Notes From a Large Island

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Black and white day Part 1

2006-11-02T15:29:00.000-05:00

As a surprise for me on my arrival to England Luke bought 5 rolls of black and white film and took me for a walk in Trent Park on a beautiful and mild day to take pictures. We agreed that we should take turns with the camera and after I showed him how to use it, turned him loose and this is what he ended up with! I think we have a budding photographer among us; im very proud of his first time out taking pictures "just for the sake of it" and i know he is too. Here are the shots he selected for me to post:

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Pics

2006-10-26T12:59:00.000-04:00

So, i bet youre wondering why ive put up a lot of random photos from everywhere.. basically i heard about an internet site called jpg magazine where they publish photos and people come and vote for the best, so i thought id give a try to submitting a few. So go vote for me if you can figure out how! lol. my brain is fried right now or else id provide the link. Photography has been my only escape from weddings and other problems plaguing me lately so ive been snapping like crazy... though i cant afford to develop the film here, even on cds. anyway, here are some of my favs, old and new. The themes were "tourism and the faraway world" and "embracing the blurry" enjoy.

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megalith

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engine turbine

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Venice

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seahorse

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Jelly movement

2006-10-26T08:10:00.000-04:00

night flower market, Rome

2006-10-26T08:08:00.000-04:00

Forgive my slurring

2006-10-17T15:36:00.000-04:00

There are 2 reasons for this... one, is that i got my nails done and i cant type properly because im not sused to them being long. The other reason is that I have had a litte bit of wine and i have let my alcahol tolerance drp i the last couple iof weeks and am fairly buzzed. Therefore, i cannot be bothered to coerrect any of my numerous typing rerrors! HA.

So, england. Yeah, england makes me want to dress nice and go to parties. I dont know why, but it has always been. Theres something about the Enghish peple that is so formal that i just want to put on a cocktail dress or a blazer and sip tea and/or wine. I have the wine part down. As far as wedding plannig, i have booked the ophotographer, chosen the flowers, and Lukes mom and I have made good progress on the wedding dress! Unfortunately, i still do not have an engagement ring! It is apparently being custom made from a design luke came up with (aww) and is taking longer than expected... so long infact that i will not have it until 2 weeks before the ceremony. But no matter.

I miss everyone at home so much! Why does it always happen that as soon as I settle down in a plac i end up moving to some toher foreign country that it takes me 6 months to get used to by which time its time to leave agauin? I was miserable my first year in America, and it literally took until i found my job, got a car, and made new friends that i really started to feel like i fit in... lo and behold, 3 months after i start to feel that way i am whisked away to another foreign land.. where, incidentally, i am the foreigner once again. This place is weird. Dont get me wrong... yay england and everything... but there are such cultural dfferences sometimes that are prominent yet so subtle... which can make them all the more annoying.

Anyway, sorry about my 'waffling on' which is a british term for 'spinning bullshit' but it is the wine, i promise you. I have nothing more of interest to say, and with that im going to wartch season 8 of the simpsons that i bought on DVD and have sme more wine while in bed. Wish me luck.

Into the Swing of Things

2006-10-11T17:13:00.000-04:00

So, I hadn't really realized just how Americanized I had become over the last few months of living on my own in the US of A. Maybe it's just because I'm tired and jet lagged, but I keep doing things like trying to get in on the driver's side door as a passenger and occasionally still think oncoming traffic is on the wrong side of the road and heading right toward me. I keep startling myself when I hear people's accents and forget where I am. It feels like home... but it is not.

As for seeing Luke for the first time in 3 months...It was weired for a while, but in a nice way. For the first few times he spoke to me I responded with something like, "Its that voice Ive been hearing for 3 months! Hello, Voice! Youre real again!" It didnt take long before things started to get back to normal and calm down, but that initial feeling of seeing someone you havent seen in a long time always still overwhelms me.

Now, Its on to the wedding plans. We have 5 weeks to basically do the whole thing. I wont bore you with details, but suffice to say theres a lot to do. Anyway, I am pretty beat so im going to leave this for now... I have another full day tomorrow of organizing things, and my sister is coming down from Scotland for a visit which I am really looking forward to. Until then, its rest and reflection for me.

Off again

2006-10-05T09:19:00.000-04:00

Well, today is my last day of work at Petco. I have to say, I am actually really sad. I met some really cool people there and enjoyed doing the job- a hobby that i have anyway. I will definitely miss it and (just about) everyone there.

So, Tuesday I am off to England to begin my part in the wedding plans... thus far Luke has done just about everything... he has booked a venue, some entertainment, tuxes, etc. I basically have to show up and get a photographer (something I insisted on picking) choose the menu, and various little things like table settings and cakes... as you can tell Im fairly nonchalant about these things... as far as Im concerned I thought I was going to be going into the town hall and signing a piece of paper, and lo and behold my entire family wants to fly over and come too... so its turned into something a bit bigger. But thats ok, i just wish i was there for the planning of it! The date is November 17th... less than 6 weeks.

Oh yeah, and i dont think i mentioned this but its pretty cool; Luke's mom is a professional wedding dress maker and I can have any dres I want in the entire world! So anyway, I went to this boutique in Westport, CT to try on dresses to get an idea, and there was a Trunk show by this designer Anne Barge.. i thought the dresses were a little too foofy (is that a word?) for me but i tried one of them on anyway, and fell in love with it. It fit like a glove. It was fun to move in (felt like walking through a snow drift) and it looked effing hot. This is what it looks like in case anyone's curious. So, because its a trunk show, that means that those dresses were straight from the runway, and get travelled around to different stores for people to see... so its probably that the dress I tried on is the EXACT dress from that picture. I think thats pretty cool because i felt like a model. :) And so what if its a $4000 dress?!?!? I have my own seamstress to create it for me! Muahaha.

So, it might be a while before i get to blog, with packing and travelling over the next week, but I will give the update when I get over The Pond. In the mean time, take care and farewell, CT... again.

A poem

2006-09-23T22:02:00.000-04:00

I wrote this a long time ago when i was still in school but I wanted to repost it because I amuse myself.

Working Hard, or Hardly Working?

Do you ever notice
that when you have a task you dread
you find a million other "necessary"
chores to do instead?

Like, I haven't cleaned my room in weeks
but today seems like the day
to vaccume up the potato chip crumbs
and put all my clothes away.

Then Ill alphabetize my CD case
and straighten out my books,
give myself a manicure
and put all my towels on their hooks.

And right now seems ike the perfect time
to polish my guitar
and while Im taking out the trash,
I think Ill stop and wash the car.

Then it's do a load of laundry,
sit down and have a drink,
then while Im in the kitchen,
do all the dishes in the sink.

Even writing stupid poems
is a form of procrastination
and a testimony of my laziness
and lack of organization.

Add in a lot of pacing
and you pretty much have my day.
Because Ill do just about anything
to avoid this dumb essay.

Ha.

RIP Becky

2006-09-21T21:11:00.000-04:00

Today we put my dog down. She was 13.5 years old and it was time. Theres not much to say here other than that B was a sweet dog and she will be missed. Part of me is glad she was able to go painlessly, peacefully, and with her dignity, but the emotional side of me will always say it was too soon. Good girl.

Guess What...?

2006-09-11T23:52:00.000-04:00

...PIGEON BUTT

Yeah, yeah. Ive been crap at updating latey. Things have been hectic and boring all at the same time. I suppose stressful woud be more than appropriate than hectic. Nothings moving as far as Luke and I being together any time soon and its driving me crazy. In addition to that, my sis goes back to school in Scotland today so things are getting pretty lonely already.

Thats about it. Afraid nothing is going on of note... as soon as I know Ill put it up... and trust me, no one hopes that's soon more than me!

Well now...

2006-08-17T17:11:00.000-04:00

It seems I am engaged to be married!

Not in the traditional sense, mind you. Due to the complications of my life we have decided to go the quick and simple route for the time being, which is getting married in a registry office just to sign the papers and get Luke's Green Card process started.

Just the kind of wedding a girl always wanted!

Anyhoo, we applied for the UK marriage visa today so the ball is rolling. Fingers crossed for us, with any luck I will be on my way to England to get married sometime in early October!

Afraid? You bet I am.

I Accept your challenge!

2006-08-10T08:22:00.001-04:00

I have been tagged by Mel to come up with 5 weird or interesting things abut myself! "This should be easy" I thought. "Im pretty weird." But im finding it a touch harder that I thought it would be!. Let me give it a try:

1. I hate crumbs. I.e, soggy bread bits. I meticulously pick off crumbs from vegetables that might have been in contact with bread that im not eating as part of a sandwich. For this same reason I dont dunk cookies in milk, put crackers in soup, or eat cereal because thay all have gooey chunks of soggy bread that gross me out.

2.If Im in a bad mood, I always feel better after annoying Luke in some way. Does this make me sadistic? Probably. He pointed it out and at first I denied it, but its a fact. If im down, and i tickle him or give him a shoe wedgie or something like that that he generally doesnt like, it makes me laugh and i feel better. Its all playful of course, but still a little worrysome.

3. I am a compulsive shopaholic. Hopefully someday when I have a family time will be spent buying things for them instead of me. Thats what I keep telling myself. I dont have a problem. lol.

4. I have bitten my fingernails for as long as I can remember. Cant stop. Dont even want to. Thats right.

5. I also sucked my thumb until i was about 6 years old. Thats about school aged, and Im not sure how unusual this is. Its probably the same oral fixation that keeps me biting my fingernails though. How Freudian.

I just read these over and i sound like a complete psychopath! Yay! lol. But it was fun. now I will tag....

1. Lauren
2. Tyson
3. Raymond
4. Patrick
5. anyone else who wants to!

Ignore this

2006-08-08T16:50:00.000-04:00

Sturbridge

2006-08-08T16:21:00.000-04:00

Sunday I went to Sturbrudge Village with Lauren and Sean, just for something random to enjoy on our day off. I am not going to put up many pics from it because, well, Im lazy. Lauren put up a bunch too, so go to her blog to see those.

She also posted this one:

But I had to too because it cracks me up. It's cleverly entitled "Sarah-cop and the Little Drummer Midget." :)

Nothing else new in life. However it looks like Luke and I are leaning toward another year in Australia rather than rushing into getting married. Its a horrible decision to have to make either way, but we cant go on living like this. Nothings definite yet but were working on it. Im scared though.

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Yes, I do enjoy using Lauren's macro lens.

2006-08-08T16:07:00.000-04:00

Henley

2006-08-01T18:46:00.000-04:00

I decided since Im bored and sweating out my remaining life force that I would post a few photos from when my sister and I went to the Henley Royal Regatta at the beginning of July. It was quite an experience. Dressing up was fun, we were in the enclosure so there was a pretty strict dress code... notsomethign I do often and hanging out with posh people really intimidates me normally, but I like rowing and knew what was going on, so I didnt feel like I was there just for show. It was a lovely day, so enjoy some snapshots.

Cheese

2006-08-01T18:43:00.000-04:00

The races

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Hot sun

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Our picnic

2006-08-01T18:35:00.000-04:00

Pimms

It... is... so.... HOT

2006-08-01T18:20:00.000-04:00

I think Im going to explode! The humidity is making it feel like 115 degrees F out today! I dont even KNOW what that is in celsius.. around 40 something Id imagine...and I heard that on the radio, Im not making it up. It is severly hot. Thank God it never really stays like this for more than a week around here. And Im bored. it looks like my mom and sister are staying down in Middlebury tonight at the other house and I am left home alone in the hot-box of bristol all by myself. I with I had something productive to do. Or at least someone to hang with! Anyway, looks like Ill just be sitting here sweating by myself all night. Yey. I hope wherever you are in blog-land its way cooler than it is here!

Plan C

2006-07-29T22:37:00.000-04:00

We found out yeaterday that there is no way, job or no job, that Luke can come and be in the US. Our government is so profoundly screwed up that if at all, it would take years and years to even get him close to getting a visa to be here, and even then they could still deport him.

Our options are as follows:

Plan a) Get married. Neither of us are financially or emotionally ready for this, and it would involve a fly by night ceremony in Las Vegas, just enough to prove that he is married to a US citizen and therefore is allowed to stay and eventually to work. We know this will happen eventually, but we want a little more warning and a little more time to plan, and not have to get married because of a visa or deadline.

Plan b) I would go and do a year's teacher certification course in the UK until which time we are ready to get married, and meanwhile I would come home with a small degree which would put me in a good place to become a teacher in a private school when I come back. This option is out, because the deadline for applying for these courses which start in September, was June. In order to do it I would have to apply now for NEXT september. Not waiting that long.

Plan c) Both of us return to Australia for a year to do the teacher's training course at the same university I graduated from. This is good, but is a long way away and involves uprooting again. The uni terms in Australia start in February as opposed to september so there is still substantial time to plan for this.

Plan d) Luke gets a student visa and comes to Connecticut to study. This is a good option because it lets us keep the life we have been building for the past few months here, and it gets him another qualification. It is bad because American universities are EXTREMELY expensive if you live here, let alone if youre form overseas. Were talking upwards of $35,000 a year! I dont want him to have to take out a loan that size when we could BOTH get degrees and live in Oz for less than that...

SO thats where I am. I dont know where "that" is exactly, but were working on figuring something out. Money plays a big role, but so does proximity to somewhere familiar. I dont know. My head hurts and everything Im doing seems pointless because I dont know how long I will be here to enjoy it and do it. What the hell.

Some Italy photos

2006-07-23T09:42:00.000-04:00

Heres a smallish selection of photos from my trip! I tried to put up most of my favorites so enjoy. This has taken me forever to do because of slow internet and slow computer, so i have to run now, but the update is that Lukes work permit has been rejected by the government and he had to stay in England without me. We dont know when he will be able to come back but the new immigration lawyer we have thinks were looking at November at the EARLIEST. Why do things always have to be so complicated? Anyway, have a look at the pictures and Im outta here.

Group shop- Capri

2006-07-23T09:37:00.000-04:00

Luke as gondoleer (sp?) -Love the elastic band..

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The Pope

2006-07-23T09:31:00.000-04:00

Amazing pizza

2006-07-23T09:24:00.000-04:00

A very red moon

2006-07-23T09:19:00.000-04:00

Santa Margherita- the Riviera

2006-07-23T09:17:00.000-04:00

Venice

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Venice

2006-07-23T09:12:00.000-04:00

Venice

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Murano Glass blowing workshop

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Sunflower fields

2006-07-23T09:02:00.000-04:00

Luke and Me- Capri

2006-07-23T08:58:00.000-04:00

Trevi Fountain at night

2006-07-23T08:54:00.000-04:00

2006-07-23T08:53:00.000-04:00

Colleseum Walls- Rome

2006-07-23T08:44:00.000-04:00

Florence by night

2006-07-23T08:39:00.000-04:00

Boats- Capri

Back Again

2006-07-15T03:24:00.000-04:00

Funny how it turned out; the team I was so angry with in my last post ended up winning the whole damn world cup and I was cheering for them in the end. The atmosphere was off the hook, incidently, and though we were only in Venice for the final which is comparatively really quiet, the few locals were going nuts and jumping off the bridges into the canals and lighting fireworks and smoke thingys. I can only imagine what Rome must have been like.

The trip on the whole was really fantastic and though I am not going to get into detail now, I will have many pictures and stories once I get all my film developed on Tuesday when I get home. I am still in England at the moment.

Im also kind of stressed out because the time is finally coming when Luke has to try to get back into America with me when they already flagged his passport last time and told him he was "coming there too often". His work permit still has not come through after 6 months of waiting, and were afraid he might get sent back to England while he waits for it to be approved. He thinks he shouldnt bother coming back at all until we hear one way or another to avoid getting in trouble at US customs... so Im realy worried. The wheel of confusion that is my life continues to turn. And just when I thought everything was settling down Im faced with more possible months of seperation and its all because of the US government being rediculously slow and anal. I wont go on a political rant, but let me just say that every US customs official and member of the "department of homeland security" can die a slow and painful death in the far reaches of Hell, because you all make my life a living nightmare. And what did I ever do to you?

Whew. Anyway, Im trying not to get TOO worked up over it and maybe enjoy a little of the warm weather England has been having. Ill give the update when Im home in a few days.

I Officially Hate Soccer

2006-06-26T13:06:00.000-04:00

Absolutely heartbreaking... Australia and Italy.. 0-0.. 92 minutes and 57 seconds into the game... stoppage time... Italian player dives (fakes being fouled)... PENALTY on Australia! Italy scored in the last 3 seconds of overtime on a penalty that shouldnt have been given and the Aussies are knocked out of the World Cup.

How unfair... that was an entirely slippery thing for the Italians to do because they knew they could get away with it.. but it was not right and theres no such thing as video refs in soccer so no one can change a thing.

Well, luckily I have 3 teams- the first being the USA who went out against Ghana for pete's sake, now Australia completely undeservedly went out againt Italy, so the only option left is England... come on England!!

Incidently, I am in England now. We head to Italy in 3 days and though I cant promise blogging while im there I can promise many good stories and pictures when I get back. If only I can deal with the gloating Italians if they get through the next round... and If they end up playing England, well, there might be trouble. :)

Check this out:

2006-06-11T09:45:00.000-04:00

How 'bout that sexy little number??

I know Ive had my little car (Civic Si) for a month or so now but Ive been pretty slow with the camera lately, digital or otherwise, and havent gotten around to taking any pictures of it. But it's a pretty zippy machine. I could drive a stick shift before, but since its been mainly me that has driven this car every day for the past month and a half, I have to say I pretty much rock at it. Anyway, just wanted to share that.

The other reason Im excited is because my family and step family (my mom just got engaged) are taking a big family trip together- to Italy! And the countdown has officially begun- 13 days. Luke and I leave on june 24th and stay in London for a few days, meet my sister coming down from Scotland, and my mom, brother, and step- dad Scott are meeting us there on the 29th when we will fly down and meet everyone else- my step brothers, aunts and uncles, cousins, and grandparents. We are (unbelieveably) staying in 5 star hotels for 2 weeks, and staying places like the Italian Riviera, Venice, the Isle of Capri, and loads more. We're basically touring the country in style. And it gives my family a chance to get to know my step family a lot better and actually spend some time together other than the odd holiday meal. It will be amazing and im getting butterflies of excitment just thinking about it.

Of course, it will be grounds for me to start taking pictures again, since CT hasnt had much to offer me the last couple of months. Im thinking of going to Costco and bulk buying their entire film section, because Ill need it. Life is good at the moment. Im traveling again.

My ferret rules the house...

2006-05-28T09:38:00.000-04:00

This is my ferret Einstein:

One of the down (or up, depending on how you look at it) sides of working at a pet store is that people drop off lots of animals that they dont want anymore for whatever reason, and you- I mean I- feel obliged to give as many of them as I can a good home. Or at least thats what Luke says I do. I say, Ive always wanted to have a ferret and when a free one with a cage and everything came along I just couldnt say no.

Let me just say that he is constant entertainment. He is practically rubber and bounces from room to room making anything into a toy and purposely trying to go exactly where I dont want him to be. All my plants are completely destroyed. He occasionally misses the litter box, and he is obsessed with his furry squeaky toy and always checks to make sure it's in its proper place in the left corner of the top floor of his cage. Hes a riot. Ive had him a month and hes one of the most enjoyable pets Ive ever had!

2006-05-28T09:36:00.000-04:00

...Sometimes he's cute...

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But sometimes even this doesnt help...

2006-05-28T09:33:00.000-04:00

2006-05-28T09:31:00.000-04:00

They can fit into or under almost anything- in fact it's damn near impossible to keep them in one room...

2006-05-28T09:28:00.000-04:00

One Year Blog-iversary!

2006-05-16T17:13:00.000-04:00

I just realized that my last post, May 7th, was my one year Blog anniversary! Go me! Its hard to imagine myself a year ago sitting at my desk in my room in Australia, still happy there but painfully aware that my time there was coming to an end. I still had days to spend at The Strand and nights out at The Club with my friends, weekends in Cairns and random nights on the town. Now, almost an entire year later, I still miss it so, so, so much. People kept telling me Id get used to it here and the memories would fade, but that hasnt happened yet and I doubt it will. Im busy, and that keeps my mind off it, (most of the time) but I still wish just about every day that I was still there. Sure, CT is ok and Luke is here with me, and I like my job and car, but it just doesnt compare with how happy I was Down Under....

Anyway... thats about all thats new at the moment. Work and home, home and work. More later when i have a sec.

Becky

2006-05-07T10:56:00.000-04:00

This is my dog Becky playing in the snow. Im entering this into a pet photo compteition. Wish me luck!

Working

2006-04-21T08:51:00.000-04:00

Well, ive been on the job for 4 days now, today is my first day off, and I am getting a 3 day weekend for what I am told will probably be the first and last time. The work isnt too bad, a little monotonous at times but I believe I am being tracked to take over the aquatics department eventually, since the normal fish expert was promoted to junior management. Thats a good thing, because I have been keeping my own aquariums since I was about 12 and know quite a bit about it, if I do say so myself. Also if you rermember I was working in a fish shop part time in Australia as well, so I am actually quite in my element. Sometimes I even impress myself; I spat out a fact about Knife fish to a guy who was wondering why he never saw his fish, why they were always hiding. "they're nocturnal", I said, not being sure whether I'd just made that fact up. Turns out I was completely right, though I have never owned a Knife fish and dont ever remember reading they were nocturnal. So thats going well. And they may be paying for me to take a dog training course which is something I was going to do myself, but hey, if theyre going to do it for me, why should I pay for it somewhere else??

And today I finally pick up my new-used car. We have been running around trying to sort out bank loans and insrance and faxing 50 million things to different people, and finally, its done. I will be mobile as from 12 noon today.

I finally feel as though Im getting some permanance in my life. (if a lot of bills means permanance, then stuff it) Like, its the first time in many years that I find myself not waiting or wanting to take off to some faraway place again. I guess thats growing up. However I will never lose my desire to travel, I still want to go everywhere- and I will- but just not now. Nows down time.

I want to SLEEP!

2006-04-17T02:29:00.000-04:00

Its 2.30 a.m.. I am still awake and its making me crazy. I got a job which starts tomorrow morning at 7a.m., and it doesn't look like ill be asleep anytime soon. My little job is part time at PetCo, a chain of pet stores in the area. The money sucks, but at least im not starting at minimum wage and after all, it's only temporary until I can get my resume out to schools. Assuming I get hired, that contract wont start until September so I need something to do in the mean time. Too bad I will be falling asleep on my first day!!

Its just that I have a lot on my mind. The other thing that's keeping me up is that I am probably getting a car tomorrow!! Its a 2002 Honda Civic Si, and its pretty awesome. Silver. Manual transmission. Hatchback. Pretty damn sporty. So, I guess I should go and try to scrape at least 3 hours of sleep so im not screwed for tomorrow. Ill post some pics of my car when I get a chance, fingers crossed for me tomorrow. *yawn*

Springtime

2006-04-11T18:49:00.000-04:00

Isnt it funny how as soon as I get home to CT I seem to have nothing to talk about? I have been here a week now and I am adjusting to America all over again. Luke's job here has basically entitled him to a car with fuel paid for and a paycheck an a cell phone basically as soon as he stepped off the plane. I, however, have a bit more work to do... If I get my resume in order by about Thursday I may have a shot at getting some interviews at some private schools as an art teacher. I cant remember if I mentioned that I might want to go into teaching.. but it seems like a very logical career path for me. Im ok at art- not fantstic but I have had experience in ceramics, painting and drawing, photography, and stone cutting, and im sure other things that Im forgetting as well, so i can draw on that to teach others what I know. Who knows. Im actually terrified and dont know if I can do it, but the vacation time is good and as with most things, Ill probaby find I CAN do it after the initial fear wears off.

The weather this week has been fantastic! Keep it up! Its the first nice few days Ive had since last august and I mean to enjoy every minute of it! I need to think of some outdoor-sy hings to do to keep my mind off the fact that I need work and things will be just fine. Im finally going to be in one place for more than 3 months!

Old stuff

2006-04-01T05:13:00.000-05:00

I was just randomly looking through my blog archives and came across this post. Hysterical. My family is nuts.

Ready for Home

2006-03-30T14:00:00.000-05:00

You know that point when you're about to leave for a big trip and the few days beforehand it seems so far away... It's now 3 days before Luke and I head back to the States and I am bored out of my mind. Its nearly time to start packing, but theres nothing else whatsoever that I need tyo be doing. Just waiting. And, even though Im only going home, I am really nervous, as I sometimes get before travel. Who knows why. I once made myself physically ill before a flight home from Sydney even though I had done it 3 or 4 times before and am not afraid of flying in the least.

Maybe its just that apprehension you get before you're about to start a new phase of life- a combination of excitement and fear and various other emotions that always seem to vanish the second I step onto the plane. I dont really know what CT will have in store for me this time around; and I was just starting to get used to it here. But I wontsay I dont like the excitment- because I do. Sometimes I just think maybe I try to do too much at once. We'll see; I think this may have been my last adventure for a while, but then again Ive said that before too. On to the next!

2006-03-30T13:59:00.000-05:00

2006-03-30T13:58:00.000-05:00

...Fun with Christmas decorations

Intimidation and Provocation

2006-03-20T16:31:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to figure out a constructive way to post this for a few days now but I have come to the conclusion that I just have to say it and get it off my chest. For some reason when I have told people it didnt sound like quite as big of a deal as in my head, but for some reason I just cant seem to get over it.

It was St Patrick's day. We went down to Luke's dad's local pub which was not very busy but the owner is Irish so it was pretty festive. Luke started to play poker with some guys at a table, and I sat nearby chatting to his mom. Luke invited me to come over and sit next to him and I managed a pretty convincing show of interest in the game and was introduced to the other guys at the table. The conversation moved to how Luke and I were going to be moving to America in a few weeks. They were mostly interested and asking me questions, but one guy at the table immidiately made it clear that he hated Americans and all of America. I turned away and pretended I wasnt interested in what they were talking about, with this one guy talking shit saying Americans were this that and the other and the rest of the guys sort of arguing with him but more discussing my country.

This I am used to. Its something you have to take with a grain of salt as an American who travels; people ask you weird questions and expect you to give weird answers, like "Don't you all live in apartments over there?" "Yeah, there's not a square foot of land thats undeveloped, every day is just like an episode of 'Friends'..." (didnt make that example up btw) But what happened next was a first for me.

American-hating guy at table: (to me) Let me ask you something.
Me: What?
guy: Do you believe in God?
Me: Sorry?

He was clearly expecting me to say something to prove his point about Americans. I thought I knew where this was going and I wasnt going to give him the satisfaction.

Guy: Do you believe in God?
Me: I dont even know you, I dont think Im going to be spilling my philosophies about God to a complete stranger.
Guy: It was a simple question, it has nothing to do with you.
Me: Excuse me, but you asking me point blank if I believe in God MAKES it about me.

Someone else at the table then caught on and said something about George Bush being a God-fearing - born again Christian or something like that.

Me: (and i dont mean to offend anyones political views here, but it had to be said) George Bush is an IDIOT! Youre comparing me to HIM??

At this point I was nearing tears, completely backed into a corner and on my own. He just kept provoking me with stupid questions and not even bothering to hear my answers. At this poing Luke's mom stepped in and said enough is enough, lets go home. As I was leaving some of the other guys at the table apologized for his behavior and shook my hand and called him an asshole. He was like 55 years old. Where does a guy like that get off talking like that to a 23 year old guest in his country, who never did any harm to anyone, who was just trying to be friendly and social? Wherever I go I make a point of being friendly and respectful of the local customs (no matter how weird) I have had many foreign friends tell me that I changed their opinion of Americans in general. (They ovbiously hadnt met many - In fact, upon introduction most foreign people assume Im Canadian)But never in my entire life or anywhere I have traveled to have I been treated so offensively and inhospitably.

I am willing to put up with some of the flack that comes from simply existing overseas as an American citizen, and still maintain some pride and patriotism (but not flaunt it.) Ill be damned if my love of travel is going to be ruined by one ignorant asshole of a Brit, but never have I ever wanted to knee a man in the groin so much.

That's my story and Im sticking to it.

Excellent Day

2006-03-15T05:07:00.000-05:00

I have never really been big in to celebrating my birthday. As a kid we were really only allowed birthday parties every 5 years; age 5, 10, and 15, etc. I think I had one at 5, at 10 I couldnt really be bothered to arrange one so had it at 13, and completely gave up at 15. Sounds sad, doesnt it?

Ive just never been the type of person who runs around yelling "WHEE!! ITS MY BIRTHDAY! LOOK AT ME! WOOOO!" Being the center of attention makes me uncomfortable, and I usually prefer to blend in. Its how I was raised.

This birthday, however, was probably the nicest one I have had in a long while, and I was put under the spotlight most of the day. I unexpectedly got gifts and cards from every single member of Luke's family, including great Aunt Lucia. :) That they took me out for Indian food was nice enough, got me mildly drunk was even nicer, but then somehow bought a cake, gave it to the staff without me seeing, and had the whole restaurant singing at me, was far beyond anything I expected and I turned many shades of red. I believe my words when I saw the cake and candles were, "Oh No." Maybe not your typical reaction, but I actually enjoyed it immensely.

And just as I thought I was out of the woods for this year, Lauren posted some mega embarassing pictures of me on her blog including one of us as kids... WOAH. I laughed for about 5 minutes and again went bright red. But I am so honored that Lauren did a post just about me (cuz her blog rocks), and as embarassed I was it made me so happy, because she is still such a fantastic friend after all these years.

So I guess being in the limelight is ok (once in a while) because I really did have a wonderful birthday. Now, Im off to Europe's biggest shopping mall to spend some of my b day dosh (British slang for cash). BRING IT! See y'all later. :D

Spookie Lukie

2006-03-13T15:00:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of Luke that he hates, but I think its cute. And since its my opinion that counts (hehe) Im putting him up here for all to see.

Actually, I need the photo for something else and my computer wont let me use the edited version unless I post it here and resave it. Weird.

Its been a quiet couple of days... I have started working on an oil painting series Ive been meaning to do for a while involving an evil black pig with wings. I dont do drugs, I swear. I am officially out of money and looking forward to going back home in 3 weeks, and it is exactly 3 hours and 30 minutes (GMT) until MY BIRTHDAY!!!

Tomorrow night Luke's family is taking me out to dinner which will be nice, and probably to the pub for drinks after. I dont get sad about being away from home on my birthday, because in actuality I cant remember the last one I have spent at home. Age 15 I was at Disney World.. 16 I was away on a skiing holiday in Utah, 17 I cant remember, 18 I was in Italy, 19 in Boston, and 20-22 was in Australia, and now, my 23rd, in England. Funny how I always manage to be away in March. Maybe I dont like birthday parties, maybe I cant stand being in the US when its cold (very true)... or maybe I just cant sit still. I wonder if I will ever grow out of that. I wonder if I want to.

A Luke-ism of my own

2006-03-08T19:04:00.000-05:00

Tonight we were out getting flowers to make the house pretty for when Luke's parents come home tomorrow. I wanted to tell him to go grab a bouquet of carnations... but i couldnt remember the name of the flower, and all I could think of was 'go grab a bouquet of crustaceans.'

I think Im definitely going senile at the tender age of almost-23.

Rescue Operation: successful

2006-03-07T10:02:00.000-05:00

After 4 days and 3 nights with our cat in a neighbor's tree, we called the RSPCA again this morning. They said that it's time to start being concerned, because they assumed that she'd have found her own way down by now. We called a tree surgeon who came by within an hour and had all the proper safely equipment for climbing trees. He pulled off the ivy growing on the trunk to clear a path to her and then managed to grab the cat and abseil down the tree trunk. She was howling like nothing I've ever heard and hid in a corner of the fence just crying. It was awful. I scruffed her and wrapped her in my jacket and rushed her home, where whe hid behind the couch for a while before coming out and starting to eat and groom herself.

All in all she's ok; soaking wet and missing 2 claws, but shes going to the vet today to be checked out anyway. The other cat whacks her every time she walks by her, as if to say "You stupid idiot. Where the heck have you been?"

In other news, Luke is taking me to the theater tonight to see Billy Elliot, which is one of my favorite movies. Hopefully the play will be as good. Its sort of my birthday present, so Im really looking forward to it. And a night out in London is never a bad thing!

Kitties are home safe and sound.

The Cat in the Tree

2006-03-06T13:32:00.000-05:00

Sounds like the beginning of a kids' story, doesnt it?

Actually, its a tale of the last 3 days, involving me, Luke, and two really dumb cats.

They were rescued from the RSPCA about 2 months ago and we have been letting them out for a couple of hours each day so they can get used to it. They have never been outdoor cats before, and they are also inseparable. So, we were pretty worried 3 days ago when only one came back. We had plans to go out for the evening so we left with the porch door ajar so she could get back in. At 1am when we came home, we fully expected her to be waiting at the door... no such luck. Now I was getting really freaked out because she has the instincts of a legless hamster and had never been out side alone at night.

After a night of worried sleep, we went out to look for her the next morning. The other cat was being such a pain, wanting to get out and find the other one, so we let her out and decided to follow her. A lot of the yards in Luke's neighborhood are fenced in, and the cat went straight through the fence into the next yard. So, we used a ladder to climb over the shed which was partly separating the two yards and lo and behold, we heard cries coming from the tree under which the first cat was sitting, crying up to her. While we tried standing the ladder up to the tree, the other cat thought it would be a good idea to climb the next tree over to try and get to her, which only resulted in having 2 cats stuck in trees.

I coaxed down cat 2 while standing on the roof of the shed, and Luke climbed the ladder and tried to grab cat 1 which only drove her further up the tree. So, 2 nights and 3 days later, we have one cat in the house and one cat still up a tree. Every time we try to help we just make it worse so we have decided to just let her find her own way down. Its just so hard to hear her crying and not be able to help!

At least shes not dead though, which was my original fear. Luke's mom is still on holiday and it wouldnt look so good for me as the cat sitter of one was dead, ya know what I mean? Ill keep you posted on this story, and hopefully it will have a happy ending.

I took this in the Stonehenge parking lot. Figures I visit a world heritage site and photograph road lines.

Precisely What I Mean

2006-02-28T05:45:00.000-05:00

Remember the other day I mentioned in my post how I cant understand how people can display a sign without asking someone with a brain whether or not it makes sense? Well, then I found this:

It was in a shop in Camden Market... not even a sidewalk salesman or anything- a proper shop. Its kinda catchy actually, I think I may call it a scarve from now on. :) Just thought I'd share that.

Luke-isms

2006-02-23T05:57:00.000-05:00

Luke is a strong character; that is why I do not mind writing this bit about him. He is not easily offended and can let just about anything roll off his back. Saying that, I would like to share some of his 'Luke-isms,' which our families have affectionately named them. Now, you wouldnt think there would be many advantages to dating someone mildly dyslexic, but with Luke, entertainment value alone makes it all worth while (he has a masters degree for Pete's sake, its not that bad).

The thing is, because he mixes up letters, he can't sound things out very well. So, he reads by memory. If hes never seen a certain word before, he makes up how he thinks it must sound. As my mom accurately put it, he "improvises." It also sometimes extends to his memory of a word. For example:

Over dinner one night he commented on Cuba and their long-standing leader, "Videl Casserole." (that great shampooing chef)

Do you see my point?

More recently, he said he wanted to go out to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants called Puerto Vallarta, and it came out "Vinnie Vinchenco's". By the time I realized what he meant I was looking in the phone book for Italian restaurants.

And only last night while we were driving his parents to Heathrow airport, the conversation went something like this:

(talking about using DNA or a paper trail to catch criminals)

Luke: Did you know that most of America's Mafia members who were caught were caught by the IRA?

*silence..*

Luke's dad: You mean the IRS?

In case you dont know, the IRA is the Irish Republican Army, more famous for blowing things up than catching mafia members. Its hysterical, really. And these are just the ones I can remember.

Sometimes I think that's a reason why we get along so well... I am crap with numbers and he laughs at me when I can't even hand someone the correct change. Whereas I correct the grammar on Burger King cups and pub menus, he writes out buisness plans with interest rates and tangible loss sums built in (or whatever). Its just how we work. And it works well.

PS- If you're like me and can't stand the abuse of the apostrophe and lack of commas, and can't fathom why a business would post a sign without checking whether is was gramatically correct before using it to advertise something (Come do karaoke with Tim Thursday's and Friday's) You should read the book "Eats, Shoots and Leaves." I believe it's by Helen Truss(?) and is pretty funny. However, if you're normal and dont care about apostrophes... read it anyway. You may learn something. :)

Where Have I Been?

2006-02-21T17:55:00.000-05:00

Well, I suppose the more appropriate question is 'Where HAVENT I been?' I know there is absolutely no excuse for my failure to blog in about 3 months other than the fact that I didnt have a decent computer- and the fact that I am in a foreign country again (hooray) and even then, I havent really had the time. Anyway, I will do my best to update on the last few months in a whirlwind fashion... through some photos I have taken along the way.

So basically, the original plan was that I was supposed to move to England. That plan is officially scrapped. My stepfather has offered Luke a job wothing for/ with him on a real estate development project. Luke is in heaven and i dont have to worry about getting a UK visa, so its a good outcome for all. However, since Luke isnt due to start work until April, I have come over to England for the meantime until we can both be in CT.

For the last 1 1/2 months I have been here trying to keep busy. Initially I thought I was going to be bored, but it turned out Luke's aunt had work for me in her pub/ restaurant (long story for anouther time) I was in a town called Abingdon, near Oxford, until a week ago. While we were in that area of the country, we managed to get out for a long weekend and saw the city of Bath, megalithic sites like Avebury and Stonehenge.

2006-02-21T13:18:00.000-05:00

Bath

2006-02-21T13:17:00.000-05:00

My sister Kate and I at the Roman baths, in Bath.

2006-02-21T13:16:00.000-05:00

Luke and I at Stonehenge. It was very windy and cold, we were drastically underdressed and were wearing shoes with no tread on muddy fields. Thus the new sport of "Henge-ing" was born. It basically involves being cold and falling on your butt in the mud quite a lot. Fun.

2006-02-21T13:15:00.000-05:00

Yey henges.

2006-02-21T13:13:00.000-05:00

Me on White Horse Hill- another iron-age (I think, maybe bronze age) site. Unfortunately because of the angle I couldnt get a good shot of the actual horse, which is a chalk drawing over 3000 years old, bur the view was pretty amazing anyway!

2006-02-21T13:12:00.000-05:00

Part of the Avebury stone circle, which is actually way larger than Stonehenge. And, you can actually go up and touch it, whereas Stonehenge is roped off. Too bad the British built a road through it.

Anyway, thats all I have time for now. I was also in Scotland this past weekend when my mom and Scott came to visit, but I dont have those phots yet. Again, I am glad to be back... catch you all later- this time I promise!

Last of the Autumn photos.. Hello winter!

2005-12-05T16:26:00.000-05:00

2005-12-05T16:13:00.000-05:00

2005-12-05T16:10:00.000-05:00

Marvin

2005-12-05T16:02:00.000-05:00

Beware: this post is a ramble.

2005-12-01T00:30:00.000-05:00

OK, so ive been pretty vague lately. Im not sure what my problem is and I probably shouldnt be discussing it here because it mostly likely that no one cares, but hey, this is MY space and i can ramble if I want!

I think the hardest thing about being done with college is not the finding a job, its not missing the college life, its defintely moving back home. I mean, im still a fairly cluttered, unorganized person, but in my dorm room it was MY mess and I knew where everything was. In my house, I have everyone else's stuff to contend with and I feel like not only my personal space is crowded but every other space as well. For instance, I paint. I was working on a painting- on the floor, because i dont have a desk- in the tv room. the floor was the most convenient spot i could find without unhooking the computer and dragging it around the house as i was working off a photo. And on top the pitiful lighting, the itchy carpet i was lying on, and not being able to find a single container in the kitchen that turpentine would not melt or my mother would not kill me for using, my brother came home and lectured me about making "his" computer room smell of paint and turps. I cant wait to have a place of my own.

Then there is the problem where, as you may know, i am waiting for something to happen with Luke. At least now I have a time frame to look at, but it seems that as of now I will be going to England for a few months and not work, after which I will come back here and find somthing permanant. Well, that sounds good in theory. But have you ever had so much to do that you end up doing nothing at all? I mean, i have paintings to do, rooms to redecorate for my mom, guitar and violin to practice, christmas cards to write, a gift for a friend sitting on my desk that i keep forgetting to mail, and various other chores that need doing, and yet i still sit here, day after day, managing not to do any of it. I am useless. And I am bored, although I have no right to be. I feel like my life is so far out of my control right now that I am just going with the flow, waiting for something to happen, and waiting for some kind of sign that this is where I am supposed to be. And I have yet to recognize it. I can get on with my days knowing the time will come, but when I actually stop and think about it, I am so lost. I wonder about the kind of person I am and who I will become, and whether or not I am doing the right thing. Half of the stuff that comes out of my mouth I regret having said, and the people who will actually listen to me i cant think of anything to say to. Am I grown up? is this who I am? where is the line drawn between when you stop developing into yourself? is there a line? Im definitely in one of those "what is the point" moods where I am feeling 70 different emotions at once and wondering what any of them have to do with anything.
To name a few:

nostalgic
lonely
worried
impatient
guilty
lazy
anxious
cornered
uncertain
confused
annoyed
annoying
ungrateful
confined
rushed
restrained
self-concious
demanding
bored
poor

and from there I am going in circles from one feeling to the next and it seems that one causes the other. Its almost like an emotional chain reaction.

Now im sure this post is a result of it being 1a.m. and elevated hormone levels, but as i said, I dont feel like this daily, just when i stop and think about it. So, does that mean i should try not to think about it or try and deal with it? Who knows. I probably sound all kinds of crazy right now so im going to shut up. All i know is that something is missing in my life lately, and i need to find out what it is, because the day to day stuff doesnt seem to matter when something bigger and scarier is hanging over my head.

Happy Thanksgiving

2005-11-23T23:42:00.000-05:00

And for those of you not in America, Happy..uh.. thursday.

November has flown by, and i must say, i dont feel any more organized than I did last month. The nice thing is, Luke is here with me spending Thanksgiving with me and my family! A week is not nearly long enough, but seeing him 2 times in one month?? whew! it almost doesnt seem possible.

The latest information I have been conveying was that I was to be moving to the UK to be with Luke asap. WELL, now no one knows whats going on. My visa application was just about set to go, save going to get a copy of my birth certificate. When with out warning, my step father scott offers luke a job here investing and managing rental properties for him- Scott is a business owner, so its possible he can get Luke a work visa to stay here on a semi-permanant basis, and once again my life is on quite an uncertain path! Just when I though I had something concrete to go by. But nevermind, this would be a fantastic, no lose opportunity for luke, besides a easy way for us to be together. Who knows if or when this will all happen though, and I still may spend a few months in england without a visa just because im sick of being away from him, sick of the distance, and sick of waiting for something to happen. Who the heck knows anymore.

SO... Have a nice week everyone and as soon as i am able I will be back in full blogging force and more regular updates. For now Im enjoying the time I have with my Englishman. :)

Photo Catchup- Vermont weekend and CT

2005-11-08T17:43:00.000-05:00

I was born in Park City Hospital, in Bridgeport, CT. Recently I was talking to my ex-boyfriend/ friend Brian who informed me he always thought I was born in Utah. "Utah??" I asked, "Where on earth did you get that idea?" "Well, you said Park City.. I always assumed it was Park City Utah." Sheesh.

Sorry about the disorganization of my blog lately... as you know im trying to keep it going with the most basic technology in existence- dial up internet. And now that my laptop has blown itself up, I have to scramble to my dad's or step father's computer (45 minutes away) just to post photography, let alone give it the redesign I know it needs. If theres one thing i miss about being in college its that they give you decent internet access.

Being at home sucks right now. I thought for sure I had this temp job that I went for an interview for last friday but I still havent heard back. Im still working Part time at the horse place, but that barely gives me enough money to buy gas, let alone save anything. All I want to do is get over to England and start my real life... being here is just in interim period that I need to slug through until then. And I want to stay optimistic that my visa stuff will go smoothly but at the moment it just seems like it will never happen and its depressing me. But on the bright side... hm. I cant think of anything. Ill get back to you on that one.