going across the pond…Tumblr (3.0; @katspeech)http://blog.katspeech.com/<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kxhmgocFem1qzqwljo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>One of the joys of living here has been our amazing neighbours—Ash, Melanie and baby Ruben.  Not only were they the ones who baked Rob his very own stadium cake for his birthday, they also gave him this amazing gift.  This is homemade tomato chutney, made by Ash from his own tomato plants!  Delicious!</p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/376574163http://blog.katspeech.com/post/376574163Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:05:12 -0500<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kx117zuBck1qzqwljo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Somebody is thirty!  Rob’s other birthday surprise was a pub crawl (okay, we only made it to three) with friends from London.  The big hit was a toy tattoo kit from friends Quincy and Lock.  After finding out how difficult they were to wash off, many of us were thankful that we had not gone for the ‘teardrop under the eye’ tattoos, and stuck to the more coverable body parts.  The night ended, appropriately, with a curry and rounds of Cobra beer on Brick Lane.  East side!</p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/360124511http://blog.katspeech.com/post/360124511Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:04:47 -0500<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/willmcd4/4309481981/">Rob's 30th Birthday</a>: <p>Rob, a very lucky boy, got an amazing surprise for his 30th birthday.  Long time friends Will and Christian surprised him and spent the weekend with us on a mission to visit as many pubs as possible.  Check out the link (on Will’s flickr page) to see the video of his surprise!</p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/360117740http://blog.katspeech.com/post/360117740Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:59:21 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kx10vdSfOH1qzqwljo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>After just three days of work following Christmas, Rob and I hopped on another flight to Barcelona to celebrate the New Year with our friends Paul and Jen from Austin.  We raced from the airport to get to our cute rented apartment in Barcelona’s El Born neighborhood and were changed and out just in time for midnight.  After meeting what must’ve been Barcelona’s toughest barmaid (she ran into the street with some form of wooden club to chase off thugs) we decided to relocate to a bar down the street.  And there I experienced my introduction to the fine art of pickpocketing that is alive and well in Barcelona.  Fortunately, we managed to come home with all of our valuables, but others were not so lucky!  Barcelona is a very pretty city and offers the chance to see some amazing architecture (and eat some great paella).  This cathedral, Sagrada Familia, considered one of Gaudi’s greatest works, has been under construction since 1882 (according to Wikipedia) and it’s not even close to being finished.  Amazing!</p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/360115269http://blog.katspeech.com/post/360115269Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:57:13 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kx10ipC9Vr1qzqwljo1_400.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Okay, so Christmas was over and Rob and I had a long flight and even longer day at work ahead of us.  At the gate, they pulled us aside and took away our boarding passes…only to be replaced by business class seats!  We were beside ourselves and, I’m afraid, made it all too obvious that we had NEVER been in business class seats.  Conversation:  Flight attendant:  ”Excuse me sir…”  Rob:  ”Oh, we got upgraded!”  Flight attendant:  ”It happens.  Now may I take your coats?”  Before the plane started moving I’d already opened my goodie bag, read the menu through at least three times, debated which glass of wine would go best with my meal, reclined my seat into a bed and back up again, etc.  Now, we just have to make some serious money so we never have to mix with the plebs in economy class again!</p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/360106071http://blog.katspeech.com/post/360106071Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:49:37 -0500<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kx0zt2rk2d1qzqwljo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Clearly there is some catching up to be done!  This year our Christmas was spent back in the States—hanging out with Rob’s family, my sister and her husband in PA.  We had lots to pack in:  Olive Garden, Sonic, Pizza Perfect, etc.  I must’ve gone to the grocery store every day we were there, just to look around at all the products like ranch dressing and cornbread mix that I miss.  This photo comes from one of the finer moments….the world famous Johnson Family game of Wine, Lose or Draw.  ’Wine’ is not a typo.</p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/360087543http://blog.katspeech.com/post/360087543Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:34:14 -0500<img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kuehv7IV3x1qzqwljo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Yes, as most of you know, I took the plunge and chopped off the locks for Locks of Love.  It was a great decision.  If you want to do the same, check out their site:  <a href="http://www.locksoflove.org/">http://www.locksoflove.org/</a></p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/276440828http://blog.katspeech.com/post/276440828Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:52:19 -0500<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kuehpeRKts1qzqwljo1_400.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Rob and I laced up our shoes and donned matching Santa suits for this year’s Santa 6K held in Battersea Park.  The running was made much easier by the fact that we were surrounded by a sea of nearly 2,000 other Santas.  And the best part—seeing the VERY confused faces of the little kids in the park.</p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/276437462http://blog.katspeech.com/post/276437462Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:48:50 -0500<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kuehlwMwFo1qzqwljo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Thanksgiving (okay, so I’m a little late posting).  This year I cooked my first turkey and, thanks to the advice of Rob’s Gram and Elaine, it came out perfectly!  We were lucky enough to have our dear friend John in town from NYC to celebrate with us and were also joined by Londoners Penny and Will.</p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/276435344http://blog.katspeech.com/post/276435344Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:46:44 -0500<img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ktgjasXzmS1qzqwljo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>To counter getting too caught up in the daily grind, Rob and I are trying to get out and do things in London each week to take advantage of living in such an amazing city.  This week we went to see an art installation in Trafalgar Square (thanks Ashley!).  The square was full of these huge stumps of trees that had been cut down in the rainforest in Ghana and the project hoped to raise awareness about deforestation.  An amazing sight!</p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/251813581http://blog.katspeech.com/post/251813581Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:44:52 -0500<p>I was looking for an apartment rental in Fano, Italy for next summer and came across a cute little website.  I’m guessing the owner had typed the ‘rules’ in Italian and then hit the Translate button.  Here are a few of my favourite results:</p> <p><b><i>Entry allowed the only bicycles and motor mopeds extinguished</i></b></p> <p><b>You invites alone to the closing of the curtains and of the electric windows during the night and in case of maltempo to avoid damages.</b></p> <p><b>Use of the barbecue is to arrange with the other guests, it delegates the use to the adult solos with the charcoal use of firewood and specific products.</b></p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/245141010http://blog.katspeech.com/post/245141010Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:55:04 -0500<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kt5iocxnSN1qzqwljo1_250.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Rob had me rolling on the floor laughing at this picture of his old belt…that he had been wearing, in this condition, to work for weeks.  Good news though—got a new belt last night!</p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/244749708http://blog.katspeech.com/post/244749708Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:57:48 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kt5ijxXWjm1qzqwljo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Believe me—these ARE the world’s best pancakes.  See link for your very own recipe.</p> <p>via <a href="http://kottke.org/09/10/the-worlds-best-pancake-recipe">kottke</a></p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/244748181http://blog.katspeech.com/post/244748181Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:55:09 -0500<img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kslufnH1pJ1qzqwljo1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kslufnH1pJ1qzqwljo2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kslufnH1pJ1qzqwljo3_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kslufnH1pJ1qzqwljo4_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kslufnH1pJ1qzqwljo5_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kslufnH1pJ1qzqwljo6_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kslufnH1pJ1qzqwljo7_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kslufnH1pJ1qzqwljo8_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kslufnH1pJ1qzqwljo9_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kslufnH1pJ1qzqwljo10_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p>Ah, Scotland. We had been looking forward to this trip for a long time and Scotland did not disappoint us. After flying up to Inverness, Rob took the wheel (for the first time in the UK) and we headed to Invergarry for the night. At the Invergarry Castle Hotel, we had a big dinner and spent the evening drinking wine and playing Scrabble in front of the fire in the Library. A perfect start! On our second day, we hopped in the car and drove a few hours west and across the bridge to the Isle of Skye. Winding down one-lane roads and avoiding sheep and cows, we made our way to a small house called Ramasaig that marked the start of our first walk. No pictures…because it was pouring rain! But we toughed it out and made our way to The Hoe—the highest point along the cliffs overlooking the ocean. But after our “waterproof” shoes filled with water and the wind blew me to the ground (more than once), we decided to head back to the car and make our way to Carter’s Rest B&B in Upper Milovaig. The next morning marked an end to the torrential rains and we managed to see the Niest Point lighthouse and later climb the trail up to see The Old Man of Storr—a tall rock teetering at the top of a hill. Throughout this trip places like this made Rob and I feel like we were in some mystical fairy tale! The hike to and from The Storr also included a dense forest that completely sheltered us from the rain. We took advantage of our last half day by going for a walk at Glen Affric (not far from Loch Ness), getting ourselves lost, and then finding that we’d actually just taken an amazing shortcut. Yes! Plenty of time to catch our flight home. </p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/233226898http://blog.katspeech.com/post/233226898Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:59:47 -0500<img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kr3v8icOrM1qzqwljo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Oktoberfest was sooooo fun!  We only spent one day there and owe lots of thanks to Geoff for hosting us and Justin and Donna for speaking the German and doing all the sweet-talking.  If you ever get the chance, definitely go, but be sure you get a table in a beer tent because that is the key to having the most fun.  And work on those arm muscles because you’ll be expected to cheers your heavy LITRE of beer about every 5 minutes!</p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/206022037http://blog.katspeech.com/post/206022037Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:26:42 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kq9xwoG1aa1qzqwljo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Today was the London SkyRide which meant that a huge number of streets in central London were closed to cars and open only to cyclists.  It was a gorgeous and sunny day too!  I loved this part—cycling up to Buckingham Palace.</p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/192557955http://blog.katspeech.com/post/192557955Sun, 20 Sep 2009 10:36:23 -0400<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kq6lmqLdiJ1qzqwljo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>It took me a while to figure this out in my phone…but apparently the last time I went to this place (yeah, so maybe it was after a few beers) I decided not only to enter their number for faster takeaway next time, but was also so smart that I entered which meal to order.  Hence the ‘Order F.’  I should do this with all my address entries!</p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/191174843http://blog.katspeech.com/post/191174843Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:18:25 -0400<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kpwn9hW8NL1qzqwljo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Homemade tortillas for breakfast tacos turned out to be a good homesickness remedy this morning.</p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/186825503http://blog.katspeech.com/post/186825503Sun, 13 Sep 2009 06:17:41 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kptuhea0dL1qzqwljo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Sometimes, when everyone you know decides to go stand on a boulder precariously sitting between two cliff ledges, it’s best just to find a sturdy place to sit on solid ground, watch suspiciously from the corner of your eye….and eat beef jerky.</p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/185600934http://blog.katspeech.com/post/185600934Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:00:50 -0400<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kpq0wh4LUF1qzqwljo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Somebody loves his pops.</p>http://blog.katspeech.com/post/183899933http://blog.katspeech.com/post/183899933Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:29:05 -0400