Friday, July 30, 2010

Thai Food

Eh, not so much in London. It's just not very good here. Enter Thai Kitchen products. You simply add the meat and veggies, and you have an instant Thai dinner. Much cheaper than eating out too.



Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Good Reads

Two very different books. I couldn't put either one down.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Bagels in London

Bagels are terrible in London. Horrible. They're basically bread with no texture since they aren't boiled. I would say NYC and Long Island bagels are one of the only things we miss. So, we trekked to Golders Green today in search of bagels. Golders Green has a significant Jewish population, and you can find traditional kosher bakeries, kosher butchers and Judaica stores in the area. The bagels weren't the best we've ever had, but certainly better than anything in Central London! I'll give Carmelli a B+. We brought home a dozen. I'll head back from time to time to pick up more to have on hand for breakfast and the holidays.

We had a very lazy afternoon, capped off with a drink at the Champion and dinner at home. We also watched Ice Age 3...call us Mr. and Mrs. excitement!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

No Title Needed

I take the Circle line home each night, stopping most nights at High Street Kensington to go the gym, stop by Whole Foods etc. It's a short walk home from there. About 2-3 nights a week, there is a woman sitting near the tube station with her dog, an adorable rottie/pit bull mix who is full of love. I'll call the woman Ann. I usually stop to chat, give her a £ or two. Our conversations always center on her beloved dog, and we talk about Vella too. Ann is usually reading a book, she never asks people for help or money, but always graciously accepts what people offer her. From what I gather, she isn't homeless, but falls in to the 'chaotic life' bucket as we call it in financial services.

I didn't see Ann the past few weeks, but was happy to see her tonight when I exited the tube station. I asked how she was and she said she was fine, getting along. I was petting the dog, when Ann told me that the dog hasn't been herself so she took her to a vet who provides low cost care. The dog has a terrible ear infection, which I saw with my own eyes. I asked why the vet didn't give her medicine for the dog. She said that when she was at the office, she didn't have enough money for the visit/exam + the prescription and was too embarrassed to ask for more help. She is also afraid of the dog being taken from her. She planned to go back as soon as she can scrape together the £36 and she knows how much pain the dog is in right now. I started to say goodbye, but something in my gut told me not to walk away. I asked Ann how much she needed, she said she had nearly £20. We chatted for a few more minutes, and after some tears and promises, I gave Ann the £16. She kept saying, 'You would do that for my dog? You would do that for me?' I have Ann's word that I will see her next week and she will show me the medication, that the dog will be on the mend. She gave me a hug.

There is so much wrong and just plain bad in this world. I saw it every day in NYC, and I see it here in London too. I hope I was able to do some good today. I'll be praying for Ann and her dog tonight, and hoping that I see her next week. Maybe I was taken for a fool, but I like to think that Ann is a good person who will live up to her word.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Time to Get Serious

And make this place more of a home! Case in point:

This table and bedding joined our flat this weekend. All in anticipation of helping out this poor room.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Ibiza

We spent last weekend in Ibiza. The original plan was to spend the weekend with friends who would meet us after spending time in Barcelona with family. Their trip was canceled, but we decided to make the two-hour flight and enjoy.

The tapas were delicious!

The beaches were gorgeous (Note that I had to be careful in choosing a beach shot because like most European beaches, tops are optional in Spain and 90% of the people on the beach were half-naked.)

And we even took in a little history in Ibiza town (not without MORE food of course!).

That concludes our May-July tour! We're staying put for a few weeks and then we're off on a 'proper' holiday in early August.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Where in the World are the Rosedales?

I promise this isn't a travel blog. And we do have jobs, we aren't just gallivanting around Europe. So, where in the world are the Rosedales this weekend? Take a guess! I might just have something for the person who guesses correctly (Megan, you aren't eligible!).

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Random Tuesday

Lots of random thoughts on my mind today...

I had my arse handed to me at the gym tonight. I feel old. I'm hungry and I'm keeping a food diary. Accountability sucks.

My kitchen, and maybe the living room too, smells like Newman's Own balsamic dressing. I'm not pointing any fingers, but my husband didn't put the cap back on the dressing last week when he put in the fridge. One shake, and it was all over the kitchen.

I'm reading Rescue Me by Melissa Wareham. If you love dogs, especially those of the rescue kind, this is the book for you!

Vella is booked on a British Airways flight the night of August 10! We miss her so much it's to the point of being ridiculous. Let the spoiling commence the morning of August 11. We're already plotting her first trip to the English countryside. She'll love it.

We had a wonderful weekend in County Clare, Ireland. No plans, nowhere in particular to be, no dinner reservations...not a care in the world. Ireland is stunning and we can't wait to go back this year.

I'm really fed up with our washing machine and refrigerator. We're among the lucky ones too - we have a combo washer/dryer that actually dries clothes (that's a novelty here!) and a reasonably sized refrigerator that would be the envy of many here in London. I have to remind myself to get over it and move on. Life ain't that bad.

Our apartment is in need of some serious decorating. Pictures to come, which will all be 'before' pictures. I have no idea where to start to get to an 'after.'

Friday, July 2, 2010

TGIF

Today is my Birthday, the 10-year anniversary of a Birthday when I was in my 20's. I'm not sharing the number! It hasn't been a good day (it's almost 12pm here in London). I'll spare you the details, but I may need to eat something naughty for lunch. We're heading to the land of shamrocks and leprechauns tonight, so hopefully the weekend will be better than today.

Happy 4th of July! Have a burger, hot dog, and corn on the cob for us.