That's Interesting…

Shock of all shocks, I was not able to keep up the blog for very long. I narrate my life to myself every day but I just cant get it typed up. Aaaah.
I am innocent though. I blame the natural woman in me–she is a real lazy wench.
Well, make yourself comfortable, here is the 2011 update:

January
We welcomed the new year in a UK country pub dancing the night away with drunk Brits who rocked the twist and in unison asked the existentialist question “Who the F*** is Alice?” during the song “Living Next Door to Alice”.

I spent all of January in Provo due to my immigration requirements. David came for two weeks before he headed back to Australia. It was great fun to be back and see all our friends and David’s family.
I vehemently refused to go and see our house, so we stayed in a hotel. Part of it was that it would make me home sick; part of it was that I would inevitably want to kneel Jonnie for his “Martha Stewart” touches.

I also took advantage of US dental care and got a root canal…here is yours truly drugged …

February and March
British winters are depressing. The weather is dreary, cloudy, and sucks the life out of human beings faster than a Hollywood alien. I looked at pictures of exotic beaches every morning to get myself to the point where I could at least think about thinking about getting out of bed. )

Once out of bed, we went full throttle into our UK sightseeing.
Highlights:
Dover Castle – We explored the WWII hospital housed in the tunnels dug into the chalk cliffs below the castle. David will never forgive me that I made him leave after only four hours.
Stratford – Shakespeare’s and Ann Hathaway’s house – Did you know that to clean chimneys during Tudor times, they would use a live chicken, tie its foot and drop it down the chimney? In the panic of it all, the chicken would spread its wings and thus clean the chimney. Totally brilliant. PETA would love it.
Stonehenge – We got to go to the inner circle–upon signing a waver that we would not slaughter a chicken. I was bummed.
Hampton Court – I love the maze, plus reminds me of my favorite part of “Three Men in a Boat”–my go-to book in times of dispair (it is a very worn copy).
Hastings Battlefield – Oh, Harold, did you get it in the eye or were you dismembered? Historians ponder and you just don’t care.
HMS Victory – Portsmouth Historical Harbor–As David says, “Rule Britannia, and screw you, France and Spain.”
Windsor Castle – In case you were ever wondering, the Queen spends her weekends comfortably.
Wales – we hiked Snowdon, went pony trekking in the Bretons, and attempted to fly a kite on Anglesey.

We also got a book of nature walks around Surrey which we we started to take after work. This picture is from one of them.

(I love this picture so much I had it printed on a canvas and put it in the bedroom. There is something about it that I find mesmerizing.)

Hahah…I am typing this at the family reunion and David is cuddled up next to me on the floor and he just started to snore. I love the sound of a man snoring; I find the sound calming and absolutely endearing. Daddy, you conditioned me well! (You might have driven others to suicide attempts, but your daughter will spend her life sleeping without ear plugs…well, until I have teething kids.)

David is a funny sleeper. He always sleeps on his back, his hands clasped on his stomach. He does not move at all. I, on the other hand, am on the move all night and sleep totally spread out like an octopus.

Anyway…where was I? Am I having an ADD moment? Oh, honey, you would be so proud of me.

Oh, this is a picture of David with a goatee which he kept for 24 hours all of which he spent following me around the house while saying, “Stranger danger.” It was so absolutely creepy! I insisted he shave it off or move into the dog house, and that is how I ended up with Mario….

April
April was stressful. A Transatlanic move is a nightmare. My parents came to help pack but I still hoped a comet would come to bring me a sweet release.
Our last trip was to Scotland.
Highlights:
I now want to be a sheep farmer in the Yorkshire Dales.
Hadrian’s Wall – we hiked a small portion of the 76-mile wall and I must say that that this hike along with the walk we took at Land’s End will be etched into my memory as one of the happiest and most amazing times of my life.
We took a boat ride on Loch Ness. Saw nothing but I know she is down there.
Falkirk Wheel – just google it.
Glasgow Necropolis – the city of the dead–David lost his phone and we spent the night running around this huge cemetery with flash lights under the watchful gaze of scary gargoyles and cherubim. I would have peed my pants but all our money was stashed in my underwear–as a safety measure against mugging (which seemed inevitable). Hot travel tip: British pounds are not a comfortable currency.
Edinburgh – the castle is a must see.
Fife – The Litsters are from the county of Fife. So, we spent one day running around local cemeteries searching for Litsters. We found one–Ann Litster who died at the age of 16 on Feb 1, 1797. The grave stone was broken in half and the year was unreadable but we got a parish book that listed the year of death. It was incredible.

The Royal Wedding–
Was a nightmare. From the London eye, we watched William’s car pull up to Westminster Abbey and that is all–apart from the greasy heads of about a million tourists.
Wisely, we escaped the insanity and went on a boat ride on the Thames to Greenwich. Camden and Portobello aside, a boat ride on the Thames is my favorite London activity.

May
We came back May 1st. Spent 300 dollars on deJonnieing our apartment and went back to our old life. Before you ask, let me answer: I love Europe. Living in the UK has always been my dream. I miss Europe terribly. I hope I will get to live there again. But I do love the US. This is an amazing country. And David? David is happy to be back in a country with fast internet and good cell phone coverage.

June
I spent most of June in the garage getting rid of as much stuff as possible.
We got called to be the cub scout leaders. OMG. Nine eight-year old boys. I felt like Joplin, Missouri, every Thursday. But things have really improved…though I fear the moment when I cant keep them outside and have to bring them inside the house. I might wait till it is 40 below. Fresh air is important for the youth, you know.

July
Our company blew up a car and my iReport covering the event made it all the way to the CNN homepage. For a CNN junkie like myself that is pretty much Nirvana.
We babysat Sumo. Gosh, I love that dog.
We went on our annual trip to Redfish Lake. I yearn all year for that moment when I push the kayak into the lake. I love the Sawtooths. So much…I got a speeding ticket for going 22 over. Seems the policeman did not understand I did it out of happiness. Aaah.
My last day at work was on Thursday. I am sad. I cried a lot. I will miss some people terribly.
It is David’s birthday today; 31. I love you, Honey.

Well, that is kinda it.
Love you all. Thanks for reading.
Keep tuned for my next big adventure – backpacking through Iceland.

Sandy