Thanks, Mr. Man...

Old Man.
Bald Man..
Late 60's...
Big Beer Belly....
Waddling Along the Shop.....
Food crumbs hanging onto his mustache......
Blowing his nose with a dirty handkerchief.......
Short Shorts and Sandals with socks........
Hot pink - tight, shirt that reads:
                                          "Love Machine, Satisfaction Guaranteed!"              

While the Rest of the Country Floods....

While the rest of the country is flooding -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6913752.stm
... we enjoyed an amazingly beautiful day.  The best in months...

Lovely.... Just Lovely....

P.S. Did you want to see where I live?  Here is my apartment (Top Left Window).

Who says time flies?

Hello Internet...
I passed a HUGE anniversary just this weekend.  I didn't get any cards or presents - no one even noticed or said one thing - NOT EVEN MY OWN HUSBAND.   But it was a big deal, to me. 
The reason it was such a big deal was, because at times I thought I'd never make it to this anniversary - month after month I said to myself "It will get better..." and sometimes it did, but sometimes it didn't.  Sometimes I was ready to call it quits and didn't care if I ever reached this anniversary because I liked things the way they were before.  That being said, sometimes I was so in love that the anniversary seemed to sneak up on me without warning or trouble.
I have a pair of shoes that I used to wear that remind me of my anniversary.  When I first started out they were new, blindingly white and not too comfortable... and now???

I wore these shoes on my wedding day, but that isn't the anniversary I am talking about.
I also wore these shoes when I stepped onto a plane that would take me to England, these shoes were on my feet when I took my first steps on English soil - not as a visitor - but as a resident.  I wore these shoes when I took all of my belongings and put them into a caravan to live.  I was wearing them when I walked through London and York and Newcastle.  I wore these shoes when I first drove my own English car, on the wrong side of the road.  I wore this shoes to really great days out and on really hard days in.
They are no longer new, white or uncomfortable... these shoes are me after a year in England.
I am not longer that person who put those shoes on, on my wedding day.  I have lived in England.  I am no longer white with in-experience I am a little worn for the wear but I am also comfortable, more comfortable than I was a year ago.
So Happy Anniversary to Jamie and England... here's to the tears and the laughter the sadness and the joy and here's to many more years together!

How to Kill a Wasp in a Few Easy Steps

You'd think I would be the main character in this story... but its not me, its my husband and after you read this you'll see why we are quite suited for each other.
1.  Identify the problem:

I walked into the bathroom and hanging out by my window were two very angry wasps trying to get out.  Finding a wasp is unsettling enough as it is, but TWO...
Here is the window they were stuck in....
 

2.  Call for help if necessary:

So I RUN out of the bathroom, quick as anything, slamming the door behind me and saying in a panicked, alright slightly loud voice,
"CHRIS!"
He comes running from the sitting room to find me sitting on the bed, he is saying,
"What, What is it?"
"It is, there are, TWO wasps in the bathroom!"
and what do I get back,
"So, GO KILL THEM!"
But I am not going to go near the bathroom so I shoot back,
"YOU'RE THE BOY - ITS YOUR JOB!"

3.  Find the killing equipment:

Chris grabs the nearest thing to kill them with, maybe a rolled up newspaper? A book?
Nope, the air freshener.
He slowly opens the door and starts to spray those wasps, as he is doing so he is shouting back to me,
"They aren't dying!"
So I explain how he needs a more direct approach not some air freshener that he isn't even shooting near the wasps, but from the door.  He shuts the door and we try to figure out what might kill those wasps and then we (I say we, I mean ME) get an idea --

So he tries again, but he is still having the same problems and then I yell (through my laughter),
"Put it on the straight stream and AIM!"
So he does and he starts to give me play-by-play -- It isn't working, oh it is, one just dropped out, ooohhhh I got the second one!

4.  Clean-up:

What Chris didn't want to do is get near enough to the wasps to take down the dry laundry hanging from the window and after all of that spraying they smelled not only like air freshener, but also were soaking wet from the spray bottle.
But the wasps were gone with, probably quite a lot more effort than necessary, but at least they were gone.  Needless to say we keep that window shut most of the time, because as effective as those killing steps are, they really aren't worth it.

2 New Albums

Yeah well, the title pretty much sums it up....  One album of random pictures and another of Ely, England.  Enjoy!

The 4th of July is a Holiday???

It is hard to forget in America that the 4th of July is a day of BBQ's, friends, family, hot weather and fireworks.  It is kind of easy to forget, or try to forget, here in England (especially since the weather was in the 60's and RAINY).
I didn't forget, don't get me wrong, how could I when I miss the country so much and probably start a good percentage of my sentences with, "Well in America..." or "Back home in Utah...."
But then comes the problem, there is no celebration here...  well not close by, there was a big firework display in Kent, England but that is 3 hours away, £25.00 per person, and £40.00 in gas money... so that was a "no go" not to mention I HAD TO WORK - ON THE 4TH of JULY...
So needless to say I was missing home quite a lot and decided not to do anything that has to do with the 4th and just treat it like "another day" that is until I came home from work to, what has to be the most thoughtful thing I've seen in a LONG time...
                    

A View From the Top                                          A Slice...

                 
A Side View... a TALL cake                   In Red Frosting "Happy 4th of July!!!"
Want to be even more impressed?  Made by my ENGLISH husband, from scratch, in 3 hours while I was at work.
That cheered me up quite a bit....
And after a while I finally let myself think about what I miss about America, you see I had to give myself permission because if it just creeps up on me I am overcome by emotion, not just because I miss my family and friends and lets see.... Taco Bell, Low Gas Prices (Low Prices Full Stop), Automatic Cars, Mountains, I-15, Big Meal Portions, 4 Distinct Seasons, etc, etc, etc....  but I miss my country, the pride that comes with the title of being "American", the buzz you get when you put your hand on your heart and sing (or listen) to the Nation Anthem, the flags proudly displayed everywhere, and the feeling of belonging that I have yet to feel here in England.
I love England, but my loyalty and heart belong firmly in America.   
So then I thought what can we do to celebrate the JOYOUS holiday???
And then, we went to KFC!!!
Happy  Birthday America!!!  
P.S. My favorite 4th tribute?  http://mightygirl.com/2007/07/04/god-bless-america-please/

Just Another Flaw...

Back in America I would get comments on my red hair quite often.  People love it, and I moved to England thinking it would be the same.... boy was I WRONG -- they hate red hair here -- they call us "ginger" and trust me, it isnt anywhere near a compliment!  And now I have family that have red hair and are getting teased about it, so bad they have to come and visit March for a while.  They are even going on Englands answer to Jerry Springer in the next few days....  Its crazy how my best asset has turned into my greatest flaw...  Just another reason to miss America.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6725653.stm

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_method=full%26objectid=19234213%26siteid=89520-name_page.html

Kids!

This is what I told a child at work today....
"Thomas!  No, We do not lick our friends tongues."

A Walk Down Memory Lane...

Tonight I was reading through my old journal and I found this entry from my first trip to England in September 2001:
"The day I have dreaded the whole trip.  I have to go home tomorrow.  I am here catching up on my writing, but, not really wanting to go to sleep because I know it ends tomorrow.  I love England.  I belong in England.  The feeling I get is one of peace when I am here.  I am so surprised I am not homesick but I think, how could I be homesick when I am home?  That is what I feel.  I came on this holiday to figure things out, and I have.  I dread tomorrow, I don't want it to come because I know I have to leave.  And I know when I get home I will be homesick then.  Homesick not just for my friends but for this place.  You know it is funny - I think now I am realizing why I am so drawn to British boys.  It is because they will help me be there.  I am so glad that I got to come here and to discover this place and to fall in love with this place.  I will miss it terribly, more than I have missed anything in my life."
I remember writing that entry through tear filled eyes.  I REALLY felt that way.  I really felt something about this country that I couldn't quite describe, it's deep feeling that has never left me.  I guess what I need to do now is remember those feelings.
How do you think that quote would look on my bathroom mirror???

Appendix, Migraine, and Colds - OH MY!

Hello Internet....
I don't have a lot of time tonight but here is my update -
Chris was in the hospital all day yesterday with a "grumbling appendix" - it sure has been grumbling, but no bursting so now we are just waiting....
While we are sitting in the "hospital" I snapped some pictures....

A "Hospital" Corner                    An Air Vent - No Air Conditioning    Hospital (Prison) Sink

Behind the "Dirty" Curtain    Cardboard Barf Buckets     Chris on a 1970's "Bed"
Other updates:
* I have had a week of constant headaches, wait scratch that, Migraines - I need a massage.
* Chris and I have both christened the toilet by barfing in it (thought you might want to know).
* We both have colds too...
Good News????
IT IS SUNNY!!!!!!  It only rained a little bit yesterday (we were stuck in the hospital anyway so it didn't matter) but today I couldn't have a nap this afternoon because of the sun shining through my window and I didn't mind the lack of sleep at all -- especially since it was because of the sun!!!
And in other news....
I had an appointment at the Doctors Surgery today - the nurse's name that saw me ---
Janet Jackson!