Come on over!

Sof:

So, it is appearing as though we are managing one blog every month! They do say the more interesting your life is the less time you have to shout about it! So please take it as a good thing!!

I want to tell you guys some other stuff what we did (LOVE the grammar!) when Paul's Mum and partner came over. It might make u wanna come on over and visit us even more!

Firstly though, some things I like:

The fact that petrol (or should I say GAS) stations nearly all have a garage attached to them. I love this. I can't quantify this. I just do.

The long aisles of ice cream.......

The fact I can get away with free coffee cos I am British (or big boobed - whichever floats your boat!) and the fact that EVERY supermarket has a coffee shop inside and you can drink your purchase whilst shopping, with, indeed, a place to puit said coffee in your cart!

My covertible car, Christine. If I could take you home (and not look like I have had a mid life crisis) I would my darling....sigh......

Patrick Stewart and Harrison Ford (my 2 favourite men) are both born on the SAME DAY. Wierd......

Things I don't so much like:

Men (and this is 95% of the male DC/VA population) who wear their mobile phones on their pants in a carry case - you look like a DICK!! Take it off and put it in your fecking pocket! Honestly!

My nail varnish chipping

The dead shrews outside my balcony door.....thanks Cat!

The cost of replacing tires due to glass, potholes, lumps in the road.......

So that is it so far.

Anyway, onto our fun times.

We went to a Nascar type event at the local speed track in Manassass. Banger racing with style. Infact, there were many crashes - more than usual. I think the drivers wanted to def cause a fuss. Wierd looking mini cars (which we later found out were driven by 9-11 year olds!), small beetle type affairs, and dead fast banger cars. They got so beat up, one was driving around with all his engine exposed. SO funny! And all for $15. Bargain. ANd what was better was all the free stuff Paul got for Bob cause he loves Nascar and was British and visiting! Excellent!

We went to the National Printing and Engraving museum - basically the national mint. There is one here and one in Texas. I was watching more money being printed than I could ever earn in mine and Pauls lifetime!

Now that I have started writing, I can't think of what we did!! Bloody typical!

We went over the the Maryland side of Great Falls - beautiful waterfall. Much nicer over that side. Even the loos. Infact the VA side was so horrid, I wrote a complaint email!! I just never change!!

I meant to take them to Arlington National Cemetery, but took a wrong turn and ended up in Alexandria! I do love it here, and managed to see the harbourside for the first time. It was SO HUMID though - seriously thought I was going to melt!

Pauls mum drank enough brandy, the cows actually started talking about how drunk Mum was on their way home. That was Paul's offering!! haha!! BUT - she did stop smoking the whole time she was here! We were so PROUD of her! Well done mum - hope you keep it up!

We found a fab little shop in Manassas - amazing stuff, like a little bazaar! And then we found a great little antique shop, and a SECOND HAND BOOK STORE!!! With it's own resident cat! I WAS IN HEAVEN!!!!

We obviously did more, but because I leave it so long I really can't remember what else we did now!

SO to the present day. I have managed to get my hours up to full time - I also have a temp job in the COnsular office helping those poor distressed British Nationals!! Work with an amzing team here too.....gotta be careful mind - my co-worker is my friend on Facebook now!! SO that is keeping me busy all week! I still haven't heard about the OT decsion yet! BUt I did go on a night out with Carrie and there was an OT there (she is a social worker in a residential home, so not much of a coincidence) and he said I should be fine with my qualifications. Their 'Masters' degree is just a small research project - exactly waht I did at the end of my degree. But I am still not holding much hope up. Lets see what happens.....

SO my training for the half marathon is going well, and not so well. The weather is seriously a problem (apparently they haven't had this kind of continuous heat and humidity for a LONG LONG TIME - first snow, now this - I reckon we have jinxed something). Because I start at 7am 3 days a week, I am unable to go out early morning then. By the time I get home it is TOO HOT! Nightime is STILL HOT. SO I do go out on the Thur or Fri of the other 2 days in the mroning. I try the treadmill at work, but hate it. 1 mile feels like 10. ANd weekends I am getting up at 6am to do a long run - I managed nearly 11 miles the other week!! YAY!!

I have also been inspired by my amazing friend, Sue Friend. She has been seeing a personal trainer, and she has come SO FAR! So I decided to look for one too. I found one (she is $40 an hour, outside - great!) and saw her recently. She put me through my paces - WOW. I have discovered why I get groin injuries (no, sex has nothing to do with it!!) and learnt some new things to help me run faster! I am seeing her weekly until the half and then every so often. BUt I can only see her at weekends, so I have to get up early BOTH DAYS OF THE WEEKEND!!! E.u.r.g.h. Nasty. AT least I can give it a break when I get back from the UK!!

That is right - I am back again, for another wedding. This time I will be spending most of it down in Cornwall though, so I really don't have too much time on my hands. I am having a general get together with local Bristol friends on Friday 3rd Sept, 7.30 onwards - not sure when. I will contact you all soon!! BUt I will be on my British mobile though. I can't drink, but it would be great to see everyone again, especially as we probably won't be coming back again for a long time - the wedding we were planning on coming to has been put back a year, so we won't be coming over in May 2011. Maybe summer.......

So Paul has come back from his 3 week stint away - one week in California, then straight to the UK for 2 weeks. He has seen the odd people about. I kept myself busy with running, P90xing and watching Bones. My friend came over to cook me dinner - YUM! Celebrated another friends birthday! ALl in all, it wasn't too bad!! My turn next, as he loves to remind me!

He has returned with Jacob - blimey - he has grown at least 3 inches!! Wow! BUt they have time off together to spend at the pool.

We managed to get a coupon today for them both to go fishing for a couple of hours and recieve proper instruction. Jacob wasn't too pleased that he had to get up at 6.30am!!
So we get in the car, popped the top back on the car, and started driving. The radio was blathering on about some storms north of us....hmmmm....we think, nothing about here! How things change! 10 minutes in and the black clouds roll over. Lightening starts, and the RAIN!! The RAIN!! ANd the wind. We have had some real crazy storms here recently - tress being blown over by 80mph winds ontop of house and cars. It has been a scary few weeks with these summer storms. Likewise this morning. Crawling along becuase visibility is so reduced and the roads are proper flooded (5" rain water). Roads closed becasue the are impassable. Sirens everywhere. Horrid. But we all got in safe, and the storm blew over for them to have a fab time fishing! I was 10 minutes late for work, so not bad!

So this weekend is going to be a BBQ with Pauls work mates. Looking forward to that!
Lets hope the weather stays well for it!

Until next time xxxxxxx