Patty's 365 Blog

I Haven't Written...

2011-02-27T15:28:00.002Z

...in yonks years!

Christmas has come and gone, a new year has begun, Valentine's Day has now passed, and Tuesday is the first of March.

Where as the time gone?!

Since I last wrote I have had ups and downs. Lots of challenges with work, getting a new job, and then turning it down. The CQC came in and we got a compliant rating, and things were looking on the up and up. Now, residents are falling ill, or just falling, and the home is emptying out one room by one. We unfortunately lost one resident this week, which is sad.

And in 24 days my Dad will be here for two weeks to visit. SOOOOOOOO looking forward to that. The three of us will be traveling around the UK catching up with people and seeing sites. We're trying York again because last time we had to cut our holiday short due to food poisoning.

Ian and I have changed our eating habits (but not 100% strict) and we're now SLOWLY starting to lose some weight.

Friends have had great news to share. I won't go into full details all around, because I can't, but you all know who you are. :)

So it's been busy since Christmas. Let's see what life brings next!

It's Almost Christmas!

2010-12-23T10:32:00.004Z

I'm glad it's almost Christmas. Not just because I get to spend time with the English family, but because I get some time off of work, which is MUCH needed.

I've been ill for almost a week now. I am feeling soooooo run down it's not even funny. Yesterday my body shut down two hours before it was supposed to at work, and I swear I think I almost dozed off while visiting one of the residents. I apologised and told her that I haven't been well (which she knew) but I still felt bad. Even drinking a gallon of coffee didn't help.

And today I even slept in until about 9:30am and I STILL feel tired.

Tonight is a late night at work too (well, I'll get out at 8pm). Tomorrow I'll be going in early with my colleague so we can go home a little early. Then it's off to the MIL's with all of the Christmas dinner food. Atleast we can relax at my MIL's.

Anywho, I can't complain though. This Christmas season has been good so far.

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!!

Tis the Season....

2010-12-12T08:25:00.003Z

....to feel blah.

I don't feel blah because of Christmas, really....I think it's just been blah leading up to this point in time.

Ian has had some medical difficulties, and the Dr. said he has to lower his stress levels, and since Angel had been tearing up carpet and not really calming down even though he was on medication, we had to give him back up for re-adoption yesterday. I worked, and Ian took Angel back to the shelter. I miss Angel, but it's for the better. Maybe one day Ian and I will be able to get a cat again, but this time Ian said we can get a kitten so we can raise it the way we want it to be and train it and not have problems (even though I love adopting rescue cats).

So Angel's huge scratching post is now being used for the Mummies and Kittens part of the shelter so there is a place for the kittens to climb on, and they said that Angel should be adopted REAL fast.

Ian also got an update on Spike. Spike was adopted about a month after we took him back to the shelter, and his owners really tried with him. He had major health issues that the vet could not figure out (when we had Spike he would poo and also throw up quite a bit). Well, the other night Spike's new owners came downstairs in the morning and found that Spike had passed away in his sleep. I'm more upset about Spike passing than Angel being gone. Angle is a healthy cat and has more of a chance at living. Spike is now gone. So sad.

Now the house seems bigger, and quieter. I have to wash everything that Angel used to sleep on and we need to hoover like mad to get all the cat fur out of the carpet and whatnot.

Hopefully this is all for the better....

Rainy Days and Mondays

2010-11-08T09:08:00.003Z

I suppose today is a perfect day to be home ill from work.

Quick rundown (since we had no internet for two weeks).

The Wednesday before we moved (so that was 21st Oct.) I started to get this cough. It went on and on for weeks. Friday my boss was concerned thinking I had a chest infection, and asked if I could get checked out. Went to the walk-in centre (thank you NHS) on Saturday and saw a nurse, who confirmed that yes, I have a chest infection.

Now, I'm home sick from work, and I can barely walk up and down our stairs without getting out of breath.

Thankfully, the new surgery that we registered with could fit me in today to see at Dr. and have my asthma rescue inhailer prescription renewed since I have run out of it.

Atleast I can lay in bed in a nice, warm house in (new) comfy pajamas and slippers while watching TV. And looking forward to this evening when Ian and I can watch more of this (I think my latest obsession):

But now it is back to coffee and watching TV. I'll probably have to dig out some movies or something because day time television is rubbish here.

Happy Birthday, To Ya!

2010-10-09T18:44:00.005+01:00

Today would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday. It's amazing to think how life would be if he were still alive today.

Ian thinks John would be like Paul - a sell out, making music just for the sake of making music, and still touring to generate millions+ £'s.

I don't think John would've been like that. I don't know if he would still be making music like Paul does today. I think John would've much rather had a simple life, maybe doing a peace rally every now and then, but not tour around like mad. I could see John maybe playing bars or something in NYC, or doing art. I don't think John would've been the man that Ian thinks he would've been.

But even though I never knew you personally, John, I do wish you a very happy birthday. The world loves and misses you.

Other things that happened today:

Ian and I started to pack up some things since we're moving in two weeks time.

We also went and purchased a new sofa for the new place that has a sofa bed in it. That way, when guests come to stay, although the bed is small, atleast they can sleep on it and not on the floor. So Dad, you get your own bed at ours when you visit!

Now, it's time to shift some things over the Mum's for storage for a couple of weeks. Let the fun begin!

Glad All Over

2010-10-06T16:01:00.004+01:00

Well, I'm glad that's over with...

Now I can read whatever book I want. No more tests to take in order to live in the UK.

*phew*

Here Comes the Bride...

2010-10-04T21:10:00.002+01:00

Congratulations goes out to our very near and dear friends Mel and Rob on their wedding yesterday!

Mel made a beautiful bride, and Rob made an even more beautiful groom. :p

Thank you for letting us share in your special day, my loves!

Day 365 of 365: Good Bye, My Friend....

2010-09-01T20:10:00.004+01:00

I didn't want my last 365 post to be a sad one, but to be honest, with the year of officially having to blog coming to a close, so does another aspect of this past year's chapter.

For a little while now, Spike had unfortunately been spraying in the house. I caught him one night spraying the outside of the cat box, and then he kept spraying at the bottom of the stairs.

Ian and I were at a complete loss and had no clue what to do.

So we asked experts, tried Feliway, got rid of odor, tried baking soda, the lot...and it still wouldn't stop. But on top of the spraying, Spike eventually became very bitter, swiping at Angel whenever he walked by. If Angel wanted some attention, Spike revolted with a swish of his tail, his back to us, and his ears back. Our living situation wasn't fair on any of us.

This past Saturday I phoned the shelter where we adopted Spike and Angel from and asked for advice. They basically said we had tried everything we could, but maybe it would be better if Spike and Angel were separated after 8 years of living together. Unfortunately, the shelter had no history on Spike and Angel, so they probably just "tolerated" each other those years. It got the to the point where we had an upstairs cat (Angel) and a downstairs cat (Spike).

Sunday came, and Ian and I woke up and packed up Spike's things. We sent him back with his food bowl, bowl mat, scratching post, food, and his toy mouse he played with the most. It was tough taking him back, and I cried so much it looked like I had been punched in the face, but it's for the best. Hopefully, he will be adopted out to another home real soon. His coat had grown back beautifully, and it felt so much better because we actually took CARE of him and Angel.

I do miss Spike, I won't lie. I don't miss his spraying, the awful smell, and his constant meowing when I got in from work just to feed him (that's another thing too, he was pushing poor Angel out of the way and eating HIS food as well). But I miss how silly Spike was, and him laying on my lap, or watching TV with Ian and I.

We just hope he finds a great home that he deserves.

Day 364 of 365: Saturday Fun

2010-08-14T23:30:00.001+01:00

Lookie lookie who I married!

Ian has had a beard for over a month now, and I've grown to really love the look on him. So today when I was doing laundry and whatnot, and I heard the beard trimmer going I said "Oh no! You're getting rid of it!"

I didn't see Ian because as soon as he was finished with his trim, I hopped in the shower. When I came down stairs he was reading so I couldn't see his face until he unveiled the Hitler 'stache!

I busted up laughing and asked him if he would keep it for the day. Unfortunately, he only kept it long enough for me to take photos of it.

Anywho....onto the day's events.

Went into Winchester to hand in our notice that we are not staying in the cottage here. We love the place, buuttt...we feel we're not getting much for our money, and need to find some place cheaper so we can start saving money instead of living paycheck to paycheck. Plus, the people in the village are just too snooty. A couple of people I have met are nice, but we're constantly struggling for parking for Ian and getting nasty notes if Ian has to park somewhere else. Not neat.

So we're going to look around the Romsey area. We spoke to my MIL about it and she said "Don't move too far away from me!" Thought that was cute. But we need to be close for her, so we shall see. There was a place in North Baddesley that we liked, but it's being processed at the moment. So we shall see. We have 3 months to find a place, and even if time runs over, my MIL said we could stay with her for a few weeks until we find the best place for us and the boys. It'll be nice to stay put somewhere for atleast a couple of years, because this move will be my 3rd in a year and a half...lol. But we definitely need a 2 bedroom place now since my Dad and his fiancee, Pam, are going to be coming to visit next year (HOPEFULLY) for two weeks. I can't wait to have them here because I miss them like crazy! Will speak to my Dad more about it tomorrow when Ian and I get in from our date night.

Fingers crossed for all!

Day 363 of 365: Just Another Maniac Thursday

2010-08-12T23:20:00.003+01:00

Had a regular day at work today, but the evening was what I looked forward to the most.

Ian went out paintballing with The Round Table lads (Chris and Vik are members of the Andover branch) while I hung out with Lucy at her place.

Lucy told me lots and lots of stories....."Eh you....do you like tamales?!!!"

Got in late, but it was well worth it.

Although on the drive home, some chavy bastard was driving too fast and ended up spinning out right after he passed us.

Photos of the day though were taken at the beginning of the day. I was getting ready for work and the boys were sitting in the hallway. I noticed how long Spike's hair is getting now:

And Angel is just cute. :)

And my goodness, I'm almost finished with the 365. It's taken me a year and a half to do it, but it's almost finished! Don't know if I should continue after the last entry though. Maybe I will, but not religiously....heck, it took me this long to do a blog when it should've really only taken me one year to do it!

Day 362 of 365: Searchin....

2010-08-10T22:17:00.002+01:00

Went up to Andover tonight with Ian to check out a place to live that Lucy suggested to us (she knows the owner).

After we went and checked the place out (which we really liked it, but it needs a lot of work) we went to the pub and had a meal.

Good times...good times. :)

We'll see if the place in Andover works out!

Day 361 of 365: Ka-Boom!

2010-08-07T23:51:00.003+01:00

Had a really awesome day with Ian and Chris.

Ian and I saw a few weeks ago a poster for an event called Blast From the Past in Romsey, and we thought "Chris and Lucy might like this!" so invited them along. Unfortunately, Luce had some family things to do, so she dropped Chris off this morning and the three of us headed to Romsey for the event.

We parked up at my MIL's and walked down to Broadlands where the event was being held.

We saw EVERYTHING! This event was MUCH better than our D-Day out. They had everything set up from the Vietnam War, WWII, cowboys and indians, the American Civil War, Zulu, Romans, you name it, they had it....

A few examples:

Medieval Soldiers

American Civil War (Union Soldiers)

Our personal favorite: Ian and I wearing helmets in a WWII English bunker

Vietnam

The walk back from Broadlands just about killed us, and it down poured on us twice, but we didn't care.

After relaxing a bit and freshening up, we went to The Dolphin and had a drink and some food. Then Lucy arrived....so we came back to the house and chatted for a couple of hours. Lucy gave me some great tips about the cats, AND she also told Ian and I about a nice place in Andover we will hopefully get a chance to go and see this week and rent out after our lease is up here. We love the cottage where we live, we just don't like the village we live in. Plus, we'll be half a mile away from Lucy and Chris.

And speaking of Chris, the day really DID wipe him out:

Good night!

Day 360 of 365: I Like To Eat Eat Eat...

2010-08-05T21:32:00.002+01:00

...apples and bananas...

as well as tons of other fruit! :)

Just wanted to show how nice it is to have a full fridge freezer unit. We can purchase fresh fruits and veg now and not worry about where we're going to put it!

Day 359 of 365: You Don't Bring Me Flowers

2010-08-04T22:04:00.004+01:00

Nothing too exciting today. Went for a nice 2.5 mile walk with Ian today out in Chandler's Ford, and spoke with Jantina on the phone for a bit.

And we also got this aromatherapy thingie for Spike since I have failed to mention that the little guy has been spraying. Hopefully it'll work in stopping Spike from spraying, because I don't want to get rid of the boys. Spike seems really fine tonight though snuggled up between Ian and I.

But, photos of today....some pictures of flowers that the residents and I have grown from seeds at work:

Lady Bird Poppies

One of the dozen sunflowers that have come up

And of course, as soon as I finished watering this morning, the really dark clouds rolled in and it even thunder stormed today!

Day 358 of 365: Milestones

2010-08-03T21:51:00.001+01:00

Took four residents to Milestones Living Museum today. Spent literally the last month planning for this day, and the last week freaking out about how we were even going to get there, and were there enough people to help escort. But all in all, it worked out.

Absolutely Knackered now that I pushed the heaviest resident in her wheelchair, as well as did an almost 2 mile walk with Ian when I got in. Goodness. Can barely keep my eyes open doing this post, so will keep it short.

Here are some photos from the day:

A pub inside Milestones that is a Fuller's pub, but called the original brewery name.

A real book published in 1956.

A REALLY scary fake cat at the grocers.

Now....I need sleep......

Day 357 of 365: I'll Walk with You

2010-08-01T17:39:00.005+01:00

Ian and I went for an exploratory walk this afternoon to 1) check out the area and 2) get in some fitness!

Ian promised me that if I studied for my Life in the UK test and took it soon, that he would get serious about exercise and losing some weight with me. So today we went on our first walk. Nothing strenuous because it was day 1, but we walked up a hill to find a cemetery that Ian had seen on Google maps.

We found what could possibly be a grave to one of the women that used to live in our cottage before us as well. There are two headstones in the cemetery that have the woman's surname, so will have to ask the landlord which woman it is for sure.

We figured if we walk the walk we did every evening after we get in from work, it'll take us about an hour and once we're fit enough to do the walk without getting TOO out of breath, then we'll move on to a further distance.

Sounds good to me!

Day 356 of 365: T.G.I.F.

2010-07-30T22:15:00.003+01:00

Sooooo glad today was Friday. Had a bit of a stressful feel at work this week because I was busy trying to get people to help with an outing that was planned for this coming Tuesday. All is o.k. though.

Annnddd I know I cheated today but not taking the photo, but I just love Lolcats!

Day 355 of 365: Everybody Wants to Be a Cat

2010-07-26T21:51:00.002+01:00

Got in from work and wanted a snuggle with all of my boys. So I got down on the floor and cuddled the really furry boys first.

Spike wasn't a really happy camper because I tried to clean his back paw...

And Angel wouldn't sit still!

Cuddle time with Ian came afterwards. ;)

Day 354 of 365: Ohhhh.....FAIL!

2010-07-25T16:22:00.003+01:00

I had it in my head that I was going to have a "girlie day" today..consisting of a good leg shave (TMI, I know...), plucking my eyebrow(s), and then baking.

I found recipes online that use Splenda. Ian is diabetic, so I wanted to try something different.

I found a recipe for an apple and cinnamon cake, as well as blueberry muffins. Well, I didn't have any blueberries, so I used strawberries.

Here I thought I'm a baking genius!

Well the muffins are darker than I thought they would be:

And the cake is not a cake...it's apple mush:

Oh well. Ian and I will still eat them, because they cooked long enough to be safe, but not the result I wanted.

FAIL!

Day 353 of 365: We Are Officially...

2010-07-24T23:25:00.005+01:00

....an adult, married couple.

Why, you ask? Why didn't it happen before? Well, because we never had a fridge freezer unit!

At our wedding party we received gracious gifts of money in some of our cards, and although we were hoping to have enough for a honeymoon, unfortunately we fell a bit short...so we went for Option No. 2 which was a fridge freezer (and had wanted since we moved into our place).

Up until today we had separate units. And we were always fighting for space in our old fridge. Plus our freezer was starting to get warmer than our oven on the outside.

But today Ian noticed that there was a deal going on at Comet, so we went and picked one up. The rest of the money we got we have put in the savings for when we can afford a honeymoon.

Oh, and please don't laugh at the little bear magnet on the fridge.....I've had it since I was in kindergarten. Thanks. :)

Also, we went into Pets at Home to see if they had a litter mat that had been out of stock for months, and it was.....then Ian spotted this and wanted it for the boys:

Ian has learned that it's all about keeping indoor cats busy. The only one that has ventured on it is Angel so far...and he just rubbed the little arms that hold the ball thingies. But still, it's progress!

Day 352 of 365: Dream a Little Dream

2010-07-23T22:23:00.004+01:00

Not feeling quite right today. Had a weird dream last night that led me to waking up crying from my sleep. I've had a few dreams like that, but nothing that has affected me the way this dream has.

Can't go into detail, but I feel odd about the future because of it. I hope this dream doesn't come true.

Day 351 of 365: Good Times

2010-07-22T22:15:00.001+01:00

Yes, you're seeing right! That there in the middle of the lovely picture above on the bottom is Meg and Ryan!

Jamie, Reagan, Ian and I made our way down today to visit the two lovelies. Unfortunately, Alan and Matt both had to work, so we were unable to have two of the 3 husbands together. But next time we will all DEFINITELY be together.

Was lovely meeting Meg and seeing the infamous Ryan and Myst in the flesh!

And Ryan and Reagan hit it off. We'll all be at their wedding in 18 or so years. :p

We had lunch at Subway today, where we chit chatted, laughed, talked babies, and had to avoid eye contact with a very creepy, smelly, insane tramp (a.k.a. a bum in American).

But it was a good time...and thankfully the rain held out until our drive home.

So now we are back home, after eating at a really nice Chinese buffet in Swindon.

Tomorrow? Who knows. We've got shopping to do, and hopefully some Beatles RockBand to play since the guitar dongle came in the post while we were gone. :)

Day 350 of 365: Movin' On Up

2010-07-21T23:11:00.001+01:00

Up in Middlewich today to visit Jamie, Alan, and Reagan.

Ian and I felt bad that we couldn't spend as much time with them as we wanted over the weekend, so we thought since we had the week off, head up to see them (so yes, essentially we invited ourselves).

Ian went to Alan to watch him play pool, while I had girl time with Jamie and Reagan.

Bath time for Reagan

Then we laughed until the late hours of the night.

Good times with good friends. :)

Day 349 of 365: Talky Tuesday

2010-07-20T22:09:00.004+01:00

It's Tuesday. Seems like our week off is flying by already.

Today was not an eventful day, other than speaking to Meg and Jamie on the phone. Ian and I are going up to see Jamie, Alan, and Reagan tomorrow, and then Jamie, Ian, Reagan, and I are meeting up with Meg and Ryan on Thursday. Will be nice. :)

I did, however, need to go into Winchester to pick up a few things. I FINALLY went into Paperchase, which I've wanted to do since I first saw the store. It's a really cute stationary store and I wanted to spend TONS of money in there, but I only spent about £10.

I got the things I needed, and picked up something I wanted. Since Ian and I are still trying to save money by me taking the bus, I purchased a bus pass holder:

Isn't it cute? And it totally fulfills my "crazy cat lady" fix. :)

And speaking of, I was looking at a photo of Ashes that we have on our shelf and thought I wonder if I took one of Angel how much they would look alike. Let's compare....

Angel:

Ashes:

I love them both. :)

Right.....need to get some things together so I'm not running around like mad in the morning.

Day 348 of 365: I Don't Know Why You Say Goodbye I Say Hello

2010-07-19T22:20:00.008+01:00

It's the morning! We got SOME sleep last night, but nothing fantastic. Ian and I slept in the guest room. Jan, Abel, and V had our room. Roger slept on the couch.

Angel and Spike kept coming in and out of our room all night. At one point I rolled over to see Angel sitting next to my head, where he let out a very quite "meow" looking oh-so-adorable. Spike settled at my feet for a little bit.

We all got up, Ian made breakfast for The Dutchies and Roger, and then we had to depart.

But not without our traditional couch shot!

We sat in the same order as we did the first week we all met...except this time we have Veerle in the photo!

The original couch shot....back in 2008

Afterwards, Ian made he and I breakfast, then played with the cats. Abel discovered last night while we were playing the Wii that our war gun has a red light on the end, so he decided to run Angel ragged (Spike wasn't havin' it). So today, Ian played with the boys and the gun once again. Will post the video at a later date! :p

Oh yes, and spoke to Jamie today for a bit to catch up on yesterday, and made plans for the middle of the week. :)

Ian and I then had to run errands (like, return the bar things, look for a few other things, etc). We got a few more things for the Wii (and we only spent £7!)

The very busy weekend definitely caught up with us though, as we fell asleep on the couches for an hour or so this evening, and we couldn't even eat all of our tea. So now we relax a bit more then hit the hay (we NEEEEED sleep).

Day 347 of 365: Summer Sun Something's Begun

2010-07-18T22:06:00.004+01:00

Woke with a nasty hangover this morning (surprise surprise!!). But we had a nice day ahead of us. Ian and I were going to go with Jan, Abel, Roger, and Veerle to Portsmouth. Ian wanted to show the boys around at different military boats and things since Portsmouth played a huge part in WWII.

Everyone came back to ours for a bit (which included Mel and Rob). We chit chatted, had a cup of tea, etc. until Mel and Rob had to hit the road and head home. After Veerle woke from her nap we headed down to Portsmouth to see the sites.

While the lads checked out war ships, Jan and I walked around with Veerle. We tried to find a solution to my Rock Band mess up. When we put the game together this morning, Abel realised that we had a part missing. The drums and the guitar have these wireless dongles, and we were supposed to have one for each. Instead we got two drum ones.

So Jan, V, and I went to HMV and didn't get a final result, but had some questions answered.

After HMV and looking around for postcards, we walked some more through the city. Veerle loved the boats.

We had ice cream (or ijs as I learned in Dutch). Jan and I shared ours with V.

Then after the lads were finished with the ships, Jan, Roger and I went up in the Spinniker Tower to look around.

Then after we had tea at the pub, we got home and played games, chit chatted, showered, etc.

The guys played Ian's F1 game for awhile, which was quite difficult.

But, now I'm completely knackered, but also not looking forward to tomorrow. I dislike when ANY of my friends have to part from us.

So we shall all go to bed now and hopefully since we barely got any sleep last night, we will all sleep well tonight!

Day 346 of 365: It's My Party and I'll Drink if I Want To!

2010-07-17T23:47:00.004+01:00

It's Saturday, which that means it's time for our English wedding party!

Since none of our English/European friends and family could make it to the wedding in America last year, Ian and I decided to throw a party so they could enjoy your life together as well.

It was a stressful morning, but it was well worth it in the end.

Jamie and Alan arrived at 11am at our place. We sat around the house for a little over an hour and then made our way down to the New Forest to The White Buck Inn where our party was being held. Ian, bless his heart, had been so focused on making this party not only good for us, but exceptionally good for those that we care about the most. We knew it would be hectic, so we arranged to have a small picnic in the Forest with Jamie, Alan, Reagan, Abel, Jantina, Veerle, Roger, Mel, and Rob. Unfortunately, Veerle was ill on Saturday, so Jan stayed behind at the Inn to look after Lil' V.

Ian and I packed sandwiches, drinks, fruit, and other little nibbles for us to eat. We drove up by the cricket pitch where a game was going on. The meal began when just as we were digging in, a small family of horses came by and ambushed our meal. People scattered everywhere, the younger horse nibbled on my shirt sleeve, and we were trying to salvage as much of the food as we could.

Eventually we were able to settle, chic chat, and whatnot and eat some, until ANOTHER family of horses!

After our picnic, Ian and I went back to the White Buck with everyone except the Forster family who were staying at a local B&B. We had a few drinks, met more family, and then finally I went to take a shower while Ian set up the rest of the things that needed to be done. In the last 20 minutes before the party started I think everyone ran around like crazy finalizing things.

But, I think the party was a great success. People that mean something in our lives got to mingle with others. It was amazing to see everyone I know here in one place at the same time. It was AWESOME! :)

One of the many attempts at a group shot. Thanks, Jamie, for being our photographer!

I did, however, get VERY drunk thanks to The Hubba Bubba working for a brewery and having loads of drinks provided for free! The bed sure did spin when I got in!

So I want to say thank you to anyone and everyone that came to our "do" and made it a wonderful night. We TRULY appreciate it. :)

Day 345 of 365: Two Cool Cats

2010-07-11T16:00:00.005+01:00

It's Sunday....that means back to work tomorrow. Bah!

Woke up and Spike and Angel came into the bedroom. Spike was all over the place, but Angel kept his distance a bit.

But when we came downstairs, Angel decided to have his proper hellow.

I had to venture into Romsey this afternoon and get some cat food and litter, and since the little critters poo and everything stinks up the house like crazy, I purchased a new little box with a flap and a filter on top.

It's a bit bigger than the old one, annnnndddddd it's a corner one (hence the flap) so it takes up less space.

We didn't think that the boys would like it or even use it....but Spike proved us wrong:

Day 344 of 365: Sizzling Saturday

2010-07-10T23:20:00.004+01:00

The morning started earlier than normal for our Saturdays.

Need to back track a bit though...

Here in England, people have different types of showers. Some have shower "rooms" built into their bathroom, some have electric showers, and some have a shower head attached to the bath taps (which rental agencies call this "shower over the bath"). We have an electric shower. Well, this past Tuesday I was getting in the shower, turned it on, and water was coming out of the bottom of the box (which holds all of the electrics). Me, never having an electric shower before, decided to put my hand under the water pouring out, proceeding to be electrically shocked.

So I shut the shower off after thinking "What the hell???" and took a bath.

Told the landlord. He said he would get someone out to fix it. Nothing for a few days. Ian left a note for our landlord (who is also the butcher) saying I was shocked and could someone please come and fix it. Our landlord's plumber came out and said it was completely knackered, so he would be here Saturday morning at 9am to fit a new one.

He was 45 minutes late this morning, but we got our new shower, which is AMAZING!!!

Our old shower just piddled on us, and now this one actually WASHES us!

And I wanted to take a picture of the plumber because he had this awesome, old school mustache, but of course it would be rude of me. So Ian demonstrated the 'stache using Spike's tail:

After our showers, we headed out to Andover to spend the day shopping with Chris and Lucy. I needed an outfit for our family & friend wedding party next weekend. Lucy had a dress that a friend gave her that is too short for her, so she gave it to me! I kept looking for another outfit, but nothing struck me except for one dress at Debenhams but it was too big and didn't have to next size down. Oh well......

So I got giant "Bridget Jones pants" to wear under the dress that Luce gave me, and that's what I'm going to wear. Now I just need some shoes. :)

After shopping, we went back to Chris and Lucy's and had a BBQ. Vik came over with some kebabs and ribs. Ian had GOOD steak for the first time, and it was just a lovely evening meal. Lucy and I watched Big Brother while the boys talked about war, army, etc. A lovely evening with lovely friends. Good times. :)

ANNNNNNNDDDD I must say that I have the BEST husband in the world, because while Lucy and I were doing our girlie thing, I got a text from Ian saying not to spend TOO much and he would show me when we met up again. He bought us The Beatles RockBand for the Wii!!!! Annnndddddd....it was on an incredible sale!!

My flabber was gasted!!

And of course, Spike had to check it out when we brought it in the house:

So all in all, this Saturday was a lovely day.

Tomorrow it's shopping, laundry, and cleaning for me while my loverly husband watches the British Grand Prix.

And, we only have a 4 day work week this week, then we're off for a little over a week! WOO HOO!!!!

Day 343 of 365: Holy Hairball, Batman!

2010-07-07T21:03:00.004+01:00

Right....so when we were getting the boys, the lovely Kim suggested I get the Furminator (click on name for webpage) to groom the little lads.

I have been trying to brush Angel's hair at least once a week. I thought he wouldn't like it, but he absolutely flippin' LOVES it!

It alarms me though at the amount of hair that comes off with only a 10 minute brush:

But it doesn't seem to hurt Angel, and at the moment, Spike's fur is still too short to groom.

Angel seems to be a happy camper though:

OH yes, and the rest of the evening:

-Spoke with Jamie on the phone for about 45 minutes....call to continue tomorrow night. :)
-Watching the Germany vs. Spain football match but with Chris Moyles and Comedy Dave doing commentary.
-Worked out some plans for Girlie Shopping Saturday with Lucy

Now, back to the football!

Day 342 of 365: Happy 4th of July (From England Again)

2010-07-04T11:34:00.005+01:00

Isn't it strange how life works out sometimes?

My forefathers fought for freedom from the British, and America was born.

Fast forward about 204 years and I was born.

Then jump ahead 27 yrs. and where do I move to? England.

Now enjoy some Stars and Stripes Forever!

Day 341 of 365: America the Beautiful

2010-07-03T20:16:00.004+01:00

Barry, Barbara, Shanthi, James, Saria, Ian, Vik, and Chris..Lucy and I were behind the pillar.

Met up with some of the ladies and lads from BrittaniAmerica today for lunch at Nelson's American Diner out in Newbury. Was a nice afternoon of talking about our experiences, how we wound up in England, etc. It was nice to hear American voices, and want to get together again in Reading.

The food at Nelson's was good:

And we owe the meet up all to Lucy for organizing it! :) Love you, Luce!

And we also love America!!

Day 340 of 365: What An Adventure

2010-07-02T23:10:00.002+01:00

No photo today, because it was a bit too busy to take one.

Buuuttt....

Went with Mum to her memory clinic today to see how she's doing. Not too bad, was the result, which is good.

Then had to take the boys to the vet today because Spike has blood in his urine again, and Angel has been throwing up a little bit. So they both had jabs and now are on meds for a few days. That'll be fun giving those to the little hairy boys!

Tomorrow is our American diner meet up! Yay!

Day 339 of 365: On Our Way Back Home

2010-06-27T21:57:00.001+01:00

Kathryn and I made our way home from Newport today.

Don't think we'll go back there again.

Our B&B was nice, and the people that work there were even nicer, but we barely got ANY sleep because there were Newport natives screaming, yelling, and playing loud music outside until about 5am today. So K got a few winks on the train, while I couldn't. Was listening to my iPod when the battery died, texted Ian when my cell phone battery died. So I sat and watched the English countryside go by.

When I got in, I was incredibly excited to load my photos onto my laptop and post them on Facebook from the show last night, and my computer wouldn't start. ARG!

Phoned my BIL, Yog, after the football (England lost to Germany 4-1) and asked his advice. He said to just bring it over to have him look at it. Great. Some other electronic device that isn't working for me.

But, got to meet Raggy when I was over visiting. K and Yog are watching Raggy for a week or so while her owners are on holiday. Quite a cute dog. :)

Day 338 of 365: No Words

2010-06-26T23:44:00.000+01:00

Even though I have been ill, I still managed to buck up and head to Newport today with Kathryn to see Paul McCartney. :)

His show was AMAZING!!! Probably the best one I've seen of Paulie. The first two times were great, don't get me wrong, but this show was a bit more energetic.

It was great being in the same room as Sir Paul:

I love him. :)

Day 337 of 365: TV, Films, and My Boys

2010-06-25T09:44:00.003+01:00

No work for me today since I have to have antibiotics in me for 48 hours before I can be around the residents.

And I'm bored...lol.

Woke up when Ian did, even though he suggested I take my meds upstairs so I can just get up, and then go back to bed. And the poor guy didn't have much sleep last night because I was snoring really bad due to having to sleep on my back (on the side hurt my throat).

So I'm catching up on Grey's from last night, possibly going to watch a movie or two, need to take a nap, and spend time with my boys (which, we already had a photo shoot this morning):

Spike the hunter.....or lover. One of the two...

Momma's boy, Angel

Day 336 of 365: Bad Medicine? Noooo....

2010-06-24T21:36:00.002+01:00

Woke up this morning feeling like two semis ran over me.

I went home from work early yesterday because I had extreme back spasms to where I couldn't even walk and had to lay down until it passed.

By the end of the evening last night I was sore all over, and crawled into bed here I proceeded to sweat buckets.

This morning? Extremely sore throat. So I phoned into work and said I wouldn't make it, then phoned the surgery for an urgent appointment.

Saw a nurse there, and she determined tonsillitis. I'm on antibiotics and need to take paracetamol to help with pain and fever. So no work until Monday, but hopefully I will be o.k. to go to Paul McCartney on Saturday....

And at least I have an excuse to eat popsicles and ice cream. :)

Day 335 of 365: The Evening's Events

2010-06-22T22:06:00.004+01:00

Ian and I watched New Moon last night. I thought it was much better than Twilight, and now I'm kinda looking forward to seeing Eclipse eventually. I think that these films and the books are more for the female gender.....yes, there is action, but really, it's a love story. And I think I'm Team Edward, because there's just something about him.....

Also, my older brother's ex had her baby in the wee hours of the morning. My new nephew - Caden Michael:

7lbs 10 oz. Three weeks early, but healthy. Hopefully we will get to meet him one day.

Day 334 of 365: Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T12:25:00.001+01:00

Wishing my Dad a very Happy Father's Day. Miss you, Dad!!!

Also wishing all the father's I know a great day as well. :) Alan, it's your first Father's Day! How does it feel??? :)

And my Hubba Bubba, for being a great father to "the boys" despite the fact that they drive him up the wall. :p

Day 333 of 365: Twilight

2010-06-19T23:33:00.004+01:00

Ian and I gave into the hype tonight and watched Twilight for the first time.

It was a lot slower than I thought it would be, but I enjoyed it. I'm not uber gaga over it like some people (a co-worker of mine has seen the film at LEAST 12 times). But I think I would like to see New Moon because the ending of Twilight obviously leaves it open for the squeal.

And Edward Cullen was kinda hot. :p

Day 332 of 365: Another Saturday Night

2010-06-12T23:15:00.003+01:00

It's Saturday...woo hoo!

Slept in until about 10am, fed the cats, and read a little bit more of my book...which Spike sat with me while I read:

Watched Trooping the Colour:

Ian and Yog helped our friend Jen move some furniture, so I took a LONNNNGG shower.

Caught up on Grey's.

And then I caught Spike watching my screen saver and at one point attacked my laptop:

Ian and I also met up with Lucy, Chris, and their friends Vik, Mark, and Sadie in Salisbury for Lucy's 30th birthday dinner. It was a lovely evening, and the food I ate was nice. Pricey, but nice. Thank you, Lucy, for inviting Ian and I! :)

Unfortunately, no photo from the night though, even though I meant to get a group shot for the blog. Oh well, next time (that's right, Luce, we need a group shot next time we see you! lol)

Overall, a nice day.

Day 331 of 365: Thank God It's Friday Night

2010-06-11T20:44:00.002+01:00

Work seemed to drag on FOOOORRREEVVVEERRRR this week....and I only worked 4 days!

Was hectic, had visitors, and I worked at home until about 9pm Wednesday night making posters from our visit to the Watercress Line because we had VIPs from the council come to visit the home today (but my boss had a feeling they would arrive on Thursday). So we battled with visitors, and the power kept going out today due to workmen being in the building. But had a lovely morning chatting with the ladies and playing "Famous Faces."

Now, just taking a short break from the AMAZING book that I've been reading, thanks to one of the resident's daughters:

It's about a woman named Alice who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. She's only 50 yrs. old when she was diagnosed. And the story is about her experiences, and how she progresses month to month. Some moments were quite shocking. Some beautiful. Some heartbreaking. But I read the majority of it evening, and about to read more once I finish this blog entry.

Oh, and I also took a break to take this photo:

Spike likes sleeping on his back for some odd reason. He's adorable. :)

Day 330 of 365: London Calling (Once Again)

2010-06-07T23:35:00.003+01:00

Went up to London today to see Jamie and Alan, and also to meet Jamie's Mom Pam, and the lovely little Reagan.

Had a LOVELY day. Ian gave us a 6 hour walking tour (which, my knees are hurting quite badly now, buuuuttt...it was WELL worth it). The weather held out until it was time for us to depart and go our separate ways. But was really nice to meet Pam, as well as have snuggle time with Reagan.

And I think, and maybe this is just my opinion, but I think Ian would be a wonderful father. A little bit of practice with Reagan? lol

Day 329 of 365: They're Here!

2010-06-06T19:53:00.002+01:00

I didn't catch him toileting....he used the box as a hideout when he first got home.

We picked the boys up today. Took an hour to get them ready and fill out the paperwork. But they're home now.

They're just starting to explore the upstairs part of the house (they used to live in a flat before) and as I type Spike is laying next to me, purring his little heart away.

Oh yes, and if you look at the photo and wonder why Spike doesn't have long hair anymore, it's because his mats were so bad in his fur that he had to be shaved. The parts where you can see skin is where the mat was right up against him. So now we can start with a fresh coat and groom him properly.

Definitely looking forward to having these boys in our lives now, and it makes me happy to have them here.

They may be timid for a few days now and then, but I hope before we know it THEY'LL be the ones ruling our house.

Day 328 of 365: Tomorrow! Tomorrow! It's Only A Day Away

2010-06-05T21:51:00.001+01:00

We're ready for their arrival....

Day 327 of 365: Happy Memorial Day/Bank Holiday Monday

2010-05-31T16:41:00.002+01:00

A four day weekend has come and gone....but today was a lovely day.

Woke up around 8am because I knew we were going to go visit the cats today.

Spike, unfortunately, wasn't brushed out as much as he needed when he was with his last owner, so tomorrow he is heading into the vet's so he can have a shave. The mats are so close down to his skin that the animal shelter couldn't risk brushing them out because it would really hurt Spike.

So we took lots of photos, mostly blurry since the boys wouldn't stop moving around:

Angel

Spike

Should find out at lunch tomorrow how Spike survived the shaving, so will give a call to the shelter for an update.

Just want the week to fly by, so we can bring the boys home!

Alsoooooo.....going up to London on the 7th to meet Jamie's Mom, and to see Jamie, Alan, and baby Reagan!!! Good thing Ian bought us a new camera yesterday. :)

Day 326 of 365: Rainy Day Fun

2010-05-29T23:01:00.005+01:00

Chris stalking...

Went down to Portsmouth with Lucy and Chris today to a WWII/D-Day re-enactment and memorabilia show. It rained, and it was a cold rain, but we all had a great time.

Chris bought a grenade, and poor Ian didn't get his rifle, but hopefully soon. Although he DID get two cool jackets.

The photo above, Ian posed with the guy who began to speak in a German accent, then switched to cockney. He was NOT one of the "actors" but was just dressed like that because that's what he likes to do. He even had Nazi rings! Some people just take it TOOOOOO far.

Afterwards, we went to The Hampshire Hog for a drink and a really good bite.

Then we went by Cheesefoot Head, where Chris took this picture of us from far away.

Was a really good day. :)

Day 325 of 365: FINALLY!

2010-05-28T20:56:00.002+01:00

I FINALLY passed my driving test today. Had my exam at 8:10am, and my examiner this time around was really nice and realistic. My instructor rode in the car with us, so I think that helped ease my stress a little bit as well.

Only had 3 minor faults too!

Look out world, I'm on the road again! :)

And got lovely pressies from K and Ian. Thank you!

Day 324 of 365: Empty Handed

2010-04-30T21:41:00.000+01:00

Sooooo.....

My camera has been a moron lately and basically decided that it doesn't want to work too often, so whenever I go to take a photo, it shuts off. Not cool.

Annnndddd....I got a new mobile which takes MUCH better photos than my old mobile, but it didn't come with a USB cord, so even if I do take photos on there, I can't get them to my laptop.

The blog is at a standstill....

Day 323 of 365: I Really Enjoy...

2010-04-20T21:46:00.001+01:00

...looking at signs in England, because sometimes they're hilarious!

Day 322 of 365: Lookie Lookie!

2010-04-19T20:27:00.001+01:00

It's been MONTHS since I've seen Fudge (I originally introduced her HERE in my blog adventure).

Tonight we swung by my MIL's place to see if there was any mail sitting in the front hallway, and Fudge came up to see us.

I almost cried when I saw her, because I'm a big ol' baby!

Day 321 of 365: Ooooo La La!

2010-04-18T18:21:00.002+01:00

Walking down Stockbridge's High Street

Ian has been on call this weekend, so when he woke up this morning he told me to stay in bed and try to get some more sleep.

An hour or so later I was woken by him asking if I wanted to go to Stockbridge and meet up with Lucy and Chris to go to a French market. "There will be cheese!" is what made me spring out of bed. :p

It was a lovely day though. The sun was shining, the breeze was not really cold, and the volcanic dust was spread across the cars (lol).

After the market, trying some free wine, and watching a Frenchman sneeze into his hand and then serve roasted nuts to customers, Ian, Lucy, Chris, their friend Vic, and I went to the Mayfly. We sat next to the River Test while watching duck rape, experienced a cheese tragedy, and drank a £17 jug of Pimms.

Lovely LOVELY day. Thanks, guys, for inviting Ian and I along!

Day 320 of 365: It Was One Year Ago Today

2010-04-17T21:10:00.003+01:00

A beautiful robin chillin' on a birdbath at the hospital where my MIL is.

Ian and I went to see my MIL today at the hospital. She's been moved to one closer to home, but still not officially out yet.

Buuutt....I reminded her that it was one year ago today that Ian and I landed at Heathrow airport, thus beginning our life in England together. Can't believe it's been a year already!

It's had its ups and downs, I will say...buuutt...I'm living and learning, and I've made some great friends since living here. Don't know what I'd do without my peeps, especially my expat friends (I will quote Jamie on this one, because aside from Ian my expat friends are my bezzies). Plus I've gained a pretty cool English family.

I've seen lots of great things, experienced a lot, felt a lot of heartache dealing with distance, lack of communication, and missing people and things, but also had a lot of laughs.

Moving away and living in a new country certainly puts things in a different perspective. It has made me look at how my life really was when I was living in Ohio. I can now see why my Dad encouraged me to move. Won't go into too much detail, because I do not want to hurt anyone by saying something here, and I don't know who actually reads my blog...but the way things have been since I moved have not gone the way I had imagined them too. I think my expectations were too high? I have a lot of "What if's" that go through my brain, but then I have to try and listen to the advice of Ian and others. And I know if I need a good cry I can go to Ian and others.

No matter how hard things get though, or how I feel, at least I have some great people along side of me to help me on my journey. :) So thank you!

Day 319 of 365: Boo Hoo

2010-04-16T21:09:00.000+01:00

So, no photos lately because I've been busy with trying to NOT worry about the practical driving test that I took yesterday....which I failed...but I won't go into any details.

Photos will resume tomorrow!

Day 318 of 365: We Are All Made of Stars

2010-04-09T20:37:00.004+01:00

Absolutely GORGEOUS day today...

...but no time to really enjoy it because around 10am this morning, I met a woman that would decide the fate of my working career at the residential home.

It was the inspector from the CQC!!!

We had been waiting for months and months to have our "make or break" inspection. Was supposed to happen shortly after Christmas. But, it's now past Easter and it's finally happening.

Everyone working today had a short interview with her. She walked around the home. She looked at care plans. We all waited with baited breath.

Finally....at the end of the normal working day, we got the news.

We got the star that we needed to stay open and start admitting new residents!!!!!

The inspector said she wanted to give us 2 stars, but it's not something that can happen (to go from zero stars to two). So....they'll be back in October and if things are still going well or have gotten even better (which I'm hoping things'll get MUCH better), we can bump up to 2 stars!!

Definitely a wonderful day. It's nice to know that none of the residents have to move somewhere else.

And my co-worker, Jean, got me flowers as a way of saying thank you for driving her up to Basingstoke for our food training course a few weeks ago.

Now I'm absolutely knackered, and about to head out to dinner with Ian, Jon, and Amanda. :)

And also, thank you to Kathryn and Cheryl for picking me up from work today!!!!

Day 317 of 365: WOOOOO HOOOOO!!

2010-04-08T21:42:00.004+01:00

Today was the warmest day of the year, thus far. And it was absolutely gorgeous!

Unfortunately, I couldn't appreciate it to the fullest because I had a long training day at the council offices. Although, the training was QUITE interesting and can't wait to learn and practice more.

Annnnnnddd......coolest thing. I went to bed early last night, but woke up when Ian came to bed. I had the greatest, sleepy laugh when I saw his most AWESOME mustache.

Ian and his co-worker decided it would be awesome to have weird mustaches for their meeting today, but I seriously think Ian should keep his for awhile. :)

Day 316 of 365: I Love....

2010-04-07T18:35:00.000+01:00

...that spring has arrived.

I was able to have the day off today from work because I was owed a day from my holiday. Since I can't drive the car at the moment, and I had an appointment with the asthma nurse at the surgery right smack dab in the middle of the day, I took the bus into Winchester.

On the way in, I saw a woman with one of those personal, shopping trolley carrier thingies on the bus.

Little did I know that I had to sit next to her on the way back into the city, and she talked to the WINDOW the WHOLE TIME!!! When we got to the bus station, as soon as those doors opened I zoomed out.

Had a lovely walk around the city though, looking for hats for the residents for Ascot Day, and picked up a cheese and onion pasty and just HAD to look at this while I ate my lunch:

I love the cathedral. There were lots of children around today though. I think since it's Easter break for schools lots of kids had trips down this way to check out the historical city.

Also had a pretty good driving lesson today. Only 8 days until the test. *craps a brick*

Now.....time to make tea!

Day 315 of 365: Chirp Chirp

2010-04-06T20:27:00.001+01:00

O.k....so this is a bit of a cheat entry today, because I didn't actually take the photo. It was taken by Jenny T, the kitchen assistant at work (she's a sweetheart, btw).

These little feathery things are the baby chicks that hatched over Easter weekend. My boss and I got a flyer in the post about a company called Living Eggs. So, we thought it would be adorable for Easter so we had it all set up. They were delivered early last week when I was on holiday, and today was the first day I had seen them. I picked them up, changed their bedding, almost killed them (the light fixture blew the bulb off of the unit and it shot across the box...the poor chicks! It LITERALLY scared the poop out of them), had some of the residents hold the chicks, and one of the carers and I gave most of them a bath in the sink in the toilet to wash the poo off their bums.

They go to a hobby farm this coming Saturday, but we still want to keep them. Just a shame that we no longer have grass in our courtyard because they could live out there free of harm. Oh well....hopefully they will go to a good home.

But aren't they adorable?!

Day 314 of 365: Oh Deer.....

2010-04-04T23:25:00.002+01:00

There's Aggie, once again "hurt" because on our way to the pub quiz tonight (with Lucy and Chris in tow), a young buck ran out in front of the car. Its head smacked right into the headlight and bumper there, rolled up onto the hood a bit, and then skidded off to the other side of the road. If you click on the picture, you can see fur stuck in the car in two places.

I can't remember everything, because I closed my eyes thinking that the deer would come through the windshield and really hurt Ian and I.

After the guys examined the damage, we drove back to the house. Lucy drove the rest of the evening.

Buuutt....I managed to lock ourselves out of the house (had to go to the local pub to ask for a knife to break into our house. The barman said "Yeah right....you're going to go on a murderous rampage!"), then we did the worst EVER on the quiz last night. I think it was just because we couldn't think. My head kept bouncing from the deer to the car, and now I'm worried about how much the repairs are going to cost.

So hopefully tomorrow won't be as bad as today. And atleast we ended the evening on a nicer note because we ate some pumpkin pie.....

Day 313 of 365: Dr. What????

2010-04-03T22:47:00.002+01:00

Tonight I watched my first ever, full episode of Dr. Who....and I actually really enjoyed it!

I've never been one to like Sci-Fi things, but between Dr. Who tonight, and Star Trek movie earlier this week, I think I may just be getting into the genre????

Day 312 of 365: Lordy Lordy!

2010-04-01T23:48:00.003+01:00

Nice swim trunks, honey! :P

Ian and Kathryn are 40!!!

The Husband and K turned 40 today. Can't believe it, really.

They both got lots of cards, K got some lovely treats (like skincare, and massage vouchers, etc). Had a dinner out at the local pub, The Dolphin Inn. It was Ian, Kathryn, Yog, Matt, Carole, Lucy, Chris, Spencer, and I. We also took part in the pub quiz and came in 10th out of 16 teams...although, the Abbey Hotel need to do what The Dolphin does and give EVERYONE a prize. We got some Smarties Easter eggs.

After everything was finished, Ian, K, Yog, Lucy, Chris, and I came back to the house to drink, laugh, and eat some cake.

Was a lovely evening. :)

Day 311 of 365: Flying Purple People Eater...

2010-03-31T22:26:00.003+01:00

Our car, Aggie, is back at the garage getting a few things fixed at the moment, and the guy we purchased our car from is letting us use this Rover that I named "The Purple Monster" until we get Aggie back.

The Purple Monster

It's not a bad car to look at, but it's INCREDIBLY basic.....and it's as noisy a lorry, not a car.

Oh well....HOPEFULLY will get Aggie back tomorrow...we miss her.

Our beloved Aggie

Come back to us soon, darling!

Day 310 of 365: Oh Happy Day

2010-03-30T19:14:00.003+01:00

Today, Ian and I have been married for one whole year!

We were originally going to go to Brighton, buuutttt.......the weather was a bit "bah" and our car is in the shop having a few minor things repaired (while it's still under warranty).

So we had a lovely lunch at our local pub, and went and saw I Love You, Phillip Morris. Definitely a different kind of character for Jim Carey.

But yes....Ian and I still have an evening of tea at home, and hopefully lots of snuggle time. :)

And thank you to everyone who sent cards and/or wished us a happy anniversary! :)

Day 309 of 365: Friends and Visitors

2010-03-27T18:51:00.003Z

Mel and Rob are here visiting....yay! :)

Day 308 of 365: What Holiday???

2010-03-26T19:07:00.001Z

Was supposed to start my holiday off from work today, but was conned into going to a training course.

Atleast it was next to Winchester Cathedral, and it wasn't a bad training course, actually. Quite informative.

Day 307 of 365: It's Growing!

2010-03-24T22:35:00.001Z

My knitting, that is....

Was able to sit with a resident today for a little bit and work on our squares together.

Was nice. :)

Day 306 of 365: Yellow!

2010-03-23T20:31:00.001Z

The daffs outside the house have finally bloomed, and they look lovely!

I wish I could pick them, but they're wild and the crazy guy that lives across the lane from us actually COUNTS them.

He needs a life....lol.

Day 305 of 365: UP!

2010-03-20T23:30:00.001Z

FINALLY saw the film Up! tonight, and looooooved it! I laughed, and cried a lot more than I thought I would.

Definitely a different kind of Disney movie.

Day 304 of 365: My Husband is Too Good to Me

2010-03-18T18:24:00.001Z

Lookie what Ian found at ASDA in Portsmouth!

Looks like we can get Mac & Cheese there from now on instead of paying a whole ton of money at the shop in Aldershot (although, I'm sure we'll still visit that place once in a blue moon)

Day 303 of 365: Hospital Visit

2010-03-17T21:23:00.000Z

My MIL had her knee replacement surgery today, and this is a photo where I am hurriedly heading to the ward.

Day 302 of 365: Spring is Around the Corner

2010-03-15T19:20:00.000Z

The daffodils outside the house look like they just might want to start blooming!

Day 301 of 365; A Taste of America

2010-03-13T15:59:00.004Z

Click to enlarge and get the website details

Ian and I met up with Lucy and Chris today at Fleet Services and headed to Aldershot to do some American food shopping. :)

Chris and I were in awe of the shop....although he and Lucy purchased more things for their friends than for themselves..lol.

Out loot waiting to be taken home

I heard one little English boy say "What kind of sweet shop is this?!" His mum answered "An American one." He then replied "Where are the sweets then?!?!?!"

Buuutt...the whole experience was awesome. We went into the city center afterwards and had some Burger King..it was a regular ol' American day!

We also learned that there is more to offer on the website than actually out on the store floor. It's a tiny place, really...but the store room was packed. The owner was there, and explained why prices are high on American food products (shipping, etc), but if you order £50 or more from the online store, then shipping is free. I say take advantage of it if you can afford it!

Our loot laid out on the counter

Day 300 of 365: Click Click Click

2010-03-12T21:54:00.001Z

I'm re-learning how to knit. My mom initially taught me a few years ago, but I had forgotten how to do anything. So I've been learning once again with the help of staff at work and the residents.

I started a knitting group at work, and we're in the process of making squares for a blanket for a woman I work with that's about to have a baby this summer. I'm now starting to get the staff involved in making squares as well.

So, the last few times the group has met, I was doing practice knitting. Today I'm attempting my first square. I had done about 10 rows, but on my first row I had a small hole. I gave it to one of the residents to fix it, and she basically ripped the whole thing apart. So, since I didn't know how to fix it, I'm just starting over. I think I might have my square done before Christmas at least. :p

Day 299 of 365: Holy Holy Holy..

2010-03-07T18:12:00.003Z

Went into Winchester today to show Jamie and Alan around. Jamie had a rough time walking last night by the end of the evening, so we wanted to take it easy today.

We went into Winchester Cathedral to look around. Jamie, Alan, and I went off to just explore, while Ian read the memorial plaques on the wall (since he had never done that before).

The three of us went up to the altar after awhile, and a volunteer tour guide heard Jamie and I speak and said "You ladies aren't from around here, are you?" We explained we live here now, but said where we're from originally. The volunteer then said "Ah, did you know that there are American connections here in the cathedral?" He showed us some kneeling pillows that had images of things that are now located in America, he took us to the crypt and explained about the statue down there, and also pointed out this window to us. Make sure you click on the second photo to read what the window says:

Also, I never realised that Jane Austen was buried in the cathedral:

After we left the cathedral, we went and shopped around just a little bit, and had some lunch. Jamie and Alan came back to ours for a little bit, then headed off to go back home.

I miss them already!

Day 298 of 365: A Taste of the "Old Life"

2010-03-06T22:03:00.000Z

Had a BEAUTIFUL day today.

Met up with Lucy and Chris and it was a great few hours. The time went by REALLY fast, actually. Just had a few drinks at a pub not far from Lucy and Chris's house. Unfortunately, didn't take a photo with them, but Ian and I are meeting up with them next weekend to do American food shopping at a place in Aldershot.

We then said goodbye to Lucy and Chris, and headed off to Stonehenge. We got there at 3:58pm and the darn place closed at 4:00pm, so we couldn't go in. Buuutt....took nice photos from outside the fence:

Afterwards we went into Salisbury to have a bite to eat and to show Jamie and Alan the city and cathedral. As we were walking to the cathedral, we walked by a sweet shop where there were some American products in the window. They were selling a box of Fruit Loops for £9.99! We thought it was mad!

But, Jamie and I DID both pay £1.40 for a small pack of Twizzlers. Pricey, I know, but BOY was it worth it!

Day 297 of 365: They're Here!

2010-03-05T23:55:00.000Z

Jamie and Alan arrived today to visit for the weekend. They arrived before I even got home from work, which was nice. :)

Went to Lepe Beach during the sunset, then went to a pub to have a drink. Came back to our house to have tea and then it was off to bed.

Tomorrow we're meeting up with Lucy and Chris, and then checking out Stonehenge and Salisbury.

Soooo happy they're here! :)

Day 296 of 365: Oh. My. God. (Day 2)

2010-03-04T19:17:00.001Z

So, I'm still on a high knowing that I will be seeing Sir Paul this June.

I went on the Ticketmaster website and looked to see exactly where our seats are. Floor seats to see Paul McCartney?! No wonder I'm still in "Oh. My. God." mode! lol

Again, Boo Bear, thank you! xxxxxxxx

Day 295 of 365: Oh. My. God.

2010-03-03T19:25:00.002Z

Look.

Look at what Ian got me for our wedding anniversary!

TWO TICKETS TO SEE PAUL MCCARTNEY!!!!!!!

I thought it was so sweet, I cried. :)

Annnddd...it DOES go with the traditional 1st anniversary present..it's made out of paper!

So thank you, Boo Bear! You truly are THE BEST. :D

Day 294 of 365: In Like a Lamb....

2010-03-02T19:46:00.003Z

Can't believe it's March already. I know yesterday was the first, but I was so wrapped up in my theory test, I wasn't paying much attention.

Now, today...the sun was shining....big, fluffy, white clouds in the sky, and the crocuses are starting to come up. Thankfully, some of the staff took some of the residents for walks in wheelchairs today, taking advantage of the weather. One of the carers told me about a flowery spot, so in the afternoon I took one of the ladies out.

But, before work, I had to go to the Dr. My knee has been playing up ever since I whacked it on the toilet....plus my asthma has been really bad. The Dr. put me on a prevention inhailer. Haven't been on one of those is atleast a decade.

While I was waiting for the Dr. thought I was flipping through a home decorating magazine, and saw an ad for this:

A Beatles couch! VERY cool. :)

Annndd....even though I left work a little bit later today, the temperature sure is warming up:

Spring is right around the corner....I can feel it. :)

Day 293 of 365: Sooooo...I.....

2010-03-01T14:03:00.002Z

.....I....

I PASSED MY THEORY TEST!

And I did a lot better than I thought I was going to. Got 49/50 on the multiple choice, and 62/75 on the hazard perception part of the test.

WOOT!

So, I phoned BSM to schedule my exam, and I should be getting a letter in the post with my date. Unfortunately, though, I don't think it'll be before my year deadline...but that's o.k.

Now, just need to wait for The Husband to text me and then I can pick him up from the train station.

So wanted to say thank you to everyone who gave me words of encouragement, wisdom, and support. I couldn't have done it without you. :)

Day 292 of 365: Mmmm....

2010-02-28T14:18:00.003Z

Stuffed crust pizza from ASDA. I thought it was going to be rubbish, but it's actually quite good! NOT like Pizza Hut's though, but still not bad.

I don't think I'll EVER go to ASDA on a Sunday ever again though. It was manic today. Buutt...I did get the photo that Ian picked out for the bathroom blown up, as well as get a few other photos printed.....some of my favorites from the past year. Also printed some out to send to Jenni and my nieces.

All right...going to scarf this pizza down, and then it's back to the books and DVD for me!

Day 291 of 365: I Can't Wait....

2010-02-27T18:15:00.001Z

...until I don't have to use this blinkin' DVD anymore!

It's to practice everything I need to practice for the driving theory test. Ian is away this weekend in Germany helping Mel move to England, so he said I should "take advantage of the peace and quiet and study"

After the test, I'm going to need to take a break from driving stuff....it's driving me a bit mad! lol

Day 290 of 365: I Wonder....

2010-02-26T21:12:00.000Z

...what these little guys are going to grow into?! :)

Day 289 of 365: This Is New To Me!

2010-02-19T14:20:00.002Z

Working from home? What's that all about?!

I was basically sent home from work today because a week after first getting my cold, I am not any better...infact, I'm a bit worse! My cough is getting worse and my voice sounds like I've had a sex change over night.

So, a bunch of the ladies kept telling me to go home, but I needed to wait a bit to see if I would perk up. After drinking a Beechams, and no end to my agony in sight, my manager told me to go home. She said "You'll never get any better if you don't slow down and get some rest....go and work from home today."

I typed out everything I needed to do, emailed them off to her, and now I'm watching the Olympics for a few minutes...but will most likely take a nap on the couch here and wait until Ian gets home to move off the couch.

Hopefully I won't feel like this tomorrow, so I can have my driving lesson. My instructor already had to reschedule last weekend for this past Wednesday, I don't want to have to reschedule again....especially since my theory test is only a little over a week away.

Day 288 of 365: Curling

2010-02-18T21:18:00.000Z

Haven't really had a chance to catch any of the Olympics, although I found out that some of the residents at work stay up until about 2am to watch the events. No wonder they've all been very tired lately?!

Today I finally got to watch a few minutes of the curling though with one of the residents. She had it on in her room, and I stopped by for a short visit. Was nice to catch some with her.

Day 287 of 365: To Breathe or Not to Breathe

2010-02-17T20:13:00.001Z

Picked these things up on my way home from my driving lesson tonight. Ian has been sleeping on the couch because my cold has made my snoring WAY worse than normal, so I thought if I tried these things at night then my snoring would be less.

So, tonight is a trial run of smelling like an old lady and having really huge nostrils....

Day 286 of 365: Crash, Bang, Boom!

2010-02-16T22:03:00.000Z

Tonight Ian and I went to IKEA to try and spend the rest of our gift card that his aunt and uncle gave us.

We picked up the new rug that you see above, but the most exciting bit of the evening was our minor car accident at a roundabout.

Basically, someone wasn't signaling when they were coming around, so Ian waited until they passed by. The woman behind us was watching this wanker drive as well, and thought that Ian and I were driving off as opposed to what we were really doing, which was still sitting there.

Next thing we know, BANG! into the back of the car.

We pulled into the bus stop that was nearby and go out to assess the damage. When it first happened I thought we were on fire, because I didn't know how far back the gas tank on the car is, and plus all I saw was steam coming from the exhaust.

Then, as I got out of the car, I called the people that hit us "fuckers," which was a bit dramatic, I know....but I was upset. Ian said while we were still in the vehicle "Well, I DID love this car..."

It was a young girl and her boyfriend that were in the car that hit us. She was quite relieved that no damage was done to either car. Ian and I did tell her though that we had a stiff back and headaches. We exchanged details, and drove off.

So now, we hope that we don't wake up with completely stiff necks tomorrow.

Day 285 of 365: Sometimes A Girl's Just Gotta Dance

2010-02-15T20:47:00.003Z

This, my dears, is the main cast of the new show on Sky1 Pineapple Dance Studios.

Ian and I are watching the first episode at the moment and some of the people are incredibly.....strange.

The lad 2nd in from the left is the campest man I've ever seen in my life.

And the blonde bloke wants to be the next Justin Timberlake.

I think this MAY just be my newest obsession.....

Day 284 of 365: A Really Big (But Quick) Update

2010-02-14T13:56:00.004Z

So.....I know I've been terrible at keeping up with this thing. Life is taking hold, and quite frankly, the desire of keeping up with the blog lost my interest for a bit.

But now, I decided I need to update. So I shall. :)

Since the last blog post (which is where it said I was approved for my provisional licence)....I got the card and paper part of my licence in the post.

I went to Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Mayflower in Southampton with my SIL K, and her friend, Claire:

Met Ainsley Harriott:

We purchased a new car and named her Aggie:

Ian wore our new bin on his head around HomeBase:

Met some other Northern family of Ian's. We went out to a pub with them called The Trout in Itchen Abbas, where Ian played with his food:

Ian painted the bathroom what I call "Simpsons Yellow":

Our cousin, Darren, celebrated his 40th birthday:

Got to meet the new addition to the family, Baby Bertie:

It's snowed (again...but this time it was hardly anything):

I scheduled my driving theory test for 1st of March *nervous*.

I've gotten my first proper cold since moving to England.

And now it's Valentine's Day!

Soooo....I THINK I've caught up on everything. Will try my darndest to keep up to date with posts....if I keep up at this rate it'll be NEXT year before I finish this blog...lol.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Day 283 of 365: Vroom Vroom

2010-01-26T21:06:00.001Z

So, I know it's only for my provisional license, but it's nice to see that it's been issued and on its way. :)

And yes I have been M.I.A. lately with the whole blog...but been a bit stressed out lately due to work and not been taking any photos. Will try and shape up yet again....

Day 282 of 365: I Loathe Being a Girl (Sometimes)

2010-01-17T17:53:00.003Z

Thanks to the powers that be and my parents choosing that I should be female, I spent most of the day on the couch playing UNO on Yahoo! and watching America's Next Top Model.

After numbing myself with paracetamol, and taking a hot bath, I feel a bit more normal now.

Oh, how I love being a girl! :p

Day 281 of 365: Books...Check 'Em Out

2010-01-16T16:56:00.003Z

I finished Juliet, Naked today, and if you love Nick Hornby, I highly recommend that you check this book out. The ending left everything open for a possible sequel book, which would be rather cool.

So now that I've finished my Hornby book, Ian has requested that the only book I read until I get my UK driving license is this one below:

I'm not doing too bad when I go through the questions. There are a few that I didn't know answers to, buuuttt....they give explanations as to why the answers are what they are.

So HOPEFULLY if I read it religiously for a few weeks I'll feel confident enough to book my theory test, take a few more driving lessons, then book my practical test.

Day 280 of 365: London Calling

2010-01-15T23:46:00.002Z

I'm cheating in this post, because the day was a bit too busy to take a photo, plus I was teetering on the line between sober and drunk all evening at the "do."

Spent the morning running around, getting our food shopping done, going to the post office, and I posted off all the documents to the DVLA so I can finally get my provisional license. Hopefully will have that in my hand by the end of next week. I can't believe I have 3 months until I HAVE to have my UK driving license. Eeps!

Anyway, so.....the Christmas do tonight was quite.....interesting. Met Ian's boss for the first time, and she seemed really great. Although, a few of the ladies got a bit TOO drunk, and everyone wanted to discuss how difficult it must be for me to be so far away from my family (twice I had to ask to have the conversation changed because I started to cry).

I just wish people would stop talking to me about how difficult it is and asking questions. I don't know how often other expats have the topic brought up, but I've been in England for 9 months now and I'm starting to become bored of answering and talking. Of course it's hard not knowing when I'll see my family again. Of course it's difficult getting used to things in England. Of course it's hard feeling lonely. But I made the decision to move, and I'm trying to do the best I can to fit into this new culture.....but I do not, however, need constant reminders that either I am different OR that I'm thousands of miles away from my family, because I know this.

I have some great supporters here, and even friends that live outside of the UK, and I'm ever so grateful for them. They have gotten to know me for who I am, and the ladies that are experiencing the same things as me have been a great way to vent how hard it is to be a foreign national.

But I don't want to leave. Maybe go back to Ohio and visit, of course, because I want to see my family, friends, and Ashes again. But, unfortunately, when I feel homesick it makes Ian feel that I don't want to be here with him. Not. True. I wouldn't change the decision that I've made for the world, because it's making me grow as a person and I couldn't imagine living life without the most amazing man I have ever met.

It just takes time to get used to it all......

Day 279 of 365: I Saw The Light

2010-01-14T21:42:00.000Z

I absolutely love turning this light on in the bedroom at night and just looking at the images it produces on the wall. And to think that originally we were going to get rid of it!

Today was a bit of a boring day, buuuttt....I had a VERY long day at work. Got there at 10am, got home at 9pm. I stayed on late because we had entertainment tonight, but goodness....I am knackered!

Thankfully, I have a 3-day weekend coming up. I requested tomorrow off because we're going up to London for Ian's work's Christmas do. Hopefully it'll be a good time.

Day 278 of 365: Another Snow Day

2010-01-13T14:56:00.004Z

Ian and I knew that we were going to get some snow (well, I think I knew more than he did...lol), and when we woke up this morning, he looked out the window as he was sleepily strolling to the bathroom, and noticed that we got as much snow last night as we had last week.

Soooo....I had a meeting in Eastleigh today for activity co-ordinators, but didn't go because the roads were terrible this morning.

I spent the day on the couch, putzing on the computer, and watching TV...all the while wrapped up in my Snuggie.

But, I did venture outside for a moment to put the trash in the bin.

I had been meaning to take a photo of this for quite some time, but never did until now.

The phone box is in our front garden, but I often wonder what the point of it is if it doesn't take coins???

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the fact that a phone box is in our front garden, but word from the neighbors is that no one's gone into the phone box in years.

Also, I noticed that it wasn't as cold as yesterday for some reason, then I looked at the drain pipe:

Proof that the snow is melting already.

Day 277 of 365: Non-Eventful Day

2010-01-12T21:53:00.000Z

Today was a typical day of work. I had a supervision this morning, where I let out some of my feelings and some tears......but that's what I do - my feelings always come out of my eyeballs.

On a lighter note, Ian's cousin Liz had her baby boy on the 7th and emailed out photos of the little guy:

Isn't he a cutie?! :)

Ian and I are going to pop in and visit the little guy, Liz, and her husband Tim Saturday morning for a little bit.

Day 276 of 365: New Guilty Pleasure....

2010-01-11T23:15:00.002Z

Saw the first two episodes of "Glee" tonight and fell in love with it!!!

Ian was not too keen, but I think it's an American thing that we just eat up any program/movie where singing is involved.

Day 275 of 365: You Say You Want a Revolution!!

2010-01-10T19:43:00.002Z

The photo above is what greeted me this morning when I first logged onto Facebook.

Basically, they did not like the fact that Ian's bottom was hanging out in the Snuggie photo, although, I'm sure there's MUCH worse on Facebook.

Becca gave me a good idea of doing a "censored" version of the shot, so I came up with this about an hour ago:

Also, worked on personalizing the wedding party invites for this coming July to send to all the English/European people that we're inviting. Emailed the majority of them out. Here's a sneak peek:

The photo was taken at our wedding dinner last year. We put bubbles out on the tables, and after a few drinks and going around to tables, we thought the bubbles were amazing.

Day 274 of 365: Another Lazy Saturday

2010-01-09T23:02:00.003Z

(Warning: Partial Nudity In This Blog)

Today was a nice, relaxing day.

Ian and I didn't get out of bed until about 11am. Didn't have really anything on the agenda today, since we wanted a lazy weekend.

So, I made breakfast, and then met my Mom on Windows Messenger for a web cam chat around 1pm. Unfortunately, her web cam wasn't working for me, so I was only able to hear her. She was able to see me though, which I felt sorry for her since I looked like hell this morning...lol.

Ian and I did, however, venture out to Sainsbury's to pick up a few things. Thankfully the car started.

The rest of the day we putzed online.

Ian wore his snuggie:

And I made Ian and I into John and Yoko:

Now, time for bed!

Day 273 of 365: Snowmen, Old Ladies, and Snuggies

2010-01-08T21:40:00.001Z

FINALLY took a photo of the snowman that they made at work when I was home on Wednesday. Apparently some of the old dears sat and watched as one of the line managers, and our registered manager's son built the snowman. I have to say though, that the snow has made everyone work together at work, annndd the atmosphere is getting better. If only we could do away with some of the negative people, it would be MUCH better.

Anyways, Ian took me to and from work again today. Got in and our Snuggies had arrived!

And, btw, if my husband sees that I've posted this photo, he'll kill me. :p Taken on the sly with my mobile:

We're like kangaroos now because the Snuggies have a pocket in the front!