3-Day Weekend

We had a bank holiday yesterday, which allowed for a wonderful 3-day weekend. So, Jeff and I did a bit of relaxing, but even more of exploring London. Friday was a fairly restful day, more for me than for Jeff. After work, Jeff was invited to "go for a curry," so he enjoyed Indian food with some friends, while I went for a nice run and had breakfast for dinner. I love scrambled eggs and turkey bacon at any time of the day! Saturday morning, we met Mike and Andrea at a newly opened restaurant called Sweetspot, where we dined on what was advertised as "American-style pancakes." They were good, but definitely no match to Cracker Barrel or IHop. After our leisurely breakfast, we all walked down Oxford St. and Tottenham Court Rd. and did some shopping before we later ate lunch at Vapiano's (their carbonara is great!). Then, we said our goodbyes after visiting one last shop together. Jeff and I, once again, did some more walking. Our first stop was Cybercandy, a multi-cultural sweet's store (with American sweets being the main attraction), where I bought a Dublin Dr Pepper and some SweeTarts. Jeff and I then walked down Oxford St. (again) over to Charing Cross and to Covent Garden Market, where we checked out many neat stands and were entertained by different street performers. Next, we headed to The Strand for tea and pastries at Paul; there are always so many delicious options, that it makes deciding so difficult! I love a good fruit tart, so a strawberry one it was! We were able to rest our already tired legs and backs during our tea break, and then we were off again to The National Portrait Gallery in Trafalgar Square. We made it there an hour before closing, which is not nearly enough time to see all the amazing paintings this gallery holds, but what we were able to see, we really enjoyed. Our favorites were Manet, Monet and van Gogh. When we left Trafalgar Square, we walked under the Ministry of Defence's (correctly spelled with a c in England) Arch and down The Mall (street) to Buckingham Palace. Wow! I can't even imagine living in such a grand place as that! It was really awesome to see. All of these sights seen and it wasn't even dinner time yet, so Jeff and I finally decided to head home and research a good Mexican restaurant to eat at in honor of Cinco de Mayo.

We were given some names of Mexican restaurants to try, but Jeff and I decided to be risky and try one we hadn't heard of. After reading some good reviews provided by other Americans living in London, who had been deprived of real Mexican food and claimed this place cured their cravings, we picked a place in Brixton called El Panzon. I won't go into much detail, but what would have been a 5 minute walk to this restaurant from the tube, turned into over an hour walk in search of this place, and all because my Iphone provided one mistake in the directions. After a couple of phone calls, more walking and the immense determination to have "Mexican" food, we finally made it to El Panzon. The food wasn't horrible; Jeff and I did enjoy what we ordered, but there was nothing authentic about it (which we expected to begin with). We also think the Americans that wrote the reviews must have been from up North because, again, this wasn't even close to Tex-Mex. Smooth paste-like guacamole + ill-seasoned (Piri-Piri) chicken for my quesadillas (apart from Mexican food, Piri-Piri seasoning it great!) + oregano/spaghetti sauce-like Ranchero sauce + salad WITH sweet pickles served with a burrito = so wrong but an interesting attempt. We won't go back, but I am glad we tried something new.

We were suppose to try a nearby church on Sunday morning, but embarrassingly, we slept till almost 1 in the afternoon. I blame it on the large amount of walking we did on Saturday. I am looking forward to trying out this church next Sunday though. It is pretty small and it would be nice to attend somewhere close by so getting involved would be easier. The rest of Sunday, with the exception of taking Monk on a short walk, Jeff and I hung around our flat. The most exciting part of our day was Skyping with my parents and our good friends Nicole and Tyler. We really enjoyed catching up with you both!

Monday, Jeff and I decided to do a bike tour of Central London. Apart from all the other ways to get around in London - train, tram, tube, taxi, boat - you can also rent bicycles from docking stations that are all around the city. It is really nice, especially for commuters. (The first 30 minutes is free of charge, so that is a big plus for those who don't have far to go.) The weather was less than cooperative with our cycling plan after lunch time, so until the weather cleared up around 3 that afternoon, we walked through some nice neighborhoods and parks, checked out different charity shops (thrift shops) and book stores, and browsed at Camden Market and Camden Lock Market. As excited as I was to ride around Central London, I was very nervous at the same time. Riding that close to moving cars is scary, and I could just avoid the streets altogether by riding on the sidewalks, but it's illegal to do that here. Riding on the streets wasn't bad; there were a few times when I felt uncomfortable, but I made our 8-mile trip safe and sound. Jeff and I started our bike adventure just north of Regent's Park, where we then made our way through and down to Baker Street (took a quick photo of The Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221b Baker Street) to Hyde Park and then to St. James's Park, where we rode by Buckingham Palace and down The Mall before hitting Trafalgar Square, crossing the Waterloo Bridge and finally docking our bikes before heading home [I'm ignoring this run-on sentence ;)]. It was so much fun that we decided in future weekends we'll pick different areas of London and do the same thing. After a train ride and quick walk, we came home and took Monk to our nearby park, and the rest of the evening we relaxed. It was a great but long day!

Here are some photos from our weekend. Hope everyone has a great week!

Yummy breakfast on Saturday.

Oxford St.

 My treats went away quickly after this photo.

Street performer, who needed more clothes, in Covent Garden.

Apple Market in Covent Garden.

The Strand.

One of my favorite places for tea and pastries - Paul.

Delicious.

Victoria Embankment Gardens

Too bad the Mexican food here isn't that good (from what we've heard).

The National Portrait Gallery.

Ministry of Defence Arch.

The Mall.

Fancy gate at Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace.

Ornate gate at Buckingham Palace.

View of one of the guards.

St James's Park and Lake.

Wall art at El Panzon.

Our appetizer - nachos.

Jeff's burrito with pulled pork (which was good) and the salad with sweet pickles (gross!).

My quesadillas and the spaghetti sauce-like Ranchero sauce.

Top of Parliament Hill.

By Camden Lock Market.

Looks like Texas State Fair delicacies can be found in London.

Beginning of our cycling adventure.

Regent's Park.

221b Baker Street.

Hyde Park.

Marble Arch in Hyde Park.

Horse's Head statue in Hyde Park.

Genghis Khan statue in Hyde Park.

Even horses have to cross the road too.

Cycling in Hyde Park.

Hanging out at King George's Park with Monk.

Monk-Man in the UK

The title for this post came to me immediately, but the strange part is that it also came to the tune of "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus. Weird? Yes, I know, and don't ask me why because I haven't been listening to that song. It's interesting how random my thoughts are. Really. Maybe the connection I made in those few seconds was that "Party in the USA" was actually written by Jessie J, a UK artist - so that's how the title worked? Anyway, Monk is here in London with me and Jeff. Our little family is now complete. Outside of all the time, money, paperwork and vet visits, there were only a few minor glitches we had to deal with.

Since Jeff and I moved to London on NYE, my Mom and Dad had been taking care of Monk for us. Originally, it was until we found a pet-friendly flat (around 2 months), but it was extended one more month due to timing of his paperwork being finalized and an unexpected vacation. Thank you again Mom and Dad and everyone else who may have watched Monk during that time (Mr. & Mrs. M, Bec, Philip, Kyle and Lane)! Jeff and I are so appreciative!

Since I had come back to Frost before Monk had left, Jeff and I went ahead and booked his not-so-cheap trip to the UK. He and I both traveled back on the same day, but at different times and on different planes. He arrived in London about 2 hours before I did. Customs for an animal is about 4 hours, so I landed at a good time, as I would have only had to wait a little over an hour to get him. Perfect time to have lunch, I remember thinking, when I get an email from Jeff (who was in Spain at the time) saying that Monk was being detained for 24 hours because he wasn't given the correct tapeworm treatment. I was so, so frustrated. I thought we had done everything necessary so something like this couldn't happen. It goes to show how little control we have, but everything still turned out fine. I was only upset because I was imagining how Monk was - scared. Around 2:30 the next afternoon, little Monk was delivered to our front door. He was shaking and whining, but not covered in his own mess! :) The rest of that day, Monk ate, drank and slept. He slept so much. The trip really tuckered him out.

Here are some photos of him the day he arrived and since then. Have a great weekend!

Worn out Monk finally at his new home.

Monk just before the sleepathon.

He slept here.

Here.

Here.

And here (all on his first day home).

This was taken on a different day, but he likes to sleep here sometimes too.

Monk's very own bed that replaced the bulky kennel.

He likes it a lot.

First Trip Back

My first trip back to the states, since the big move, happened much earlier than was planned. My Papaw (Dad's Dad) was hospitalized, thought to have lung cancer, and not given long to live. It was on a Monday night in March that I decided I needed to leave as soon as possible so I could spend time with him, my Dad and family. Unfortunately, Jeff couldn't come back with me due to work, so the plane ride home was lonely, long, emotional and exhausting. I found out when I landed from Philip that Papaw had passed away sometime while I was in the air. It goes without saying that I was very sad  I didn't get to see him before he passed. I did get to speak with him on the phone a few days prior to tell him that I loved him and was praying for him. I know that he was in pain, and I am thankful that he didn't have to suffer long. I am also thankful that he was surrounded by many other family members. I am also extremely grateful for Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler. Before I was able to talk with Papaw on the phone, I was able to send him a message via the hospital's website. I had no idea that a hospital would offer "emailing a patient" as one of their services. I am so thankful they did and that I stumbled across it on their website. My Aunt Linda was with Papaw when the message was delivered. She told me when she read it to him, his face lit up and he smiled. Every time I think about that, I can picture his sweet face and am comforted. I just wanted him to know how much I loved him and how hard I was trying to make it back to see him. Even though I wasn't able to say those words to him myself, I am so glad he still heard them. Above all, I am thankful Papaw was a Christian and that he truly is at rest with Christ.

The first week I was back in Frost was spent with a lot of extended family at my parent's house, the visitation and graveside service. In spite of the circumstance, it was great seeing those that I normally don't see very often throughout the year. The second week I spent a lot of time with my parents and Bec, who was on spring break. Let me just say, how awesome it was that she, without my asking, canceled her spring break plans of going to Colorado with one of her best friends, to spend it in Frost with me. I am not sure if I really conveyed how much I enjoyed spending time with her that week - so Bec, if you are reading this, thank you again for staying. :) Philip had his spring break the week prior, so we were able to hang out then. I also had a great time hanging out with my favorite brother. ;) The two weeks spent with Mom and Dad was great too! All in all, with that bunch there was a lot of laughter, hugs and Taco Shop!

Two weeks sure seem to fly by quickly, especially when you want to see so many people. Jeff's parents live about 2 miles from my parent's house, so it made it easy to see them a few times, and it was great to catch up with them. I did miss out on seeing Kyle, but from what Mr. and Mrs. M. said, he's super busy but doing well. I was able to see three of my closest friends. It wasn't for long, but the time I was able to spend with each of them was wonderful. Another sweet, old friend was unable to make it down one weekend, because of work, I think, but don't worry Meredith, I am not holding that against you. ;) (Hope you are still planning on coming to see me!)

The first trip back was definitely an emotional roller coaster for me. I am glad to have spent some much-needed time with my wonderful family and friends. I was even reunited with my sweet pup (at DFW with Bec and Philip). I will need to blog separately about the experience of getting him over to London. Kind of rough, but glad it's over and that he's here. I sure missed his snugly self.

I'll end this post with photos I took during my visit. Thanks for reading!

Where's Monk?

Love my parent's backyard!

Visited Sweet Tangerine in Corsicana for the first time. Sweet place.

Met my sweet friend Nicole for dinner one night. So grateful to have her in my life.

Driving around with Mom, Dad and Bec when we came upon this.

Kudos to Bec for spotting these!

Bec and her effortless Katniss hairdo.

Bonfire with the family.

The essentials.

Even Toby hung out with us.

My last amazing SweetTart snow cone with cousin Jacob, Bec and Philip.

Lovely trees in my parent's yard.

The best.

Bec's goodbye kiss to Monk.

My last drive in the country.

Funny memories of this place. Italy, TX you could have been huge!

Lunch with Mom before I left for London.

My wonderful Mom (I love you TWWAM)