Friday 31 December 2004

Xanga Post: Friday, December 31, 2004

How can you tell that Wondra doesn't want to be in work today?

5. She came in five minutes late. (Although she did TRY to be later.)

4. She showed up with a bag of Doritos and a Dr Pepper.

3. She's made a verbal protest condemning the practice of working on such an important day...And I mean Katie's birthday, of course!

2. She told a customer to call back and lie about what was wrong with his tv so she could exchange it.

1. She wore her pajamas!

Thursday 30 December 2004

Xanga Post: Thursday, December 30, 2004

Who had a good Christmas? I did. (Minus the part where our exhaust fell off the car on Christmas day leaving us stranded on the M4 for an hour.)

I got a bunch of goodies and Jay liked the pressies I got him. (Many weeks of DVD hunting.) Good husbands buy their wives "An Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells."  *drool*

And food.... so much food... much of which will never, ever leave my hips...

Now religiously dieting to loose weight before the next convention season. So excited about meeting Q!

And booze... so much booze... We went out both Christmas Eve and Boxing Day with Jay's friends. (Not to mention boozing it up on Christmas Day. Wahoo.)

Jay and I got time off together which was absolutely great. I'm looking forward to our mini break now. Yay! Two weeks! Katie's mom is pitching her novel to Harlequin about then as well so GO MOM! (My novel rests at a meagre 17,000 words.)

Tuesday 21 December 2004

Xanga Post: Tuesday, December 21, 2004

I have an appointment with a careers advisor in two weeks. Yay!  *happy, happy back to school dance* In the meantime, I'm just suppose to get my transcripts from my old schools... Hm... that could prove a bit more difficult. Testing me... Why are they always testing me?

I finished my "Christmas" shopping Saturday and wrapping on Sunday. Jay and I got presents from Katie just the other day.

ALL THAT GLITTER! Glitter all over the car, over me, over the couch, over the presents. EVERYWHERE! It was EIGHT YEARS AGO!

I WILL get you back. *glare*

Tuesday 14 December 2004

Xanga Post: Tuesday, December 14, 2004

Number of customers so far today determined to rip open my throat open and suck the blood from my body: 3 (but it's only 12:00)

Number of customers who actually realise that we are actually humans, not robots with phones built in to our ears: 2

Number of people who have started and quite since I started working here: 2

Number of people starting work here this week: 2

How long I think they'll last: 1 day

Monday 6 December 2004

Xanga Post: Monday, December 06, 2004

Jay and I had a big convention last weekend and got to meet Lance Henriksen.

Busy with the holiday shopping. Spent two hours making out Christmas cards last night. Now will spend twenty pounds sending them all. Damn.

Still writing novel, week past deadline. Never give up, never surrender.

Love my baby, don't get to see him enough.

Tuesday 16 November 2004

Xanga Post: Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Busy with work... Busy writing my novel (10,521 words/14 days left)... Trying to find as much time as I can to be with Jay...You'll have to catch up with me later!

Friday 12 November 2004

Xanga Post: Friday, November 12, 2004

I've survived my first week of work. It's not so bad, I just have to pretend to be nice to people all the time. Lol. Does it scare you that people call me to have their computers fixed?

Sunday 7 November 2004

Xanga Post: Sunday, November 07, 2004

Jay took me to a craft faire this morning. It was great. Cardiff was mad busy because of all the crazy people doing their Christmas shopping already.

I start my new job tomorrow. Unpaid for the first day, which sucks. But, I really need work so I'll deal.

Tuesday 2 November 2004

Twenty-Two Things I've Learned in Twenty-Two Years

22.Love is never unconditional. (And rarely reciprocal.)
21.People stop caring about your birthday when you stop bringing cupcakes to class.
20. The cliché is true: There's no smoke without fire.
19. You CAN get through life without being able to cook.
18. No one will ever care about you more than they care about themselves.
17. All politicians are evil.
16. You never know what you can do until you try.
15. It doesn't matter what you do today because in 100 years no one will give a damn.
14. Secrets are weapons; never give them out to be used on yourself.
13. Life is hard, anyone who tells you differently is either rich or on drugs.
12. People never compliment you unless they want something in return.
11. Buffy was right: The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.
10. Blood isn't enough to make a family.
9. You have to gamble big to win big.
8. Hope is for people who have nothing left to live for.
7. Sometimes the people we hate are the ones most like ourselves.
6. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks, people who say you can't are too lazy to try.
5. Love is incredibly beautiful, and incredibly painful.
4. Never say "It won't happen to me." The Powers That Be consider it a challenge.
3. Men are the weaker species, they just don't know it.
2. Famous people are just like us. They're just better at hiding farts, faking smiles and applying make-up.
1. Life is too short to hold grudges but sometimes you need to fight to appreciate it.

Xanga Post: Tuesday, November 02, 2004

My birthday was pretty crappy this year but I'm not going into details.

I got a job, though, so yay. It's only one day a week and covering for people when they get sick but it's a start.

Sue had surgery done on her knees yesterday so I'm doing double duty for a week. The joy.

Friday 29 October 2004

Xanga Post: Friday, October 29, 2004

Only two days to go until my birthday! Yayness! I got a card from Rae and a nifty package from Katie. I feel so loved!

Jay took me to the pub last night for Quiz Night and we won. (The first round anyway.)

Monday 25 October 2004

Xanga Post: Monday, October 25, 2004

Jay and I went out to Newport today for a wander around. I got Columbo! Yay!

We also got a big pumpkin (By British standards. Lol.) that I'm going to attack tomorrow. Pumpkin seeds.... Mmmm...

My birthday is this Sunday! Yippie!

Thursday 21 October 2004

Xanga Post: Thursday, October 21, 2004

It takes me twenty minutes to walk to one of my favourite spots along the canal so I can sit, relax, and write while enjoying the beautiful autumn weather.

I sit down, open my notebook, pull the pen from by bun and start to write...

One line, ink looks a little faded...

Two line, ink starts to look blotchy...

Third line, no, please don't do this to me...

Fourth, no. It's dead.

There must be some sort of vengeful daemon, some anti-muse that haunts writers. To him, I say, "Bastard!"

Saturday 9 October 2004

Xanga Post: Saturday, October 09, 2004

The craft fair in Birmingham was great. The ticket seller mistook me for a twelve year old so I got in free. Is that a good thing? I got lots of craft goodies plus a new pentacle ring for less than £4. Yippie.

We got a new cat earlier in the week. It's pitch black with big brown eyes. Sue called it Midnight but I prefer to call it Hellspawn. It's totally feral. It hisses every time you get near it and has run away twice and hidden under our bed. Jay and I are betting that it runs away.

I fell down the stairs on Wed and smashed my tailbone. I couldn't walk right for two days. Ouch! (At least Jay was amused.)

We went to see Kevin "Bloody" Wilson on Thursday night. That was fun. His daughter Jenny Talia was on before him and she was great as well. They were both so raunchy.

Jay took me to order new glasses this week. I got to go through the fun eye watering exam. Wahoo. But, I've got two pairs of glasses coming on Wed! (I had to pick one pair out of the children's section because I couldn't find a pair small enough.)

We went out shopping yesterday and that was great. New clothes, yippie! We're out again tomorrow to Cardiff to have a look around.

Still doing the job hunt thing. Applications all over, no one cares.

London MCM Expo next weekend. That should be a fun convention.

Saturday 2 October 2004

Xanga Post: Saturday, October 02, 2004

We have to be on our way to England for a craft show by 8am tomorrow morning. That means that I'd have to be up by at least 7 to get ready... But Jay won't be home until at least 5am... So what's the point of going to sleep? Tomorrow might be a very long day. Especially since there's late night wrestling on!

I was suppose to hear from the theatre by today...Nothing. I guess that means they don't have anything for me.

Friday 1 October 2004

Xanga Post: Friday, October 01, 2004

Okay...So I might've set the microwave on fire a little bit.

I only meant to defrost the sausages... Should've noticed they were in a foil package...

Thursday 30 September 2004

Xanga Post: Thursday, September 30, 2004

Lawyers will be the death of me, I swear. I saw a lawyer yesterday to prepare me for this interview I had today to get a NI (National Insurance) Number. It's like our Social Security Number, I think. It means I can work and they can take taxes from me. Not a great thing, I know, but totally necessary. The interview was suppose to be three hours long, according to my lawyer, but ended up being shorter than the meeting yesterday. Go figure!

I got a message from a friend from college saying she might come visit soon. Yay!

Sunday 26 September 2004

Xanga Post: Sunday, September 26, 2004

Well, it's been awhile since I've really posted anything because Jay and I have been spending some quiet time together. But he's back in work tomorrow so it's back to the normal...

I went to a wedding for one of Sue's friends yesterday and it was uncomfortable to say the least.

The priest asked for money twice during the ceremony (Why doesn't he just go ahead and ruin the most important day of her life by whoring out his church?) and mentioned a couple of other things that really raised my hackles. Namely 1. Only Christian marriages are real. Civil marriages like mine and Jay's aren't real and therefore won't last and 2. A Christian marriage isn't valid unless the woman wears a ring. Of course, the man doesn't have to. So... a woman has to wear a brand and say that she belongs to the man but the man can go gallivanting off doing whatever he likes without anyone knowing if he belongs to a woman? Humph.

And the whole thing was added to by a baby WAILING through the whole ceremony because the mother wasn't smart enough to take it out. At least churches have great acoustics so we could hear every whimper and whine. *sigh*

The food afterwards was good but we had to pay for our own booze which is not a British custom I enjoy.

The job hunt isn't going well.

Hobbycraft turned me down without saying why (I assume it's because I wanted three times the amount of hours they were prepared to offer) and the theatre hasn't called back. I'm taking matters into my own hands and calling them again (I tried a few days ago but the woman wasn't in.) tomorrow.

I have CVs out that apparently aren't catching anyone's eye and how am I suppose to survive the holidays without any money? Grr.

Other than that, everything's great. I'm loving the Autumn, as always and I'd kill for some cider and donuts. (Or cider donuts. Mmm...)

Tuesday 21 September 2004

Xanga Post: Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Something interesting I found while doing a bit of research:

Nos Calan Gaeaf

(Samhain in Wales)

In Wales the first day of winter is called Calan Gaeaf (Winter Season) and the night before is Nos Calan Gaeaf (Winter Night) or Ysbrydnos (Spirit Night). It is the year’s most frightening time. Spirits are abroad. People avoid churchyards, stiles, and crossroads; since spirits are thought to gather there.

Nos Calan Gaeaf Rites: 

Coelcerth: (Bonfire)

Families build a fire and place white stones with their name or mark in it. When the flames are out one bonfire maker raises a cry & everyone runs away so they will not be the last person there. The person whose stone is missing the next morning will die within the year. Finding the stone is good luck. The black sow roams the countryside with a headless woman.

Eiddiorwg dalen: (Ivy Leaves)

A few leaves of ground ivy will give you the power to see hags. For prophetic dreams a boy should cut ten ivy leaves, throw away one and put the rest under his head before he sleeps. A girl should take a briar: wild rose grown into a hoop, creep through it three times, cut it in silence, and go to bed with it under her pillow.

Teiliwr: (Tailors) 

In Glamorgan tailors are associated with witchcraft. They possess the power to ‘bewitch’ anybody if they wish. Gwniyddes is Welsh for seamstress. Pontypridd, South Wales is the Druid religious centre of Wales marked by a stone circle and an altar on a hill. The stones are people changed to that form by the power of a witch.

Friday 17 September 2004

Xanga Post: Friday, September 17, 2004

Still haven't heard from Hobbycraft or UGC. *bites nails* I thought both the interviews went very well. So why haven't they gotten back with me? At least tell me if I didn't get the bloody job! Gah!

Oh, I almost had a job at Wally's place (a call centre) but they won't hire me without an NI number and I won't get that until almost the end of October! Gah!

Monday 13 September 2004

Xanga Post: Monday, September 13, 2004

Well, I think my interview today at Hobbycraft went well. It's only three days a week for thirteen weeks though so that would sucko mondo. But, there IS a twenty-five percent discount so yay for that. I have an interview now at UGC Cinemas on Wednesday so keep your fingers crossed.

Oh, and the car boot sale rocked even though it POURED the whole time. It was funny, the rain only made everyone more determined to have it! Lol. More books for me, some videos for Jay and new shoes from Sue as a pressie. (Jay hates them. Could be the pink dots. Lol.)

Friday 10 September 2004

Xanga Post: Friday, September 10, 2004

Some bad news today. I didn't get the job at Harding Evans. It's okay, really, I guess because I don't know how much I would've liked to work for a law firm. Anyway, I'm looking forward to my interview at HobbyCraft Monday. At least I have some experience there!

Thursday 9 September 2004

Xanga Post: Thursday, September 09, 2004

I have a job interview at Hobbycraft on Monday. Yay! The best part? Hopefully I'll get a discount! Lol.

Tuesday 7 September 2004

Xanga Post: Tuesday, September 07, 2004

So Sue and I went to a car boot sale last Sunday and I got eight books for like £5. Wahoo! And we're going to another one this Sunday.  Yay to books!

Thursday 2 September 2004

Xanga Post: Thursday, September 02, 2004

Ok...

So I've been home about two weeks and I've been either too lazy or too ill to update. I'm back without any problems and I'm allowed to stay and work for the next two years.

I had a job interview yesterday at one of the UK's top ten law firms. (Obviously for a secretary position.) I don't know if I have a chance or not and I won't know for weeks yet. So, I went to Plan B and sent my CV in to the local theater as well.

The job hunt is on.

Tuesday 10 August 2004

Xanga Post: Tuesday, August 10, 2004

Ok, well, I'll be in Chicago on Thursday. That should be interesting.

I don't know which one makes me more nervous, being in a big city or going up for my visa. *crosses fingers*

I've got an interview offer from Harding Evans on the Thursday when I get back. That should be interesting. I have to have a typing and psychological test and everything.

As long as I get my visa.

Jay and I are having a nice quiet night in tomorrow before our drive to Gatwick (at 4:30am). I'm still bummed that he can't go with me to the States again this time but oh well. There'll be a class reunion soon, I'm sure and we'd probably both go to that.

Anyway, time to pack and such....

Saturday 7 August 2004

Xanga Post: Saturday, August 07, 2004

Looks like I should be in the States late next week. (By that I mean that I'd better or else I'm deported.)

I'm all nervous and tied in knots. It's bad enough that I have to get into a plane, which I hate, but I have to spend a week without Jay which I hate even more. At least I know that I won't have to do it again for another two years. (Yay!) And I'll be all nice and legal and it'll be all good. Plus, I might even be able to actually do a tiny bit of shopping which will be nice. (And buy Jay DVDs, of course.)

Anyway, keep your fingers crossed that everything will go well the next couple of weeks.

Thursday 29 July 2004

Xanga Post: Thursday, July 29, 2004

Jay and I went to see our solicitor today about the paperwork we need to apply for my visa. What a hassle we have in front of us.

On top of all the stuff that we have to do still before I go (not to mention painting the walls), we failed to get the loan we wanted so money's a struggle. I don't know how long I'll be in the states away from Jay and that will be hard. I'll be so happy when all this is over and we can get back to our lives.

On a funnier note, they were just singing "God Save the Queen" on Bad Lad's Army and all I could think was "God attack the Queen, send big dogs after her that bite her bum" Lol.

Sunday 25 July 2004

Xanga Post: Sunday, July 25, 2004

Today Jay's mum and I got up early and went to The Big Cheese Festival in Caerphilly. (Caerphilly's suppose to be famous for it's cheese.) It rocked so much. It was like a Ren Faire, Garden Show, Craft Show, Fun Faire, and Cooking Show all rolled into one!

And there were tons and tons of people there!

I got so many ideas for crafts that I want to try! Not to mention 7 books for £1.50! *uber happy dance* There wasn't a lot of cheese to taste (except goat's cheese and EWWW.) so that was disappointing. (I skipped on the booze tasting part... My stomach was way too empty and it was way too early in the day.) We got fresh Welsh Cakes right off the pan and they were so yummy.  We chatted with a bunch of the local sellers and Sue bought plants. (Mmm... Lavendar plants for me to harvest.)

There were people dressed in period garb all over the place and it made me wish I had my costume with me. There people jousting and playing the harp and spinning wool and all sorts of things. There was an animal display that I absolutely went mad for. They had owls from a local rescue place that the kiddies could hold (I was tempted but I let the kiddies have their fun.) and even a dragon from a reptile shelter (That was pretty much an "I want, I want, I want" situation.).

The castle was open for free tours so we had a wander around and watched a bunch of women doing old fashioned dancing in the Great Hall. (Of course, I had to buy my hubby some sweeties on the way out. Lol.) Anyway, it was a kick butt day but I'm exhausted so ciao.

Tuesday 20 July 2004

Xanga Post: Tuesday, July 20, 2004

We lost one of our poor goldfish last week.  (I can't even pronounce his name... Much less spell it.) Goucci's still alive and kicking, though so Sue's going out today to buy him a new friend.

Sunday Sue took me to McDonald's for lunch (Yay!) and we stopped at a car boot sale on the way. Car boot sales are great. It's like a mini garage sale party. Lol. I got a Billy Connoly tape for Jay and Sue bought me a picture frame that I liked but didn't want to actually spend the money on. Lol. Of course, I don't "get it until Christmas" but I'm cool with that.

Oh, something annoying happened Sunday too. Four kids on bikes attacked the car that Sean loaned us. They scratched it, dented it by jumping on it, broke the mirrors off, punctured the tires, tore the the wipers off and basically beat the hell out of it. The cops came by but couldn't really do anything about it.

Yesterday was a nice little treat for me. Jay had the day off so he took me into Bristol, which is about an hour drive from here. It's SO big! It's a lot of walking up and down hills but there are some great stores there. Jay spoiled me and bought me THREE Living Dead Dolls. (He he he) That makes our collection nine. The rest of the day was great too but I'm not going into that here.

Thursday 15 July 2004

Xanga Post: Thursday, July 15, 2004

Jay dyed my hair pink the day before yesterday. Well, it's not ALL pink. Lol. Half of it's still black... It was supposed to be red but it didn't exactly work out that way. It's a lot closer to neon pink. Lol. It's great though... And Jay even washed my hair afterwards. That was nice.

Monday 12 July 2004

Xanga Post: Monday, July 12, 2004

Jay's been on his new shift at work for a week now and still hates it. (It's that whole morning, daylight thing...Lol.) I like it...Of course, I get to sleep in a bit when he goes to work and he's actually home the whole afternoon so how could I not? Lol.

We might be getting another kitten after all. The family that owns Luna's mum might've changed their minds about keeping the boy instead of the girl which works in our favour. (Jay's mum says we can only get another boy and not another girl.) We should find out within the week...

Speaking of allergies... Lol. I finally got to see my new doctor here. Fun hour long wait in reception, not to mention peeing in a tube... But, anyway... I got some stuff for my allergies that actually WORKS. I can breathe AND play with the cats. Oh, the fun. Lol.

Egg brought up a machine last night that makes noises when you push a button on a remote...We set it to meow and hid it under some laundry in Sue's room when she went to walk the dogs. When she came back in and started watching TV, we started hitting the button to make it meow...She muted her TV and started looking for it while we watched her through the door and tried (unsuccessfully) not to laugh. Lol. She even came in with this panicked look on her face and told us she could hear a cat and couldn't find it. I had to go "help her look for it" and everything. Well, when she found the box she almost killed us all. I won't even repeat the words she called us. Lol.

To get us back, I assume, Sean brought up this nasty doll that's made to smell like puke. It's RANK. Of course, he didn't TELL us he had it, he just opened the box and let the room fill with pukey smell. Eewww....

We got an annoying bit of news...I could've been working these last eleven months due to a loophole in British law. All I had to do was make sure Jay got my paychecks....The government thinks he's got two jobs and it's all good. Of course, we find this out NOW when it doesn't do us any good. Ah, well. Just one month until we have to go back to the states and get my perm. visa.

Monday 5 July 2004

Xanga Post: Monday, July 05, 2004

Jay started on a new shift at work today. He's working 6am-2pm instead of 12-10pm. Huge change. Getting up in the morning when he would've been going to bed before isn't  going to be easy. I can't say I enjoy it much either... But, Jay will be home during the afternoons which will be a nice change.

Jay took me out to Cardiff yesterday for a bit of a wander around. (And he bought me a Living Dead Doll. Yippie.) We were going to go to Bristol Zoo but the weather didn't agree with us. Ah, well. Good fun anyway.

Tuesday 22 June 2004

Xanga Post: Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Well, I'm now officially a married woman.

The wedding was absolutely remarkable. We had a slight bit of panic on the morning of the wedding. Mostly because we couldn't find Jay... Who was panicking because he couldn't find a suit. Lol. But, we got it all worked out in the end.


Jay and I both looked and felt fabulous and everyone made it on time. Jay made me laugh through the whole ceremony by pulling faces at me. It was just a lot of fun. We all went to The Castle afterwards for dinner cooked by Bev and a few drinks. And by a few, I mean a ton. Lol.


I'm sure Jay's mum was up to 18+ but she swears she lost count. Jay's dad was the life and soul of the party with his jokes and stories. Watching Jay's mum and dad, it was hard to imagine why they'd ever divorced. We finally ended the day around 10ish and came back to the house for more champagne and pizza. (Don't get me started on the man eating pizza...Lol.) All in all, it was a great day.


Other than that, Katie's gone back to the States now and things are pretty much back to normal here in the Vanian house..

Monday 14 June 2004

Xanga Post: Monday, June 14, 2004

I finally beat the crossword challenge! Huzzah! (With the help of Katie and Jay's mum... Lol.) Jay had to pay up and bought me a new Living Dead Doll. (Season Seven: Lust) Yay! Now, if I beat the crossword, I get TWO LDDs. When's the next time I'll have another English major around? Lol.

Jay's mum pierced her nose today!  Lol. I guess at 54 she decided to "grow old disgracefully"... It looks really cute though. (How cool is this family?)


Katie and I went with Jay's mum to look at the kittens that Luna's mom had a few weeks ago and they were SO cute! They were all black streaked with orange and had huge blue eyes...*Awww* Unfortunately, they were all spoken for this time so no new kittens for us...

We went to Cardiff Castle today but it was really disappointing. You had to pay £6 for a guided tour and couldn't even take pictures. So, Katie and I decided to just pay £3 and walk around the grounds. It was really annoying that we couldn't tour the really nice parts of the castle. Sucko.


We could go see part of the Roman wall that was left but that was freaky because there was an evil mural on the wall opposite. It was suppose to be of Roman life from that time but to me it was a bunch of freaky looking carvings just waiting to come alive and eat me. (I'm watching too many horror movies...) It didn't help that it was all enclosed, dark and cold.


We also toured the Military Museum but that was freaky too. There were all these creepy mannequins that leered out of the corner of their eyes at you. The Nazi chair in the corner didn't help... After that, we decided to skip Cardiff Museum and get McDonald's instead...

Sunday 13 June 2004

Xanga Post: Sunday, June 13, 2004

Katie says: "You wanna eat me? Fine. I will fuck you up."

Oh, I got my wedding dress, shoes, bouquet and accessories today. Yay!  Just a few more days until the wedding... I can't wait.

Jay went to see his nan today to make sure she's coming to the wedding but she might not be well enough to leave the house that day.  But, his dad is coming and Jay's actually happy about it so that makes me happy.

Thursday 10 June 2004

Thursday, June 10, 2004

Two big days of sight seeing!

Yesterday Jay, Katie, Dale, and I went to Caerphilly Castle and Castell Coch.

Caerphilly castle was nice but there wasn't a whole lot to see. We wandered around Caerphilly awhile afterwards and had a big shock when we had to pay 10P to use the toilets! (It's almost as bad as having to RENT shopping carts at Morrisons.) Then we braved Dale's crazy driving to go to Castell Coch. (It's much easier to type Coch than it is to say it.. Btw, "castell" is castle in Welsh and "coch" is red.)


We had the most fun in Castell Coch. (I'm sure Lord Bute didn't mind us trying out his bed. Lol.) Honestly, the best way to keep us out is to NOT put up a sign that says "Stay out." Mwah ha ha.


We even got ice cream before we left. Lucky us. Lol. Afterwards, Dale treated us all to dinner at Harvesters in Pontypool. It was a lovely restaurant and the food was good but the service was absolutely terrible. We had to wait almost five minutes to get seated and then another thirty minutes before we could order our food.

It got so bad that Jay called and asked the manager if we could get some service at our table. Lol. The bad thing is is that he never came over! We had to grab a waitress as she went to help another table. Then they put another bunch of people at the table behind us. To watch us probably. Lol. But we got to have sundaes to finish off so it was all good....

Today was another long day. We went to Chepstow Castle and Museum and Tintern Abbey and Raglan Castle. Jay decided to stay in the car and sleep while we wandered around. Chicken. Lol.

Chepstow Castle was great but the museum was lousy. It was just a bunch of old pictures and such. The castle was a heck of a workout. I didn't realise how afraid of heights I am until I got near the top of the towers...


Katie had fun climbing over the bars meant to keep people like us out. Lol. The Abbey was even better. It was just so gorgeous still. It's a shame that anyone let it fall into disrepair.


We ended up playing with the cows in a nearby field before we left. Then we went over to Raglan and I actually DIDN'T get us lost giving directions. Lol. Yay. I think Raglan was by far the best castle ruins we've seen so far. You can actually tell what used to be what. (And the latrine was butt shaped. Lol.) I didn't make it to the top of the tower that time...


Our film got stuck in the camera there, though, so we might've lost a bunch of pictures from Raglan. Sucko.

Tomorrow's a nice quiet day in for us all and it's a good thing because our legs are killing us from the climbing!

Wednesday 9 June 2004

Xanga: Wednesday, June 09, 2004

Well, Katie's only been here a couple of days and it's already been a riot. It all started with Jay and I being directed to the wrong terminal. We waited patiently at Terminal Four for an hour while Katie waited patiently at Terminal Three. Lol. Oops. Once we realised what happened, it took us twenty minutes to get to Terminal Three. Heathrow SUCKS. Anyway...

That first night we took Katie down to the pub for a few drinks. Al, Dale and Wally went too. (I'm sure it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that we told them Katie's got enormous boobs. Lol.) To say that we all had a bit too much to drink would be a bit of an understatement. Lol. I'm still nursing a skinned knee from when I got up from the bench and my legs stayed behind....But then Katie's still got skinned knuckles from when she walked into the wall...


You know when you say something and you don't mean it but you say it anyway? Well, if I see the lady that I told had a big ass, I would SO apologize....

Yesterday we went to Rest Bay in Porthcawl. It was great. A bit too cold to actually be at a beach but we braved it out anyway. Katie and I went swimming in the ocean for the very first time. That was fun. Once your body went numb anyway...It was SO cold! The thing that surprised me most was the mouthful of salt water I got when Jay pushed me under. I knew that it was salt water but for some reason I didn't expect it to taste like salt...Lol.

After we left the beach we went to the carnival. That was a whole new set of fun. And by fun, I mean me throwing up all over the place. They decided to go on this spinny, turny, throws your ass up in the air ride and of course I went because I didn't want to be a sissy. Well, I should have been a sissy! The ride went on forever and ever. When they finally let us down I just fell down and puked all over the place. The guy that ran the ride was cheering! Bloody savage! Puking once would have been bad enough but I took two steps and puked again! Jay and Katie were loving it! You should've seen how hard they were laughing! But, Jay bought us ice cream and slushies so that made me feel better after.


Today, we're off to the castles. To Caerphilly Castle and Castell Coch anyway. And Dale's going to try and impress Katie so this should be interesting...

Sunday 30 May 2004

Xanga Post: Sunday, May 30, 2004

Omg! Our biggest lizard dropped eighteen eggs yesterday! Of course, she hasn't moved an inch since then, the poor thing. Lol. We're doing our best to incubate them (Gollum is NOT happy to share her heat mat...) so we're hoping that we'll have at least one baby dragon in a month's time. *fingers crossed*

We also found out that Luna's mum had three more kittens last week so we're suppose to go look at them in a couple of weeks and see if we fancy one. Sometimes I think we need a sign outside the door that says "Vanian Zoo." Lol.

Jay's mum is taking me to the circus today.  We couldn't get ringside tickets because of the horses *sneeze* but I'm excited anyway. Jay can't go because he has to work and he's still sick anyway. (Two weeks is taking the piss for any cold.) I finally got rid of the blasted cold but Jay's mum has it now too. Anyway, I haven't been to a circus since elementary school so I'm happy. (I'm taking allergy pills and an inhaler anyway... Better safe than sorry. Lol. I remember what happened in Gatlinburg...)

Jay's friend Wally is taking me to see The Prisoner of Azkaban on Tuesday. Yay!  (I'd rather go with Jay, naturally, but he asked Wally to take me because he has to work.)

Only twenty days until the wedding. I'm very, very excited. Existing technology cannot measure how excited I am. Lol. Bev's making us a special dinner at the pub after and Jay's dad is gonna be there so it's all good. His nan says she probably won't make it but she rarely leaves the house any more from what I hear. It's too bad though.

Katie's due a week today and I'm excited about that too. I called her a couple of days ago and she sounds pretty excited herself. As soon as she gets here, she can help me start looking for a dress, shoes and flowers and stuff. Am I getting nervous....? Nah.... Lol.

Oh, and did I mention that Gabe's basement flooded and I lost a good majority of my possessions? That sucks but what can you do? The only thing that upsets me is that I still had like four hundred books down there. My books... My beautiful books...

Wednesday 19 May 2004

Xanga Post: Wednesday, May 19, 2004

I so have to kill Egg. He caught some chest cold from his kids and brought it over here last week to "spread the joy". Hence his deadness. Lol. I've been coughing up my lungs the last two days. Yuck. I'm getting my voice back today, thought, so that's a plus....

Tomorrow Jay and I have a meeting to fill out all the paperwork for our wedding. Jimmy also finds out tomorrow whether or not he has to go to Iraq. I so hope not...

Wednesday 12 May 2004

Xanga Post: Wednesday, May 12, 2004

I live in a mad house.

We know have four and 3/4 cats. Confused yet? Lol. Jay's mum opened the front door and found the stray cat we've been taking care of... And the stray cat's tail. Separately.

She thinks someone shut the door on his tail and he was too stupid to meow or anything. So now he's tailess. :( Poor kittie. Speaking of kitties....

We have a new kitten now too. She's a black and white ragdoll and she's absolutely adorable.


Of course... I AM allergic to cats so playing with her at all sends me into a sneezing, coughing, wheezing, watery eyes attack. Oh, the fun. Lol.

Monday 3 May 2004

Xanga Post: Monday, May 03, 2004

Well, Jay and I reset the date for our wedding. (It has to do with Katie coming over and money and stuff.) It's now legal and official though...

The wedding's being held on Friday June 18th at 1:45.  Yay. I'll have a two week visit from my Katie and finish it off with a wedding to the love of my life. I'm so happy...

Jay's 35th birthday is coming up very soon (the same day as my brother's) and I so have no idea what to do because I have £0 on account of it being illegal for me to work... Hmm....

Friday 30 April 2004

Collectormania 5

The road to Collectormania 5 was not an easy one. (Jay couldn't get up on time and I give HORRIBLE directions.) The one home was pretty nice though. (We went splashing through puddles at the services where we stopped.)

All in all, we ended up being five and a half hours late getting there. We were pretty tense. I got flustered and couldn't shake it all day. The convention itself was nice this time around, though,   because it was a lot smaller. (No getting trampled on for me!)

I gave into my darker urges and bought this great black and white photo of the main Star Trek: Next Generation cast (Worf, Troy, Riker, Picard, Beverly, Data and Gordie). Well, since Gates McFadden was there and all... Plus, I felt better because we got a flier for the next Collectormania in October and Worf, Gordie and Troy will be there. That's gonna be a nice collector's item, I reckon... That is, if I'm lucky enough to get Patrick Stewart's autograph... *fingers crossed*

 Anyway, I managed to wear my spiky shoes for all but an hour! That's impressive for me! (Hey, I'm a heathen. Lol.)

Jay spoiled me and bought me a Living Dead Doll. :) And all I had to do was promise to make him and Egg tea on the hour for the night. Lol. The doll is great though because it's one of the Hollywood Classics ones. It came in a coffin like the rest but the plastic cover was black so you couldn't see which doll it was. And, it was a normal doll from series 5 or 6 but it was done in black and white (hence the Hollywood Classics thing.) We got Hollywood from series 5. Yay! (If you don't know what the Living Dead Dolls are...Go here.)

Jay managed to pick up a couple of DVDs for himself too. (Can you believe that the stores in the mall where the convention was held won't let the dealers sell American DVDs because they're afraid of the competition? Sissies. Lol.) We went to get a roll of film developed and had some serious problems reloading the camera. It just refused to play nice with the film. It didn't help that I was talking away and opened the back of the camera before it had wound. Stupid hobbit. I SO know better but I did it anyway. I told you, it was a hard day... (I lost the pics of Brad Dourif. Well, not totally...Clever cropping might save them but don't hold your breath.)

Anyway, I ended up buying a new battery for my camera (that didn't help the problem) and a new roll of film (that did). That part sucked.

Jay bought me this wicked red hair dye while I was at the photo counter so we're gonna have fun playing with that when my hair starts to grow out again. :) Well, the stalls were closing up and the stars were going home when we finally left.

We got to meet all the people we wanted to meet and they were generally really nice so it was all worth it. (And, I only got us lost once on the way home.) No conventions for a few months now but anyway, here's what I thought of the guests:

Kristy Swanson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) I can't believe how good Kristy Swanson still looks. (I'm so jealous. Lol.) And she's a good sport...Jay was being a bit raunchy. Lol. She also told us that Luke Perry is appearing in a play in London (When Harry Met Sally) with Alyson Hannigan and that *hint, hint* we might be able to wait for them outside the theatre for autographs. Thanks, Buffy. ;)

Penny Johnson (24, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) I can't say with any honesty that I know who Penny Johnson is but she was pleasant enough. There was a dealer in front of us and she was signing about fifty pictures for him. (She stopped to see us though.) I was so tempted to stop him and ask what ridiculous price he'd sell them for but I was a good girl and kept my mouth shut...

Brad Dourif (LotR, Child's Play) Omg! Creepy looking old guy! Watching him in LotR (as Grima) you think, "Omg! That guy is so freaky!" and meeting him in real life is no different. He was thoughtful enough to take off his glasses for our photos though. (Of which there were four because the bloody flash wouldn't work...) Still...I wouldn't want to be stuck alone in the dark with him.

Gates McFadden (Star Trek: Next Generation) I was kind of bummed walking up to meet Gates McFadden because her sign said "no flash photography". It was a pleasant surprise though when we got to the end of the line and one of the workers for Collectormania offered to take a picture for me. (She just covered up the flash. Lol. If at first you don't succeed, cheat.) Jay went first though and missed out on getting his picture taken with her. I've already decided that if we get the chance to meet her again, I will because I didn't get my photo personalized.

Denise Crosby (Star Trek: Next Generation) I'm not gonna say that Denise Crosby is a little butch but...Well, yeah, she's a little butch. Not that I expected her to be all fluffy and glittery playing a security officer and all but still...She was polite but not really chatty. Her and Gates both, actually.

Ethan Phillips (Star Trek: Voyager) Ok, I'll admit right away that I don't watch Voyager. (The only episode I ever watched was the one with Q in it.) I can't say anything bad about Ethan Phillips. None of the Voyager or Enterprise guys were very busy at all. Btw... It's kind of scary when you can look at a picture of someone in all their alien make up and then look at them in person and think, "Yeah, I can see it..."

Robert Picardo (Star Trek: Voyager) What's up with stars not wanting flash photography lately? Prudes. Lol. Jay was SO not impressed with the dear holographic doctor. He was sort of curt and went back to reading his book as soon as he signed the autograph. The only real disappointment of the day.

John Billingsley (Star Trek: Enterprise) John Billingsley was fun to talk to. He and Jay chatted a bit about Enterprise and how the show "hasn't been picked up yet" for the next season. (It was canned). I couldn't help but notice Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) at the table next to him and holy hairballs, Batman! That man has huge hands! (Jay's met him a couple of times and he says he walks with a bad limp too...) He didn't have anyone at all at his table and I felt really bad...I would've gone up and asked for a picture but honestly, he looked like he stepped out of Deliverance...

Sarah Douglas and Jack O'Halloran (Superman 2-Superman 1 and 2) When we walked up to the table, Jack was giving Sarah a neckrub that looked a wee bit painful. Since they were both standing there together, Sara told me to go ahead and take a picture because "it's not very often that you get them together". Well, who am I to pass up a photo opportunity? O:) When Jack walked away, she said she was going to start calling him "Touch like bull". When she asked Jay what name he wanted on his photo, he said "Hung Like Donkey". (This is a shortened version of the story but it's been a stressful day and I'm very tired so that's all you're getting.) Of course, Jay couldn't help a naughty joke as we left...Lol. Btw...That chick is TALL.

Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger) Ah...The man we waited all day to see. (Our ticket numbers were 359 and 360.) Actually, Robert was leaving at 6pm and we were the second to last people in the line. I was lucky because a couple of people cut in front of us to have their picture taken with both Freddy and Jason (Well, that wasn't the lucky part.) and they got a picture of Freddy and Jason alone...Well, I couldn't help but sneak over and have a picture of them myself, could I? O:) Anyway, Freddy ROCKS. My autograph says "For 'Wondra', Sweet Dreamz! 'Uncle' Freddy" (and his autograph) :) He he he....(Only I could get excited about that...Lol. To make the whole thing even better, he even THANKED us for waiting in line! How cool is that?!?

Sunday 18 April 2004

Spring Memorabilia

Jay and I had to be up and out by a quarter after seven this morning to make the early bird ticket into Memorabila (that means we got in at 9am instead of 11am like everyone else) and it's a good thing we did because we actually had to get tickets for Eliza Dushku.

Jay, Dale (his friend that drove for us since our car is dead), and I got tickets 368, 369 and 370 to meet her and it was only twenty-five past nine. I felt bad for all the poor people who came in at eleven and found out that they couldn't meet her because they stopped giving out tickets. We met a few poor sods who had tickets up in the 700's and were told that the only chance they stood was to come back the next day. Yikes.

It was past three before our numbers were called. Talk about a long day! Poor Jay was ready to drop after about the first two hours. (He DID stay up until twenty past four...) Waiting around in the crush of people to meet Eliza didn't help him much. We had to keep taking thirty minute breaks just to escape outside and get a breather.

I did end up buying a couple of cool things even though money was very tight for us this time around. I got a Jack Skellington wallet (I'd been eyeing it since the first time we went to Memorabilia so I finally just gave in.) and a Living Dead Doll. Jay and I have been talking about starting to collect the Living Dead Dolls for a long time and when I saw this one ("Isaac") dressed as a scarecrow, I just had to have it. It was one of the cheaper ones there (they were everywhere at the convention) so I didn't feel too bad about it.

I did miss a couple of things I would've liked to have gotten-including a Monkeemobile still in it's box-but you can't win them all. Jay had the same problem with the movies he wanted to buy. His favourite DVD dealer wasn't there so he had to spend a little more than he wanted to on horror movies. We had a great time (we usually do) but the best part was coming home again and collapsing in bed.

Check out my impression of the guests:

Brian Blessed It took forever to reach Brian Blessed and as soon as we made it to the front of the line, I could see why. The man LOVES to talk. I suspect that if you ran into him at the pub, he'd keep you entertained for hours with his stories. While we were there, he and Jay had an engaging chat about Welsh rugby. (Sadly, I actually understood part of it...Must be I'm starting to assimilate. Lol.) Let me tell you, that guy's voice BOOMS. He's a very dramatic speaker and good fun.


Eliza Dushku Eliza was the whole reason we went to Memorabilia this time around but she was probably the most disappointing person we met. It's not that she was rude or anything, it was just that, because of the vast number of people there to see her and the time restraints, we were unable to have our pictures taken with her. She did take the time to personalize her autographs but she didn't say more than "Hello. How are you?" to any of us. (It was probably the jet lag... She had some serious bags under her eyes even though she looked pretty glam.) Jay thought she looked pretty awful and didn't even flirt with her like I expected him to. We did get to meet Eliza Dushku though and that's more than most people can say so I won't complain.

Brian Thompson I think Brian Thompson had a big of jet lag today. Even so, he was very nice. He talked about my name for a minute (I get that a lot) and Jay mentioned how he just started watching The Kindred. We both had our photo taken with him at once... He just sort of walked up and grabbed both of us. That's a big guy! Lol. Personally, I thought it was really nice that he took the time to get up and come around the table. It could just be me but that guy has a scary face. He's not unattractive or anything, he's just got this "I was born to play the monster" face. The only thing I was disappointed with was that he didn't have any photos from The Kindred. Jay and I both got the same photo in the end which made us wonder why we don't have some autographs made out to the both of us...


Patricia Quinn Patricia was winking at Jay before we even went up to her table. When we met her I thought, 'Wow, she's as wild as her hair!' I think she's one of the nicest and most talkative stars we've met. Of course, Jay's met her before and told me exactly that. She didn't hesitate for a second to jump up and put her arm around me for a photo. Jay had trouble with the camera (he forgets that it closes by itself after a few seconds) and while we were waiting I turned to find myself nose to nose with Patricia! That was strange. And, of course we had to talk about my name! Lol.


Ken Foree Jay and I met Ken Foree the last time we went to Memorabila but Jay wanted to met him again and I'm not sorry we did. He was a great sport the last time we met him and this time was no exception. Actually, I think I like him more each time we met. He and Jay talked about his role in the new Dawn of the Dead movie and they both agreed that it was far too short. He mentioned that he's doing House of 1,000 Corpses 2 next (he says he plays "a swindler")...at which point I begged him not to. Lol. He promised that it'll be better than the first one (and agreed that it would HAVE to be) and that he'd make it extra funny for me. Lol. He even told us to keep in touch when we left.

David Emge To be honest, I didn't really know who David Emge "flyboy" was when we went up to meet him. Actually, I'm not sure I do now. I know that he's one of the important zombies in Dawn of the Dead but they all sort of blend together into one terrible nightmare figure for me. Anyway, I thought David was reserved but nice. Which makes sense since he said he's given up acting for a paralegal job. From an evil flesh eating creature of the night to a lawyer...Makes sense. Lol. Jay took great delight in telling him about my zombie fears. Especially of my zombie COW fears... (I shudder to think of it.)


Craig Parker I only went to meet Craig Parker to get SOMEONE *cough*Katie*cough* an autograph. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to get the LotR autographs...I just want to work on a few other series' first. Before I even went up and introduced myself, I was shocked at how different he looked from Haldir. I mean, I didn't expect him to have pointy ears or anything I just didn't expect him to look well, normal. Lol. He was really cheerful when I told him that I was getting his autograph for a friend and I hoped I'd get some cookies out of it. He asked where I was from (I also get that a lot. Must be the accent.) I was greatly amused by the way he said, "So what are you doing HERE?" and then thought about how rude it sounded. So, of course I explained that Jay and I are getting married soon and Craig wished us luck. Twice actually. I even had my picture taken with him "So I can say 'na na na na'" to Katie. Lol.

Saturday 17 April 2004

Xanga Post: Saturday, April 17, 2004

Long time, no post, eh? Well, if you didn't already know, Jay and I set the date for Friday, June 11.

*happy dance* We're getting married! Yay! (Why hasn't that sunk in yet?)

Today, when we went to Memorabilia, Jay introduced me a couple of times as "Wondra Vanian" and I was like, ! *ahem* Ok, I'm gonna stop rambling now... I'm just happy about that.

Like I said, Jay and I went to Memorabilia today in Burmingham. It was great but tiring. I gave up on my spiky, three inch shoes less than half way through. I'm not even gonna MENTION the state of my feet. I'm just gonna say *shudder*.

Other than that, nothing much is going on... I'm just getting over a bad cold and I've got a sore tooth so if you can think happy, healthy thoughts about me, that'd be great!

Saturday 27 March 2004

Xanga Post: Saturday, March 27, 2004

Okay, I haven't updated in a long, long time but you know how life goes.

I have good news though. Katie's coming to see me in June. Yay! :) And, she's going to be here for my wedding. Yay! (...wedding... Jay... *sigh* ...still get the warm tinglies...)

Also, my brother imed me yesterday. Which is the first time I've talked to him since my visit to the states. It's nice to know that someone in my family isn't shunning me. Not that some members of my family shunning me is a bad thing.

Anywho...Jay and I went to see Dawn of the Dead again yesterday. That makes two for us. Impressive since it came out here yesterday. Lol.

*shudder* Nightmares about zombie cows abound. Why is it that zombie cows frighten my mind more than anything else? I must be a sad, sad creature

Monday 8 March 2004

Xanga Post: Monday, March 08, 2004

I got a card today from Katie's mom. I opened it and my jaw hit the floor! She sent me $100 (About £50). What a life saver! We've been struggling so much this month to make ends meet. And now it looks like we'll make it to pay day. Thanks Mom McClain! 

Jay's mum and I went into Cardiff yesterday to go shopping. It was crazy because it was an international day. (Wales v. France in Rugby. Great game, btw.) I've never seen so much national pride! (Or so many berets! Lol.) It was just the friendliest thing I've ever seen.

And the drunkest! We went at 11 am (kick off wasn't until 3pm) and half the people were either drunk already or on their way! Lol. Anyway... shopping... It was great. We went to Debenhams to buy stuff for the kitchen. (Insurance, yay.) I think most everything has been replaced now. Now, if we can just keep from having any more fires...

Well, it's official: I'm now marrying Jason Scott Vanian instead of Jason Scott Davies. Jay changed his name last week. It must be a strange feeling to start the week as one person and end it as another.. We didn't even have to pay for it because someone at Sue's work did it for us free of charge. I think they've sort of taken us on as their pet project there. Lol.

Anway, Jay's friend Tam brought his sister over to meet us this weekend (she just came over from Turkey). It was the first time anyone's introduced me as Jay's fiancée. It was a huge warm, fuzzy feeling.

Monday 1 March 2004

Xanga Post: Monday, March 01, 2004

Jay and I actually stayed up last night to watch the Oscars. Was anyone else NOT surprised that LotR won all eleven Oscars that they were nominated for? And rightly so, I thought. I was very moved by the interview with Wood and Jackson before the show started where they talked about it being the last big thing they'd all do together and how it was sort of and ending. It was a tissue moment.

Sue and I went to see Jay's brother yesterday. (After a nice McDonald's. Mmm... Lol.) He looks good but very grouchy. I guess I would be too if I couldn't eat the stuff he couldn't eat. He can't drink booze for six months either. I think he was grouchy because he was mad at his dad too.

Their dad is really alienating himself from his family. (He should meet my folks, they'd get along great.) Sean's suppose to be coming up Thursday but I think that means that Bumble the Boy Blunder is coming too. *silent groan*

We had a nice drive around Caerphilly Castle yesterday too. It's a ruin but it's absolutely beautiful. It's one of the few castles left in Wales with a moat. I'm dying to get out and have a good walk around and take pictures but I think I can defiantly wait until the weather improves. Brrr.

I got a package from Katie!  (I feel so special!) Books... Drool... But, Katie, did you have to send the snow with too?

The day I got the package (Friday) was the worst snowfall they've had here for years. It only lasted the one day and it's all melted now but it sucked! (Jay was all excited about it. He looked so cute.) I think we're suppose to get more snow too. Yuck! On the bright side, Jay doesn't have to go to work if it snows hard. (Something about driving on icy mountain roads. Lol.) This could be a good thing.

Saturday 28 February 2004

Xanga Post: Saturday, February 28, 2004


"Grrr baby...Very grrr." 

You know, I just haven't felt like being online the last few days. Ever get that feeling?

I've been feeling really crafty so I've been busy beading and crocheting and stuff. Should have some new pics up soon.

In other news, Jay's brother spent most of last week in the hospital. He had really bad abdominal pain, like screaming bad pain. So he was in and out of the hospital until the bloody NHS decided to actually do their jobs and find out what was wrong with him.

Turns out, he had FIVE ulcers! Ouch! Anyway, so much for his Atkins diet....I think Jay's mum and I are going over to see him tomorrow afternoon.

Sunday 22 February 2004

Xanga Post: Sunday, February 22, 2004

I haven't posted in awhile because I've been a busy girl!

I had to call the American Embassy and the British Counselate to sort out the legal stuff so Jay and I can get married. (In four months. Yay!  *happy dance* I'm so excited! ...Don't worry...we're doing the big wedding thing a year after... If you're trying to figure out how Wondra Davies sounds, don't...It's gonna be Vanian... Lol. )

Thursday, I went with Jay's mum (She calls me her Yankee daughter-in-law. Lol.) to buy a new cooker for our kitchen (If you're just tuning in, we had a kitchen fire three weeks ago.) and we ended up buying a new VCR for me and Jay too! (And a McDonald's!) So now we have our new VCR, TV and entertainment stand all set up. Wahoo. (And we can have the old ones upstairs for our room. Score!)

Yesterday, Jay and I went to Cardiff and got 'Allo 'Allo and then went to Liam's (Jay's nephew) birthday party. (Not to mention McDonald's. Lol.)

I met Jay's grandma for the first time yesterday. She was, well, not very grandmotherly. They hadn't seen each other in a long time and she acted like she didn't even care that he was there or that he told her we were getting married. I guess it's because Jay and his dad (her son) don't get along very well.

Well, not well at all. But, his dad wasn't there. I probably won't even meet his dad. Not until after we're married, anyway. I understand the whole family thing though. I mean, look at mine.

Anyway, we went to Sean's afterwards too and I got to play with their new kitten. It's a pedigree Persian and it's SO cute! It's only three and a half months old but it's HUGE. And guess what... We're getting a kitten in three months now! It's a Ragdoll. The kittens are being born at the beginning of next month and we get to go pick it out then. (A husband and a kitten... How lucky am I? )

Sunday 15 February 2004

Xanga Post: Sunday, February 15, 2004

Round Trip plane ticket to Michigan: £244

Spending cash for trip: £200

Walking into the arms of the man you love after two weeks away: Priceless

It's damned good to be home.

When I got home Friday I felt like walking around going "hello door", "hello couch", "hello stairs", "hello burnt kitchen stove"...but, by the time I got home, I was too tired to say much of anything.

This is the part where I explain that my plane landed at 9:45am and we got home around 5pm. I should also explain that I'd been up since 8am Thursday. And, that I was detained for over 2 1/2 hours at the airport. I'm now officially an "immigration case" to the British government.

I got stopped at customs and asked about a million questions. Then, the girl that was questioning me, got my suitcases and searched them all. After she decided that nothing in my luggage was dangerous or dodgy, she told me to have a seat while she called Jay.

An hour and a half later...*groan*...she came back to tell me that before she'd talked to Jay and the Chief Immigration Official, she had no intention of letting me back into the country. That was a scary thought!

So, she gave me a six month tourist visa and told me that Jay and I have three to four months to start applying for a fiancée visa because after the six months is up, if Jay and I aren't engaged or married, I won't be allowed back. But then I got to go and meet Jay and that was better than good. It was a huge relief to see him again. (I know ya'll think I'm overly sappy, but being that far away from Jay for that long was hellish.) I'm so happy to be home and be with Jay again.

We had a small Valentine's Day. Since we were both stressed from the fiasco at the airport and money is tight and everything, we just exchanged small pressies and had McDonald's. (Actually, we've had four McDonald's in two days. LOL.) I got a HUGE card and a soft plushie.

Jay's brother and his friend Lurk showed up last night and I was SO not happy about that. But, Jay was so sweet and it was obvious that he didn't mean for them to come up so I didn't have the heart to complain. (I couldn't resist the odd barb at Lurk but... It's Lurk. Lol.) I was happy just to be with Jay on Valentine's Day.  Well, on any day for that matter. I love you, Jay.

Well, I have a movie to finish and a crohook project to start before the dogs' walk...See ya...

Thursday 12 February 2004

Xanga Post: Thursday, February 12, 2004

I'm going home today!

Wahoo! *happy dance*

My plane lands tomorrow though... Friday the 13. So wish me luck! (Happy, safe, warm feeling thoughts. Lol.) My luggage is under the weight limit. I take that as a good sign. Lol.

Sorry, if I seem totally "WAH! " but I just have this chant going in my head. "Home, home, home, home, home...." which is strange because I lived in Michigan my whole life minus six months but, in that six months I felt more at home in Wales than I ever did here. (I think that explains that whole "I don't belong here" feeling I always had in high school. Lol.) Would you think I was a total geek if I said it has something to do with the whole soulmate principle? (Did I spell that right or is my Eaton Rapids education revealing itself again?) Well, okay... I won't say it.

But I'll think it.

It's been great to see all my friends again though.

You guys carried me through our youth and for that I am grateful. Well, it's more like you guys dragged me kicking and screaming through our youth. Lol. For which I am also grateful.

I love you guys. I'll be back to interrupt your lives again in six months. (With Mr. Tall, Dark and Vampish. Hmm... Mrs. Tall, Dark and Vampish has a good ring to it. Lol.)

Until then, keep your sporks at the ready, don't be afraid to do parade dances in public, visit your local bead store on a regular basis and remember that if all else fails, flush the cat.  Cheers to everyone who put me up these two weeks and to the parents who mother me. Now, I must lug my 120+ pound luggage downstairs and visit senior el bano. (Perhaps, though, not in that order since clenching and lugging don't go well together.)

Bye!

Monday 9 February 2004

Xanga Post: Monday, February 09, 2004

 Okay... I realise that I haven't made any posts here in over a week. But I'm on vacation so it's all good, right? Even if it IS a FORCED vacation. A forced vacation that's almost over. I CAN GO HOME SOON!  I get to see Jay in just four days! Yay! Until then, it's just me, Katie and the cats. Lol. And not even Katie because she's gone from 9:30-8:00. It's just me and the cats. Lol. "I was all by myself... I was thinking of you..." Lol. Wait, who sang that?

Did I mention that our house caught on fire the day before I left? Yup. It was freaky. Jay's mum left the house while she was cooking and forgot to turn the cooker off. Now, we have no cooker. Oopsies. But, our house didn't burn down and no one got hurt so it's all good. (Jay and Sean beat the fire down with our bath towels btw.) The best part of the whole thing? The neighbour leaning over the fence and saying, "Is something on fire?" while we had black smoke billowing out of our house and we were all gasping for air. The second best part of the whole thing? The three of us, in varying degrees of soot, going to get a Chinese because our dinner was ruined. The scariest part of the whole thing? Jay and Sean laughing hysterically while their mum burst into tears over her ruined kitchen. (Did you ever notice that nothing NORMAL happens when I'm around? Lol.)

My plane ride was actually okay. I did learn that I can't read on planes though. UGH. Apparently that whole motion sickness thing applies to planes too. I got searched too getting on. I mean, take your shoes off, give me your coat and bag type searched. Not, I think you have drugs please step into this room and drop your pants searched. Lol. I did wonder what they thought I was hiding in my shoes though. I left the crochet needle in my suitcase and that was the most dangerous object I had with me. This time, though, I'm taking my bead case and spiffy new crohook back with me too. This should be fun. And, oh, yeah...My plane lands on Friday the 13. Grreeeaaattt. And why does everyone keep laughing at me when I tell them that? Like it's FUNNY that my plane could go hurdling thousands of feet to a fiery death! Ha. Ha. Ha. But I refuse to get paranoid about it...Flying is the safest form of transport. (See...If I keep telling myself that...It'll be okay. Lol.) It's a seven and a half hour flight overnight but I don't care because Jay will be there in London to pick me up.  Poor Jay. He has to get up SO early to get to Gatwick on time...

So I've seen all of my friends and even my brother which was a total suprise. I called my parents to see if they wanted to see me but they got all bitchy with me. But you know what? I'm getting sick of trying with them anyway. Everytime I try to be civil to them and keep communication channels open (Even though they kicked me out and disowned me and all that...) they basically tell me to go to hell. So, fuck them I say. And, everyone that I've talked to agrees. Everytime I talk to them I feel worse about myself and I haven't done anything wrong. Except for fall madly in love with a man I'm willing to travel the world over for. Which, maybe to a bunch of gun totting, backwards thinking, republican, neo nazi pigs, is a bad thing. I, on the other hand, am a million times happier for it and if that means not having said gun totting, backwards thinking, republican, neonazi pigs in my life...Well, so be it. And that's my two pence worth on that.

Monday 26 January 2004

Xanga Post: Monday, January 26, 2004

Jay's mum took me to McDonald's yesterday. That's four times in one week for me! Lol. Are they trying to fatten me up, or what?

Last night was the Royal Rumble so we were up watching that until about 4am. Jay and Egg were like two little kiddies waiting for Mick Foley to show up. (When the picture froze for a few seconds, I thought their brains would explode.) It was especially funny when the Undertaker's music came on and this little shrimpy guy Spike came out. Lol. Some of the punches and stuff were thrown so bad. I think they should either use professional actors or get these guys training. Lol.

My plane leaves the day after tomorrow! *gasp* Vacations are usually more fun when they don't MAKE you take them! I'm just crossing my fingers that my plane doesn't crash and that I can get back in. You know, it was easier to fly TO Jay than it is to fly AWAY from him.