The Minnesota Contingent

Can I just say that I LOVE my people. My sister is such a actioner it's almost beyond my ability to understand sometimes. I knew that Caroline was thinking about trying to stop in London on her way back from South Africa, and I knew that it was going to likely be in-between Christmas and the New Year. My sister heard that, and within 2 days time it was set; the New Year celebration would begin on December 27th with the arrival of my very good friend Nae Nae, who decided to come to London over the course of 48 hours just two weeks in advance, due, I'm sure, to my sister's enthusiasm, insistence and persuasion. On December 28th Caroline arrived first followed by Amy and John to complete our party of five. My flat just isn't that big, so Caroline and Nae shared a mattress in the kitchen for a few nights. Oh, it was seriously funny. What a good time I had with all my visitors. I wish everyone would come back.



Everyone arrived by Friday, Saturday morning we hit London's biggest foodie market and got great treats for the weekend, and by Saturday afternoon we were on a train to Brighton for the New Year's Weekend. Somehow the food was gone by 3am Saturday night so Amy and John went out for after-bar burgers and the three of us were the rock stars that kept it going and ate at the bar. The rest of the girls ate. Sure they did, but they didn't get out of bed to have a proper late night snake. I didn't say it at the time, but girls, that was weak.



Caroline has done this to her hair only once before in the years that I have had the honor of knowing her. This moment was as funny, if not more funny, than the last. The pig tales are almost more than I can stand. She wouldn't go out in public, but next time I am seriously going to insist.




This picture was taken at around 2am on New Year's Eve. One minute Nae Nae is bonding with a dog that's out celebrating and the next thing I know the girl is sitting next to a man who appears to be at least 80 and probably Italian, wishing him a happy New Year. She made his night no doubt and she had a few more New Year's adventures that proved to e excellent entertainment for C-dog and myself. Have I mentioned how much fun I had and how much I love my people?


I wish so much that I had been more mindful of taking group photos. This is the better of the 2 that I took all week. It's all of us in Brighton, right after dinner on the start of our NYE, along with my friend Corrie who joined us for the weekend.
It was an excellent holiday and I cannot describe how gratifying, fun and comforting it was too have some of my nearest and dearest with me to bring in the New Year. Even writing about it just fills me up. Once again, it's down to Amy S. who is a total rock star. Thanks so much sissie.

Christmas in Norway

I found myself in Oslo Norway this Christmas. I had already been home for Thanksgiving and could not realistically return to the USA for Christmas; I had a few days off work and happenstantially found a cheap plane ticket to Oslo. Unlike London, public transportation was up and running throughout the Christmas weekend, a few museums were open, and the city itself was beautiful and lively. It was awesome and now I have added Bergen, Norway to my list of European must-see cities. This picture is taken from the top of the ski-jump that was built for the 1952 Winter Olympics.




Oslo is home to a famous sculpture garden that has more than 100 statues sculpted by the same artist. It was powerful and impressive. This girl embodies much of what I feel lots of the time.

















The Oslo Harbor is so lovely. The only day I had to spend any time near the harbor was a day filled with thick, semi-spooky, semi-mystical feeling fog, hence the picture of the sun shining through the mist as the boats bob on the harbor.













The hostel where I stayed was just blocks from this shopping district. It was decorated for Christmas with millions of fairy lights, all tastefully strung above the walkway. A little further down the road from the place this picture was taken was an outdoor ice rink that was really busy on Christmas Day eve. To stand there watching the skaters felt so.......Norway.

Home for the Holidays

I was so fortunate that my vacation fell within the time frame of my brother and sister-in-law's bi-annual trip to Minnesota. I was home for three weeks from late November to early December 2006. Time went by too fast as it always does when I am on vacation. I am grateful for the quality time that I spent with my family and with the friends I was able to see while in the homeland. It still bums me out that I was unable to see so many of my friends, but my hope remains that they will be able to come and see me in London at some point over the next year. It's hard to believe that I have been living in London for more than a year now. I'm not sure how much longer I will last, but for the moment, I have the above photo of my whole immediate family to keep me company.



This is my nephew, Joe and I having what may have been my favorite Joe moment while I was home. I was trying to teach him how to ride the duck, a lesson every two-year-old must master in the building of useful life skills.











My niece, Madie, plays volleyball. I saw her kick some Volleyball butt and this is a photo of she, me and my sister basking in her after-game success.








One of the things I really don't like about living in England is the lack of a decent, overindulgent breakfast option when one is out to eat. The tradition English breakfast is something like toast, with or without beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, an egg or two and sausage or bacon - the bacon being more like over salted ham. If you are lucky enough to have hash browns with your English breakfast, it will be a premade deep fried patty that tastes like something belonging in an elementary school cafeteria. In this photo I am in heaven, enjoying a proper American breakfast at Key's in St. Paul. Dang I love that place. Yes, those hashbrowns are extra-crispy.