Modelling

I've been looking through an Asian bridal mag (Asian over in England means anyone of Indian or Pakistani descent). There are amazing pictures of women in saris and lehenga cholis. I'm trying to get some ideas for wedding outfits, hair and beauty. It's a gorgeous magazine...but they don't have a lot of Asian women who are modelling for it. It's mainly filled with lightly tanned Caucasion women.

Why? Is it that they can't find Asian women to model? Or is it that the 'ideal' for women is white, slim, etc? I hate to see that the Asian magazine isn't exclusively using Asian models. It just sends a bad message. I'd personally wonder if my own look wasn't 'right'...similar to the experience I have when I rarely see anyone with curly hair...are my curls 'bad'?

Sleepy sleepy

I can't imagine what I'm going to be like if I ever have a baby. This week has been rough on me due to lack of sleep. R. is having bad elbow issues again - he has bursitis, which basically means he has liquid on his elbow. It's gross. And his doctor didn't do anything to relieve it. From what I understand he's supposed to have it drained. I'm truly hoping that he goes to the Emergency Room (A & E) to get it done as it's been quite a few days...

And that gets me to my initial point. Lack of sleep. The poor boy hasn't slept well due to this issue. He turns and bumps it, wakes up in pain and then my sleep gets messed up. While I typically love sleeping next to him, this week has been a trial. It's not that he totally wakes me up...but I'm such a sensitive sleeper that it just disrupts it enough. And so I'm tired. Yesterday I was so tired that I had to close my door at work and just cry - the stress of life was just hitting me and with lack of sleep & PMS...I was a goner.

At this point I'm having a tough time putting my thoughts together and saying normal words. Which will make "Back to School Night" just a joy...yes, I will be expected to talk to parents about my psychology class and to any who want to talk to me about counseling kids. I hope I can hold it together tonight. It's going to be a long day - started here around 8am, have field hockey practice in the afternoon (a run & chalk board session) and then we start again at 6pm until at least 9pm. Sigh. But that's what we get paid the big bucks for...ha!

Happily our boss is letting us wear jeans tomorrow, so that will take away some of the thought process in my evening...just pick a shirt and that's it. Easy peasy.

So hope for the best...that I survive meeting the parents tonight and make it through tomorro!

Why?!!!!

The view of Americans overseas is not really a good one. And I think it comes as a shock to many Americans that people would think badly of them for any reason. But being an American is so very different than being any other nationality and as we're so insular, we can't see how what we say or do could be seen as either odd, insulting or otherwise not good.

Here's an example of why Americans are made fun of over here and looked at with distain:

(From coverage on the Riders Cup) Lehman packed his golf bag with hundreds of bags of corn tortillas and has made sure that his team have tomatoes to make the necessary salsa. “I swear to God this is the truth,” Lehman revealed at a damp and dreary K Club yesterday after his team’s arrival was delayed by several hours — because his bag was loaded down and could not be moved.
“We live in Arizona and it is the land of the Mexican food. When we were last over here it was very difficult to find good chips and salsa, so we decided to bring our own. I must have loaded 200 bags of tortillas into my golf bag. No wonder they couldn’t move it. They are on a one-way trip, absolutely, because we are going to eat those babies.”

To Lehman and company - you are in a foreign country for 3 whole weeks. You will be back in Arizona soon. It is seen as an insult to the country you are now in that you had to bring over AMERICAN FOOD to 'survive' those three weeks. Darn it man, take advantage of the fact that you can get the best potato products over there. Enjoy eating something that isn't from Arizona.

Yes folks, this is what happens when tourists come from America (not all but enough). They want what they have at home. They don't want to try the new foods of the country that they're in. They expect everything to be like home. And complain loudly when it's not. Dudes - you're in a foreign country...take in the new experiences, try the new food and don't continue to give Americans a bad name...you're coming across as people who can't see beyond your own faces...who aren't willing to move beyond your own borders...who aren't willing to compromise. And it's a shame. There's a lot we can learn from other countries. Differences aren't bad - just different!

So Lehman. I appreciate you like your chips and salsa. But I wish you had left them at home. It's sometimes hard enough to be an American living overseas with the president we have - he gives people enough fodder to go on about...we don't need any more excuses for people to take the mickey. And about those outfits...

Division of Labour

One of the things that is supposedly difficult for couples is the issue of doing housework. For many women, there's the feeling that they are doing it all. And yes, sometimes I feel that way too. But right now, I just feel like neither of us are pulling our weight.

We both work quite stressful jobs, though the things that cause stress are different. We also have different hours - I may be home anywhere between 4 - 8pm depending on whether or not I'm coaching, have meetings, etc. And this Thursday I won't be home until after 10pm due to work. R. tends to get in around 6pm most evenings, but then he goes and sits on the computer as he works on projects that he feels he doesn't have the quiet for at work.

Then there are the sports. I train every Monday night from 8-10pm with a field hockey team. And it's very competitive so I work very hard with it. I come home drenched and exhausted. R. is part of a football team (soccer) and so randomly throughout the week, he may have a game.

And then there's R's home visits. He goes once or twice a week to see his parents for dinner, which takes up most of the evening.

So that means that there are evenings when we just don't hardly see each other no less feel up to doing housework. On the 'free' nights we just want to spend time cooking a good dinner and catching up. But that means that the flat looks like a fright right now.

Tonight I'll get home around 8pm. R will cook dinner as he'll be home earlier. Then I want to do some cleaning. At least straighten up. The major problem is that we never took care of all the extra furniture that moved in with me and with the new extra bedroom. So we have 3 large desks, a corner table, a dining table, two couches and a chair all trying to compete for space with the t.v., ironing board, R's cricket gear & my hockey gear. It's toooo much!

So we've decided that we need to do this all on Sunday. No plans at all. Just organization. And we need to buy a filing cabinet to put our crap in. Right now we have so much paper lying around it's driving me nuts. I'm not a clean freak, but I want my space to look nice NOW!

On an aside...I know we could afford to hire a cleaner once very two weeks so that we didn't have to stress over getting things cleaned...but I'd rather spend that £60+/month on something more fun, such as something for the wedding! We'll see if we can get our acts together. Cause I'd rather have a cleaner than a murder charge on my head...

Rings

Today I started thinking about wedding rings. I'm not sure what I want yet. With my ring, I know I need to have a small ring width (3mm or less) and love rings with diamonds or sapphires. I also don't want to spend crazy amounts of money but would love something special. Such dichotomies!

Here are a few I've found online that are similar to what I'll probably look for:

I'm not one to remember dreams. And sex dreams? Definitely NOT. I think I probably remember just a few dreams a year. And after last night's dream, I'm kinda glad.

It wasn't exactly a nightmare, but it was something that made me uncomfortable. Cause the sex dream wasn't about R. In fact, it was about a perfect stranger. I was at a concert or something and met a guy who was sitting next to me. And boy was he hot. But I was still engaged to R. And had on my ring. But it didn't matter. I still brought him home (reasons are fuzzy). And we got it on. He left and then R. came out of the extra bedroom all naked and wanting some. This is when I woke up. 5:25am. Scared the bejeezus out of me at first waking. What had I done?

Then I realized that it was just a dream. That I hadn't messed up. But it was so real...the desire to hook up with someone who made me feel very sexy (not that R. doesn't...but after a while you lose that zazing that a stranger brings). And the realness got me thinking for the next 1 hour until the alarm went off.

Would I ever be tempted? I'm sure I will. My eyes haven't shut down and I still can get that zing from seeing a hot guy on the street. But will I follow through as I did in my dream? I have to hope not. See R. is such a wonderful man and is the first guy who really WANTS to communicate when we have issues about anything. We talk through our problems. And that quality is worth holding onto (as are the many other wonderful qualities he has). And luckily, once in a while, I still get that zazing when I look at him.

Hopefully I won't remember any more dreams for a while. My subconscious sends me all sorts of oddness...and I'd rather it stay there!

A fish feast and bad shoes



Recently, R. has been feeding me lots of pizza and pasta. I'm trying to lose weight for the wedding and this is not helping (as they are amongst my favorites foods). So last night I decided to introduce more fish into our diet. And boy was last night's meal delish!

I made rainbow trout with caramelised onions. Sweet and also spicy, the fish just melted in your mouth. And with a side of rice and roasted veggies, it was a gorgeous meal.

I started out by making a syrup of water & brown sugar. I then added sliced garlic (10 cloves!), ginger and a hot green chili. After cooking down a bit more, I then squeezed in a lime and put in a touch of fish sauce which gave it a Thai sort of feel. The fish was just pan fried in a touch of olive oil for about 5 minutes per side until the skin was crispy.

Roy, who isn't really a fish person, decided that this was fantastic and that, yes, we should eat more fish now. So I'm in search of good fish recipes that are reasonably healthy...

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Have you ever purchased shoes quickly? You see them, think they'd be great, try them on but not 'really' (as in you don't walk around too much), get them home, still don't think about walking around in them on carpet to test them, and then go out into the real world with them and think - "Damn...these shoes are cute but *&%$£ they hurt!". That happened to me today. I bought some cute work shoes while I was in the States. They are Nine West, which I usually have good luck with. Black, medium heeled, funky bits of extra leather & brass metal bits all over them...absolutely cool looking shoes. And they hurt. So much that I'm sitting in my office without shoes on. And not looking forward to teaching in 20 minutes with them on. I think the kids will just have to deal with my toes being shown. Sigh. Now I have to spend more money on new shoes, cause I just can't imagine having to wear these all winter long as my cool work shoes. And I didn't want to spend money this autumn on clothing or shoes - I want it for our wedding!!!! Bugger!

5 Years Ago

5 years ago. I was working at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, VA. It is located about 3 miles from the Pentagon.

5 years ago. I was dating a guy who was working in the Pentagon that day.

5 years ago. I was not teaching when the first plane hit. But heard the news through another teacher. Each classroom had a television in it so we turned on the news. And then saw the second plane hit.

5 years ago. I went outside to see if I could find an administrator. And heard an amazing noise. At the time I didn't know that it was the sound of military planes taking off after the Pentagon hit.

5 years ago. I had to hold in my own fears for my bf as I worried about the kids whose parents were working in the towers and the Pentagon. We were lucky. All the parents got out. But there was a lot of work for me in the following days. You couldn't live in the DC area and not be affected somehow.

5 years ago. My bf was fine. He's live on to cause more serious heartache later.

5 years ago. I was one of the lucky ones. And my prayers go out to those who lost someone.

I've now been in two cities struck by terrorists. It's part of life now. Innocence is gone.

Love

I was reading another blog that asked us to write down our story about how we met our good guys. And I thought to myself...have I ever written down how I met R.? I'm not sure I have. (And quite honestly I'm too lazy right now to go and look). So, with less than 7 months until our wedding, I'll let you know the story...

I arrived in London in July 2004. I was going to be a school counselor, teach a Psychology course and coach a field hockey team. One of the coaches had some interest in joining a hockey club in the area and I was excited about doing it too. So I went to their open day. And had a blast. A few of the people were really quite welcoming...one being Ali T. She invited us back to the club for drinks and took it upon herself to look after me for the next few weeks. We got on great. Which was good cause work wasn't going so well.

In mid-October '04, Ali T. invited me to go to her birthday party, which was going to be held at a ceilidh or Scottish dance. I wasn't sure I wanted to go as I was only going to know Ali T., but figured I might as well as I'd meet other people. So I showed up at the pub where people were meeting. Had a drink with all sorts of new people. And then we were off to the ceilidh. There I met a bunch of new people, including R. I honestly thought that he had a girlfriend with him. So I didn't really flirt. In fact I was having a high time flirting with one of Ali's college friends. R. just knew Ali through cricket.

Then the last dance arrived. And R. asked me to dance. We were both quite squiffy by that point and had a blast...we laughed at ourselves and each other. We were NOT in a state to dance. But we made it through. And at the end, R. turned to me and bam! He kissed me straight on the lips. And it was soooo unexpected...but sooo nice!

And we spent most of the night together talking and talking and talking. And that was the beginning. A few days R. called me and asked me out. I wasn't so sure about him...but something led me to give him a chance. And boy am I glad I did. He has added so much to who I am and to my life.

So that's it. That's the story. Of course there's a bit more to it...but that's private to me and R.

I've been having a lot of conversations about "Relationships". From the moment they begin (perhaps with that first siting on the website or the first date) to the moment they end (all things end...), there are tough moments. And we're so afraid of them that we try to remove ourselves from them. But usually that just creates even more tough moments.

I think back to my younger days of dating. I made so many mistakes. Mistake number one was not TRULY listening to what the guy was saying to me or SEEING how he was acting. I had on my rose tinted glasses of expectation and fear of loss. So many people are so afraid of losing what they have that they stop recognizing what their own instincts say. And in the end they tend to lose anyway...but sometimes at a great cost to their hearts, lives or sanity.

Mistake number two: I know that I had a problem asking guys questions in my relationships. I think I was usually afraid of the answers. Or that the questions would put 'too much pressure' on the guy. What hogwash! If I wanted to know something, then I ought to have asked. And if the guy broke up with me for just asking a question, then he wasn't the guy for me.

What makes us tip-toe around relationships? Why are we so afraid to lose something if it's not right for us? Why do we refuse to see the signs that people send all the time? Why is it that being part of a couple, even a bad one, is better than being alone & healthy?

I'm glad I've pretty much moved on and grown up in my own way. I do know that if I lost R., I'd be beyond unhappy. I would definitely be depressed and angry and hurt. But I'd be okay after time. I'd survive. And I'd deal with the loss and move on eventually. Cause we all can. Life is full of hurts, from that first time as a baby that mom leaves us to our first fight with someone to the act of dying in the end....but other than that last hurt, we are made to move on and be okay...if we CHOOSE.

I now ask those questions of R and if I see something that bothers me, I bring it up. I am prepared to piss him off sometimes. But I know that he loves me now and we'll be okay. He brings up topics that make me uncomfortable, but he does it for us. I bring up topics that make him uncomfortable, but I do it for us. If we couldn't handle these things, then we ought not be together. But we do handle them and it's made us a better couple. Right now I'm not better off being single...but it's not holding me back from keeping my 'eyes open'.

Dinner

Last night R. and I were in the mood for a bit of spice. To his disappointment, my desire was for spicy food, not a spicy evening (though I can tell you he wasn't complaining by sleep time!). So we went to the shop and got the ingredients for a spicy pasta...

Plum tomatoes
Tomato puree
Chopped tomato with garlic in the tin

Those were the base of the tomato sauce. Into this I added some pan sauted garlic and onions that had become quite translucent. And then the kicker...thin slices of chorizo that had been pan friend with mushrooms and red pepper. Mmmmm....it adds a nice touch of 'kick' to an otherwise bland dish.

We made up some penne which soaked up the sauce. The veg was still dente and the meat tasted a touch smokey. All in all it was heaven on a plate.

Hmmm...now what to have for dinner tonight?

Let's do lunch

As you know, things have not been great in terms of R's parents and me. They have kept trying to push us apart. But it's mainly his dad. R has always stated that his mom would be more interested in meeting me and starting a relationship...that she wants to see him happy.

Last week, my df's mom met with him for lunch to chat. He finally told her that we had set a date, that the wedding was going to be held in the US and that things were moving forward (I have to admit that I've been putting the pressure on him to do this). She reacted relatively well. He then also told her that he couldn't keep coming over for dinner and leaving me behind at the flat. It wasn't fair as I was going to become his wife. She cried at the thought of him not coming over, but he emphasized that there was a way to get around this and that was meeting me and having me come over too.

So...last night we were sitting watching t.v. when his mom calls. She said that they now want to meet me. Holy cow! My df is going to meet with his dad first to set down some ground rules (such as, don't interogate her, don't accuse her of anything, etc)...and then we'll figure out when to meet.

I'm happy about this but also VERY nervous. I know they don't want me in their lives and are only doing this to not lose their son...but at the same time I know I want to do this. It's probably going to be awful at first, but hopefully more meetings will bring some respect and perhaps even liking.

I'll keep y'all updated about this future meeting. Cross your fingers for me!

How to start your day off right

1. Wake up on time, almost without the alarm, because you actually slept well.

2. Turn and see a cutie pie in the bed next to you, all cuddled up with the blanket and head smooshed into the pillow right next to you.

3. Have cereal with fresh milk that your honey bought last night because he felt the 'old' milk just wasn't right.

4. Find an outfit that looks really good and earrings that you haven't worn in ages that are wonderful & were forgotten.

5. Return to the bedroom to say 'goodbye' to the sweetie and have him turn to look at you and say, "Wow. Phewarrrr...You look gorgeous. They don't deserve you at work. Wanna call in sick?". Hee!

6. Walk out the door to get the bus (cause you're actually running early & the train is running late) and realize - IT'S FRIDAY!!!

I see you!

As you may remember, I love to watch people....on the sidewalk, in the tube...yeah pretty much everywhere. There's just so much facinating stuff going on and we don't know the half of it. Too many people don't take the time to slow down and check what's going on in the world around them.

So this weekend, my psychology classes are getting a chance to do some naturalistic observations. It's their first project of the year. They have a choice of three different things to do:

1. observe a group of people interacting...this will be done in pairs
2. observe children & parents interacting in a playground
3. observe people in school doing their thang

I can't wait to see what happens in this project...it's always interesting to read what teenagers have to say about what they observe. It gets you thinking...what would I look for? how would I interpret this differently?

So perhaps today is a good day to think about your world. What do you see? How is your experiences influencing your interpretation of events? Could you 'see' in a different way? Could this change you...your behaviours...your world?

How to almost have a heart attack

We won!!!

Yesterday, on our Bank Holiday Monday, the ladies cricket team were part of a 6-a-side cricket tourney. We were definitely NOT the favorites by any bit of the imagination. The team that everyone thought would win was the Alexander Palace team (aka Ali Pali). They have a few women who have played for years...and they always bat first. They are just strong & good (somewhat manly, but you know, that's nothing against them). No one else got a chance to bat for them but these two ladies. Other teams used the day to let their entire team bat...but this team was out for the kill.

So we lost the first game versus the hosting team of Potters Bar (I love English town names!). Then we beat two other teams to get to the semi-final. Let me tell you...these games were close...tense...crazy! Then came our game versus Ali Pali. Previously, they had murdered us in our cricket games. Slaughtered. We didn't have high expectations. But we had tactics. Our coach, Tom, put us in specific positions so that they couldn't get high scoring runs (4s). And it worked. We kept them to 41...the lowest score they had for the day. Then it was our turn.

I was up to bat...and stayed to the end. We had ONE more ball to be bowled. And the score was 41 - 41. I decided to just run irregardless of what happened on the other end. So as the Ali Pali bowler let loose the ball, I took off for the stumps. And there wasn't a hit. The ball bobbled around by the wicket keeper (like a catcher)...and I screamed to the other batter, Lucy, "Runnnnnn!!!!!!". She took off, I got to the stumps in time and she was not run out. WE WON!!! A score of 42-41. Yup - I had saved the day. And our best win ever...against Ali Pali!

The last game was sorta ridiculous...it was played in the dark. And we won due to the fact that the other team just couldn't SEE the ball. We didn't really care about this game...but we won anyway! Woohoo...it was a long, hungover and lovely day!

I can make you do things

Today was the first day of full length classes...all 80 minutes of them. We have a block schedule so we have 4 one day and 4 the next. I have the fun of teaching one Psychology class on the odd days and the second on the even days. It'll work out well.

So we started out with the kids writing down what comes to mind when they think about the word, 'psychology'. It's actually a cool exercise. Most people come up with Freud or 'mind' or 'abnormal' or something like that. And they did. And it's a great segway to talk about what happens in the 'world of psychology'. It captures them right from the beginning. All of a sudden, this class has some relevance. And it does...

• Advertising - they want to know how you think and what you might buy or not and why
• Military - how does the oppo think?
• Police - who might be a terrorist? what is their profile?
• School - how can we get kids to be more motivated?

Etc, etc, etc.

And then they have to think about where the info comes from. Who does the studies? How do they work? Is the information out there accurate? Is it truly scientific? Can someone really control what I do and think? Yup - mind boggling!

And that's what makes it a great class...every day there is something that will hit you - we studied that, we talked about that...psychology is everywhere. And they don't know it...but I'll make them all do something without knowing they are doing it. But I'm not telling you what that is...at least not now.

Inconceivable...

Oh. My. God.

It's the first day of school and I JUST (at 10:30am) got a chance to check out my fun email (usually it's one of the first things I do after checking work email). And there it was. You won your Ebay bid. Hee hee.

Here's the thing. I decided for shits & giggles that I would put in a ridiculous bid for a wedding dress. It's quite pretty and simple...which I would want in a wedding dress.



But I never expected to win it. I put my total bid to top out at $25 (that's about £18...which I spend on a meal quite regularly). I truly thought it'd be topped quite easily, as most of the wedding dresses I saw were being bought for $125+ (some even higher). But this one didn't. I got it for $20.25. Crazy. That is £10.70 for me. That's almost the price of a movie. That's about what I pay for a few drinks out. And I bought a dress for that. Unbelievable.

I'm having it sent to the US (my dad's address) so that I can try it on when I visit in Dec. I may wear it to part of the reception....not sure yet. Or perhaps, may not wear it at all, if it's not too great a dress or it doesn't work with my bod. For that price, it doesn't really matter!

Here's to Ebay...now we'll see if the seller actually sends it to me!

Survival...meetings...and food

I survived the first day back at work. And what a day it was...

6:30am - woke up for the first time in ages at this time (on purpose at least). Body went into shock. Why am I doing this? Oh, yeah, to be able to live in London...and because I've done it at every other school job I've had. This is normal. This is okay. You've had tons of vacation...it's time to get back into the swing of things. Okay. Shower.

7:30am - catching the train. I forgot about the hussle and bussle of this. I forgot about getting crammed between the guy in his painting clothes that clearly haven't been washed in a while and the businessman who is okay with jamming his briefcase into your right thigh.

7:50am - pull out teacher ID to show to guards at the front. They're still in their "I must be stern" mode. You laugh and say 'hi'. Then they smile.

8:00am - get your cup of tea. You have 1 hour until the first meeting. But you have to pull out all your stuff, organize your desk, remember the password to your voicemail, check emails, etc, etc, etc.

9:00am - you are sitting in the gym. You got there early to get a back of the bleachers seat...cause it's painful otherwise. Woohoo...it worked. But then you have to sit there for 2 hours. They tell us that kids ought not have to sit for a full 80 minute class...why not allow us to at least stretch. I'm losing concentration.

11:00 - next meeting. This one is in the commons. Ahhh...seats with backs. And it only lasts one hour. It's not so bad. But still...it's the first day.

Noon - you are hungry, but know the line in the caf will be huge. So you go up to your office, and do the work that is needed. Typing up lists of kids is so exciting, but necessary. You'll check them over tomorrow for typos and missing kids. Fun, fun.

Next meeting is at 1:30pm, so at 1:00, you are rushing to get a sandwhich (roasted veggie in a wrap), yogurt and apple. Good on you for being healthy.

1:30pm - another 2 HOUR MEETING. This one about retirement. Yes...YAWN! But you realize that you have more knowledge (or at least the ability to make connections) than most of your similar aged colleagues. Hah.

3:30pm - still have work to do. Stay for 1-1/2 more hours to get it done. It's not finished...but you work at a school and so you are used to it...work is NEVER done!

5:00pm - get on tube, then train...run home and grab workout gear. Meet R. at gym. Do a bit of cardio and a bit of weights. Healthy again. Hmmm...is this a trend?

6:30pm - run home after showering...with R's help, finish fixing the fridge. Wait for grocery delivery. Decide that since fridge has no food that you should eat a bowl of Japanese noodels. Mmmm. Oh. Answer door and get delivery of groceries. It's good to have food again...and the simple things, like mustard!

10:00pm - go to bed. You have another big day ahead of you!

Light sleeping and a loud boy

I love my guy. R. is amazing. But sometimes he makes noises during the night that make me want to punch him in the face.

Last night I was tired. Very, very tired...and we had stayed up to put in our new fridge & try to make it fit in the box that the stupid people who had lived in the flat before us had installed. It didn't work well and so we kept trying and trying...thus staying up a full hour later than I hoped for.

R. was exposed to dust and had been drinking heavily the night before, so his throat was a bit rough. I was hoping though, that he'd be okay during the night.

No such frickin' luck.

I can't even describe fully the noises that came out of his body at 3:30 a.m. Grinding throat things, snorty nose things and mumbling were all on display. I tried, but it was just not going to happen...nudging him just made him make more noise. So up I got, gathering bedding along the way, and pulled out the newly delivered futon in hope of some sleep. And if I didn't have to get up for a cricket game that ended up being cancelled, I would have slept in like a teenager home from college. I can say that our new futon mattress is lovely to sleep on, and the room temp was comfy. It's easy to open the thing up while in a hazy fuzz, so I know that I'll be spending quite a few nights there in my years with R.

I'm still unhappy that I had to do this and would love to get my revenge (I won't cause I'm a nice fiance)...but if it's the worst thing about R. then I think life will be hunky dorry with him. I can put up with a few nights on 'the couch'.

Winner

I went to see the England Ladies' Cricket Team play against India yesterday. It was a great game...and we won!

I met the captain of my cricket team at Lord's. It is one of the best known cricket grounds in the world...and a really cool ground to boot. We were lucky that her mum knew a member, so we were invited to go into the Pavillion. It's an amazing facility. It reminded me some of the buildings at Princeton with the old polished wood, the pictures from the 18th century...the 'old boy' feel!

We went to the top of the Pavillion and watched the match. What a view! It was a great experience as I was able to see how the players moved their feet, what they did with their bat and how they watched the bowlers. I learned quite a bit.

Had to leave before we actually won, but it was looking good around 6:15pm (there was a late start due to rain...shocker).

Met up with my old flatmate, A., for dinner downtown. We went to one of our fav's, Belgos (which I believe I've talked about in the past). Mussels and beer are a great combo!

Then headed home to see the guy. As per usual, he gave me a huge hug upon seeing me. Isn't he the best?!