. Ah, the maturity that comes with age.

Our new flat is four levels and has yet to be organized to my satisfaction. I tell, you I'm going to have buns o' steel by the time I'm finished. It never fails that whatever I need, it's on a different floor.

The best feature is the view of the English Channel - just incredible. Last night there was a huge storm and I couldn't sleep... (One would assume I had jet lag, but I really think it was the fact that I had six hour nap in the afternoon.) Anyway, the wind was howling and the waves were churning - it was very exciting. There are views from the kitchen and bathroom, too. I love watching the water change. I find it mesmerizing and calming.

Anyway, that's it for today.

Why do the English drive on the "wrong" side of the road ?

"In days of old, logic dictated that when people passed each other on the road they should be in the best possible position to use their sword to protect themselves. As most people are right handed they therefore keep to their left. This practice was formalized in a Papal Edict by Pope Benefice around 1300AD who told all his pilgrims to keep to the left.

Nothing much changed until 1773 when an increase in horse traffic forced the UK Government to introduce the General Highways Act of 1773 which contained a keep left recommendation. This became a law as part of the Highways Bill in 1835.

Reasons to travel on the right are less clear but the generally accepted version of history is as follows: The French, being Catholics, followed Pope Beneface's edict but in the build up to the French Revolution in 1790 the French Aristocracy drove their carriages at great speed on the left hand side of the road, forcing the peasantry over to the right side for their own safety. Come the Revolution, instincts of self preservation resulted in the remains of the Aristocracy joining the peasants on the right hand side of the road. The first official record of this was a keep right rule introduced in Paris in 1794

France also had quite an empire after the revolutionary wars and the keep right rule spread through much of modern day Europe and to colonies such as Egypt. The connection with the USA is thought to be General Lafayette who recommended a keep right rule as part of the help that he gave the Americans in the build up to the war of Independence. The first reference to keep right in USA law is in a rule covering the Lancaster to Philadelphia turnpike in 1792."


from www.Amphicars.com

Our New Flat!

Our househunt began in earnest last weekend. I looked at about ten properties - the market here is really competitive for rentals, as no one is buying houses at the moment... So, you have to act really fast. I was advised by some people to go to the viewing with the deposit in hand. I felt a little like Goldilocks, too small, too big and then JUST RIGHT! I used a great website called Rightmove which is updated daily. They're really good, actually. Everyone uses agents here - there's very few private rentals. Anyway, I saw this great place and thought it was 4 suites for rent in the same building. Silly Sue - it was four agents trying to rent the same property. I called all four agents and go a hold of Nick - a bit distracted, our Nick, but I was able to look at the place that morning... Oh my!

So, we're justing getting our credit check/reference check done, so it's not 100%, but I'll tell you the details: it's a townhouse. Four floors - tall and skinny - like in Amsterdam. Bottom (basement) is the master bedroom with adjoining shower. Next floor is the second bedroom with a nice big bay window looking over the street with a little room with a toilet and sink. Next floor is bathroom and modern kitchen with dishwasher, washer/dryer and stainless appliances. Upstairs is the living room with big built in shelves and the coup de grace - a little deck with a view of the English Channel from France to the SW tip of England. It's so great!! I thought I was going to pop a piston! Had to get Jay to confirm I'd found the house of our dreams, and he did that very afternoon. It's perfectly located - actually just a couple of blocks from our present flat. Close to everything. Jay can walk to work in about 10 minutes.

I don't have any pics (yet) of the inside, but will post them when I do!

Booth's

This natural history museum is just fantastic. I've read about it a couple of times and it seemed a bit lame, but I have been proved incorrect. I love it! And will be going back... Apparently that have more than 500,000 specimens there. I believe it. It was stuffed (pardon the pun) full of exhibits! Don't you just love the squirrels playing poker? And couldn't help taking a photo of the Canada goose - they poop less and are much quieter in this environment. And, like most museums here, it was free!

The View from Kemp Town Beach on Sunday Night

 

We were invited to a beach barbeque with our friends Ian & Fleur. They are both fantastic and there was a lot of laughs. Especially about the hopeless nature of the "barbeque". Forget propane! This was a bona fide portable/disposable hibatchi like contraption - didn't get all that hot, but we managed!

Brighton Sewer Walk

This morning, bright and early, we met up at Palace Pier to embark on our Brighton sewer walk. It was beautiful this morning - cloudless sky, nice and warm, even at 9:15. Perfect time to go underground into the sewer!

We were outfitted in hard hats and latex gloves. I used this opportunity to show off my fabulous bee wellingtons!

The smell - not as bad as you'd think, but not very nice, either. They warned us about sewer rats, but I didn't see any. Did see other nibblies, though! The jokes - you can imagine what they were like. My favourite was "poovenir".

The tunnels themselves were impressive. Those Victorian engineers really knew what they were doing. The tunnels are made of brick four layers deep. They estimate they used 7 million to build them. The tunnels were designed in an egg shape, which helps propel the water through the tunnels and breaking up large bits of debris (you know what I mean by debris!) We finished the tour by climbing up a ladder and exiting via a manhole by the Royal Pavilion. Great tour!

If you're interested in learning more:

www.southernwater.co.uk/homeAndLeisure/daysOut/brightonSewerTours

Dead Birds

Heather e-mailed me reporting she had found a bird carcass in the apartment this morning. We agreed that it is way better to find the body than to try and save them as they're frantically bashing into windows and such and all the cats are kill mode.

When Pony was just little another neighbourhood cat taught him how to hunt. It was obvious that they were in cahoots. The other cat never came by to eat or try and move in - it was purely a professional relationship. I have a great picture of him with one of his first kills but the photo is at home. I thought I'd put up a couple of other cute ones of my boy.

Another time Arthur had a poor little bird in the house. I valiantly tried to save it. I managed to pick him up and put him back in the tree outside my apartment. Alas, it was all in vain. Arthur nimbly jumped up into the tree and grabbed him. Bye bye birdie...

Something new every day

 

It is very difficult to find bedding that is: (a)100% cotton; (b)any colour other than white. Why? Who knows.

Today I miraculously found coloured 100% Egyptian cotton sheets and pillowcases. I couldn't tell how many cases were in the package so I asked the clerk. Apparently here an "Oxford" is one pillowcase and a "Housewife" is two (and costs a pound less!). Go figure!!

Funny Kitty Story

You gotta check this out!

news.yahoo.com/s/afp/japantourismanimalcatoffbeat

Hockey

Who says England knows nothing of hockey? We're watching Detroit v. Pittsburgh right now. Yes, it's 3:30am, but it's on!

Some Updates

This boiler thing has really got me worked up. But, you will be thrilled to find out that I have FINALLY fixed it. The water pressure is still terrible, but the hot water is a go! Maybe I can get a job as a boiler technician!

On a sadder note, something has happened to my kitty friend, Ginger. I'm hoping he's either on vacation or has found a new hangout, but I haven't seen him in almost two weeks.

Jay got back from Korea and had a very successful trip. It sure is great to have him back. It's a long weekend here and a bunch of us are going to Lemurland! I'll promise to take lots of photos. I've been a little slack in that area lately, but I'll do better.

I've also been slack in my Wii play - I did another fitness test and I've gone up by 8 years.

I also recommend "Happy-Go-Lucky" - Mike Leigh's new movie. Very upbeat without being too sappy.

Alrighty then - ta ta for now!

Perhaps

My cat, Pony, died. I have his ashes here with me in England. I like to joke, "he's the first cat I brought over". Tonight I finally really mourned him and cried. No, I wept for the loss of him, for the beauty of him, and for the absence of him. How can you ever replace your first kitty love?

A Neat Thing I Discovered Today

Remember my "itsy bitsy spider"? Well, another spider showed up today and I was showing him the door when I accidentally flipped him over. He curled up and went still, like a caterpillar. Made it much easier to put him back outside!

Appliances

There are things we take for granted in Canada. Hot water and water pressure have be at the top of my list. Our tub takes more than an hour to fill and a shower is out of the question. Our flat has a small boiler that heats the radiators and the hot water. I read the manual several times - I was endeavoring to turn off the central heating as it's quite warm here now and it seemed like an enormous waste of energy.

I thought I had achieved success, but actually made things worse - the hot water would only stay on for a few minutes. I don't think the boiler was actually firing at all! So I re-read the manual and peered at the boiler like Mole from "Wind in the Willows" incessantly. I finally ascertained that it wasn't pressurized properly. I called the appliance company and they walked me through the procedure to re-pressurize it. Ridiculously simple, really! But, there still isn't a lot of hot water. I feel like I'm camping. I hate camping.

The knob on the dishwasher broke. I'm still trying to figure that one out. I'm not naturally handy, but I'm learning...

London

Last weekend Jay and I went to London. We stayed in a lovely hotel - this is the view...



Our first night we went to see Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at the Hammersmith Apollo Theater. It was my first Nick Cave show. Cathy saw him in Montreal and said the show was "a religious experience for the secular". I wouldn't go that far, but he does put on quite a show.

Saturday we visited the Tate Britain - you really can along take in some much art a time. There is so much in there. I saw one of my favorite paintings - the Lady of Shalott. Of course, no photos inside the gallery, but I did take a side view of the gallery.



We then wandered around London. Man there are a lot of people there! And we were in prime tourist real estate on a sunny Saturday. Fighting crowds is a little frustrating. But, saw everything a good tourist should! Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, Parliament Buildings, Carnaby Street, the Eye.

This little guy was on a lamp post and i couldn't resist taking his picture.



We were planning on seeing Wicked, but couldn't get very good seats so decided to come up during the week at a later day. It is supposed to be fantastic (the book certainly was) and I really want to see it. We ended up going to a comedy club for the midnight show. Six comedians, including two Canadians. What are the chances of that happening? There was another Vancouverite in the audience, too. I've never seen stand-up live before and it was great.

We got up late on Sunday morning and had to race to the London Dungeon after breakfast because footie (Man Utd. v. Wigan) was on at 3pm. The Dungeon tour was interesting (not very scary, but I did jump a couple of times). We were stuck with a huge group of Belgians - large numbers never move very fast do they? And no one wanted to be in the front and be singled out by the tour guides.

I thought they did a pretty good job. The tour takes you through history, starting with the plague in 1665. There are a couple of rides along the way - yay! At the end, a sweet mini hellevator drop from the gallows. They take a snap shot when the ride drops. Jay looks calm as ever, but I look terrified. I did scream, I fully admit it!

And then, football. Here's us in the pub...

 

I just could not resist buying this off e-bay (it came all the way from china). It's really like Phillip on a bad day.

Baby Needed Some New...

 
 
 

And now Baby is happy!

Not So Itsy Bitsy Spider

I fell asleep on the couch last night and this morning I was folding up the blanket when I discovered a new friend. I really hope it came in this morning.

Arundel Castle

I've been pretty busy since my last post and the weather here is incredible - cloudless hot days with a nice breeze. Hope that doesn't mean that it will rain the rest of the summer...

On Sunday a group of us went to check out Arundel Castle, which is one of the oldest country "homes" in England. The motte (a tall artifical mound) is the oldest part of the castle - built in 1068. I was born in 1968, and using my incredible powers of mathematics (or "maths" as they like to say here), that means this place is 900 years older than I am!

It was really incredible - gorgeous gardens, private chapel, the view from the Keep.

An Update on My Wii Status

You'll be happy to hear I did another Wii "fitness" assessment today and I've dropped 18 years! Now I'm only 43 (luckily I look and feel much younger than that). For those of you that don't know, the target age is 20. So, I've got some more training to do. I'm telling you, the tennis training is quite a work out - I was glowing up a storm (read: sweating) this morning... Then I tried Guitar Hero for the first time. I'm really working on becoming well rounded in my cyber talents.

my beach rock

 
 
 

I found this rock on the beach - I'm told that if I had left it there, the tiny rock inside of it would have eventually bored it's way compelety through.

Luckily, I'm not that bored.