SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!What can I say. A hell of a lot has happened over the last few weeks. Check out Lari's blog for some great pix and stories.
On a serious note, my confidence in the youth of Britain has been restored. Whilst cycling home the other day I noticed a sign for "FAR CLOSE" - Someone had scrawled in a "T" with black marker. I think you can work out where the T was. Love it.
Speaking of cycling, anyone have bad knees? They are a real pain. At work we've got a company-wide "Livewell" challenge that's designed to encourage people to get out and exercise more. Miles are counted so I have been pumping up the jam on my cycling. Thanks to the new and improved regimen my frigging right knee sounds like someone running a piece of rubber across a cheese grater every time I bend it, especially when walking on stairs. Keep in mind I've had two surgeries on my left knee. Guess I should be thankful it hasn't started acting up.
What has been going on? Hmm. It was my niece's birthday yesterday. A year old already. Happy Birthday, ABBY!!!!! Guess Hilary has another one in the oven. Hope Conrad gets along with the father. Zoe turned 5 on June 23rd. She's damn proud of it. Audrey is becoming very good at swimming. She "graduates" to the next level tonight. Zoe has done really well, too. She has gained a lot more confidence, depending on whether I've tied the concrete blocks around her ankles or not. You gotta see her leg muscles now! They sure are growing up, though. I am so proud of those kids and try to tell them so regularly. It's hard not to when you see them in action. Audrey still reads like a fiend and loves her animals, bicycle, music, writing, drawing, hanging out with her friends, and of course her Nintendo DS. Zoe also still loves her books (most nights we have to clear off a few dozen books so she doesn't suffocate), doing crafty stuff, playing with her friends, dressing up, tying ribbons on every object in the house, and of course, her newly acquired Nintendo DS.
We're still loving the UK and seem to have transitioned from a travel-every-weekend phase to a do-what-the-Brits-do phase, hence our regular attendance at pubs, a steam rally, air show, folk festival, British Motocross Championship, the pubs, school plays, swimming lessons, the pubs, etc. I should know a little more in a week or so about what our U.S. return plans look like. I'm hearing rumor that it might be end of the year, but there's a lot of factors involved so I'm not cashing any checks just yet. Knowing that it may be the end of the year has put us in a different mental state, which certainly explains the new phase of how we are experiencing the UK.
The Master Planner, my lovely wife, is working on an itinerary for a driving trip to Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany and Austria next month. Apart from the amazing scenery and historic towns, we're going to try and make a quick stop by the KTM factory in Austria. I just found out yesterday that they are shut down whilst we are there, so no factory tour, but I'm going anyway. Maybe the gift shop will be open. I'll have something nice waiting for everyone.
The girls have 3 days of school left before Summer break. (Yep, the school year is just now ending here!) Good luck with the girls, honey. (I say as I am peeling out of the driveway.)
