28 April 2006

Last night, yes, a school night, I went out with friends from my hockey team. The lovely West Hampstead Ladies' 2s. We were celebrating our amazing no-loss, winning the league season. And quite a few of us showed up! Being the early bird that I am, I showed up first at The Washington. It's an old Victorian pub that still has some of the characteristics. High ceilings with funky design (like the old tin ceilings you sometimes find in bars in the States), quaint lighting and a good size bar. The wine was yummy and not too overly pricey, which is always a good thing. I got a chance to look around, do my favorite people watching and try not to look like I felt too uncomfortable cause I was alone in a somewhat crowded bar filled with couples and groups.

But soon Claire showed up (she lives nearby). We chatted about my engagement, how to deal with awful mother-in-laws who think their sons are still their 'lil baby boy' and how we're going to rock next season. Claire & I are 'hair sisters' as we both have to deal with our curly locks...though she has much tighter curls than mine. So, of course, part of the discussion was on product and hair cuts from hell!

And then the team came pouring in, one after another until all 10 of us were sitting around a table in the (thank goodness) no smoking section. We chatted about 2007 when pubs become no smoking and we can go home smelling just as lovely as when we arrived. We received our gold medals from winning the league (and yes, I will wear it to work next week like a total chav).

It felt kinda fitting that I left first...but as I had to be up at 6:30am, I felt I should be responsible and get home to get some sleep. Bleary eyed is just not a good look on me! I tried calling Roy to see if he was still at his parents, but didn't get him (was hoping to get a ride!), so I had to walk up the hill to the tube station. I fully expected to have to grab a bus to get home after I got out of the tube, but I lucked out that Roy was in the area & on his way back from the 'rents. And so I got picked up and taken home. Bed came soon after. Man...what a good night!

27 April 2006

Quote of the Day

"Are we living in captivity or in the wild?" It was a quote that came up today at lunch (work). We have quite interesting conversations usually about all sorts of topics and we were discussing this topic about captive animals versus those in the wild...and then the quote came up. And it got us all thinking.

Some came at it philosophically, that if we don't believe that we are captive, then we aren't. That if we are free to make choices then we are still in 'our' wild. Others talked of rules and society and the constraints we have in our lives...yes, we are captive, but perhaps it's good. And yet others talked of our souls versus our bodies. Yup, very intellectual stuff...that led to a discussion of bird flu and then of how long a bird can last with its head chopped off. Sigmund Freud, eat your heart out...we are the kings of free association!

So...whatta ya think? Are you living in the wild or are you a captive?

24 April 2006

Just put one foot in front of the other

The blahs. Have you ever had them? I don't tend to get them often but when they hit...whammo. Typically, I'm one of those people who will drive you crazy with optimism. It's a good trait for my job, if not a necessary one, and also just is part of my personality anyway. It makes life so much nicer to think that there are silver linings or that you can learn from adversity, and I tend to have pretty decent coping skills. But for some reason, the 'blahs' can sneak up on even the most happiest of people. And I mean, really, here I am, in good health, with life going on quite swimmingly, and yet I still feel sorta bland.

I think part of it comes from not doing anything remotely social this weekend. Usually I do something with someone...even if it's just R. But we didn't do anything really. Friday night I cooked and Saturday night he cooked. We went for a long walk on Saturday. R. spent time with his cousin on Sunday while I went to the gym. But that's it. A very boring weekend. Now, I know it might seem great sometimes to have that kind of rest, as I did finish a book and got a bunch of sleep (with the exception of last night), but I kinda needed more. And I think R. felt the same way. So we've decided that at least 2 x a month, we need to go out and see a movie during the weekend (most likely on a Sunday).

So...hopefully I'll be getting out of the blahs. With R. starting cricket this week and me starting it the following one (yup, an American playing cricket), I don't think I'll be feeling 'blah' any longer. And hopefully I can amp up my social life outside of R. I definitely need to!

20 April 2006

The big leap

Last night R. came home, plopped himself on the couch and said, "I've told her." Those three little words meant so much to me. I don't even think he knows how much.

He and his mom met for lunch yesterday, 19 days after he asked me to marry him. He had not yet told anyone in his family about the engagement. And to be honest, I was getting a bit upset about it. While I knew it was going to be an unpleasant thing, I wanted them to know. All sorts of things were said...and R. stated that his mom was the most coherent of her life...and that he felt like they had finally clicked for the first time since he was a child. Now this is not to say that she is approving of the marriage, as she's not, but she didn't get all hysterical about it. She did say that R. is now out of the will, that his father will most likely die of a heart attack from this and that she was very, very unhappy (had tears in her eyes the entire time). She argued several points:

1. I will get homesick and want to move back to the States, thus driving a wedge between us.
2. That I'm too old to have children or if we have them, they will come out with problems (mental or physical).
3. That while I will not keep the culture alive in the family.

Poor R. He tried so hard to argue his point. And I don't think it fell entirely on deaf ears. But his father is being sooo stubborn and his mom has to live with that. She's on the brink of wanting to leave his dad...yet another stressor for R to deal with. And she imagines that he'll become even more irrational about this situation once she tells him. But R. told him that he's made up his mind and that his parents have to make a decision...either come on board or don't...it's up to them. I truly hope that things work out in the future.

For me, it was a mixed thing. I'm sad for R. that he has to deal with a family that won't accept his happiness for what it is. That he has to deal with strict cultural expectations that won't bend. And for the fact that he wanted to bawl his eyes out last night but just couldn't. I wish I could take on his burden. But on the other hand, this has shown me just how strongly he feels for me and that he's worth marrying. He is so strong in so many ways. He's my love. And he'll be there for me, hopefully, forever.

19 April 2006

Pooped!

I am tired. Very, very tired. And it's my own fault. I went out last night with a group of friends from UK-Yankee, along with A. & R.. We met up at Smollensky's, and would have been perfectly happy to just remain there...drinking our drinks and then having a bite to eat. But no. A special event was happening at 8pm, so we had to leave to move on to a new place. And stupid me...I suggest a nearby Mexican food restaurant, Cafe Pacifico, which typically means lots of drink and a long evening. Sigh.

Smollensky's was a good venue for people to meet, particularly as we had a pregnant woman with us and it has no smoking in a section. But there were few people there due to the closing at 8pm thing. When I arrived with A. & R., there were already about six people sitting in one of the booths. I recognized everyone except one, who had recently moved to the London area. We had a good time catching up, and I got to once again celebrate my engagement (which is starting to show in my belly...not good!). More old friends showed up as well as a few newbies. It's so funny to gather with people you know from the internet. You know quite a lot about their lives and yet you don't 'know them'. So meetings are great to actually put a name and face together - and really get a true name as opposed to their screen name. We laughed about how we talk about people on the board, how we pictured each other and how we can even get into 'fights' on the board. But it's a friendly place, overall, and we each agreed that it's somewhere we go during our day to get a laugh or a virtual hug.

The huge group left Smollenksy's at 8pm and walked up to Covent Garden. Have to say that my feet were hurting by then, darn high heeled boots! We couldn't get a table for 12 quickly, so we had a drink first. Then finally food and more drink. It was a great time - we enjoyed good company, a lot of laughs and just a nice evening out. But we didn't get home until 11:30pm on a school night...which meant a very late night for me!

So here I am, sitting at my desk, and hoping that no one comes into my office any time soon. But I know I'll have to be 'on' quite soon. Come on eyes...open!

17 April 2006

The Swan

Today R. & I went out for a pub lunch in the 'country'...which basically means anywhere outside of Greater London (or outside the M25). We ended up at The Swan in Ley. It was lovely. We spent a bit of time in the restaurant part of the pub. We started with a soup & piece of baked brie. Yummy. Then on too our main course. R. had some seabass on crab & asparagus risotto and I had salmon with a potato & asparagus layer. Both were absolutely wonderful. I wish I had read more about the fact that they had real ales cause I would have had one of those, but instead we both had lagers. Which are fine, but when you go to a place with real ale, you just ought to buy that! The lunch (our big meal today) was so relaxing and fine. I hope that we'll do some of this more often...we can get too set in our ways sometimes and I want to keep venturing to new places on occasion.

16 April 2006

Happy Easter!

I'm on my way to my old house to have bbq with R. and A. Since none of us are particularly religious, nor have family to celebrate with, we're doing it together. We invited others but they all have plans. So that's my celebration - that plus chocolate. Not a bad way to go!

12 April 2006

Moving on

I have moved several times since college. I moved to NJ to follow a boyfriend and lived there for a few years. Then I moved back home to go to graduate school. The next move was to northern Virginia (2 moves in there) and four years later to Boston. I've lived in two places so far in London and now, am moving again to be with R. While I'm so happy to be moving in with him (no more not having an article of clothing/makeup/jewelry), it's so annoying to have to do it again. I've moved a few things over here so far...bedside desks, some clothing, my makeup...but have quite a bit more to do. So today I'm going to go to my house and pack up a boatload of stuff...clothing, files, the taxes I need to do (ick) and household items. I won't bring it all...have a desk, skis/boots and things like that which can wait until the summer...but I'll bring a lot. And then I'll have to figure out where to put it all! While R. does have some decent storage (for London), it may not be quite big enough...and we're not planning on buying a wardrobe & dresser drawers until August. I guess some of it will just go in the same spot as every other 'extra thing'...on the floor of the second bedroom. Sigh. Moving on is both wonderful and tough to do.

11 April 2006

Life on vacation

I love being on vacation! I get to do what I want, when I want...though I guess with this whole walking a marathon thing I can't just stop exercising (yes, I'm a lazy sloth). So I did yesterday. I walked from Cricklewood to Old Street in London City. It's quite a long walk, though it was much more interesting than some other walks I've done so far...there were more people and shops to look at. So I may have to do more 'downtown' London walks to get my hours in...I can sightsee and train at the same time. The reason I took my bod down to London central was to meet R. for lunch. He knew a great Indian restaurant and wanted to introduce me to it. Yup, very authentic...and I was one of very few white people who came in...mostly Indian folk...which is always a good sign. But I got stuffed so there was no way I was walking any longer...so I took the bus and then a tube and then the train back to Cricklewood (probably would have taken less time to walk!).

Today I did the exciting things like vacuum or clean the kitchen or even better, laundry after changing the sheets. Ohhh...so much fun. But it's good as I like my place to be reasonably clean...it doesn't have to be neat, but clean is a necessity!

I then went and did a bit of shopping, including buying myself a temporary ring. Yes, I know, I had a temp ring...but it was too big and bulky.
So I went to a (shock) pawn shop and found a cute little black stone ring (in gold) and bought it for next to nothing...it's easy to wear and I like it (plus when you wear so much black you might as well have the stone!). It'll be perfect for the short term. Can't you see in the comparison pic above that my new ring is so much daintier? I can actually move my finger now!


Oh, and I also bought R. a chocolate egg. It's a weird tradition that they have here...you buy this box which has a whopping large hollow chocolate egg in it along with a bunch of candy bars by the same company. And that's what you get for Easter. Interesting, eh? They don't have the small chocolate eggs, very few bunnies, nor do they sell very many white eggs so you can't really dye them all sorts of colours (they are brown...but much nicer so it's not a bad thing). I will miss my chocolate peanut butter eggs...the Brits just don't like that combo. Sigh.




I then went to lunch with my friend, M., who I work with. She just recently bought a flat not to far away. We hadn't seen each other since my engagement so it was time. We chatted, I showed off my new ring (we think it may be onyx but it could also be black spinnel, either way it's supposed to be a 'protective' stone). And I've agreed to help her paint a room in her flat tomorrow. That's what friends are for, are they not? I think it'll be good.

10 April 2006

Da da dada...Da da dada.

Last week was a blur. Between trying to walk as far & as much as I could, getting R.'s flat ready for me to move into, seeing friends and finally shopping for a dress, I was quite busy. The dress shopping part was the most crazy provoking part of the week. Usually I have no problem shopping but when you aren't exactly sure what to buy then it can be a daunting process. The reason it was so hard was that the dress was for a wedding...my first London wedding. I couldn't imagine what one would wear to such an event. Particularly an afternoon wedding. People had told me dresses. Oy. What style would work? What would actually fit me and look good? So I spent hours looking, trying on, getting frustrated and finally finding one in the last store I was planning on going to. The dress is lovely, a pale aqua blue with grey print flowers, all flowing & somewhat 20s style. It was different from anything that I saw in the stores and I hoped that it would work...it just seemed pretty enough for a wedding but not too dressy.

The wedding was betweeen friends of R. & me. The young woman, E., is a ladies cricketer and the young man, L., is a guy cricketer...thus how we know each other. E. & L. had been dating for 7 years before this day and so (at least E.) were ready for marriage. A very cute couple and well matched, everyone involved was excited for them. The lady cricketers who were invited met at a pub in W. Hampstead before the event. R. was not the only boy there as another coach and two bfs were there. We had a small drink and then took a few taxis over to the church in Highgate. The church was of Catholic persuasion and quite ornate within. Like most churches, it had quite hard wooden seating which we 'enjoyed' for quite a while. The priest was good, not talking too much and able to make some jokes with the couple. But the service was long as they included a full mass. Poor R. hadn't ever experienced such a thing and was flabergasted by the communion part (had to explain that no, the wafer was not a mint). But the music choices were fine and E. looked so pretty in her dress.

On, then, next door to the party. Drink was plentiful, starting with champagne cocktails and followed by anything from wine to sparkling water to vodka & coke. My gang, of course, had decided that drinking was on. And it flowed and flowed. Food was finger style and available throughout the evening. Guests were quite happy and friendly, even Jenny Frost, ex-Atomic Kitten, was smiling at all. R & I left early in the evening as we were tired and figured that 5 hours of partying was enough...we weren't really drinking (per agreement) and wanted a good night's sleep.

The wedding was quite wonderful, I felt my dress was a hit (got a bunch of compliments) and we had a blast. Not bad for my first London wedding.

03 April 2006

The walk

I walked for two hours today. It's all part of my training for the London Playtex Moonwalk of 26 miles in May. I started off in Cricklewood and walked through the neighborhood toward the top end of West Hampstead. I walked down Finchley Road which is quite busy. I looked into shop windows and passed by all sorts of people. I was proud that I was able to bypass the tube stops and the bus stops and keep on going...on past Swiss Cottage pub and down Avenue lane. The houses there are amazingly HUGE. I don't think I'd even enjoy living somewhere like that...too much space, too many rooms. But it did give me something to look at. I continued on through to Regents Park and made my way inside, walking on the pathways. The sights there are wonderful...a camel in the zoo, green everywhere, young love hand-in-hand, a guy running in shorts (brrrr)...so many lives.

02 April 2006

April Fool?

So...he asked me. Yes, I am engaged. And he purposely asked me on April 1...yes, April Fools Day. And I must say that it's appropriate that my jokester asked me then. Was I surprised? You bet. I knew it was coming soon now that he felt more settled with finding his new job. But never last night. And I'm so happy.