Pond Hopper

We've been back from Ireland since very late Tuesday night. Wednesday, I thought it would be a good idea to get right back to the gym and met with my trainer for a full workout. Thursday, I spent the day recovreing on the couch watching movies and catching up on TiVo (too tired to do much else because we spent most of our vacation hiking and climbing through the woods, hills and cliffs of Ireland so it wasn't a very 'relaxing' holiday). Friday morning, I met with Dan (my trainer) again and had a job booked for that night and worked until quite late. We've been spending our weekend relaxing alone together and staying out of the heat. I have a bunch of photos to upload from our trip (one of them is above). I'm not quite the photographer I dream of being, but it doesn't ever stop me from taking roll after roll of pictures when ever we travel. I'm passionate about photography, but always end up disappointed when we get the pictures back because they...

Today was one of those days for me. One of those days I can only describe as a 'female' day. A day I felt down in the dumps and horribly depressed for no real reason (besides the obvious). I've been just laying on the couch hiding from the world. No work today, no sunbed like I'd planned to do after my workout that never happened. I just laid on the couch feeling depressed. I caught up on TiVo until there were no shows left to watch and then I popped in my Elizabethtown rental that's been sitting on top of our DVD player for weeks now. I almost sent it back without watching it because it's gotten such bad reviews and it's rare I see a movie I like these days. I loved it. It's been a really long time since I've gotten really sucked into a movie. I've worried as of late that I've become too cynical to watch movies in that kind of way, but it happened today. I got sucked into this make believe world of some fictional character and I go...

We're leaving tomorrow. I checked the forecast again and it's still showing rain, but now it shows one good day of sun. I'm hoping for the rain to keep pushing back, but it's doubtful. Although, our tickets still haven't arrived from the travel agent so who knows... It's 8:00 in the morning and it's already over 70 degrees. Looks like it will be another hot one today. I'm actually looking forward to escaping the English weather for some of the Irish cooler summer weather. Who would have thought I'd want to leave somewhere warm for somewhere cooler? It seems like a silly thing to do for a trip away, but I'm suffering through the heatwave with no escape. Come winter, I'll be complaining about the long dark winter as well. I wonder if I'll ever get used to life in England.

God, it's hot. It's 10 in the morning and I already feel like I need a another shower from sweating so much! Living without air conditioning really takes some getting used to (spoken like a spoiled American). This is England; I was told that English summers aren't hot, but this is my second really hot summer and tomorrow, it's going to get even hotter. It should reach over 100 and with no air conditioning or screens in my windows it looks like me and the cats will have to start to get creative with keeping cool. How do you have indoor cats with no window screens? It's no wonder they let their cats roam about in this country. With no window screens it's pretty difficult to keep them from just jumping right out. I suspect they'll spend the day out in the back yard for the next few days because there's just no other way around it the windows and back door need to stay opened. Good thing we have a fence out there! I checked the weather for our trip ...

On the 8th, I wrote a bitter entry about an interview I saw on TV during which there were some 'unfriendly' remarks about Americans. I got quite a few emails and comments on this entry and I'm feeling kinda guilty about ever writing it for more than one reason... Firstly, it makes my husband seem like a bit of a jerk which he's not. Far from it or I wouldn't have moved 5000 miles away from my friends and family to live here with him (nor would I have married him). Sure he laughs at the odd American joke (as do most British people), but he's a wonderful man and I'm crazy about him. I also have to give him credit where credit is due because the poor man has had to take the brunt of my emotions on more than one occasion (to no fault of his own)! Too many times he's been guilty by nationality and he's taken it really well every time. I wouldn't want anyone to think anything different. Second - I know there are people who visit this blog who are...

Last night, I saw Superman Returns. The movie was good, but as always with movies these days, was a bit too long and the plot needed a little help. Although I wonder if it was the first Superman Movie I've ever seen, if I'd have the same issues with it. Either way, it's not as if I walked out thinking it was a waste of time or money because at the end of the day, I liked the movie. There was a little girl sitting in front of me about the same age I was when I saw Superman for the first time and I wondered if she was sitting there falling in love with him the way I fell for Christopher Reeves. It was good to watch a superhero in action. A superhero I grew up with and saw on the big screen when I was a child. Superman represents something to me that Batman, Spiderman and the others don't because I was already grown by the time the movies came out. Superman, in my eyes is the real superhero. Throughout the movie, I found myself thinking things like, 'Hurry Sup...

Next week, we leave for a five day holiday to Ireland. We're going to Kerry and I'm looking pretty forward to it considering I have no idea what's even there. Wayne picked it because he wanted to see the countryside and the trip is his birthday gift so he gets to go where ever he pleases. I've seen pictures of the countryside and it looks absolutely fabulous and I'm bound to take some beautiful pictures! We were supposed to go on this trip last year, but it was before I got my visa and we had already left the country a few times and thought we should re-schedule rather than take the risk of being turned away when we got back to England. We haven't been away for any longer than a weekend (other than for a visit back home) since we got married so we're in need of some time away for a bit of a recharge. Maybe the time away will allow me to come back with some fresh eyes and I'll see things a bit different (fingers crossed). Either way, I'm looki...

To update the entry below... The ride to the in-laws was not quite as bad as expected considering I had my little outburst before we even left and the result was a very quiet ride. Not a word was said the whole way up. I had 3+ hours to come to terms with the fact that although my husband could be a bit more sensitive to my feelings, he wasn't really responsible for my mood and as we got close to his parents house, I reached for his hand and we quietly held hands the rest of the way. I guess neither one of us felt much like apologising, but we never stay angry for very long. The weekend went well. No big dramas and I'm glad to be home. I have an appt for my latest web project in about an hour and I'm still in my pajamas so I guess I should run...

Did anyone see Friday Night with Johnathan Ross last night? (for those of you in the US - it's a British R-Rated, Jay Leno type show) He had on the actor Dominic Monaghan (who plays Charlie on Lost). While discussing the show, Dominic (who I really liked before last night) said the problem with the cast of Lost is that there are too many bloody Americans. To Which Jonathan Ross replied, 'Isn't that the problem with the world'? The audience roared with laughter and applauded (so did my husband as if he's not married to one of those bloody Americans and laying on the couch with her watching the damned show). It didn't stop there. they went on to talk about how much it annoys them that we destroy the language etc etc etc... It was yet again, another example that leads me to believe that this type of attitude is the general feeling that all people in this country seem to have. Wayne says I'm wrong, but I sometimes wonder if he too shares this opinion. ...

I haven't blogged in a while. I've been so busy with my new business, web training and working on my current web job that I haven't had time for much else other than going to the gym. I haven't even had the time to keep in touch with the expats that have made contact within the last month or so and apologise for that, but after this weekend things will die down for a while because I haven't booked any new business until the end of the month (sadly). Last week, it actually felt like I was working a full time job! I worked on my web job on my off time, and had appointments and functions for my new business 3 days last week. It didn't really drum up much new business, but it at least gave me the confidence to move forward with some leads I've been meaning to follow up on. With any luck, things will start to pick up. My web job has been going really well. I'm still in the design fazes, but am enjoying it immensely and I'm learning a lot. It been ...