"Just" a housewife

Again. Why?

A twenty-something actor in the prime of his life. Arguably his best professional work ahead of him. Academy award nominatee.

His career. His life. Cut short.

Drugs overdose?

River Pheonix - Oct. 31, 1993

Or Heath Ledger - Jan. 22, 2008.

Who's next? Amy W.? Brittany? Pete D.?

Dushka's inspiration & 7 days of success

Dushka always inspires me, I think I've said this before. Today I read her blog (what did she get Luca for Christmas and why is she packing boxes early in the New Year?) And I find myself compelled to blog.

It's a busy time...we've just sold our house (success!) and we're waiting with baited breath to find out when we can move into the new one. David is finally allowing himself to get excited.

We've just had a lovely weekend...we've seen friends on Friday night, Saturday night, and on Sunday we had an awesome day skiing and today it's been a productive day of chores. I've often thought if there is a heaven, it would resemble Sugar Bowl at it's best (without that nasty icey bit at the top!) bathed in sunshine and certainly not as cold as yesterday!

A trait I share with Dushka; I make lists and today I've accomplished almost everything on my list. I'm feeling good about the New Year/new house purging and tidying that we've been doing in the past few weeks. And I'm becoming more and more educated on the candidates so that I can make an informed decision in a couple of weeks in the US elections.

My parents arrive on Thursday and next week...well I think I can just be happy for the last week. I hope that the next 7 days will be even more successful!

Bhutan for a rest...

David's gone to Bhutan for a rest. The last three weeks have been a whirlwind.

To summarize:

1) David had his last day at Text 100.

2) I had a lousy, yet successful hospital experience...

3) David started his 6 weeks off

4) We went to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park

5) We found a new house in San Mateo

6) We put our house on the market www.4339California.com

7) We bid on the house in San Mateo

8) David flew to Bhutan

9) We had the bid accepted on the house in San Mateo

And the next three or four weeks?

1) Sell our house

2) Me go to work in NYC for 5 days

3) David flied home

4) Go to Tahoe

5) Go to England for Christmas

Normal life of Emma & David

24 hours with Tom & Kelly

On Friday my dutch friend and journalist, Tom hosted a 'leaving drinks event' or as it was billed, The International Press Club Mixer, sponsored by Intel! He's returning to Holland. Unfortunately, David has been so sick all week with flu (just like Sabina) that he stayed home.

Therefore, my date for the night was my new work colleague of five days, Scott. He'd been in town 8 days after moving from New Mexico. His eyes were wide in the big city!

Anyway, the evening was much fun, and the Chardonnay was lovely. A bit too lovely in fact because I think I professed my drunken love to Tom (making sure he knew it was David and I that would miss him so much!) and then stumbled round to another bar to have birthday drinks with my friend Andrew!

By this time, it was beer time, drunken dancing time and discussing the meaning of life with anyone who would listen. After a lucky escape in a taxi (I fell asleep on my own and only woke up when the taxi driver told me I'd reached my destination...thankfully home!) I returned home to the safety of David!

Needless to say, Saturday involved sips of Gatorade, much sickness and no possibility of getting out of bed until 3:30 p.m. Yes that's right, 3:30 p.m. An attempt at a shower at 1 p.m. set me back a few hours.

Where does Kelly fit in? Well I am refering to the best singer I have ever heard. Poddy can mock me all he likes, but it's true. I managed to sober up and cure myself of a hangover in time to make Kelly Clarkson's concert in San Jose at 8:30 p.m. Saturday night. [Did I mention that I couldn't take ANY pain killers to rid myself of this hangover? Minor hospital visit on Monday prevents me from taking any ibruprofen 72 hrs before said procedure.]

It was fantastic. I might not have been on my best form, but she was amazing. Quite a little rocker and as I said, the best voice in the whole damn world.

There you have it. Tom and Kelly; brilliant. World's worst hangover...F**king painful.

Earthquake update

Apparently it felt stronger than some others at 5.6 because it was less than 6 miles below surface. Many people on newsites are commenting on the duration of the shaking!

It's cool! I know it shouldn't be...

We've just had a 5.6 magnitude earthquake. It lasted ages! I was on the phone to David in New York. "Oh my god," I yelled as I watched the big tree-plant in our living room shake. I sat there staring around at the furniture moving as the building shook. The earth felt as if it was rolling and rumbling. It lasted at least 10 seconds. Long enough for me to tell David we were having an earthquake and long enough for him to yell for me to get on the floor in between the table and the couch.

I actually did!

I laid in between the furniture and started laughing. This is cool!

And all David could say is, "we need to finish our earthquake kit!" Apparently it has no food in it, just beer!

Note: I just saw my neighbors and discussed it with them. As they reminded me...it's cool until you get the 'big' one. Somber thought. Now I need that alcohol.

David's away therefore I shall post!

I was driving home tonight and I thought about inspiration. Who inspires us and why?

Dushka inspired me two weeks ago when she told me what I already knew. Redbull and Diet Coke is bad for me. I should stick to water. I've known that I need to give up both for a while now yet I just can't have one occassionally. It gets worse and before I know it I am drinking one a day! Bad!

So after that night, I drank my last coke, I had my last Redbull. And boy did the caffine withdrawal kick in. All week. I survived. Just. Dushka inspires me.

David inspires me. David inspired me to cycle up the MeeWok trail in the Marin headlands on Sunday. It was hard core. Steep. I was not fit. I felt like giving up. I felt sick. David made me cycle to the top. And once there we ate Cheese and Branston Pickle sandwiches. Looking over the whole Bay and Pacific. We could see Tiburon, Belvadere, Mill Valley, The Pacific, San Francisco, everywhere. And David left the video camera in the car.

Nevermind, he still inspires me.

And I'm proud of him.

Four Days Early, but good on you Dover Boy!

Blog Action Day isn't until Oct. 15, but this post is timely. I read a story on BBC News that made me smile...

We all know that while movies like 'An Inconvenient Truth,' 'Bowling For Columbine', 'Sicko' and other Michael Moore movies are good, they're also biased.

A local school governor from Dover brought a case in the High Court in England to ban the Al Gore film from being shown in schools across England. A judge ruled that although it could be shown, it has to be shown with guidelines, because there are 9 scientific errors in the film.

I guess once a politician, always a politician...you've always got to do your own research and not trust everything you read or watch. But I guess Gore has done more than most.

Back home!

Does the title of this post mean back home in England (as I was this weekend!) or back home (as I am now in San Francisco?)

Well home certainly is where I feel most comfortable and that's here at our SF home with David. But he's in New York until tomorrow. Have I mentioned we've seen each other 36 hrs in 2 weeks?

But leaving Lauren (and now George) never gets easy. Its always emotional and painful. It sounds dramatic but it's true. I selfishly woke Lauren at 6 a.m. this morning to say goodbye. In the past she's compained if I've left without saying goodbye. The sleepy cuddle I recieved was lovely.

The weekend consisted of a school disco on Friday night, horse riding on Saturday morning, a birthday party, a bit of shopping, a trampoline, an assault course and many bed-time stories. 

Oh and I worked in the HP London office on Monday.

Selected photos in the album!

George Brown! Welcome to the World!

My last post was a sad, melancholy one and this one is at the other end of the spectrum.

On Wednesday, Sept. 19, I became an Auntie for the second time. George (Lauren's nickname for Sarah's tummy was George Michael-ey after my sister's favorite singer...it just stuck!) is beautiful. I 'saw' him after just two hours via a camera phone picture. Tomorrow I hope to see him via webcam. Technology, hey?

Next Thursday night, I will fly home for four days to meet him and celebrate Lauren's birthday. I've already bought 'Big Sister' books and I have a whole strategy on making Lauren feel as special as always. Unfortunately for me it involves taking her to her school disco on Friday night from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Why the hell a five year old has a school disco, let alone one that goes on until 9 p.m. is beyond me.

I guess I'm just getting old...

P.S. Poddy - yes David is away ;-)