Anniversary part one

So 18th May was our one year wedding anniversary. We had such a fantastic day! I woke up early and made R a nice big breakfast, including pork and apple sausages, scrambled eggs and toast! He gave me my present, and it was an amazing ink drawing he did of El Campello, where we went on honeymoon, mounted and framed. We've put it up in the bedroom and it looks great.

I headed off to work, and went about my business when I received a call downstairs from reception that I had something waiting for me - I went downstairs and there was the most amazing bouquet of flowers! Well lucky me, I thought, as I carried them upstairs. Everyone oohed and ahhed over the flowers from R, and asked about our plans for the evening. 'Oh, I don't know, it's a surprise'. Then, after lunch, ANOTHER call downstairs - something ELSE waiting for me! How sweet, R's parents sent me a basket of flowers, too! So spoiled, let me tell you.

Anyway, I told R I was going to the gym and that I would meet him at the train station for 6. Unbeknownst to him, Gerald from work was helping me bring in the enormous framed photograph of New York I got for him, from a local artist in Brighton. I wrapped it up in leftover Christmas paper, and headed off to meet him. When we came home, it was so great to surprise him with a pressie! He really liked it; I can't wait to put it up! (It's so big, we're going to need something a bit more substantial to hang it!)

Afterwards, we headed off for dinner at Food for Friends! What a nice surprise! It's this really posh and nice veggie restaurant in Brighton (I will say that for Brighton, they have great veggie options!)

food for friends!

Our food was delish! We had organic cider, brewed in Sussex, a great mezze dish with all sorts of hummus, babaganoush, etc, with pita bread. Then for a main, I had mushroom baked with feta cheese and pine nuts, with sweet potato fries and, all topped with a pesto sauce. Omg, amazing. For desert, we shared the truffles. I have to say, I'm not a big money person - we live comfortably, and enjoy what we do. But friggin heck, I would love to be loaded, just so we could eat like that everyday! I'd also be a bloater. Maybe that's why I'm poor - to keep me healthy!

After that, it was a few cheeky bevvies at the Fiddler's Elbow, and off home! A great night, and just reminds me (as if I need it - I'm reminded everyday) how lucky I am to have found R, the Irishman and American Lady, in the middle of Scotland! The world works in mysterious, and amazing, ways.

Little did I know, there was much much more in store...

learning how to cook

I
amwas a horrible cook. Growing up, my stepfather was the chef (as he had owned several health food restaurants before, he was pretty darn good at it). As a result, we had delicious and nutritious meals plopped in front of us, day in and day out. Score! But, that also meant I never ever learned how to cook for myself. That was okay for the first two years of college. Living on campus meant I had to pay for 'meal points' and eat in the dining halls. Hey, that's fine with me! The big test came when I went to Edinburgh to study for my third year. Huh. I have to make my own food. How does that work? Well, it didn't. As my flatmates will confirm, my third year at college, I lived on cereal, Guinness and cheese on toast, with some Diet Coke thrown in for good measure. And while I lost 15lbs (wahey!), it was probably due to malnutrition rather than any amazing lifestyle improvements.

This continued on for my final year at college (I did improve slightly - I could now cook rice, pasta and occasionally chicken). I moved back to Edinburgh, and met The Man of My Dreams (R). Suddenly, I didn't just have to cook (ha) for myself, I had someone to share meals with. At first, it was great, because he offered to cook all the time (real meals for the first time in 2 years probably contributed to my stone weight gain - that and being in lurve). But then I realised I was going to have to start cooking myself *gulp*.

R's favourite story is the time I offered to cook dinner and shoo'ed him away and said, 'I'm FINE'. Two minutes later, I had to ask him to come in and show me how to chop an onion. Yes, I had never before in my life chopped an onion.

Luckily, I slowly but steadily began learning how to cook. It really was a completely new experience to me. I was a stickler for following recipes - because lets face it, you can't go 'off book' unless you know what happens when you go 'on book'. And I didn't. I didn't have a clue how long it took to boil an egg, or roast vegetables, or cook beef. So if a recipe said 'fry for 10 minutes' I was fine, but god forbid it said 'roast until tender'. ??!?!?!?

Now, 3 years on, I have come to the realisation that I finally know 'how to cook'. I still follow recipes, but know what I like, and how to change recipes to suit my needs. I can create a meal using leftovers and bits and bobs, off the top of my head. When I go to the shops, I don't need to cart around books with me, because I know what goes into a home cooked meal. It's such a liberating feeling, and I've been really lucky to have R support me along the way (even with not so yummy results!).

Last night was a prime example of my confidence as a cook. I was following a recipe for 'Prawn and Rice Salad', but realised a) we didn't have rice and b) I don't like raw courgettes. So instead, I used what we had and adapted the recipe and BOY OH BOY was it yum.

I soaked some lemon and coriander couscous in hot water. Then I fried up the diced courgettes, and threw in the prawns to warm them up. Combine the prawns and courgettes with the couscous, add some lemon juice and pepper, and serve on a bed of rocket, topped with torn basil and a little bit of olive oil. YUMMY!

Next on my list is following in Leashie's footsteps and learning how to bake!

Star Trek

I have to admit, as a trekkie, I was slightly apprehensive about the latest Star Trek film (aptly called Star Trek 90210 in the Guardian). I've been watching Star Trek for at least 15 years now - I started with The Next Generation, and loved watching it after dinner with my mom on Wednesday nights. I remember when they started showing The Original Series again, I was so surprised by how gimmicky it looked (funny how TNG now looks like that to me!). But my mom told me how amazing and wonderful it was to watch the show growing up in the 60's, a more optimistic view of the future rather than the doom and gloom dystopias normally used for science fiction/future worlds. I started to really enjoy TOS, and could see how great the show was with the limited effects they had. The point wasn't the amazing sets or fight scenes or technology, it was about normal life - racism, fear, adventure, sexism, compromise, diplomacy, etc, just set in a different time. The same is true for the series that followed (my faves being TNG and Voyager - although how could I not love Major Kira in Deep Space Nine!)

So 5 series, 10 movies and several book later, I was nervous that in the effort to 'mass market' Star Trek, they film would lose the essence of what makes it Star Trek.

But I did really really enjoy it. I had a few niggles with it (what's the the RANDOM aliens??? This isn't Star Wars and Mose Eisley, there are established aliens in Star Trek!) but all in all, I thought it was a great transfer, and I thought all the characters were awesome (Bones and Scotty being my faves!). It was definitely more action packed and technically 'cool' than previous films, and it worked really well. It managed to keep the same relationships and comedy and nerdiness of the series, and still be a summer block buster hit. I'm looking forward to future films with the 90210 cast!

But of course, now I'm excited about watching the first 10 films all over again, starting with Star Trek: The Motion Picture! R's not very excited about this (he liked the movie but not that much...) but I'm sure I can convince him :)

Training's going well

I had a good gym sesh today. I'm 8 weeks into my 20 week plan (culminating, of course, with the Olympic distance triathlon on 2nd August - you can sponsor me here), so I thought I'd try a mini triathlon this fine Friday evening.

I did 40 minutes on the bike, which came to 17.5km and burned 360 cals (you gotta take those with a pinch of salt!)
I then ran 20 minutes on the treadmill at 10min/mile pace, which came to 3.3km (or 2 miles) and burned 275 calories.
Then I hopped in the pool and did 900metres straight, in about 15 minutes. I took it nice and slow, trying to stretch out my arms. I like doing 50 or 100 laps without stopping, just cruising, but I also know I need to work on my speed. Anyway, that came to just under half the distance of the tri, and I was fine for that, so I know August will be no problem! I did this in 1.5 hours, so I should be course for my 2.45 tri time *fingers crossed*

I also managed to put together a photo montage of our wedding - only took me 51 weeks! Well, just in time for our one year anniversary. We hadn't used our vouchers for Habitat yet, but I finally decided to get the 55cmx55cm black frame with a multi-photo mount. I got some photos printed today at the local print shop and they look great! I'm inspired to prance around in my wedding dress on the 18th!

Hopefully we'll get some sunny weather this weekend, as Ronan and I are planning on doing a pub walking tour in Sussex. Walking and pubs, two of my favourite things! All in all, I'm getting super excited about summer and can't wait for it to be here so we can do more outdoors activities. A year ago exactly, Lauren was here in Brighton and it was absolutely sweltering! Here's to hoping for a bit more of that kind of weather soon!

LA Bliss

Los Angeles was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. I've been so lucky to be able to go home twice within about 4 months, and it makes me sad now because I don't know when we'll be able to go back again. Hopefully next summer, for Ursela's wedding. I think it should be in the Bay Area, which will be great, because I've been meaning to do the drive up PCH with Ronan the past 3 trips, and we never seem to have enough time! Even for this trip, it just flew by, and we were doing stuff every single day for 10 days. You always need a mini-vacation after your proper vacation.

We arrived Friday night, and enjoyed some La Cabana with Dad, Heidi, Lauren and her new man, Andy. Saturday, we spent the day in the sun, and went to the Farmer's Market with Jen, near the Grove.

Sunday was Easter and it was great to see my Grandmother, aunt and cousin. My sisters were pains and declined to attend, but it was nice to be in Malibu. And while we thought we were over our jetlag, falling asleep at 7.30 made me realise we most definitely were not!

Monday, we went to Universal Studios, and it was so much fun! I haven't been since I was 10, and it's totally different. I was bummed they got rid of the Back to the Future Ride, but Krustyland was pretty cool, too. A lot of it has been so commercialised (hello, it's basically an advert for all Universal Studios films), but I was so surprised how Access Hollywood basically sponsors the tram ride.

Tuesday, we went whale watching with Heidi. I say whale watching, but 'common dolphin' watching is perhaps a bit more appropriate. Friggin hell, death winds on the boat! But Ronan was having the time of his life whilst Heidi and I clutched to anything we could to stay upright! That night we had a nice double date with Jen and Nick at Kifune - man I was craving some tempura. You just don't get nice Japanese food in Brighton. London, probably, but not Brighton.

Wednesday was windy, too, so our beach plans got postponed as did our mini golf tournament. But lunch with Dad was nice, as was dinner at Tata's. Thursday, we made it to the Getty Villa with Nana, Mia and Remi. I don't think I've been since I was about 7, and they closed it to refurbish it. It had re-opened by the time we went back for Christmas but we never made a trip over. It was pretty cool, especially the outdoor bits in the sun, but the art was a bit limited. They've stuck to Greco-Roman-Etruscan art, and I love Greek mythology, but after a few rooms, you feel like you've seen all you need. Also, the 'Roman Villa' feel is a bit tacky, and would probably look a bit more in place in Vegas. By contrast, the new Getty complex is just stunning, built completely in marble, with a huge variety of art, and an amazing garden and view of LA. I'm glad we had a chance to go, but next time, I'll probably be back at the new Getty.

Thursday night! BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCE!!! Heidi was so amazing and had spare tickets to see the Boss, so we went with her, Dad, and a few of my my dad's friends, and even Pat. Pat's going through chemo/radiation for tonsil cancer, and actually planned his sessions around this show. We were definitely not disappointed. Not a bad seat in the house, I guarantee!

Man by Friday, we started to realise it was all almost over! Ronan and I did a swim sesh with Lauren and Andy at the SMC pool. It's so strange, that's where I used to work out, everyday, sometimes twice a day, for about 4 years. But I stopped swimming with TSM when they closed the pool for refurbishment, and I just never made it back once it re-opened. It's a really nice facility; if we move back, I'd definitley do master's workouts there. It was great to get in a proper swim workout (er, or splash about...) outside! I even got a hint of my former swimmer's tan - let's see if I can keep this up in Brighton!

Friday night was the rehersal dinner, and Saturday was the big day! Karina's wedding didn't start until 5.30, but we needed to be there for 4 for pictures. We got to do a nice big brekkie at Dad's beforehand. The wedding was absolutely stunning. The nicest, most beautiful wedding I've ever been to, most definitely. And it was great to see family, too, and introduce Ronan around to people. Even if they couldn't get his name right. At all. We got Roland, Roman and Rowan all night, but no one seemed to be able to manage a Ronan. It's okay. Ronan's dad called me Clara for about a year.


Finally, Sunday, we had a post-wedding BBQ at the Siam's, and it was hot. I mean like 100 degrees F/ 35 degrees C hot. And I love it! We chilled by the pool and ate yummy fruit. On Monday, we just went to the beach, and took in the warmest weather we'll probably have all year. A long flight back home, but it's always nice to sleep in your own bed.

I miss LA so much, but I don't know if I can live there again. I've never lived there as an adult, so part of it feels really foreign to me. I know we won't even think about moving there until after we have kids, but it's tough saying goodbye to my parent's. I'm such a wuss! How did I ever make it to England! :)

Pre-Holiday Jitters!

Courtesy of alanbradyie.

There is nothing sweeter than logging off your computer at work right before a nice lovely holiday. That is exactly how I felt about 2 hours ago - the rush to make sure everything was finished, and being able to tick off the final thing on my to do list. My boss is so sweet, and left me a chocolate bunny to have for Easter when I can finally have sweets again!

We have all the pre-flight panic of trying to check in early (can't because we're flying Virgin, but booked through Continental), checking if I have my passport (I will most certainly check about 23 times en route tomorrow), making sure I packed my contact lense solution (check) birth control (check) dress for wedding (check).

But I just love that excitement in the air! So I've stocked up on pizza for tonight, eggs and veggie sausages for the morning and plenty o'beers to watch our last episode of The Wire for the next 10 days!

Last time we went to LA, it was for Christmas (not that long ago) and I had a great time, but it still feels weird going back. Like it's going home, but not quite familiar enough to be home. We're so lucky to be able to go back so soon, but I also know we won't be able to go back for awhile after this, so I have to savour it while I can. It's always really hard for me because I'm so close with my family and this just reminds me how far away I really am. Saying goodbye is going to be really tough because I don't know when I'll see them again.

We have lots on the agenda, including whale watching, mini golfing, Bruce Springsteen, wedding rehersal, cousin's wedding, post-wedding pool party and trying to stuff in friends and family! I also have to make sure not to slack on my triathlon training, so I'm going to try and get a couple ocean swims in if it's warm enough.

Hopefully, I'll be a bit better about taking pictures this time!

wooo it's been awhile

I have to throw my hands up and admit I'm pretty lame when it comes to keeping up with my blog. I keep thinking, 'oh gosh, I'll wait until something a bit more interesting happens' and then when it does, I'm too busy doing interesting things to blog!

The most interesting thing I've done since my last post is seeing Waiting for Godot with Ronan, Jon and Kate at the Brighton Theatre Royal last weekend. We were lucky enough to see the production with Gandalf and Capt. Picard, er, I mean Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart!

What a fantastic performance! I saw a production of Waiting for Godot back in LA when I was in high school, and I was really struck by the despair and hopelessness of it. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to see a production that was a bit more lighthearted throughout, and really concentrated on the bond between Didi and Gogo, because it made the final scenes so much more effective. All in all a wonderful day at the theatre!

This weekend was also really enjoyable. We planned on doing some spring cleaning before we leave for LA so we can come home to a clean house, but got slightly distracted and ended up at the movie theater to see Monsters vs. Aliens, in 3D! We even got Buddy Holly specs to wear! It was great hearing all the kids go, 'wooooah!' when things would pop out, watching all the little hands grab at the screen :) And it was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. Afterwards, we had the chance to meet up with Janine and Steve who were in Brighton celebrating their one year wedding anniversary (guess who else's is coming up soon? wink wink). Sunday was lovely and slovenly, and we had a yummy fry up in town and watched Chicago and The Wire (double dose of McNulty, score!)

Now we're getting prepared for LA, and I'm so excited about heading home on Friday! It feels really strange going back so soon - we'll have seen my parents twice before we've seen Ronan's parents, and they live a one hour flight away! But it's going to be a great trip, and I can't wait for my cousin's wedding.

On the triathlon front, training has been going okay. I haven't been great about sticking to my plan, but I definitely feel like I'm getting in proper training sessions, which is good. My swims are feeling strong, and my cycles are definitely improving. I feel strong and steady through them. Runs have been a bit more difficult - I'm getting better at the the distance, and can now run the full 6 miles, but I'm starting to get twinges which aren't good and are most likely a result of an uneven gait. Normally after about 1-2 miles, I get twinge below my left knee, and I've had a constant bruised feeling on the ball of my right foot for several weeks now. When I say constant, I do really mean ALL OF THE TIME, even just walking around in chucks or boots. It's really frustrating, but I'm going to take a week or two off from running and see if that helps at all. Luckily, I've given myself enough time that two weeks now won't seriously effect my training, and as long as I keep up the swims and bike rides, I should be fine! *fingers crossed*