"Just" a housewife

Dedicated Fan...

As many of you know, SheffieldWednesday, my beloved football team has made it through to the Second Division play offs. So yesterday was the day that the tickets went on general sale. Let me explain. Season ticket holders get preferential treatment. Local supporters get preferential treatment. Former season ticket holders; people from San Francisco who have stood on the Kop on rainy Wednesday evenings watching Wimbledon on their own don’t get preferential treatment…

So yesterday I spent 8 hours phoning and re-phoning SWFC to try and get through to the ticket office. I was informed by an automated message that due to high call volumes that SWFC could not answer phones. David informed me that although SWFC had sold 38,000 tickets, another 5,000 tickets would go on sale today.

So today I spent another 4 hours redialing the ticket office to get tickets. Unfortunately as 11 a.m. quickly approached, David told me that

Hartlepool tickets that were on sale via the web were being cut off at noon. Maybe I was only able to get tickets via Hartlepool’s website…

So I bought two 50 pound tickets for the Hartlepool end of the Millenium stadium. Then 10 minutes later I finally got through to the SWFC ticket and I was in a queue for tickets. I was number 45. I waited and waited…

After half an hour I was number 35.

After two hours I finally got through to a live person. She was very sweet. She could tell I was excited to have got through. She asked me a simple question: what was the post/zip code where I wanted the tickets delivered. Call me mad, but because I’d waited 36 hours for this moment I couldn’t even think straight. What was the post code of the place we were staying…

Once I’d calmed down I finally bought two tickets for the SWFC end of the Millennium Stadium. I can now sing VERY loud and support my team. Hopefully, if there’s a God in the world he will know the extent I’ve gone to and allow me to enjoy my day on Sunday…

This evening I joined our SF friends who have recently moved to Chiswick for dinner. We had a lovely evening and retired to their apartment for a quick drink…or so we thought. We imagined that we’d catch the second half of the European Cup Final.

Liverpool versus AC Milan. As we arrived at their house it was 3-0 to AC Milan and not even half time.

All done and dusted. AC Milan would win.

Half time came and went. Then…in the middle of our conversation Liverpool scored. Then they scored two more goals in 5 minutes. Wait – Liverpool equalized 3-3. Long story short after extra time it was still stalemate.

Just like the FA Cup final it was penalties.

Just like the FA Cup Final the team I was supporting came from behind and sealed a victory. Bloody Brilliant. Football is amazing. You can’t beat it. We tried to convey to Steph (the true American…yes I know I’m a hybrid) the excitement but you can’t…it was awesome.

Lets hope Sunday’s the same. My team win. And all is well in the World. In the mean time, I’ll got to bed pissed. On Sunday, I’ll be pissed for another reason if Wednesday don’t win. COME ON YOU OWLS…

Childhood Memories...

I had a great weekend. On Friday night David and I drove 150 miles North to Derby to stay with my best high school friend Anna. She's 6.5 months pregnant yet still manages to enjoy Becks (alcohol free!)

We had a very lazy Saturday, just reading the papers, having a late breakfast and watching hours and hours of Football. It was the English FA Cup and Arsenal were immensely lucky to beat Manchester United on penalties after extra time. Phil got drunk, David would have done if he wasn't still recovering from a bit of a bug caught in Bolivia and I did my best to remain sober not to piss off my tee-total pregnant girlfriend!

Late on Saturday evening Anna got out an old box of letters. Turns out she'd kept a bunch of letters we used to write to each other when we were between 8 and 10 years old. We sat and read them. It was great to see the terrible spelling, the made up names we used to call each other (I was Christine, she was Lynn!) and the conversations about Howard's Way, Sons and Daughters and Dynasty! There was the usual chatter about boys too. I told Anna I'd walked home with a boy from school and even mentioned Michael Vaughn (our school friend who is now England Cricket captain!) It was hillarious. Made even more silly as we'd obviously delivered each letter to one another in person!

On Sunday, David and I couldn't resist going to Alton Towers. Its just 30 minutes from Derby and much as I love Anna, I couldn't help leaving my pregnant friend to go to IKEA while David and I hit the theme park. Its not just any theme park, its the best theme park in the world! I say that because the Disney parks are good, but they are all about Disney too. The theme park near SF in Vallejo is ok, but again it tries to be an animal park too. Alton Towers is all about one thing - ROLLER COASTERS!

We spent 5 blishful hours there and went on every ride. I ran to the first ride, the brand new Rita - Queen of Speed ride. Oh and I'm not joking when I say I ran. I love rollercoasters. Awesome...David and I had a great time and I was a kid again. You see Anna and I went to Alton Towers every year. It was tradition. Just like now I can't think of an English summer without Pimms, I can't think of a summer growing up without Alton Towers.

Good things about England!

Lately I've been missing home - San Francisco - and looking forward to returning. However, this week there have been some aspects of England that I have enjoyed and yes, I'll miss them when I go back to SF.

1) Pimms

2) Crimewatch UK

3) Sheffield Wednesday

So I'll start with the drink, Pimms. Its an indescribable drink. Refreshing in summer, alcoholic and brilliant even after 7 of them. Yes last night with the Text 100 London folk we went to Richmond by the river and I fell off the wagon (2.5 weeks of no alcohol) I drank 7 Pimms and lemonade. I nearly didn't go into work today.

While David and I were in Bolivia we realised that Sheffield Wednesday, my beloved football team had reach the semi final play offs (if they win the final match they go up a division!) and that the second and final leg of the semi would be against Brentford. Brentford is currently 10 minutes walk from our flat in Chiswick. So on Monday night we strolled down there and bought a ticket (don't ask how...) and sat in the Brentford end. I not only wore my SWFC hat but even at the end I was quietly singing the Sheffield Wednesday songs. A guy sat next to me and kept looking over...I told David either he was a Sheffield Wednesday supporter envious of my hat or he was a Brentford supporter about to stab me. Thankfully he was the former!

Anyway the point is, there's NOTHING in the world like supporting a football team. The passion, the thrill, the excitement and the nerve wracking 90 minutes. Even when your team is 3-0 up (as mine was) I still wouldn't rest. Anyway, we're off to Cardiff in two weeks to do it all again. Here's hoping they win and get promoted...

Finally, Crimewatch. Its not like the US shows that glorify crime and pretend the show is about solving crime...Crimewatch is an institution that has been around as long as I can remember. It does a phenomenal job and is great. I just watched this months episode. Brilliant. End of story.

Returning to England

We returned from Bolivia yesterday. After almost 24 hours of traveling, we arrived back in Chiswick. We were very jealous of the couple, who were checking in before us in La Paz, Bolivia, as they said their final destination was San Francisco.

However, after a day of chores and relaxation yesterday, today I completed a 10k run on Wimbledon Common. It was a lovely sunny day and despite the fact that it was meant to be a run with a few colleagues from the London office, I didn’t see anyone, so ran the whole thing on my own. (I haven’t been in the office for 2 weeks remember!) It was also a year ago to the day that I’d organized the Bay to Breakers Fun Run for the SF office. The run was hard going just 24 hours after such a long trip and I haven’t run in 2 weeks, since my run on Miami Beach. (My 2.5 yr old neice has started calling it ‘your ami.’ To her you say its ‘My Ami.’ She responds no it’s ‘your ami!’) The end of the Bolivia trip was phenomenal in the Salt Flats. Unfortunately, I was sick, but it didn’t spoil the holiday. We didn’t want to come back and certainly not to work! We were very envious of many of our fellow group who were continuing their travels. So given that, we headed down to the local book shop yesterday afternoon and picked up two Lonely Planet guides. One for Laos and one for Venezula. I think we’ve decided Thanksgiving in Laos would be good. We’ll see…before then David has promised to take me to Vancover and Alaska!

This afternoon I spent it with Lauren. We played in the swing in the garden, went for a little cycle ride, made fairy cakes with Cadbury’s mini-eggs on top and played a ‘shopping game’ that I bought her a few weeks ago. A lovely Sunday…now what will the new week bring…

What I did on my sisters Birthday!

Its my sisters 32 birthday and the day started in Sucre. A much prettier and seemingly wealthier city than La Paz. We'd exhausted the museums during the last few days so we slept in, packed our stuff up and took a leisurely stroll through the market buying supplies for our 3.5 hr bus journey this afternoon to Potosi.

I phoned my sister to wish her happy birthday (my niece thought Father Christmas was coming today because yesterday she'd helped her daddy wrap presents up for her mummy!) and phoned my mum!

The bus journey wasn't so bad. The bus was super comfy, not like the 9 seater Toyota vans we've been used to. And despite no restroom breaks, the 3.5 hrs sailed by as I finished my book and started another. I've finished 'Bergdorf Blondes' (hideous materialistic portrayal of NY women) and started the wonderful second book of 23 year old Irish Prime Minister's daughter, Cecelia Ahern. Its her follow up to the international best seller, P.S., I Love You.

We arrived in Potosi a little before 5 p.m. and went straight out to the Mint Museum. A fascinating place since Potosi used to have the same population size as London due to the abundance of silver mines in the area. Then dinner (see earlier blog) and now blogging and bed.

We've off down one of the aforementioned mines tomorrow...I can't wait!

I'm American!

Tonight I have come to the final realization that yes I am American.

When you get 12 fairly intelligent, educated people from all around the world (Canada, Australia, Switzerland, England, Belgium etc.) round a table, a lively debate always ensues. However, this evening as we sat in a restaurant in Potosi, Bolivia the conversation got on to politics, the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, American news and all that's wrong with America. At first I was the first to admit that Bush may not be the greatest individual in the Universe, but after a while as everyone was stating their opinion, I became more subdued. It became apparent that the individuals around the table were more interested in making their own anti-US opinion heard than caring about other people's feelings and being sensitive to the fact that there may be differing opinions at the table.

A few individuals just became intent on slagging off America as much as possible and everything to do with the country. Despite the fact there wasn't any American born people at the table, there happened to be someone who's made her home in the US for the last 7 years and someone who is about to go for citizenship. I was offended. I just wanted to get up from the table and leave. Tonight, I didn't want to be with the group anymore...

Hopefully, in a few months time when I go for my citizenship interview and they question my commitment to becoming a US citizen, I can tell them this story.

Two things in life...

There's only two things in life I need when I stay somewhere - a great shower and a nice bed. Kitchens are important, but you can eat out, heat is important but you can get more blankets or just snuggle up more, but showers and comfy beds are important!

The hotel we are staying in tonight, in the midst of Bolivia, where I have yet again been shocked at the state of some people's 'homes,' has a better shower than the one we have in our flat in London. It's a constant great hot temperature and its very powerful! Unlike the one in London!!!

Today I struggled yet again with the altitude. This constant headache gets a little wearing, but it was a good day visiting some archeological ruins in Tiwakanu. It was nice as we experienced the local life by traveling on a mini-bus. They don't care if its a 9 seater - if they can fit in 12!!! And you just shout out when you want to get off. It doesn't matter if its in the middle of no where because someone needs to get off to walk through the fields on the plateau to their home. Read David's blog (linked on my home page) for more details of Tiwakanu.

Tomorrow we're off to Sucre by plane. Tonight we're meeting up with our tour group, so that should be nice. Oh and we just caught the end of the Liverpool Chelsea match. Shame Liverpool won - there's even scousers in our hotel...let's hope not on our tour!

No lasting injuries from the cycling - just some sore legs and fore arms! Off for dinner and then back to the hotel for a good nights sleep - shame it's in a single (twin) bed!

The Road of Death...

That´s what we´ve done today. We cycled 38 miles down (2000 meter decent!) the road of death. So called because this single lane road takes two way traffice 38 miles through the Bolivian mountains and often takes many hundreds of lives a year.

We road down it with about 14 others, only one other girl and there were 3 blood injuries and one trip to the hospital for stitches. Yes, that was just our group.

It was the most exhilerating thing I´ve done in a long time and probably the most stupid! Even more stupid was the journey back up in a 9 seater Toyota mini bus - I put my life in some nutters hands. I have to tell you for 90 minutes I´d never prayed so much in my life. He was trying to scary us all with the speed.

And did I mention this was all at altitude - yep cycling at 4000 meters! Ok enough blogging now. I´m off to bed. Exhausted and my fore arms are killing me from gripping the handle bars for dear life for more than 5 hours today!

Thank God I´m alive to blog.

We've landed in Bolivia

We landed in Bolivia at 6:30 a.m. after a 6.5 hr flight from  Miami.  Thankfully as a result of jet lag and a hard day sunbathing by the pool I was asleep even before take off! I woke up to the pilot saying we were landing in 15 minutes.

We'd left Miami in 75 degress heat and arrived in La Paz where it was 34 degrees! Well what do you expect at 13,000 ft. That's 5000 more feet than the highest peak at Tahoe - and I wear thermals in Tahoe!

Arriving at our 'hostel' in La Paz scared me. Not only did the street look deserted and a bit scary, but the wire bars on the doors signaled it was very closed. Thankfully our taxi driver knew to ring the bell (see some things aren't that different in the second poorest country in South America) We settled into our room and had a sleep for a couple of hours.

We're on a rest break in an internet cafe - you need one every few hours to deal with the altitude. I already have a headache and I'm finding it a bit tough, but David assures me that drinking the Coca tea will help. Not sure I'll go as far as chewing the leaves though...

Ok we're off now to organize our trips for the next few days.