About one hour to go before I am 23 (by British time anyway). This is my last entry for my 22 year. Twenty Three can only get better...let me tell you.

This weekend was pretty ace. We (the team and Jen Kitchen) went down to Travone in Cornwall. There was sun, sand and surf...altho more of the first two :). I obvserved a favorite past time on the beach : Cricket.
This amused me as I have recently been reading Bill Bryson Down Under authored by Bill Bryson, no doubt. Here is an excerpt from his book re: Cricket. Keep in mind that Bryson is a U.S. Citizen but also lived in England for a while.

Bryson states: It is not true that the English invented cricket as a way of making all other human endeavours look interesting and lively; that was merely an unintended side effect. I don't wish to denigrate a sport that is enjoyed by millions, some of them awake and facing the right way, but it is an odd game. It is the only sport that incorporates meal breaks. It is the only sport that shares its name with an insect...it is the only competitive activity of any type, other than perhaps baking, in which you can dress in white from head to toe and be as clean at the end of the day as you were at the beginning.

Bryson also describes the "batsman"as "a man who stands wearing a riding hat, heavy gloves of the sort used to handle radioactive isotopes, and a mattress strapped to each leg. Imagine moreover that if this batsman fails to hit the ball in a way that heartens him sufficiently to try to wadddle sixty feet with mattresses strapped to this legs as he is under no formal compulsion to run; he may stand there all day, and, as a rule, does."

I honestly don't get the sport...in the same way I don't eat baked beans for breaky. I didn't grow up with it. It's weird.
Esp. because Aussies are pretty obsessed with rugby: full contact sport with NO padding, do those same Aussies gear up for Cricket?

Don't get me wrong, I def appreciated the activity of it all on the beach. :) 40 more mins till I don't feel like a fresh college grad.

Eurovison 2006!!!

 Yes, Yes. Settle down everyone. It was Eurovison time last weekend!!!! People told me I would laugh, cry, mock, cringe, and even rip my cloths whilst throwing dirt into the air and shouting. (Ok...maybe not that last bit, I've been reading Acts all year w/ the team ).

side explanation: Eurovision is a singing contest (almost like american idol) that most of europe puts an act into. Then the countries who participated vote one who they thought was the best. It's mostly political, partly ridiculous. The great thing about Eurovision in the UK is that they don't take it seriously. There's this guy called Terry Wogan who comments on the acts and during the voting. Oh, the mockery that came out of this man's mouth was astounding!

Sooo...here's some pictures of the blessed event at 16 Hereford on that night:

    this was part the opening ceremony: Let's just say this was probably one of the most amusing things I've ever seen. People dressed as dolphins doing summersaults across the stage.

 Notice that Maoris is looking at his notes (on the couch) And Steph and KC look like they are posing for High School senior pictures

  KC is blurry cos she's lundging forward in laughter. She was supporting Macedonia so she dressed the part that evening. It was great...side ponytail and all.

Eurovision has my vote (although not literally b/c I'm technically American)! I enjoyed the tomfoolery of it all. Eurovison party 2006, a smashing time.

P.S. The winners of the competition that night looked like orks. They sang a song called Rockaluya song, with lyrics such as "this is the arockalyps" and "Rock Hard, Halleluya". The lead singer had an archaic looking ax as a mic.This was no competition for the weak of heart.

I wondered how long it would be before a movie was made about September 11^th. Today answered my speculation…a movie has been made about the flight that was meant to crash into the pentagon but which the passengers of the plane successfully steered away.

I secretly hoped the day would never come, or at least wouldn’t come so soon. It was only five and a half years ago.

As I sat in the movie theater…I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with emotion. What does this movie mean for the future of cinema?

How long will it be until the media becomes a loaded gun? – driving the bullet of a delusional person powered by the chance to keep their memory alive on the big screen.

The horror that I’ve seen with my eyes portrayed on screen is all too much. I don’t think I can handle much more.

These are things I might just miss about England...

Red post boxes
having to turn "on" the power beside an electrical socket
hot and cold taps that arn't combined
hot tea w/ milk 3 times a day (at least)
a door key that looks like it would open a vault from the 1800's
double decker buses w/ scallies saying the "f"word w/ a pronounced back of the throat "c"
the sun coming up at 4:30am
wavertree park....fearing for my life coz of the dogs w/ out leashes (leads)
saying "HI YA, YOU ALRIGHT?"
our dodgy internet...a five min. convo on MSN was a "good day" ;)
the strange TV adverts
getting the mick taken for my accent
a washing machine in the kitchen
letting my cloths air dry for up to 3 days
the three cats that live down our street (blackie, black&whitey
carrying groceries back from TESCO or ASDA
milk in a bag....oh wait...that's canada
music videos in the guild
texting...putting an "x" after the message
squash (what...you're supposed to add water?!?)

there will probably be more to come...I'm seriously going to miss some of these things (others not so much)