a great life, but a great loss

sometimes it's the people we don't know very well who seem to say the most poignant things when no one really knows if any words can help. i know most of my faithful readers will already know that i'm canada bound tomorrow as my grandad goodwin passed away on the weekend. i'm one of the lucky few - who i could only really include my brother in - fortunate enough to have all of their grandparents half way through their twenties. and for that i give thanks and count my many, many blessings.

i went into work today to meet with my line manager to make sure things don't fall apart too much while i'm gone. on my way in i ran into pete who's the education officer at the walker and has been for about 15 years. he asked me how old grandad was and when i responded that he was 92 years old, he replied 'if only we could all live that long. but what a great life he must have led, and therefore, what a great loss.'

i think pete was bang on.

i can't wait to get home tomorrow and i'm dreading that flight, which will probably seem three times as long. i know i'll be frustrated because i'll want to do more and stay longer, but the longer i stay the harder it will become to come back.

nice to meet you, i'm entj

i'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to personality tests as most of the ones i've seen are in cosmo, but as part of the management development training course i'm on we had a day of *self discovery* on monday.

i was shocked to know that my profile was bang on:
extraversion, inuiting, thinking, judging

and it stated the following things about me, which are *so* true!
- like to engage in intellectually stimulating exchanges
- like and respect people who challen them and have little or no respect for those who don't (am i not *always* saying i need a partner that challenges me?)
- dislike inefficiency, incompetence and indecisiveness (it does drive me batty)
- workaholics (i think the 11 days straight of work i just did, plus the fact that i'm still here at 6 pm on a friday demonstrates that one)
- not likely to be convinced by anything by good, solid reasoning (let's see some evidence)

what i'm like in relationships:
- honest, direct and straighforward (yup)
- live life with gusto and enthusiasm (bring on the red wine and whisky)
- have a gregarious fun-loving side as well as a serious driven side (i'm a gemini after all...)
- want relationships to be an opportunity for learning (i want *everything* to be...i'm a learning officer)
- encourage people they care about to improve themselves (again with the learning)
- can be intimidating, blunt and abrasive andhide their soft, sentimental side (yup)

and it suggested i do the following things to lead a happier life:
- avoid driving others as hard as i drive myself (yeah...okay)
- schedule time everyday for rest and relaxation (yoga please)
- enjoy the moment for what it is, not for what you can make of it or how you can structure it (yes, i know i need to do this. i can be a bit *monica*)
- leave my need to control at the doorstep when i come home
- be aware of your effect on others (my effect?) and avoid appearing overly confident and aggressive

but overall i'm:
- dynamic, energetic, confident, confident, knowledgeable and like to be in charge

anyway, thought that would make a few people nod their heads in agreement. i'm doing a bit of house hunting this weekend, but hopefully just taking some time to relax. i'm tired. it's been a long 11 day week.

apocalyptic weather

it's been a long time since i've woken up in the morning to a thunderstorm and it's not something i expected on an october morning whilst living in the uk. nonetheless, there were some big thunderboomers that woke me up this morning and accompanied me through breakfast.

there was also a full moon on the weekend, so i have the feeling that something *big* is coming.

the flat i was supposed to see monday fell through. i got to the building and didn't even want to go in and was slightly thankful when the owner didn't show up to tour me around. have a viewing tomorrow afternoon and one next wednesday.

thanksgiving weekend photies

chris at the quarter on friday night...pulling his *oh* face

the installation for the liverpool biennial in picton library. a beautiful place ot begin with, but made slightly eerie by this plastic red enclosure. there are a series of chairs inside that have been made by people who have had serious brain injuries (davoud took this one).

val's thanksgiving dinner plate.

nick pretending to be canadian...i think he pulls it off pretty damn well.

steve, rich, ruth, andrew and davoud post meala picture of me after eveyone had left, all the dishes had been done and i was finishing off my last glass of wine (wardrobe courtesy of j9 & carole)

thanksgiving 06

well, i somehow managed to pull off thanksgiving dinner again this year with no major catastrophes other than a pot of frozen cream and a piece of burnt toast.

there were 17 people here for dinner (three veggies), which was five more than last year believe it or not. i had a little bit of a review on the evening with davoud just before he drove back to cov with nick and i think we concluded that last year was better. not neccesarily food wise, but there was an air of excitement and the unexpected as it was everyone's first thanksgiving.

we did have fun. we did give thanks. we did play canadian trivia, which showed me that i haven't taught anything to my british counterparts over the last year. the winning score was harriet with 12 out of 25...must be doing something wrong! more brainwashing is needed.

the rest of the weekend was really great. j9 and carole were back on friday night for dinner and a night out. much fun and alcohol was had by all. on saturday nick, davoud and i toured around some of the biennial, hit a couple of pubs and had possibly the *worst* old fashioneds known to man. don't ever go to the resident's lounge in liverpool unless you're having bottled beer.

and finally, i formally retracted my offer on the flat on friday. after some consultation and words of advice from several people, the hassle just wasn't going to be worth it. back on the hunt today though, going to see a place in a couple of hours.

this year i gave thanks to my family. even though i'm miles away and even though there may be loads going on that normally they would need my help with, they all remain incredibly supportive and let me know that i may be across an ocean, but i'm not loved any less.

*hugs*

no house for you

i thought it was about time that i updated everyone on the house purchase situation. 'cause that's what it feels like...a situation.

i got the survey back on friday, which was not all good news. i know it is supposed to look for all the bad aspects of a property, but when they want a structural enginner to inspect the house for movement it's not exactly good news.

so now i'm trying to negotiate with the seller via the estate agent to pay for a report from the structural engineer because i don't want to fork out the cash for it and i'm thinking this must have been something the developer would have taken into consideration. then again, maybe not.

anyway. i can't get my mortgage until this report comes back and any concerns are dealt with accordingly. at this point, it looks like giving up and continuing to rent for the rest of my life just might be the best option.

i'll keep you posted.

the first pics from the invasion

j9 and carole writing about the day's events and enjoying a pint of john smiths

the first night at keith's wine bar enjoying some pinto grigio

my sweaty pint of guinness, which tasted oh so gooood

constant states of excitement

i need to understand that not everyone has my level of tolerance for alcohol. i didn't drink a lot yesterday, but j9 and carole did get quite drunk. let's just say i've never seen anyone get so excited about a john lewis window display.

we walked around the docks, took a few pics, went to the maritime museum, the tate for lunch and a bit of a wander...and then of course the yellow duckmarine. i then began taking my canadian invaders on a mini pub crawl to my favourite spots...well, a few.

pumphouse inn
doctor duncan's
blackburne arms (which had stopped serving food, so for dinner we went to...)
the royal tandoori
penny lane wine bar

met up with chris, steve and dave for a pint and then made our way home.

they brought me map-o-spread and i'm getting too excited about having toast every morning.