Storms-a-Comin'......

As it is the middle of May, you would expect the weather to be quite sunny and lovely crappy here in Ohio - and you'd be correct in that assumption.

As the following photo shows, storms are currently hitting North East Ohio and aside from their strength, the views these storms are bringing are amazing!



Both these photos were taken at the same time - give or take 5 minutes and the camera settings were identical. I went out last night to take photos and as I was uploading them tonight, I looked out of the window and the entire street was a pinky-orange color! So I unplugged the camera again and went back out.

The rain came down hard so I couldn't stay out long, just long enough! :-)

If there is one thing Cleveland Ohio is good for it is basketball, football, baseball, clean lake water, high employment storms!

I want to see this movie SSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOO much!

Mr RDJ couldn't GET any hotter!

My Life.................

As I was looking in the garage for something (something I never found), I came across boxes and boxes of paperwork and memento's from my life back in England. I'm a pack rat and I'll never change!

Anyway, I came across a package of paperwork from July 1998. In this pack, was a "Personal Profile Analysis" one of my employers had done. I read it and had to laugh out loud - literally.

The first paragraph reads;

"Miss Mason (fnar fnar) has a high level of ambition and drive for accomplishment, with and through people. She is impatient/restless and can become discontented, particularly when things are not happening fast enough. She tends to get bored very quickly once the challenge is gone or once the excitement of a job has been lost. She is competitive, very much a self starter and very ambitious."

Seriously, that is one of the best descriptions of me I have ever read. Who knew that I would be that same person 11 years later! The one line later in the report slays me though and I don't even want to show it to George who will just give me that look - the look that says "Uh-huh!" It reads;

"Popularity in the form of social recognition and monetary rewards to cover expensive living are also highly important to her."

Seriously.

If you had asked me - before I read this report whether I thought I had changed as a person, whether I had evolved from the 'Leeds-Lass', I would have given a resounding "Ya-ha!" Apparently, as far as my 'career' goes, I am still the same. Who knew?

However, when I think of my life, the way I have lived it and the way I currently am enjoying it - because I AM enjoying it, I like to think that I am making the most of it. This world and all of it's awesome-ness* is just too big to live in it and not make the most of it. Hence why I travel and ENJOY traveling. Hence why I am always wanting to try new things.

I don't want to be old and infirm and thinking "I wish I'd done this" or "I wish I'd been there". I want to try everything and anything. Life is exciting. I know sometimes I sit and feel bored but I never EVER regret anything I have done. It's all a part of me, who I am, who I am yet to be.

I like that. "Who I am yet to be......"

The only way my life could be given a better description is as follows................ enjoy!






* yeah - I said it

Wolverine of a different sort...........

Wolverine of a different sort...........
Originally uploaded by Photographs by Andrea.

I received this rather fetching image of a 'Wolverine Wannabe' on my cell phone this morning!

NO clue as to who this is! Do you?

Rather embarrassing to send THIS to the wrong number! LOL

There and Back Again........

I recently returned from a trip to Amsterdam. Michael was celebrating his 40th birthday and invited George and I, along with some of his other friends, to join him on a 10 day trip where we would be staying on a houseboat docked right in the heart of Amsterdam.

I have never been to Amsterdam and had no expectations - good or bad - as to what it would be like. I knew only that it would be fun.

The houseboat was GREAT! It berthed 30 people but there were only 8 of us at the start so we all had our own room. It was quiet and comfortable, had a huge kitchen and dining/living area and centrally located. What more could you ask for?

Amsterdam itself is a gorgeous city. Apparently there are only 750,000 inhabitants, yet there are easily 3 trillion bicycles. EASILY. I'm not even exaggerating* You have to watch out for the cyclists as they tend to knock you down then ring the bell to warn you afterwards! That is if you are in the bike path - which I frequently found myself in when not paying attention.

The buildings are old, beautiful and interesting.

We visited the red-light district which was jaw-dropping. To see sex -for-sale so blatantly advertised takes some getting used to. However, during the day this area is a completely different story. They must use the grandmothers of the 'night' ladies. Seriously, at one point we would have sworn that one of the ladies was 70 if she was a day and wearing a fishnet top that wasn't the least bit flattering (though I doubt she could have worn anything to make her look flattering)

We visited the Anne Frank House which while interesting was very sad - especially knowing that the events really happened.

George, Michael and I caught a train and then rented bicycles to ride out to some tulip fields. The fragrance that we rode into was enough that I wanted to bottle it and bring it home...... The tulips were colorful, beautiful and photogenic! :-) I won't explain to you how I caused a bicycle crash of epic proportions and how I have been banned from EVER riding a bicycle in The Netherlands again. Trust me. It wasn't pretty.

The library - biblioteek - was FANTASTIC and we recommended it to everyone we met. Not only is it ultra-modern with art, architecture and at least 40 Macs/PC's on each floor there is a restaurant on the top floor that serves 5-star food at cafe prices! We ate there on two occasions, enjoying salmon fillets, lamb chops, steak, salads, desserts, WITH wine/beer and it was sooooo cheap! Michael and the other guys ate there more than we did, having breakfast and dinner there!

For a break, George and I took the train to Brussels, Belgium. It took approximately 2.5 hours each way and it was a nice break. While we didn't get to see ALL the sights, we did enjoy the parts we saw, however, having been completely blown away by Amsterdam, Brussels had a lot to live up to and it didn't quite get there.

We visited the sex museum which was quite interesting I have to say. We were given a full history of sex in all it's wonder and some of the exhibits - chastity belts etc., made you wonder why people ever had sex at all!

Helen joined us with her son Kevin from France for a couple of days and we had a great dinner on the boat for our last night and basically laughed non-stop from beginning to end of the trip.

Overall, the trip was everything I knew it would be but MUCH MUCH more.

The only problem was deciding where the next trip would take us all!

*might be

History of my Blog!

Many many changes have been made in my life lately and this blog has suffered immensely which drives me mad - Other people can maintain blogs so why can't I? *wonders to herself*

I am currently in South Carolina for a week and upon my return I will shortly thereafter be traveling to Amsterdam for 10 days!

However, This blog will - WILL - be updated and on a regular basis upon my return.

Trust me. Have faith in me. Check back with me.

OK? :-)

.............and off she goes again!

Tomorrow I leave for yet ANOTHER trip! I'm heading off Down Under to the glorious land of New Zea :-)

Even though I have had plenty of time to prepare for this trip do you think I'm anywhere near ready? I'm packed but have lots to do around the house to make it livable for the people I'm leaving behind even though it will be a complete tip when I get back.

Yesterday while out at dinner I broke a tooth. It hurts.

I tried to call my dentist and when I got voice-mail that told me to "hit 5 if this is an emergency" I HIT 5 and was THEN told that I had pressed an incorrect number. You can clearly see how my pain level increased!

I searched the internet for emergency dentists but it turns out that you will only be seen on an emergency basis if you are already a client. Thus I have been in complete pain, agony, misery, torment and tenderness the whole weekend.

I am leaving for the airport tomorrow morning at 10:30 am and will be at the dentist as soon as they open to get this mess fixed.

I am excited for this trip. I will be amongst the first in the world to celebrate New Years Eve, I will get to meet my niece for the first time, I will be traveling around and sightseeing and taking pictures and I will get to see my brothers again.

Oh, and did I mention that it is Summer over there? Oh yes!

I may post before I return but until then.......

Ta-raaaaaaaaaaaa !

From my last trip to see them, July 2006