London: 1, Me: 0

As you may have guessed I've been wanting to hit the road for London for a bit now.  The problem with this is that finding a job without an active UK work permit is next to impossible since relying on my non-existent wealth is not in the cards.  I've read that working for an American affiliate there is the best bet.  But I've had my sites on quintessential British jobs where I can live out my dreams of changing the world; such as the Children in Need campaign, primary schools or the RSC.  There are a few others but these are my tops.  Working at the UK office of Deutsche Bank or American Express sort of spoils the whole London immersion experience.

So every few weeks I take a peak at any new jobs that may have been posted.  Alas, yesterday the holy grail appeared.  A coordinator position with Children in Need in London: Brilliant!  Nowhere in the posting or the job description was there any mention of it being a UK only position.  So I spent my day re-working my resume and composing a positively perfect (even if I do say so myself) cover letter. Then this evening I get online to apply and what's the first question they ask?  "Do you have the legal right to work in the UK?" Of course when I answered No, I could go no further in the application because they are only "accepting applications for UK citizens at this time."  Are you kidding me!?

But I'm not to be beaten.  If they want to play, I can to.  I'm sending the application via snail mail.  Yes, I know they will probably drop it in the bin as soon as they receive it; however, I feel better just knowing it's at least in the country...slightly...

Defy Gravity!

There are always moments in films or television or theatre that make you unmistakably, smile from ear-to-ear happy.  Whether it be a line said a certain way, or the culmination of a big love story or just your favorite character being your favorite character.  I must admit I have tons of these little moments.  Defying Gravity from "Wicked" being at the top of that list. (And this is coming from the girl who hates the "Wizard of Oz"!)  Anyone who's ever seen "Wicked" has probably chosen this song as their favorite so I'm sure I'm not alone. 

But it is by far the one song I turn to if I'm having a bad day.  It's about the most perfect song to sing alone in your car to the top of your lungs.  I was lucky enough to see Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth perform it live and they brought down the house.  I got goosebumps just listening to them and I still do just listening on my iPod.  Without a doubt, the perfect song for a cold and wet and dreary Monday. 

If you have any doubts just how fabulous this song really is, just take a listen below.  I dare you not to get it stuck in your head!

Things I Learned Today

1. Novel Pictograms are not as easy as you'd think they'd be.  Especially if you've only ever heard of 5 of the novels in question.

2.  Apparently the New York Review of Books has the power to "break" the story on the alleged person that radicalized the Tsarnaev brothers.  Since when does the New York Review of Books break stories on anything other than, oh I don't know, books?  I thought reporting and tracking down leads was the news outlet's job not a Book Review site's...

3. No offense to Wales and the Welsh people but the Welsh language is quite difficult to decipher.  I'm sure I'm missing years of study but after just a quick glance it looks like Alphabet Soup.

4. Those who injure themselves and use Facebook, have a much higher chance of photographing and sharing body parts with their followers as those who are not injured.  I'm sure your broken toe/leg/nose is sore but why would you want to share your gnarly/ bruised/casted/bloody body parts with the rest of us?

5. Richard II is proving a much more difficult read than Hamlet or A Midsummer Night's Dream.  I'll eventually get through it but I may need a re-read to get the full gist.  Though one thing I did notice is that poor Richard II gets an entire tragedy named for him but not a great deal of lines. 

Things I Don't Understand: Football Edition

I just don't get the NFL draft.  I have to send this out into the world since (apparently) it's happening right now and has been for quite some time based on the amount of coverage ESPN has given it in the last month.  I "get" football to a point.  I enjoy watching Ravens games.  I know terms like quarterback, interception, fumble, pass interference, leading with your head and the tuck rule.  At times I even know what they mean.  I can pick out players based on their numbers and know a lot of the coaches' faces and attitudes.  But I have NEVER understood nor do I foresee EVER understanding the ungodly chaos that seems to be the draft. 

I tried this year, I really did.  I read some.  I eavesdropped on endless debates at work between people (mostly guys, who are we kidding here?) to whom the drafting of about a million players to about a trillion teams actually makes sense. I even tried to watch it...a bit.  But seriously, it's about as fun as watching paint dry. In the end though, I got nothing. 

So I'll just be standing out here in left field until the first kick-off of the season.  Call me when all the weird predictions and analyses are over so we can start debating who's going to make it to the super bowl this year after only the first game of the season.  That one is easy to solve....the Ravens of course : )

Friday Five

1. My new hanger for necklaces.  I have to admit it hasn't been assembled yet so pictures are still to come but so far I love all the pieces separately which is a good sign.  The stain turned out perfectly and I love the drawer-pulls.  I can't wait to see it in use!

2.  The resolution to Broadchurch and the fact that there'll be a surprise second season.  The show was a mixture of a fantastic story and even better acting from seemingly everyone in the cast.  They were just too good for words and they deserve any award that they'll surely be nominated for.  In the end (which I won't divulge since it's coming here soon) I was totally right about who the killer was but still totally surprised by the storyline.  I think the best thing about this 8 week show circling around a police investigation was no guns, no high speed chases, no threats and no malice by the cops.  It was real investigating instead of the craziness that we see on our so called police shows. Though I'm still completely stumped as to what the second season will be about...
 
3. Dove's new Real Beauty campaign. It's been everywhere in the news this week. I wasn't sure about it at first but it won me over. It's about the neatest "experiment" I've ever seen with a pretty inspiring message.

 

4. Ain't it pretty? 



 

5. This infinity scarf on Etsy.  Probably would be the geekiest thing in my wardrobe but what can I say?  I have a thing for scarves and it's adorable!

Miss Reads Alot

Based on the few newspaper articles I've gotten a chance to read this week, it seems I missed a very important day and have officially missed my calling.  It turns out that this week was World Book Night.  How did I not know this?  Thousands of people got together and handed out their favorite books to complete strangers.  How cool is that?!  I'm sure it's a bit expensive in that I think I'd want to use that money to buy myself more books but if it gets more people reading I suppose it's an appropriate way to spend your paycheck.

In the media coverage of World Book Night, there were also a few articles on the many Literature prize competitions going on around the world. One specifically, the Best in Female Writing award, appoints one head judge each year.  It is this person's job to read all the books that are nominated and choose their favorites.  This year over 200 books are nominated.  You can see where this could be a full time job. I'd like to say, if anyone in power is listening, I will take on that difficult task...anytime, anywhere, you just say the word!  How bad a gig could it be?  You get 200 free books and you get the time to read them all.  Then you get to tell everyone which ones were your favorites and they have to listen.  It beats the heck out of what I did with my day!

So in the spirit of all things bookish, if you care (and if anyone who has the power to appoint judges for book awards is looking for new talent...), here is my Top 10 list (in no particular order).

1. "Bookends" Jane Green
2. "A Cook's Tour" Anthony Bourdain
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" J.K. Rowling
4. "Lunch in Paris" Elizabeth Bard
5. "The Littlest Angel" Charles Tazewell
6. "The Da Vinci Code" Dan Brown
7. "Stillwatch" Mary Higgins Clark
8. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" William Shakespeare
9. "A Moveable Feast" Lonely Planet Anthology
10. "Tales of the City" Armistead Maupin

Call Me Old-Fashioned

I've been described more than once as an "old lady".  I like to get up early and go to bed early.  I don't like bars or loud parties.  I like to read and hate vulgarity.  I'm hopelessly optimistic that I will bump into the love of my life on a train or in a bookstore like girls always did in movies of the 40s and 50s.  So like I said, call me old fashioned.

What I hate is this high-school-ish dating stuff that seems to be going on now.  Where a friend is too involved in the state of your (or in this case, my) love life (or in this case, lack thereof).  I know they mean well, but the constant discussion of who I like and what I'm looking for is tiring.  And on the occassion I talk to other species of the opposite gender at work, I have to hear the giggling in the background during their IM conversations.  Why is this love thing have to be so difficult?  Where is this knight  shining in armour that appears in every black-and-white I've ever seen to sweep the girl off her feet?  I could really use my Cary Grant right about now, if only to get these friends off my back!

Happy Birthday Shakespeare!

I've only just recently jumped onto the Shakespeare bandwagon.  I, of course, read his works in high school but like most high school students I really didn't "get" it or the appeal.  They were just assignments I needed to finish.  But the more I read now, the more I realize just how very talented and influential this man really was. 

This is by far my favorite of anything he's ever written.  It's the most repeated and cliche but it's also the most beautiful.  It's been recited thousands of times and each time some actor brings something different to it, yet it's always heartbreaking.  Good old Will deserves a lifetime of thanks if this masterpiece was his only contribution to literature.  Thank goodness it isn't and we have so much more to be thankful to him for.

Happy birthday Will and Thanks for an entire library's worth of thought and enjoyment!

Just Another Manic Monday...

~ It's freezing here even though it's almost May...freezing may be an exaggeration but 45 in April is slightly ridiculous!

~After some wins in the kitchen yesterday, I mistakenly thought I could whip up Earl Grey cupcakes with Brown Buttercream to celebrate Shakespeare's birthday quick as a lick.  The teeny tiny cupcakes are adorable.  Too bad no one will be trying them since the Brown Buttercream turned into brown grease...

~Desperately trying to avoid Facebook, Twitter, any and all British press to avoid learning "who killed Danny Latimer".  It's driving me mad!  I have high hopes it'll be up soon online but until then I'm dying to know what the rest of Britain knows!

~Looking forward to celebrating the Bard tomorrow (albeit without cute cupcakes) but I'm pretty sure no one around me will care.

Chef-y Sunday

There are about 4000 reasons why I would never survive in a professional kitchen.  The top of that list is the fact that I am apparently incapable of cooking cleanly.  In one hour I spilled half and half all over the stove...while it was on, dropped butter all over the cutting board, spilled Parmesan cheese in the dishwasher and managed to leak the chocolate icing I made all over the side of the dessert tray.  The kitchen looked like a cyclone went through it and I hadn't even started dinner yet; that was just dessert!  However, as crazy as I made myself, all the food turned out quite well.  Unfortunately, I completely forgot to take a single picture...ugh!  I hate when I do that!  But if you're interested, you can see the lasagna cups here, Caesar salad here and garlic knots here.  The piece de resistance was the Boston Cream Pie but that was an old fashioned, paper recipe which is a little hard to link to : )

All in all a wonderful Anniversary dinner for the parentals.  Happy 34th buds!

New Me (Sort Of...)

Terrible angle and terrible lighting and terrible habit, I know.  These "selfies" drive me mad usually but I had to get a shot of the hair before it went kaput.  Not nearly as much  taken off as I'd wanted but I do like it.  I had visions of chopping it all off.  Someone even tried to talk me out of it by saying "guys like long hair, I wouldn't cut it off..." Seriously!?  I'm supposed to not cut my ridiculously annoying hair because some dude may or may not like it?  Comments like that are not helpful! But in the end, I did let the hairstylist talk me out of it.  Though, she had good reasons.  I'm slightly indecisive and would probably have cried when it was all gone because I'd spent so long growing it out.  Next up on the new me list is some highlights to cover up the godforsaken sticky-upp-y greys that are invading the front of my head.

Friday Five: Happy Place Edition

After one of the strangest, saddest and most terribly tragic weeks in recent history, we here in the States could use a good smile.  For me, these most definitely did the trick.  PS: I realize that these are all from BuzzFeed but when you need a laugh, BuzzFeed is the perfect place for ridiculousness!  How do they even think of these lists?!

1. 19 Puppies Whose Best Friends are Teddy Bears: File this under things that make you go awww!

2. Inspiring Messages of Support For Boston from Around the World: It's good to know that in the midst of the pain and suffering, there are still good and loving and peaceful people too.

3. 27 Dogs that will do Anything for Kids: Another awwww! overload.

4. Comfort Dogs Come to Boston: Such a fantastic job for these beautiful, calming and loving animals.  They deserve every bit of praise they receive for a job well done.

5. 23 Gifts David Tennant has Graced the World With: Seriously, how could I not include?

Bonus #6: I have to admit that I'm a big fan of Country music as well as Brad Paisley.  However, his new song with LL Cool J called "Accidental Racist" is offensive on about 20 different levels.  Stephen Colbert is somehow able to skewer the song while still sounding intelligent.  And listening to Alan Cumming rap in his beautiful Scottish accent is just a bonus!

 



 



Trip Planning

I love planning trips.  I happen to think it's about the best activity ever and can spend hours on a computer researching it all.  But do I spend the time on practical things like car rentals, flights, maps or money conversion?  Of course not!  I spend my time finding all kinds of nifty little activities that I'm looking forward to completing. For instance:

I've almost gone as far as to choose the actual book I'll be exchanging.  I haven't a clue where on the continent these little gems are located but it doesn't stop me from being excited.

Or walking the path here by the sea side.  I know it's in Dorset of course, but I'm sure Dorset is a big place...

Or buying a number of books here.  In my head all of the bookstores in Hay on Wye are in a 500 square foot area and I can walk through them all filling boxes with books such as Paddington or a good copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream.  But just like Dorset, I'm sure it's a bit bigger than that...
As you can see, I have a bit of a picture of this trip in my head.  If all goes well, it will be perfect!  Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go to schedule my Abbey Road photo op...

What is Happening?

After all ricin-laced letters, and crock pot bombs, and fear and pain of this week, I've never meant this more.

Movie (Non) Buff

There's been a great deal of discussion at work this week about classic movies and films.  Movies that my co-workers have seen dozens of times and movies they love.  I usually like to stay silent in these conversations because I am not what you might call a movie buff.  I've seen a few good ones, and I do have a top 10 list.  However, there are definitely "classics" that I've never seen nor do I have any desire to see.  I'm not sure what it is about movies.  If I really want to see on on the big screen, I'll pay the money for the ticket without a problem (The Hobbit, Love, Actually, Finding Nemo) but once I've seen them, there's only a handful that I would want to spend time seeing again.  I also don't see the point of buying them on DVD.  Even if I do break down and buy the best of my best (Dead Poet's Society) I will most likely never open the case.  Whereas, I can guarantee you that I've seen every episode of M*A*S*H and NCIS at least 15 times each and can roll out plot lines and quotes like there's no tomorrow just from hearing snippets.

Under intense pressure, I finally broke down and confessed that I don't do really do movies, a confession that threatened to have me ex-communicated from our little island. After said confession, there was a barrage of movie titles to narrow down just how crazy I was.  These are a few on my "never seen" list, in order of shock-value to my friends: Breakfast Club, Any of the Star Wars (though I did get credit for knowing only 3 were actually good), Days of Thunder, Home Alone, Wall-E, any Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, any of the Brat pack movies from the 80s, Back to the Future or Grease 2 (absolutely no credit for loving Grease as "everyone has seen Grease!")  There was also no credit given for the movies I have seen since they "most certainly do not fall into Classic territory", though some in fact actually do: Breakfast at Tiffany's, Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, Love, Actually, Mary Poppins, Rear Window, Dead Poet's Society or Mamma Mia.  I chose not to discuss the so-called legendary movies that seem to appeal to everyone, except me. (Anything with Will Ferrell or Mike Myers, Star Trek 1-1006, any Horror movies) There are quite a few more of these but I won't bore you with the details. I'm sure by now you're screaming at me from behind the keyboard, about the dislike of Old School is just downright Un-American! 

I know it's odd that I've seen so few films and I do feel slightly out of touch for not seeing a great deal of them (not the Ahnold movies of course) even though I get most references to them in pop culture (points should be given for that!).  But that doesn't make them any more interesting to me. The only excuse I can give is I have the attention span of a gnat.  Television is great because it occurs in short clips; 30-minutes to an hour each week.  That I can handle. When watching a movie, I can never sit still. I lose the plot line or get characters confused or just don't care for one of the actors.  This may have something to do with the fact that I'm Pinteresting or Etsying at the time on my phone or doing 1 of 101 other things. Either way, they pretty much always bore me.

So if you're interested in just how many times Gibbs slapped Tony upside the head this week, I can most definitely tell you but if you're looking to discuss the date the Flux Capacitor displays, I'm so not your girl! 

Heartbreaking

In the middle of this unspeakable tragedy, I'm absolutely positive there will be stories of rescue workers, military, police and ordinary people helping, comforting and saving the injured and in shock.  That's what we should focus on.  The vile person or persons that decided bombing innocent people was a good idea, do not deserve a shred of  our attention.

Exactly!

Sun shining and warm breeze blowing.  Flower planting, Pinterest-inspired crafting, yummy brunch eating, Family shopping, Masters watching, Book finishing, and BBC radio listening.  That's the sort of Sunday this was.  In other words, Perfect!

Super Saturday

Though I wish I was, I'm most definitely not referring to this Saturday at the Masters as being super (however, that 2 stroke penalty Tiger was given was pretty sweet!)  I'm talking about the fun kind of Saturday I should have more often.  I'm more of a stay close to home person when it comes to weekends.  However, I traveled into the cityt this evening, even parallel parked and all (I will admit to leaving my car mutltiple times to assure I wasn't hitting the car behind me AND passing up a sweet spot right out front because there were too many people around to watch me fail...) and attended a fabulous 30th birthday party for a wonderful friend.  The restaurant was new to me and very "fun night in the city."  The food was delicious and the company was perfect. 

I always forget how much fun having fun can be until I try something new...

Happy Birthday Stef and Thanks for a fantastic evening!

Friday Five

1. Love!

 

 

2. Shopping is fairly enjoyable all the time, in my opinion.  But when you go to the mall on the lookout for a specific piece of clothing and you find exactly what you were looking for (and some stuff you weren't looking for...), in exactly the correct size, AND the whole darn store is on sale, it makes it even more enjoyable.  Scratch that, it makes it downright awesome!  Let's just say, great progress was made on the needing a new wardrobe front...

 

3. The dream trip to England is (slooooowly, much too slowly for my liking) approaching so we've started booking hotels.  Since Stratford-upon-Avon is a much smaller area than London, and seeing as Richard II sold out, we thought it wise to book that room first.  We decided on the Legacy Falcon Hotel. Very Stratford-y if I do say so myself.  And the best part is that it's right across the street from Shakespeare's school and right down a small alleyway is the Swan at the RSC where we'll be seeing the show. Woohoo! Maybe this trip-planning is going to be easier than I thought!

 

 4. Polka Dots, my new fashion obsession.  I've bought no less than 4 garments covered in these little happy dots this week.  It's slightly excessive however, they seem to be "in" this year and since I'm not often "in" I'm just going to go with it!

 

 



5. In this week's TV category, I know I've said this before but it bears mentioning again: Broadchurch happens to be the best show on television right now that is not on television right now (our television anyway).  It's taken London by storm based on articles I've read outlining the many suspects in the search for Who killed Danny Latimer?  There are even bets being placed at Ladbrokes.  It's slightly crazy.  The worst part is that it's not on in the States yet. For that you need to find it online or wait until BBC America (who gloriously bought the rights to it from ITV) runs it months from now but by that time, I'm sure the cat will be out of the bag.  With only 2 episodes left, I'm no closer to who the killer is than I was in Week 1 but that's the best part! 

Masters Weekend

At work today, a bunch of us were talking about our plans for the weekend.  I was the only one who was super-excited about it being Masters Weekend.  For the most part I was mercilessly teased by those who just didn't get how riveting golf can be.  I've said before that I can waste entire weekends watching golf especially if Phil Mickelson is in the hunt.  But I'm even more obsessed with Masters weekend.

I think one of the major reasons I enjoy watching golf is that it's a gentleman's sport.  There's no cursing or screaming or fighting and raging.  This seems to be even more the case in Augusta.  It starts with Arnie and Jack.  The players have complete and utter respect for these titans of the sport.  And having them there all week, to show the younger guys how to behave is just a fantastic way to promote what the sport is about.

Along with the seriousness of the tournament, they also take the time for fun.  The Par 3 contest is another perfect example of why golf is so enjoyable.  Allowing friends and family members caddy for the players while going out to strictly enjoy themselves at one of the most beautiful courses in the world seems like the perfect way to spend a Wednesday.  There's a bit of a curse (the winner of Par 3 has never won the Masters) but for the most part, the players don't care.  They're there to enjoy being in Augusta and getting the chance to play with their idols.

All in all, watching the masters of the sport, play a few rounds at an impeccable course is still a pretty fantastic way to spend the weekend...even if I am the only one that thinks so!

Things I've Learned This Week...

~After attempting to watch Spies of Warsaw, a BBC special on the lead up to World War II, I've learned that I have absolutely no idea what happened during the lead-up to WWII.  Between Warsaw and Paris and Germany and Belgium I gather there was lots and lots of espionage and counter-intelligence but that's about all I gather.  Though, it may have something to do with the fact that the Nazis, Germans, French, and Russians all speak English with a British accent.  So far the Nazi uniforms are the only distinguishing factor of evil-ness.  Aside from that, I have no clue who's good and who's bad...

~Flirting and dating in my (ick!) 30s is exactly like it is in high-school and I'm still terribly inept at it.  I'm being told by someone at work that she feels a "love connection" between me and a guy but I'm not seeing it.  Apparently, the only thing I am seeing is some big creepy dude that decided to blow me a kiss while he was driving down the road next to me.  Eww!

~The Brits were really not fans of Margaret Thatcher.  The 40, 332 obituaries that I've read haven't really elaborated on that point however, there's a general air of strong dislike in each and every one.

~There is no Spring in Maryland anymore.  One day it's 40, the next it's 90. Where did the 60s go?

~I've not fact-checked this yet but apparently, there is a possibility of anthrax in mulch.  I'm fairly certain this is a one in a million case if it's even true(which I'm seriously doubtful of), but still quite concerning.  You'd think there'd be some sort of warning...

FoodRiot Launch Day - Yay!

Today is officially launch day for the new and improved, ultra-snazzy, super-cool FoodRiot! As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I will be contributing to FoodRiot on a bi-weekly basis and I couldn't be more excited about it.  Along with some very cool apps in the works, FoodRiot has completely overhauled their site.  It looks like a proper real food site now and I'm feeling quite honored to be a part of it. 

If you'd like to get in on the fun, check out the site here.  You can also click here to be notified when their brand new recipe app goes live.  I haven't seen it fully finished yet, but I hear it's amazing and I can't wait to give it a try!

Hope you enjoy!  And I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Quite the Comedienne

I'm going to take this time to completely steal some very funny lines from the funniest person I know.  Her name is Natalie, she's 4 years old and she just happens to be my goddaughter.  Of course, I may be biased, but she's also the most adorable little blonde in the whole wide world.  I've gotten the chance to spend a little more time than usual with her in the past week, and she's thrown out some zingers.  I have no idea where she comes up with them, but she can certainly make me laugh. 

In a discussion about her new dog Tucker -
My mom: Well, I'll just have to meet Tucker in person.
Natalie: Aunt Trish, Tucker's not a person he's a dog...Silly Aunt Trish.

While at mass on Good Friday during the veneration of the cross. At this time, you're supposed to bow and kiss the cross -
Natalie: Why are they doing that?  Their lips are going to get dirty.

While in the car with all the windows open -
Aunt Kris: Oh my goodness, your hair's flying all over the place.  It's going to get very staticky.
Natalie: What's staticky mean?
Aunt Kris: It means it's going to stick all over your head.
Natalie: Of course it's stuck to my head Aunt Kris.  If it didn't it would fall out.
After mass, while discussing all the standing we had to do -
Natalie: We had to stand so much my legs are like crazy right now!

While eating her taco meat on chips instead of in the usual taco form -
Natalie: If Uncle Ralph cooks something with chips tonight, I'm going to eat it like this.

Love her to pieces!

I am Loved...

It's a well known fact that I've not been looking forward to turning 29+1.  I've pretty much complained to everyone within earshot.  But if it had to happen, I'm ever so lucky to have the people around me that I have.  I definitely didn't expect the fabulous, wonderful, totally brilliant surprise party that I was given tonight.  It was an absolutely perfect way to celebrate a not so good number.  And it made me realize how happy and utterly blessed I am to have the family and friends I have. 

I love them all to pieces and wouldn't trade them for the world.  Thank you to everyone I know and love for making my birthday special through cards, and presents, and well-wishes.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate everything you do!

Feeling a Little...

...Under the weather.  I'll be back tomorrow with (hopefully) more intelligent things to say...

Friday Five

1. Spending an absolutely beautiful day on the water with my niece.  Since her 4th birthday was on Monday and my not-4th birthday was yesterday, I planned a special day.  However, up until yesterday I had no idea what to do.  Luckily, the weather cooperated and the genius idea that came to me while I was half-asleep panned out.  Getting to share her first boat ride with her was too fun!

2. Too cute!

3. Toms: I discovered them a few months ago (yes, I'm a little slow on the uptake).  But I wasn't sure that I'd like them.  After weeks straight of wearing of them, I have to admit that they are by far the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn.  It's like wearing slippers all day!  I was so happy to receive a second pair for my birthday.  (Thanks buds!) My next goal is to get a crazy color.  You could say they're a bit addictive : )

4. Shopping for Spring clothes.  It's been a very long cold winter that lasted into spring.  Finally, it's started to warm up, barring any freak snow that I'm still fearing.  So having the chance to try on and purchase capris in bright colors is a welcome activity.  Now if it would just warm up a bit more so I can actually wear them, I'd be much obliged.

5. Coconut birthday cake. It's my cake of choice every year baked by the marvelous Chef Dad and it's just as delicious year after year.  Yum Yum Yum!!!

30 @ 30...yuck!

1. I'm in need of a serious fashion overhaul.
2. I'm in love with all things Great Britain (Anglophiles unite!)
3. I still bite my fingernails.
4. I want a baby (preferably twins but I'm not picky) but I'd prefer a husband first.
5. I really enjoy my job but I haven't hit perfect career status yet (or even know what the "perfect career" entails).
6. I have grey sticky-upp-y hairs in the front of my head only which makes them next to impossible to hide.  Dye job here I come!
7. I drink entirely too much tea, hot and cold, for my own good, but still hate coffee and soda.
8. I still haven't figured out a way to let things roll off my back.
9. I get too angry over those who spread hate and vitriol, especially those who don't have all the facts or think they always know best.
10. I have itchy feet and feel utterly and completely restless.
11. I can quote Shakespeare, Tolkien, Doyle, and Rowling, however they don't come up in conversation as often as one might think.
12. I often fear that I'm socially inept. While not a problem, it makes small talk quite a problem.  Miranda Hart is my mascot!
13. I check my cell phone for status updates on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram an obscene number of times per day.
14. I embrace the geekiness much to the chagrin of family and friends.
15. I'm branching out from scrapbooking and card making to other forms of craftiness.
16. I dream of fancy dinners and evenings at the theatre.
17. I want to change the world.
18. I am a Potter-head, a Whovian, and Sherlocked and I've just learned these words in the past year.
19. I am grumpy that I'm already 30.
20. I have a current literary crush on Alexander McCall Smith and his 44 Scotland Street series.
21. I still prefer chocolate to alcohol.
22. I am terrified of the dentist which is perfectly normal and not crazy at all (at least that's what I tell myself...)
23. I am an Etsy and Pinterest addict.
24. I crave Mexican food...ALL the time.
25. I can see myself living in London, with a husband and kids in the not too far future.
26. I am, for the most part, an eternal optimist (see above).
27. My kitchen is being used a bit more than it has been in the past thanks to Pinterest.
28. I am inspired clever logos, type, ads and book covers.
29. I try to slip in words such as "clever", "brilliant!", "cuppa", and "allonsy!" into everyday conversation.
30. I am hopeful that 30 brings only good things and pleasant surprises.

30 for 30 (eww!)

1. I will, once and for all, stop biting my finger nails!
2. I will continue to try whatever I'm offered.
3. I will nail down the one, end-all, be-all perfect recipe for macarons and they will become my specialty.
4. I will go on a date (hopefully more than one but why be greedy?)
5. I will visit 2 other countries.
6. I will see Shakespeare in the Park (Comedy of Errors this year!)
7. I will (try to) be me.  I will enjoy what I enjoy, do what I like to do, eat what I love, and dress the way I feel comfortable, contrary to other opinions.
8. I will attend an O's and a Caps game (I'd say Ravens too bu since they're now World Champs, the ticket prices have jumped from ridiculous to obscene.)
9. I will (try to) stop caring so much about what everyone else thinks.
10. I will learn how to code/program mostly to understand the really fun web design stuff and not feel like such an idiot when computer-y people at work try to talk to me.
11. I will save more money instead of buying things I don't need.
12. I will continue to decipher crocheting - so easy yet so difficult at the same time.
13. I will attend at least 2 shows and 2 concerts. (Clybourne Park and Richard II are set but what concerts to choose?)
14. I will become a tourist in my own state. I always want to travel outside of Maryland, but I should probably discover a bit more of what's close to home too.  This will of course be after the camera purchase referenced in #25
15. I will attempt to amass enough crafty output to populate an (admittedly small) Etsy shop.
16. I will find a course or seminar on Book Arts and finally learn the ins and outs.
17. I will learn to sew or embroider (Not even sure what embroidery entails so this may pose a problem...)
18. I will travel to at least 3 other states.
19. I will eat authentic Dim Sum, Ramen and Indian (even if I have to go myself!)
20. I will take a yoga class. (Confession: The only reason I haven't done this yet is that I haven't a clue what to wear...)
21. I will blog about each thing I tick off this list which will hopefully account for 30 blog posts.  I never actually complete this list so I'm trying really hard this year!)
22. I will complete at least 1 race for charity (very slowly, most likely)
23. I will master the art of the chopsticks.
24. I will volunteer for at least 1 event or charity.
25. I will purchase and learn how to use a good DSLR camera before my European adventure.
26. I will grow a back-bone and try to speak up for myself.
27. I will re-read the Harry Potter series since I've forgotten so much of what has happened in them...but there are about 30 books that are screaming my name to tackle first.
28. I will throw a tea party, after I master the art of macarons.  You can't throw a proper tea without post desserts!
29. I will try to organize old photos in some semblance of order.
30.  I will jump back on the healthy eating and exercise path I was following last summer.

British-ese

I read an article today in The Guardian (seeing as it's a Brit paper, though, it may be biased) bemoaning the American English-ization of headlines and copy in British papers and magazines.  This topic also came up in the book (that shall not be named) that I attempted to read a few weeks ago.  Each side has its own distinct viewpoints.  The Guardian argues that they, as Brits, should keep the native British-ese and not be forced into an American way of thinking.  The American "writer", who moved to England voluntarily, argued that every British-ism was just plain wrong and unnecessary (like everything else she discovered about England...)

As an admitted Anglophile, I think that I fall somewhere in the middle.  I've lived in America for almost 30 (there's that horrid number again...) years now and I'm fairly attached to the American English language.  I've always been an English-y person in that reading and writing in school was so much easier and more enjoyable than any subject containing numbers.  And I tend to get a bit defensive of our national language.  I have been known to correct people's grammar and abhor when others choose to ignore all matters of punctuation and syntax - yes I'm one of those people.  But on the other hand, as a future (hopefully!) Brit I feel I should accept and adapt to the different communication style of those across the pond.  If for no other reason, than not to embarrass myself.

However, when it comes right down to it, there are a few rules and regulations that will always trip me up.  I know that reading and writing these words and phrases, day in and day out, would become second nature but in my American head, they just sound and look wrong.  Not that they are, but they're quite hard to process.

1. I am and will continue to be more than OK with the words: "cuppa", "bloke", "mate", "lift", "posh" and "Tube".  These words are exactly what they sound like.  I'd even go so far as to say American English would be a bit more civilized here in the States if we referred to our "peeps" as our "mates" or every morning we enjoyed a "cuppa" instead of a "pot of joe."

2. Have vs. Has: I have corrected more newspaper articles around these 2 words than I care to admit.  Here in the US we use "has" when we are referring to a major corporation because the corporation is singular - "NBC News has the story at 11."  However, since that corporation contains many people (and I'm taking a stab in the dark at this explanation) the Brits use "have" instead - "The BBC have the story at 10." I hate to say it but it just sounds wrong!

3. re/er, ae/e, s/z, oe/e, and our/or: "An explanation of candour can be found on the centre page of the encyclopaedia before the word civilisation, while foetus can be found 3 books later."  All quite everyday for those in Europe, but you'd be surprised at how accustomed to certain letters your fingers become on a keyboard.  Case in point: Try typing the above sentence...between auto-correct and your fingers using their muscle memory, it takes quite a bit of effort!

4. Dialectic Additions (Totally made this name up, but it sounds good, doesn't it?): I'm in no means an expert on the British language, however these dialectic additions seem to be regional throughout the GBE.  If you're in certain parts of Scotland, "ye" is added to the end of words, from what I can tell, just for the heck of it: "You can see that book over there, can'ye."  Whilst in other parts of England, "in'it" is used at the ends of sentences: "The sky's quite blue, in'it?"  I'm sure there are others too but these 2 always stick out to me.

5. Series vs. Season: A series finale of a television show here in the states is the last ever episode while in England, it's the last episode of the season.  If you're a fan of BBC shows, that little distinction is quite important.

6. NHS, MP, DI, DS, MIT, DC, OBE, GCSE: Something we and the Brits have in common - love of a good acronym.  Fabulous shorthand...if in fact you know what they mean.  If not, it's just alphabet soup!

There are others of course: flat vs. sparkling, football vs. soccer, poorly(by far my favorite!) vs. sick, drugs bust vs. drug bust, row vs. argument, drink driving vs. drunk driving, and I'm sure there are tons others I haven't even discovered yet.  Personally I think that this little language barrier makes England a bit more undiscovered and gives them their own identity. If I were them, I'd want to keep my little language quirks as well.  However, I'll definitely need my own little dictionary if I'm ever going to acclimate myself over there.  If not, I'll just sound like a babbling idiot...

For the Record...

I have a quite insightful (if I do say so myself...) post written and ready for today.  However, my laptop may or may not be currently having a major meltdown.  As much as I'd like to type up about 600 words with one finger on my iPad, I think I may just save the goods for tomorrow when the laptop has finally gotten over its fit...hopefully.  If my updates ever get past the  30% they've been stuck on for the last 5 minutes, you may hear from me later. If not, good night!