Currently...

What am I currently up to? Have a look.

Reading...The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. I've been meaning to read this book for years, and I picked it up second hand a few years ago. I'm not very far in, but it makes the commute a little bit easier.

Watching...The Queen's Jubilee Celebrations. All. Weekend. Long. And actually? I've really enjoyed it. I'm no royalist (nor am I married to one...) but 60 years is a bloody long time. I work in the center of London, and sometimes I have to just stop and appreciate all the history around me. Watching the parades, flotillas, etc, has had the same effect on me...I just need to stop and appreciate all the history.

Anticipating...summer weather. I thought you were here to stay, but it seems I was wrong! I can't wait to see you again sun!

Making...a Hawaiian shirt for my newphew. The pattern is all cut and marked, and now I need to get over my fear of the new and just SEW IT! It's super cute, and I will post a picture when it's finished.

Listening to...the sound of rain. Lots of rain. Did I mention I live in England? Hello rain!

Eating...vegetarian English fry up! Alicia was down for the weekend, and we had yummy poached eggs, vegetarian sausages, baked beans and toast for lunch as a send off for her long journey home. We always have delicious food when Leashie's down to visit and this was no exception!

Giving thanks for...my awesome family, both the one I was born into and the one I married into.  Leaving after college was me running over my perceived overbearing-ness of my family, and now I just miss them like crazy. But I also love family I've gained over here, especially my two adorable little nephews.

Staying fit with...my new jump rope! I bought one yesterday and I can't wait to get started! We had a jump roping session yesterday, and I don't think I've ever seen anything more amusing than my husband jump roping.

Wishing...I was closer to friends and family. Every day. :(

1st day of Christmas...

Wow, my last blog is from 1.5 months ago! A lot has happened since then.

R and I moved into a new flat...about 2.7 seconds away from our old place! What can I say, we like the area!  It's purpose-built, and therefore built with purpose in mind!  Very comfortable and warm and cozy.

I started a new job in London!  It's with the same large company, but in a completely new department/brand.  It's very exciting, but still very new.  The commute's a bit of a pain, but I've done a ton of crochet and reading so it's not too bad.

And I haven't done a lick of running in a very long time.  With my new commute, I don't get into Brighton/Hove until almost 7 so I haven't been feeling like gyming it lately.  I'm hoping to get in a session tomorrow and definitely a run in on Saturday morning.

3/5 of our friends due in November/December have had their babies!  We now have James, Freddie and Seren in our circle of friends, and they're super duper cute.  We're still waiting for Hannah, as her due date was 30th Nov, and Kate, who's due the 20th Dec.

We decided not to go to Ireland this Christmas, as R is doing seasonal work, so instead...we will be hosting Christmas dinner!  Yes, R's parents are flying down the South East England, visiting the McFannys, then coming to stay with us. It'll just be the four of us on Christmas, but it looks like we're all meeting up at ours on Boxing Day!  That'll be me, R, J&J, Sister E, Brother O, SIL M and little A!  Eep!  I've done a Thanksgiving dinner for that many people, but it's normally for friends.  Christmas dinner is a big deal! I'm a little nervous, but very excited to have everyone around.  Now that it's 1st December, I'm officially allowed to start decorating the place.  I need to put up my santa sign, and get some mistletoe.  We might try and get a tree this weekend, as well, as we get the potted ones which don't dry out too bad.

I've also booked a weekend trip up to Edinburgh for next weekend!  Although at this rate, there's a very good chance I won't make it up with all the snow.  I really hope I get a chance to see Claire and James and Zonko!  And of course, the Christmas Market :)


So all in all, I'm really looking forward to December, and seeing through 2010, which has been a pretty great year!  I just hope I'm able to get a few runs in before I turn into Jabba the Hut!

ho ho ho (from Neonbubble!)

Back in the day

A few weeks (months?) ago, my mom posted some old pictures up on Flickr.  She had bumped in with the woman who ran the daycare my sisters used to go to, Karen.  It was really sad to hear that her husband Earle had passed away, but I'm so glad she gave these pictures to my mom.  Things have been really tough for my family for the past year or so, and whenever I get really upset about this, it's nice to look at these pictures.

I grew up in the epitomy of an 'unconventional family', but it was one filled with warmth and love, and it's strange to think how much my life has changed since then.  And now that I'm thinking of starting my own family, I'm glad I can look up to my mom and be inspired by her amazingness :)

Me, Mom, Rick, Kaley and Kendall at the pumpkin patch for Halloween

Teeny tiny (brunette!) Kaley with Earle

Giggly girls - Kendall and Kaley

Giggle girls with mom - isn't my mom beautiful???

My fave one of me and my sisters (and a random little boy!)

And here's a picture of me with my sisters from my wedding a couple years ago (they're such posers!)



And while we're reminiscing, might as well have a little laugh at my super cool swimming style 15+ years ago!

post christmas recap

It's been a wonderful Christmas season! Warning: Long post ahead (with lots of photies)!

We had our office Christmas do on Thursday 17th December, which was tons of fun. Lunch at Harry's then off to the pub for the whole evening. Unfortunately, I drank far more than was necessary and lost my camera. Gutted!!! Not only am I bummed to lose the camera (which my dad gave me) but I've lost all my December photos. But in the evening it started snowing and by the time we were heading home it was a proper blizzard! Those that weren't hungover the next morning were greeted to this:


Glorious!

Unfortunately, it only snowed on the Thursday so the snow quickly turned to ice, dangerous icy roads of death! It was insane, Friday, Saturday and Sunday the sidewalks were actual ice rinks. My wellies did nothing to grip the ice! We ventured into town slowly and carefully, for sure. I saw Leashie on Saturday 19th, and we exchanged Christmas pressies! She made me the most amazing pair of mittens and a lovely lovely hat, plus a book on crochet motifs! Spoiled, I am :)

Then R and I headed off to his parents back in Northern Ireland in the wee hours of the morn on Monday. We booked a nice sensible 8.30am flight and gave ourselves 2 hours. Omg, the line for Easy Jet (which probably had at least 20 flights leaving before ours!) actually snaked past all the other check-ins for all the other airlines. Luckily it was moving quickly, but boy oh boy, I will never not check-in online again! We had a lovely week back with his folks, and his brother and his preggo wife (yay for soon to be neice/nephew!). On Wednesday the 23rd, we all took the train down to Dublin and visited the Guinness Brewery:


Christmas Day was great, too. It's always strange spending the holidays away from your own family because somehow, it never feels right doing new traditions. But I love my in-laws, and they always make me feel right at home. We were back in LA for Christmas last year, so it was great for R to see his folks this year. And next year, there will be a new MCK in the family, so I can't wait for baby's first Christmas! But this year J&J absolutely spoiled us for food. Most delicious Christmas meal ever:


MCK Family Christmas tree:


Compared to our cute little tree back in Brighton (I swear it's not really that crooked...I think):


My favourite pressie by far is the one R got me. It's the Pegasus Necklace (with matching earrings!) from Tatty Devine:



I also treated myself to a new camera, the new Nikon S220 (nothing too flash, but it's shiny and blue!):


Coming home wasn't too painful, only an hour delayed (considering the travel chaos on the British Isles with the snow, we were very lucky indeed!). It's been great being home and relaxing just the two of us. We've been sleeping in every morning until about 10, and just lounging about the house. Bliss! My new project (after scouring over all of R's dad's albums) is to start organizing and printing off all of our pictures. We're going to start with 2009 and work backwards from there. I can't wait! I love looking at the whole MCK family from the last 30-40 years, and I want to make sure we have that for our family :)

Lastly, I finally had a chance to see the movie Cinema Paradiso last night at the Duke of York's. It was okay, but looooong. I don't know if I'd watch it again. A bit too schmaltzy for me. But oh my god, the actor who played Alfredo was an absolute spitting image of my Dad (he may disagree, ha!)

tee hee!

Now I'm looking forward to New Year's Eve tomorrow - we're heading out to Southend on Sea for a little mini gathering. Should be great fun! x

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! :)

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*

smoking

photo by Lara May.

I'm trying to decide if I miss smoking or not. I don't crave cigarettes, per se, but I often miss the experience of smoking. I miss the act of deciding 'yes, I would like a cigarette now', whether it was to relax, or take a break, or chat up a cute boy. I miss pulling out a cigarette from my amazing silver jolly roger cigarette case. I miss coyly asking a young man for a light, even with my lighter buried in my bag. I miss the first, brilliant, deep breath, and the smoke filling my lungs, the nicotine coursing through my blood. I miss exhaling through my nose, and attempting (and failing) to make smoke rings. I miss the social aspect of smoking with mates, having special 'smokers' conversations, as you obviously can't smoke indoors where the rest of your non-smoking mates are. I miss accidentally lighting a cigarette backwards because I'm too drunk to realise otherwise. I miss going onto a balcony, or courtyard, or backyard, to have to light up. I miss smacking a new pack against my palm, and opening up the packaging. I miss laughing at the messages and pictures on the packs to convince us why we shouldn't smoke. I miss being a smoker, what that entails, how that identifies you.

But all in all, I don't miss smoking one bit. The whole concept of paying a company I despise to poison my own body really does just seem mad. You are truly powerless to the control it has over you. I decided, after 2 and a bit years of smoking, that I no longer wanted to be a smoker. And I better quit while I still had the power to do so. All of my parents smoked when I was a child. And despite numerous (innumerable in fact) attempts to quit, they all still smoke. I didn't want that to be me. I didn't want to set that example for my kids, and I didn't want to punish my body like that. I am learning to take pride in my body, and what it can do for me, and smoking is one of the most disrespectful things you can do to it. So yes, I do still crave cigarettes, I do miss the comfortable routine of smoking, how it relaxes me, how it helps me in social situations, but everyday, I thank myself for not punishing my body like that anymore.

But man oh man, a fag sure does taste bloody fantastic!

My Grandmother Ran Into a Mosque

You learn a lot of things when you go home for the holidays. My grandmother, bless her little heart, has never been the creme de la creme of drivers. I remember sitting in her car, age 8, long blond hair in braids with big glasses, and Tata patting my leg, and saying her eyes are a little fuzzy - would I be so kind as to tell her when the light turns green?

Fast forward 16 years, having dinner with my dad and uncles, minding my own business, when I hear snippets.

'...received a letter from the insurance company...'
'...investigating a case on 16th September...'
'...leaving the scene of the accident...'
'...caught on camera...'

Jebus, Tata was involved in a hit and run, and to this day insists nothing happened (despite being captured on film).

So at Christmas, I mention to my cousins...did you hear about Tata's hit and run!

'No, but it can't be any better than when she ran into the mosque' And they were right. Apparently, my grandmother had put the car in reverse, but out of nowhere the car lurched (her word, my emphasis) foward, crashing through the mosque wall. Now, a normal person may think she perhaps wasn't actually in reverse, maybe she was in drive, and, perhaps she took her foot off the break and onto the accelerator. Alas, this, Tata says, is not the case, and my uncle spends several hundred (thousand?) dollars to discover what could possibly make the car lurch forward, into her weekly place of worship. Surprise surprise, there was nothing wrong with the car.

Moral of the story? If a granny is asking an 8 year old girl in 1992 what colour the stoplight is, she really really shouldn't be behind the wheel 16 years later...