Friday 28 November 2003

american turkeys



Happy Thanksgiving, my American friends. Although I still maintain that we (Canadians) have a much better deal because our Thanksgiving is in October (i.e. not close enough to Christmas to make you think, "Bugga, I've got to do this all again in a month"), I wish our neighbours to the south a happy turkey day. My friend Paul G. sent me this article about a failed veggie Thanksgiving - well worth the read for a giggle.

Thursday 27 November 2003

woman on a mission, coming through



I turned to Paul in the car today and proclaimed, "I'm going to the gym after work today, and YOU can't stop me!" Not like he was preventing me from going to the gym, but it sounded much more dramatic and effective this way. It sounded a lot better than saying, "I don't feel like crap today, so I might haul my Canadian arse to the gym for the first time in a month". I've been plagued by a wacky combination of allergies (hurrah for the first frost!) and RSI (boo to working on a computer all day, every day for the past 6 years). And I've been really, really lazy. I discovered that it's a lot more fun to skip the gym, go home, and eat lavishly prepared gourmet dinners accompanied by a bottle of red wine. Who knew? Although it's been a lot of fun, it does create a dilemma - eating rich food and drinking wine combined with no exercise makes Lisa sleepy and devoid of energy. Eating healthy, drinking on weekends only, and exercising makes Lisa feel much peppier and alert. Plus, I gotta find me a yoga class 'cos I really miss it.



So if you find me visiting the water cooler/toilet every hour or so and doing the sun salutation at my desk, you'll know why. Or not, if you don't read this blog. Then you'll just think I'm being weird(er than normal).

Wednesday 26 November 2003

and we never once ate a leek



[A much more detailed and possibly more entertaining account of our holiday coming soon. With pictures, even.]



Wales was fantastic; as rugged and breathtaking as all the brochures promised. While it poured rain here the entire weekend, St Davids remained sunny and crisp. Of course we felt smug - we were prepared to spend 2 days walking in mud and torrential downpours. Instead, we had glorious walks along the coastline and Jasper got to frolic in the sea for the first time. We walked, we ate, we drank. It was good.



Oh yeah, and England won some sorta rugby thingy on Saturday morning. Paul was overjoyed; I fell asleep during the match twice (only because I wasn't feeling well). I like rugby, actually. It's a sport you can follow and enjoy without knowing much about the rules. It also helps to have a partner who used to play rugby, and who is incredibly patient (and who explains stuff really well). Plus, some of those players are really dishy. Well they are.

Friday 21 November 2003

leeks and daffs



Somehow "we're all going on an Autumn holiday" doesn't quite have the same ring to it, but it's still pretty exciting to be off for a long weekend. We are heading to St Davids, which is the furthest city west from England whilst still remaining in the UK (confused?). Never having been to Wales, I enlisted the help of friends and people who claim to be from Wales (yet have no discernable Welsh accent) and the consensus was that the Pembrokeshire coast was well worth a visit. Armed with newly purchased waterproof fleecy things and boots, we will be trekking around the countryside for the next four days. In the pouring rain, no doubt.



They have hills in them there parts and I haven't seen a hill since...since...well, since we were in Kent two weeks ago, but normally we go a really long time without seeing hills. Jasper will love it, and I'm giddy at the thought of walking along coastal paths and over rugged hills. Rain or shine.



Until Tuesday, then.

Tuesday 18 November 2003

gah!



Too much to do, too little time. Deadlines at work, I am a judge/team lead for the STC Europe Competition (which is nearly, but not quite as exciting as Eurovision), and I have to submit the final assignment for year one of the MA programme I'm doing in four weeks. I. Am. Stressed.



On the plus side, my fabulously wonderful boyfriend has been cooking dinner the past few nights (Has the novelty of being with someone who can cook worn off yet? Heck no!), and we are off to Wales on Friday for a lovely long weekend. Oh, and that cat up my nose feeling seems to have vanished and never did develop into anything.



So what am I bitching about? Can't remember. Too tired.

Thursday 13 November 2003

sneezing my way to the weekend



Paul's niece Polly very proudly announced to me on Saturday that she was over her cold, and displayed the inside of her nose for me to prove her point (don't you just love that age and wish you still had that same mentality sometimes?). Then Paul's other niece/goddaughter Grace started sneezing on Sunday and looked a bit weary. Today, I woke up feeling like someone filled my body with wet cement and just for extra kicks, shoved a cat up my nose, spawning a day long sneezing frenzy. I have a deadline at work and I have my 2.5 favourite Kiwis to see tomorrow night; I have no time for this so-called "cold" nonsense.



Away wit' ya.

Tuesday 11 November 2003

behold, my powers have expanded



Not only is everyone around me getting pregnant due to my fertility goddess powers, all the lovely ladies around me are getting shiny new rings on their fingers. Congrats to Russ and Debs who got engaged in New York last weekend! They flew across the pond for Russell's birthday, where he popped the question to his gorgeous girlfriend. Awwww bless.

Monday 10 November 2003

spam spam spam spam spam spam and spam



For those of you who were using the lisa[at]wittydomainname[dot]com address to email me, please use broad[at]wittydomainname[dot]com from now on. My Yahoo and wittydomainname addresses are getting spammed to death (which is quite a feat considering I never use either address to sign up for or register for anything). After filtering through 95 junk emails yesterday, I've decided to stop using Yahoo and switch to the new wittydomainname address and start using my Pipex address as well.



I'll switch back to Yahoo if I feel the need to learn about reducing my debt, obtaining pharmaceutical drugs without a prescription, enlarging my penis, or meeting Christian singles. Having said that, I cannot wait to see the Google hits I'll be getting this month.

Friday 7 November 2003

sleepworking



I am ridiculously tired today. Like someone put lithium in my tea this morning tired. My limbs are heavy, I can't concentrate, and if I closed my eyes right now, I'd be snoring in another 20 seconds. I have no idea why; it's as if someone woke me at 2am and made me go to the office.



Just to keep myself amused and awake, here's the Friday Five:



1. What food do you like that most people hate?

Sushi (it is NOT raw fish, you people!) and as my friend Paul G. knows well, plastic cheese slices on a bagel.



2. What food do you hate that most people love?

Raw celery. I know Paul and I were made for each other 'cos he also hates celery.



3. What famous person, whom many people may find attractive, is most unappealing to you?

Kylie Minogue. It's those teeth. Brrrr.



4. What famous person, whom many people may find unappealing, do you find attractive?

Hmm not everyone likes George Clooney, I suppose.



5. What popular trend baffles you?

The Atkins craze. If carbs (like rice) make you fat, why are Asians generally slimmer and less prone to obesity-related diseases than Westerners?

Thursday 6 November 2003

oooooh aaaahhh



Pictures and mpegs of hot firework action can be seen here.



We started the evening off at The Boathouse pub (or the "boot hoose", as people insist I call it) then wandered over to Midsummer Common for the fantastic fireworks display. What fun! What excitement! Especially when the wind kept blowing the fireworks over the crowd, causing burning embers to fall on us like hot and slightly painful snowflakes. The evening ended at the Hotpot, one of our favourite Chinese restaurants. It was great fun, and no one told us to "SHUSH!" this time.



I would like to take this opportunity to clarify something I mentioned a few days ago. Chris W. did not, in fact, actually propose to Melanie; he just bought her a nice shiny ring but never actually popped the question. Chris W. would also like me to mention that he's very romantic and that you can indeed be engaged without asking your partner to marry you or having an impending wedding of any sort. This is, of course, the same man who last night shouted out "Jack! If you can hear us, lift up your ponytail!!" really loudly in a large crowd.

Wednesday 5 November 2003

hours of amusement



Thanks to Chris G. for passing this URL around work today. Build your own warning/safety sign!



Tuesday 4 November 2003

bits



For today's limited attention span-inflicted society, I will present today's blog entry in short bullet point form. Feel free to watch commercials in between reading bullet points.



  • Highlight of my day: Many thanks to Pete, who was genuinely surprised to learn that I'm over 30. Or at least he seemed genuinely surprised.

  • Ooooh shiny: Melanie's got a beautiful new ring, thanks to Chris who finally proposed and splashed out for a lovely, sparkly piece of jewelry. Very jealous, me.

  • You know you're getting broody when: Your friend's baby dribbles and you think it's really cute, and/or, you pass around your friend's baby's little boot going "awwwwwwww".

  • Best costume award: My Mom said that she had a kid come to her door on Halloween with a bag on his head like the Unknown Comic (is anyone else old enough to remember "The Gong Show"?).

  • Silly question award: Whilst lying on a table half naked with 8 acupuncture needles protruding from my back, the osteopath asks, "Are you comfortable?"

  • Stay tuned: Fireworks pictures and perhaps a short mpeg or two from Guy Fawkes night coming soon!

Saturday 1 November 2003

maybe they'll get the hang of it one day







I bought way, way too many chocolate bars, especially considering the fact that our doorbell rang a grand total of three times last night. Trick or treating is a relatively new concept here, and I think the spirit and excitement of Halloween that we experienced as kids hasn't quite made it across the pond yet. The first lot of kids consisted of three children with felt pumpkin masks and one small child not dressed up at all, but they did think our pumpkin was cool. The second kid was a little girl dressed as a witch with her mum (also dressed as a witch), who had the life scared out of her when Jasper came bounding out the door. When I gave her a handful of candy, she looked at the package of jelly babies amongst the goodies I just gave her and said "I don't like these." Ah, kids. The third lot of kids were two girls in skull masks (you may have noticed that the English concept of dressing up for Halloween is limited to ghosts, goblins, witches, and the like) who barely mumbled thanks when they walked away. There was a distinct sense of apathy, almost like these kids were forced to haul themselves around the neighbourhood by irate parents who wanted an evening alone. There was no sense of fun or that excitement of getting another handful of chocolate. There were no laughing children running around the streets comparing their loot and telling their friends which houses were giving out the good stuff (or warning them about the houses that were giving out healthy things like fruit or dental floss). No one had a pumpkin on their doorstep except for us.



Considering all the Halloween-related items that have been in all the shops lately, I was a bit surprised that this Halloween thing hasn't caught on that much. I knew that trick or treating hasn't been a tradition here, but seeing all the costumes and decorations in the shops made me think that maybe it was becoming more popular. Perhaps bonfire night overshadows this North American import, and kids experience the same fun and excitement on Guy Fawkes night instead.



Well, at least my workmates will be pleased to see all the leftovers in the kitchen on Monday.