Perpetual New Year Resolutions

Let this coming year be better than all the others. Vow to do some of the things you've always wanted to do but couldn't find the time.

Call up a forgotten friend. Drop an old grudge, and replace it with some pleasant memories. Share a funny story with someone whose sprits are dragging. A good laugh can be very good medicine.

Vow not to make a promise you don't think you can keep. Pay a debt. Give a soft answer. Free yourself of envy and malice. Encourage some youth to do this or her best. Share your experience, and offer support. Young people need role models.

Make a genuine effort to stay in closer touch with family and good friends. Resolve to stop magnifying small problems and shooting from the lip. Words that you have to eat can be hard to digest.

Find the time to be kind and thoughtful. All of us have the same allotment: 24 hours a day. Give a compliment. It might give someone a badly needed lift.

Think things though. Forgive an injustice. Listen more. Be kind.

Apologize when you realize you are wrong. An apology never diminishes a person. It elevates him. Don't blow your own horn. If you've done something praiseworthy, someone will notice eventually.

Try to understand a point of view that is different from your own. Few things are 100 percent one way or another. Examine the demands you make on others.

Lighten up. When you feel like blowing your top, ask yourself, "Will it matter in a week from today?". Laugh the loudest when the joke is on you.

The sure way to have a friend is to be one. We are all connected by our humanity, and we need each other. Avoid malcontents and pessimists. They drag you down and contribute nothing.

Don't discourage a beginner from trying something risky. Nothing ventured means nothing gained. Be optimistic. The can-do spirit is the fuel that makes things go.

Read something uplifting. Deep-six the trash. You won't eat garbage - why put it in your head? Don't abandon your old-fashioned principles. They never go out of style. When courage is needed, ask yourself, "If not me, who? If not now, when?"

Walk tall and smile more. You'll look 10 years younger. Don't be afraid to say, "I love you". Say it again. They are the sweetest words in the world.

~ Ann Landers

Here's the idea: You leave a message, the next person who comes along gets to read it. The Anonymous Message (and URL) Server.

Let's talk about sex! Dirty Questions.com

One of my friends told me today that they barbecued for Christmas. Yeah, only in South Texas, but I thought it sounded kinda cool.

Well, I think I'm ready. I can cross through my list of things to do to be ready for company tomorrow night. The house is relatively clean (I'm going to return the Hoover Floormate ~ it was a disappointment), the groceries bought and the invitations accepted.

Six of us will meet for dinner and a movie (a romantic comedy, natch) before coming to my house to ring in the New Year. First we'll watch Dick Clark in Times Square before heading downtown to see the city fireworks display.

I've got brie and crackers, spinach dip, humus and Baked Lays, green olives (I love them martini-sized), and four huge dessert bars I'll cut into bite-sized pieces. I have sodas, two bottles of my favorite wine and Kristy is bringing champagne.

If you're in the neighborhood, stop by!

Just for my own records: A solid blueprint for change (USA Today):

Pick the start date. Plan how to gear up for the change and put it in motion.

Make a public announcement.

Ask a "buddy" to monitor progress.

Force yourself to sustain the effort until you "own" the change.

Accept the ups and downs that evolving change can bring.

Chart your progress.

Constantly review long-term benefits.

Reward persistence.

Let's just say, if today was Jan. 2, I'd have broken my only New Year's resolution already.

What is it about boots just below the knee and a skirt just above the knee that gets attention?

So, how's the cleaning going, you ask. The living room looks fabulous. Totally ready for company. And then, I got hungry. Decided I would go to Sonic for their new popcorn chicken and a cherry limeade. I come home and voila! The front door key snaps off in the lock.

Um, ok, I think. I'll just go to the back door. Alas, the key I need for the back door is now stuck in the front door. Ok, I'll call mom. She's not home and her cellphone is turned off. As I stand there thinking, the Sonic bag falls off the car and deposits my chicken in the driveway.

Well, I have the paper, I think. I'll read it and try mom again in a while. I finish the paper. Try mom. Nothing. I lay in the backseat and try for a nap (the doors were locked and I was in my driveway). Try mom again. Yea! She's turned on her cellphone. Boo! She's with my brother. I explain the situation and tell her no, they can't come over and I'll wait until they leave.

So I do. In my car. In my driveway. I call a friend. She entertains me for a while. Well, she's getting a divorce, so I really shouldn't call it entertainment. I'm sure you're thinking. "Wait. You have your keys, you have your purse. Go somewhere." Um, yeah. I was cleaning. My hair is pulled back with clips, I have on sweats and a t-shirt that says:

Good boys go to Heaven.
Bad boys go to Susan's Room.
So yeah, not hitting Barnes & Noble in that lovely ensemble. Hell, having to get the keys from my mom while wearing that t-shirt was enough.

Finally three hours into my waiting game, mom calls to tell me they have left. First thing I do when I get to her house is hit the bathroom (it was a Route 44 cherry limeade!) And do I feel like cleaning now? Nah ...

Hey! I just looked at the date and realized I moved into my house six months ago today. Yea me!

And, I'm chosing to clean. I'm almost scaring myself that I'm excited to try out the new vacuum. Life as we now know it is over.

I can't believe I was home all day yesterday and didn't blog once. I felt kind-of lousy, so I basically just laid around. I didn't get up until after 11 a.m. (I can't even tell you the last time I did that), got an early evening nap and went to bed around 11:30 p.m. (started book 30!).

Today I must decide if I want company for New Year's. Because if I do, I must clean. I wish I could find someone who charged a reasonable price, was reliable and did a good job. The last person charged me $60, complained that my house was "dusty" (duh!) and I definitely could've done a better job.

Right now I have biscuits in the oven and they smell are delish. Anyone hungry?

o.k., let's see ... what would I need to do today to be ready for Tuesday?

Put away Christmas stuff (wrapping paper, etc...)
Find home for Christmas gifts received
Dust
Do floors
Pick clothes up off floors first
Put away clean dishes
Wash new dirty dishes
Grocery store

Yeah, it's do-able. But will the mood strike?

I went into work for a short while today. A retired employee (50+ years at the bank) died Christmas Day. As the employee communications chick, I was called in to communicate it.

Afterwards, I had lunch at an Italian place I really like but can never get to on a workday. I even had a Bellini. I tried one more Target for Christmas supplies, but bought none. On my way back home, I stopped at a boot sale and bought two pairs for $49.50 each (one was originally $160, the other $150). I haven't found a pair of boots in narrow in years, so it was a pretty joyful purchase. Came home and took a nap. This shopping thing is just soooo draining.

Wow. The last Friday Five of 2003. Where did the year go?

1. What was your biggest accomplishment this year?
Overcoming depression. The first few months of the year, I knew I was in a real funk. That's why I started looking for a house. I thought the process of doing something exciting that was positive for my future would snap me out of it. I was wrong. I think between that and a situation at work, I pushed myself over the edge. In the past, my body has always made it perfectly clear when it was time to pay attention to something I was ignoring. This time it used panic attacks. Now that was a new approach that got my attention. So I visited my primary doctor, got a prescription for Celexa and got myself into therapy. I know I don't talk about it here, but I am still in therapy and take Celexa everyday. The combination of the two have literally changed who I am. I feel like me again.


2. What was your biggest disappointment?
Work. Between the situation that sent me over the edge and my own struggle with my brain, it has been a hard and disappointing year at work.


3. Will you be making any New Year's resolutions?
Yes. One is to get my happy ass out of bed in the morning so I can get to work on time. Right now I am fine-tuning the specifics. Does that mean I should be ready to go by 8 a.m. like I used to or be at work at 8:30 a.m. which would mean I am "on time"?


4. Where will you be at midnight? Do you wish you could be somewhere else?
I'm thinking of having friends over to celebrate the evening, so I expect I'll be at home. When I was younger, I did the bar scene with my friends. Now I am content to stay home and play games or see a movie. So, no, I don't wish I could be somewhere else. Have more of my family and friend with me ~ now that I would like.


5. Aside from (possibly) staying up late, do you have any other New Year's traditions?
No. I have a single can of black eyed peas that I bought for the good luck thing years ago. I never remember to open them. Hmmm, maybe that explains these last few years! ; )

I have finished books #27 ~ Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress and #28 ~ I Love Bad Boys (tales of erotic romance). Right now I am reading White Teeth by Zadie Smith. And for book #30, I splurged on a hardcover of In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner (she wrote Good in Bed, my favorite book of 2002).

Can you sum up your 2002 in twenty words? I did at The Mayfly Project:

sad. struggling. panic attacks. celexa. therapy. better. worse. much better. house. 37. taking chances. london. new me. hopeful for 2003.

So, I've noticed what I would call blog cliques. It's like we all circulate in the same space. Read the same blogs. Link to each other. Comment to each other. And when I spin off to someone outside the circle, there's a whole new clique. And as I spin further and further out, I notice that we all pretty much bitch about the same things. It's a small big world.

Well, mom and I made a contribution to the economy today. Love those 50% off sales!

We started at Target, worked our way through Pier One, a Hallmark store and Linen's & Things before breaking for lunch. If I bought one Christmas gift bag, I bought 25. No, really. That was my goal for today. More gift bags. In the process I also bought table clothes, stuff to use if I decide to have a New Year's Eve shin-dig, etc...

We picked up my Godmother and went to Olive Garden for lunch. Basically she orders whatever one of us has, so we all did soup & salad. I just love their salad. Then we went to Mervyn's and Foley's. I got a Hoover Floormate. I'll definitely try it out tomorrow on my kitchen and bathroom floors. Gina actually did really well, although my mom was really, really quiet. She cried at Starbucks this morning as we walked about what the future holds for Gina. They've been friends 50 years. It must be a bit like losing a part of your soul.

The recap: My movie came on at 1 p.m. Mom came over at 3 p.m. and we exchanged gifts. We ate dinner about 6:15 p.m. It was pretty pleasant. My Godmother was really off. I fixed her plate for her and helped her open gifts. Made sure everything stayed together. She and my Godfather gave me a beautiful sapphire and diamond bracelet. Gina told me that "he was so proud of what he picked out for you." It's really lovely and makes me feel ashamed that I don't have tolerance for him.

About 8 p.m., Sandy called to tell me know my Godson was looking for me. I pushed mom so that we could leave and in the end got to spend about an hour with them. "Them" being the bulk of her family. They've been like my sub-family for 25 years. Good God. I can't be that old!

Antonio brought me my gift as soon as I got there. He picks the gifts out for me and had selected about a two-foot tall candle holder with a nice smelling candle. Sandy told me, "He thinks that's the color you should paint the entertainment center." It is a nice shade ... I got a couple of oohs and ahhs over his gifts, which is always a bonus. Plus we played Gina's game, which for ages 8 and older was tough for two 37-year-olds to figure out!

In all, it really was a nice day. I have so many things to be grateful for this year. I feel blessed to have the life that I have. Really, it was just that one whiney moment, I swear.

So. I called mom about 9 a.m. to see if she wanted to do breakfast with me, but she was busy wrapping. And besides, my favorite brother had just called and he's coming over on Saturday. My If You Believe movie did not come on at 11 a.m. like it was supposed to. I just talked to mom again. She's still wrapping. Oh, and dinner is not until 5:30 p.m. (which really means 6:15 or 6:30 p.m.) They are already "running behind." I'm at home alone and bored. Do I sound like I'm whining? Good. That was my goal. Now you see one of the reasons why I just don't get into the holiday spirit.

It peeves me that by the time my friends (and Godson) are ready for visitors, we'll just barely be eating (then there is the break for dessert, then presents ... God only knows what time we'll be done. Not soon enough.). This is the last year. I swear. It's here in writing and you can call me on it next year if I'm whining the same old tune.

Merry Christmas Y'all!

Last night I watched a holiday favorite, The Santa Claus on the Disney Channel. Tinsel: It's not just for decorating anymore.

Tomorrow I'll watch If You Believe on Lifetime. It's about an adult Susan who is visited by her youthful Susie. Together they work to re-ignite her passion for life and work. I think it's the "little Susie" bringing joy to the adult Susan that rings true for what I want for myself.

Well, I left work about 10:15 a.m. Almost not worth the effort of getting up! Now I have the Christmas carols turned up loud, the eggnog and Jim Beam warming my belly and wrapping paper all over the place!

Happy Christmas Eve!

I am up this morning making a Farmer's Casserole to take for a work potluck this morning. Yeah, it's weird being off Monday and working on Christmas Eve, but we get off at 11 a.m. at the latest, so it's not worth the vacation day.

I'm off today, so I've been finishing up some last minute errands. Thoughts on my morning:

It is just wrong to have to run your car air conditioner on Dec. 23. Wrong.

As I was making what should be my last gift purchase at Walgreen's (Sunbeam's heating lap blanket for mom), the cashier checked my driver's license, "This is a nice picture. It looks nothing like you." Hey, now ...

I'm very excited. I got a surprise gift yesterday. While in London, we took in the Earth from Above photo exhibit outside the Museum of Natural History. It is a series of photos of the earth taken from a helicopter, plane or hot air balloon by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. It was a stunning display and I fell for one picture in particular:


I collect hearts, so this one really spoke to mine. I bought a copy of the postcard at the exhibit thinking it would be quite frameable. Then yesterday I was gifted the book. Very, very exciting. The photos are lush and stunning. If you ever get the chance to see the display, go! If not, visit your local bookstore, grab a cuppa and find a chair (if for no other reason than the book is heavy!).

Someone I know enjoys the site that Tis the Season originates from. I visit on occasion and found the December 18 Christmas advice to be particularly funny. Newsflash: there is no such thing as a token gift for Christmas between lovers.

I'm a little ticked. This morning my Godfather called and told my mom that "they" had decided Christmas dinner would be at son #1's house and it would be late.

Now, after I got over the initial shock of roasting my first turkey, I got into the idea of having them over for dinner. Figured I would do it up nice and show off a little. I've struggled with Christmas for a while now and I figure this year will be no different. I thought having them over would help the day go by quickly.

My one caveat was that we would eat early. And by early I mean 2 p.m. They want late, which means 6 p.m. I HATE that. There are people I would like to see Christmas day. People with families to see and who are finally getting available at 6 p.m.

I'm very frustrated by this. These are people we've spent every holiday with my entire life. I can pretty much recite the menu to you now because we have had the same basic meal for Thanksgiving and Christmas for my entire life. I am bored with these people, that menu and it makes the holidays no fun anymore.

I tried asking my mom if we could just deliver our gifts on Christmas Eve and do something else on Wednesday, but that was a no go. God forbid we rock the boat (yet they can dictate what we do). I'm going to keep working on this because I am pretty fed up with this situation. It's my life dammit!

Last night I finished Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie. It was good. I even recommended it to someone at the bookstore last night.

I like to give books as gifts. I think everyone should love reading as much as I do. My Godson is getting Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman and his sister is getting The Bad Beginning. I had also bought Grossology, but I don't know that she'd like it, so I'm saving it for his birthday.

Well, I'm on AIM now: saysmeblog. Say hey if you get the chance!

Apparently, health is going to be a big issue for the Oprah magazine next year. Part of the January goal is to get you really thinking about yourself and your life (which always seems to be where I am in January). I'm going to work through her questions and thought maybe they would interest some of you too:

Questions to Get You Going
These questions may seem difficult to answer at first, but the point is to get you digging down to a place where your intentions become clear. Part of this exercise is to remind yourself about what you—as opposed to everyone else around you—need in order to feel happy and fulfilled. If you don't make time for what matters to you, how can others value your importance?

Who am I? How do I think of myself? What are my strengths and weaknesses?

Who do I want to be?

Why am I here? Why am I important? What is my mission?

What am I missing? The time to read a book? A close friendship?

What's my motivation for wanting to improve my food and exercise habits? If it's to look better, do I expect favorable results to bring love?

Am I afraid of making changes or of taking risks (quitting a boring job, getting out of a bad relationship)? Do I fear failure or the responsibility that could come with success? Could I embrace change instead as an adventure?

What has stopped me from keeping resolutions in the past? Is the obstacle (or obstacles) still present in my life? If so, how will I navigate it this time?

When I'm tempted to wander off track, what could I say to myself, or do, to stick with the original plan?

How can I build in support for myself? Ask a friend to be a health buddy? Join a walking club?

What am I doing in my life that's hurting me? Smoking? Drinking too much? Letting work interfere with relationships?

What are the sources of joy I need to feel whole?

Am I happy?

So are you like me? Has the season got you thinking about this year? Next year? I seem to get really reflective this time of year. Today I decided to go back and print out a year's worth of my blog. It was an interesting read. Some months came to 18, 19 or 20 pages. One came to seven.

I looked back to this time last year (oops! ran that funny eggnogaholic poem last year too!). A year ago tomorrow, I picked out my favorites of the year: book, CD, movie.

Favorite book: So far this year, I've read 27 books. Not as many as I thought. My favorite book was Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner. I'm reading Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, and I picked up another book tonight. My new goal is to make 30 books by 12/31.

Favorite CD: Home by the Dixie Chicks. I love the bluegrassness of it and a couple of the songs especially spoke to me:

A Home [excerpt]
Not a night goes by
I don't dream of wandering
Through the home that might have been
And I listened to my pride
When my heart cried out for you
Now every day I wake again
In a house that might have been
A home
Guess I did what I did believing
That love is a dangerous thing
Oh but that couldn't hurt anymore than never knowing

I Believe in Love
I made a promise to myself
Locked it away deep down inside
Told my heart we'd wait it out
Swore we'd never compromise
Oh I'd rather be alone
Like I am tonight
Than settle for the kind of love
That fades before the morning light

Silence stared me in the face
And I finally heard its voice
It seemed to softly say
That in love you have a choice
Today I got the answer
And there's a world of truth behind it
Love is out there waiting somewhere
You just have to go and find it

I believe in love, I believe in love
A love that's real, love that's strong
Love that lives on and on
Yes I believe in love
Yes I believe in love

A close second is Sting's All This Time.

Favorite movie: As I was sitting here thinking about it, I almost decided on Real Women Have Curves. I thought it was a great, empowering movie. And then I remembered a sweet, heart-warming true story, Door to Door. Yep, a made-for-television TNT movie is the one I remember liking the most this year.

While I was out shopping, I noticed there was no line at the Krispy Kreme. I decided to stop ~~ for the very first time. I walked in (to check out the selection), pointed at the glazed with holiday sprinkles. I'll have one of those. "One dozen?" No, just one. I must admit, she looked at me pretty funny.

The Friday Five is back online!

1. What holiday or holidays do you celebrate this time of year?
Christmas.
2. What was the best gift you have ever received?
A bike. I was about 10. There's a polariod of me somewhere standing there with my mouth hanging open. I loved that bike. It's still in mom's garage.
3. What was the worst gift you've ever given?
A hairbrush to my mom. I was younger, still unable to shop by myself. She wanted a new one and I asked my Aunt Verna (she was my Godmother, but that's what I called her) to buy one for me. I carefully explained what she wanted and gave her some money, but she got the wrong one. I can still see the disappointment on my mom's face that year. I hope I've made up for it since then.
4. Where will you be celebrating the holidays? Are you hosting? Going away?
We will do Christmas at my house. Me, mom, my Godparents, their two sons and a daughter-in-law. Other friends have promised to stop by later in the afternoon.
5. If you could spend the holidays with someone who isn't around, who would it be with? Why?
Aunt Patsy and Uncle Fagen. Karla. And I'm sure there's at least one other ... ; )

Elizabeth told me yesterday that they believe they have a ghost in their department. She regaled with me with a few of their stories (group and individual experiences). Today I came in to find a "Love Conquers All Things" piece of art I keep on a shelf on top of my monitor. I called to tell her to keep that ghost down in their department ...

Whoo Hoo! I've got the Style channel back. First it was free, then it wasn't, now it's free again. Nigella! I missed you so ...

egads. My mom has volunteered my house for Christmas for the usual clan. No, unt-uh. I'm not hyperventilating.

What it only takes 25 candy bars? Chocolate Bar A Sweet Prescription for Nasty Coughs. Amateurs.

I've decided that maybe, just maybe, you can turn into an eggnogaholic.

Book update: Before London, I tried to read The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen. Talk about your dysfunctional families. It was such a downer I couldn't finish it, even though some of my friends loved it. Go figure.

Post London, I've finished Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler. Again, another dysfunctional family, yet somehow they all seem to come together. I enjoyed it.

Yesterday, I picked up Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie. I chose it based on a New York Times review. So far, so good.

Santa keeps sending me little reminders of the season.

Today I got one of those gifts that you can tell when the person found it they knew they hit the gift jackpot. Karla knows me well and matched my kitchen to boot!

I also got a t-shirt from a friend. I'd share the message or a picture of me in it, but it might taint my innocent image! Thanks elfman! ; )

Kate! Thank you so much for the Christmas card. What a pleasant surprise! Happy Holidays to you, Paul, Moira and Olivia!

I just posted a recipe at What's for Dinner?

From the school nurse my mom works with: Holiday Eating Tips

I hate this time of year. Not for its crass commercialism and forced frivolity, but because it's the season when the food police come out with their wagging fingers and annual tips on how to get through the holidays without gaining 10 pounds. You can't pick up a magazine without finding a list of holiday eating do's and don'ts. Eliminate second helpings, high calorie sauces, and cookies made with butter, they say. Fill up on vegetable sticks, they say.

Good grief. Is your favorite childhood memory of Christmas a carrot stick? I didn't think so. It isn't mine, either. A carrot was something you left for Rudolph. I have my own list of tips for holiday eating. I assure you, if you follow them, you'll be fat and happy. So what if you don't make it to New Year's? Your pants won't fit anymore, anyway.

1. About those carrot sticks. Avoid them. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnogaholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. Don't leave them behind. You're not going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards!

10. And one final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread tips. Start over. But hurry! Cookieless January is just around the corner!

Scary. I am at home alone on a Friday night. I bought a bottle of Jim Beam to spike my nog and someone sent me a tin of iced fudge brownies. I'm thinking it's not gonna be pretty. ; )

I had a successful run to Toys 'R Us tonight. Actually, two separate stores waayyy across town from each other. One for Antonio's gift, the other for Gina's. Glad that's over with. Although the crowds were no comparison to Harrod's. Now that was a packed place!

So, these were my first Christmas purchases. Two gifts down. Dozens to go. Whoo-Hoo! What an exciting weekend awaits me!

Wowza. Sure I want to read book five, and soon. But $45,180 for a 93-word synopsis?

What Your Sleeping Style Says ...

Lookit! Lovely pictures of London! Oh sure, they're not mine ... but just imagine me there!

A funny British candy: Yorkie. “It’s not for women.” Really. Says so on the package and everything. Even has the outline of a woman with the universal Ø symbol through her. Luckily I got to taste it because Lee would slip me pieces when men weren’t watching. Shhh. Don't tell anyone.

One of my most favorite sightings in London were Harry Potter adverts on the double decker buses. Either in the shape of a T or L, it featured a character and a memorable line from the movie. My favorite featured a horrified looking Ron saying, "Can we panic now?"

So I am getting lots of "yeah, yeah, you snored … blah, blah, blah … what'd you see?!" comments. Of the things considered “touristy,” here's what I saw (in no particular order):

Marble Arch
Notting Hill
Kensington Gardens and the Peter Pan statue
I walked the great shopping district of Oxford Circus and Regent Street
I made purchases at Selfridges, Harrod’s and Fortnum & Mason
I wandered through shops, including Hamley’s and Waterstone's, Europe’s largest bookstore
Picadilly Circus
Chinatown
Leicester Square
Trocadero
Trafalgar Square
Downing Street
Big Ben
Westminster Cathedral
Buckingham Palace
Royal Albert Hall
Kensington Palace
Hard Rock Café (got a pin for Kristy there)
Mayfair area (The Ritz)
London Eye
Covent Garden
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Tower of London
Tate Modern
St. James Place

It was ten days of walking and looking and seeing things I didn't see last time. Of experiencing the city on a different level. It was grand and I enjoyed it and I wish I was still there. For the very reasons you might imagine.

It's surreal. This morning I was in London. Now I am at home. *sigh* I am going to read a few blogs, have a huge bowl of pasta and hit the sack.

And snoring. There will probably be snoring. I got to hear the audio proof. Being the good friend he is, Lee didn't want me going through life thinking I don't snore when I really do. So he recorded me snoring and played it back for me (in the middle of the night, mind you). After I quit laughing, I decided I sound more like a train engine than a jet plane ...

Alas, my last post from London. I go home tomorrow morning and back to work on Tuesday. Just warning you now, I may be crabby for a while ...

Ah, I've been upgraded to a rusty chainsaw (or would that be downgraded from a jet plane?). I think Lee looks forward to quiet sleeping when I leave next week ...

Had a lovely visit with Howard and Pam yesterday. Alas, no sticky toffee pudding. The Christmas pudding was ok, but not quite the same. Howard looks fabulous considering all he's been through since I saw him three years ago. It sounds as if he leads a physically limited life, but he was quite cheeky and told us some funny stories (especially after his second glass of wine). Lee is a great conversationalist with strangers. I tend to be quite reserved around people I don't know well, even blood relatives. I think Howard is usually the same as me, but if I'd had a second glass of wine, I'd been a napping cousin!

I envy the travels Pam and Howard have taken ... between their world trips and short holidays, they've been nearly everywhere. I'd just love to have a world map like Howard's ~ with pushpins in all of the cities he's visited. I should have taken a picture, but I don't think a photo would do the map justice.

It was gorgeous yesterday, but cold and overcast today (with occasional sprinkles). I took a bus tour of the city. One of those hop-on hop-off guided tours. I love them. I took a break for a while and sat in a Starbucks (sorry Jeff) in Covent Gardens and watched the people go by. It made me think about how fulfilled I feel when I travel. We certainly haven't been doing the commando tourist thing, but just being here fills something in me that I can't quite explain.

Today we'll have random thoughts in no order, k?

The weather has been great. A little rain this morning, but otherwise the days have been sort-of sunny and brisk. Really quite nice. Just a few layers is all needed to be comfy during the day. Night is a little cooler, so I whip out the gloves and hat. It has been pretty perfect as far as I'm concerned.

We're going to Wagamama's for dinner in a little while. I'll think of you Jeff ...

We went to the Science Museum the other afternoon. Bond, James Bond is the main exhibit. We stopped to see Santa versus the Snowman in IMAX 3-D. I enjoyed it. Again, it's the kid-at-heart thing.

I can stand in the shower, put my hands on my hips and touch the walls of the stall with my elbows. Otherwise, it's a nice, hot shower.

When you sit to eat at a restaurant, they hand you the menu. When they come back, you'd better be ready to order. Forget this order a drink and have a few more minutes thing.

I am so loving being in the city and just walking. It's such a different experience, to see life at sidewalk level instead of a bus or cab or car. It gives everything a whole new perspective. I still have the gaping mouth, not watching where I'm going problem. Really, I haven't gotten that far into intersections before noticing the oncoming car.

Today we went to the Tate. It's modern art. And I use the term "art" loosely. There was one exhibit with a naked man in a mask and boxing gloves. He'd pour ketchup on himself and beat himself in the head. Yeah. It was that weird.

Tomorrow we are going to see my cousins Howard and Pamela. I'm looking forward to seeing Howard again and meeting Pamela. He's promised to take me back to his favourite pub where I had my most favourite dessert last time: Sticky Toffee Pudding. I don't know what I'll do if they don't have it again!

I think I have taken maybe three pictures max. What a louse I am. I really just don't think about it. Although today I did whip out the camera when we came out of the tube directly across the street from Big Ben. Awesome. Again, one of those moments when I think about how happy I am to be here.

Yesterday we got to see a real slight of hand magic trick via some thieves who stole Lee's cellphone from the table we were sitting at (while we were sitting there!).

A jet plane with asthma. Apparently I snore.

Luckily, after we left the Starbucks Internet cafe yesterday, the rain went away and the sun came out. It was a glorious day. We walked through the Kensington Park over to Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square. I am such a tourist with my mouth hanging open and gawking. Lee has to make sure I don't walk out in front of cars. I ohh'd and ahh'd some in Fortnum & Mason and watched Lee play some games at the Trocadero. Let me just tell you now, if you ever see him with a gun in his hand, get out of his way. We walked through the National Gallery and had an early dinner there before seeing Harry Potter. I think it was my first movie sitting in a balcony. And yes, I enjoyed it as much the second time. And if Lee tells you he didn't jump when the spider grabbed Ron through the car window, he's lying.

The good news is my flight was relatively uneventful. With the exception of stinky feet. It got so bad, the flight attendant walked though our area and asked people to put their shoes back on. It was pretty odoriferous.

Last night we went to a Vivaldi concert at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. The church was bathed in candlelight. I thought the acoustics were fabulous and really enjoyed it.

Right now we're in a Starbucks with an Internet cafe. Something like this could be quite addictive for someone like me. Surfing the web while drinking flavored coffee. Pretty close to heaven.