Endorphins

image courtesy of watchmojo.com

"I'm Elle Woods and this...
is Brewser Woods.
We're both Gemini vegetarians..."

wait, I'm getting off track here. THIS is what I wanted to post:

"Exercise gives you endorphins.

Endorphins make you happy.

Happy people don't kill their husbands."

Can you tell I'm loving the gym? Because I am.

Have a great night, folks.

Big Wreck . Under The Lighthouse

At My Window Sad and Lonely really reminded me of this classic. Take a listen and compare. Bear with the start...it's long. And bear with the rock...it might be a bit too roll for some of you ;)

Bear with. hahaaha

At My Window Sad and Lonely

Erin, you were SO right. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to acknowledge this. You are a genius.

In case you didn't read Erin's comment, Wilco and Billy Bragg perform a whole album of Woody Guthrie covers. BEAUTIFUL song.

Enjoy :)

Time

Every now and then, an old feeling comes rushing back to me. It's usually accompanied by a memory. I'm at Algonquin Park, the epicenter of all things beautiful, serene, and filled with love. I'm running, something I had never made time for up there before this day. Eating, drinking, laughing, talking...these things always took precedence. But I went out and hit the dirt road. The bugs were violent and ugly. I was sweaty and bloody when it was over. But the most amazing thing happened on that run.

I came to the realization that there was time for everything.

I've shared this before but it bears repeating. After a long talk with Nathan about the state of our lives, it became very apparent that time is a figment of my imagination. There is time for everything.

At the start of any long road, the end looks eons away. At the end of every road, the next journey seems foreign, exhilarating, and terrifying.

But it's just a road. It's just a journey. Eventually everything becomes mundane; routine; normal. Eventually we fit right in and we wonder how we lived any other way.

It's like the new sweater we buy. After a week, we ask, "how did I ever have a wardrobe without this sweater?" But somehow, we managed. We met with friends, ran errands, went to bars, flirted with men, and managed to work a full day without that sweater. I'm a sweater. My life is a sweater. My next life will be a sweater too.

There is time for everything.

Restricted Movement

I used to fill book after book
of words I'd written
mostly about you.
I kept them on a shelf,
moved them from house to house,
ensuring you were always there with me.

I don't have even one
with me anymore.
They're on a shelf somewhere,
this I know...
perhaps in a box in a basement.
And somehow I'm just fine.

The more I move around,
the more of the world I see,
the less I feel the need
to be tethered to you...
forever tied
by memory after memory.

Forever tethered.

Dover Castle

After a restful night's sleep on Wednesday (might have had something to do with the mountain of pasta that was presented to me at around 7 pm), Emma, her daughter Nieve, and I headed to Dover to take a peek around the castle. I had no idea there was a castle there! Ha!

First up: fish and chips in the town. Next: tour the spectacular building. Not much to say except the weather was beautiful, company was outstanding, and climbing around in the spring air has never felt better. Enjoy the perusal...

Swoon.



I'm back to work tomorrow, folks. It feels like I've been off for about ten years. Alas, duty calls.

I joined a gym here in Dartford and the trainer met with me for two hours today. It was really amazing. The best part? The trainers hang around and help the clients. That is, they revamp my program, spot me when I do more than 20 "man" push-ups, and encourage me when I feel like one more burpee is going to kill me. Sounds pretty radical, right? Goodlife didn't ever do that. Sounds like this is going to be a great place. AND they have a giant pool!

Lastly, Laura's shower was today at her place. I was so sad to miss all the melted chocolate bars in diapers, guessing the circumference of Laura's belly, and eating pink cupcakes. A phone call had to suffice :( I'm sure they are having a rip-roaring time though with all the baby-themed party games, so though I'm only there in spirit, it's all good. Hope you had a great time today, girls!

Much love...

Adele Someone Like You, Live Lounge Special pt6

My heart just broke into ten thousand pieces.

Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose

RSAnimate--Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us

Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose. Can work get any better than that?

The Six-Month Itch

Well hello, Sportsfans. I'm just getting amped up to hit Dartford's finest pub (sad audible sigh heard almost transcontinentally), and thought I'd give a little peek at flights home. You heard it here first, folks, I'm comin' home! In five months! Well, for a bit anyway.

I've been here for exactly six months, ladies and gents. And now it's time to plan my vacay back home. I'll be there right after school ends, since the Men in Suits are only giving us four weeks of vacation (I'm so hard done by, right nine-to-fivers?). I'm thinking of leaving on Saturday the 23 (the day after school ends), but am thinking that might be a bit of a time crunch. Plus, the flight is £40 cheaper if I leave Monday. Thoughts?

I'm back to fine old Dartford on the 21st of August though. Sorry all...can't stay as long as I thought I'd be able to. BUT to make up for time cuddling the Munchkins, golfing with Mummy, cooking with my grandparents, elaborately story telling with Dad, and wine-drinking with the Girls, I'm forgoing my post-school year vacation. I'll save it for the two weeks we get off around Thanksgiving. Nice-uh.

Had a lovely chat today with a charming human being. I love a good telephone conversation. And THEN I got to talk with Jamie (also a very charming human being) for an hour and a half. Southwestern Ontario got hit AGAIN with an enormous amount of snow, so though she braved the roads, none of her kids did. Nice.

That's all for now. I hope you're having a great day!

Feast on Your Life

The time will come
When, with elation,
You will greet yourself arriving
At your own door, in your own mirror,
And each will smile at the other's welcome,
And say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
To itself, to the stranger who has loved you
All your life, whom you ignored
For another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
The photographs, the desperate notes,

peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.

-Derek Walcott

Thank you, Jamie.

I couldn't be happier

that the buses were canceled today ;)

Mini-Mini-Break II: South Kensington (Part Six)

Wednesday started off far soggier than Tuesday had. Since my rest was far from restful, I awoke desperately needing a coffee. Disadvantage number two about the hostel: not a Starbucks to be found. Dejected and rather damp, I walked over to Victoria and Albert Museum for a tour around what turned out to be a fabulous place. Take a peek...

...at Shakespeare...

...and Handel.

The Bellagio has nothing on this place ;)

A beautiful pendulum clock hangs down one entrance of the V & A. Glorious.

The metal works were just beautiful. This is, as legend has it ;) the house that Jack built.



The medieval section of the museum.

Followed by the angelic section.

I couldn't get over how large the installments were inside the museum. It was just an amazingly large space.



Altars, saints, shrines...continued.

Outside the museum, the outdoor garden stood in wait. Since the weather was so crappy, I only withstood it for a short time. It was quite grand though...well worth the damp moments that followed.

Looking back at my favourite part of the day...

This is my favourite picture taken on this mini-mini-break. Just loves.



A garden in the centre of the square...



...around which these houses were built.

And then I was on my way to Harrod's. Emma's father has told me that Mr. Harrod set up a shoppe in Kensington and slowly began to acquire more and more stores as his business expanded. That is why, he explained, the floors are all different heights and the building looks so unique. Amazing what a little hard work can do, non?



It's so very posh here...

But by FAR, the best part of Harrod's was Laduree, the small boutique cafe from Paris. Once inside, I was smitten by the smells, the atmosphere, the black and crystal chandeliers, the glutinous but all the while still luxurious spread of French confections that tickled my sweet tooth. It made me feel like a princess just to be in the store. Unfortunately, I couldn't take pictures of the patisserie which, I have to admit, sort of annoyed me, but I guess there is something alluring in the unknown of the shoppe. Is it really as good as I say it is? Isn't it worth a visit for yourself? ;)

Smitten, swooning, and feeling high on life, I wandered the streets back to South Kensington from High Street. What a dream world I am living in.

Oh! Can't forget one of the best parts of the day: Japanese food! Yeah, I know, every part seems to be the best part of my day, right? Right. That's the way it should be, folks. Why not?

Had some udon noodles in a hot, spicy soup at this little place and totally feel in love with the dumb waiter, the two-person wait staff for the overly crowded seating area that housed about 25 people (shockingly for a space that measured about 10 feet by 20 feet).

My heart really does swell for love of the Asians at times like this. Makes me miss my friends back there too. And as they all start to disperse after their one (or three!) year(s) commitments there, I can't help but feel that a little part of my past is now actually over. They say you can't go home again. True, I guess, if Korea was home. I guess it was home, for a short time, it was a place to call home, that is for certain. Alas, now I feel a bit nostalgic.

And in keeping with the Asian theme (you're going to love this), here is the scene from one corner of the Natural History Museum. Since the place takes up a whole city block, you can well imagine this scene was played out three more times around three different corners.



I have to say though, I was tickled pink to travel on a full train from Dartford to London. It really warmed my heart to see parents and carers (as we call them) take their kids into the big city for a day out at, of all places, a museum. Just when I lose faith in the town and the townspeople's ability to do the right thing by expanding their childrens' horizons, I see them making a HUGE effort to educate during the holiday.

Well done, you!

I hopped on the subway (with forty thousand children and parents) to Charing Cross, where I popped into the National Portrait Gallery for one last look around before I called it a day.

There is a portrait there of Paul McCartney called, "Mike's Brother". It's sad and beautiful and really a show-stopper.

Then again, wasn't everything I saw and did for the last 48 hours a show-stopper? I thought so.

I hope you are all doing well, enjoying the cities around YOU, and taking vacations, holidays, lunch breaks and even coffee breaks when you can.