What a busy life!

Me, well not really. Yes and no.  Quite different to living in London - dinners out, birthday drinks, random drinks, random events, bands, quick catch ups, concerts, theatre, birthday dinners, celebrity sightings, opera, ballet, parades; all in any one week and any day of the week. 

Even a run home was an adventure; through St James's park, wave to the Queen at Buckingham palace, up Pall Mall, across Regent street or near Leceister Square, past Oxford street, up Tottenham court road to either Warren street station or if I had the energy just that bit further to Euston station - toot toot. 

Here, well Monday night, Anne is over for a walk and dinner - we're well fed here, Mark has all his tools and has gone cook book crazy.  Then Tuesdays is quiet night, or gym night...though the gym, well lets not talk about the gym, it makes me grumpy . 

Wednesday night can get busy, usually its pub night, or if Dad is home he is over for more of Marks fabulous cookery, and of course my amazing desserts.  Seriously nobody does Tiramisu like me (ummm. ok maybe Cristina....but she is Italian). At the moment its puppy school night.  Thursday is usually quiet, again meant to be gym night, but alas we've usually been up to something.  Fridays, footy night, night with Matt, Emma and Scott or lazy take away night (again this doesn't help my paunch), but lately its been going out to dinner night. 

Saturday nights...zzzzzzzzz, well pretty quiet unusually so, for us....

BUT that will change when the weather is warmer. Fortunately we don't have long to wait, it is July, almost August, September will bring the warmer days and then....well it will be warm right through till at least the end of April.  So I will gloat here now that I will enjoy and do very much enjoy the warm and sunshine that I will be blessed with...for 7 months of the year.  This is to make up for the very different lifestyle that I now lead, by choice and I am glad that I am being kept busy. 

Its only been 4 months back, I am allowed to grieve a little, mainly for those dear that I leave behind, but sadly I was always going to leave them. Boo hoo.  Anyway, as I say, its not bad...its just different.

Amazing BB

And what she made me, check out the link.  I love my Lavender bags! Thanks BB

http://www.makemeonebernieb.com/2010/04/for-the-smell-of-it/

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye...

It's been said before, but its now really true.
That time, to go, that time has come.
My, oh my, wow how the time did fly,
Life has certainly swished on by.

It's been a blast, we've travelled far, and travelled wide,
so long as it was on the European side.
We worked hard in London, then spent our days and much of our nights,
booking plenty of dates, exhibitions, so many shows and cheap flights!

We've made amazing new friends, some mates for life,
which made it more special, more fun and more homely.
Though it makes it harder to leave,
and we'll certainly grieve!

It's been four years, four crazy odd years,
so much has happened, including some tears.
We've broken up, saw all that through, then later started fresh together anew,
but, sadly some tears were because, I lost my beautiful Mum too.

God rest her soul, she always said, "Do what makes you happy..."
So I always will, we're soldiering on, oh Mum and this ones for you.
The travels continued, as did the fun time,
oh and the dining, the food's been sublime.

We've travelled light, then heavier with arms fit to drop,
as heaven knows, you know, I really do like to shop.
We've seen London, Greece, Gent, Dublin, Paris, Edinburgh, Croatia, Turkey
Bratislava, Delft, Madrid, Sevilla, Salzburg, Vienna ..... are you bored yet.

The travel list it was long, and it was never wrong.
Our world its too wonderful, there is too much to see.
We only live once, and three lifetimes I'd need,
to squeeze it all in, so enough done, home bounds we speed.

This chapter is closing, such amazing moments been had,
especially in August with time spent with my Dad.
I will always be glad that I have had this opportunity,
a thank you to my husband, and to British immigration consent.

When all is said and done, my word Qantas never got it wrong,
and just like that famous song,
We still call Australia home,
so in sunshine, with family, that's really where we have to be!

Oh MY GOD!

I am so behind on here, totally sorry, but I have just been enjoying myself in Egypt with Mark for the last 10 days. No laptop was taken, no mobiles were on. Bliss. Back to usual on here soon I hope but I have a whirlwind of a week or so ahead with the dwindling of days that are leading me back to Australia. Sigh.

Ps saw Kylie Minogue tonight at Miss Polly Rae's Hurley Burley burlesque show, and I had better seats than Miss Minogue. Oh and Boy George was there too. Show was brilliant, couldn't have been better if Dita herself was there, though would have loved to see the act with the champage glass.

My Phone Envy

It seems the i-phone is now the toy of choice, and I want one. Why? Because everyone else does and its JUST not fair *stamp feet and pout* that I don't. I even had a bit of phone envy on friday night as Brien, Amy and then Mike, had their toys out comparing the latest free application they have downloaded for their phones, on their incredibly cheap all inclusive plans.

Mike, Brien and Amy with their I-Phones

I know it should be that a phone is a phone. You pick it up, press buttons and call someone, chat and hang up. Yes... No.... Then there is texting. You pick it up, press buttons, then a few more and voila you have text someone. You put phone down and await a reply. Yes... No... Its so much more than that.

There is an application to help you randomly decide where to eat, you get Facebook, free internet, apps to play old fashioned Atari games, YouTube, apps to know where to stand on the tube so your right near the exits. Yes, incredibly nerdy. BUT I WANT ONE *red face, fists banging floor*. Sigh.

Worst thing, the other morning a girl on the tube was taping away furiously on her Blackberry (really I am not going there on my want of the NEW purple Blackberry), me slightly jealous. THEN she pops that away and whips out her I-phone. Grr now have serious phone envy issues.

Maybe when I am back in Australia... *sigh, further sigh and big tut and huff*.

Photo of the Day No.31 - So Long Farewell....Tufnell Park

The last photo of us at our flat in Tufnell Park, just minutes from leaving, our mini cab is in the drive behind us. We now live in Bush Hill Park, quite North but still in London!

Photo of the Day No.30 - Happy Engagement

Congratulations to our friends Alex and Dan on their engagement!!

(The end of the friendship....the beginning of something so much better)

Photo of the Day No 28 & 29 - Moving ... yes again!

What can I say for 2 days I lived with STUFF, lots of STUFF. We've already shipped 25 boxes home, so said STUFF, where it came from I don't know. Thank heavens most of this was given away as its not coming with us, to our new place, or home to Australia. Whew.

Photo of the Day No.27 - Julie

Mark and I had dinner with Julie and her new husband James at Le Bouchon Breton in Spitalfields Markets London. We have been friends for nearly 4 years and this was our last dinner together before we go home. Boo hoo.

Photo of the Day No.26 - A Little Piece of Australia

Attached to me for today... Happy Australia Day everyone !!

Happy Australia Day....from London for the last time!

Today is one of the most favoured days of the year, especially if you're actually in Australia. We get the day off there, but not here. However to make it more special as we have to work by doing Australian things.

Getting it ready...note the fairy dust (key ingredient)

Last night I made ANZAC cookies (last year I at about 11pm endeavoured to make Lamingtons, a great feat I tell you) which are nice and easy to make, well sort of. In my case difficult purely because I thought I got a few of the measurements wrong especially as I have an Australian recipe with metric measurements, imperial kitchen jugs (no spoons or scoops) and the scales are my luggage scales!!!

And the photos tell the tale!

Me doing cooking....yes really..I can follow a recipe!!!

Ready to go in the oven...

Today at work a few of the team made the epic, but required, annual trek to the Covent Garden Australia Shop for supplies. We had pizza shapes, BBQ shapes, Cheese & Bacon shapes, cheese Twisties, Violet crumble, Picnics, Tim Tams, and some Cherry Ripes, so quite a feast really.

The very busy Walkabout and the queue round the block

Tonight we headed to the Walkabout, a much packed Walkabout, the queue was rediculous, but at least we went for a little whiel. The entertainment that was the drunken Aussies (and generally Kiwi's too) who had been in there since lunchtime, dressed as yobbos, and you have to be one to dress as one and they were!!

My team at work; Brien, Amy, Matt, Jessie who is new (she has a cool French accent as she is from Maruitus) and me.

If we'd been a little later we'd have seen them try to belt out Aussie tunes on the Karaoke stage, it was extremely funny last year. Oh and I have a little Australian Flag on my arm for good measure, as you can see;
Me with my tattoo...

Next year, I get the day off, so BBQ, lammies, snacks, and drinks at my place.... yippee!

Photo of the Day No.25 - Anzac Buscuits

These are the easiest buscuits ever to make, even without the correct measuring tools I still managed to make them tasty. They are called ANZAC buscuits because they Australian wives, mothers and sister used to make them and ship them over to the ANZAC soldiers in Gallipoli and on the Western front during the WWI. Of course you knew that ... !

Photo of the Day No.24 - Marvellous Maristela

Mari was my model for the day, I am brushing up on my portrait photography and we headed over to Leadenhall Markets to take some photos. Mari brought out the portrait photographer in me, and I the supermodel in her. This is just one of my favs.

Photo of the Day No.23 - The Randomness of London

Excuse the bluriness, was not prepared and didn't have time to get my proper camera out. This was taken near Cornhill and Leadenhall streets, no spectators, no cameras, no signs, just a marching band passing through the streets with these little old men at the back, one with an Aussie flag and one with a Kiwi flag. Why? Well me thinks for Australia day, but we may never know.

The windy theatre production....Chicago

Tonight I took myself off to see Chicago, as I was only requiring a ticket for one. Not a nerd, just decided I want to see it and if I had to wait for someone else who wanted to go, hadn't already seen it and was available with cash to go when I wanted to as well I may never have seen it. Certainly not with the limited time I have left!

I think I did quite well securing myself a centre seat in the top balcony for £18, no complaints for me when full priced I'd be looking at £50 plus, and I got upgraded to the next level down when I got there too.

It was a bit of a night in for me really, I had a glass of wine, got comfy and waited for the scantily clad (read why I cannot understand why Mark didn't want to see it) show to begin. The Cambridge theatre itself, is the youngest theatre in London, only opening in the 1930's and having fully been restored in the 1990's. Apparently its one of the prettiest...least to say it is not. It got an Art Deco feel but its almost non-existent.

Anyway the show was great, lots of singing, a bit of dancing, and it was quite cool what they were able to do with minimum props and no set or outfit changes...bar a few shoes and choice jackets. The hot guys doing the dancing was particularly good, definitely getting my fair share of hot men viewing at the moment.

I have to say my favourite was the husband Amos Hart, who did a great rendition of Mr Cellophane, but the gorgeous burlesque feathered fans for the entrance and exit of Mr Billy Flynn, who only cares about money was a lot of fun to watch too. The Roxie was actually the original Roxie from the original show when it started at the Aldwych Theatre near the Strand.

And that was that...I was home tucked up on the couch by 8pm that evening, so it really was like a trip to the movies...oh without the popcorn.

Photo of the Day No.22 - Chicago

"I know a Girl", who is "A Little Bit of Good" and a little bit of "Class" and she has a "Funny Honey" who she said is "All I care about". She could do a "Tap Dance" and the "Cell Block Tango", but she cried ok "I'll be good to Mama", but "I can't do it alone", it will be better if its"Me and My Baby"! It was so "Razzle Dazzle" and "All that Jazz"!

Photo of the Day No.21 - Alas this is beyond exciting....

But, we move out next week and our cupboard is a little full...sort of. However, despite that this photo will remind me of the yummy food...hummm the Dorset porridge...Bistro gravey...um no it will just remind me that I should have eaten this long ago!

Personal Space people....get your own!

Riding the tube around London can be traumatic at the best of times, for multiple reasons, such as over crowding, its usually too hot, tourists, people who insist on getting on before others get off, rucksack wielding people, loud headphone music, weird people, people who smell (various combinations of people who are weird, smell, are loud and look funny), and of course summer under-arm nose-stuck-in syndrome. However, most...most... of the above doesn't bother me, but people in MY SPACE does.

I don't require much space and am not greedy about the space, in fact am usually the one willing to dive head first, screaming "pretend your a sardine" onto a rush hour am train. Seated though, now seated is a different story. When you have one of those coveted plushy velvety seats, that is your own 40 square centimetres of commuting heaven - foot area and head space included. Once I get this space and I find I become more territorial than a swan with cygnets!

I am not greedy about it either, as a reader I like to tuck my arms back but inside of the armrests. I willingly give my fellow commuters full armrest usage, are they grateful, mostly yes I would say. I keep my bags under my feet or on my lap.

So when you get the wide legged womb envy men or the squash bits with leg up men, you suddenly lose leg room. Me Peeved - indeed.

Then there are the, just how much more than over the arm rest can I go, you can almost read the thought bubble above their head as their elbows dig deeper into your arm. These people - oh yes women and men, young and old - get my bag pushed ever so politely up to the armrest to redefine the boundary of the armrest. The newspaper encroaching sorts; "ooops", up goes my book right into their paper, no "oh sorry" needed on my behalf, clearly their paper shouldn't have been there. The loud music players, staring them out works a treat, doesn't usually take them too long to work out why I am staring.

Am I insane, nope, just a normal commuter attempting to do so in peace in guidance with polite tube etiquette, that fortunately around 90% of people abide by. I just wish that such un-written etiquette, such common sense, would prevail for that 10% of people who lack, common sense.

Gone for a Walk - Hyde Park

A couple taking a lazy sunday stroll on the Serpentine

Building reflection in the ICE...on the Serpentine

Me in the Italianate Gardens

Mark, the ever reluctant photo subject in the Italianate Gardens

Swans, and lots of them

A cute... if that is possible Canada Goose

They're prepared this year!

This was simply the most massive Swan I have seen, its a bit hard to tell here though

Kensington Road, with the classic British phone boxes

Gloucester Road Tube station with the old Metropolitan Railway signage.

Wanted gorgeous gals to drool over SEXY Male Swans

That was me, Jade and Shauna, and drool we did, the principal dancer was a hottie, especially in shiny black leather when he is the stranger in Act 3. There are no words to describe, just subtle groans and lip licking all round...mmm mmm.

We sat 3 rows from the front and were delighted in the fact that we could hear every step, see every wobble, every muscle ripple, every rivulet of sweat, oh and the smell. Yes, but it wasn't bad, it was all baby powder to make them white for swans.

Photo from the Internet....Swans...

Aside from the hot muscly guys in the Swan scenes, the show it self was extremely modern and actually terrifically funny in some places, particularly the dancer who was the girlfriend. We got the giggles, she was so funny. I won't give anymore away, you'll just have to go and see for yourself.

The Matthew Bourne, Swan Lake at Sadler's Wells of course!
Jade and I with birthday cocktails for Jade
Me, with Jade and Shauna
My Russian doll, Olga...I named her just then... who contains 5 other ladies, Aleksandra, Helga, Irina, Mischa and Nadja from Jade's Russian Xmas and New Year