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.