65th Anniversary of D Day

Again, just a few of the photos we took when we went to Normandy. This might have been the most amazing trip I've had since moving to England.

Honeymoon Photos

Just a few photos of our honeymoon in Spain! And when I say just a few I mean just a few. But if you're my friend on facebook I'll put more in an album.

Hands off Ladies

Just a typical day

Cordoba had a giant festival that words cannot describe! Ok, it was sort of like a State Fair minus the livestock and plus 100 Flamenco tents

These next two photos are the view from our top balcony in Gaucin


That's Victor pointing over the gorge in Ronda

At the Alhambra in Granada

Gibraltar rock and one of the monkeys

It's that time of year

Kids all over the US are graduating from High School. I highly doubt any of them are reading my blog but I thought I would post this video I saw on YouTube from a comedian who gave the address at his old high school this year. I don't remember a thing from my own ceremony but maybe if this guy was there, it would have made it more memorable

Soon enough

I've been crazy busy traveling around and it's just going to be a while before I post anything of substance. Sorry for the disruption. Just to keep you happy, here is something to make you smile in honor of our trip to France this weekend:





However, in all seriousness, we're off to Normandy for the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

let's hope...

Let's hope next week the weather will be great: not to sunny, not too cloudy

Let's hope I don't get sunburned

Let's hope I learn something I didn't know before

Let's hope I get to have some good sex on my honeymoon (my blog is no longer PG)

Let's hope the food will be fantastic

Let's hope I don't drop the camera

Let's hope when I get back, it will feel like I'm coming home

Let's hope that just for one week the world is at peace

What is it like to take a vacation from your reality? I think about this a lot before I go on big trips. My reality for some people might seem like a vacation while for others it might just be a cheap place to stay in a foreign country. As for reality, is that even a possibility?

Because after all, there is no spoon.

We're going to Spain next week and I haven't a thing to wear.

How much to I want John Stewart to be on a legitimate news channel? As much as I want to watch a legitimate news channel: A LOT!! This interview really open my eyes about the Pakistan situation...and how much I love Obama's foreign policy.

The Zombie is Coming!!

if you can stand to watch this until the end, do it! I laughed so hard I cried! I can only imagine the nightmares these kids will have for the rest of their lives

Just finished watching this movie and I do believe you should put it in your Netflix queue! Loved it!

Various Wanderings

Here are a few places I've been in the past few weeks.

Play Up Pompey!

Old Fratton Park! It was a great game and I would LOVE to get season tickets!

Wardour Castle and a beautiful day in Sunny Old England.

Old Sarum near Salisbury. And when they say old, they mean old.

Pilgrim steps in Canterbury Cathedral. Worn for hundreds of years.

Kings Gate leading to Canterbury Cathedral

St Augustine: I've only read about him...history is unfolding before me

Altar at Mary's Chapel, St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury.

Dressing for war at Dover Castle

Dover Castle on the White Cliffs of Dover

You need to rent this film...NOW!!

It's Wednesday night and we just watched Son of Rambow! I LOVE IT!! You will too. Have you seen it?

I can't believe this is three years old...

Why is it that John Stewart, presenter of The Daily Show on Comedy Central, is the only one who sticks it to the media? And after three years the only thing that has really changed is that Crossfire is no longer on air. There is a difference between free speech and treating the public like total idiots.

PS- I really hate the American media, especially Fox News, they are hurting the Country.

Four more months!

Why do I have to wait? Oh yeah, because Hollywood wanted to make more money. JERKS!!!

Friday...good?

Happy Birthday Victor!

He's one in a million!

Koln: again

I usually don't get in many photos but I like this one because it is only the tip of the iceberg!
And it really wasn't raining at the moment, so not sure why I have the hood up. I went to Koln whilst studying in Luxembourg but this time I got to make the walk to the top of the spire! It's over 500 steps, 95% of which are spiral. YIKES!

The Spinnstrube

Wandering the back streets of Dusseldorf we found this pub. It was about the size of an average living room with about 4 people inside and the most random decorations: including spinning wheels. My kind of place!

I think I need to be friends with these people!

Another Fantastic TV Ad in the UK

This one makes me cry...I'm such a sucker!

Top Dublin Moments

A rare photo of me and Victor. Not sure why, but we don't have too many of us together.

At the Guinness Storehouse. I just found out this weekend that my friend Inny's Great Grandfather was a cooper for Guinness and that's pretty fantastic!

I still don't like Guinness...but oddly enough, I can tell that this is the "good" stuff.

Dublin Castle: learned a lot about Irish history at this one!

Is this fancy or what?

Ah...Jameson Whiskey and Coke...a drink I can handle!

There's a funny story about how we almost got locked in this crypt for the night. I'll tell you later if you really want to know. But it just goes to show that Victor should listen to me when I say things like "I think the crypt is closed for the day...we really shouldn't go down there!"

Christ Church Cathedral...almost our hotel for the night.

Dublin

Ok, it's been a week since Dublin and I haven't really blogged about it. And I'll hold off until I get the camera back from Victor...who is in Italy...on a ski vacation...without me...while I stay home and work...get the picture?

This is Curtis. He is my favorite nephew. And Curtis just turned 9. Being the great aunt that I am, I missed his birthday. Of course, I'm thinking of the best gift to give him in delay and hopefully that will come soon but until then he gets his own post. Late, but at least it's here.

This photo was taken in 2001 when I lived with Curtis when he was just a baby. I taught him a lot of stuff like how to use a head lamp, how to carefully apply chap stick and jump. All stuff you need to learn for getting through the struggles of life.

When I see Curtis now I see this little baby but he's not so little anymore. It's the closest I've come to having my own kid and I'm not really sure if I would ever love my own like I love Curtis. Only if I ever have my own kids, I hope I can remember their birthdays.

I love this video!

Saw this one at the HRC in Dublin and laughed out loud through most of it. Enjoy!

I know some people who hate to fund raise

This is my local pub just down the street, stumbling distance from my front door. I love this pub. I have a meal here about once a week and the workers know my usual order: bacon, brie and mushroom sandwich. Just beyond the pub is the Castle and Church. Now, the Church needs to repair the roof, it's pretty old. And rather than your usual fundraisers you're used to back in the states, we're having a pub quiz: a staple to the life of any local pub.

I love this country.

I love my mom. And I'm sure if you know her, you love her too.

What's in a name?

Sometimes I miss this one. Thanks to all the friends who still call me by it.

Africans on the beach

Not the most artistic photo I've ever taken but I love these two people. And they have a little baby that I also miss. This was one of the best days of my life.

In 2006 I was cast as Lucy Van Pelt in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown. This cartoon sort of makes me think that the role was sort of type cast. Or at least Victor might think so.

I thought about giving up going to church for Lent because I have this strange idea. So, some of you know that I have spent a good part of the last few years in seminary studying to be a pastor. However, there are circumstances that are inhibiting me from actually becoming an ordained person. Since then I have begun to wonder if I have a strange need for power within a religious institution. There are pastors who are wonderful people and there are pastors who are detrimental to the Gospel of Christ. The unfortunate part of this story is that I got the idea after I met a man on my Candidacy Committee who I believe has a perverse relationship with his role as a pastor. It's sad really, and even more sad that there is nothing I can do about it...or that I have been able to do about it.
The question really is: am I addicted to church? So I skipped Ash Wednesday service, did a little reflecting and decided that whether I go to church or not has no impact on the fact that I feel called to a leadership role in organized religion.
Jesus never went to church and he turned out alright...sort of. I'll just stay away from the Romans.

I sort of like posting random photos. What's weird is that if you know me, and most of you do, I LOVE to talk. However, when it comes to the blog I would rather post photos than say much at all. I also believe that might be because I really don't like to read long things on a computer screen. Even when it's other blogs out there, I'm not a fan of reading long posts. Any more than three paragraphs and I'm just scanning. It's like I'm the opposite of myself while I'm on the internet. So here's a random photo for you:
Last summer visiting Melissa in Toledo and playing disc golf: priceless!! I got her and the new hubster each a set of discs for their wedding. I'm all about practical.

202

I totally missed the ball on my 200th post. I have no special insights or words of wisdom but I will leave you with this photo:


I don't know why.

What will be?

I was watching a show on the National Geographic channel tonight about the history of North America. Basically, it was about all the stuff we learned in school over the years about geology so nothing was really all that new to me. But it got me thinking about time. Billions of years ago the Earth was formed out of nothing...nothing! How crazy is that? And then over time stuff moved and formed into what we know at this moment.
Of course, computers, cars and ice cream hasn't been around forever but what about the future. I'm not naive, I know that we're not going to be on this planet forever. But what is it going to be like for the last people? Apparently in a few billion years the plates will continue to move and they are all going to smash back together: New York City will be mountains in Africa: San Francisco will mush together with Alaska. Then what? Will there be people there when it happens? Am I naive to think that our race will still be around? Do we really think that highly of ourselves?
It just got me thinking.

I love this photo II

We headed up to London for Valentine's Day. Nothing romantic but we hung out with some good friends. I snapped this shot of the London Eye, Big Ben and Houses of Parliament when the sun was shining through the clouds. A-mazing.

I love this photo

So we went to Amsterdam a few weekends ago and rather than post a multitude of photos (see my facebook) I just want to show you this one.

I have always felt that I was sort of the black sheep of the family and I just love that this was a random poster on an electric box on the streets of Amsterdam. Weird.

Hanna Montana might just drive you crazy....

...but at least she drives a Prius!

And let's admit, this isn't the best video but it's the only one out there.


Trading in the SUV Porsche for a Toyota Prius. I don't care what you say, that takes guts for a 16 year old! Who knew going green was so popular for Teen Idols?

Snow Days!

Yesterday I tried to drive to work and it wasn't working out for me. So I took a walk down to the castle and snapped a few shots (over 60!) before English Heritage closed the gates on me! Dang Health and Safety! But I got some really good photos of the castle and church. Snow doesn't come too often here but it pretty much shuts everything down when it does. It's like having snow in Seattle...chaos!! When I woke up this morning it was brilliantly sunny. Now it's doing this snow/rain thing and it's a bit depressing. I think I'll try knitting socks today.