Manly Mr. Gilbert!
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
A Lady of Leisure...
That's me, by the way. It's 9:52 am and I am still in bed. Of course, I am on line and searching for jobs, but that's beside the point. It's the fact that it's nearly 10 and I haven't left my bedroom yet that is so great!
I actually do have a busy day today. I am researching massage therapy courses, looking for a job, working out in the garden, cleaning the house, and picking Martin up from work to do our grocery shopping for the week. Plus, if I get a chance I am going to do some work on the guest room. I should ahve more than enough stuff to keep me busy.
I had a couple of good conversations with the dads in my life on Sunday. The Cook family are doing fine, and it is always so wonderful to talk to them. I also called Doug, my "natural" father, and he's not doing so well. His dad, my grandpa Bowcutt, passed away recently. And his wife, Rae, has been diagnosed with dementia. He's pretty down about the whole thing, but is taking it one day at a time and managing.
It hardly seems fair to spend a whole lifetime collecting those memories only to have them so cruelly ripped away through no fault of your own. You know that your body is going to decline as you get older--everybody's does. But you sort of expect to keep the memories of the good times fresh.
On a happier note--we had the missionaries over for dinner last night, and it was a good time. Elder Diatel was transferred, and the new guy is Elder Larsen. He's from Vegas, and this is only his second area. He's been in England about 3 months. I made them Mexican food, which both of them really appreciated. It's hard to find the ingredients here, but we manage the best we can. I made home-made tortillas!
Anyway, I realy need to get out of bed now. I actually don't like feeling lazy, and I really do right now. Daylight is wasting, and I have weeds to pull, flowers to plant, and dishes to wash. Maybe I'll take some more pictures of the progress on the house today. Maybe!
That's me, by the way. It's 9:52 am and I am still in bed. Of course, I am on line and searching for jobs, but that's beside the point. It's the fact that it's nearly 10 and I haven't left my bedroom yet that is so great!
I actually do have a busy day today. I am researching massage therapy courses, looking for a job, working out in the garden, cleaning the house, and picking Martin up from work to do our grocery shopping for the week. Plus, if I get a chance I am going to do some work on the guest room. I should ahve more than enough stuff to keep me busy.
I had a couple of good conversations with the dads in my life on Sunday. The Cook family are doing fine, and it is always so wonderful to talk to them. I also called Doug, my "natural" father, and he's not doing so well. His dad, my grandpa Bowcutt, passed away recently. And his wife, Rae, has been diagnosed with dementia. He's pretty down about the whole thing, but is taking it one day at a time and managing.
It hardly seems fair to spend a whole lifetime collecting those memories only to have them so cruelly ripped away through no fault of your own. You know that your body is going to decline as you get older--everybody's does. But you sort of expect to keep the memories of the good times fresh.
On a happier note--we had the missionaries over for dinner last night, and it was a good time. Elder Diatel was transferred, and the new guy is Elder Larsen. He's from Vegas, and this is only his second area. He's been in England about 3 months. I made them Mexican food, which both of them really appreciated. It's hard to find the ingredients here, but we manage the best we can. I made home-made tortillas!
Anyway, I realy need to get out of bed now. I actually don't like feeling lazy, and I really do right now. Daylight is wasting, and I have weeds to pull, flowers to plant, and dishes to wash. Maybe I'll take some more pictures of the progress on the house today. Maybe!
Sunday, June 18, 2006
The funniest thing I have ever seen...
Yesterday Martin and I were driving home from Nottingham on the M180 and I saw one of the funniest things I have ever seen (besides the headless turkey standing on the side of the road between St. George and Cedar City). Picture this...
You're driving along, and you look at the side of the road and see a huge blank road sign. Nothing terribly unusual, right? Maybe they haven't painted it yet. Maybe it's going to be used for advertising purposes and the space hasn't been sold yet. Then, you look down a little bit and see another sign. It says "sign not in use."
This is absolutely true--there was a sign next to the blank one telling you that the sign wasn't being used for anything. The only thing funnier than that sign is knowing that it must be necessary. They must have had people calling them up and telling them their sign was empty. I love this country!
So yeah, doing well. Martin and I had our specialist appointment on Tuesday, but nothing was done. We found out for sure that our NHS trust won't be referring couples for IVF for at least a year. But we DID find out that Martin's last sample was better. The doctor said that there should be no reason we can't conceive once I meet my weight goals. He has referred me to a nutritionist, at my request, because the weight is coming off but not as fast I would like it to. Once we have had a few months of "trying" at my target weight, we can go back to Mr. Odukoya and at least try fertility drugs, etc. We'll see how it goes.
Anyway, things are going well other than that. I have started jogging again, and I went for a couple of really good runs last week. Plus, I have been working out in the garden and walking everywhere in Barton (grocery shopping, job hunting, going to the hardware store, etc). I'm exhausted, but the garden is starting to look good.
Speaking of the garden, I spent three days seiving gravel out of the flower beds and turning over the soil. I have only done one of the flower beds, but I should finish the other one tomorrow or Tuesday. Then I'll be ready to plant some stuff.
We're getting ready to knock down a few walls in the front room as well. Martin's parents gave us this set of books called the Home Improvement Encyclopedias, and they cover nearly EVERYTHING you could ever want to do in your house. Scary, really, but they ought to considering there are about 25 books. I think we'll start that this weekend.
Still no job for me, but I'm really not looking as hard as I ought to. I adore being a housewife. Martin gets to come home to a clean house with dinner on the table every night. I am doing all the laundry and the ironing, errands, yard work, and really anything that comes up. Martin is getting a little stressed out about it, but we are doing OK financially. I'm just looking at it as practice for when we have a baby!
Anyway, must go. I have to call the fathers in my life and wish them a happy dad's day!
Yesterday Martin and I were driving home from Nottingham on the M180 and I saw one of the funniest things I have ever seen (besides the headless turkey standing on the side of the road between St. George and Cedar City). Picture this...
You're driving along, and you look at the side of the road and see a huge blank road sign. Nothing terribly unusual, right? Maybe they haven't painted it yet. Maybe it's going to be used for advertising purposes and the space hasn't been sold yet. Then, you look down a little bit and see another sign. It says "sign not in use."
This is absolutely true--there was a sign next to the blank one telling you that the sign wasn't being used for anything. The only thing funnier than that sign is knowing that it must be necessary. They must have had people calling them up and telling them their sign was empty. I love this country!
So yeah, doing well. Martin and I had our specialist appointment on Tuesday, but nothing was done. We found out for sure that our NHS trust won't be referring couples for IVF for at least a year. But we DID find out that Martin's last sample was better. The doctor said that there should be no reason we can't conceive once I meet my weight goals. He has referred me to a nutritionist, at my request, because the weight is coming off but not as fast I would like it to. Once we have had a few months of "trying" at my target weight, we can go back to Mr. Odukoya and at least try fertility drugs, etc. We'll see how it goes.
Anyway, things are going well other than that. I have started jogging again, and I went for a couple of really good runs last week. Plus, I have been working out in the garden and walking everywhere in Barton (grocery shopping, job hunting, going to the hardware store, etc). I'm exhausted, but the garden is starting to look good.
Speaking of the garden, I spent three days seiving gravel out of the flower beds and turning over the soil. I have only done one of the flower beds, but I should finish the other one tomorrow or Tuesday. Then I'll be ready to plant some stuff.
We're getting ready to knock down a few walls in the front room as well. Martin's parents gave us this set of books called the Home Improvement Encyclopedias, and they cover nearly EVERYTHING you could ever want to do in your house. Scary, really, but they ought to considering there are about 25 books. I think we'll start that this weekend.
Still no job for me, but I'm really not looking as hard as I ought to. I adore being a housewife. Martin gets to come home to a clean house with dinner on the table every night. I am doing all the laundry and the ironing, errands, yard work, and really anything that comes up. Martin is getting a little stressed out about it, but we are doing OK financially. I'm just looking at it as practice for when we have a baby!
Anyway, must go. I have to call the fathers in my life and wish them a happy dad's day!
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
We are connected again!
Martin and I are getting settled in our new house and are loving it!
I lost my job at Volvo, but not because of my work performance and I didn't quit. There was a dispute between Volvo and the temp agency I was working for. Haven't found anything yet, but I am hopeful.
Anyway, must go for now. It's late & I need my beauty sleep!
Martin and I are getting settled in our new house and are loving it!
I lost my job at Volvo, but not because of my work performance and I didn't quit. There was a dispute between Volvo and the temp agency I was working for. Haven't found anything yet, but I am hopeful.
Anyway, must go for now. It's late & I need my beauty sleep!
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Another quick post from work
We're doing well, though we're still not fully moved in to the house. We have been working like crazy on the upstairs bedroom to get it ready to move in to. Now we just have the door and the floor to do, and it looks fantastic. As soon as I can get on line at home again, I have some great pictures to post of the progression of our remodeling. As soon as we're finished upstairs we can start knocking walls down downstairs. Fun stuff!
Work is still frustrating, and I may lose my job over something completely unrelated anyway, but that's ok. Life goes on. Martin didn't get his promotion, but he's working toward getting a promotion within the next two months or so. Fingers crossed!
Our next appointment with our fertility consultant is in two weeks. I can't believe it's already JUNE!
By the way, happy birthday Dad!
We're doing well, though we're still not fully moved in to the house. We have been working like crazy on the upstairs bedroom to get it ready to move in to. Now we just have the door and the floor to do, and it looks fantastic. As soon as I can get on line at home again, I have some great pictures to post of the progression of our remodeling. As soon as we're finished upstairs we can start knocking walls down downstairs. Fun stuff!
Work is still frustrating, and I may lose my job over something completely unrelated anyway, but that's ok. Life goes on. Martin didn't get his promotion, but he's working toward getting a promotion within the next two months or so. Fingers crossed!
Our next appointment with our fertility consultant is in two weeks. I can't believe it's already JUNE!
By the way, happy birthday Dad!
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Really quick...
The move went well, though we're still not completely moved in. We have do do some repairs and painting, etc before we can spread out and get settled. These last few days have been exhausting, but our upstairs bedroom is nearly ready to paint. We had to strip the wall paper and fill in cracks in the plaster, and last night we put the primer on. Looks good, but we are both dead on our feet.
We are slowly reclaiming the downstairs from the spiders. Last night I had a huge black spider about the size of a silver dollar lurking underneath my bath towel. Martin, my hero, smashed it for me. But he had to whack it a few times to kill it, it was that big. The kitchen and the bedroom are the only rooms we're really settled in to, but we ARE getting there. This has been a pretty good adventure so far. The best part is, it only takes Martin 15 minutes to get to work! It takes me about the same. We should have done this ages ago!
The move went well, though we're still not completely moved in. We have do do some repairs and painting, etc before we can spread out and get settled. These last few days have been exhausting, but our upstairs bedroom is nearly ready to paint. We had to strip the wall paper and fill in cracks in the plaster, and last night we put the primer on. Looks good, but we are both dead on our feet.
We are slowly reclaiming the downstairs from the spiders. Last night I had a huge black spider about the size of a silver dollar lurking underneath my bath towel. Martin, my hero, smashed it for me. But he had to whack it a few times to kill it, it was that big. The kitchen and the bedroom are the only rooms we're really settled in to, but we ARE getting there. This has been a pretty good adventure so far. The best part is, it only takes Martin 15 minutes to get to work! It takes me about the same. We should have done this ages ago!
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Last post for a while--for real this time!
I am currently sitting in my mostly empty and nearly spotless Hogpenny Cottage. Martin and the missionaries are unloading a van ful of furniture at the new place. We've got one more load of bits and pieces, and then comes the fun job of unpacking everything again. I'm exhausted!
The move has been pretty good so far. We only got about 5 hours of sleep last night since we stayed up so late packing and we had to get up early to do some more, but all things considered we're holding up really well. The Elders have helped a lot, and I had a few sisters from church come and help me clean the kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms. Now I've just got the living room to finish off, which I can't do until the rest of the stuff is loaded. I'm curious how much work we'll have to do at Fleetgate. I haven't been in there for about 4 weeks, and a lot can change in that amount of time.
Surprisingly enough, I am not sad at all to be leaving this place. Every other time we've moved, I've had mixed feelings about it. Hogpenny Cottage has been our home for the past 6 months, and there's not even a twinge of sadness today. It's been a long, cold, wet winter for us. Everything we own gets moldy and smells strange. We've had to leave our coats on in the house and wear hats and scarves. The neighbors are not friendly, we've had our car window smashed and our padlock on the gate stolen. I am so excited to move into our own house!
I think one of the main things that makes it easier is that we will still be going to the same church. I adore the people in our ward. Some of them are narrow minded, and some of them are downright strange, but they are starting to feel like family. It's nice to have some family here in England!
Anyway, I just got a call from Martin. They're on their way back now, so I need to get a few odds and ends taken care of . I'll try to post as often as I can, but our phone won't be hooked up for at least 2 weeks. If anyone needs to get in touch with us, call Martin's parents. Mom and dad should have the number still!
I am currently sitting in my mostly empty and nearly spotless Hogpenny Cottage. Martin and the missionaries are unloading a van ful of furniture at the new place. We've got one more load of bits and pieces, and then comes the fun job of unpacking everything again. I'm exhausted!
The move has been pretty good so far. We only got about 5 hours of sleep last night since we stayed up so late packing and we had to get up early to do some more, but all things considered we're holding up really well. The Elders have helped a lot, and I had a few sisters from church come and help me clean the kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms. Now I've just got the living room to finish off, which I can't do until the rest of the stuff is loaded. I'm curious how much work we'll have to do at Fleetgate. I haven't been in there for about 4 weeks, and a lot can change in that amount of time.
Surprisingly enough, I am not sad at all to be leaving this place. Every other time we've moved, I've had mixed feelings about it. Hogpenny Cottage has been our home for the past 6 months, and there's not even a twinge of sadness today. It's been a long, cold, wet winter for us. Everything we own gets moldy and smells strange. We've had to leave our coats on in the house and wear hats and scarves. The neighbors are not friendly, we've had our car window smashed and our padlock on the gate stolen. I am so excited to move into our own house!
I think one of the main things that makes it easier is that we will still be going to the same church. I adore the people in our ward. Some of them are narrow minded, and some of them are downright strange, but they are starting to feel like family. It's nice to have some family here in England!
Anyway, I just got a call from Martin. They're on their way back now, so I need to get a few odds and ends taken care of . I'll try to post as often as I can, but our phone won't be hooked up for at least 2 weeks. If anyone needs to get in touch with us, call Martin's parents. Mom and dad should have the number still!
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Nothing new to say, really, but this might be my last posting for a few weeks while we get our new household set up. We are both really excited to get into the house! We have almost nothing packed, so tomorrow is going to be a really busy night.
I guess there is one new thing to report. I called the temp agency I'm currently working for and asked them to find me a new position as the working conditions atVolvo have become intolerable. They are going to let me know if anything else comes up. I did tell them that I'd stay on in the mean time, but I will call them if that changes as well. This way, I can find something new and still pay the bills! I will try to find something permanent as well, since I only stayed on as a temp for this long because I wanted a full time job with Volvo. That doesn't really appeal to me any more. Yvonne gets worse every day. What I'd really like to do is leave with no notice so they are hurting for staff and can't get anything done, but I don't think I'm quite malicious enough to do that. Yet!
Martin still hasn't heard on the promotion he applied for. They got the drug test results back and he stil has a job though, so that's good news. There's a lot to be said for clean living! I'd imagine that plenty of people out there would be nervous for a drug test. Anyway, he should hear tomorrow, or maybe the first part of next week. We don't quite understand the delay, but it's getting a little bit irritating.
Tonight has been a good night. Thursdays we usually go to choir practice, but I was asked to teach the young women in the ward how to lead music for their weekly activity. I was in with them for 2 hours, but it went so quickly. Those girls are so much fun--and have so much energy! I can't believe what a difference a few years make with kids. I had a much better time with the youth than I do with the Primary every week. Martin was on his own for choir practice, but I'm sure he enjoyed himself as well. He's been invited to sing in a special mens' group for Stake Conference this weekend.
Anyway, must go now. We still have to fix dinner before we go to bed. Miss you all!
I guess there is one new thing to report. I called the temp agency I'm currently working for and asked them to find me a new position as the working conditions atVolvo have become intolerable. They are going to let me know if anything else comes up. I did tell them that I'd stay on in the mean time, but I will call them if that changes as well. This way, I can find something new and still pay the bills! I will try to find something permanent as well, since I only stayed on as a temp for this long because I wanted a full time job with Volvo. That doesn't really appeal to me any more. Yvonne gets worse every day. What I'd really like to do is leave with no notice so they are hurting for staff and can't get anything done, but I don't think I'm quite malicious enough to do that. Yet!
Martin still hasn't heard on the promotion he applied for. They got the drug test results back and he stil has a job though, so that's good news. There's a lot to be said for clean living! I'd imagine that plenty of people out there would be nervous for a drug test. Anyway, he should hear tomorrow, or maybe the first part of next week. We don't quite understand the delay, but it's getting a little bit irritating.
Tonight has been a good night. Thursdays we usually go to choir practice, but I was asked to teach the young women in the ward how to lead music for their weekly activity. I was in with them for 2 hours, but it went so quickly. Those girls are so much fun--and have so much energy! I can't believe what a difference a few years make with kids. I had a much better time with the youth than I do with the Primary every week. Martin was on his own for choir practice, but I'm sure he enjoyed himself as well. He's been invited to sing in a special mens' group for Stake Conference this weekend.
Anyway, must go now. We still have to fix dinner before we go to bed. Miss you all!
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
I'm 27, and I'm being bullied!
That's so sad, but I've decided that's what is happening to me at work. Sarah, the nice girl at work, has injured both her ankles and can't come in. Yvonne is spending this time shouting at me, swearing at me, and generally just making my life miserable. She is, of course, not physical in any way. But I come home every night feeling like I just took an emotional beating. I am so unhappy at work right now. Every morning I sit in my car and try to work up the nerve to go in the building. I just try to sit at my desk and work and keep my head down--not draw any attention to myself. I don't ask any questions unless I absolutely have to, and we don't talk at all. I think I'm getting an ulcer.
How sad is it that a 45 year old woman is bullying me? The English are so friendly most of the time, but nobody can out-shrew a working class English woman!
That's so sad, but I've decided that's what is happening to me at work. Sarah, the nice girl at work, has injured both her ankles and can't come in. Yvonne is spending this time shouting at me, swearing at me, and generally just making my life miserable. She is, of course, not physical in any way. But I come home every night feeling like I just took an emotional beating. I am so unhappy at work right now. Every morning I sit in my car and try to work up the nerve to go in the building. I just try to sit at my desk and work and keep my head down--not draw any attention to myself. I don't ask any questions unless I absolutely have to, and we don't talk at all. I think I'm getting an ulcer.
How sad is it that a 45 year old woman is bullying me? The English are so friendly most of the time, but nobody can out-shrew a working class English woman!
Friday, May 12, 2006
Just a quick note as I am at work and don't have much time to spare...
Martin and I are closing on the house in Barton a week today--Friday the 19th. We will be moving in next weekend! I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I'm even looking forward to cleaning the new place from top to bottom. We are in the process of sorting out our utility switch-overs and I think we will probably go buy paint and heavy duty cleaning supplies this weekend. In between packing of course! The missionaries are coming over to do a "service project" at our house tomorrow (watching football), and we may put them to work packing boxes & painting!
Martin and I are closing on the house in Barton a week today--Friday the 19th. We will be moving in next weekend! I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I'm even looking forward to cleaning the new place from top to bottom. We are in the process of sorting out our utility switch-overs and I think we will probably go buy paint and heavy duty cleaning supplies this weekend. In between packing of course! The missionaries are coming over to do a "service project" at our house tomorrow (watching football), and we may put them to work packing boxes & painting!
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Eleven Days!
I can't believe it's been eleven days since I last posted. Life sure does get busy sometimes, doesn't it? It doesn't even seem like half that much time has gone by. Plus, it doesn't really seem like anything has happened in that week and 1/2.
I guess stuff has. Our bank, HSBC, has done the valuation of the Fleetgate house and they've OK'd the amount of money they're lending us for it. Our solicitors have started the local search, so we should have a moving in date soom (even if it's just a tentative one). Martin's interviewed for the assistant manager position at work. I've cooked a lot of meals and cleaned the house a few times. Life just gets swallowed up by all the mundane things you have to do!
England continues to amaze and inspire. The weather is getting warmer all the time (highs of about 65, but it's humid so it feels warmer), and with the thaw in the weather, the people seem a little bit friendlier as well. Plus, I have never seen such a glorious spring. It seems like everything is blossoming right now. The flowering cherries have shed their petals, but now we have the crab apples, and this other tree that I've never seen before but it has huge pink blooms that look similar to carnations. Even the hedge rows are full of beautiful flowering white hawthorne, and the farmers are all growing bright yellow rapeseed. All this country needs is a little sunlight to make it beautiful!
So yeah, you may have noticed that I am completely enamored of spring inEngland. I hope that when we DO eventually have a baby, it's in May. Then my parents will come to visit, and they will understand why I love England so much. Even though it has its quirks and annoyances, this is a truly beautiful place.
Martin and I are really starting to look forward to moving into 48 Fleetgate (though the address isn't nearly as fun as our current one)! The freaked-out feeling of going into that much debt has started to fade, and we are both starting to look at it as an adventure, and as something a little more grown up and stable. And we are really looking forward to central heating! We have been wandering around home improvement stores like single women wander around bridal shops and married men around shopping malls--looking and lusting! We've chosen the colours for our living room and know the general look we're going to go for (feng shuy-ish but modern) and have startind making flooring choices. We were looking at kitchen appliances the other day, for crying out loud. We are going to start making decisions about the bedroom soon. I can't wait to get in to the house and start doing the work. Not that I particularly like painting and stuff, but I wan't to live in a nice place. I want to have a beautiful house that I can be proud to have friends and family come to stay in. And, let's be honest, I'm all about the central heating!
Non-house news: We went to another Scunthorpe United football match yesterday. Martin got free tickets from work again, and it was a good time. More people went this time, and it was a really exciting game. They were playing Blackpool (say it like the Southerners and call it "Bleck-poo") and it was a goal-less game until the 90th minute. Scunthorpe scored a goal in injury time, and the Blackpool fans were really angry about the ref's decision. About 20 of them stormed the pitch, and they got chased off by security guards and police. I actually saw a man being beaten with a night stick. English bobbies don't need guns--just big flashlights! It was brutal. Good game!
Tomorrow is another bank holiday. Normally you don't have so many this close together, but Easter was very late this year. This means another short work week, and we are going to Lincoln tomorrow. We're going to do some window shopping, go up steep hill, browse in bookshops, and have lunch with Martin's cute and oh-so-eligible cousin Gareth (that's right, he's single, ladies. I'll get a picture of him--you'll see what I mean). We're both looking forward to it as we haven't been to Lincoln since the Christmas Fair. Since I'll have the camera with me, I'll take a few pictures of England in bloom. Who knows, we may even get pictures of the two of us on the blog.
The work week is looking busy even though it's a short one. Work has been very busy and annoying for me (Yvonne is getting worse all the time. I hope she finds a new job soon!). Martin's boss is going to Orlando for the annual Enterprise managers' retreat, and leaving Martin in charge. Well, Martin and his collegue Fran. They are acting manager and assistant manager, respectively. He's definitely up to the challenge, and is hoping that it will look good for him when the decision is made about the job. We're just hoping he passes the drug test. : )
That's all the news from the Gilbert family. More updates to come!
Love and miss you all terribly!!!
XOXOXOXO
I can't believe it's been eleven days since I last posted. Life sure does get busy sometimes, doesn't it? It doesn't even seem like half that much time has gone by. Plus, it doesn't really seem like anything has happened in that week and 1/2.
I guess stuff has. Our bank, HSBC, has done the valuation of the Fleetgate house and they've OK'd the amount of money they're lending us for it. Our solicitors have started the local search, so we should have a moving in date soom (even if it's just a tentative one). Martin's interviewed for the assistant manager position at work. I've cooked a lot of meals and cleaned the house a few times. Life just gets swallowed up by all the mundane things you have to do!
England continues to amaze and inspire. The weather is getting warmer all the time (highs of about 65, but it's humid so it feels warmer), and with the thaw in the weather, the people seem a little bit friendlier as well. Plus, I have never seen such a glorious spring. It seems like everything is blossoming right now. The flowering cherries have shed their petals, but now we have the crab apples, and this other tree that I've never seen before but it has huge pink blooms that look similar to carnations. Even the hedge rows are full of beautiful flowering white hawthorne, and the farmers are all growing bright yellow rapeseed. All this country needs is a little sunlight to make it beautiful!
So yeah, you may have noticed that I am completely enamored of spring inEngland. I hope that when we DO eventually have a baby, it's in May. Then my parents will come to visit, and they will understand why I love England so much. Even though it has its quirks and annoyances, this is a truly beautiful place.
Martin and I are really starting to look forward to moving into 48 Fleetgate (though the address isn't nearly as fun as our current one)! The freaked-out feeling of going into that much debt has started to fade, and we are both starting to look at it as an adventure, and as something a little more grown up and stable. And we are really looking forward to central heating! We have been wandering around home improvement stores like single women wander around bridal shops and married men around shopping malls--looking and lusting! We've chosen the colours for our living room and know the general look we're going to go for (feng shuy-ish but modern) and have startind making flooring choices. We were looking at kitchen appliances the other day, for crying out loud. We are going to start making decisions about the bedroom soon. I can't wait to get in to the house and start doing the work. Not that I particularly like painting and stuff, but I wan't to live in a nice place. I want to have a beautiful house that I can be proud to have friends and family come to stay in. And, let's be honest, I'm all about the central heating!
Non-house news: We went to another Scunthorpe United football match yesterday. Martin got free tickets from work again, and it was a good time. More people went this time, and it was a really exciting game. They were playing Blackpool (say it like the Southerners and call it "Bleck-poo") and it was a goal-less game until the 90th minute. Scunthorpe scored a goal in injury time, and the Blackpool fans were really angry about the ref's decision. About 20 of them stormed the pitch, and they got chased off by security guards and police. I actually saw a man being beaten with a night stick. English bobbies don't need guns--just big flashlights! It was brutal. Good game!
Tomorrow is another bank holiday. Normally you don't have so many this close together, but Easter was very late this year. This means another short work week, and we are going to Lincoln tomorrow. We're going to do some window shopping, go up steep hill, browse in bookshops, and have lunch with Martin's cute and oh-so-eligible cousin Gareth (that's right, he's single, ladies. I'll get a picture of him--you'll see what I mean). We're both looking forward to it as we haven't been to Lincoln since the Christmas Fair. Since I'll have the camera with me, I'll take a few pictures of England in bloom. Who knows, we may even get pictures of the two of us on the blog.
The work week is looking busy even though it's a short one. Work has been very busy and annoying for me (Yvonne is getting worse all the time. I hope she finds a new job soon!). Martin's boss is going to Orlando for the annual Enterprise managers' retreat, and leaving Martin in charge. Well, Martin and his collegue Fran. They are acting manager and assistant manager, respectively. He's definitely up to the challenge, and is hoping that it will look good for him when the decision is made about the job. We're just hoping he passes the drug test. : )
That's all the news from the Gilbert family. More updates to come!
Love and miss you all terribly!!!
XOXOXOXO
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
How to post to my blog in 10 easy steps (for all you people who are dying to try it but don't know how):
1) go to www.gilbertsfridge.blogspot.com
2) read the new postings
3) see one that you would like to respond to (like, wow, Martin looks good in those fish pants, or, the scenery in Portland is so much nicer than that, or, Jamie, you are looking stunning lately).
4) scroll down to the bottom of the posting where it says: posted by Gilberts' Fridge at 9:21 PM 0 comments links to this post
5) click on the spot that says "comments"
6) type your comment in the text box provided
7) if you don't have your own blog, click on the box that says "anonymous" (make sure you tell me who you are if you want me to know)
8) in the box that says "word verification," type the letters that appear just above the box (this stops people posting spam to my blog)
9) Click on "log in and publish"
10) make me very happy
Comments are always welcome--the more the better. I have signed up to receive e-mail notification of comments on my blog, so it's a great way to make short comments if you don't have time to send a full e-mail.
1) go to www.gilbertsfridge.blogspot.com
2) read the new postings
3) see one that you would like to respond to (like, wow, Martin looks good in those fish pants, or, the scenery in Portland is so much nicer than that, or, Jamie, you are looking stunning lately).
4) scroll down to the bottom of the posting where it says: posted by Gilberts' Fridge at 9:21 PM 0 comments links to this post
5) click on the spot that says "comments"
6) type your comment in the text box provided
7) if you don't have your own blog, click on the box that says "anonymous" (make sure you tell me who you are if you want me to know)
8) in the box that says "word verification," type the letters that appear just above the box (this stops people posting spam to my blog)
9) Click on "log in and publish"
10) make me very happy
Comments are always welcome--the more the better. I have signed up to receive e-mail notification of comments on my blog, so it's a great way to make short comments if you don't have time to send a full e-mail.
Bank Holidays...
Easter was nice--especially because I got a 4 day weekend. Good Friday and Easter Monday are both bank holidays, and virtually nobody works on those days. In fact, the whole country comes to a grinding halt! You know how everything except the bank and the post office is open on, say, Memorial day? In fact, most retailers have big sales and do tons of business on holidays? Not here. Most of the time, even the grocery stores are closed. The only thing that is open is usually your local off-license, or "offie." That's the corner store that sells the essentials, like bread, milk, toilet paper, chocolate, and more booze than two supermarkets put together!
I spent Good Friday giving my house a great clean since Martin was at work anyway. Saturday we had an extra choir practice and picked up some donated furniture for the new house, watched a movie, went for a drive, etc. Sunday was spent at church, of course. We had a special choir performance on Sunday evening, which was interesting. We are an unusual group, made up of some who have had quite a lot of training to the majority who can't read music at all, and a few who can't carry a tune in a bucket! But we tried hard, and it went well. Martin's mum came, and she got to meet a lot of the people we go to church with. They were all really lovely to her, which I was glad of.
After the choir performance, we drove down to Mablethorpe to see the grandparents. Both sets are doing well. We went for a walk on the beach and gathered sea shells and driftwood. I'd never been to Mablethorpe in nice weather before, and it was strange to see so many people there. Nice weather or not, I would NEVER swim in the North Sea. It looks bitterly cold, no matter how much the sun is shining. Plus, it's really dirty from all the commercial shipping and fishing that goes on there. There's also that sewage thing, though I think they've stopped dumping that in for the most part!
Monday night we went to a barbecue at Steve's house. All of Martin'sold mates were there except Adam, who is currently in Canada. We stayed for about 3 1/2 hours, and left when they started playing silly drinking games. It was a good time though--always fun to be social!
It was really hard to go back to work on Tuesday, but the time seems to be flying by. It's been really busy, which is nice. Martin had a hard time going back, as well, but he is doing well at work. He has an interview scheduled for Friday for the Assistant Manager position in Scunthorpe. We're both pretty pleased about that--especially now that we've signed our mortgage! I think he stands a better chance of getting this one than the last position he interviewed for, and I am fairly confident that he'll get it. Martin is such a hard worker!
It's amazing how much more I like England when the weather's nice.
Easter was nice--especially because I got a 4 day weekend. Good Friday and Easter Monday are both bank holidays, and virtually nobody works on those days. In fact, the whole country comes to a grinding halt! You know how everything except the bank and the post office is open on, say, Memorial day? In fact, most retailers have big sales and do tons of business on holidays? Not here. Most of the time, even the grocery stores are closed. The only thing that is open is usually your local off-license, or "offie." That's the corner store that sells the essentials, like bread, milk, toilet paper, chocolate, and more booze than two supermarkets put together!
I spent Good Friday giving my house a great clean since Martin was at work anyway. Saturday we had an extra choir practice and picked up some donated furniture for the new house, watched a movie, went for a drive, etc. Sunday was spent at church, of course. We had a special choir performance on Sunday evening, which was interesting. We are an unusual group, made up of some who have had quite a lot of training to the majority who can't read music at all, and a few who can't carry a tune in a bucket! But we tried hard, and it went well. Martin's mum came, and she got to meet a lot of the people we go to church with. They were all really lovely to her, which I was glad of.
After the choir performance, we drove down to Mablethorpe to see the grandparents. Both sets are doing well. We went for a walk on the beach and gathered sea shells and driftwood. I'd never been to Mablethorpe in nice weather before, and it was strange to see so many people there. Nice weather or not, I would NEVER swim in the North Sea. It looks bitterly cold, no matter how much the sun is shining. Plus, it's really dirty from all the commercial shipping and fishing that goes on there. There's also that sewage thing, though I think they've stopped dumping that in for the most part!
Monday night we went to a barbecue at Steve's house. All of Martin'sold mates were there except Adam, who is currently in Canada. We stayed for about 3 1/2 hours, and left when they started playing silly drinking games. It was a good time though--always fun to be social!
It was really hard to go back to work on Tuesday, but the time seems to be flying by. It's been really busy, which is nice. Martin had a hard time going back, as well, but he is doing well at work. He has an interview scheduled for Friday for the Assistant Manager position in Scunthorpe. We're both pretty pleased about that--especially now that we've signed our mortgage! I think he stands a better chance of getting this one than the last position he interviewed for, and I am fairly confident that he'll get it. Martin is such a hard worker!
It's amazing how much more I like England when the weather's nice.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Martin and I have a mortgage!
We have finally taken the plunge and climbed onto the first rung of the property ladder. Martin and I signed the mortgage for the Fleetgate house in Barton. Now we are just waiting for the solicitors to finish off the various checks and contracts, and we are hoping to move in by the end of this month or the first week of May. This means we will soon have a guest room for anyone who wants to come and visit. I want my first visitors from home!
We are going to have so much to do it's almost scary. First thing is tearing out carpets and linoleum and cleaning everything from top to bottom. The people that just moved out of the upstairs flat had two dogs in there, and it reeks of dog pee. Icky! Then we are going to decorate our bedroom, knock out some walls in the front room and decorate that, then start on the other bedrooms. The house is going to occupy almost all of our free time for the next little while.
Anyway, I'm going to post a few more pictures from the lake district, and then I've got to get some dinner. I think it's going to be fish & chips or a chicken doner kebab--I'm a bachelorette tonight. It sounds a little better than "football widow."
We have finally taken the plunge and climbed onto the first rung of the property ladder. Martin and I signed the mortgage for the Fleetgate house in Barton. Now we are just waiting for the solicitors to finish off the various checks and contracts, and we are hoping to move in by the end of this month or the first week of May. This means we will soon have a guest room for anyone who wants to come and visit. I want my first visitors from home!
We are going to have so much to do it's almost scary. First thing is tearing out carpets and linoleum and cleaning everything from top to bottom. The people that just moved out of the upstairs flat had two dogs in there, and it reeks of dog pee. Icky! Then we are going to decorate our bedroom, knock out some walls in the front room and decorate that, then start on the other bedrooms. The house is going to occupy almost all of our free time for the next little while.
Anyway, I'm going to post a few more pictures from the lake district, and then I've got to get some dinner. I think it's going to be fish & chips or a chicken doner kebab--I'm a bachelorette tonight. It sounds a little better than "football widow."
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
The day was spent mostly driving. The whole drive was only 104 miles, but it took us almost nine hours. We had some rain and some sun, and some serious fun! Even though the towns were packed with people, most of the roads we were on were practically deserted. England never fails to surprise me with its' beauty and variety. Most of it feels so cramped and over crowded, and then you go to places that are wide open and beautiful, and you almost feel like you're the only person on the island.
We got to our B&B in Hawkshead at about 6 PM, and had a lovely time strolling around the village. It's very small and picturesque, with plenty of farms and public footpaths. We watched some adorable lambs playing in a pasture, then had dinner in an old pub. Guess what Martin had to eat? Lamb!
We got to our B&B in Hawkshead at about 6 PM, and had a lovely time strolling around the village. It's very small and picturesque, with plenty of farms and public footpaths. We watched some adorable lambs playing in a pasture, then had dinner in an old pub. Guess what Martin had to eat? Lamb!
After the hair raising trip up the passes, we had to go down them. If anything, it was MORE terrifying. However, we did get to stop at an old Roman fort. It's only ruins, but it was still an impressive sight. Plus, it made an excellent pit stop. Martin and I both peed on athousand year old archaeological site, but I guess that's no worse than the sheep who shelter there in the summer months.
Once on the level again, we drove to St. Catherines church and got out for a little stroll beside a random river. That's were I saw one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen...
Once on the level again, we drove to St. Catherines church and got out for a little stroll beside a random river. That's were I saw one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen...
Monday, April 03, 2006
We drove to Preston that night and did that whole temple thing--it was nice, and I remembered to bring my recommend this time! We slept in temple accommodation on Friday night and got an early start Saturday morning. Destination: Ambleside.
First, however, we made a quick stop in Kendal for a famous Kendal Mint Cake. Basically, it's sugar, peppermint oil, and more sugar. Good for hiking, says Martin. Good for a sugar high, says Jamie. Very tasty, and Kendal is quite charming as well.
Ambleside was the beginning of our tour, and we only drove through it very quickly to get to the fun stuff--Wrynose and Hardknott passes. These are two of the steepest mountain passes in the country, and they were a little bit tense, to say the least. As you can probably see by the picture above.
First, however, we made a quick stop in Kendal for a famous Kendal Mint Cake. Basically, it's sugar, peppermint oil, and more sugar. Good for hiking, says Martin. Good for a sugar high, says Jamie. Very tasty, and Kendal is quite charming as well.
Ambleside was the beginning of our tour, and we only drove through it very quickly to get to the fun stuff--Wrynose and Hardknott passes. These are two of the steepest mountain passes in the country, and they were a little bit tense, to say the least. As you can probably see by the picture above.
The Lake District did not disappoint!
Martin and I just spent a delightful weekend up in Cumbria, and I have fallen even more deeply in love with the area. We drove around and saw some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, and I suddenly remembered why I wanted to move back here (besides the baby thing, I mean).
The weekend started with our car rental--a fire red Renault Megane convertible...
Martin and I just spent a delightful weekend up in Cumbria, and I have fallen even more deeply in love with the area. We drove around and saw some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, and I suddenly remembered why I wanted to move back here (besides the baby thing, I mean).
The weekend started with our car rental--a fire red Renault Megane convertible...
Friday, March 24, 2006
In other very quick news...
Martin and I have made an offer on a property in Barton--the two flats that are being sold together. We want to turn it back in to one house. We could have a mortgage soon--scary!!! I will see if I can get a picture of it to post to the blog from the estate agents' website. It doesn't look like much right now, but it is practically screaming with potential!
Martin is doing well. He competed in a five-a-side soccer tournament with work on Tuesday and his team came in second place. We now have TWO football trophies sitting on our TV cabinet at home. I told him we'll have to dedicate a room in the new house to his trophies if he keeps this up! Work is improving all the time for him. He has a new boss who won the office over by arranging a branch activity--golf--last Saturday, and he really enjoys working with everybody at the office. He is currently working for a promotion and has been very dedicated about going out marketing lately.
Life goes on as usual--nothing too exciting. In the near future though, we have a temple/Lake District trip planned for next weekend. The daffodils are blooming, and it should be even more gorgeous by next weekend.
This Sunday is England's Mothers' Day, and we are taking Christine out for a fancy three course dinner. We'll probably have some pictures from that, so stay tuned. More later, but I must dash now. I'm at work, and it is really busy!
Martin and I have made an offer on a property in Barton--the two flats that are being sold together. We want to turn it back in to one house. We could have a mortgage soon--scary!!! I will see if I can get a picture of it to post to the blog from the estate agents' website. It doesn't look like much right now, but it is practically screaming with potential!
Martin is doing well. He competed in a five-a-side soccer tournament with work on Tuesday and his team came in second place. We now have TWO football trophies sitting on our TV cabinet at home. I told him we'll have to dedicate a room in the new house to his trophies if he keeps this up! Work is improving all the time for him. He has a new boss who won the office over by arranging a branch activity--golf--last Saturday, and he really enjoys working with everybody at the office. He is currently working for a promotion and has been very dedicated about going out marketing lately.
Life goes on as usual--nothing too exciting. In the near future though, we have a temple/Lake District trip planned for next weekend. The daffodils are blooming, and it should be even more gorgeous by next weekend.
This Sunday is England's Mothers' Day, and we are taking Christine out for a fancy three course dinner. We'll probably have some pictures from that, so stay tuned. More later, but I must dash now. I'm at work, and it is really busy!
On the difference between the Americans and the English…
I am starting to get a feel for why the Americans have such a bad reputation with the English. It comes in the wake of a chat I had with my boss—Alan. He pulled me in to the conference room to have a little talk a few days ago.
We were discussing the poor relationship I have with my Yorkshire co-worker, Yvonne. He had her make a list of all the “problems” she has with me. She had a whole page, single spaced and typed, of things that I was doing wrong.
Alan only went over three of them, saying that most of the stuff on the list was petty and stupid. That was a relief. Alan actually apologised to me for giving the impression that he was not satisfied with my work performance. After talking to both ladies in the office, re realised that I am actually doing quite a good job. I am still in line for the position should it become full time. Then we got to the fun stuff.
Apparently, Yvonne thinks I have an “attitude.” Alan assured me that he doesn’t think I do—I’m just an American, and that’s the perception of Americans. Yvonne just isn’t very well travelled and isn’t accustomed to the way Americans are. Interesting…
So basically, Yvonne thinks that I am cocky and arrogant, which really surprises me. I have been mulling it over for several days now, and have had conversations with a few people on the topic.
Sarah (the nice one at work) said that Americans come across as arrogant to the English because they have a lot of confidence. Apparently, generally speaking, we know what we want and are not afraid to ask for it. We are more outgoing, and that comes across as arrogance to people who are unused to that forwardness.
I can see the point—I really can. The irony is not lost on me, though, as I have less self confidence than most people I know. The thing is, even though that “attitude” is seen as arrogance by other people, I still think it’s a good thing.
The English are so very self effacing. They do not complain about things when they are going badly—they just shoulder on. Until they go home. At that point, they complain like crazy about things. They’ve even come up with a special term for it—“whinging.” They still complain just as much as Americans when things go wrong—but they don’t complain to the people who could change things! They wait in misery until it’s unbearable, then whine about it to people who can’t do a thing to change the situation! I ask you, is this sensible?
Martin says it’s because it’s safer—that people here tend to have a group mentality, and don’t like to single themselves out in a crowd. They do things the easy way and avoid confrontation whenever they can. Myself, I think it’s better to have a few moments of discomfort that can nip a problem in the bud than to struggle on in a miserable situation for ages because you are too afraid to say anything about it. That’s what I’ve been doing with the Yvonne situation since I started working here.
I am so very conscious of the way I behave in this country, because I know the reputation that Americans have throughout the world. I have gone out of my way to be pleasant, patient, and kind to people. I don’t want to be seen as “that pushy American,” but I don’t really feel like doing that any more. After several days of analysing things, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being seen as the pushy American—especially if people are going to draw that conclusion no matter what, just because I seem to have a little self confidence and refuse to be treated like a door mat!
I’m a little angry about Yvonne’s comment, as you might have guessed!
I’m getting tired of not blending in. I love England, I really do. It has so many wonderful things going for it. It is a beautiful country with so much history and charm. The people, once you know them, are really warm and generous. But they are standoffish and cold if you are not one of them, and I feel like no matter how hard I try I will never be one of them. Is it so bad to just want to fit in?
One thing that working with Yvonne has made me realise is that I would ten times rather be beautiful on the inside and plain on the outside than gorgeous on the outside and rotten to the core. Inner beauty really does shine through!
I am starting to get a feel for why the Americans have such a bad reputation with the English. It comes in the wake of a chat I had with my boss—Alan. He pulled me in to the conference room to have a little talk a few days ago.
We were discussing the poor relationship I have with my Yorkshire co-worker, Yvonne. He had her make a list of all the “problems” she has with me. She had a whole page, single spaced and typed, of things that I was doing wrong.
Alan only went over three of them, saying that most of the stuff on the list was petty and stupid. That was a relief. Alan actually apologised to me for giving the impression that he was not satisfied with my work performance. After talking to both ladies in the office, re realised that I am actually doing quite a good job. I am still in line for the position should it become full time. Then we got to the fun stuff.
Apparently, Yvonne thinks I have an “attitude.” Alan assured me that he doesn’t think I do—I’m just an American, and that’s the perception of Americans. Yvonne just isn’t very well travelled and isn’t accustomed to the way Americans are. Interesting…
So basically, Yvonne thinks that I am cocky and arrogant, which really surprises me. I have been mulling it over for several days now, and have had conversations with a few people on the topic.
Sarah (the nice one at work) said that Americans come across as arrogant to the English because they have a lot of confidence. Apparently, generally speaking, we know what we want and are not afraid to ask for it. We are more outgoing, and that comes across as arrogance to people who are unused to that forwardness.
I can see the point—I really can. The irony is not lost on me, though, as I have less self confidence than most people I know. The thing is, even though that “attitude” is seen as arrogance by other people, I still think it’s a good thing.
The English are so very self effacing. They do not complain about things when they are going badly—they just shoulder on. Until they go home. At that point, they complain like crazy about things. They’ve even come up with a special term for it—“whinging.” They still complain just as much as Americans when things go wrong—but they don’t complain to the people who could change things! They wait in misery until it’s unbearable, then whine about it to people who can’t do a thing to change the situation! I ask you, is this sensible?
Martin says it’s because it’s safer—that people here tend to have a group mentality, and don’t like to single themselves out in a crowd. They do things the easy way and avoid confrontation whenever they can. Myself, I think it’s better to have a few moments of discomfort that can nip a problem in the bud than to struggle on in a miserable situation for ages because you are too afraid to say anything about it. That’s what I’ve been doing with the Yvonne situation since I started working here.
I am so very conscious of the way I behave in this country, because I know the reputation that Americans have throughout the world. I have gone out of my way to be pleasant, patient, and kind to people. I don’t want to be seen as “that pushy American,” but I don’t really feel like doing that any more. After several days of analysing things, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being seen as the pushy American—especially if people are going to draw that conclusion no matter what, just because I seem to have a little self confidence and refuse to be treated like a door mat!
I’m a little angry about Yvonne’s comment, as you might have guessed!
I’m getting tired of not blending in. I love England, I really do. It has so many wonderful things going for it. It is a beautiful country with so much history and charm. The people, once you know them, are really warm and generous. But they are standoffish and cold if you are not one of them, and I feel like no matter how hard I try I will never be one of them. Is it so bad to just want to fit in?
One thing that working with Yvonne has made me realise is that I would ten times rather be beautiful on the inside and plain on the outside than gorgeous on the outside and rotten to the core. Inner beauty really does shine through!
Friday, March 17, 2006
The doctors appointment…
Finally, the appointment that Martin and I have been waiting so long for—and it was more of the same!
In another display of inefficiency, the hospital had not gotten Martin’s test results to our consultant yet. Therefore, our appointment was only half complete. We also had to sit in the hospital waiting room for an hour and a half while the admin staff tried to get our test results!
That aside, the appointment was still frustrating. We learned that the man we saw last time was NOT Mr. Odukoya, but another member of his staff. That’s OK though, because the real Mr. Odukoya is very groovy. He’s African, and has a lovely, lilting accent. He is also extremely funny. I’ve never had a semen analysis described to me with a metaphor of the first Gulf war & Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait before, but surprisingly enough, it made sense!
So basically we have rescheduled for three months’ time. I have come away with very specific weight loss goals, and Martin just has to wait for his test results to be passed over and play diet police.
Probably the most frustrating thing about the appointment was the weigh in. After slaving my butt off for eight weeks, I have actually gained two kilos! ARGH!!! I think it might just be the conversion of fat to muscle, as my clothes are all getting baggier, but still—all that effort for nothing!
In other news, Martin and I are looking at property in Barton. That’s the town we lived in when we lived in England before, and I love it there! It’s so different than Grimsby—much smaller, and not so industrial. The house is actually two flats right now, and is spread over three floors. It needs a lot of work, but also has a lot of potential. It doesn’t have a front yard, but it has a tidy little back garden. It’s a possibility!
Finally, the appointment that Martin and I have been waiting so long for—and it was more of the same!
In another display of inefficiency, the hospital had not gotten Martin’s test results to our consultant yet. Therefore, our appointment was only half complete. We also had to sit in the hospital waiting room for an hour and a half while the admin staff tried to get our test results!
That aside, the appointment was still frustrating. We learned that the man we saw last time was NOT Mr. Odukoya, but another member of his staff. That’s OK though, because the real Mr. Odukoya is very groovy. He’s African, and has a lovely, lilting accent. He is also extremely funny. I’ve never had a semen analysis described to me with a metaphor of the first Gulf war & Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait before, but surprisingly enough, it made sense!
So basically we have rescheduled for three months’ time. I have come away with very specific weight loss goals, and Martin just has to wait for his test results to be passed over and play diet police.
Probably the most frustrating thing about the appointment was the weigh in. After slaving my butt off for eight weeks, I have actually gained two kilos! ARGH!!! I think it might just be the conversion of fat to muscle, as my clothes are all getting baggier, but still—all that effort for nothing!
In other news, Martin and I are looking at property in Barton. That’s the town we lived in when we lived in England before, and I love it there! It’s so different than Grimsby—much smaller, and not so industrial. The house is actually two flats right now, and is spread over three floors. It needs a lot of work, but also has a lot of potential. It doesn’t have a front yard, but it has a tidy little back garden. It’s a possibility!
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Canterbury, and a piano!!!
Last weekend was a lot of fun! We drove down to Kent to pick up my piano, and it was a great time. We left our page on the map book for the first time in weeks, and when we do something, we do it well! I was the official trip navigator, and it was very nearly a full time job.
We actually picked up the piano on the Isle of Sheppy (barely an island, but cool all the same). The people we bought it from lived in a tiny mid terraced house and it was quite a job to get the piano out. They called their neighbor over to help, and we tied that piano down so tight it couldn't move at all. You could actually play a little tune on the straps, they were that tight. Then we drove to our bed and breakfast, just outside the town of Ashford.
So yeah, the B&B was weird. At one point I was actually worried that we would end up buried in the pig sty, because this place was so out of the ordinary. The house was a mess, the gardens were in a state, they didn't accept credit cards, and had animals running around all over the place. But the people were very nice (though I don't think the woman liked Americans), and we didn't get buried in the back yard. Strange experience. I'm probably not going to recommend that one to a friend!
I found Kent charming, of course, though VERY expensive. Properties down there are out of control. You can get a two bedroom house about the size of our place in Cedar City (only on two floors instead of one) for about $300,000. Land is really at a premium though, and that is mostly what you are paying for.
On Sunday morning we drove to historic Canterbury to visit the cathedral there (seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, one of two Anglican Archbishops in England) and see the setting of Chaucer's famous Canterbury Tales. The cathedral was magnificent, though not as beautiful as York and Lincoln. In fairness though, it is MUCH older than Lincoln cathedral--parts of it are around 500 years older! Lincoln will always be special to me, since that is where Martin proposed to me.
We had a great time at the cathedral, since it is still used for services and they were in the middle of the sung Eucharist (the communion service). They had the cathedral choir there for it, and we got to hear real choirboys and the men's choir singing some beautiful music. Martin got a brief video clip of it, which I will try to post here. It was one of the most moving experiences I have ever had. The purity of those childrens' voices echoing through that ancient cathedral--wow!
Anyway, I now have a piano at my house. It barely fits, but it looks good all the same. I have already been making good use of it, and it frees up a lot of my time since I nno longer have to drive to the church to practice. Marvellous!
Not much has happened since then, but we've got a busy week ahead of us. Tuesday is the big day--our second appointment with Mr. Odukoya. I have been diligent in my exercise regime, and all of our tests have been done. We'll see how it goes. I'm pretty excited. Plus, we are going to look at a few houses while we have the afternoon off. We're getting ready to do that whole mortgage thing. So within the next few months we could transform into a couple with a mortgage and a baby or two (hopefully only one, but you never know with fertility treatments!). Things could change drastically in the next few months. I'll keep everyone posted--and I'll try to do it a little more often than once every ten days!
Last weekend was a lot of fun! We drove down to Kent to pick up my piano, and it was a great time. We left our page on the map book for the first time in weeks, and when we do something, we do it well! I was the official trip navigator, and it was very nearly a full time job.
We actually picked up the piano on the Isle of Sheppy (barely an island, but cool all the same). The people we bought it from lived in a tiny mid terraced house and it was quite a job to get the piano out. They called their neighbor over to help, and we tied that piano down so tight it couldn't move at all. You could actually play a little tune on the straps, they were that tight. Then we drove to our bed and breakfast, just outside the town of Ashford.
So yeah, the B&B was weird. At one point I was actually worried that we would end up buried in the pig sty, because this place was so out of the ordinary. The house was a mess, the gardens were in a state, they didn't accept credit cards, and had animals running around all over the place. But the people were very nice (though I don't think the woman liked Americans), and we didn't get buried in the back yard. Strange experience. I'm probably not going to recommend that one to a friend!
I found Kent charming, of course, though VERY expensive. Properties down there are out of control. You can get a two bedroom house about the size of our place in Cedar City (only on two floors instead of one) for about $300,000. Land is really at a premium though, and that is mostly what you are paying for.
On Sunday morning we drove to historic Canterbury to visit the cathedral there (seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, one of two Anglican Archbishops in England) and see the setting of Chaucer's famous Canterbury Tales. The cathedral was magnificent, though not as beautiful as York and Lincoln. In fairness though, it is MUCH older than Lincoln cathedral--parts of it are around 500 years older! Lincoln will always be special to me, since that is where Martin proposed to me.
We had a great time at the cathedral, since it is still used for services and they were in the middle of the sung Eucharist (the communion service). They had the cathedral choir there for it, and we got to hear real choirboys and the men's choir singing some beautiful music. Martin got a brief video clip of it, which I will try to post here. It was one of the most moving experiences I have ever had. The purity of those childrens' voices echoing through that ancient cathedral--wow!
Anyway, I now have a piano at my house. It barely fits, but it looks good all the same. I have already been making good use of it, and it frees up a lot of my time since I nno longer have to drive to the church to practice. Marvellous!
Not much has happened since then, but we've got a busy week ahead of us. Tuesday is the big day--our second appointment with Mr. Odukoya. I have been diligent in my exercise regime, and all of our tests have been done. We'll see how it goes. I'm pretty excited. Plus, we are going to look at a few houses while we have the afternoon off. We're getting ready to do that whole mortgage thing. So within the next few months we could transform into a couple with a mortgage and a baby or two (hopefully only one, but you never know with fertility treatments!). Things could change drastically in the next few months. I'll keep everyone posted--and I'll try to do it a little more often than once every ten days!
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
My own piano…
It seems like ages since the last time I posted. Probably because it’s been ages, but never mind. I have been busy with church and work and my new exercise regime. It’s only two weeks until my next appointment with Mr. Odukoya, so I have to be diligent.
Life continues to march on by here in England. Today apparently marks the beginning of spring, but temperatures dropped to about -6C last night, and parts of Scotland got a foot of snow. Still, the daffodils outside my house are growing a little more every day. And even though it’s cold today, the sun is shining like crazy!
The most exciting thing that’s happened in the last few weeks is that Martin bought me a piano! He found it on E-bay, and spent a whopping £10.50 on it (about $18.00) The only down side of the whole deal (and I actually consider it to be a positive) is that we have to drive to Kent to get it. We are renting a van and driving down first thing Saturday morning. We’re going to make a day of it, and I am so excited!
In other exciting news, Martin and I are starting to house shop in earnest. We got a mortgage certificate from the bank, and we can use it when we make offers on houses. We found one that we absolutely loved, but we won’t be able to get a loan for the asking price on it. I was hoping, but I guess it’s just not meant to be. I’m sure we’ll find something nice soon!
Here’s an interesting bit of information that I only learned last week. I always thought it was kind of strange that they didn’t call my fertility specialist “doctor,” and I kind of wondered if he was not actually a physician. My GP is called Dr. Wellings, and I was curious. The ladies at work informed me that once a physician becomes a “consultant,” or a specialist, if you speak American, you no longer call them a doctor. They are “better than” a doctor, apparently. In fact, to call my fertility consultant Dr. Odukoya would be an insult. He is Mr. Odukoya.
I can’t get over the class and title differences here. We were talking about retired Army officers last week, and the girls at work were saying how silly it was that retired officers wanted to be called by their rank. However, they have no problem referring to the local gentry as “Lord” or “Lady” so and so, even though they never earned that rank—they were just born to it. People who would never admit to respect for the nobility and royalty, who would actually laugh at it, still defer to them. I miss America—land of the free and home of the brave, where doctors are called doctor, you don’t receive a title unless you earn it, and the president is called Mr. President. There really is more equality there!
Nothing really makes you appreciate the way you grew up like moving somewhere else. I have always taken the rights of an American citizen for granted. Just seeing little things—like the way the British government can hold suspects of a crime in jail for DAYS just for questioning and not actually charge them with anything, or the way some religious schools receive state funding and have to teach the curriculum the government sets up for them, gives me a whole new respect for our founding fathers. They came to a new land with all of the ideas that made British government so great, and they also had a clear perspective of all the ways it was inherently flawed. Say what you like about the American government, but it is based on sound philosophies and great insight. The politicians may be corrupt and the laws perverted, but the framework is perfect in every way. Living in England makes me so proud to be an American. I don’t think I’ll ever become a true ex-patriot.
It seems like ages since the last time I posted. Probably because it’s been ages, but never mind. I have been busy with church and work and my new exercise regime. It’s only two weeks until my next appointment with Mr. Odukoya, so I have to be diligent.
Life continues to march on by here in England. Today apparently marks the beginning of spring, but temperatures dropped to about -6C last night, and parts of Scotland got a foot of snow. Still, the daffodils outside my house are growing a little more every day. And even though it’s cold today, the sun is shining like crazy!
The most exciting thing that’s happened in the last few weeks is that Martin bought me a piano! He found it on E-bay, and spent a whopping £10.50 on it (about $18.00) The only down side of the whole deal (and I actually consider it to be a positive) is that we have to drive to Kent to get it. We are renting a van and driving down first thing Saturday morning. We’re going to make a day of it, and I am so excited!
In other exciting news, Martin and I are starting to house shop in earnest. We got a mortgage certificate from the bank, and we can use it when we make offers on houses. We found one that we absolutely loved, but we won’t be able to get a loan for the asking price on it. I was hoping, but I guess it’s just not meant to be. I’m sure we’ll find something nice soon!
Here’s an interesting bit of information that I only learned last week. I always thought it was kind of strange that they didn’t call my fertility specialist “doctor,” and I kind of wondered if he was not actually a physician. My GP is called Dr. Wellings, and I was curious. The ladies at work informed me that once a physician becomes a “consultant,” or a specialist, if you speak American, you no longer call them a doctor. They are “better than” a doctor, apparently. In fact, to call my fertility consultant Dr. Odukoya would be an insult. He is Mr. Odukoya.
I can’t get over the class and title differences here. We were talking about retired Army officers last week, and the girls at work were saying how silly it was that retired officers wanted to be called by their rank. However, they have no problem referring to the local gentry as “Lord” or “Lady” so and so, even though they never earned that rank—they were just born to it. People who would never admit to respect for the nobility and royalty, who would actually laugh at it, still defer to them. I miss America—land of the free and home of the brave, where doctors are called doctor, you don’t receive a title unless you earn it, and the president is called Mr. President. There really is more equality there!
Nothing really makes you appreciate the way you grew up like moving somewhere else. I have always taken the rights of an American citizen for granted. Just seeing little things—like the way the British government can hold suspects of a crime in jail for DAYS just for questioning and not actually charge them with anything, or the way some religious schools receive state funding and have to teach the curriculum the government sets up for them, gives me a whole new respect for our founding fathers. They came to a new land with all of the ideas that made British government so great, and they also had a clear perspective of all the ways it was inherently flawed. Say what you like about the American government, but it is based on sound philosophies and great insight. The politicians may be corrupt and the laws perverted, but the framework is perfect in every way. Living in England makes me so proud to be an American. I don’t think I’ll ever become a true ex-patriot.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
40%. That's shocking!
No, I am not referring to the percentage of questions you got wrong on the final exam if you got a D. I am actually referring to the number of children in the UK born out of wedlock in 2004!
If you want to get technical, Martin pointed out to me that it's actually 42%. Either way, I think it's a really sad commentary on life in the UK . Ten years ago, it was still a fairly high 28%. Not a lot of those 40% are born to teenage mothers, either. A lot of them are born to middle class, middle age couples who just don't see the point of getting married.
Every ten years the National Statistics Organization publishes a lot of stats that provide a "snapshot" view of life in the UK, and that one statistic is the one that dominated the headlines this morning. There was, I'm sure, some more interesting stuff. It just got ignored because this one came as such a surprise.
Anyway, I'll let everyone draw their own conclusions about that. In other news...
Martin and I tried to buy box springs over the weekend, and discovered that there is no such beast in this area. You put your mattress directly on the slats of your bed frame or you buy a hideously ugly bed with box spring base instead of a nice looking frame. Icky! We are going to keep checking, but I'm not too hopeful. Maybe most people here are ok with choosing either comfort OR beauty, and don't really see a need for both?
We're having another cold spell, but spring is so close I can almost taste it. The bulbs in my planters outside are about 2 weeks away from flowering, and I am so excited. Last Friday when I got home from work it was still light outside. Even Martin has a little glimmer of sun in the morning when he drives to work.
Sadly, there's not much to write about today. It was a quiet weekend, and this week promises to be even quieter. But if something DOES happen, I'll make sure to post it.
No, I am not referring to the percentage of questions you got wrong on the final exam if you got a D. I am actually referring to the number of children in the UK born out of wedlock in 2004!
If you want to get technical, Martin pointed out to me that it's actually 42%. Either way, I think it's a really sad commentary on life in the UK . Ten years ago, it was still a fairly high 28%. Not a lot of those 40% are born to teenage mothers, either. A lot of them are born to middle class, middle age couples who just don't see the point of getting married.
Every ten years the National Statistics Organization publishes a lot of stats that provide a "snapshot" view of life in the UK, and that one statistic is the one that dominated the headlines this morning. There was, I'm sure, some more interesting stuff. It just got ignored because this one came as such a surprise.
Anyway, I'll let everyone draw their own conclusions about that. In other news...
Martin and I tried to buy box springs over the weekend, and discovered that there is no such beast in this area. You put your mattress directly on the slats of your bed frame or you buy a hideously ugly bed with box spring base instead of a nice looking frame. Icky! We are going to keep checking, but I'm not too hopeful. Maybe most people here are ok with choosing either comfort OR beauty, and don't really see a need for both?
We're having another cold spell, but spring is so close I can almost taste it. The bulbs in my planters outside are about 2 weeks away from flowering, and I am so excited. Last Friday when I got home from work it was still light outside. Even Martin has a little glimmer of sun in the morning when he drives to work.
Sadly, there's not much to write about today. It was a quiet weekend, and this week promises to be even quieter. But if something DOES happen, I'll make sure to post it.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
The weekend is winding down, and I am trying to get excited about going to work tomorrow. It's always so nice to have a few days off!
Martin is probably going to be happy to get back to work. He has tiled in the bathroom this weekend. He's actually just finishing it off right now. Just the caulking left to do. I am married to such a wonderful, versatile man! I have never known such a hard worker, and I adore him for it.
I have tried to make up for all Martin's hard work this weekend. I have been trying to keep the house clean around him, and I baked him chocolate chip cookies and home-made bread. I have cooked him quite a few meals as well. Cooking is such a thankless, never ending chore, isn't it?
We had the missionaries over for dinner on Friday, and I made a Mexican feast! I attempted to make a chili verde, which turned out to be nearly impossible. You can't really buy chilis in this country--at least not the ones used in Mexican food. We had to make some horrible compromises, and the chili verde wasn't green (chili roja?), but it still tasted great. And I made my own salsa and guacamole. The elders liked it, at any rate. Plus, Martin and I enjoy having them in our home. The new missionary is Elder Diatel, and he is very nice!
Church was good today. My Primary kids sang in sacrament meeting, and they were beautiful! The Leeds mission president and his wife spoke in church, and I really enjoyed their talks. I did cry like a baby on Martin's shoulder and told him I wanted to go home (the mission president and his wife are from Utah), but lunch and a nap improved my mood and the bout of serious homesickness passed quickly enough.
Anyway, it's bed time. I just wanted to write a quick update because we have a busy week ahead of us and I may not get another chance until next weekend.
Martin is probably going to be happy to get back to work. He has tiled in the bathroom this weekend. He's actually just finishing it off right now. Just the caulking left to do. I am married to such a wonderful, versatile man! I have never known such a hard worker, and I adore him for it.
I have tried to make up for all Martin's hard work this weekend. I have been trying to keep the house clean around him, and I baked him chocolate chip cookies and home-made bread. I have cooked him quite a few meals as well. Cooking is such a thankless, never ending chore, isn't it?
We had the missionaries over for dinner on Friday, and I made a Mexican feast! I attempted to make a chili verde, which turned out to be nearly impossible. You can't really buy chilis in this country--at least not the ones used in Mexican food. We had to make some horrible compromises, and the chili verde wasn't green (chili roja?), but it still tasted great. And I made my own salsa and guacamole. The elders liked it, at any rate. Plus, Martin and I enjoy having them in our home. The new missionary is Elder Diatel, and he is very nice!
Church was good today. My Primary kids sang in sacrament meeting, and they were beautiful! The Leeds mission president and his wife spoke in church, and I really enjoyed their talks. I did cry like a baby on Martin's shoulder and told him I wanted to go home (the mission president and his wife are from Utah), but lunch and a nap improved my mood and the bout of serious homesickness passed quickly enough.
Anyway, it's bed time. I just wanted to write a quick update because we have a busy week ahead of us and I may not get another chance until next weekend.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
The efficiency of the National Health system…
I really wish there was a way to show sarcasm in typing without sounding completely juvenile. If there was, I would tell you how impressed I am with the efficiency of the national health service in England.
I had that horrible HSG x-ray last week, and then I got a letter from my doctor on Saturday. Enclosed was a prescription for doxycycline, with instructions to start taking it the day before my HSG and continue taking the rest of the course. I was terrified! I thought I’d have to do the HSG again, as I had no idea what this drug was for.
I did a little on-line research on doxycycline, and I was relieved to find out that it is an antibiotic, so I probably would NOT have to repeat the scan. However, slightly alarming was the fact that it’s a VERY strong antibiotic. They actually use it to treat people who have been exposed to Anthrax. On further research I read that it was prescribed to patients about to have an HSG to diminish the risk of spreading an existing infection when they insert the little plastic bubble into your cervix. Great!
So I called my doctor’s secretary, and she was very quick getting back to me (sarcasm again here). Dr. Odukoya was in meetings all day on Monday, and she told me she would get in touch with me by Wednesday. So I have just learned that I am NOT to fill the prescription. My doctor considers me a low risk for an existing infection. Nice, huh?
Irritation about the NHS aside, things are going well here. My membership at the gym has paid for itself in the last week. I have gone swimming or worked out 6 times in the last 8 days, and I plan to go tonight. I have also discovered an exercise that I really love/hate--the evil rowing machine! I love it because you could spend 20 minutes on that thing and get a total body workout. Funny thing is, I hate it for the same reason. Who knew that rowing could work every single major muscle group in your body simultaneously? I think I will be spending some time rowing every night from here on out.
In other news, we are having the missionaries over for dinner on Friday night. I am preparing a Mexican feast, complete with home-made tortillas and salsa. Elder Millar was transferred, so our Mexican food will be served to the new elder instead, who is German. I hope he likes spicy food!
Our landlord has given us the go-ahead, and Martin is going to tile our bathroom on Saturday. We are going to do the shower cubicle and get ourselves a temporary shower. I am so sick of taking baths! We also put a shelf up in the kitchen (isn’t Martin handy?) and did some more work in the bedroom. Every week we get a little bit more settled in. I have hanging baskets outside and curtains inside. Soon our little cottage will feel like a real house.
I really wish there was a way to show sarcasm in typing without sounding completely juvenile. If there was, I would tell you how impressed I am with the efficiency of the national health service in England.
I had that horrible HSG x-ray last week, and then I got a letter from my doctor on Saturday. Enclosed was a prescription for doxycycline, with instructions to start taking it the day before my HSG and continue taking the rest of the course. I was terrified! I thought I’d have to do the HSG again, as I had no idea what this drug was for.
I did a little on-line research on doxycycline, and I was relieved to find out that it is an antibiotic, so I probably would NOT have to repeat the scan. However, slightly alarming was the fact that it’s a VERY strong antibiotic. They actually use it to treat people who have been exposed to Anthrax. On further research I read that it was prescribed to patients about to have an HSG to diminish the risk of spreading an existing infection when they insert the little plastic bubble into your cervix. Great!
So I called my doctor’s secretary, and she was very quick getting back to me (sarcasm again here). Dr. Odukoya was in meetings all day on Monday, and she told me she would get in touch with me by Wednesday. So I have just learned that I am NOT to fill the prescription. My doctor considers me a low risk for an existing infection. Nice, huh?
Irritation about the NHS aside, things are going well here. My membership at the gym has paid for itself in the last week. I have gone swimming or worked out 6 times in the last 8 days, and I plan to go tonight. I have also discovered an exercise that I really love/hate--the evil rowing machine! I love it because you could spend 20 minutes on that thing and get a total body workout. Funny thing is, I hate it for the same reason. Who knew that rowing could work every single major muscle group in your body simultaneously? I think I will be spending some time rowing every night from here on out.
In other news, we are having the missionaries over for dinner on Friday night. I am preparing a Mexican feast, complete with home-made tortillas and salsa. Elder Millar was transferred, so our Mexican food will be served to the new elder instead, who is German. I hope he likes spicy food!
Our landlord has given us the go-ahead, and Martin is going to tile our bathroom on Saturday. We are going to do the shower cubicle and get ourselves a temporary shower. I am so sick of taking baths! We also put a shelf up in the kitchen (isn’t Martin handy?) and did some more work in the bedroom. Every week we get a little bit more settled in. I have hanging baskets outside and curtains inside. Soon our little cottage will feel like a real house.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
So here we have a rare posting by your beloved Martin. Jamie is crocheting a pair of socks for me to slouch around the house, whcih is greatly appreciated as it is a little on the chilly side at the moment, as I am sure Jamie has mentioned on previous occasions.
But this note is not to inform you of how cold our little cottage is but to let you know how much fun we had yesterday waching some top quality football (soccer for those of you on t'other side of the pond). Not quite Manchester United or Chelsea however. We go to watch Scunthorpe United vs M.K. Dons! WOOHOO! These two team are fighting a relegation battle at the moment. In English football, the bottom three teams from a division drop down to the division below, and the top three go up a division. It was a very exciting game, with two goals in the first ten minutes. And that was it for goals, but it was still a very exciting game, with lots of shots and some very good saves from the goalkeeper for M.K. Dons. But in the end it finsihed 2-0 to Scunthorpe, which is the result we wanted, although I think Jamie was secretly cheering for M.K. Dons because she liked their Jersey's! The best part about it all - It was FREEEEEE!!! I got tickets through work as we rented a moving van to one of the Scunny players, wrote off the cost and got tickets as trade. Brilliant!!
Now before all this occured, I gave Jamie her first taste of a lovely game called Squash. At first glance it looks a lot like racquetball, but there are some subtle differences that end up making a big difference when you actually start playing. The first difference is with the ball and racquet. The racquet is a little smaller as is the ball. The ball also has a lot less bounce which is where one of those big difference occursm but we will get to that in a minute. The court is roughly the same size, but it has a line on the main wall that is about a foot high that the ball has to go over each time. Also there a lines on the back and side walls that the ball has to stay below.
So Jamie had a fun introduction as for the first five minutes playing she kept flailing around, the reason being that she was waiting for the ball to bounce up for her to hit it - and it wasn't! With the ball have less air, it deadens when it lands and if you have only played racquetball before, it can be alittle embarassing! However, in Jamies defense she soon picked it up, although with all the running around we did, she is feeling the burn a little today, what with her almost two hour workout on Friday, but I am sure she will tell you all about that later.
Last little note. Just indulged in something extremely decadent - Hot sticky toffee pudding with home made custard. Lovely syrupy sponge pudding with gooey toffee sauce on top. I made the custard from scratch, but I did have a bit of a disaster to start with as I had the heat on too high when cooking the first batch and turned it into sweet scrambled eggs with a disgusting texture! Bleechh! But luckily, the second batch was much better. Delicious!
But this note is not to inform you of how cold our little cottage is but to let you know how much fun we had yesterday waching some top quality football (soccer for those of you on t'other side of the pond). Not quite Manchester United or Chelsea however. We go to watch Scunthorpe United vs M.K. Dons! WOOHOO! These two team are fighting a relegation battle at the moment. In English football, the bottom three teams from a division drop down to the division below, and the top three go up a division. It was a very exciting game, with two goals in the first ten minutes. And that was it for goals, but it was still a very exciting game, with lots of shots and some very good saves from the goalkeeper for M.K. Dons. But in the end it finsihed 2-0 to Scunthorpe, which is the result we wanted, although I think Jamie was secretly cheering for M.K. Dons because she liked their Jersey's! The best part about it all - It was FREEEEEE!!! I got tickets through work as we rented a moving van to one of the Scunny players, wrote off the cost and got tickets as trade. Brilliant!!
Now before all this occured, I gave Jamie her first taste of a lovely game called Squash. At first glance it looks a lot like racquetball, but there are some subtle differences that end up making a big difference when you actually start playing. The first difference is with the ball and racquet. The racquet is a little smaller as is the ball. The ball also has a lot less bounce which is where one of those big difference occursm but we will get to that in a minute. The court is roughly the same size, but it has a line on the main wall that is about a foot high that the ball has to go over each time. Also there a lines on the back and side walls that the ball has to stay below.
So Jamie had a fun introduction as for the first five minutes playing she kept flailing around, the reason being that she was waiting for the ball to bounce up for her to hit it - and it wasn't! With the ball have less air, it deadens when it lands and if you have only played racquetball before, it can be alittle embarassing! However, in Jamies defense she soon picked it up, although with all the running around we did, she is feeling the burn a little today, what with her almost two hour workout on Friday, but I am sure she will tell you all about that later.
Last little note. Just indulged in something extremely decadent - Hot sticky toffee pudding with home made custard. Lovely syrupy sponge pudding with gooey toffee sauce on top. I made the custard from scratch, but I did have a bit of a disaster to start with as I had the heat on too high when cooking the first batch and turned it into sweet scrambled eggs with a disgusting texture! Bleechh! But luckily, the second batch was much better. Delicious!
Friday, February 03, 2006
A week of highs and lows…
Well, I have a gym membership that I have been using! I went to Scartho baths (that’s the swimming pool, for all us normal people who don’t try to sound all posh) and signed up for a month to month membership there. It gives me unlimited access to weight training facilities, a cardio room, the swimming pool, and a sauna. I haven’t used the weights and machines yet as I had to wait for my induction. Tonight I am meeting with a personal trainer who will help me set up a training regime and familiarise me with all the machines, etc. Then I will be able to use those facilities. But I HAVE been swimming twice this week. It would have been three times, but I couldn’t make it yesterday. I spent the night drugged up on the sofa!
Yesterday was my HSG, and it was the most uncomfortable medical procedure I have ever had! For the medically squeamish, now would be a good time to stop reading. You know I have to explain what it involves!
An HSG is a very special kind of X-ray. That’s all the information they gave me when they told me I needed one. Being the sort of person who likes to know what to expect, Martin and I went on line to do a little bit of research and see what would be involved. Special X-ray? That doesn’t even begin to cover it!
Basically, you get naked from the waist down and they open your cervix, insert a little plastic tube, and inject you with dye. Then, while the dye is filling up your uterus and fallopian tubes, they take the X-ray. This allows them to see the shape of your reproductive system, and also to determine if there are any blockages.
It sounds rather nasty, but it doesn’t sound nearly as bad as it actually was! My friend Sam warned me it was miserable—she had one about two years ago. It hurt so much! Honestly, I know I had it done so I can have a baby, but the pain involved made me think that I won’t be able to stand the pain of childbirth. Maybe it’s not worth it! The doctor and technicians were all women, and they were really kind, so it wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable in that way, but still—I hope I never have to have that done again—EVER!
On a positive note, I got to see the X-rays, and my fallopian tubes look clear. I was a little worried about that after my ectopic pregnancy last fall. Plus, they look really groovy. They are all twisty and delicate, like the tiny little off-shoots on morning glory.
When we got home, I had a nice surprise waiting for me. Grandma Lofley gave us a subscription to the Ensign for Christmas, and our first issue had arrived in the post. I have never been so excited to get a church magazine before. I popped a Lortab and sat down and read the first 30 or so pages. Hooray for the church, and for prescription pain medication!
Anyway, that’s the update. A good week, and a bad week. I’ll probably have more to post on Sunday as Martin and I are going to a football match tomorrow. It’s only a local team, Scunthorpe City, but we have seats in an executive box. Should be a good time.
Well, I have a gym membership that I have been using! I went to Scartho baths (that’s the swimming pool, for all us normal people who don’t try to sound all posh) and signed up for a month to month membership there. It gives me unlimited access to weight training facilities, a cardio room, the swimming pool, and a sauna. I haven’t used the weights and machines yet as I had to wait for my induction. Tonight I am meeting with a personal trainer who will help me set up a training regime and familiarise me with all the machines, etc. Then I will be able to use those facilities. But I HAVE been swimming twice this week. It would have been three times, but I couldn’t make it yesterday. I spent the night drugged up on the sofa!
Yesterday was my HSG, and it was the most uncomfortable medical procedure I have ever had! For the medically squeamish, now would be a good time to stop reading. You know I have to explain what it involves!
An HSG is a very special kind of X-ray. That’s all the information they gave me when they told me I needed one. Being the sort of person who likes to know what to expect, Martin and I went on line to do a little bit of research and see what would be involved. Special X-ray? That doesn’t even begin to cover it!
Basically, you get naked from the waist down and they open your cervix, insert a little plastic tube, and inject you with dye. Then, while the dye is filling up your uterus and fallopian tubes, they take the X-ray. This allows them to see the shape of your reproductive system, and also to determine if there are any blockages.
It sounds rather nasty, but it doesn’t sound nearly as bad as it actually was! My friend Sam warned me it was miserable—she had one about two years ago. It hurt so much! Honestly, I know I had it done so I can have a baby, but the pain involved made me think that I won’t be able to stand the pain of childbirth. Maybe it’s not worth it! The doctor and technicians were all women, and they were really kind, so it wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable in that way, but still—I hope I never have to have that done again—EVER!
On a positive note, I got to see the X-rays, and my fallopian tubes look clear. I was a little worried about that after my ectopic pregnancy last fall. Plus, they look really groovy. They are all twisty and delicate, like the tiny little off-shoots on morning glory.
When we got home, I had a nice surprise waiting for me. Grandma Lofley gave us a subscription to the Ensign for Christmas, and our first issue had arrived in the post. I have never been so excited to get a church magazine before. I popped a Lortab and sat down and read the first 30 or so pages. Hooray for the church, and for prescription pain medication!
Anyway, that’s the update. A good week, and a bad week. I’ll probably have more to post on Sunday as Martin and I are going to a football match tomorrow. It’s only a local team, Scunthorpe City, but we have seats in an executive box. Should be a good time.
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