Keith's Job

Several people have asked how my new job is going, so I thought I was overdue for another blog post.  I started work as Legal Advisor at FDM Group Ltd on April 6 (www.fdmgroup.com).  Since I was out of an office job for about seven months, it was quite difficult to get back in the swing of things, but here are the highlights of my first few weeks.

Keith's First Day of Work

First of all, FDM is located in Brighton so I can actually walk to work.  Coming from Texas which is too big to walk anywhere, that’s pretty cool huh?  Well, that’s what I thought . . . until I pulled my hamstring trying to out walk an eastern European looking woman on my first day of “commuting” to the office.  So, Lesson #1 learned:   There is no pride lost in stretching before heading out the door in the morning for my rather difficult 15 minute walk.
Secondly, I have welcomed back a great friend of mine called Carnation Instant Breakfast.  Some people know that beginning when I was in elementary school, my mom got me addicted to the creamy, chocolaty breakfast drink.   When we moved to England I quickly figured out that you can’t buy CIB over here.  Fortunately, we have nice family members who have regularly supplied a stash to allow me to support my habit.  For you to get a grasp of how much CIB has been a part of my life, I estimate that I have consumed almost 10,000 CIB packets!  I figure to pass the 10,000 mark sometime later this year.   Lesson #2 learned:  Don’t allow family members to drink CIB when it is on short supply.  Lesson #2a learned:  I don’t have a problem, I can quit whenever I want.

Third, my face hurts.  I hadn’t shaved on back to back days since we moved here in August.  Since I am half Lebanese and, therefore, can look like a terrorist in about 36 hours, having to shave every weekday is quite an adjustment.  Lesson #3 learned:  Don’t buy cheap shaving cream.

Lastly, one unexpected and rather enjoyable benefit to working so close to home is that I can walk home during lunchtime to meet Michelle while the girls are in school.  I’m sure some of you might know where I’m going with this (especially the men), but you know what that means I get—that’s right, I get to eat leftovers for lunch.  Lesson #4 learned:  Each week all couples should try to eat leftovers at least three times during the noon hour and a few times in the evening . . . if you know what I mean.

Oh yeah, and one other thing—work is going fine.

Keith

Easter Break

Sutton and Sloane have had the past two weeks off for their Easter break, and the weather has been absolutely beautiful the entire time.  It has been sunny and relatively warm with no rain in sight.  Sadly, Keith started his new job just about the time the girls got out of school, so we have hung around Brighton and tried not to have too much fun without Keith.

The girls spent most of their first week off hanging out with friends on play dates, sleepovers and even a birthday party.  I even talked the girls into helping me clean the church one day (fun vacation, right?). 

We were supposed to go with our friends the Houses to Hever Castle before they left for Spring Harvest, but Sutton had a birthday party to go to so we postponed our day-trip until the next week.  Instead we went into town with Julie and Michael to one of our favorite places - Krispy Kreme.  After our doughnuts, we wandered around town doing a little shopping.  We made it home just in time to get Sutton to her birthday party.

Because we had so much fun at the beach before, we went back last Sunday after church.  It was definitely more crowded, and we had to go down further closer to Shoreham.  I took the girls back again last Tuesday, and it was perfect.  We took a packed lunch with us and stayed the entire afternoon.  I am not sure who enjoyed it more, the girls or Lucy.

 

On Wednesday, we went to visit Hever Castle with our friends Michael and Julie House.  Hever Castle is the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, and it has amazing gardens.  It is about an hour away, so we left in the morning and made a day of it.  Once again, we had beautiful weather, so we enjoyed a packed lunch on the beautiful grounds.  The Houses have a really nice camera that Sloane some how commandeered from them, so she was the "official" photographer for the day.  I think Julie told me Sloane took around 200 pictures.  At least she was entertained, and she didn't break their camera.  Now Sloane wants to buy her own camera, so she is checking out Gumtree for good deals. 

I did finally get that daffodil picture!

We have had a super-busy Easter weekend, so I will have to save that for another blog post.

Heat Wave Weekend

The Argus, our local paper, reported yesterday that we were having a mini heat wave.  This totally cracks me up because the high yesterday was 55 degrees.  I guess it does feel like a heat wave compared to the cold, dreary winter we have had, so whatever you want to call it, I like it.

It was so beautiful yesterday we decided to (finally) go to the beach for the day.  We packed a picnic lunch and headed down to the beach around noon.  The sun was shining, so even though it was only in the 50's, it was warm enough to lie in the sun and catch some rays.  After lunch, the wind picked up and it was a little chilly, but at least it wasn't scorching like a day on a Texas beach.  I could have stayed there doing nothing all day.

This morning I got up early and went with my friend Julie to watch her husband Michael run the Brighton Marathon.  Three guys from our church, Michael, John and Ron, were all running the marathon for the first time, so we went to support them all.  This is the second year for the Brighton Marathon and about 15,000 people ran.  Unlike most of our spread out point-to-point races the marathon here was a lot of out and backs in a pretty condensed area, so it made it easy to see our friends a lot during the day.

The highlight of the marathon for me happened before the race even started.  While Julie and I were at Preston Park (the starting line) before the race, I saw a man in a suit with an ornate gold chain around him.  I asked Julie what in the world that man was wearing, and she told me he was the mayor.  I had to get a picture with the mayor, so I sort of inched over by the mayor while Julie snapped a quick picture.  Unfortunately, the mayor's "handler" busted Julie, and he asked her if she had taken a picture.  We both thought Julie was about to get her camera confiscated, but instead he asked us if we wanted a proper picture with the mayor.  I was all over that, and here is the best picutre ever.  This one might be a framer.

Michael ran a great race, and he finished right around his goal time (which was excellent considering how hot is was today).  To celebrate we went with Julie and Michael to dinner at Woodies which is an American diner.  Even though Michael was the only one who earned it, we all stuffed ourselves full of burgers, fries, onion rings and Jones Sodas.  It was the perfect way to end a great weekend!

Spring Flowers

It was sunny outside today, so I decided to do a little yard work.  Here is a before and after picture of our garden.

Before

After

I know, it is impressive.  Those were some pesky weeds.

Looking on the bright side, at least I can say that I didn't have to mow the yard, but I actually enjoy mowing the yard (even when it is really hot outside).  I am just strange that way.

Here is a picture of the roses blooming at our house in Austin this week (thanks for the pics Ryan).

Our Back Fence

The Arbor

Spring is one of my favorite times of the year, and I loved it when all the Lady Banks roses were blooming in our backyard.  It doesn't last long, but it is amazing while it lasts.

I can already tell Spring is going to be even more amazing here.  The flowers are just now starting to bloom.  All of the bulbs have come up, and there are bright clumps of daffodils growing everywhere.  They are in parks, people's yards and even on the side of the roads.  They grow around town this time of year sort of like bluebonnets do at home in Texas.

Roadside Daffodils

The girls should be glad I haven't made them take daffodil pictures like I used to make them take bluebonnet pictures.  Sutton especially hated bluebonnet pictures (remember she doesn't really like taking pictures).  Here is one of our bluebonnet pictures taken last Spring.

Bluebonnets at LHC





I know the girls look happy, but it was a painful process trying to get this picture.  I am not sure it would be worth it trying to get a good daffodil picture.  We will see.





Spring Is In the Air

It is with great joy that I welcome back my old friend the sun.  I don't want to jinx it or anything, but the sun has actually been shining for several days in a row.  Yesterday I was even able to walk the dog to the park without wearing a coat (not to mention a hat and gloves).  It brings tears to my eyes to think this long, cold, dreary English Winter might be almost over, so now we can welcome beautiful Spring.

This past weekend was beautiful, so it was really hard to spend most of the day indoors.  Saturday was a clear-out day at Florence Road.  We set aside a day to try to clean and clear out the church, so it will be ready and looking good for our big One Church launch at Easter.  Everyone who showed up to help pitched in cleaning, clearing, sorting, dusting, hoovering, polishing and planting. 

Florence Road Baptist Church

Sunday was another busy day at church.  After the service everyone stayed for a Bring and Share lunch.  It was a very Baptist affair where everyone signed up to bring a dish (salad, quiche, bread, dessert, etc.) that they shared with everyone else.  Over 100 people stayed for lunch, so we had a really big crowd.  Amazingly, we had enough food for everyone.  It was nice to see people from Gloucester Place and Florence Road all mixed together and enjoying a meal together.



The Food Line



Sloane and her Peeps

Sutton and Her Peeps

Hall Full of Hungry Eaters

After lunch several of us walked down to Preston Park to try to work off our meal and to enjoy the beautiful weather.  The park was packed (obviously everyone else has missed the sun also).  We walked through the park and stopped on the grass at the cricket field.  Someone had brought a football (soccer ball for my American friends), so we had a quick pick-up game for fun.

Walkers at Preston Park

Football in the Park

More Football Action

After we finally got home on Sunday it was time for some NCAA tournament games.  It has been so great getting all the basketball games on ESPN America, and the first rounds were brilliant because the games came on early enough that we didn't have to stay up all night to watch them.  We have the family bracket challenge going on again this year with my family, and we even have a One Church bracket with a couple of our church friends.  Can't wait for the Sweet Sixteen this weekend!

Spring Half Term Break

Sutton and Sloane had their Spring half-term break a couple of weeks ago.  In the UK the school year is broken into 3 terms, and you get a week off for a half-term break in the middle of each term.  It was a little early for the typical Spring Break we are used to at home, but it was nice to sleep late all week and hang out.

We also got ourselves together enough to make a couple of day trips.  On Monday of that week, we made a road trip to Stonhenge and Salisbury Cathedral.  Keith did an excellent job of navigating the thousands of roundabouts we had to drive through on the way to Stonehenge (it felt very National Lampoon's European Vacation - "Look kids, Big Ben, Parliament"), and it took us about 2 hours to drive there.

It was FREEZING (no surprise there) on the big open plain surrounding Stonehenge.  Luckily, it didn't rain until later in the day, so at least we weren't cold and wet.  Before we left the house, like the good mother that I am, I made a big deal about the girls grabbing all their cold weather items (hats, gloves, scarves).  When we were getting out of the car, I asked Sloane where her coat was.  She told me that she didn't bring it because I forgot to remind her.  Seriously, I didn't think I needed to actually say that out loud - seemed a little obvious to me.  Needless to say, Sloane froze in her sweatshirt, but she didn't get a lot of sympathy from me.

For some reason Sutton did not want us to take any pictures of her.  She really doesn't ever like to have her picture taken, but not taking pictures at Stonehenge just wasn't an option.  This of course led to tears and very annoyed parents, but we all pulled through in the end.  Despite the cold and the brief photo drama, we all enjoyed Stonehenge.  I was the only one who had been there before, and it was actually better than I remembered it.  I think that you are able to get closer now than 15 years ago when I last visited. 

After visiting Stonehenge, we went to the nearby city of Salisbury.  We walked through town and found a place to eat and warm up.  After refueling, we headed to Salisbury Cathedral.  The cathedral has Britain's tallest spire and the best preserved of only four original Magna Cartas.  It was really beautiful, and surprisingly, we all enjoyed our visit to the cathedral also.  I think the highlight of the trip for the girls happened when we were leaving town.  On our way back to the car, we passed a shop called Cupcake Heaven, so we got some amazing cupcakes for the road.

On Wednesday, we had good intentions of going walking on the beach in Brighton, but the weather just didn't cooperate.  As usual, it was cold and wet.  Instead we went down to the Marina and had lunch and looked around at some of the shops.  We felt good that we had at least made the effort to get out of the house on such a dreary day.

On Thursday we got a train to London and went to see the Tower of London, and it ended up being a beautiful, sunny day.  The Tower was a little crowded because it was a school holiday, but we were able to see all the things we wanted.  We were able to take a tour with one of the Beefeaters, and we saw the Crown Jewels.  After lunch, we headed over to the National Gallery.  We saw all of the "must see" paintings by Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Monet, Cezanne and Michaelangelo.  We also went outside and hung out in Trafalgar Square until it was time for dinner. 

Like our last visit to London, we went back to eat at Wahaca.  It is a Mexican food restaurant in Covent Garden that is actually really good.  It is the closest thing to real Mexican food we have found in the UK, so we just keep going back.  It wil have to hold us until we get home this summer for some real Tex Mex.

Super Bowl in the UK

Last night we experienced our first Super Bowl in England, and I am going to be paying for it all week.  Our friend Bob Hartman was in town staying with us again, and he is from Pittsburgh.  Needless to say, he is a huge Steelers fan, so we knew we would all be staying up to watch the game.

We thought about actually having a Super Bowl Party, but it is hard to be too festive when the game starts at 11:30pm.  We did invite another American from our church, Steven, who is from N.C. and who manages the new Hollister here in Brighton, but he had to be at work at 6:30am the next morning.  Unless it is your team playing, it is hard to be that dedicated.  I wasn't sure I would make it the whole game, but I was willing to give it a shot. 

Everyone knows that one of the most important parts of the Super Bowl is the food, but it is a challenge to think of snacks that sound good that late at night.  I decided to make The Pioneer Woman's Mexican Layer Dip, and we ended up eating it around midnight.

• I must take a minute to diverge from my story to pledge my love and devotion to Ree Drummond - The Pioneer Woman.  If you have never heard of  her, click on the link above RIGHT NOW and check out the Pioneer Woman's Cooking Blog.  Ree is a big-city girl who now lives on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma, and all of her step-by-step recipes use simple ingredients that I can actually (usually) get here in England.  I have Ree's cookbook, but I love reading her blog because she is hilarious and her food is yummy!

OK, back to the Super Bowl...the dip was a hit, and it wasn't too terrible that late at night.  Even though the Steelers didn't look good there for a while, we all had a feeling they were going to make a comeback.  Bob did his best to rally the team by waving his "Terrible Towel" (a very nice Big Ben version by the way), and it looked like it was going to work there for a while.  Unfortunately, I could only make it through the third quarter - 2:30am was my limit.  Keith and Bob actually made it until the end of the game (around 3:15am).  That is dedication.

Getting up to get the girls to school was extremely difficult this morning.  I decided to go back to bed for just a few minutes, and I ended up falling back to sleep until 11:00.  Even with that extra sleep, I am dragging today.  It feels a little bit like the time I took Sutton to see the midnight showing of Harry Potter.  It really did take me a week to catch up on my sleep - I think that is a sign of getting old.  We will see if it really does take me all week to recover this time.