bitten.

Maybe I've watched too much of the World Cup. Maybe it's the fact that I haven't been out of the country in seven (7!) years or to Europe in ten (10? Seriously?).

a sandwich in Glasgow.

Maybe it's just that time of year. Whatever the reason might be...I have been bitten by the travel bug.

Murren, Switzerland. Does it get any better?

Here's the problem: this is America's best time of year. I've spent the last 10 years realizing that I actually like America in the summer.... eating watermelon, grilling on the back porch, movies in the park, fireworks on the 4th of July, catching up on my sadly lacking knowledge of American lit, houses with air conditioning, and endless amounts of free ice....I love it! The summer is when I'm usually happy to stay put.
But today I found myself at the grocery store buying a $5 package of Hob Nobs. Which is a good sign that it's time to leave the country.

the annual carriage ride in Krakow, Poland.

I have a fabulous vacation to the lake house planned in August, and you know, a job. So since I apparently can't move to Edinburgh this weekend, I guess for now I'm confined to a little armchair travel.
This summer, instead of reading Mark Twain and Margaret Mitchell, I'm filling up the library list with history books on Scotland and Switzerland, listening to BBC radio and watching Monarch of the Glen. For now, it'll have to do.

dinner in Poland.

Paris

Gatwick airport in London.

Papa's Beard in Paris.

oh, the days when hanging out in the campground with Megan
was so much better than going into town to see the Eiffel Tower...

What do you do when you want to travel, but have to stay at home?

couldn't resist.

Boden is having a crazy sale...
and I just couldn't resist.
Jeans that fit (without having to try on 30 different pairs?) and cute floral dresses? 50% off? Yes. please.

an antidote to monday morning?

Instead of doing what I used to feel like I should do on Monday nights (pay bills, grocery shop, Get Things Done), I've discovered it's much better to use Monday night to recover from Monday morning...


Tonight, I'm:

• listening to The Archers on BBC Radio 4
• finishing a good book
• and of course, having a restoring cup of tea (or two)
  

aah, that's better.

Everybody's got the fever*

"I have always been accused of taking the things I love- football, of course, but also books and records- much too seriously, and I do feel a kind of anger when I hear a bad record, or when someone is lukewarm about a book that means a lot to me. Perhaps it was these desperate, bitter men in the West Stand at Arsenal who taught me how to get angry in this way; and perhaps it is why I earn some of my living as a critic- maybe it's those voices I can hear when I write, 'You're a WANKER, X.' 'The Booker Prize? THE BOOKER PRIZE? They should give that to me for having to read you.'"
-Nick Hornby, Fever Pitch

Four years ago, my dad was watching the World Cup in our living room, so I did what I do for most big sporting events...I grabbed a book and went downstairs to watch the cool commercials. Half an hour later, I realized I hadn't even opened my book. I discovered something new that day: I actually like this sport.

It's not just the fact that I can actually understand how the game works, or that the whole world is involved in the World Cup... I actually like watching it. I've found myself looking up statistics online, reading analyses of teams, having my dad explain what 'offsides' means- and actually getting it. Today I sat at a restaurant for 2 hours watching the US v Ghana game, and tomorrow I'll be out to breakfast early to see England (hopefully crush) Germany. Coming from someone whose mind turns off the minute someone mentions the word 'game', this is pretty amazing.
And it doesn't hurt that I get to cheer for countries I've visited and countries I want to visit while watching a sport played by kids all over the world.


*"Fever" by A Fine Frenzy

Open the gates and seize the day.

Call me crazy, but I think this is awesome:

everyday.

The other day, I was talking to my mom on the phone and came to a realization: I'm a complainer. I recently have found myself complaining about everything from Chicago drivers, to cleaning -again! (does anyone else feel like adulthood is just one constant battle to keep your house clean?)- to the fact that I have to work for a living.
I realize that in a blog, I can pretty much make my life look perfect... I don't often post pictures of my dirty kitchen floor, or the pile of over-do laundry, or of myself sitting at my desk at work on a slow day...the things I'm often complaining about. And yes, while I would rather be living in Scotland eating fish and chips and drinking Irn Bru, I don't want to forget to appreciate the everyday things God has put in my life right now.
So I've decided that I'm going to make a list of 10 things I'm thankful for everyday when I get home from work. For the sake of honesty, I'll show you my first list:

1. living in a quiet neighborhood.
2. having a car.
3. time to read magazines.
4. a job that lets me get home early in the day.
5. cheery weather.
6. time alone this afternoon.
7. Rebecca (a coworker).
8. netflix instant.
9. free minutes to talk to my family.
10. a good movie after a hard day.

It's a start. :) And as usual, U2 says it better than I can....*

*super sweet posters from www.musicphilosophy.co.uk.

{summer}

Hi folks. I'm alive! :) Here's just a little of what I've been up to lately...

• Work, of course...

• Meet Lance, or as I fondly refer to him, Link. Yes, I bought a car! My life (and my grocery shopping) has been revolutionized. I also realized that I now truly live the life of an 80 year old woman:

I go to bed at nine (I get up at 5 for work, ok? :),
I'd really rather stay home and watch a movie on Friday night then go out,
I'm into genealogy and quilting,
and now, I drive a Lincoln Continental.

In a city where people ride on your tail constantly, it is nice to have about a mile between me and any other car. :)

In May, I was a bridesmaid in my friends Adrianne and Ian's wedding.
Adrianne and I have been friends for 10 years (how does that happen so fast?!), and after many long-distance phone conversations during Ian's two battles with cancer, this was seriously a wedding to celebrate. I couldn't be happier for these two...