AJ's First Day of School!

In keeping with tradition, I just had to take AJ's 'First Day of School' photo! Poor guy! I doubt he'll be free of this custom until he retires, since he plans to be in a school setting for years to come!

So here's AJ on the first day of his 23rd year of school!!

Andie's 31st Birthday!

Hello Everyone!

A massive THANK YOU to so many friends and family who thought of me on my birthday! I received several lovely cards in the mail, countless emails, phone calls, and over 35 Facebook messages (you gotta love technology!). Thank you so much! I felt so loved!

My actual birthday was so nice! It started off with an early morning long run, followed by a trip to the doggie pound (I'm in doggie withdrawl!) where we got to walk a big, slobbery dog named Sylvester. His massive features make him look a bit scary, but he really was a (slimy) teddy bear! Hopefully the poor guy gets adopted soon. After the pound, AJ and I joined up with some friends for an authentic lunch at a lovely pub in Bristol, called the 'Dove Cote Inn'. We were amazed that it was built in the 16th century, which appeared to boast the same features of yesterday (low ceilings, old fireplaces, wooden beams). Can't wait to take family and friends there someday!

After a lovely afternoon walk, we headed to our friends Dave & Emma's house for a birthday celebration! I was greeted with a balloon tierra and butterfly (fairy?) wings, which Dave instructed me to wear the rest of the evening! Emma knows that I've been missing my recipe books, so she purchased several great cookbooks for me to use...I was thrilled! One of them is full of traditional (English) 'pudding' (a.k.a. desserts) recipes, which we've come to love!

Here's Emma and I (note I'm still wearing my crown)!

After pouring into my new books, I fluttered into the kitchen to find AJ secretly cooking my favorite meal, SPAGHETTI! Yum! Doesn't AJ look thrilled?! Ha.Ha.

To make my birthday complete, Emma baked an enormous, rich 'Mississippi Pie' in honor of our homeland (note the wings)! Ha.Ha. It was fabulous! I think we walked away 5lbs. heavier that night.

Thanks for the great birthday everyone!

12 Hours in Dublin!

It's been such a joy working for an international company! Although our project managers are often the ones called upon to travel (Maldives, South Africa, Dubai, Romania, Turkey, Libya...yes, even Libya!), sometimes we little engineers get to go places, too! In mid-September my company sent me to Dublin for a project meeting, which I so calmly agreed to (I WAS JUMPING FOR JOY!)...so off I went! Unfortunately the journey was just 12 hours long, but I made the most of it and crammed in as much sight-seeing as possible on foot. Below are just a few things I encountered on my journey.

I couldn't resist taking a photo with a lepruchan!

My co-worker Allison and I followed the music down the cobblestone streets to find this fun Irish band. I loved the classical Irish tunes!

I was amazed that Trinity College was within walking distance!

Here's a photo of the original door at the entry of the College.

After power walking the streets of Dublin, we returned to the Dublin airport to find over 100 screaming school children with banners and balloons. The Irish para-Olympic team was just returning home from Beijing! I tried blending in with the crowd & joined in on the cheering games, waiting in anticipation for a glimpse of some pretty neat celebrities...but unfortunately their plane was a bit delayed, so I had to settle for a jog to get to my gate on time!

We Passed!

AJ and I are pleased to announce that we are now holders of official U.K. Drivers Licenses! Hooray! (If you look closely, you will see that they're pink...AJ's favorite color!). So now, brave friends & family members can enjoy a delightful drive with us in the British countryside without the fear of running into hedge rows, a herd of sheep, or 3-wheeled milk trucks.

Dr. Quinn!

Was anyone else enamoured with the series Dr. Quinn - Medicine Woman? I remember looking forward to experiencing the next adventure with Sully & Dr. Quinn! Well, my co-workers just informed me that THE Dr. Quinn (Jane Seymour) lives just 10 minutes east of here in a town called Bath. Now I can't wait to peruse the city streets looking for my childhood hero! (anyone want an autograph?!)

Exmouth

Okay, so it's been a while. We know this and we repent. With that said, though, we're still going to keep this one ever so short. Sorry, but it's a taster.

This past Saturday we went to Exmouth. It's right below us as the crow flies, though it's also on the bottom coast of the island. The reason for our going is because, frankly, I wanted to fish for sea bass, which we can't do by Bristol (the wretched Severn river dumps too much mud in the water). So we went south. It's our new playground, as Exmouth offers a cute little sea town, trails, and fishing. You'll notice Andie's not in any of the pictures. This is because she was busy working on engineering stuff. She said she'd rather come along and work outside. So work she did while I brought home the bacon, or sea bass as it were.

Exmouth coast.

More coast.

Also coast.

My first sea bass! I got the little bugger out on a rocky finger at low tide. He was in shallow water feeding on crabs. After looking thoroughly professional and untangling an enormous line-mess made by the wind, I cast one of my new sea flies and--wham! Sea bass are supposed to be really good eating, so we're excited to try!