This is where Hobo was standing a few mornings ago. I was half asleep and walked out to let April outside. I felt something watching me and looked up and there's this big white/grey thing looking down at me. Jumped out of my skin. It was also kinda foggy which didn't help.

This is what I mean about donkies in our yard. I finally got a pic of Hobo and Esmerelda. Hobo is sweet, she's mean. She bosses him around. He sooooo wants to come over and see if we have treats, but she won't let him.

Our front patio is finally finished! We still need to landscape around it in the spring but it's done. Here I've added some fall decorations. Those are pumpkins and corn stalks from our garden.

Me and G at the harbor.

View of Annapolis from the Ferryboat tour we took of the harbor. Very boring 30 minutes, but a pretty day.

England

I can't believe I started to post again, and forgot to mention this! I am FINALLY getting to go to England!!! It's only for a short 4 day stay in December but I can not wait. Ok, if you're from there you can poo poo my excitement, but I've always wanted to go. Since I was like 10. I've never been anywhere in Europe. Even better it will the holiday season so all the Christmas decorations and stuff will be up in London. I'm going over and meeting friends in Cambridge, then going with them down to London. I'm going to try to pack as much in as I can in the short time I have. Big on my wish list of things to see and do is the Tate Modern. Other than that I just want to walk around and take it all in. Next year I want to go for a longer stay and go with D. Visit our friends in Exeter. But this time I'm actually excited about going by myself. Well, at least for the part until I meet up with our friends.

The only hard part about the trip is the exchange rate is HORRIBLE. And I'm bad at math. I'll have to print out a pocket chart or something. If I convert $500 dollars, I'll get about $245 pounds. Ouch!! I will have to be very picky about what I buy to bring back for gifts. I'm def buying chocolate though. I love Flake. Silly I know, but there isn't anything like that in the States. Or those little chocolate balls or eggs that have toys in them. What are they called? Our nieces and nephews will like them.

So here's your chance - where should I go and what should I buy?

plus one day

35 and one day. Don't worry, I won't do this for the entire year. I actually ended up having a great birthday. Got home and had salad and pizza for dinner. You can't beat a dinner that you didn't have to cook or clean up after (paper plates) D even got me a cake with candles and everything. (he did however happen to select HIS favorite cake - Baskin Robbins icecream cake, which of course was great) He gave me a hysterical card with a pic of donkey on it. They seem to be a running theme at our house lately, as they're in our yard almost every morning. And he got me a goody bag of stuff from the Body Shop. We had a nice dinner with his parents and my dad. My mom still isn't feeling well. She's been really weak lately so she stayed home. We had plans to play Yahtzee, then we were all so tired we just sat around and talked. We had a way too long discussion with D's mom on how trains pull into stations, then swap engines on the ends instead of turning around. This went on forever. Diagrams drawn and everything. I gave up and went to bed. The train diagram btw - was written on the same tablet D had diagramed out how to use our TV remote for his parents. And the washing machine. They left just left this morning. The house will seem quiet without them.

I also got phone calls from my friends with birthday wishes. My brother called as well. I am under strict orders to state that he no longer owns a Miata. He got rid of it and replaced it with an Acura. Mid-life crisis averted.

35

Ok. I just haven't felt like posting. I'll do a quick over view of the past month, then upload some pics - finally took some.

Coldplay/DC
This was a great trip. Seeing these friends is always a re-charge to the soul. Coldplay Friday, Annapolis Sat, National Geographic HQ Sunday. Along with plenty of quality time with their little girl. Coldplay was a great show. Didn't realize it was the last if the entire tour. The drive there though...3 hours to go 20 some miles. We literally could have cycled there quicker. We actually drank about 20 beers between the 4 of us, and noone was buzzed...because it was consumed over such a freakin long time. 1 hour ride home was much better.

LOST
Thank god for this show. It's the only thing worth going out of our way to watch. It's also good for keeping my mind occupied. I'll be driving home, doing dishes, walking the dog, and my mind will wander to the plot line and different scenarios.

HOCKEY
It's not a tv show, it's better. The only bad thing about hockey being back this year is how hokey the Outdoor Network's sets/graphics are. Oh, and losing Rechi and LeClair to the Pens. Several big games against Pittsburhg in November we'll be going to.

DREAMS
Been having more techinicolor, multi-plot, hyer real dreams. Every morning I wake up from some crazy new adventure. Interesting, but not restful.

HERITAGE
Read alot of Indian/Eastern novels lately. Something I've come away with is feeling like I have a lack of heritage or tradition. Being from such a small family I guess. Makes me want to invent things that D and I will always do. Our own traditions. Which then leads to the sad thought that I would also like to have lots of kids to have these traditions with, and then the thought leads to I'm lucky we have such close friends who are like our family.

HAIR COLOR
Brunette again. Got rid of all the stupid blonde (actuall orange) highglights.

WORK
Really busy, which is good. But lately had more thoughts of wanting a change. Like to design for a travel company like MTS or something.

FALL
It's here. 51 degrees or colder lately in the evening. Smells like fallen leaves and bonfires in our neighborhood. Time for warm red wine, apple cider, I've baked two pumpkin pies already. We got 5 pumpkins from our patch this year. I want to grow a LOT more next year, including the white kind.

OGLEBAYFEST
Fall means O'fest. Its the festival our local huge resort does every fall. Highligh is the hige beer tent Saturday night. You see EVERYONE from town there that night. Drinking dark beer, a band, huge roaring fireplace, sweater weather, hats, scarves, and about every other year - a torential downpour. It rained all of Saturday into the night,but we still had a great time. This event is always a special thing for us cuz it's one of the first places we met for a date.

The IN-Laws
Came to visit over the weekend for O'fest. They leave tomorrow. It's actually been a really good visit. It's just rained so much and been cold, we didn't get to do very much.

35

That's how old I am today. Less than thrilled about this one. Only upside is I look much younger.This is the age you're supposed to at least have one kid by now. At this age all the medical complications begin for pregnancies. I want two so that's even more of a worry. Trying not to let it bother me, but I was really upset this morning. And then I got to work, and they had cake and a card for me. And the sales staff got me a gift certificate, and a friend got me a bracelet, and another girl got me a glass pumpkin. So today is turning out to be not-so-bad. Not because of the gifts, but just everyone being so sweet and kind. Tonight it's pizza, wine and Yahtzee with the parents to celebrate. Heavy emphasis on the wine part.