At first I was afraid, I was petrified. Kept thinking I could never live without you down the street, but then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong and I grew strong; I learned how to get along!
Part Three: Surviving without Walmart
So, I'm obviously doing these posts in a very haphazard order... I just post what I'm feeling that day, and today I'm feeling Walmart (not literally, of course). Off subject, you can thank my Mom for the little ditty above, her ability to turn any mundane thing into a song throughout my youth has carried over to me. My students thank her every day I'm sure of it!
Back on subject.. Yes, I have lived the last 2 years without Walmart.. and I LOVED IT!! Do you realize how much extra money is spent in superstores such as that?!?! I didn't until I moved here! We are way old school here in England, like we still have butchers and bakers, and probably candlestick makers... And they all set up shop on High Street. The closest thing they have to Walmart here is called ASDA, and the closest one is about 30 mins away. Too far.
I'm not going to lie, this was one of my biggest fears of moving overseas. Yes, I was afraid of not having a Walmart within 1 mile of my house. Where in the world was I going to buy my shampoo at?! Luckily we do have the BX on base (that's the Base eXchange for all you non mil out there) where I buy most of my household goodies now. But it's just not convenient like Walmart. Because there are 3 bases within about 15 miles of each other over here, our BX is split up between the 3 bases which makes it way inconvenient. On RAF Mildenhall (where Everett works), we have sporting goods, pets, toys, gardening, and tools. On RAF Lakenheath (where I work), we have household goods, clothing, make up, and electronics. On RAF Feltwell, they have furniture. If I wanted pet food, a new desk, and a waffle iron, I'd have to go to THREE stores instead of just one. Oh, and don't even think about buying food there! You have to go to a commissary for that....
Obviously, though, I'm fairing much better than if we were to solely live off the economy (that means buying off base). I don't even know where I would purchase something like a waffle iron at here in England!
I promise I didn't intend for this post to sound like a huge rant. My point was to say, "Yes America, it is possible to live without Walmart!" Second, I'm truly scared of seeing my money saving skills go down the drain once I live closer to a Walmart again. Third, well... I don't have a third reason... Really I'm just bored and procrastinating on studying for an upcoming test...
On a last and final random note, I didn't really think about it until I was discussing this with friends the other day, but whenever us overseas folks go back home and enter a Walmart again for the first time it is extremely overwhelming to us. Because we don't have stores so large over here, it takes us a bit of time to get used to it again. So don't laugh when I'm home next and you take me to Walmart and I cower in the corner with pee dribbling down my leg... Just take my hand and let me know that everything's gonna be alright...
Showing posts with label England. Show all posts
Showing posts with label England. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
What's up, Your Majesty?!
Part Two: What is the likelihood of meeting royalty?
To give you a picture of your odds of meeting royalty, I will give you a few statistics... According to the 2010 Census, the population of Great Britain (to see what area of land is included refer to Part One) is 62,218,761 (google.com). The number of members of the Royal Family residing in Great Britain are approx. 25 (wikipedia.com). That means you have a .0000004% chance of seeing a Royal. Right? Eh.. whatever I'm not a statistician...
Now we all know that our chances are significantly increased when we attend a function where Royalty will be present. For example, the Queen holds the Royal Ascot races every summer in June and attends all 6 days of the races. She also does a Royal Parade before the races every day, so as long as you are there and paying attention, you will be able to see the Queen!
I did not get to meet her, but at least I can say that I've seen her!
So let's say for some odd reason, you actually get to meet the Queen... what do you do?!?! Here are a few tips taken from Hello, Your Majesty: Rules for Meeting the Royal Family:
Do rise when the queen walks into the room. The only person who was exempt from this particular rule was the Queen Mother, who passed away in 2002.
Don’t introduce yourself. Wait to be presented by a host or attaché.
Do bow or curtsy if you’re a British subject or a citizen of any part of the Commonwealth. Americans are under no obligation to show deference in this way (since they are not her subjects), but a small nod of the head or curtsy-like motion is still appropriate and appreciated.
Don’t make exaggerated displays of fealty, such as a Japanese-style bow from the waist or a low, sweeping curtsy. A low nod is the proper form for a bow, and a small, dainty curtsy is fine. However, if you happen to be particularly graceful or well-practiced in the art of the curtsy, it’s said that Her Majesty greatly appreciates the gesture.
Do feel free to make eye contact and smile.
Don’t offer your hand to be shaken or touch the queen in any way. Even after a first meeting, it’s a good rule of thumb to never attempt to touch any member of the royal family.
Do take her hand to shake if she offers it.
Don’t grasp tightly or shake vigorously.
Do refer to the queen as “Your Majesty” the first time you address her. After this first time, feel free to address her as “Ma’am.” The queen, since she is the monarch, is the only member of the royal family who should ever be referred to as “Majesty”; anyone else should be called “Your Royal Highness” on first meeting and “Sir” or “Ma’am” on subsequent meetings.
Don’t ever refer to any member of the royal family by his or her first name. Instead, refer to him or her by title. The queen should always be referred to as “Her Majesty,” and other members of the family should be referred to as The Prince of Wales or The Duchess of Cornwall instead of Prince Charles or Lady Camilla.
Do dress appropriately and conservatively to meet the queen. Modest sleeveless dresses are acceptable for ladies; if a woman chooses to wear gloves, it’s not necessary to remove them. It’s also not necessary for men to wear hats, but it is still appropriate. If a hat is worn, it should be removed before being presented to the queen.
Don’t ask the Queen or any member of the royal family any questions about their personal lives, political opinions, or anything even the least bit controversial. If you have even the slightest doubt about whether a question or comment is appropriate, skip it.
Do make polite conversation, following Her Majesty’s lead. Keep conversation general, impersonal, and suited to the occasion. There’s no need to be overly serious or formal, but it’s also not the time to crack jokes.
Don’t address any royal personage as “you.” Refer to whomever you’re speaking to in the third person. Rather than “Are you enjoying the weather?” ask, “Is Your Majesty enjoying the weather?”
If you can't remember what to do, just do what comes naturally... Unless what comes naturally looks something like this:
To give you a picture of your odds of meeting royalty, I will give you a few statistics... According to the 2010 Census, the population of Great Britain (to see what area of land is included refer to Part One) is 62,218,761 (google.com). The number of members of the Royal Family residing in Great Britain are approx. 25 (wikipedia.com). That means you have a .0000004% chance of seeing a Royal. Right? Eh.. whatever I'm not a statistician...
Now we all know that our chances are significantly increased when we attend a function where Royalty will be present. For example, the Queen holds the Royal Ascot races every summer in June and attends all 6 days of the races. She also does a Royal Parade before the races every day, so as long as you are there and paying attention, you will be able to see the Queen!
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| Picture I took of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the Royal Ascot 2011 |
So let's say for some odd reason, you actually get to meet the Queen... what do you do?!?! Here are a few tips taken from Hello, Your Majesty: Rules for Meeting the Royal Family:
Do rise when the queen walks into the room. The only person who was exempt from this particular rule was the Queen Mother, who passed away in 2002.
Don’t introduce yourself. Wait to be presented by a host or attaché.
Do bow or curtsy if you’re a British subject or a citizen of any part of the Commonwealth. Americans are under no obligation to show deference in this way (since they are not her subjects), but a small nod of the head or curtsy-like motion is still appropriate and appreciated.
Don’t make exaggerated displays of fealty, such as a Japanese-style bow from the waist or a low, sweeping curtsy. A low nod is the proper form for a bow, and a small, dainty curtsy is fine. However, if you happen to be particularly graceful or well-practiced in the art of the curtsy, it’s said that Her Majesty greatly appreciates the gesture.
Do feel free to make eye contact and smile.
Don’t offer your hand to be shaken or touch the queen in any way. Even after a first meeting, it’s a good rule of thumb to never attempt to touch any member of the royal family.
Do take her hand to shake if she offers it.
Don’t grasp tightly or shake vigorously.
Do refer to the queen as “Your Majesty” the first time you address her. After this first time, feel free to address her as “Ma’am.” The queen, since she is the monarch, is the only member of the royal family who should ever be referred to as “Majesty”; anyone else should be called “Your Royal Highness” on first meeting and “Sir” or “Ma’am” on subsequent meetings.
Don’t ever refer to any member of the royal family by his or her first name. Instead, refer to him or her by title. The queen should always be referred to as “Her Majesty,” and other members of the family should be referred to as The Prince of Wales or The Duchess of Cornwall instead of Prince Charles or Lady Camilla.
Do dress appropriately and conservatively to meet the queen. Modest sleeveless dresses are acceptable for ladies; if a woman chooses to wear gloves, it’s not necessary to remove them. It’s also not necessary for men to wear hats, but it is still appropriate. If a hat is worn, it should be removed before being presented to the queen.
Don’t ask the Queen or any member of the royal family any questions about their personal lives, political opinions, or anything even the least bit controversial. If you have even the slightest doubt about whether a question or comment is appropriate, skip it.
Do make polite conversation, following Her Majesty’s lead. Keep conversation general, impersonal, and suited to the occasion. There’s no need to be overly serious or formal, but it’s also not the time to crack jokes.
Don’t address any royal personage as “you.” Refer to whomever you’re speaking to in the third person. Rather than “Are you enjoying the weather?” ask, “Is Your Majesty enjoying the weather?”
If you can't remember what to do, just do what comes naturally... Unless what comes naturally looks something like this:
Sunday, March 18, 2012
So really... What's the difference?
Sorry my blog has been down for a bit.. I have been trying to decide on whether I will keep it a private blog with invitation only or public. Also, I had a lot on my mind this week, and wasn't really in the blogging mood.. I was really disappointed that Everett was gone for the 2nd St. Patty's Day in a row due to his stupid airplane breaking down on a beautiful island in the Southern region of Europe... Poor him....
Anyways, I'm very excited about this week, and have decided to embark on Part 1 of sharing my England experiences with you all!
Part One: What exactly is the difference between the UK, England, Great Britain, etc.?
The best way for me to describe this to you is by showing you a video. So please watch!
So, as the video tells you, I live in the UK on the island of Great Britain, in the country of England. By the way, England's flag looks like this:
Most people (i.e. me before moving here), thought that the Union Jack was the flag of England. That is false, it is the flag of the United Kingdom, and is a combination of the flags of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. If you don't believe me.. google it!
I hope this lesson has allowed you to learn some new information today!
Anyways, I'm very excited about this week, and have decided to embark on Part 1 of sharing my England experiences with you all!
Part One: What exactly is the difference between the UK, England, Great Britain, etc.?
The best way for me to describe this to you is by showing you a video. So please watch!
So, as the video tells you, I live in the UK on the island of Great Britain, in the country of England. By the way, England's flag looks like this:
Most people (i.e. me before moving here), thought that the Union Jack was the flag of England. That is false, it is the flag of the United Kingdom, and is a combination of the flags of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. If you don't believe me.. google it!
I hope this lesson has allowed you to learn some new information today!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Repurposing...
OK, do you believe me about my return to the blogging world yet? Well.. my husband says I only last a week when I get into something... I blame it on my self diagnosed Adult Onset ADHD...
Anyway.. Is it true that Rihanna and Chris Brown are back together??!!! I just heard this on the radio and was shocked...
Back to the real story at hand.. Since I've started this blog, it's gone through a few changes (once again blaming the ADHD)... The direction I'm going to head it towards now is my take on living in England. Most, well a lot, of my readers (all three of you) have never lived in England, or anywhere besides the great US of A, before and I'm always getting asked questions about what it's like. Well I've decided to take it topic by topic. I am going to list some of these topics here so I don't forget... (ADHD)
Things you get to look forward to reading about:
Anyway.. Is it true that Rihanna and Chris Brown are back together??!!! I just heard this on the radio and was shocked...
Back to the real story at hand.. Since I've started this blog, it's gone through a few changes (once again blaming the ADHD)... The direction I'm going to head it towards now is my take on living in England. Most, well a lot, of my readers (all three of you) have never lived in England, or anywhere besides the great US of A, before and I'm always getting asked questions about what it's like. Well I've decided to take it topic by topic. I am going to list some of these topics here so I don't forget... (ADHD)
Things you get to look forward to reading about:
- The people
- The language
- British radio (believe me I have a lot to say on this one..)
- Driving
- Shopping
- Restaurants
What is the difference between Great Britain, England, Wales, ect.??- Housing
- Modes of transportation
Likelihood of meeting Royalty- Likelihood of becoming Royalty
- Beer
- Surprisingly, yes, there are other cities in England besides London..
- London
- The "Traveling Community" or as I lovingly, not derogatorily (yup that's a word), refer to them.. Gypsies..
- Why you should come visit me
- Castles
- Fashion
- Surviving without Walmart
- No I haven't seen Harry Potter yet... But I do giggle when I see people walking around in dress robes in Cambridge..
- Owning pets
- Being a minority
More Thankful.. Less Whining...
While perusing the travel pins on Pinterest this morning, I began to realize how many wonderful opportunities this life has afforded me in my 25 and 11/12 years. I can be a pretty big whiner and complainer when things don't go my way, which I'm fairly certain my husband takes as some of my more charming qualities... but sometimes things catch me and I have to stop and be thankful for what I do have...
One of the biggest things I complain about on a daily basis is living in England.. The weather isn't warm enough, the people think I'm an over-emotional, rude American (what??), I'm thousands of miles away from the people who love me, they talk funny and I can't always understand them (the English.. not my family), my husband is always gone, blah blah blah..
What I seem to forget is that holy crap.. I LIVE IN ENGLAND!! That's like a huge bucket list item for at least 80% of Americans right? Well.. maybe not living in England specifically, but definitely packing up and moving to a pretty cool international destination for a few years! And as much as I miss the convenience that America offers, I know without a doubt that I will miss what England has been offering me these last 20 or so odd months way more! I'll miss knowing that when I have to make a right turn (the one that's across traffic in these neck of the woods), it's almost 100% guaranteed that if there's tons of traffic, the car that has the right of way will stop to let me go.. yeah.. they are that nice here.. And I will miss speaking in a "British" accent during Mass so that I don't get stared at.. (that's in quotation marks because I still haven't perfected that accent.. but I have gotten significantly less stares..) And I will miss knowing that I can figure out how to get Road Tax while my husband is gone or navigate around letting agencies who refuse to fix your moldy ceiling for 2+ months or listening to your neighbors have an all out fight in their backyard at 3am because it's the middle of summer and your windows are open because you don't have air conditioning.
No doubt it does suck being what seems like millions of miles away from my family during holidays or other special events, but I can't forget that I have a new family that I made with my wonderful friends here.. Friends who DO in fact love me or else they wouldn't put up with my crap! And it does suck that I wish I could get a full time teaching job here since that's what I worked my butt off for 4.5 years in college to do, but I can't forget the amazing people I'm meeting and the new classroom experiences/techniques/ideas that I am getting from Lakenheath Elementary. And it does suck that my husband has deployed more here than he did at McConnell (at least that's how it feels..), but I can't forget all the cool places I've gotten to visit because of his deployments.. not many people have been to Iceland before!!
Life might not always be what you pictured it to be, but it is probably better that way! If I had my way when I was 16, I'd already have like a 5 year old now... And not that I don't want kids.. but I wouldn't be who I was and have the experiences that I do if I would have locked down at such an early age..
You may be asking yourself.. what in the world does this have to do with the Travel pins on Pinterest? Well.. when you realize that those are probably the top destinations that people want to go see.. and you have already been to quite a few of them.. it humbles you a bit..
One of the biggest things I complain about on a daily basis is living in England.. The weather isn't warm enough, the people think I'm an over-emotional, rude American (what??), I'm thousands of miles away from the people who love me, they talk funny and I can't always understand them (the English.. not my family), my husband is always gone, blah blah blah..
What I seem to forget is that holy crap.. I LIVE IN ENGLAND!! That's like a huge bucket list item for at least 80% of Americans right? Well.. maybe not living in England specifically, but definitely packing up and moving to a pretty cool international destination for a few years! And as much as I miss the convenience that America offers, I know without a doubt that I will miss what England has been offering me these last 20 or so odd months way more! I'll miss knowing that when I have to make a right turn (the one that's across traffic in these neck of the woods), it's almost 100% guaranteed that if there's tons of traffic, the car that has the right of way will stop to let me go.. yeah.. they are that nice here.. And I will miss speaking in a "British" accent during Mass so that I don't get stared at.. (that's in quotation marks because I still haven't perfected that accent.. but I have gotten significantly less stares..) And I will miss knowing that I can figure out how to get Road Tax while my husband is gone or navigate around letting agencies who refuse to fix your moldy ceiling for 2+ months or listening to your neighbors have an all out fight in their backyard at 3am because it's the middle of summer and your windows are open because you don't have air conditioning.
No doubt it does suck being what seems like millions of miles away from my family during holidays or other special events, but I can't forget that I have a new family that I made with my wonderful friends here.. Friends who DO in fact love me or else they wouldn't put up with my crap! And it does suck that I wish I could get a full time teaching job here since that's what I worked my butt off for 4.5 years in college to do, but I can't forget the amazing people I'm meeting and the new classroom experiences/techniques/ideas that I am getting from Lakenheath Elementary. And it does suck that my husband has deployed more here than he did at McConnell (at least that's how it feels..), but I can't forget all the cool places I've gotten to visit because of his deployments.. not many people have been to Iceland before!!
Life might not always be what you pictured it to be, but it is probably better that way! If I had my way when I was 16, I'd already have like a 5 year old now... And not that I don't want kids.. but I wouldn't be who I was and have the experiences that I do if I would have locked down at such an early age..
You may be asking yourself.. what in the world does this have to do with the Travel pins on Pinterest? Well.. when you realize that those are probably the top destinations that people want to go see.. and you have already been to quite a few of them.. it humbles you a bit..
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| Blue Lagoon in Iceland.. Oh how I wanna go back! |
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
I've got the job hunting blues....
So as some of you know, my lastest and greatest adventure in England has been trying to find a job. I really want to teach, since it's kind of my favorite thing to do, but I haven't had any luck with the school system on base. It is extremely competitive and very rarely are there any openings. All along Everett has been asking me why I'm not looking into the British school system, and every time I tell him that I'm not qualified and have no idea how to get qualified...
Well.. last week I was bored so I thought.. hmm... maybe I should find out how to get qualified to teach over here.. my chances of getting a job would probably increase.. I thought why not.... So how does one find this information?! I couldn't think of anything so I just googled it.... and to my delighted surprise all the websites were telling me that I was qualified to teach in England as long as I had a license from another country! Awesome right??!!
Straight away (as they say here) I began looking for a website that listed vacancies. Their school systems work a lot differently here, there is no "unified school district".. it's each to their own run by a board of governors... at least that's what I've gathered so far... I finally found a website that listed all the vacancies in our county and to my even more delighted surprise, there was an opening for a Year 4 (or 3rd grade) teacher at the school that is less than half a mile from our house! I couldn't believe it! I had to go pick up the application at the school, so I did that the very next day...
After learning more about the school, I got really excited about the job... I liked what the school stood for, and it seemed like it would mesh well with my own teaching philosophies.. so I began to fill out the application when I ran into my first problem.. it kept asking me to list all of these random numbers that I had no clue what they were. I emailed the secretary of the school and asked her what they were, and if I could just put my license number from the States there (thinking it was the UK version of a license number)... well she emails me back and explains that if I do not have these numbers already, then I am not registered as a teacher here in the UK and that I must do that before I can be considered for a position.... oh...... so maybe there WERE a few more hoops that I had to jump through before I can teach here... thanks google for letting me down....
The secretary gave me a website to find out how to register and all that good stuff... then a friend of mine who worked in England asked if I had my National Insurance (NI) number yet... that I had to have one of those too before I could be hired to work here.. of course I don't have one of those...
So for the last week I have been trying to get all of that stuff done.. I have to have an NI number before I can register as a teacher, but I have to go to an interview before I can get an NI number.. so my interview is on the 29th, and my registration will be sent in that day.. takes about a month to process... so I should be officially a registered UK teacher by the end of April! Woohoo!!! The one thing I think is funny about registering as a teacher is that they only require to see your passport/visa... they don't even ask to see your license! So I guess any Joe Schmoe could say he has a license from somewhere else and he can register as a teacher! Oh... only in the UK....
So me being me.. I still submitted my application to the school after explaining my situation, and I had a meeting with the head teacher (principal) and the other applicants today to get a tour of the school. It was very eye opening to witness the differences between this school and our schools in America... And I shall try to explain as follows:
So with that, all I ask is for some prayers that I find the right school for me, because I really do miss teaching!!
Well.. last week I was bored so I thought.. hmm... maybe I should find out how to get qualified to teach over here.. my chances of getting a job would probably increase.. I thought why not.... So how does one find this information?! I couldn't think of anything so I just googled it.... and to my delighted surprise all the websites were telling me that I was qualified to teach in England as long as I had a license from another country! Awesome right??!!
Straight away (as they say here) I began looking for a website that listed vacancies. Their school systems work a lot differently here, there is no "unified school district".. it's each to their own run by a board of governors... at least that's what I've gathered so far... I finally found a website that listed all the vacancies in our county and to my even more delighted surprise, there was an opening for a Year 4 (or 3rd grade) teacher at the school that is less than half a mile from our house! I couldn't believe it! I had to go pick up the application at the school, so I did that the very next day...
After learning more about the school, I got really excited about the job... I liked what the school stood for, and it seemed like it would mesh well with my own teaching philosophies.. so I began to fill out the application when I ran into my first problem.. it kept asking me to list all of these random numbers that I had no clue what they were. I emailed the secretary of the school and asked her what they were, and if I could just put my license number from the States there (thinking it was the UK version of a license number)... well she emails me back and explains that if I do not have these numbers already, then I am not registered as a teacher here in the UK and that I must do that before I can be considered for a position.... oh...... so maybe there WERE a few more hoops that I had to jump through before I can teach here... thanks google for letting me down....
The secretary gave me a website to find out how to register and all that good stuff... then a friend of mine who worked in England asked if I had my National Insurance (NI) number yet... that I had to have one of those too before I could be hired to work here.. of course I don't have one of those...
So for the last week I have been trying to get all of that stuff done.. I have to have an NI number before I can register as a teacher, but I have to go to an interview before I can get an NI number.. so my interview is on the 29th, and my registration will be sent in that day.. takes about a month to process... so I should be officially a registered UK teacher by the end of April! Woohoo!!! The one thing I think is funny about registering as a teacher is that they only require to see your passport/visa... they don't even ask to see your license! So I guess any Joe Schmoe could say he has a license from somewhere else and he can register as a teacher! Oh... only in the UK....
So me being me.. I still submitted my application to the school after explaining my situation, and I had a meeting with the head teacher (principal) and the other applicants today to get a tour of the school. It was very eye opening to witness the differences between this school and our schools in America... And I shall try to explain as follows:
- They do all year school here.. there are 3 terms each lasting approximately 3 months, with a month break in between terms and a week off for half term (like a spring break).
- The primary schools are VERY small.. each only having one classroom per grade level with approximately 30 students in a classroom. (This could be different in other areas in the country.. but that's how it is here..) Each classroom also has a full time teachers aide for just that classroom which is a huge plus!
- The classroom teacher is in charge of ALL subjects.. including, but not limited to Art, Music, PE, Non-denominational religion, Technology, Sex Education (even in primary....), Health, and British History, along with all of your typical subjects.
- They have an hour off for lunch, in which parents may pick up their students to take them home for the hour...
- The school day begins at 9:15 and ends at 3:30
- Since you are in charge of your own specials, you may be wondering when the teacher gets plan time, well that would be when the principal takes over your class for you.......
- The interview process is an all day affair, first you have a formal interview with the board of governors, then they take you on a tour of the school, you have a buffet lunch, and then you are handed an envelope with a lesson that you must present to a group of students with the board of governors watching.... with no prep time at all..... (That part terrifies me.. not because I'm not good at coming up with stuff last minute... I consider myself a pro at that one... it's the fact that I'm terrified I'm going to get a subject that I know nothing about such as.. say.. British history......)
So with that, all I ask is for some prayers that I find the right school for me, because I really do miss teaching!!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Double, Double Toil and Trouble..
Happy Halloween everyone!!
We have been busy this weekend celebrating the holiday.. and yes.. they celebrate Halloween here in England too! Haha..
We started off Friday with our pumpkin carving and seed roasting.
On Saturday we had to do a lot of Everett's homework.. He roped me into helping him...... haha.. Then at night we headed off to the Halloween party at his co-worker's house.. We went as hillbillies! I later found out at the party that it is a curse to dress up as a pregnant lady... So if legend stays true.. we may be having a little bundle of joy sooner than planned... stay tuned to see how that one turns out.. haha!
Everett added his lovely sideburns and beard with my waterproof eyeliner... soooo it's still there today.. haha!
And for actual Halloween.. we have just been hanging around the house.. as much as I love trick or treaters.. I hope we don't get any because I just realized that we don't have any candy to hand out!! Our babies did get in their costumes just long enough for me to take a picture... they were pretty unhappy with me as you can tell..
My poor dogs.. Haha...
I have also uploaded recent pictures of the puppies on facebook.. Click the link below to go there and take a look!
More Puppy Pictures!!
I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween too!!
We have been busy this weekend celebrating the holiday.. and yes.. they celebrate Halloween here in England too! Haha..
We started off Friday with our pumpkin carving and seed roasting.
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| The puppies wanted to help me! |
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| That's better! |
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| Everett cutting the top off his.. that's as far as he has gotten... |
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| My finished product!! It's a cyclops.. haha.. We didn't have the best tools this year so I couldn't be as creative.. |
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| In the dark.. |
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| Everett washing off the seeds so I can cook them : ) |
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| It was raining so I had to keep my pumpkin inside... |
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| Our costumes.. I forgot to put my robe on for this picture... |
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| Close up of Everett's face... |
Everett added his lovely sideburns and beard with my waterproof eyeliner... soooo it's still there today.. haha!
And for actual Halloween.. we have just been hanging around the house.. as much as I love trick or treaters.. I hope we don't get any because I just realized that we don't have any candy to hand out!! Our babies did get in their costumes just long enough for me to take a picture... they were pretty unhappy with me as you can tell..
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| Kacee was a Chipotle burrito.. |
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| Dallas was supposed to be a ghost.. but HATED it over his head... |
My poor dogs.. Haha...
I have also uploaded recent pictures of the puppies on facebook.. Click the link below to go there and take a look!
More Puppy Pictures!!
I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween too!!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
London on a budget!
Hello!! Sorry it has been a while since I have posted last.. It has been an extremely busy week, and I'm just now getting to it!!
So last Wednesday I went on a day trip to London by myself.. Many people think that England is very expensive (well... it is..); however, there are many things that you can do here for FREE!! I decided that I was going to try to save as much money as I could on my trip to London, AND it gave me the opportunity to experience some things i.e. museums that I can add to my "tours" I will be giving next year! : )
So here is my day:
Woke up at 7:30 to leave by 8:30 so I could catch the 9:20 train in Cambridge.. I had a WONDERFUL friend who offered to drive me to London so I wouldn't have to 1) drive through the crazy Cambridge traffic and 2) pay for parking (see.. already saving money!!) So my first purchase of the day was my 20 pound round trip ticket to London Kings Cross.
It is a 50 minute train ride to London, so I arrived around 10:10.. Since I was already by the British Library, and had a little over an hour before I needed to be at Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guards, I decided this is where I would stop. Inside this ginormous library, they have many different galleries. The one I really wanted to see was the Gallery of Treasures. This free gallery has so different many "treasures" in it. It contains original compositions from famous composers ranging from Mendel to the Beatles. They also have the Magna Carta, original Shakespeare work, the original Beowulf, the Gutenberg Bible, and da Vinci work. The odd thing I found was a collection of different types of Alice in Wonderland books, from Disney to Robert Sabuda (pop-up book) to Salvidor Dali. This is just the most famous things, they also have original manuscripts from a variety of different regions of the world. I spent about 30 minutes there, but you could spend a LOT more time depending on how much you like to read! They don't allow for pictures inside, so here is what is on the outside of the Library! Cost: FREE!
Next I hopped on the Tube and headed over to Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guards. I (wrongly) assumed that since it was a weekday at the end of September, which means no longer tourist season, that not THAT many people will come out for the Changing.. Well... This is what it looked like:
PACKED!! I found a spot off to the right side, hoping that I could at least see a little bit. Although I couldn't really see what was going on, they paraded in front of us, so I took a video.. here it is..
I just chalked this one up as a lesson learned.. Now I know where the best spot to view is and I know to get there at least an hour early so we can get that perfect spot!! Another great thing about this event... It's FREE!!
After the Changing, it was lunch time. As I said before, it was a day of saving money, so instead of buying food, I brought my lunch with me to eat in St. James Park while on my way to Westminster Abbey. I was lucky that it was a BEAUTIFUL day out.. sunny and 70 degrees, so my lunch was very enjoyable!!
Next on the list was the Natural History museum. If you like science, this is your place! From dinosaurs to dodo birds, diamonds to magma, earthquakes to a 3 story cocoon.. and that's not even half of what this museum offers! The map has the 15 must see things, and it took me an hour and a half just to get through those!! I really can't wait to go back and see more, especially since its FREE! Think of KU's dinosaur museum times 1000! Here are just a few pictures from here..
Whew.. by this time, my feet HURT! But I still had 2 more places to go before meeting up with my friends for dinner! Next up, the British Museum.. To explain this museum, I will use an analogy.. The British Museum is to History as the Natural History Museum is to Science... The one thing that I HAD to see at this museum was the Rosetta Stone. As cool as it was to see, this museum had so much more to offer! There were all sorts of sarcophagus-es and mummies, and relics from every civilization that ever existed! Not only that, but the architecture in the main hall literally took my breath away.. You walk into this really old building, and the last thing you expect to see is this: --------------------------------->
It was built inside of the old building's courtyard. It was so cool! Anyway, I definitely did not have the time that this museum deserved to see even a quarter of their artifacts. One thing I thought was a little out of the ordinary was that it had the largest clock exhibit I have ever seen in a museum! Strange but true! Once again, this museum is absolutely FREE!!
After the British Museum, I only had one more place to go, the National Gallery. I have never been in a real gallery before, so I was really excited to see all of these famous paintings in REAL LIFE... I wasn't sure how exciting this museum would be, but it definitely WOWed me! It's amazing how vivid the colors are in real life!! I never understood how people could get emotional over art, but one painting actually made me tear up a bit.. It's just unbelievable how much thought and hard work goes into creating such a masterpiece! I was not allowed to take photos inside, so I'll just tell you the artists I saw. They had my absolute favorite, Van Gogh, along with Rousseau, Monet, Picasso, Michelangelo (and all the other Ninja Turtles), da Vinci, and Rembrandt just to name a select few.. basically it was the whose who in art history! Very cool and very free!!
Since the National Gallery is in Trafalgar Square, I got this pretty little shot of all the action.. Look for Big Ben in the background!
I had a super busy day in London, but my favorite part of course was getting to see my friends that I met in Australia. They live to the West of London, and I live to the East, so we met up in the middle for a little Pizza Express for dinner! It was great to catch up with them after a year and a half!!
After dinner, I made my way back to Cambridge and then on to Newmarket where I fell FAST asleep!!
So, here is a recap of my budget day in London:
Train Ticket: 20 pounds
Tube Day pass: 5 pound 40 pence
Westminster Abbey: 15 pounds
Dinner at Pizza Express: 10 pounds
Spending a day learning about all the different elements of culture: PRICELESS!!
In total, I spent 50 pounds and 40 pence, approximately $80.. and yeah... That's a budget day........ I told you it was expensive here!!
So last Wednesday I went on a day trip to London by myself.. Many people think that England is very expensive (well... it is..); however, there are many things that you can do here for FREE!! I decided that I was going to try to save as much money as I could on my trip to London, AND it gave me the opportunity to experience some things i.e. museums that I can add to my "tours" I will be giving next year! : )
So here is my day:
Woke up at 7:30 to leave by 8:30 so I could catch the 9:20 train in Cambridge.. I had a WONDERFUL friend who offered to drive me to London so I wouldn't have to 1) drive through the crazy Cambridge traffic and 2) pay for parking (see.. already saving money!!) So my first purchase of the day was my 20 pound round trip ticket to London Kings Cross.
It is a 50 minute train ride to London, so I arrived around 10:10.. Since I was already by the British Library, and had a little over an hour before I needed to be at Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guards, I decided this is where I would stop. Inside this ginormous library, they have many different galleries. The one I really wanted to see was the Gallery of Treasures. This free gallery has so different many "treasures" in it. It contains original compositions from famous composers ranging from Mendel to the Beatles. They also have the Magna Carta, original Shakespeare work, the original Beowulf, the Gutenberg Bible, and da Vinci work. The odd thing I found was a collection of different types of Alice in Wonderland books, from Disney to Robert Sabuda (pop-up book) to Salvidor Dali. This is just the most famous things, they also have original manuscripts from a variety of different regions of the world. I spent about 30 minutes there, but you could spend a LOT more time depending on how much you like to read! They don't allow for pictures inside, so here is what is on the outside of the Library! Cost: FREE!
Next I hopped on the Tube and headed over to Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guards. I (wrongly) assumed that since it was a weekday at the end of September, which means no longer tourist season, that not THAT many people will come out for the Changing.. Well... This is what it looked like:
I just chalked this one up as a lesson learned.. Now I know where the best spot to view is and I know to get there at least an hour early so we can get that perfect spot!! Another great thing about this event... It's FREE!!
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| My View |
After the Changing, it was lunch time. As I said before, it was a day of saving money, so instead of buying food, I brought my lunch with me to eat in St. James Park while on my way to Westminster Abbey. I was lucky that it was a BEAUTIFUL day out.. sunny and 70 degrees, so my lunch was very enjoyable!! I brought a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some tortilla chips.. YUMMY!! You can rent these chairs at the park if you are willing.. I believe it is 1.50 pounds for 3 hours. I opted to just sit on the ground, since it was free!!
After my enjoyable lunch/stroll through the park, I headed over to Westminster Abbey for my splurge of the day! It does cost 15 pounds to get into the Abbey. I chose to swallow this cost because I have relatives buried inside. My Grandpa Slusser and Uncle Dean have done extensive research on our family heritage, and have found that my Grandma Slusser's family are direct descendants of the Plantagenet line of England, which ruled a LOOOONG time ago. Those royals are buried in Westminster Abbey, along with tons of other famous people. Not only are there lots of dead people, but also beautiful sculptures, stained glass, and architecture. As cool as it was, I probably would never do it again. I was really upset that I could not even take pictures inside... But I did get this one outside looking in... it does not do this Abbey justice though!
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| The Outside |
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| The Inside! |
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| The dinosaur exhibit was huge! |
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| Life size blue whale |
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| The giant cocoon that houses the Butterfly Exhibit |
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| Escalator going through a metal Earth sculpture |
Whew.. by this time, my feet HURT! But I still had 2 more places to go before meeting up with my friends for dinner! Next up, the British Museum.. To explain this museum, I will use an analogy.. The British Museum is to History as the Natural History Museum is to Science... The one thing that I HAD to see at this museum was the Rosetta Stone. As cool as it was to see, this museum had so much more to offer! There were all sorts of sarcophagus-es and mummies, and relics from every civilization that ever existed! Not only that, but the architecture in the main hall literally took my breath away.. You walk into this really old building, and the last thing you expect to see is this: ---------------------------------> |
| Rosetta Stone |
After the British Museum, I only had one more place to go, the National Gallery. I have never been in a real gallery before, so I was really excited to see all of these famous paintings in REAL LIFE... I wasn't sure how exciting this museum would be, but it definitely WOWed me! It's amazing how vivid the colors are in real life!! I never understood how people could get emotional over art, but one painting actually made me tear up a bit.. It's just unbelievable how much thought and hard work goes into creating such a masterpiece! I was not allowed to take photos inside, so I'll just tell you the artists I saw. They had my absolute favorite, Van Gogh, along with Rousseau, Monet, Picasso, Michelangelo (and all the other Ninja Turtles), da Vinci, and Rembrandt just to name a select few.. basically it was the whose who in art history! Very cool and very free!!
Since the National Gallery is in Trafalgar Square, I got this pretty little shot of all the action.. Look for Big Ben in the background!I had a super busy day in London, but my favorite part of course was getting to see my friends that I met in Australia. They live to the West of London, and I live to the East, so we met up in the middle for a little Pizza Express for dinner! It was great to catch up with them after a year and a half!!
After dinner, I made my way back to Cambridge and then on to Newmarket where I fell FAST asleep!!
So, here is a recap of my budget day in London:
Train Ticket: 20 pounds
Tube Day pass: 5 pound 40 pence
Westminster Abbey: 15 pounds
Dinner at Pizza Express: 10 pounds
Spending a day learning about all the different elements of culture: PRICELESS!!
In total, I spent 50 pounds and 40 pence, approximately $80.. and yeah... That's a budget day........ I told you it was expensive here!!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Runnin' just as fast as we can...
...holdin' on to one anothers hands...
Sorry had to finish the lyric! So I thought I was going to be SOOOO bored this week without Everett being home, but I have managed to keep myself very busy!!! With the motivation of a friend, I have gone to the gym TWICE this week.. yeah I know.. that's a first!! We are taking a fitness class on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.. and then doing cardio on Tuesdays and Thursdays.. It is my hope to hit my goals right around the holidays... so I can get fat again! Ha!! Actually since I will only be home for one holiday this year I won't be getting as much of that delicious food.. so sad!!
Besides working out, I have been trying to update a bunch of stuff.. putting up pictures from the whole summer to now, updating my Susan G. Komen page.. (Please make a donation at this link: My Race Website).. and catching up on all my TV shows before the new seasons start this week!!
This weekend I was lucky enough to attend another horserace with a couple of wives from Everett's squadron.. We started off by meeting at Nichole's house for puppy chow, salsa, and Sangria.. then we walked on over to the races! I ended up be with 47 more pounds (about $73) than I started with.. which never happens to me!! I'm always a loser when it comes to betting!! Needless to say I was pretty excited and plan on spending the money on my trip to London tomorrow!! Here is a picture of all of us girls dressed up with our awesome hair pieces!
As I said before, tomorrow is my trip to London.. My plan is to get there in time to see the changing of the guards, then head over to Westminster Abbey for the tour of the inside. After that I will hit up the Natural History Museum, British Museum, and National Gallery (all free.. awesome.. I know!) If the weather is nice, I would like to walk over to the "London Bridge" (known as the Tower Bridge) and go see St. Paul's Cathedral.. If for some reason I get all of this done and have extra time, I want to see the Grant Museum of Zoology.. where they have bones of the dodo bird!! Last but not least I will make my way over to the British Library to see the cool things they have to offer which just so happens to be next to Kings Cross Station where I will be meeting my two friends that I met in Australia for dinner! After dinner, its back to Newmarket for me!! I have a feeling I might be a bit ambitious, but I will just try to get through as much as I can! And with the Tube being back in operation.. it will be easy travels!!
Thursday will be a day at home for me.. probably resting after my busy Wednesday.. I will update my blog on my London excursion and then get started on my Thank Yous!! Then Friday Everett will come home!!! So excited for that!!
Ta ta for now!!
Sorry had to finish the lyric! So I thought I was going to be SOOOO bored this week without Everett being home, but I have managed to keep myself very busy!!! With the motivation of a friend, I have gone to the gym TWICE this week.. yeah I know.. that's a first!! We are taking a fitness class on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.. and then doing cardio on Tuesdays and Thursdays.. It is my hope to hit my goals right around the holidays... so I can get fat again! Ha!! Actually since I will only be home for one holiday this year I won't be getting as much of that delicious food.. so sad!!
Besides working out, I have been trying to update a bunch of stuff.. putting up pictures from the whole summer to now, updating my Susan G. Komen page.. (Please make a donation at this link: My Race Website).. and catching up on all my TV shows before the new seasons start this week!!
This weekend I was lucky enough to attend another horserace with a couple of wives from Everett's squadron.. We started off by meeting at Nichole's house for puppy chow, salsa, and Sangria.. then we walked on over to the races! I ended up be with 47 more pounds (about $73) than I started with.. which never happens to me!! I'm always a loser when it comes to betting!! Needless to say I was pretty excited and plan on spending the money on my trip to London tomorrow!! Here is a picture of all of us girls dressed up with our awesome hair pieces!
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| Me, Danell, Margaret, and Nichole |
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| Excited because my horse placed 1st and hers placed 2nd!! |
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| Walking to the races with our water bottle of Sangria... Classy!! |
Thursday will be a day at home for me.. probably resting after my busy Wednesday.. I will update my blog on my London excursion and then get started on my Thank Yous!! Then Friday Everett will come home!!! So excited for that!!
Ta ta for now!!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
London Times
Alright.. I'm forcing myself to sit here and pen out my trip to Iceland.. I'm going to do it on a day by day so I will hopefully not forget anything! So.. here goes!
Monday, September 6th:
Nichole picked me up from my house and we made our way down to Cambridge to jump on the train that will take us to downtown London. We decided to go a day before our flight so I can see London in the daylight. We were dropped off on Platform 9 at Kings Cross Station. For all you Harry Potter lovers, this is just 3/4ths of a platform away from the famous Platform 9 3/4!! We decided to cross that off the list first until we unfortunately noticed that because of all the construction, there was no way to get to Platfrom 9 3/4 : ( So I will have to save that for another trip...
So on we went to find out hotel and drop out baggage off. Because our hotel was overbooked they sent us to another hotel which the lady claimed was "so beautiful".. I looked it up before we got into the taxi and we were upgraded from a 2 star to a 4 star hotel!! SCORE!!! We made our way in the taxi, and were a little sad to see that we were not at the hotel that I saw on the internet, but it didn't matter because we were only going to be there for the night... So we dropped the stuff off and went off to find the only Chipotle in the United Kingdom... It was very easy to find and so we enjoyed our burritos while people watching.. two of my favorite things!! After dinner was shopping on Oxford St. and then it was back to the hotel for the night..
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
The next morning we set off to go see the sights, only to be let down by the fact that the London Tube (subway system) workers were on strike that day... making the easiest form of London transportation unusable... we decided that that wasn't going to stop us and we set off to learn the London Bus route. Our hotel was by Hyde Park, so we got to see a little of that including Speakers Corner (no one was speaking..) where we loaded our double decker bus and set off to find Abbey Road. After a little navigating we found it!! We signed our names on the wall and walked across the road..
Next on the list was Buckingham Palace... I really wanted to take a picture with the guards, but we couldn't get to them : (
Then we walked through St. James park towards the Horse Guards..
Walking down the street.. we found Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the London Eye! Since you all know what those look like.. I will save those pictures for the album! We moved our little parade toward Piccadilly Circus, but we found Trafalgar Square first!!
Piccadilly Circus is London's smaller version of Times Square.. By the time we reached it, it was time to get back to the hotel so we could pick up our bags and headed to the airport! Once again, because of the Tube strike, we had lost our easiest and cheapest transportation to the airport.. so we called a taxi to take us to the train station and had to take a train to the airport... We had allowed for plenty of time just in case we ran into issues, so we arrived at the airport 3 hours before our flight.. So we ate some dinner, charged our phones and waaaaaaiiiiitttttted... because our flight was delayed for more than an hour.. We finally boarded the plane and were off to Iceland to see our husbands!! After a VERY rough landing... we were there!!
Monday, September 6th:
Nichole picked me up from my house and we made our way down to Cambridge to jump on the train that will take us to downtown London. We decided to go a day before our flight so I can see London in the daylight. We were dropped off on Platform 9 at Kings Cross Station. For all you Harry Potter lovers, this is just 3/4ths of a platform away from the famous Platform 9 3/4!! We decided to cross that off the list first until we unfortunately noticed that because of all the construction, there was no way to get to Platfrom 9 3/4 : ( So I will have to save that for another trip...
So on we went to find out hotel and drop out baggage off. Because our hotel was overbooked they sent us to another hotel which the lady claimed was "so beautiful".. I looked it up before we got into the taxi and we were upgraded from a 2 star to a 4 star hotel!! SCORE!!! We made our way in the taxi, and were a little sad to see that we were not at the hotel that I saw on the internet, but it didn't matter because we were only going to be there for the night... So we dropped the stuff off and went off to find the only Chipotle in the United Kingdom... It was very easy to find and so we enjoyed our burritos while people watching.. two of my favorite things!! After dinner was shopping on Oxford St. and then it was back to the hotel for the night..
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
The next morning we set off to go see the sights, only to be let down by the fact that the London Tube (subway system) workers were on strike that day... making the easiest form of London transportation unusable... we decided that that wasn't going to stop us and we set off to learn the London Bus route. Our hotel was by Hyde Park, so we got to see a little of that including Speakers Corner (no one was speaking..) where we loaded our double decker bus and set off to find Abbey Road. After a little navigating we found it!! We signed our names on the wall and walked across the road..
Next on the list was Buckingham Palace... I really wanted to take a picture with the guards, but we couldn't get to them : (
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| See the guard in the background? That was as close as I could get... |
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| Park with Horse Guard's House in the background |
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| The horse guard and I |
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| One of the lions in Trafalgar Square |
Saturday, August 28, 2010
And They're Off!!
Today was a very exciting day here in Newmarket. It was the very last horse race of the summer season! Lucky for us they still have an Autumn season as well so we still have a few more races to attend for the year! This however was MY first horse race, and being the horse lover that I am I was way excited to attend! We only got to watch 3 races but it was actually more entertaining than I even thought it would be!
Because of my new awesome iphone... most of the posts from here on out will most likely be photo posts!! YAY!! If you would like to make the picture bigger so you can see it better just click on it and it will take you to a new screen to view the larger picture. Then just hit back and you will go back to our page.. So here goes...
Here is a picture of the first race we saw.. with the horses crossing the finish line! The red target thing you see on the left side marks the finish line.
Before the race, the horses are paraded in this little arena with their trainers.. Then a bell rings and the jockeys come out and mount their horses.. Here is a jockey on a horse in the arena..
Once the jockey is on.. They take off to get to the start line..
Here are Ev and I.. Notice the thing on Ev's jacket.. that means he is super special at the horse races.. hahaha.. nah he just has "season tickets" and they give you that little medal to put on your jacket..
So little did we know that Jaime's Bachelorette party had a British Horse Race theme to it.. Instead of big outrageous hats, the British wear outrageous hair pieces to the horse races.. Notice the chick behind Everett...
Here is a close up of said hair piece... There were some pretty good ones, but this was the only one I could get a good pic of without being too obvious!
Here is a pic of one of the jockeys in the last race.. This guy was the oldest jockey of the day.. I think he was in his late 60's early 70's!
Last but not least.. Here is a video of the race we actually won! Everett bet on 6 and 8, I bet on 5 and 9.. The top three were 8, 9, 5.. So we did pretty good!! It was a 4 mile race (not all are that long..) Here is just the "tail end" of it.. hehe.. You will have to click the link to go to YouTube to view it!
Click here to watch the horse race!
So far today has been a pretty great day! Everett just got done surprising me with dinner... all my favs: chicken strips, mac and cheese, and corn! Don't I have just the greatest husband ever!!
I will be posting pictures on previous blogs, so you may want to scroll down to see some of them!
Thanks to all who have left comments.. we enjoy reading them!!
Because of my new awesome iphone... most of the posts from here on out will most likely be photo posts!! YAY!! If you would like to make the picture bigger so you can see it better just click on it and it will take you to a new screen to view the larger picture. Then just hit back and you will go back to our page.. So here goes...
Here is a picture of the first race we saw.. with the horses crossing the finish line! The red target thing you see on the left side marks the finish line.
Before the race, the horses are paraded in this little arena with their trainers.. Then a bell rings and the jockeys come out and mount their horses.. Here is a jockey on a horse in the arena..
Once the jockey is on.. They take off to get to the start line..
Here are Ev and I.. Notice the thing on Ev's jacket.. that means he is super special at the horse races.. hahaha.. nah he just has "season tickets" and they give you that little medal to put on your jacket..
So little did we know that Jaime's Bachelorette party had a British Horse Race theme to it.. Instead of big outrageous hats, the British wear outrageous hair pieces to the horse races.. Notice the chick behind Everett...
Here is a close up of said hair piece... There were some pretty good ones, but this was the only one I could get a good pic of without being too obvious!
Here is a pic of one of the jockeys in the last race.. This guy was the oldest jockey of the day.. I think he was in his late 60's early 70's!
Last but not least.. Here is a video of the race we actually won! Everett bet on 6 and 8, I bet on 5 and 9.. The top three were 8, 9, 5.. So we did pretty good!! It was a 4 mile race (not all are that long..) Here is just the "tail end" of it.. hehe.. You will have to click the link to go to YouTube to view it!
Click here to watch the horse race!
So far today has been a pretty great day! Everett just got done surprising me with dinner... all my favs: chicken strips, mac and cheese, and corn! Don't I have just the greatest husband ever!!
I will be posting pictures on previous blogs, so you may want to scroll down to see some of them!
Thanks to all who have left comments.. we enjoy reading them!!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Iceland and Cleaning and House Fires... Oh My!
It has been a busy yet pretty uneventful few days.. Over the weekend, we went out in Cambridge on Friday. The bars here don't close until 4am... That's LATE for an old married woman like me! I was too tired to go out again on Saturday! I just can't hang anymore! : )
Here are some random pics from the bars/Newmarket:
On to the exciting news.. It sounds like I will be getting to go to Iceland again! For longer than 30 minutes this time... haha! Everett will be making a work trip there, so one of his coworker's wife and I will be flying there to spend a couple of days enjoying the country. I'm unsure on the dates as of yet, but I know we will be there in September. I'm very excited for my first "adventure" here! Until then.. it will be cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning! I have gotten the kitchen cleaned, but have 3 and two halves more rooms to clean. I know what you're thinking.. come on teacher.. two halves = one whole.. but the bathrooms are so small they only count as half and I didn't want you to think we have 5 whole rooms here!
We did have one scary event this weekend.. I went to cook my toast for breakfast this morning, and I had a little house fire! The toaster was plugged into the wall, so I assumed it was OK to use. I noticed the setting was on the lowest, and I like my toast cooked a little more so I turned it up and turned it on. I went to go get the butter from the fridge not 15 ft away when I look back and the toaster is smoking. I run over just in time for it to burst into flames. I yell at Everett, "Um, there's a fire in the kitchen!" as I turn off the outlet (here in England, the electrical outlets can be turned on and off using a switch). The fire was out before Everett made it to the kitchen, but I learned a good lesson... You can't use American products in English outlets.. They have different voltages! So I have to cook my toast much like a marshmallow now.. wait for the smoke then flip it over!
I look forward to hearing from you guys via facebook, email, phone calls, or even comments on my posts! Missing you still!!
Amber
Here are some random pics from the bars/Newmarket:
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| Everett and his friend Evan |
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| Just thought this looked cool.. |
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| Don't you miss us?? : ) |
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| Lamborghini chillin' in Newmarket.. It is an extremely wealthy town, so sights like these occur on a daily basis... |
We did have one scary event this weekend.. I went to cook my toast for breakfast this morning, and I had a little house fire! The toaster was plugged into the wall, so I assumed it was OK to use. I noticed the setting was on the lowest, and I like my toast cooked a little more so I turned it up and turned it on. I went to go get the butter from the fridge not 15 ft away when I look back and the toaster is smoking. I run over just in time for it to burst into flames. I yell at Everett, "Um, there's a fire in the kitchen!" as I turn off the outlet (here in England, the electrical outlets can be turned on and off using a switch). The fire was out before Everett made it to the kitchen, but I learned a good lesson... You can't use American products in English outlets.. They have different voltages! So I have to cook my toast much like a marshmallow now.. wait for the smoke then flip it over!
I look forward to hearing from you guys via facebook, email, phone calls, or even comments on my posts! Missing you still!!
Amber
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