Alive and Kicking

Looks like I have already failed you all on my "I'll try to update my blog more often" promise. It's the same old excuses so I won't waste words on them. It's another beautiful weekend here, and apparently all over Europe. Spoke with my Grandma Luise this afternoon, she lives in Munich, Germany, and she fears that the nice weather now will mean lots of rain during the summer. Guess it is a bit early in the season for such summery weather, and the lack of rain will obviously have reprucutions, but we're all oblivious to those worries by the warm rays from the sun. We're being brain washed.

Last weekend I took a day trip town to the sea-side town of Torquay (say it like "tor-key"). Woke up early on Saturday, but still managed to find myself rushing to the train station, and as I was standing the the queue for the machine to print my pre-bought tickets, I looked at the time and it was 8:44am. My train leaves at 8:44am, and they always leave on time, unless delayed. So I got my ticket and went to see if there was another train I could catch that would take me to Exeter (switch trains there to the one to Torquay). As I looked around at the upcoming departing trains, and not finding what I wanted, I saw one going to Exeter, and realized as I read the screen that it was my 8:44 train, but it had been delayed. What luck!

Train ride took about 2 hours, enjoyed the scenery, listened to my ipod. When I arrived at Torquay the ocean was pretty much right across the street from the train station, and I was in heaven. Didn't realize I missed the ocean so much. I would have to compare Torquay to Pacifica. The weather though was much nicer, sunny and breezey. Walked around the town, found the city center and did a bit of shopping, then went to lie out on the beach and catch some of the sun. The only bummer about Torquay was that the beaches were not the white, soft sandy California kind. the sand was dark, compact and quite small. But I guess I can't expect it to be an exact likeness of California, otherwise Cali wouldn't be so unique and special.

That night I had a few drinks and didn't think I had that much but apparently I did because not only did I get sick, but had a hangover the next day. Alex did too, so we were quite the pair waking up at like noon, dragging ourselves to KFC for food, then went shopping because we were going to make the traditional English Sunday Roast for dinner, got back to his place and sat on the couch watching TV all afternoon. I finally got up and went home to take a shower, which made me feel loads better. Headed back to the Fish, started making the roast dinner which consisted of roast beef, mashed potatoes, veggies, and yorkshire pudding. Everything in the meal was great except for the roast. Probably wasn't the best quality of meat, and we vowed never again to buy it at the supermarket, unless they have an actual butcher in there.

Work has been really busy, got a few projects going on and the deadlines were all approaching at once. Got the big one taken care of, which was to make a demo movie, and the rest should be done soon. Next week will fly by though because I will be in Birmingham Tuesday- Thursday morning for an exhibition, then I am taking Friday off to extend the bank holiday weekend (we all get Monday off over here in the UK for May Day), and it's also Alex's Birthday so we might try and go somewhere.

This weekend has been pretty chill. Went running yesterday morning, then shopping in the afternoon. I feel like all my clothes are so dark and black, don't have much bright spring/summer stuff. So as i was shopping I kept telling myself "no black no black". Did pretty good I think, only bought 1 black cotton tank top and it's just because that is like a clothing staple everyone needs, and my other one is turning gray. On the way home picked up some brownie mix to bake, which turned out really nice, passing them around to everyone and putting smiles on faces. Last weekend I was inspired from an email I got my from mom to bake cookies when she said she was baking some. But they don't have the insta-cookie dough here so I had to do it from scratch! (I have never done this before- scary). They came out okay, not the best cookies I have ever tasted, but the guys at the fish seemed to like them well enough, especially Jaume.

Last night I brought him and his girlfriend Abi some of the brownies and we watched a super hoekey (they don't use the work hoekey over here, and when I said it they were like, "what?") movie- Puppetmaster II. It was more funny than scary. Today I have attempted being more productive, putting away laundry (need to do ironing later), went to the shop and bought hooks, hammer, screws, screw drivers so I could hang up my bags and photos. The room is really started to look like h ome now, espeically with all the pictures up. Got a cork board too so I can begin another collage of photos and crap that I collect.

Speaking of being productive, I should sign off and get on with the ironing, uggg...I hate ironing, but need to do it, especially for the "nice" clothes I'll need at the exhibitions. Hope you enjoyed the update, and as always, I will try to do it more often. :o)