Yesterday I landed in London Heathrow Airport; and promptly threw up the banana that they served us for breakfast on the plane. My sister's wedding is at the end of the month and I'm here for the little tiddly bits that need to be polished. In the mean time I'm sure to have a lot of fun adventures.
Today I tried on the Bride's Maid's dress and was ecstatic that the inch I put on didn't make the dress too small for me. Yaaaaay! I did the power 90 work out thing with my mother. My littlest brother, T man, took me on a walk to see the: "Church that is for sale because everyone died." then the sky opened up and bawled on us. And I got my butt handed to me playing Mortal Kombat with Rocker.
Think my Jet Lag might be kicking me in the face, because today has felt more like three. The best part of it all is the fact that it's in the 60's here versus the 107 degree weather I came from. I like it! And there's the most delicious chocolate ever here. Mmmm, Turkish Delight, Cadbury, Bounty... *sigh*
I just have to move further north. Maybe Alaska or close to the Canadian border somewhere.
Now I feel like a big fat hog. *laughs* However, the extra 15lbs was worth the delicious food. Turkish delight, boost bars, salmon rolladen, chips (french fries) with curry sauce (HEAVEN!!!), bree and crandberry jam, black current jelly, black current juice, bacon (british bacon is a really thin salty pork chop) rolls with brown sauce (a vinegar based bbq of sorts. The brand name is HP and every time I looked at it my brain added: "with extra microchips), Matilde milk!!!!! Clotted cream and fudge cake (brownies). Yup, my new year's resolution is get rid of the evidence (my lovely extra cush around my waistline).
We're back in Sandland. The cord to my camera has gone MIA for the hundred and ninth time. But as soon as I figure out how to work our new laptop and the windows 7 interface I'll be sharing all the fantasmical pictures I was able to snap.
While we were in England the sun set every day around 3pm. We couldn't really tell when it rose because the sky was usually covered with thick grey to blue grey clouds. Unlike Sandland everything was still green. Still alive. To my surprise English sparrows are different from the Sparrows I grew up seeing. They're sleeker, dark brown, and covered in little speckles as if someone flecked them with a paint brush. So cute!
There was a strike on the Underground (subway) on boxing day; the day we were going to London to see Wicked. My parents live about 2- 2 1/2 hours from London. It took us almost 7 hours to get there. Oh yes. Between taking buses to trying to ride the few Underground lines that were open we made it to the theater just in time. Wicked was actually really good. And that's saying a lot because I really don't care for musicals (aside from the classic disney movies). My husband even got into it, which is saying even more because he despises watching things, he's a doer. I encourage all of you that get a chance to see it to do so. There were a few twists that made me go "AH!".
We got back to Sandland just before New Years. We were actually able to spend it with DMAdam for his birthday. It was a lot of fun to see them again. I can't wait to live near them again and restore the NerdKingdom to it's former glory. Bottle rockets are apparently the Georgian way of bringing in the New Year. I prefer a Root Beer floats and watching the ball drop, but the rockets were fun. One of them landed at my feet, another exploded in Jenifer's hand (she didn't hold the stick lightly enough). To top off the night we watched the Original G.I.JOE movie. You know the one:
It was so weird and yet so incredibly fun. The jokes that went back and forth between everyone watching was probably what made it so amazing. I really miss the late 80's early 90's. Good times.
Who knows maybe the Year of the Apocalypse will be one for the history books. Hehehe. Happy 2012 My friends. Come what may, Zombies or another year of recession with a puppet president, laughter and tears, may this year make us better people and give us moments worth remembering. And stick to those resolutions! If I remember to I may ask in April how you all are doing with those. (^_^) *evil grin*
My family is stationed in England and for my present this year they bought me and my hubby a ticket to the madness of Christmas.
Wouldn't you know it but things were a pain right off the bat. Our seats were in the very back of the plane and couldn't lean back; at all. The little tv in the seat in front of me had been assaulted by one too many fussy 4 year olds and wouldn't register half of what I tried to tell it to do. Our plan landed an hour early. They made me go into that stupid body scan thing (which makes my heart race to the point that I get dizzy by the way... stupid airport security doesn't believe me).
Hopefully the flight nonsense used up all the stress for the entire trip. Last night we went to Norwich. They have a mall called 'Castle Mall' that's right next to a cube of a castle, which the parking garage is directly beneath. I have pictures of all the crazy names they give their shops that made me giggle incessantly. I had a Boost bar milk shake, my sister got a Ferraro rochette (rochere? those chocolate balls with the hazelnut inside) milk shake, and they tasted like awesome! But they were really thin in comparison to what I'm used to. Kind of like chocolate milk with sprinkles.
We've played a ton of games. Turns out my sister's fiance is just as much of a gamer as Jex and I are. The first night here we were all up till nearly 4 am playing ZOMBIES!!! The next night wasn't nearly as late as we played a game called Taliman, which is kind of a board game version of D&D without the role playing that makes people uncomfortable. Last night was Carcassonne, in which Rocker duped me into giving him 16 points because I didn't know how the game worked. The Punk.
Tonight we're going to Club Uber in downtown Norwich. I've never been clubbing. Didn't pack for clubbing. Didn't find anything I could actually wear in public (for less than 50 pounds) when we went shopping for club clothes yesterday. So I have a feeling I'll be the odd man out. In any case I'm bringing the camera because I can't pass up the opportunity for crazy pictures and possible black mail.
You know your cappaccino doesn't have enough caffeine in it when you look in your rear view to see a Semi barrelling down on your bumper and the only thought that comes to you is: "Oooh! Optimus Prime!"
((For those of you who don't know, Semi Trucks scare me. Not just I get a little on edge when I drive around them. No. This fear is on the edge of Panic Attack Land. And since I obviously can't fight the big bellowing monster spewing black into the air and roaring as it barrels down the road in Rinky the dinky red station wagon I tend to turn into speed racer... or make pitiful noises that sound suspiciously like wimpers. ))
So, Jex and I drove the 22 hours to Texas for Thanksgiving with some of the coolest people in our lives. I can't remember if I gave them code names or not. Hmmmm.... Anynames we started driving on the first hour of Yesterday, the 22nd, and began the long trip on a mostly empty road with a cooler full of goodies and several audio books. It started out well. We listened to Harry Dresden ((It's like Harry Potter but actually awesome)) take on all mannor of creepyness (because I am a nerd like that) and took turns sleeping in the passenger seat. The dog only puked once. It was going really well. Then the battery light lit up. We've had an alternater in our trunk for a few weeks now. We knew our alternater was going bad. I even took the time to change our spark plugs (and holy crap did they need changing... one of them was bent people! bent!) and install a new air filter. Yet somehow it was a good idea to take the alternater and speakers out of the trunk before starting our trek of grand proportions. At first the battery light only lit up if I went over 75. It flickered like there was a loose wire or something. Then it began lighting up if we went over 60. And then it didn't turn off. We pulled over to get some breakfast and I lost the dash. All the lights died, the gages stopped working and there was a beeping sound I've never heard before. The alternater died exactly halfway to our destination. EXACTLY! We were back on the road 5 hours, 3 wrong alternaters, and 400 dollars later we were back on the road. So much for the money we got back from our move. But at least we're not in the hole. So that's nice.
We're here now. In one piece and loving on our friends. And I can't wait to get video of the lot of us getting drunk and trying to play Curses.
Happy Thanksgiving. May you're list of Thanks be longer than your list of Disappointments this year!
I have a head cold! *cough hack wheeze* But that's okay, theraflu is awesome so I should be in the clear in no time.... I hope. We're still alive. Turns out we're not the only ones with wanderlust. Daddio and Witchy are driving to Texas tomorrow to help sort out all the stuff that was left when Grandma Velma died. But we're here, and in one piece, and with the internet! Yay! I forgot how good it feels to type up a blog post while chillaxing in bed.
Okay so Day 10 of the 30 day challenge is yet another deep/aneurism causing topic: A Story about a past relationship.
*sigh* I'm going to go with a happy story!
There was once a little girl named Ashes, who really wanted some one to play with. She'd look out the window wistfully and watch the leaves on the tremendously tall trees dance in the sunlight. Soon her mother was going to take her somewhere else, somewhere she could play with kids her own age. It was hard for her to make friends because she wasn't good at showing her feelings with her face or her words. Just her actions. That made the other kids mad. Especially the boys because she could beat them up while keeping her pretty dress clean. There was another little girl named Aubrey. Who was just as fun and rowdy as Ashes. They had seen each other a lot when they were too tiny to remember and soon they would see each other again. They would laugh until Ashes got hiccups. Bury toys in the sand box. Spend the nights laughing and playing with all the neat toys that Aubrey's family could afford. They would play catch with a sky dancer and Aubrey would freak out Ashes with a demon possessed Furby (though Aubrie didn't think it was demon possessed). Together they would discover the wonderful terror that came from watching Jurassic Park and having a kitten on a water bed. Overtime their relationship would grow into the first 'best friend' Ashes had ever known. If they could have predicted the future maybe they would have remained so. But time is a fickle friend and likes to pull things apart. Ashes moved to Texas and the girl's mother's had a 'falling out'. Even though they stopped speaking and no longer would call each other their 'best friend' the memories are still precious. The impact still there. The laughter though long since faded still echoes to this day.
Okay so last night Jex and I got home from our trip to Massachusetts. We're poor, so I packed up all the food from our fridge and we drove over 2,000 miles and 36 hours alltogether so that we could be part of our great friend's big day. I was a bride's maid! *squeeee!* Missy was beautiful and Shaun was dashing. They really do complete each other and I pray for their continued oneness. Even though Missy is more of a deist than I am she appreciates the sentiment. And somewhere on the internet is a video of Terrace (the maid of honor) and me doing 'the creep' by ourselves on the dance floor. Maybe even one of us head banging to the techno 'Barbra Streisand' song. Jex and I pulled up to our Apt near 9pm last night. We get today to unpack, repack, and clean before leaving tomorrow night at around 9pm to drive 6 hours to my in-laws. Tony LOVES fright fest at 6flags. Since he's been through open heart surgery this year we're going to celebrate it with him. Then at some indeterminate time we have to drive 6 hours back in order for my husband to fly to someplace to do something for too long away from me for his work. Yay OPSEC! (opsec is the acronym for: Operational Security..... it means don't post military details where just anyone can get a hold of them. And it may make a some of my posts about Jex really vague.)
Anyhow, pictures and other such funness from the trip will have to wait. I've got 5 minutes in which to get home and get things situated.
30 day challenge Day 10: Someone or Something you're proud of. Holy Crap.... do they do this on purpose. There isn't just one of these things in my life! Bah, you're about to get a laundry list of photos I can steal from other people's face book pages. *evil laugh*
Marrying Jex... Probably the best decision I've ever made in my life. Ever.
I'm so proud of Norie and Laura and all the other friends that I couldn't find good pictures of
I'm proud that I can put on a Yukata (pictured below) and a Kimono on by myself. A feat that even many Japanese can't accomplish.
I'm super proud of my little brother Rocker. This is a picture of him and his band. He's the only one who looks bad ass (to the left of the kid in the front).... he's also the only American. lol
Well that's it for the next week or so. If there's anything left of me I'll be back here, same bat time, same bat channel.... same batty personality. (^_^) Y
.... I forgot one.... so I came back because this was a really big highlight in my life....
I'm proud of being able to sword fight with real steel. Yup.... it's awesome.
Note, my internet is not reliable. With gas being STUPID per gallon I'm going to forgo driving the 15 miles to the library for 10 minutes of web time (yeah they suck). But when I'm at Daddio's we have wifi! Posting will me chaotic at best.
Okay so maybe I just totally gave away my exact age in the title, maybe not (probably just let the interwebs know how big of a dork/nerd I am). I lived to watch Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon on Saturday mornings, along with Gargoyals and Zeta project, and don't get me started on Batman Beyond.
Anyways none of that is the point. Point is my hair is YELLOW due to my husband asking me ever so sweetly to try and dye my hair blonde (with the promise that afterwards I could streak it with any color I so desired, purple and blue!). And I've been using the Super Saiyan joke/line to keep from breaking down and crying every time I pass a reflective surface.
What is this training I mentioned? Oh, well, it's marathon/strength training for Warrior Dash. I'm so stoked. I hate running with a passion, but throw in some obstacles, a finish line made of FIRE, a fuzzy viking hat, and a free pint of beer at the end and it's my new favorite thing. My husband, being the super special awesome military man, is in charge of our training regimen. But he let me pick out the order. Distance run + strength training, fun cardio, easy sprints + strength training, sucky sprints, day of rest. Today I did my 1/2 mile sprint in a little over 4 minutes. Before you laugh at me, I'd like to point out that there are LOTS of hills here. Yay mountain terrain. Since I thought that was pretty good I rewarded myself with a rootbeer float. Because there's nothing like negating your progress when doing something you hate. lol Jex makes me feel like a fatty. He runs the same pace I do with a freaking 20lb backpack. Stupid in shape husband made of lean muscles and stuff. (^_^)
I'll be in South Carolina this weekend. Yay? My husband doesn't believe me, but that place smells like ham. I think there's a Smithfield Ham processing plant near the base or something. Hopefully we'll figure out when Jex can finish his training. Maybe I can finish my schooling(finally!) at the same time. If everything goes well I'll be able to get a good job while Jex goes to college while working his Reserve thing. (I'm still poking at him to go back active duty, civilian life doesn't make sense to me.)
Recently I've been chilling out, knee deep, in the Nerd Kingdom. Wizards of the Coast literally rules all conversation between my brother-in-law and Jex. More than half of Jex-Rem conversations are about Magic the Gathering and picking out feats for our D&D characters the next time we level up. It's not a bad thing, really, I have a few ideas from our last game session that'll be really fun to draw. But I miss intelligent conversations about language structure and evolution that I used to have with my college mates. I miss the exchange students and the flavor they added to life. If I could have a day of conversation that didn't start with a D&D class, a video game title, or a particular Magic card I will be happy. Really, really, happy.
