39 Sleeps....

until I, yours truly, will be at the home of Downton Abbey (aka Highclere Castle!)

*S-Q-U-E-A-K*

Words don't exist for how ridiculously excited I am. The countdown is on people!

One more Sleep until all things Royal

This time tomorrow I will be en route to Buckingham Palace to gawp at the Royal Wedding Dress and no doubt squeal in delight.

If that wasn't enough, there will be a side visit to the Tower of London (one of my favourite places) to show Mum the Crown Jewels.

A totally fantastic day and I cannot wait!

£13.35 .... and so it starts

The "Credit Crunch" sucks. Big time. There is story after heartbreaking story of job losses, companies closing and repossessed houses going up for sale. And as much as my heart breaks for everyone suffering, truly suffering, in this global recession, I am counting my blessings.

I have a home to call my own (well I think only the hallway belongs to me and the rest to the bank!), a job that pays the bills, friends and family who love me and I'm living in a country I love (not to mention I am still high on the Royal Wedding).

That being said, I travel. That's who I am. It's what drives me. It's my passion. I've been really lucky to have gone back home (all 11,000 miles away) as well as undertake a Deep South Heartbreak Tour for my Aunt to recover from a nasty divorce but I've not chosen a holiday for myself. One I am desperate to go on.

And so it brings me to today. Firstly I realised I've not sweated and saved then hopped on a 'plane to see my friends in the US (and some awesome country music shows) for a while. In fact for the duration of the time I've been in this job. Over two years!

That, my friends, in itself is unacceptable. (Although it may take the US two years to recover from one of those trips!)

Once that thought took seed, we entered the danger phase. The impulsive-but-I-wanna-travel phase. And before I knew it, I was googling Mohegan Sun just to see who was performing.

I'll only say four words. Chris Young. 4th June.
An idea was borne.

Since I couldn't afford to go for this show (believe me I checked!) and as airlines don't take IOUs, the Get-Her-to-the-Sun plan of action has commenced.

Rooting through my cupboards, I found a silver boot-shaped money box. Perfect. Next stop, hangbag and out comes the purse. Like a 5-year-old, pennies were a-flying as I emptied everything and started counting.

My friends, I have £13.35 starting my Chris Young Summer 2012 Concert Wish. Unfortunately I realise loose change just isn't going to cut it .... and regrettably I see a lot of homebrand baked beans in my future. But it'll be worth it. Friends. Sunshine. Country Music. I am already smiling.



Day One. £13.35.

Travel Insurance for Canadians

One of my dearest friends, Sherry (based in Ayr, Ontario) has started her own business selling Travel Insurance (for Canadians only at this stage).

She used to sell Insurance through a Company but has decided to go out on her own (good for her!) She's honest, hard-working and reliable, not to mention a total sweetheart.

The details I've got from her follow (if any Canadian chums out there are interested):

Ayr Travel Insurance

Phone: (519) 584-4290

Email: ayrtravel@sympatico.ca

I work for a Travel Insurance Broker. We have access to shop around to provide our clients with the best insurance coverage possible.

Weʼll work with them to make sure that current and/or future medical conditions are covered under the policy they purchase. Weʼll also help them find the best value for their insurance dollar.

The company I'm affiliated with is called: Snowbird Medi-Quote and they are located out of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Their website is: www.mediquote.ca I am a broker with them.

I wish her the best of luck!

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

Take me out to the ball game.

Take me out with the crowd.

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,

I don't care if I never get back.

Let me root, root, root for the home team,

If they don't win it's a shame.

For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out

At the old ball game!

If you had told me a month ago that I'd be sitting here looking up baseball scores and recording Major League games (shown at 1am here in England), I would have called you mad (and probably stopped returning your calls) yet here I am....

Addicted to baseball.
In love with the game.

Two and a half weeks ago I found myself sitting in the stands of a minor league baseball game in Worcester, Massachusetts oblivious to what was about to happen to me. I didn't know the rules and was there more for the experience of something so quintessentially American than rooting for the home team / gripped by the outcome.

My American chums explained the basic rules before the game got underway and I was immediately impressed by how strategic it was. (I blush to say that I assumed baseball was rather simple and could be b... b... boring!)

Within moments I was hooked. It's a fantastically fun game! The suspense. Drama. Action. I was on the edge of my seat!!!

It was so wonderfully blissful to sit outside in the sun for HOURS watching this American past-time. It was also such a family-friendly environment and I knew immediately how it has become so woven into the American lifestyle. My only surprise was how it had taken me so long to "discover" this gem! The whole experience was one of bliss.

The game I watched was Worcester Tornadoes vs Nashua Pride and I really have to commend the Tornadoes on the "show" they put on. Not only did the baseball team come back from being down and clinch a thrilling victory but the support staff (Peterman, Twister etc) kept the crowd entertained during the innings and we were all rewarded with a fantastic fireworks display afterwards. We definitely got value for money!

So here I am - learning what I can about the game and following (albeit via the internet) the highs and lows of my new "home" team, the Tornadoes. They may not top the league but what I do know for sure is that my next trip to America will involve some minor league baseball.

Awful, Beautiful Life

Lately Darryl Worley's song, "Awful, Beautiful Life" seems to just cover it all.

I love this crazy, tragic,

Sometimes almost magic,

Awful, beautful life

I laid in bed that night and thought about the day

And how my life is like a roller coaster ride

The ups and downs and crazy turns along the way

It'll throw you off if you don't hold on tight

You can't really smile until you've shed some tears

I could die today or I might live on for years

I love this crazy, tragic,

Sometimes almost magic,

Awful, beautful life

It's a wild ride, that's for sure.

In a nutshell ..

• My cousin gave us all a real scare. A stomach ulcer burst and left him fighting for his life. Fortunately he has received the best possible care and despite giving us another scare (when the cauterised ulcer continued to bleed without anyone knowing), he's stable and getting better.
• I've applied for another job - a job I really want. And although I am being really positive, focussed and using all that Law of Attraction gumph, I also believe if it doesn't happen, then that's also for the best. It's now a waiting game. And a game of Faith that everything will unfold as it should.
• Poor Clive, my old car, went for his roadworthy test (MOT) so I could sell him on .... and failed. Poor Clive. Bye bye Clive.
• I was still able to sell him (for coppers) as "scrap" so not all was lost.
• Two weeks tomorrow and I am leaving ... on a jet plane ... don't know when I'll be back again. OK that part's not true, I land back in England on 1st August! But it's only two weeks until I head to Boston, Massachusetts for a week long holiday with some wonderful friends. There's two concerts and lots of shopping planned.
• And finally, my nerves are STILL shot after the Rafa / Roger Final at Wimbo. What a fantastic, tense, crazy tennis match. And since I adore Rafa, it really was the icing on the cake to see him walk away with the trophy.

I thought I'd share just a couple of the songs I am LOVING right now (all non-country):

• Take a Bow ~ Rihanna
• Warwick Avenue ~ Duffy
• No Air ~ Jordan Sparks ft. Chris Brown
• Violet Hill ~ Coldplay
• Love Song ~ Sara Bareilles
• If I Never See Your Face Again ~ Maroon 5 ft. Rihanna
• Closer ~ Ne-Yo
• All Summer Long ~ Kid Rock
• Photography ~ Nickleback

Weekend in Brussels

Jo, Marleen and me in front of the Atomium

The Grand-Place

The Grand-Place from another angle

The Western Shop in Brussels!

The famous "Pissing Boy"

Since it’s Friday and it’s already been a chaotic morning (I came into to find the alarm blaring … and no one knows the code!!!) I thought I would FINALLY share some pictures I took of our fun and fantastic weekend in Brussels.

Fun and fantastic is a pretty good way to describe it. I had never been to Brussels before and I really liked it. It’s unlike anywhere I’ve been before … that, or it’s like a lot of places I’ve been before but all put in one spot. It’s very contemporary, Parisian, stark ….. everything! My head was on a constant swivel! I’m used to places being “one style” so it was mind-blowing (to some extent) to see everything so different …. on the same street, in the city, in the countryside. It was really innovative that way! And I loved it.

I arrived first (by plane) and Marleen took me straight to her apartment which is lovely. She’s done a fantastic job decorating it and also making it feel welcoming. We say this everytime we get together, but it’s always really nice to SEE someone’s home and neighbourhood. You can visualise it so much better when emailing etc. She gave me the tour and it wasn’t long before we drove into the belly of the beast (Brussels) and picked up Jo.

Well as you can imagine when the three of us get together … trouble and laughter soon followed.

Firstly we were waiting in the arrival area for the EuroStar and despite Jo’s train having arrived, no Jo….. that’s when we found out they came in on a different platform. Off we rushed … but we couldn’t find Jo and she couldn’t find us. Thank goodness for mobile ‘phones. We were trying to navigate towards one another with “orange pillars” the only prominent feature Jo could see. Well I saw the pillars and Jo but she still couldn’t see us so despite saying (like a pantomime) BEEEEEEHIND YOU, poor Jo kept turning around in circles …. It was hilarious.

Two minutes later it was like the three stooges again as we tried to enter the car park. (I tell you if you see three familiar faces pressing buttons and talking into an intercom on “Brussels Funniest Home Videos”, it will be best to look away….)

I also discovered a new talent during my weekend in Brussels. My ability to find Marleen’s car anywhere, anytime. It started at the airport... eventhough I had not actually seen Marleen’s car before (apart from in pictures). I wonder if I can go on the road with this new gift?!!!

Marleen had put together a really fun itinerary cramming in as much as possible and as well as seeing Brussels (on a guided tour), we also got to see Marleen’s work (one word …. P-O-S-H!). We sniggered and giggled as we tried to look “professional” walking through the foyer (we didn’t want to get Marleen in trouble) and I was delighted to meet some of her colleagues, namely Bob Trainor (his wife worked on the Hillary campaign) and Irish Brian who recommended a book to Marleen who in turn recommended it to me. Her desk is lovely too and it feels like a really lovely place to work (in fact I declared I wanted to work there when I move to Brussels!) We also got to see Marleen’s parents apartment and can I just say this about her parents – ADORABLE!!! They had pink champagne chilled and ready for us …. And it’s best to mention here what lightweights Jo and I are as we got giggly then sleepy afterwards!! They live in a lovely apartment with a gorgeous view of a walking park. We also got to meet Anita and Eddie there.

We also got to visit Erik and Nadia and the boys. They live in an absolutely beautiful part of Belgium – so scenic and gorgeous. (It’s famous for stilt walking). This was one of my favourite parts of the trip. Their home is fantastic – very Scandinavian in design and their garden was awesome. They have chickens (COOL) and grow their own nuts (walnuts), fruit and vege. Erik had done all the hard landscaping (decking and so forth) and it was really professionally done.

Speaking of Erik, he looked SO WELL (despite being in his 30s, 2.5 years ago he had a stroke). Their English was impeccable as well. Nadia was about to start a new job in Gent on Monday and Erik starts at the library in October. Nadia had also put on a really lovely spread – cold meats, garlic breads, olives, cheese etc. It was so sweet and thoughtful of them to open their home and welcome us so warmly. I couldn’t help but think the whole time what a remarkable woman Nadia was. Not only was she so friendly and funny with us but everything she had gone through with Erik and having two small boys to also look after.

And of course to top it all off was the Bon Jovi concert. Marleen got us fantastic seats …. Oh and when we entered the Stadium gates, they have a CD booklet filled with facts on Bon Jovi and a bag of sweets – THIS IS MY KIND OF TOWN! The stadium was massive and the opening act was a Flemish Band (Euro Punk) called Nailpin. This quiet, tranquil looking (and not to mention, cute) lead singer would stand there and suddenly go off on one. I wish I could describe adequately how his legs and arms went akimbo and in every single direction at once. It brought a laugh every time! Despite being Euro Punk, it was quite good and I am getting a copy of the CD from Marleen.

Their bass player was getting married that day so they did a video for him and his new wife and panned around so we could all clap and cheer them on their wedding day … and I saw the video on their website. So that was cool too!

Bon Jovi was fab …. And I swear if I only had a hairbrush to sing into, it would have been my teenage years all over again! He sang all the favourites like Bad Medicine, Wanted Dead or Alive, Livin’ on a Prayer etc. Really fun night! And as we left we walked past the Atomium lit up – really pretty (I want to live in one of the pods!)

All in all, it was a fun, fun, fun, fun and fabulous weekend. I swear despite living in the Northern Hemisphere for seven years, I can’t shake my Australian upbringing because despite this being a European / British summer (and if you live here you KNOW how unpredictable it is) I was optimistic enough to bring flip flops and cut off jeans! Next time, even if it’s in the middle of a heat wave, I am packing a bit of everything including Eskimo furs! LOL!

And that's because there WILL be another time!!! Marleen was a really great host!