A Tearful Goodbye

     Hello everyone.  This will not be a long blog entry for this is probably my saddest day since I set foot onto UK soil.  This morning, I had to say "good-bye" to my brother, Marty, as he headed back to the U.S. after a two month stay in England with me.  I managed to hold back my tears until we got to the airport, but then the flood gates opened!!!  I could not believe that my little brother and I spent so much time together and had a great time with each other's company.  Marty will always have such a special place in my heart since getting to know him so well.  Marty and I are so much alike, yet very different.  Even though today has been m saddest day in the UK, the two months my brother and I spent together is an experience I would never, ever, EVER trade for all the money in the world, or for that matter -- my life. 

     Marty, I love you to death and I am so proud, honored and blessed that you are my brother.  Thank you so much for all your kindness, support, laughs, fun and most of love.  See ya soon, brother.

Stonehenge

    Stonehenge - what else can I say?  5000 years (circa 3100 BC) of architecture stemming from the early  Neolithic age which is still standing in the farmlands of England today.  What a wonderous sight to see!!!

     Stonehenge is located in an area in the southwestern part of England, near a town called Amesbury in Wiltshire County.  I can type all day about the history and facts about Stonehenge, but you can Google this topic to get more information about this historical site.  I am going to tell  you about my "experience" of Stonehenge.  Marty and I took a train from Reading to Salibury to get near Stonehenge.  Then, we opted to take a tour bus to the site, which was an excellent idea.  Marty and I sat on the top deck right against the front window.  We had a great spot for sightseeing and taking pictures.

     The drive from the station to the sight was breathtaking!!!  The countryside in Whiltshire county is covered with historical sites and structures.  Spread across the farmlands around are prehistoric burial mounds called " barrows."  These mounds date back to before Stonehenge was constructed.  The drive to Stonehenge creeps along very windy roads lined with trees.   Coming over one of the ridges, Stonehenge appears like a magnificant monument to the past.  Marty and I would not fathom the idea that we were seeing an site preserved for thousands of years - before the time of Jesus.

     Walking up to Stonehenge, we were able to stand about 15 - 20 yards away fron the stones and listen to all the history discovered from these stones.  Leading up to Stonehenge is an area called "The Avenue" which is a ceremonial pathway from the Avon River to Stonehenge, which our ancient ancestors walked to this worship site.  Standing at Stonehenge and looking away from the stones, we could see some of the burial mounds and picture that area filled with pine trees.  Over the centuries, this area became cultivated farmland, which it still is today.

     It is totally impossible to share with you just how amazingly blessed and awe-struck I felt while being at Stonehenge.  And when God belivered a beautiful sunset to the day, I could feel the spiritual energy eminating from this ancient worship place called "Stonehenge."  This achitechtural phenomenon is older than the Great Pyramid at Giza.  If there is any place on earth that connects us with the past, it is at Stonehenge.  I strongly recommend that one visits Stonehenge during their lifetime.  This was definately a God-inspired day by going back in time to a prehistoric era. 

Windsor Castle w/ Marty

   I took Marty, my brother, to see Windsor Castle with which I am quite familiar.  This - my third visit to the castle - was quite different from the last two.  When Marty and I went this time, the castle garden was open AND the state rooms inside the castle were open asw well.  Both were absolutely beautiful, spectacular, and very impressive.  Since no one is permitted to take pictures inside the castle, I do not have any pictures of the state rooms, but I do have some lovely pictures of Marty and I in the garden, along with some beautiful flowers.  Unfortunately St. George's Chapel was not open to the public since we went on a Sunday.

     After walking through the castle itself and the grounds, Marty and I went for a walk along the Thames River, and while we were watching the swans, we saw something hilarious.  Does anyony know how swans find food -  aside from the bread-throwers along the water?  They stick their heads in the water and use their back legs to stretch their necks to the bottom of the river with their butts sticking out of the water.  We were laughing so hard that we had tears.  Seeing that just made our day complete.  It was just a wonderful, relaxing day with my brother.

Chelsea vs Manchester United

     My brother and I had a GREAT time watching the Chelsea vs Manchester United football (soccer) match this past Sunday!!!  The match was at Wembley Stadium in London where much of the 2012 Olympics will be held.  Marty and I took the train from Reading to London -Paddinton Station (see picture) then took the Bakerloo Line on the Underground to Wembley Park Station.  As we "herded" our way with the rest of the Chelsea/ManU masses, we could not help laughing at the banter back and forth between the fans.  I felt like I was at a Steelers/Browns game.

     Marty and I made sure we got to the stadium earlt so we could take pictures (see pictures).  The stadium is MASSIVE (90,000 capacity) with a huge arch outside.  So cool!!!  About 45 minutes before the start of the match, Marty and I went inside to enjoy the pre-game festivities.  Since everyone was outside partying, Marty and I got to see the "WEMBLEY" logo on the seats (see pictures).  The festivities before the game included huge banners or the teams logos, pictures of the coaches and the teams' logo mascots (see pictures) - and lots of loud music.  We were seated in the Chelsea side of the stadium - YEAH!!!  I had my USA World Cup T-shirt on but since I was cheering for Chelsea, I was not bothered.  There were two men in front of us who were cheering for ManU.  NOT a good idea.  Fooball fans over here are ruthless - like the old Steelers/Browns game. 

     When ManU scored first, the two men stood up and cheered.  These two received a glaring stare thay could kill.  Then, in the second half, when ManU scored again, they did nothing.  They just sat there and did not say a word.  Smart!!!  On the back of the tickets, it states that fans are not permitted to weqar opposing colored shirts in their respective sections.  If you notice (see picture), there are seats down the middle of the stadium separating the Chelsea fans from the ManU fans.  Once again - Smart!!!  The game was very fun even though Chelsea lost.  It was a fund-raiser for young footballers all over the UK and it was a success. 

     On the way home, Marty and I met up with my friends, Katie and Jay.  We walked back to the train station in a herd of Chelsea and ManU fans with bantering back and forth about how each team sucks.  Marty, Katie, Jay and I were laughing under our breath but we did not show it.  On the Underground on the way back to the train station, the Chelsea fans were trying to get us (USA folks) made by chanting things against the USA.  Ummmmm . . . didn't work.  Once again, we just chuckled.  When Marty and I got home, we were exhausted; however, we both said that we would never trade this day for anything -- even a Steelers playoff win.  The Super Bowl is something totally different.  Enjoy the photos - we sure had fun taking them.

August 1st

     Hi ya, folks!!!  Nice to be back - although as you can see, it will not be as often.  Well, I turned 44 years last week on July 27th.  Marty, my brother who is over here visiting me and looking for a new job, took me to dinner at a place called "Old Orleans."  Yup, that's right, a taste from home.  It was decorated with all things from N'Awlins (New Orleans) as well as the taste and sound from Cajun Country.  I received a HUGE birthday gift that day from God in the form of 22 boxes with all my belongings!!!  Can you believe that gift?!!!  I know that "all things are possible with God;" but I never thought this could happen on my birthday of all days.  Go figure.

     Now that I told you about Marty, my brother being here, I can't remember if I wrote this in a previous blogpost or not.  Yeah, Marty arrived here on July 14th and will be staying for until September 14th (two months).  I have to say that I am so happy to have him here, but I am not sure Marty likes me hovering over him all the time.  I just can't help myself - I miss having family and friends around and I know his time here will come to an end, so I am trying to suck everything I have out of this time with him.   I just hope he will laugh about this time at family gatherings in the future.  Knowing Marty, I'm sure we will.

     I really have not been doing too much prior to Marty coming here.  Mostly work, laundry, grocery shopping, paying the bills, and sleeping - you know, the domestic crap.  This week I have to be in court two days, which is not too bad since social workers are not permitted to talk in court (unless on the witness stand).  Yea for me!!!  The rest of the week I will be "putting out fires" or catching up on paperwork.  Next Sunday, Marty and I are going to a major soccer (football) game against Chelsea vs. Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in London.  I cannot believe I was able to get these tickets for Marty and I.  I promise to post pictures.

     I have to be getting to bed so i have enough energy this week to withsatnd all the parents and kids and others shouting names at me and telling me how I don't know what I'm doing or that I should just go back to America and mess up the lives of "my own."  Different country, same shit.  Here's something I challenge anyone who reads this blog to do -- if you ever come across a social worker who works in child protectionor for children's social services, please thank them for saving the life of a child, no matter how much bad press they get.  We really do have hearts and feelings.  As I said before, I wish this job did not exsist.  Well, time for bed.  Good night.

    

USA vs England

     I and two of my fellow collegues from the U.S.decided to go to one of the local pubs to watch the World Cup soccer game.  I wore my U.S.A. T-shirt; however, I did wear a jacket over it so I was not too obvious that I was cheering for  my home-town boys.  As we entered the pub, there were red and white flags (St. George's flag) everywhere and shirts with the logo of England (three lions within a sheild) on every person.  My collegues and I made our way to the second flood and parked ourselves right in front of the big screen projector TV.  Before the game started, we silently sang the Star-Spangled Banner. 

     As we watched the game playout, the locals became louder and drunker.  That was our clue to become "actresses" and pretend to cheer for England all the while we were cheering for the USA.  When England scored first, the pub erupted in shouts of joy and my collegues and I yelled in disgust.  However, no one in the place knew we were upset because they were cheering so much.  The second half we the complete opposite - much to our liking.  When the goalie for England missed the ball and the USA scored, the pub again erupted in noise; only this time the the screames were of disgust and anger.  That gave us the chance to whoop and hollar for the USA team.  Again, there was so much noise in the pub, no one realized that we were actually cheering for the USA.

     Even though the game ended in a tie, we considered is a victory because we had been getting so much "trash talk" about how the USA doesn't stand a chance against England since England's "sport" is football (soccer).  Well, they failed to recognize that many of the players on the USA team play regularly in England or in the European leagues.  Huh. . . English boasting.  Dummies.  After the game was over, we were all smiles as the English faithful were walking out in disbelief.  Over the following days, he goalie for England was chastised in the newspapers on the TV and on the radio.  I felt very sad for him.  The English were blaming one person for their team's tie.  However, being a diehard Steeler fan, I can definately understand their reaction to the goal.

Tea with the Queen

     Well, back on June 14th, as you already know, I was invited to have lunch with the Queen in Windsor Castle.  It was absolutely fantastic!  We were all seated outside St George's Chapel inside the Windsor Castle walls.  As we sat waiting for the Queen to pass by, we had wine and cucumber sandwiches.  I wore a short sleeveless, blue, white & black sundress.  I looked cute!!!  No hat, but I did have my hair done. 

     After about two hours of eating, drinking and chatting, the parade of soldiers on foot and on horses started to process from the castle house down to St. George's Chapel.  It was sooooooo awesome to see all of them!!!  Then, the trumpeters blew their horns and soon we saw these people in deep, blue hats with white plumes walking towards us.  It was the Royal Family:  HMH Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Phillip, Prince Charles (yuck); Prince William; Prince Andrew and Princess Anne.  I had to keep pinching myself to see if I was actually seeing the Royal Family.  AND, they walked past me about 10 feet away!!!  I could have reached out and touched them.  They were dressed in their royal robes, plumed hats, and the Queen had two page boys holding her robe.  Very posh!!!!

     I also got to see Lady Margaret Thatcher drive by in a car to the chapel.  Once inside the chapel, the ceremony was broadcast over loud-speakers to the crowd outside.  This ceremony was only about 1/2 hour long.  After the chapel ceremony, the royal family members and their spouses rode back to the castle in a horse and carriage.  First the Queen & Prince Phillip, then Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and someone woman I did not recognize, then Prince William and his gAmerican irlfriend, then Princess Anne and her husband (I think).  Anyways, it was very spectacular.  While I do not have pictures of this event right now, as soon as I get them I will post them to this page. 

A GREAT DAY for me!!!

I'M BACK!!!

Hi everyone!!!  Sorry I have away for a while but I am back to updating my blog again.  So much has happened in the last month since I last entered something one here.  What I am going to try to do is give you and update on what's currently been happeneing, then post something from the past month.  By mid-August, I should be caught up with my entries.  Just hang with me folks -- I will try my best to gt ewverything on here.

Well, my brother has finally made it to England.   He got here on Wednesday morning when I picked him up from Heathrow Airport.  He was sooooooooooooo tired that he fell asleep on the busride to Reading.  When we got to my house, he unpacked just a few things then went to sleep for several hours.  We then went shopping for a few items he needed, we returned and I made us dinner, then he went to sleep again.  On Thursday, we just walked around Reading so I could just get him acclimated to Engalnd.  We exchanged his currency and just enjoyed sitting and talking.

Yesterday (Friday), I had to go into work for a few hours then I was going to come home to relax with Marty.  Well, the few hours turned into a whole day of work.  I should know better by now that was going to happen.  What the heck was I thinking?  Duhhhhh . . . Today, I am taking Marty into London for the first itme to show him the famous sights and try to teach him how to navigate the Underground.  I think Marty will pick it up very quickly.  The weather has been a bit damp the last few days, but that is blowing through and today should be very sunny and pleasant.  I am looking forward to today with Marty and will post pictures later.

Once again folks, sorry about the delay -- but I'm back.  Cheers!!

Hat Issues

     Okay, I really need some guidence on this one. Everyone knows that I'm having lunch with the Queen and other members of the royal family on June 14th. However, I have to wear a hat along with my new dress, gloves and shoes. I was going to wear my Pirates ballcap, but then decided that was too "wintery" since it is black & gold. Then, since it is spring, I was going to wear a bright orange hunting cap to add color to my outfit. However, someone said that would be drawing too much attention to mself (although I tend to disagree with them). Therefore, I am asking for help in this area. What style and color should I wear to "lunch with the Queen?"

     I did bring a black ski cap with me as well; however, that would tend to be more of an evening hat if I were to be invited to dinner instead of lunch.  Any and all suggestions are welcomed.

Check out my recent ideas in the photos to the right.

Trivia Answer: First Bank Holidays

     Hey folks, due to my error in reading about the first bank holidays in England, there are TWO correct answers to this question.  Therefore, everyone who answered did so correctly!!!  The first four bank holidays named in the Bank Holidays Act of 1871 were Easter Monday, Whit Monday (Pentecost Monday), the First Monday in August, and St. Stephen's Day (Boxing Day).  The act did not specify Good Friday and Christmas Day as bank holidays in England, Wales and Ireland because they were already recognised as common law holidays, and because of common observance, they became customary holidays since before records began. 

     A bank holiday is a public holiday in both the United Kingdom and Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population not employed in essential services (e.g. utilities, fire, ambulance, police, health-care, public transport workers) receive them as holidays; those employed in essential services usually receive extra pay for working on these days.

      Prior to 1834, the Bank of England observed about thirty-three saints' days and religious festivals as holidays, but in 1834, this was reduced to just four: 1 May, 1 November, Good Friday, and Christmas Day. In 1871, the first legislation relating to bank holidays was passed when banker, Sir John Lubbock introduced the Bank Holidays Act 1871 which specified these days.  Sir John was an enthusiastic supporter of cricket and was firmly of the belief that bank employees should have the opportunity to participate in and attend matches when they were scheduled. Included in the dates of bank holidays are therefore dates when cricket games were traditionally played between the villages in the region where Sir John was raised.  The English people were so thankful that they called the first Bank Holidays 'St. Lubbock's Days' for a while.

Sad News

     As you can see from Tigger's picture on the right, he is very easy to fall in love with.  Yesterday, he even crawled up on my chest and started rubbing his head into mine -- a show of sincere affection.  However, my eyes do not feel the same way.  They continue to itch and water, and it seems to be getting worse.  Although I hate to admit it, I believe that I am allergic to Tigger and must give him back this coming week.  I am really sad about this.  I have not built a strong bond with Tigger yet, but he is just "cute as a button" and a teriffic companion for me.  Rats!!!  I don't want to give him up, but my eyes are killing me.  Maybe he is meant for someone else to love.  However, I wish it was me.

New Addition -- TIGGER!!!

     Okay, most of you know by now that I love animals, and in particular, cats.  Well, since I am not bringing my boys over to England, I decided to foster a cat here.  So, I got Tigger last night.  He is a 9 year old, male tabby cat (see picture to right).  He is extremely affectionate and loves to lay around all the time.  His owners could not keep him after having him for four years due to a family situation.  They rescued him from a cat shelter back then and did not want him to return to another one in his later years.  Therefore, I am giving him a home.  Of course, he is not a replacement for my boys back home in Pittsburgh, but he is a welcomed companion.

     Tigger greets me at the door, listens to me and shows me love; and in return, I love him, give him food and water, and provide him with a warm place to lay his head.  I think it is a wonderful match.  It is only the second day, but I think I will try to keep him for awhile.  However, having Tigger around does remind me of just how much I miss Orion and Taurus back home.  I wish I had pictures of them, but I packed their pictures in my boxes which are MIA.  Anyway, Tigger is a great listener -- and he is good to me (so far).

Tuesday . . and I'm bored

     It's Tuesday and I'm bored.  Nothing much to say after that, huh.  I got really sick Sunday night/Monday morning and had to call off work.  I think it was the curry chicken I ate.  I finally was able to keep a piece of toast down around 3:00pm Monday afternoon.  I went to work today, attended three meetings, yet still fell like shit.  I'm headed to bed soon.

     I don't think I mentioned this in earlier blogs, but I decided NOT to bring my kitties over to England.  I am really unsure about how long I am going to stay over here, so I don't want to be hauling them around the UK or across the Atlantic to traumatize them.  Therefore, Orion and Taurus are staying with my folks and I am going to foster a cat for now.  I am going through the Thames Valley Rescue Society.  I met a 9 year old cat named Tigger this past Saturday.  I am going to foster him because the owner is having family issues and cannot keep him right now.  I think it is only fair that since I work with fostering children that I could foster some kitties as well.  Anyway, the orange & white tabby liked me, so I may be getting him this coming weekend.  If so, I will take pictures of him.

     On Sunday after getting "smoked out" at mass on Pentecost Sunday, Danielle and I went to Caversham Park along the Thames to sit in the sun and read.  I just wound up just people-watching again.  I actually realized there really are "regular" people in the Reading area, and not every family is in child protection (this is an inside joke to the newbies).  After a while, Danielle and I got thirsty, so we headed for the restaurant and bar near the rowing club for some "refreshments."  Mine was a mojito - YUMMY!!!  Jana met up with us there.  When we left, Jana and I walked along the Thames River Path toweards Valerie's house because we have been meeting there on Sunday evenings for dinner and our own small group training.  This is where I ate the curry chicken, and it was all down hill from there.

     Well, that's about the size of it.  Oh yeah, one more thing -- I got sunburned.  Good night, everybody.

Trivia Answer: Tower of London Execution

     The last execution at the Tower was that of German spy Josef Jakobs on August 14, 1941 by firing squad formed from the Scots Guards.  Jakobs parachuted into Ramsey in Huntingdonshire on January 31, 1941 but was seen descending by the local Home Guard.  They rushed to the landing point to find that Jakobs had broken his ankle on landing. He was apprehended still wearing his flying suit and carrying British currency, forged papers, a radio and a German sausage.  Jakobs was executed while seated blindfolded in a brown Windsor chair, due to having a broken ankle.

The others who were listed along with Jakobs were prisoners at the Tower of London, but not the last to be executed.  Here are their obituaries:

Roger Casement (Sir Roger Casement) (1864 -1916):  Roger Casement was an Irish patriot, poet, revolutionary and nationalist. He was a British consul by profession, famous for his reports and activities against human rights abuses in the Congo and Peru, but better known for his dealings with Germany before Ireland's Easter Rising in 1916. An Irish nationalist in his youth, he worked in Africa for commercial interests and latterly in the service of Britain. However, the Boer War and his investigation into atrocities in the Congo led Casement to anti-Imperialist and Irish Republican and separatist political opinions.  After an unsuccessful appeal against the conviction and death sentence, he was hanged at Pentonville Prison in London in August 1916, at the age of 51. He underwent the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults into the Catholic Church while awaiting execution and went to his death, he said, with the body of his God as his last meal.

The Kray Twins:  Reginald "Reggie" Kray (1933 – 2000) and his brother Ronald "Ronnie" Kray (1933 - 1995):  The Kray Twins were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in London's East End during the 1950s and 1960s. Ronald, commonly referred to as Ron or Ronnie, suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. The Krays were involved in armed robberies, arson, protection rackets, violent assaults including torture and the murders of Jack "The Hat" McVitie and George Cornell. As West End nightclub owners they mixed with prominent entertainers including Diana Dors, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and politicians. The Krays were highly respected within their social environment, and in the 1960s they became celebrities in their own right being photographed by David Bailey and interviewed on television.  They were arrested on May 9, 1968 and convicted in 1969 by the efforts of a squad of detectives and were both sentenced to life imprisonment.  Ronnie remained in prison until his death on March 17, 1995, but Reggie was released from prison on compassionate grounds in August 2000, a few weeks before his death from cancer.

Rudolph Hess (1894 – 1987):  Rudolph Hess was a prominent figure in Nazi Germany, acting as Adolf Hitler's Deputy in the Nazi Party. On the eve of war with the Soviet Union, he flew solo to Scotland in an attempt to negotiate peace with the United Kingdom, but instead was arrested. Winston Churchill sent Hess initially to the Tower of London, making Hess the last of prominent political prisoners to be held in the fortress. The Prime Minister gave orders that he was to be strictly isolated but treated with dignity.  He remained in the Tower until May 20, 1941, when he was taken to Nuremberg, tried, and sentenced to life in prison at Spandau Prison, Berlin, where he died in 1987.  Hess' attempt to negotiate peace and subsequent lifelong imprisonment have given rise to many theories about his motivation for flying to Scotland, and conspiracy theories about why he remained imprisoned alone at Spandau, long after all other convicts had been released.

Henry Laurens: (1724 - 1792):  Henry Laurens was an American merchant and rice planter from South Carolina who became a political leader during the Revolutionary War. A delegate to the Second Continental Congress Laurens succeeded John Hancock as President of the Second Continental Congress from 1777 to 1778.
     In 1779, Congress named Laurens their minister to Holland, where he took up that post in Amsterdam and successfully negotiated Dutch support for the war. But on his return voyage to Amsterdam that fall, the British Navy intercepted his ship off the banks of Newfoundland. Although her dispatches were tossed in the water, they were retrieved by the British, who discovered the draft of a possible U.S.-Dutch treaty. This prompted Britain to declare war on the Netherlands, the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War.  Laurens was charged with treason, transported to England, and imprisoned in the Tower of London (the only American ever held prisoner in the Tower). This became another issue between the British and Americans. In the field, most captives were regarded as prisoners of war, and while conditions were frequently appalling, prisoner exchanges and mail privileges were accepted practice. During his imprisonment Laurens was assisted by Richard Oswald, his former business partner and the principal owner of Bunce Island. Oswald argued on Laurens' behalf to the British government. Finally, on December 31, 1781 he was released in exchange for General Lord Cornwallis and completed his voyage.

Hope you enjoyed this history lesson!!!!

Back to Wales

     Yes, I made my third trip over to Wales yesterday (Tuesday), and so far, each time I have traveled there, the weather has been absolutely beautiful.  However, this time, I could not keep my eyes open on the train trip.  I was so tired that I almost missed one of my train stops to transfer to another train.  Holy shit, that would have been disasterous!!!  I must take three different trains up to Chester, England, then have one of the staff members from the residential place pick me up at the station.  The drive from the train station to the facility is about one hour.

     When standing on the platforms waiting for my next train to arrive, I commonly see other trains whiz by on their "express" schedules and the energy from those trains makes my heart pump faster and faster.  I love to watch them speed by!!!  I can see them coming (and the loud speaker informs us that they are coming) and I listen to the rumble getting louder and louder.  By the time they reach the station platforms, it is so loud that you cannot even hear the person stading next to you.  As soon as the first coach passes, the wind whips up into a frenzy and the windows of the coaches flicker like watching an old-time black & white movie.  I try to pick out a word or two on the side of the coaches, which I now have become very good at doing.  I can easily recognize the various train companies since my travels have covered the entire southern UK (except for over by Bristol & Bath).  I have traveled on First Great Western, Virgin, CrossCountry, London Midlands, Southwest Rail Service, Northern Rail Service, and others.  Those are the main ones anyways.

     The horns on the trains do not sound like the ones back in Pennsylvania.  Those are loud whistles; where over here, they are lower tones instead of horns.  Don't get me wrong, these horns are extremely loud, but they just sound very different.  When I first walked under the train tressel near my work, I heard this long-sounding tone and wondered what it was.  Then a train passed overhead, and I figured it was the train horn.  I was right.  Now I am so familiar with this sound that I sometimes even miss hearing it in a distance.  I have noticed that the sheep, cows and horses along the train tracks do not miss these train horns!!!

   While I was up in Wales yesterday, this young man and I went for a short walk so I could talk to him alone.  He took me over to the farm next to their facility and I got to run around with the sheep and lambs.  hat was so much fun.  The little lams were playing, while the mama sheep were watching and protecting their babies.  I know I certianly can not out-run a sheep, so we stayed close to the fence.  For those of you who remember my goat experience in Uganda, I learned my lesson then not to mess with the little ones too much or the larger ones will "kick your butt."  Literally!!!!  I got to walk along this nature trail in Wales through the tress and along a river.  I wanted to stay there but I had to do my job and get back.  This young man is doing so well and I just enjoy visiting him every six weeks (statutory time limit).  This is one of my easier and more positive cases.

     When we were driving back to the train station to Chester, we saw this HUGE plane coming in for a landing near to Chester.  The man who was driving said that this plane shuttles airplane wings which are manufactured in/near Chester to other parts of Europe and across the Atlantic.  He informed me that the place in Chester builds the wings for the large airbuses, where they have to place them on barges and move them that way since they are too large to transport by air.

     I got back on the train and settled in for the ride home.  Once again, I could not keep my eyes open and I fell asleep.  Falling asleep on a train is very similar to falling asleep on an airplane.  It's not very comfortable and you are stiff as a board when you try to get up and move.  I finally reached Reading at 8:00pm.  Once again, a 12-hour workday, which wasn't too bad.  As a matter of fact, it was pretty nice.  I now have 5 days of overtime I MUST take off, so I think I will take it in mid-June.  Maybe I will finally visit Bristol and Bath then -- or maybe not.  Maybe I will just relax at home and take short trips to places around Reading.  At least I can get some sleep then.  Which is what I need to do now folks.  It's almost 10:00pm and I still have two days of work to go.  I hope someday you will be able to go to Wales.  It is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL country!!!

Last Week (May 10th - 16th)

     It was crazy over here last week, and when I got home from work I was way too tired to type anything on my blog page.  Therefore, I will sum up last week for you as to why it was so crazy.  I will give you three words:  WORK, MONEY & SHIPMENT.

WORK:  Just when I was getting familiar with the system / process of working in my team, my assistant team supervisor leaves.  She was a "contracted" social worker and her contract was up last week.  Although I was aware of this, it did not help matters much that I was all out of sync on who to turn to for help.  Plus, I made three trip out of the Reading area to visit some of my clients, which took away from the paperwork I was going to do.  One of the kids decided to flip a chair and start throwing things at me so I made a quick exit.  It actually was not too bad, but I did not want my presence to escalate his frustration.  As far as the "dreaded paperwork," that has been SLOWLY getting better; however, I still have a very long way to go with this.

MONEY:  Okay, not to get too detailed, but my stupid bank decided to pay my rent to my landlords TWICE in one month.  This, of course, left me largely short of money, and I have been scarmbling to find someone to help while I work with the bank and/or until payday comes on May 25th.  I think I have strecthed the British pound as far as it can possibly be stretched.  After many, many prayers, God sent an angel to help with this situation, although the money situation is far from over.  I am still trying to work with the bank on several situations.  I do not want to go into any more details, but money is still the source of much of my stress.

SHIPMENT:  Ahhh. . . the dreaded shipment of my belongings.  I told one of my sisters that I think my boxes of things are in the same place as all those socks lost during the wash.  They just fall off the face of the earth.  Well, I must say that I was worried that my boxes of personal items were long gone.  However, at the end of last week, my sister (yeah Cathy!!!) uncovered that my shipment was on another ship across the Atlantic and are sitting at a dock in Southampton.  After faxing forms to the storage facility this weekend, they believe that they do have my boxes.  Once again, I am not holding my breath on this, but it is a good sign.

To top things off last week, it was cold and rainy all week.  A pretty miserable week as far as the weather goes.  This week, it has been sunny and will continue to be sunny and get warmer.  Once again, a sign of good things.  Well, that's the jist of last week's adventure.  Take care everyone and talk soon.

A Coot!!!

     Remember the picture of the bird I posted to the right?  Well, I found out what type of bird this is.  It's a coot.  Coots are medium-sized water birds which are members of the rail family.  Coots have predominantly black plumage, and, unlike many of the rails, they are usually easy to see, often swimming in open water. They are close relatives of the moorhen.

They are common in Europe and North America.  They have prominent frontal shields or other decoration on the forehead, and coloured bills, and many, but not all, have white on the under tail. Like other rails, they have lobed toes. The featherless shield gave rise to the expression "as bald as a coot", which the Oxford English Dictionary cites in use as early as 1430.

They tend to have short, rounded wings and are weak fliers, although northern species are nevertheless capable of covering long distances; the American Coot has reached Great Britain and Ireland on rare occasions. Those species that migrate do so at night.  Coots can walk and run vigorously on strong legs, and have long toes that are well adapted to soft, uneven surfaces.  These birds are omnivorous, taking mainly plant material, but also small animals and eggs. They are aggressively territorial during the breeding season, but are otherwise often found in sizeable flocks on the shallow vegetated lakes they prefer. A flock of coots is known in the US as a cover.

Tower of London & Tower Bridge

     Last Sunday, my good friend, Cori, came to London for vacation for a few days with her boyfriend, Charlie, and we went to see the Tower of London.  An AWESOME time!!!  I have not seen Cori in seven years, but we talked as if we just saw each other last week.  Anyway, we went to the Tower of London and it was very interesting to learn about its history.  We got those headset & recorders to do your own walking tour, but we could not get our bearings and the recorder to be in sync.  I just took mine off halfway through the tour.

    The first thing we came to was "Traitor's Gate."  This is where they would bring in those who were accused of being traitor's to the crown.  The water is a direct link to the River Thames.  Even though the river is very near the tower, a moat was built around the original tower because the banks of the Thames was farther away than today.  Right across from Traitor's Gate, we entered the Tower of London under The Bloody Tower.  This is where "famous" prisoners were held, like Anne Bolyen and the Two Princes (Prince Edward V and his borther, Richard of Shrewsbury).  There are many original portions of walls and stone which are clearly visible.  When we walked inside the tower, we had to climb a very lengthy, spiral stairwell to get to the top.  It was very cool, yet eerie.

     In one of the other prison towers, we could see the carvings of the walls of past prisoners (see picture).  Although there were many executions in the Tower of London, only a few "famous" prisoners were executed in the publlic courtyard.  The tower is fully staffed with Yeomen Warders (also known as Beefeaters), at all times and answer to the Constable of the Tower. Yeomen Warders have served as defenders of the Crown Jewels and prison guards since the time of Queen Victoria.  The crowned jewels were BEAUTIFUL; however, that seemed like a waste of money for this contry just sitting behind secured glass.  There was sooooooo much gold and diamonds that could easily put a HUGE dent in this country's deficit.  Oh well.

     We finally made our way into the White Tower.  This is the original tower/fortress build by William the Conqueror in 1078 A.D.  Other towers and walls were built after his reign.  The White Tower is the place of the armory for England's history.  King Henry VIII's suit of armor indicates that he "thought very highly of himself in the man area."  Cori and I laughed at this king's "big head."  There were many of the torture devices, weaponry, suits of armor, and statues of the horses of various kings.  There was just so much to see in the Tower of London.  Cori, Charlie and I were able to see just about all of it before it closed.

     After we exited the tower, we walked down by the River Thames to look at the Tower Bridge.  And, much to our surprise and LUCK, the drawbridge opened!!!  I could not believe my eyes!!!  So cool!!!  It is said that the drawbridge does not open that often, but if you see it when it does open, then "luck" is in the near future -- and, boy, do I need it now!!!  We did not have time to go to the top of the Tower Bridge since it was Sunday afternoon and most things were closing; however, we did walk onto the bridge to experience its majesty.  After that, Cori, Charlie, and I went to dinner at an English pub near Piccadilly Square.  I loved just talking to Cori and spending time with her.  After seven years, we really have not changed much.  Oh sure, lots of things within our lives happened and some things changed, but neither one of us have changed "who we truly are."  After dinner, I headed back to the Tube and Cori and Charlie went for frozen yogurt.  It was very hard to say "good-bye" to Cori.  I know that it will not be seven years before we see each other again.  I will make sure of that!!!  Last Sunday was a great day!!!

I love you, Cori, and miss you so much.  I just love laughing with you!!!  Talk to you soon, sweetie.

Trivia Answer: Trafalgar Square

 YEAH, two correct answers!!!! 

     Yes, Admiral Horatio Nelson, the admiral who commanded the British Fleet at Trafalgar. is the statue which adorns the top of the Nelson Monument in Trafalgar Square.  The name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), a British naval victory of the Napoleonic Wars. The original name was to have been "King William the Fourth's Square", but George Ledwell Taylor suggested the name "Trafalgar Square".    On the north side of the square is the National Gallery and to its east St Martin-in-the-Fields church. The square adjoins The Mall via Admiralty Arch to the southwest. To the south is Whitehall, to the east Strand and South Africa House, to the north Charing Cross Road (this is the Tube stop for the London Underground to visit the square), and on the west side Canada House.

     At the corners of the square are four plinths; the two northern ones were intended for equestrian statues, and thus are wider than the two southern. Three of them hold statues: George IV (northeast, 1840s), Henry Havelock (southeast, 1861), and Sir Charles James Napier (southwest, 1855).  On the lawn in front of the National Gallery are two statues, James II to the west of the entrance portico and George Washington to the east. The latter statue, a gift from the state of Virginia, stands on soil imported from the United States. This was done in order to honour Washington's declaration he would never again set foot on British soil.  A bust of the Second World War First Sea Lord Admiral Cunningham by Franta Belsky was unveiled in Trafalgar Square in April 1967 by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

     The square used to be famous for its feral pigeons, and feeding them was a popular activity with Londoners and tourists.  The estimated flock at its peak was 35,000, and considered a health hazard. In 2000, the sale of bird seed in the square was controversially terminated and other measures were introduced to discourage the pigeons, including the use of trained falcons.  The square is a social and political location for visitors and Londoners alike.  When my friends and I are out in the London area, we always meet at Trafalgar Square ON Nelson's Column -- we even got our pictures taken on the lion (I named him Leo - my astrological sign).  This is an easy stop from the London Underground and definately a wonderful place to just "people watch."  They have jugglers, artists of every kind- including sidewalk mural artisits - and tons of musicians.  Definately world famous!!!  And FUN!!! 

I hope some of you are learning from these trivia questions.  I am going to try to make the time frame for answering shorter -- like four days -- so I can do more.  Best of luck on the next questions.

London Irish Rugby!!!

     I attended my first professional rugby game on Saturday and I had a teriffic time!!!  The London Irish Rugby Team play in Reading at Majewski Stadium -- within walking distance from me.  Since this was their last home game of the year, a few of us decided to attend just to experience the atmosphere.  So awesome!!!  Those guys are crazy -- and so are the players!!!  By this I mean, the fans are so into this game over here, I feel like I am at a Steelers/Browns game.  The cheering is soooooooooo cool.  The fans really do have a great time at these games.

     As for the game and players themselves, what a wicked sport!!!  Beating the crap of an opposing team member is "just part of the game."  It can only be described as "controled chaos!"  I tried to follow the ball at all times; however, I lost it so many times in the pile of tangeled bodies.  All of a sudden the crowd would cheer, and low and behold, some guy would be racing down the field with the ball, and I never saw it come out of the pile.  Here's the best part -- when a player gets injured, the medical staff race onto the field while the play is still in progress.  Shit, I would not want to be a trainer or medical staff on a rugby team no matter how much they paid me.  Their lives are at stake and those players are psycho!!!  I will ALWAYS try to make friends with a rugby player from now on.

     The London Irish are close to the bottom of the league, but I still had a great time.  There were four of us that went and none of us knew the game.  It was very cold and damp on Saturday, but that made the atmosphere all the better.  Like I said, just like a Steelers/Browns football game.  Reading has a football (soccer) team called the Reading Royals, who plays in the Championship League, and I will be attending many of their games next year, since this season is over.  The Championship League is one league down from the Premier League, which Chelsea just won today.  Usually Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal are playing for the Premier League Cup almost every year.  Reading did fairly well this year, but missed their bid to move up into the Premier League by just a few points.  Maybe next year they will do better.

     I posted a few pictures of my first rugby game over to the right.  Today (Sunday), I am meeting a great friend of mine in London, as she is on vacation over here for a few days, then she is on to Paris.  Monday will be a very good day -- I have supervision with my team supervisor and she is a HUGE Chelsea fan.  How awesome is that for me!!!  It's always nice for the boss to be in a good mood -- especially when your home team wins the Premier League Cup.  SWEET!!!  Check out the pictures - it was fun times!!!