I completed my first week at my new job. Work is exhausting! I'm working with dogs again, and they are rangy, heavy, nippy and challenging. Oh, my aching back. Gotta start stretching in the morning! I fell asleep on the couch last night and nothing Jay did could dissuade me from staying there (i.e. all night). I woke up bright and early having to pee. No doubt because Phillip (who now weighs a hefty 17.5lbs) was on my stomach. I thought I would go back to Hastings Park and see what the new developments were.

It was obvious immediately that my supposition that the fish were up to no good was correct! There are literally millions of minnows populating the pond now. In just a week! Incredible.

 
 

No wonder the two Great Blue Herons have set up shop. I have never seen a heron hunt successfully before so I was thrilled when I espied one of them on the the opposite bank doing just that. Around this time a lovely Asian couple approached and I pointed out the minnows and the heron. The lady immediately started clapping and shouting - trying to scare the heron away so he wouldn't eat the fish. He gave her a withering look and kept on about his business. Nothing I or her husband said could deter her from attempting to stop the natural order of things. And nothing she did or said could keep the natural order of things from happening. Finally the heron started delicately wading deeper into the water and I was sure I would get to see the action, but just as he was about to "pounce", a red-breasted blackbird stormed towards him and started pecking at his hind end. Whaaat? No fish today! Or at least at that moment...


 

I'm Back Part II

As I was observing the fish, I heard a squawk and looked to my right. A Great Blue Heron was eyeing up a Canada Goose. The amount of action going on was just amazing. That park is a real gem.

 
 

I love this picture of Phillip - he spills out of the doughnut and has to rest his head on my jim jams!

 

I'm Baaaaaaaack!

As you all know, I'm back in Canada and have been since January. I was pretty bummed out to be back and wallowed for a few months. But, I'm feeling much better and since I really loved doing the blog before, I thought it would be a good thing to start writing again. Actually, it was my trip to lovely Hastings Park that inspired me. The whole pond was teeming with spawning goldfish and I really wanted to share that experience. So, thanks little horny fishies!

I also wanted to post some photos I think are cool...

Dead Things:


 
 

I can't seem to get all of the pictures I want to go in, so will put them in a separate post.

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.