see my basket?
Monday, 20 June 2005
Friday, 10 June 2005
me and greenie
I have a bike.
A dream bike.
Light green (some may call it 'mint'), 3 speeds, circa 1970-something, old lady bike.
Free from my nice acupuncturist Laura.
I spent yesterday deep in the zen of cleaning her up. SOS pad, bucket of soapy water, rags -- cleaning off ancient mud on the wheel rims and scrubbing years of 'left out in the rain' rust. She looks pretty good.
And I am happy to report I just took her for my first spin. I was waiting, bored, on a beautiful Friday evening for Mark to get home from London. Already ate dinner. Nuthin on TV, bored with e-mail, laundry in the dryer, and light for 3 more hours. Dang, I'm going for a bike ride.
I bravely (remember my diatribe on cycling in Cambridge!) rode around my neighborhood, to the train station, around southern Cambridge, through the Mill Road cemetery (which I think that is going to be a fav) and EVEN tackled my Mill Road bridge fear (where busses and cars wiz by within an inch of one's life.)
But most of all, I really flashed back to the days when I was anywhere from 8-15 when the bike was the ticket to freedom. Cruising around Hales Corners -- KMart for Icees -- bumming around the schools -- checking out anything that resembled action. It was the after-supper bike ride when you just wanted some wind in the hair and to breath in summer. It helped that I was wearing flip flops and my new £2 apple green poncho to make the trip back to yesteryear.
Dang if I aren't proud of myself, and I know that sounds funny, but it is just a bit more stepping out and one step closer to my original vision of me in Cambridge, basket full of flowers and a poetry book, riding an old lady bike by the river -- long hair flowing. Maybe I can just get hair extensions and cut to the chase.
A dream bike.
Light green (some may call it 'mint'), 3 speeds, circa 1970-something, old lady bike.
Free from my nice acupuncturist Laura.
I spent yesterday deep in the zen of cleaning her up. SOS pad, bucket of soapy water, rags -- cleaning off ancient mud on the wheel rims and scrubbing years of 'left out in the rain' rust. She looks pretty good.
And I am happy to report I just took her for my first spin. I was waiting, bored, on a beautiful Friday evening for Mark to get home from London. Already ate dinner. Nuthin on TV, bored with e-mail, laundry in the dryer, and light for 3 more hours. Dang, I'm going for a bike ride.
I bravely (remember my diatribe on cycling in Cambridge!) rode around my neighborhood, to the train station, around southern Cambridge, through the Mill Road cemetery (which I think that is going to be a fav) and EVEN tackled my Mill Road bridge fear (where busses and cars wiz by within an inch of one's life.)
But most of all, I really flashed back to the days when I was anywhere from 8-15 when the bike was the ticket to freedom. Cruising around Hales Corners -- KMart for Icees -- bumming around the schools -- checking out anything that resembled action. It was the after-supper bike ride when you just wanted some wind in the hair and to breath in summer. It helped that I was wearing flip flops and my new £2 apple green poncho to make the trip back to yesteryear.
Dang if I aren't proud of myself, and I know that sounds funny, but it is just a bit more stepping out and one step closer to my original vision of me in Cambridge, basket full of flowers and a poetry book, riding an old lady bike by the river -- long hair flowing. Maybe I can just get hair extensions and cut to the chase.
Friday, 3 June 2005
fat camp
Yes, Fat Camp.
I am in it.
Ok, they are more PC than that and call it "Fit Camp", but we all know what they mean. It is a 6-week program at our fab health club ... health club meaning better than a regular old gym. And I will partake in 3 or 4 sweating sessions a week, plus 50% off of Fit Club menu items in the lounge. (Told you it was a swanky gym -- we HAVE a lounge.) Plus a healthy eating schpeal and meeting with the girls in the group once a week.
Seems ok so far, except they have actual Fit Camp t-shirts that we are supposed to wear. Um, no thanks.
I was a brave today and was measured, and assessed and weighed today by pert Becky. Somehow, when the number is in kilograms, it seems ok and not relateable.
Wish me luck, and be forewarned, I may use this as a venting tool to describe my dislike for movement.
I am in it.
Ok, they are more PC than that and call it "Fit Camp", but we all know what they mean. It is a 6-week program at our fab health club ... health club meaning better than a regular old gym. And I will partake in 3 or 4 sweating sessions a week, plus 50% off of Fit Club menu items in the lounge. (Told you it was a swanky gym -- we HAVE a lounge.) Plus a healthy eating schpeal and meeting with the girls in the group once a week.
Seems ok so far, except they have actual Fit Camp t-shirts that we are supposed to wear. Um, no thanks.
I was a brave today and was measured, and assessed and weighed today by pert Becky. Somehow, when the number is in kilograms, it seems ok and not relateable.
Wish me luck, and be forewarned, I may use this as a venting tool to describe my dislike for movement.
Tuesday, 31 May 2005
like living in Alaska
No one told me about this. I never heard anyone mention it or read about it in any travel guides.
Now, in the UK, it is daylight for like 16 hours. Seriously. The birds are chirping like mad at 4 a.m. and it is still light at 10 p.m.! NO lie! I would think it would be a big selling point for British summers -- long days. In the US, at the very latest, it gets dark at like 9.
And it will continue to stay light later and later. It is seriously screwing up my ability to sleep like there is no tomorrow. In the winter here, I was a nice Benjamin Franklin, early bed/rise girl... natually found my internal clock to be 10:30 p.m. bed and 7:30 wake. Nice and productive. So that it is sunny at 9 p.m., we are eating dinner at 9 and going to bed at 12. I am sleeping until (!) teenage time of 10 a.m.! Yikes.
If only I could take up par-taying, I would make great use of these evening hours... but as it is, I am just trying to adjust to keeping my hard clothes on until it is dark. No small feat.
Now, in the UK, it is daylight for like 16 hours. Seriously. The birds are chirping like mad at 4 a.m. and it is still light at 10 p.m.! NO lie! I would think it would be a big selling point for British summers -- long days. In the US, at the very latest, it gets dark at like 9.
And it will continue to stay light later and later. It is seriously screwing up my ability to sleep like there is no tomorrow. In the winter here, I was a nice Benjamin Franklin, early bed/rise girl... natually found my internal clock to be 10:30 p.m. bed and 7:30 wake. Nice and productive. So that it is sunny at 9 p.m., we are eating dinner at 9 and going to bed at 12. I am sleeping until (!) teenage time of 10 a.m.! Yikes.
If only I could take up par-taying, I would make great use of these evening hours... but as it is, I am just trying to adjust to keeping my hard clothes on until it is dark. No small feat.
Wednesday, 25 May 2005
Scousers WIN.
Yes, I watched an entire football game on TV. And the extra 30 minutes. And the deciding penalty kicks. Ok, I was also looking out for Mark in the crowd of 35+ thousand Liverpool fans in Instanbul for the European Champions League.
I can actually say I felt the pride of the Liverpool fans - -- known best for loyalty and their theme song, "You'll Never Walk Alone." Makes me think -- are the Green Bay Packers of the English football league?
Now Mark just needs to get out of the stadium somehow...
Monday, 23 May 2005
Sunday, 22 May 2005
and back again
Am back in the UK!
Seamless flight, a few nervous questions at Immigration (I think I am in the 'system' now to raise a few eyebrows and I knew I was in for it when I was asked if I had had 'trouble with Immigration' in the past after scanning my passport). The officer had to 'make enquiries' which had me with a dry mouth and the feeling of a felon. After about 30 minutes, many factual questions about my studying, where I live, how much money I have, what Mark does, where we met, producing my return ticket, the letter Mark wrote stating that he would support me, suffering 3 separate times for the officer to confer with her superiors, I heard the satisfying Clunk Clunk of the passport stamp. She gave me a stern look and told me that I must leave the country within 6 months.
So, Immigration is still a scary place for me.
Luckily, Cambridge is not and after a 3 hour, drooling unconscious sleep in the home bed, a cheese toastie and a cuppa tea, I am human and I am home.
P.S. Barb U, thank you for your e-mail. Thought a posting of this may be ok.
Seamless flight, a few nervous questions at Immigration (I think I am in the 'system' now to raise a few eyebrows and I knew I was in for it when I was asked if I had had 'trouble with Immigration' in the past after scanning my passport). The officer had to 'make enquiries' which had me with a dry mouth and the feeling of a felon. After about 30 minutes, many factual questions about my studying, where I live, how much money I have, what Mark does, where we met, producing my return ticket, the letter Mark wrote stating that he would support me, suffering 3 separate times for the officer to confer with her superiors, I heard the satisfying Clunk Clunk of the passport stamp. She gave me a stern look and told me that I must leave the country within 6 months.
So, Immigration is still a scary place for me.
Luckily, Cambridge is not and after a 3 hour, drooling unconscious sleep in the home bed, a cheese toastie and a cuppa tea, I am human and I am home.
P.S. Barb U, thank you for your e-mail. Thought a posting of this may be ok.
Friday, 20 May 2005
cat outta the bag
Just a wee announcement. The word is out and most of you already know.
Mark & I are betrothed! Engaged! Shiny ring and all!
Yippee!
It happened just a few weeks ago, and I have been in DC visiting my homies and went to FLA to visit the vactioning parents.
Most likely we will get hitched next fall in the UK. We are hoping to have a nice long and non-frazzled engagement.
I'll be back and forth US/UK until next April, and I will be stateside Nov, Dec and part of Jan for the holiday months. I can get a fiancee visa in April 06, and we will need to get married w/in 6 months.
We are still kind of in awe about it all and reveling in the happiness and miracle of being able to have a plan after so many years of living in the moment -- which has its benefits.
Mark & I are betrothed! Engaged! Shiny ring and all!
Yippee!
It happened just a few weeks ago, and I have been in DC visiting my homies and went to FLA to visit the vactioning parents.
Most likely we will get hitched next fall in the UK. We are hoping to have a nice long and non-frazzled engagement.
I'll be back and forth US/UK until next April, and I will be stateside Nov, Dec and part of Jan for the holiday months. I can get a fiancee visa in April 06, and we will need to get married w/in 6 months.
We are still kind of in awe about it all and reveling in the happiness and miracle of being able to have a plan after so many years of living in the moment -- which has its benefits.
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