I'm Still Alive.

Hello out there. First off I want to send my apologies because it seems like it has been an ETERNITY since I blogged to share my life for you all to read. The only excuse I can attempt to drag out of my back pocket is that I was spending a fun filled week with my lovely family and there was absolutely no time to sit on my computer...even though they might have left almost a week ago! Oh well. So as stated, my family was here last week and well it wouldn't be a trip I was invloved in if there wasn't a complication. Yes they even had a flight problem getting here. So originally supposed to be arriving in London two Saturdays ago at noon, they did not actually get here until the next morning at 7:00. Well fun fact for everyone out there: the tube has different hours on Sundays then they do any other day of the week. Yes. Good old me got up at 5:00 and quickly got ready to tube over to the airport so that I could greet them at the gate when I approached a very dark and closed Russell Square Station. Luckily there was a quite friendly cab driver sitting outside of the tube station waiting for some dummy like me to think she could take the tube...PERFECT. After this man informed me that I wouldn't be able to get to the airport via the tub until about 9:00am (two hours after my family's arrival) I proceeded to get into his cab, of course I made sure that it wasn't going to cost me a full arm and a leg. So we rode to Heathrow, well he drove and I rode. But boy was this an experience. Although we had very nice conversations I couldn't help but wonder if at any point he was going to drive me to some random place and kill me...extreme I know but do you guys watch movies? I DO! But I kept reassuring myself that I had no other choice and I had to get to the airport so this was a logical decision...plus it was a black cab so that is always a positive. Anyways...long story short I got there, waited a bit, drank a hot chocolate and then found my family! We hugged and hugged and walked and talked and hugged again and had a lovely time touring London like one happy family. They learned a lot and I think have a better understanding of my lifestyle now, or the one I have gained anyways. It was great, dandy and way too fast. I sent them off on Friday (after Thanksgiving) and then headed to work because I needed to make up a missed day. And let me tell you...working on Fridays is stinky!! I know rough life I had to work one Friday but it was awful, thinking about how much I could be doing in the city but I was stuck in the office all day. I did survive though! Saturday after they left I literally slept the whole day, like the whole day! I got up once or twice to shower and use the toilet but literally didn't eat or move really until I wandered across the street to the pub and then back to bed. Pathetic at its finest but let me tell you being a tour guide takes a lot out of a person! Then Sunday Kallie and I ventured over to Windsor Castle...only the Queen's FAVORITE HOME!! Yes it was quite an honor for her to invite us inside. And we of course took some very highly disapproved pictures of some of the most beautiful rooms in there! My excuse: if you have a sign that says no photography then you shouldn't leave the room empty for us to take them! I mean they are just asking for it in my opinion! But the castle was beautiful and Kallie and I even thought about faking a pass out hoping that maybe we would have to be carried back into her room to get taken care of. The worst part? Right after we discussed this evil plan a lady actually fell to the ground and security was everywhere, she was onto our plan and totally stole!!

As for this week...mainly normal just in panic mode as the days are swiftly drawing to an end. I attended my first football (soccer) game here on Tuesday. We watched Queens Park play against Bournemouth at Queens Park. And QPR won 3-0, but the game was so so so exciting! The fans are OUTRAGEOUS! It is seriously like the most entertaining thing I have been to. Chants and cheers from one fan section to the other constantly and trust me they are not nice things either. They actually have to separate the sections of where the fans sit because of the violence that is anticipated at the games. But it was loads of fun and free so WAY FUN! Wednesday Paige and I spent a total of 5 hours trying to track down her parents who were roaming the streets of London, alone and lost. It was quite the experience but we finally found them just in time to share a lovely dinner and a few too many drinks at the pub. Funny thing about when I say "the pub"..there are like thousands so I don't know why people here say that but they do, so then I do and then its confusing because its like wait which pub? Just a little though of my own! But as for today and this weekend? I am jumping in the shower so that I can catch my plane off to Ireland! This will be my first (planned) flight alone in the UK and I have a bit of anxiety about it but I'm sure it will be great. I am off to Gallway to see the beautiful Mary Carnes, sister of the brilliant Sarah Carnes!! So that is me for now. The countdown is officially on...20 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS! haha You thought I was going to say something about coming home. Well nope not yet, we don't speak of that day on December 21st. Too many feelings to keep straight so for now I am living in London and loving it! Thats all.

Love you all and miss your beautiful faces tons!!
Cheers!
The Site-Seeing Softball Player

P.S. Want to see pictures of my family's time in London? Start harassing Dorothy R Schulenberg about that one because I do too! You would think of all people she would already have them up!