Monday, June 30, 2008
Wimbledon
So you might think that watching Wimbledon from England is somehow more exciting...it's really not. Yeah, it's in live time so I'm watching Federer vs. Leighton-Hewitt (bit one-sided at the moment), but it's actually a bit dull. I mean, there's no John McEnroe! Instead, they have Boris Becker - and he is about as interesting and amusing as dish water. Just wanted to share.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
You Don't Hear This Every Day...
"I'll call you on Monday...I am going to Spain for the weekend for a friend's wedding."
"They don't have 1/2 and 1/2 at Starbucks here, so I have to them ask for special heavy cream for my coffee."
"Right now I'm trying not to be too self-obsessed - so that's what I'm focused on."
"They don't have 1/2 and 1/2 at Starbucks here, so I have to them ask for special heavy cream for my coffee."
"Right now I'm trying not to be too self-obsessed - so that's what I'm focused on."
Monday, June 23, 2008
Kewl Kent
This weekend was the retreat weekend in The Friary Aylesford, Kent. 5 of us (from my local friends) went and I think we'd all agree we had a great time. We went in two cars (thankfully, otherwise it'd have been so cramped!) and the drive was about 250 miles each way.
While there, we met some new people and caught up with others! Friday and Saturday were overcast but quite humid, so not cold. Sunday was sunny and gusty and there was a fayre (like a little arts and crafts fair with rides and shows).
On the road, Jackie O and me (aka Lesley).
We were thinking based on the dates that this plaque says they'd been vegetarian at the Friary 700 years. Makes sense of course. Thoughts?
Some of the beautiful grounds.
This is in the canteen where we had some simple and hearty meals. Upstairs is a library where we had late night coffee (picture below).
Looks like we're set for breakfast here!
Breakfast on Saturday morning. From left is Lesley, Lesley (yes, there are two), me, Kerr and Gary.
Lunch on Saturday.
I did a little video of one of the areas at the Friary:
Friday late night coffee (thanks to Kerr's portable kettle and coffee). We're hanging in the library and chatted into the wee hours.
Saturday night, Annemarie and I (a friend I had gone dancing with that I mentioned in previous post) ditched Saturday night sessions and headed to the local pub for cranberry and soda, sitting outside by the river. It was a GREAT night and while she now lives in London, she comes back up to Manchester pretty frequently. Yay!
There was an outdoor concert Saturday by the Salvation army. Here's the only pic of an actual Friar monk I took (I felt silly taking pics of them when they could see what I was doing!) and then I took a few seconds of video of the concert:
Here are some pics from the Sunday fayre on the Friary grounds before we headed back home:
Robin Hood fancied Lady Valerie!
While there, we met some new people and caught up with others! Friday and Saturday were overcast but quite humid, so not cold. Sunday was sunny and gusty and there was a fayre (like a little arts and crafts fair with rides and shows).
On the road, Jackie O and me (aka Lesley).
We were thinking based on the dates that this plaque says they'd been vegetarian at the Friary 700 years. Makes sense of course. Thoughts?
Some of the beautiful grounds.
This is in the canteen where we had some simple and hearty meals. Upstairs is a library where we had late night coffee (picture below).
Looks like we're set for breakfast here!
Breakfast on Saturday morning. From left is Lesley, Lesley (yes, there are two), me, Kerr and Gary.
Lunch on Saturday.
I did a little video of one of the areas at the Friary:
Friday late night coffee (thanks to Kerr's portable kettle and coffee). We're hanging in the library and chatted into the wee hours.
Saturday night, Annemarie and I (a friend I had gone dancing with that I mentioned in previous post) ditched Saturday night sessions and headed to the local pub for cranberry and soda, sitting outside by the river. It was a GREAT night and while she now lives in London, she comes back up to Manchester pretty frequently. Yay!
There was an outdoor concert Saturday by the Salvation army. Here's the only pic of an actual Friar monk I took (I felt silly taking pics of them when they could see what I was doing!) and then I took a few seconds of video of the concert:
Here are some pics from the Sunday fayre on the Friary grounds before we headed back home:
Robin Hood fancied Lady Valerie!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Size matters? You decide
Last night my friend Derek told me about and then met me at a Turkish restaurant in Manchester. We enjoyed hummous, falafel, I dunno, it was all Greek to me. And I mean literally, it seemed very much like Greek food! Anyway, we had coffees, but different from your normal run of the mill coffee at Starbucks. This was Turkish coffee (even when I was in Istanbul I wasn't up for trying it), it's super strong and the grounds are at the bottom of the itty bitty cups. But you know, it was so smooth. No sugar for me, either. Had a little spicey undertone and great mouth feel (that's for you, Shannon!) I enjoyed it and our chat so much I had another! Suffice it to say I had a hard time winding down last night and woke up early after a restless night. Note to self: Turkish coffee at 8pm should be avoided unless I'm about to sit down watch the LOTR trilogy all in one night.While I nicknamed Derek, the Godfather (he's very deep and very spiritual - kind of a Zen master to many of us lower folk), he does have a resemblance to David Niven. Not sure if I found a picture to compare that'll do it justice but let me try:
Derek, "the Godfather"
Academy Award Winner David NivenTuesday, June 17, 2008
The Daily Puppy
This site brightens my day every time, www.dailypuppy.com. Today I found pics of the cutest puppy I've seen in recent memory, Sophia, the Golden Retriever...
Sunday, June 15, 2008
New Writing Place
As some of you know, I have written a handful of letters (in addition to emails and updates), usually from a local cafe, but today I took a little stroll down to the pond to write a letter and meditate. And there were a ton of geese (Canadian geese, maybe?) looking for the next sucker (I mean, nice citizen) to throw bread to them.
I tried to zoom in but was hard. This little nest had 2 adult geese watching and guarding what must have been 5 baby geese (chicks?). But they were large, getting as large as mom and dad. So this shot is as two of them try to stand up in the middle to reposition themselves and turn around. No one fell in but it was pretty damn cute.
There was a boy and his mom next to me on the bench. And he had a little stick and broke it into a few little pieces and was kind of throwing them around (not AT anything) and suddenly the geese swarmed us! There were only a few ducks, I think the geese are muscling them out.
I tried to zoom in but was hard. This little nest had 2 adult geese watching and guarding what must have been 5 baby geese (chicks?). But they were large, getting as large as mom and dad. So this shot is as two of them try to stand up in the middle to reposition themselves and turn around. No one fell in but it was pretty damn cute.
There was a boy and his mom next to me on the bench. And he had a little stick and broke it into a few little pieces and was kind of throwing them around (not AT anything) and suddenly the geese swarmed us! There were only a few ducks, I think the geese are muscling them out.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Food for Thought - UPDATED
Most Important Meal of the Day
Vegetarian Full English Breakfast (toast, hash-browns, veggie sausage, baked beans, 2 fried eggs and fried mushrooms and tomato.)
Home cooked-meals
Thanks to Linda McCartney's passion for vegetarianism, I can now cook delicious vegetarian sausage rolls in my own oven. Proof that I can do this is as follows:
From the frozen section at the grocery store to baking tray (folded pastry edges face down of course)
After just 20 min at 200C
Note: I realize the baking tray is dirty even in the "before" picture but to be fair, I had just cooked a sheet of "chicken" patties with the breading on them (like Morning Star ones). But is it bad to let the baking tray just stay dirty? I'm always cooking the same stuff on it anyway.
Eating on the Run
Manchester, like any big city, has street vendors who offer a variety of food choices if you are on the run. Which would you prefer to stop at? Be sure to first identify the types of food offered in each:
This picture has nothing to do with food, but just felt like adding it - he was scary looking. Where was the metallic paint? And aren't these guys supposed to stay completely motionless? He didn't get the memo. Seriously, he creeped me out.
Have it Your Way
Grabbed a spicy bean burger meal at Burger King when I was at the train station. I noticed the following on every single cash register. I had to distract the girl (asking her for more ice) so I could lean over and snap the pic - and I have rotated it to make it easier to read (as obviously it faces the cashiers normally and not the customers):
For the record, my girl only did steps 3 and 4 - left me wondering what the "parting phrase" might've been.
Fine Dining
I went to a Carvery the other day (think if you went to a buffet and it was only the meat and vegetables available). Though I normally hate buffets, I was actually craving this because of the fine, fresh vegetables available. And what's more, there's vegetarian gravy! I loaded my plate with roast potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli and peas (of course peas, it's England!). Put some vegetarian gravy on and ta-da! As I was leaving I tried to take a decent picture, in the end took two, the meat side (yuck) and the vegetable side (yummy). I could've had a Yorkshire Pudding too, but decided the potatoes would be enough starch:
Skipped this side...
and headed straight for this side.
After Dinner
Shannon sent me a couple tins of my favorite mints, the cinnamon "Curiously Strong" Altoids. And GEEZ - I have lost at least 3 layers of my tongue (finished the tins already). I must've built up callouses before or something because I used to be able to have those by the mouthful and not be in actual pain, it was always the good kind of burning. But after two months, my tongue must've returned to its natural state because they burned and burned and burned. Still, it didn't feel right only having one or two; instead I forced myself into having mouthfuls to see if I could get used to it. I was on my way to getting used to it when I ran out. And that's okay - no need to send me more. I'd only hurt myself more with them. My tongue currently hurts with everything I eat. Everything, even if it's not acidic. And I won't ever learn...so while I thank those of you who had considered sending me a stash of them, I ask you not to. My tongue thanks you.
Vegetarian Full English Breakfast (toast, hash-browns, veggie sausage, baked beans, 2 fried eggs and fried mushrooms and tomato.)
Home cooked-meals
Thanks to Linda McCartney's passion for vegetarianism, I can now cook delicious vegetarian sausage rolls in my own oven. Proof that I can do this is as follows:
From the frozen section at the grocery store to baking tray (folded pastry edges face down of course)
After just 20 min at 200C
Note: I realize the baking tray is dirty even in the "before" picture but to be fair, I had just cooked a sheet of "chicken" patties with the breading on them (like Morning Star ones). But is it bad to let the baking tray just stay dirty? I'm always cooking the same stuff on it anyway.
Eating on the Run
Manchester, like any big city, has street vendors who offer a variety of food choices if you are on the run. Which would you prefer to stop at? Be sure to first identify the types of food offered in each:
This picture has nothing to do with food, but just felt like adding it - he was scary looking. Where was the metallic paint? And aren't these guys supposed to stay completely motionless? He didn't get the memo. Seriously, he creeped me out.
Have it Your Way
Grabbed a spicy bean burger meal at Burger King when I was at the train station. I noticed the following on every single cash register. I had to distract the girl (asking her for more ice) so I could lean over and snap the pic - and I have rotated it to make it easier to read (as obviously it faces the cashiers normally and not the customers):
For the record, my girl only did steps 3 and 4 - left me wondering what the "parting phrase" might've been.
Fine Dining
I went to a Carvery the other day (think if you went to a buffet and it was only the meat and vegetables available). Though I normally hate buffets, I was actually craving this because of the fine, fresh vegetables available. And what's more, there's vegetarian gravy! I loaded my plate with roast potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli and peas (of course peas, it's England!). Put some vegetarian gravy on and ta-da! As I was leaving I tried to take a decent picture, in the end took two, the meat side (yuck) and the vegetable side (yummy). I could've had a Yorkshire Pudding too, but decided the potatoes would be enough starch:
Skipped this side...
and headed straight for this side.
After Dinner
Shannon sent me a couple tins of my favorite mints, the cinnamon "Curiously Strong" Altoids. And GEEZ - I have lost at least 3 layers of my tongue (finished the tins already). I must've built up callouses before or something because I used to be able to have those by the mouthful and not be in actual pain, it was always the good kind of burning. But after two months, my tongue must've returned to its natural state because they burned and burned and burned. Still, it didn't feel right only having one or two; instead I forced myself into having mouthfuls to see if I could get used to it. I was on my way to getting used to it when I ran out. And that's okay - no need to send me more. I'd only hurt myself more with them. My tongue currently hurts with everything I eat. Everything, even if it's not acidic. And I won't ever learn...so while I thank those of you who had considered sending me a stash of them, I ask you not to. My tongue thanks you.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Presents...
Lucy Rankin-Perez...(with special appearance by Sierra Perez and Lila Rankin-Perez)
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Monday, June 09, 2008
Monday - Preston
After work today I decided to head to Preston, about an hour from my house, to hang out, on yet another beautiful English day, with my girl Allie.
It was hot in the car and with no A/C, I experienced a few different phases:
Okay, windows down, vents open, trying to cool off, I can handle a little breeze...
This is not f#*$*ing funny. I just did my hair last night, I was having a good hair day. I'm hot, I'm sweaty, I'm cranky...
Right, I'm so in acceptance (thank you Eckheart Tolle and Oprah), that I can just go with what is and in this case adapt, this will work.
Once there and after a lovely (and hot and sweaty) walk from Allie's house to the center of Preston, Allie was gracious enough to allow me to do a little video:
It was hot in the car and with no A/C, I experienced a few different phases:
Okay, windows down, vents open, trying to cool off, I can handle a little breeze...
This is not f#*$*ing funny. I just did my hair last night, I was having a good hair day. I'm hot, I'm sweaty, I'm cranky...
Right, I'm so in acceptance (thank you Eckheart Tolle and Oprah), that I can just go with what is and in this case adapt, this will work.
Once there and after a lovely (and hot and sweaty) walk from Allie's house to the center of Preston, Allie was gracious enough to allow me to do a little video:
Sunday, June 08, 2008
weekend update
Friday:
Not a whole lot to report, went out for coffee with some friends for coffee.
Saturday:
One word (or one hyphenated word): easy-going. I met a friend for coffee and then pretty much just hung out at home. It was the first time I was quite content staying at home on my own doing nothing much. I watched Team America: World Police on TV and chatted with Shannon and Rich online a bit.
Sunday:
I decided on Saturday to get out on Sunday and go for a walk somewhere, hoping I'd find a scenic yet flat space to walk about. So I headed to Lyme Park, knowing very little about it. I got there around 10:30 and took pictures and a video (all below) while there. The manor at Lyme Park has a claim to fame of being where Pride and Prejudice was filmed (a fan of this could spend a fortune in the gift shop.) I didn't do the guided tour of the house or the garden, thought I'd save that for when Shannon is here!
I asked at the Information desk what an easy walk would be and she suggested a walk to The Cage (pictured). It was used for hunting where the game could be watched for which direction they were going. Called The Cage they think because if a poacher was caught, they'd be locked up here overnight before going to court the following day. Apparently it was used in WWII as a look out and different defensive exercises were practiced here.
Have you ever noticed how cows graze in the same direction?
When I think of English countryside, this is what I think of.
Lovely pond right there near the carpark with the restaurant and gift shop (where I enjoyed tea and a scone.)
So many people who live here in the British Isles yet there are so many places where you just feel there's tons of space. And so much of it is picnic-friendly!
VIDEO:
Not a whole lot to report, went out for coffee with some friends for coffee.
Saturday:
One word (or one hyphenated word): easy-going. I met a friend for coffee and then pretty much just hung out at home. It was the first time I was quite content staying at home on my own doing nothing much. I watched Team America: World Police on TV and chatted with Shannon and Rich online a bit.
Sunday:
I decided on Saturday to get out on Sunday and go for a walk somewhere, hoping I'd find a scenic yet flat space to walk about. So I headed to Lyme Park, knowing very little about it. I got there around 10:30 and took pictures and a video (all below) while there. The manor at Lyme Park has a claim to fame of being where Pride and Prejudice was filmed (a fan of this could spend a fortune in the gift shop.) I didn't do the guided tour of the house or the garden, thought I'd save that for when Shannon is here!
I asked at the Information desk what an easy walk would be and she suggested a walk to The Cage (pictured). It was used for hunting where the game could be watched for which direction they were going. Called The Cage they think because if a poacher was caught, they'd be locked up here overnight before going to court the following day. Apparently it was used in WWII as a look out and different defensive exercises were practiced here.
Have you ever noticed how cows graze in the same direction?
When I think of English countryside, this is what I think of.
Lovely pond right there near the carpark with the restaurant and gift shop (where I enjoyed tea and a scone.)
So many people who live here in the British Isles yet there are so many places where you just feel there's tons of space. And so much of it is picnic-friendly!
VIDEO:
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