Why I'm not posting anything about the Queen's Jubilee...or some more inadvertent awesomeness

Because what you are about to see is infinitely interesting compared to an analysis of the flotilla. I did watch the whole pomp and pageantry of the day the Royal Family went to St Paul's for the service and ohmygoodness wasn't the Archbishop of Canterbury a prig?

So this happened...

I have video of this lovely event, but after two days of waiting for it to upload, I declare myself defeated.

C'est la vie.

If you have me in your Google+ circles, you can view the video there.

Here's to random events of frivolity!

Not-so-super-ninja-edit, Sunday 11:03 pm... got it to upload to YouTube. Wheeeeeeh!

I drank the Kool-Aid...

...and it tastes all pink, green, and blue.

...because pink and green and blue were the colors for the day.

Took Kiddo to the park nextdoortoournewhouse! Packed a picnic bag (Thanks SJ!) and felt content after arrival. I had the kind of contentment that is a barrier to ever leaving this country.

DO YOU KNOW HOW FUCKING LONG IT'S BEEN SINCE I'VE BEEN CONTENT?

Too long.

So here's some eyecandyporn for Friday's Fone Fdump

BEFORE

AFTER

I highly recommend to you Brookeshields wannabees that you immediately go find your nearest Indian lady and beg her to thread your eyebrows. If no Indian lady can be found, try some Iranians. Oh so much better than wax. Only, I recommend you not go get it done if you've just done really awesome eyemakeup. Smudged City. Ah, imperfections. How I love mine.

When Dad came for his visit (<3!!!), he brought the Lego set he bought me in 1988, The Black Monarch's Castle. 

And every good castle has to have a dragon... SO I BUILT THAT BADASS DRAGON! Design and implementation all from my brain...no showsies from a how-to booklet! Look, look! He even doubles as a T-Rex!

Also of note... We hosted poker for the first time in over 3 years. And here's what's cool about it => present at poker were the following people: A Cuban, an Englishman, a Taiwanese, a Belgian, a Frenchwoman, and two Americans.

This is the Cuban! They really do exist outside of Cuba and Florida.

Guess who won?

THE REALLY STYLISH FRENCHWOMAN OF COURSE!

Anyway. Like I was saying... if I was saying anything, which I doubt, my point is that I've now entered the phase of the ex-pat {wait, do I even qualify as 'ex-pat'?} experience where I'm reluctant to contemplate going home. I've found myself making plans that do not involve considering a move homewards. I enjoyed having people here to visit and found myself wishing for more time so that I could show them more of what I find wonderful about this place, like hot chocolate from a bar/lounge that really should be called hot liquid cake.

I really do still hate a lot about this country...and if last week's riots were any indication, so too do a lot of other people and for probably what's tantamount to the same things as me. Like, for instance, a 23 year old guy gets jail time for knowingly passing on herpes to his now ex-girlfriend. He got 14 months.

14 months?

How's that going to do anything to his future behavior? Would that deter you if you were determined to use a disease as biological revenge? It's just not common sense. The jails are basically full, from what I've read and it's not solving the fundamental problem. Does anyone even know what the problem truly is? I most likely don't, but I've got the outsider's perspective and shit ain't looking good from out here.

When I read about this crap or when I watch the result of economic and opportunity poverty unfold, my gut response is "I gotta get out of here." When I have to call the NHS Health Visitors to cancel an appointment that they set up but that I didn't want in the first place, I'm all like  ಠ_ಠ . 

But then there's being in places like this...

And this....

And this...

And so, yeah. I may have drank the Kool-Aid already...and I didn't realize it.

Alive, alive OH!

And now I can breathe a bit. Have moved to new home and have unpacked the lion's share of the items we own. Am looking forward to getting rid of 80% when we leave for good. Really, we've too much. Have family round one here in town (village?) via France. Nice to have mom for a visit. 

And because I'm too busy to care more, here's a lovely set of pictures to tide you over until I feel like talking to you for real. Food, birthday, night out on the 'toon', and Scotland. Enjoy.

this makes...

...this. om nom nom nom.

I live here. Well, not here here, but near here. Okay, I live in a place where this is common.

Happy Birthday to the Kiddo! It was a successful party. I gave the moms each a cupcake. It was like, innovative and shit. To them, at least...like no one ever gives the mom cake. I remember the first birthday party here and that I didn't get cake. It upset me.

I got dolled up. Mom saw this picture and asked who my friend was.

Um, that's me, the "yummy mummy".

Giggity.

And this was tame. 

On the wall of the restaurant, which was inside the Victorian era train bridge. Yes, inside the bridge, bitches. So, already, had high hopes for the food in this place. The calzones were enormous and beautiful looking... 

...but I ordered this shit. Mexican risotto. Like I said, I had hopes of something good, given the menu's description of this dish. I'm ashamed to say I put half of this plate's contents into my face.

And then I realized that I didn't like it. So I stopped. Progress in baby steps, bitches.

After the meal, it was time for more immersion in the night life culture of Newcastle... #3 party town in Europe!

local lad

his friend

Angie, another local lad, and Kath. Ruth refused to be seen by my camera. Clever clogs, her.

We're brilliant.

 I just got back from Scotland too. Tomorrow, we head out for Peppa Pig World. Hey, I got a four-year old and I'm in England. It's not like Harry Potter World is anytime near in the future for me.

The Jimmie Hat. In retrospect, I should've bought it.

In the quiet car. Probably not the best location for us. That's mom on the right, friend from OK on the left. They brought the sunshine with them. 

Castle in Edinburgh

Princess Diana memorial tartan

10 Things I Love

I'd forgotten about blog herpes. I got moar. This is catching! Heh. But before you see the LIST, I have my special belated Friday feature because I forgot about Fun Video Friday. Here you go...

Russian Hat Man Sighting Today

He was wearing a different hat! Same style, but different color.  Passed me whilst making his rounds of charity shops on North Road.

Great day... bought stuff at the marketplace in the old building. Going to have a crab, potato, and corn boil tonight! BRING ON THE BUTTER!

Had lunch at a new (to me) cafe in the city centre with Ruth and then later, before tackling the bus to get home, a La Chouffe Belgian beer. Delish.

We're thinking of creating costumes for the wedding parade, a la Sweet Potato Queen but because R is British, we'll have to scale it down a bit. I'm thinking "HATS" and "SPARKLES". How about it?  Maybe some homemade t-shirts that say "Team Willy" or "Team Mountbatten".

Today was a rare day weather-wise in NE England. Warm, sunny, and only within the past two hours, windy. Glorious! Got a load of laundry dried as well!

Got a call from the teacher agency today. This one seems promising. Keep those typing fingers crossed! Only yesterday I had decided to stop filling out applications and even to stop caring if it happened that I got mesel' a teaching position here. I'll know more Monday...so, look forward to that.

Thank you for loving my weirdness and inadvertent awesomeness the other day. That crap used to get me in so much trouble with my peers when I was younger and hadn't yet fully embraced my weirdness so that I could crush it with my arms of immense power and heat and make it all diamondy and inadvertently awesome.

Inadvertent Awesomeness Awareness Day

source
This'll be a Half-Assed Post. Thanks to this lovely lady for the inspire

Hey, turns out I wasn't making things up about either Sultanas or sultanas. This is inadvertent awesomeness!