Christmas 2007 Letter

It has been a very eventful year for us, with some highs and very low lows. We flew to the UK in January for a quick visit in order to attend the wedding of one of my university friends, Roz Harvey who married one Alan Sermons. The wedding took place at a small church in Hemel Hempstead. It was great to see the people there, some of whom I hadn’t spoken to in about 12 years.

I also decided to resign and leave my job of 12 years at BAC to pursue an opportunity made available to me to become my own boss. It was something that I felt that I was unable to give up and so I left BAC on 15th February. It took a couple of months to set things up and get established, but I am now able to keep a steady flow of work in and out, with quite a few major projects on the horizon.

In mid-February, we added a little dog to our menagerie, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Deaglan Balthazaar. He was a happy little fellow, always wagging his tail and loved everyone he met. Unfortunately, after we had had him for about three weeks, he started to show signs of disorientation and confusion. He was diagnosed with a porto-systemic shunt of the liver, but despite many visits to the vet we were unable to fix him as the problem was found to be untreatable during exploratory surgery. We also lost Loreley to an attack, we think from a feral cat in the area a week before Deaglan, so it was a very sad time for us both.

We have recovered from our losses however, and have acquired another cat, who is all white this time, named Artemis Penelope, who like her first name implies is the goddess of hunting – anything and everything. Despite her rather rotund demeanour, she is very active. In October Bronwyn Anastacia arrived on British Airways from England, another Cavalier, and she is fitting very well into the family. She and Artemis spend many hours running around the house and garden. Mathias is well, but tends to be more sedate these days.

In April, a contingent from Bermuda travelled to Virginia to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the colonisation of Jamestown (1607). The Bermuda Regiment Band and Bermuda Islands Pipe Band played for the Virginia International Tattoo in Norfolk. It was an exhausting visit with not a lot of down time and seven shows crammed into 4 days, with rehearsals for about 4 days before that, private engagements and the like. We rushed from one place to another and even changed uniforms part way through the show. Unfortunately, we never got to Jamestown.
Another trip to the UK in May for Brendan’s wedding to Suzie at a little church overlooking the North Sea in East Anglia. It was a rather chilly day with a NE breeze, but my father, Pete and myself still managed to wear Bermuda shorts as is customary. Brendan wasn’t so brave and settled for a more traditional English look. The day following, Marisa and I travelled to Dublin, Ireland and spent a week driving, bicycling and exploring Dublin and its environs. We drove up into Wicklow and Valleymount where my grandfather was from. It is a reservoir now of course, but the hill tops are probably quite similar. We also made contact with our Irish cousins and had dinner on our last evening with Dermot and his three children, Hugh, Alexandra and Rory at Thalius and Alexandra’s house. On our way back through London we met Roz and Alan for tea at the Savoy and saw Wicked for the second time.

The summer began and Marisa began rehearsals for Dreamgirls in July. The show opened in early October and I was tricked into becoming the crew boss. The stage manager was borrowed from the West End in London and did his utmost to make himself thoroughly unpopular with the crew. Unfortunately when you are working with volunteers you can’t treat them the way you do employees, and especially not in Bermuda. The show went very well and by the weekend of the first week was completely sold out.

In late September, we jetted off to Boston for our anniversary and had an enjoyable time seeing the sights and traveling around Marisa’s old post-graduate stomping ground. We even visited Babson College and met some of Marisa’s former colleagues in the Admin offices. For our anniversary evening, we took a gondola ride on the Charles River, complete with champagne and a basket of cheese and biscuits.

More recently, we travelled to New York to see the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes Christmas Show, which was absolutely fabulous and also a Chorus Line on Broadway. Fortunately, the stagehands strike was over. Marisa and I went ice skating at Bryant Park. Marisa did very well for her first time, in fact she looked like a pro at the end. I was still trying to find my balance. We also went for a walking photograph tour with a local guide who had us stand in the middle of the road in Times Square for photos, a walk through Central Park and on the Brooklyn Bridge, ending up at Rockerfeller Center.

All in all, it has been an eventful year. We have a general election coming up next week and then it’s full speed ahead into the Christmas and New Year season. We wish you all the very best for a Happy and prosperous 2008.

December 9, 2007

Our final day started a bit cooler. We watched a bit of CBS Sunday Morning beforeb heading up 42nd Street to have breakfast. Most cafes were crowded so we happened upon a deli that had a few combos. We both had eggs, french toast and freshly squeezed OJ.After breakfast we added to our suitcase collection and did a bit of window shopping. We had a 12 noon check out so we finished packing, checked out and left our bags with the bellman. We spent the afternoon between Times Square and Fifth Avenue. The temperature was dropping but it didn't stop the crowds. Even the Naked Cowboy was out playing his guitar and taking pictures with people.We split up to do some shopping and met at Ray's Pizza at 49th and 7th for late lunch. The slices were huge. We then returned to the Tudor Hotel to get our bags and a taxi. The trip to JFK was accented with snow. At the terminal, we were sent to use the self check-in. It was such a waste of time. We ended up having to go to the resolution desk to get our boarding passes and check our bags. Getting to the gate and to the plane was uneventful. Taking off proved the problem. We got onto the runway and then turned around and went back to the gate due to an electrical problem. I magaged to read through 4 magazines before we left. I was sob irritated with AA - no earphones, 3 dollars for snacks and no pillows or blankets...

December 8, 2007

We began by having a light breakfast at Starbucks on the way to Lenscrafters to pick up Marisa's glasses. Following this, we went to Bryant's Park and went ice skating. Marisa did very well and in a few minutes was skating around like a pro. It took me a bit longer to become comfortable, but I still looked like Bambi. After this we walked to Macy's and split up for undisclosed locations. We met up again at about 1:30 and after a few crowded minutes in Macy's took a taxi back to the hotel. It took far too long and we ended up 15 minutes late for our walking tour. The tour began at the New Victory Theater and we walked to Times Square. The photographer had us stand in the middle of the street for one of the pictures. We then took the subway to Central Park and wandered around a bit. Neither of us had ever been in the park and even in winter it was very calming. We then took an express train to the Brooklyn Bridge and walked to the centre to take in the New York skyline. From here we had our pictures taken in front of the Rockerfeller Center christmas tree. After this great tour, we walked back to the hotel and then set out to Broadway for a Chorus Line. After a very nice dinner at Charley-Os we walked to the theatre. We had great seats, six rows back. We thoroughly enjoyed the show.We began by having a light breakfast at Starbucks on the way to Lenscrafters to pick up Marisa's glasses. Following this, we went to Bryant's Park and went ice skating. Marisa did very well and in a few minutes was skating around like a pro. It took me a bit longer to become comfortable, but I still looked like Bambi. After this we walked to Macy's and split up for undisclosed locations. We met up again at about 1:30 and after a few crowded minutes in Macy's took a taxi back to the hotel. It took far too long and we ended up 15 minutes late for our walking tour. The tour began at the New Victory Theater and we walked to Times Square. The photographer had us stand in the middle of the street for one of the pictures. We then took the subway to Central Park and wandered around a bit. Neither of us had ever been in the park and even in winter it was very calming. We then took an express train to the Brooklyn Bridge and walked to the centre to take in the New York skyline. From here we had our pictures taken in front of the Rockerfeller Center christmas tree. After this great tour, we walked back to the hotel and then set out to Broadway for a Chorus Line. After a very nice dinner at Charley-Os we walked to the theatre. We had great seats, six rows back. We thoroughly enjoyed the show.

December 7, 2007

We had a slow start to the day because we could - breakfast in bed while watching NBC's morning show. No, we had no plans to stand outside to be seen on tv - it was way too cold (29F). We first went to the UN to see the flags. Then we headed out around 10.30am and only made it up a block and a half because I found the Ann Taylor Loft store. We took the purchases back to the hotel and then caught a taxi to go to Radio City Music Hall.We ate hot dogs from a street vendor while we waited in line. The inside of the building was fantastic and two organists were playing while we waited for the show to start. All we can say about the Christmas Spectacular was WOW!!! The orchestra was great, the effects were phenomenal (we even had 3D glasses) and the numbers were amazing. I don't think we had a favorite part. The toy soldiers were impressive and I was entranced by the kicklines (I could have been a Rockette!!!). The Nativity scene at the end even had live sheep and camels! We left dazzled!We then went to Rockefeller Center and as we looked at the tree it began to snow. We walked down 5th Ave looking at the windows. We stopped in Saks 5th Ave, Cartier and Tiffanys. It was getting tough walking through the crowds so we then went to 6th Ave and began walking to 34th. We visited a few stores in Herald Square and ended at Macys. I got to take a few pictures of the New Year's Eve ball that was displayed on the ground floor. Itbis amazing to see it up close in person!We headed back to the hotel and Aidan got a dinner recommendation from the concierge. The doorman grabbed a taxi for us and we went to DIP, a fondue restaurant. It was trendy with people having coctails and conversation on a Friday nbight. We had a White Cheddar fondue with french bread, broccoli, apple slicesn carrots, raisin bread and cherry tomatoes. It was great fun!We walked back stopping at the pet store and the bookstore. I had to get a heat wrap from the pharmacy - all the walking had my lower back so tight. I actually did yoga before bed to work it out.

December 6, 2007

We left home at about 6:30 to go to the airport. Checked in, through Customs etc and boarded the plane. The flight was quite uneventful and we arrived at JFK on time at 9:55. Our bags were just about the last off. We took a taxi to the Tudor hotel. It was quite cold, about 28F outside. We were unable to check in, so we dropped off our bags and went off to find a Lenscrafters. Marisa had her eyes looked at and discovered that her previous prescription had been too strong. Then we walked around to find a pizza for lunch, although the guy selling Philly cheese steaks on the street looked really good. (Not the guy, the steaks you must understand). After lunch we went to Macy's, who have a spectacular Christmas display and windows. It reminded me of the windows of Hamley's in London. We stopped at various other places on the way back to the hotel where we checked in. The room is cosy, but well appointed. Later we walked to 8th Ave to take our city lights tour. I was glad I brought extra clothes as the best views were from the top (open) deck of the bus. I managed to stay upstairs for the whole ride, but was frozen by the end. We saw the Christmas trees at Bloomberg, Rockerfeller Center and windows of Saks, Macys and others. We also witnessed a Menorah lighting and dance from the bus. Suffering a bit from the beginnings of hypothermia, we had dinner at the Olive Garden on Times Square and walked back to the hotel.

September 22, 2007

Today we celebrated a year of marriage. We slept in a tiny bit later - but still managed to make it to breakfast around 8.30. We exchanged gifts before breakfast. Aidan gave me earrings from Tiffanys that matched the necklace that he gave me at the rehearsal dinner. I gave him the beginnings of his US Dollar Coin collection. After breakfast (again with classical music) we headed to Fanueil Hall. Everything opened at 10am so we went to the Rose Kennedy Rose Garden and walked around the aquarium area. At 10 we weent to the Bostix booth to get half price tickets to see 'The 39 Steps'. We then explored the stores in and around Quincy Market. After that we walked to Downtown Crossing. It has changed so much. It was upsetting to see Filene's closed. Thankfully there are still a few places there that I remembered.We picked up lunch from McDonalds (including the fruit and walnut pack) and walked across to Boston Commons to eat. We were serenaded by a guy playing the flute and he was pretty good. We also watched all of the squirrels - there were so many and they come right up to you. We then walked through the Frog Pond (it was empty - ice skating starts Nov 15) and through to the Public Gardens. I got a few pictures of the swans from the dock were the Swan Boats used to depart. I was so impressed by the roses in the Public Gardens. So beautiful! We then walked down Newbury Street and visited a few stores, including Filene's Basement. When we got back to the guest house it was already time to leave for the Hatch Shell.We walked down BEacon Street to Arlington and then across the Arthur Fiedler Footbridge. There was a Blues Festival going on so there were many people on blankets and chairs. We boarded our gondola and learned about the mechanics of the boat. The 2 gondolas that they have are handmade from venice and were in service on the Grand Canal for many years. It was so comfortable. We had champagne, cheese and crackers and chocolates. I took so many pictures of the Charles River, Cambridge, Boston and the sailboats/kayaks/etc. We also had Andrea Botcelli playing in the background. We had to kiss under every bridge as well - fun!!!!! 50 minutes seemed to fly by and before we knew it we were disembarking. It was superb and I highly recommend it because it was so romantic.We caught the T back to the guest house, showered and changed for dinner and the theatre. We ate at Brasserie on Huntington Avenue. It was lovely. The service was superb and there was way too much food. It tasted devine though. We then walked to the Boston University Theatre (Hntington Theatre) to see 'The 39 Steps'. I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were only 4 cast members and they were amazing. Only the male lead played one part. The female lead played 3 and the other 2 males played too many characters to count. It was a comedy that also included references to many other Hitchcock movies. It was just so clever! It will be moving to Broadway in January so I'm glad we got to see it. After the show we headed back to the guest house where we intend to crash shortly. A long weekend is not enough time to enjoy all Boston and Massachusetts has to offer.

September 21, 2007

It has been a busy yet relaxing day. I got up early to watch the end of a DVD (Failure to Launch) and then went back to sleep until about 8.30. We then went down for breakfast in the lounge. It was so cool to see other guests having their breakfast while talking or reading the Boston Globe. We sat near the fireplace and ate while listening to classical music.... nice....We decided to do the Gray Line Trolley tour so we caught the T to Copley and then ended up walking down Huntington to the Colonnade. We waited so long that we decided to stay on the trolley for the full 2 hour tour. We saw a bit of everything from the USS Constitution to Boston Common to MIT to Beacon Hill and the Theatre District. The guide told some great stories and I think we may visit Boston Common and Fanueil Hall tomorrow.We got off and decided to go to lunch. We got sidetracked because we walked around the Market at Copley Square and ended up going to a 45 minute Organ Concert at Trinity Church. The 3 pieces played were wonderful and the church was stunning. We then went to shops starting at the Westin. We spent a bit of time in Tiffanys looking at their new diamond cut and some of their eternity bands. We then went to Saks Fifth Avenue and I did it..... yes I FINALLY purchased a pair of black leather Christian Louboutin pumps (on sale!!!!!). I smiled all the way through lunch at Pizza Regina.We returned to our homebase and then jumped in the car and went to Babson. It was as lovely as I remembered. I visited with Bob Wagner in Admissions and then I should Aidan around Olin. We then drove through Wellsley and headed to the Natick shopping area. We did a bit of shopping before heading down Rt 9 E towards the Atrium Mall. We met Carrie and Peter and had a few Bermuda goodies for them. Dinner was great and we got to catch up. Carrie got a group picture that I will have to get a copy for my vacation scrapbook. Carrie looked great - really chic!!!We headed back to the city but got a bit lost and before you knew it we were at Harvard Square (yes, we got pretty far off course). We finally got back to Boston and went for a walk from our guest house, to Newbury Street, up to the Boston Commons and then back along Newbury Street and back to the guesthouse. It was a nice 1.5 hour walk with great window shopping! Well, we've reserved our gondola ride for 4.30 tomorrow afternoon and we're going to see 'The 39 Steps' at the Huntington Theatre tomorrow night!

September 20, 2007

We've had a fun afternoon and evening thus far. We had a really pleasant flight on JetBlue. I actually wish we booked JetBlue for our December trip to NY. We landed early and Logan was just as busy as I remembered it. While we waited for our bags I emailed our parents and texted Saffron & George. Then it was off to pick up the rental car.The traffic was light which made getting through the Summner Tunnel and onto Storrow Drive easy. We had a bit of trouble finding the guest house on Bay Street. It was one way so we were looking for 9 and ended up at 23 in no time. We went back down Comm Ave and after two attempts found parking. The Gryphon House is so beautiful. It is the brownstone of my dreams. Our room is so open and bright. I truly feel on vacation here!We went for a 2 hour walk from our guest house (a bit up from Miles Standish Hall at BU), down to Cleveland Circle and back up to Coolidge Corner. My feet were killing me! We had dinner at my favorite Japanese Restaurant. We did a hot pot where you put vegs and meat into the pot of broth and then when it is cooked you dish out the food and the broth and eat it. It was sublime!!!! We ate way too much. We then went to Trader Joes and Walgreens for supplies.We are going to spend the evening watching a movie after I test out the bath. We also need to think about which tour we're goig to do tomorrow. and I think we're going to go on a gondola ride on the Charles River on Saturday!!!!! This is too cool!!!!!

June 22, 2007

Today marks 9 months of marriage! After a very difficult May with the loss of Loreley and Deaglan we just slipped into June and hoped that life would get back to normal. Business is picking up for Aidan and I am close to the end of my second-last course before I have to do the dissertation. We had a relaxing trip to Dublin after Brendan and Suzie's wedding and we're grateful for that as we were able to regroup and figure out what comes next.On a brighter note, we adopted a new kitten on June 16th. Artemis Penelope is a pure white terror. She is more vocal than Matthias has been in his whole 8 months in our home. Still, they have taken to each other and we are enjoying the antics of a kitten in the house. I look forward to seeing how she will grow up!

May 31, 2007

We definitely had a very different holiday day today. We drove to the bike shop at University College, Dublin in Stillorgan and rented two bicycles. As part of the deal, you receive a map and a course. And so we headed off down the cycle path beside the N11 to the Ramada Hotel and turned left down to the coast. There we cycled the coastal path through a park and then along the breakwater by the railway to Sandy Cove and Blackrock village. There we passed the Royal Irish Yacht Club, the Royal St. George Yacht Club and the Irish National Yacht Club and on to the sea port. There was a very large ferry for Holyhead departing as we arrived in the port of Dun Laoghaire. We cycled to the end of the pier and back and had some fun with a sundial. You can see this on our photos. We then continued along the coast road towards Dalkey. It was about this point where I observed that the Irish Sea must be sloped as we seemed to travel most of the journey uphill and still end up at sea level after each incline. We cycled around the James Joyce Tower and into the centre of Dalkey, where we stopped and had lunch at the Queen’s Pub. Following this we continued along the Vico Road which took us around the ritzy part of town – it seemed everyone had a Mercedes. It was a very, very long steep hill. We were overtaken by a Ferrari on the way up. Apparently this is the “Beverly Hills” of Ireland and we passed houses owned by The Edge and Bono of U2, Enya and Eddie Irvine of racing car fame. We then travelled back via a slightly different route to Dalkey and Blackrock and then up the hill and back to UCD. The whole journey took from 10:30 until 3pm. Following this we travelled back into Dublin and went to Trinity College, Dublin to the old library where we saw the Book of Kells, copies of the four gospels written in illuminated script in about AD800 as well as the books of Armagh and of Mulling. Then we went for a bit of a wander around the shopping areas, before heading back to the hotel for a relaxing meal at O’Connell’s and an easy night. We are very much looking forward to meeting Aidan's cousins tomorrow evening.

May 30, 2007

The day started off not so bad. There were a few showers around. We headed out around 10:30 to do our “grand tour of Co. Wicklow”. The driving was quite easy and we made our way to Blessington. We stopped for a few minutes to have a look around, but it started to rain quite heavily so we went back to the car and continued on. We took the small road out to Valleymount and stopped a couple of times for pictures. In Valleymount we visited the church and walked down to the lakeshore. Once again a shower came over, so we left there and carried on into the mountains and through the Wicklow Gap to Glendalough. Unfortunately, due to the light showers and part fog, we were unable to see very far, but what we could see was exceedingly picturesque. It was in Glendalough that we had a very nice lunch in the Wicklow Heather Restaurant. Whilst there, we found a couple of newspaper articles dating back to 1952 when the Blessington valley was flooded, which made for interesting reading. The lunch was extremely good. We then carried on through Kilmacurragh and Rathdrum, stopping off at the Woolen Mill, where we picked up a couple of Aran wool sweaters. Then on through Glenealy and Rathnew and a detour out to Wicklow town. From here we drove up the coast road through Newcastle, Kilcoole and Bray and ended up in Dublin right on rush hour.In the evening we visited the Merry Ploughboy pub just south of the city and were treated to a show of Irish music and dancing following a very good meal.

May 29, 2007

We finally managed to make up our mind on which sightseeing tour to take yesterday. We caught the 10.15 shuttle into the city center and had a taste of Irish humour. The bus driver was crazy! We were laughing our heads off as he drove through the city with his "non-tourguide" commentary. At one point he had the bus racing another bus in order to cut it off to allow us to get onto the actual tour. the new bus was packed so we were dropped off at the tourism center shop to catch another bus. We took this opportunity to buy our bus passes and get a little something to eat.When we finally boaarded the tour bus we climbed on the second level but sat in the covered area. It was sunny and somewhat warm but there was a breeze so I was better off under the shelter. We went along the full route first to hear the commentary. Again, the 2 busdrivers that we had during the loop were hilarious. We learned about the history of Dublin, local jokes and their personal observations (perhaps the funniest of the lot). We then decided to get off at the Guiness Storehouse. It was a good tour and the highlight was the Gravity Bar where you got a free pint of Guiness while taking in a 360 degree view of Dublin. We then jumped on the bus (again we sat on the top level but this time outside) and rode to O'Connell Street. We walked to Trinity College with the intention of seeing the Book of Kells but the line was too long. Instead we went to LUSH for a few bath ballistics and then along Nassau Street to look at the Irish crafts, crystal, wollens and jewelry. It was then time to eat so back to Bewleys on Grafton Street for some really good pizza. We went back to the hotel to allow me to complete some homework. Aidan called his cousin and tentative arrangements were made for Thursday. We also booked dinner and an Irish dancing show for this evening. All that was left was to find something to do for the evening at hand. We decided to go to the cinema on Purnell street to see Pirates of the Caribbean. The tickets cost almost 20 euro and a regular popcorn and two drinks cost about 11 euro - good lord! The commercials before the movie were silly, as expected. We enjoyed the movie. No, it's not the most serious of content but it is not supposed to be. Listening to critics is a waste of time. It was a few hours of mindless entertainment and I enjoyed watching it. After the movie we went to Eddie Rockets - it was basically Johnny Rockets with a different name (I noticed the same with TJ Maxx, which is TK Maxx over here). We had a good dinner and then caught a taxi back to the hotel. We got yet another fascinating taxi driver - granted the taxi driver that we had going to the cinema was the best yet. We ended the evening with me doing more homework. It just doesn't end...

May 27 & 28, 2007

May 27th was a cold and rainy day. It suited my mood. We had a wonderful breakfast and then went out for a walk but it was so cold and windy. We went to the Promenade by car to see if anyone was using the Model Yacht Pool. A man had a really cool tugboat but it was so cold that we decided to get back into the car and drive around. After maybe an hour we went back to take a nap but our room was being prepared for the next people to check in. We loaded our stuff into the car and eventually went to the Links for lunch. There were twelve of us for lunch and there was so much food. We sang happy birthday to Aidan's mom and then we went to head out at 1.30. I checked my blackberry in the parking lot and there was a voicemail message. Dr. Colin wanted us to call him immediately. Aidan made the call and when he got off we had to make the tough decision. Aidan called Dr. Colin and I just sat in the car and bawled. I then called my mom while Aidan told his family in the restaurant. It was now 2.15 and we knew we'd be late to the airport. We managed to get there by 4.40 but our flight had closed and they couldn't get us on another flight until after 10pm. We sat in the airport for hours. I did my homework and we played scrabble and eventually read the newspapers online. The Ryanair flight was an experience - somewhat rickety and bumpy but it got us into Dublin safely. The airport was packed at midnight. We got our bags and got the car and took about 55 minutes to find the hotel. Needless to say, we slept like logs that night.Yesterday we stayed in bed until after 12 noon. We needed to recover. Aidan was up for most of the morning but I would wake up and then go back to sleep. We got ready, had lunch and then headed out in the beautiful sunshine for a walk down to Ballsbridge Bridge to see where we were and to buy a map. We then got the car and drove to St. Stephen's Green. We went to the shopping center which exited onto Grafton Street. We did some necessities shopping, visited the Tourist Center to get a few brochures and then had tea at Bewleys. After visiting a few bookstores we headed back to the hotel in order for me to do my homework. We had dinner in the hotel because Aidan was still feeling a bit jetlagged. The service wasn't great but the food was amazing. We decided to have an early night but discovered a great documentary on Hillsborough Castle (the residence of the Secretary of State of Northern Ireland) on the tv and watched it though to the end (around midnight).

Bad News...

I have bad news. The vet called once the operation began. Deaglan's liver was very bad. He had multiple shunts and not the type that he could recover from. We were asked what we wished to do as he would not survive for long. We agreed to put him to sleep.

May 26, Part II

The wedding was beautiful! The church was wonderfully decorated and the pastor had a lovely sense of humour. It was definitely a wedding ceremony where the newlyweds can say that it went off according to plan. At the end the organist came over to Aidan and said she was so happy to hear such beautiful singing. He seems to end up with a fan club wherever he goes!The reception was equally as lovely. It was cold but we kept busy to keep the blood circulating. Aidan was the keeper of the photo guestbook and was a real politician when it came to getting people to have their picture taken. He even managed to get the bar and kitchen staff to have their pictures taken for the book. The festivities went into the morning but a great day and evening was had by all.

May 26, 2007

Just a quick check in - we have to be at the church for 2pm so we have about 2 hours 15 minutes to relax a bit.First of all, we got an email update on Deaglan. Deaglan is doing very well. His facial swelling is now minimal so he has responded to the drip well. Sadly his vein 'blew' last night so they removed the drip. They will re-drip him come sunday in an effort to preserve his veins. His appetite is excellent and he loves the lactulose...it's almost like it is a treat! Other than that he is definately brighter in himself and craves a cuddle. They think his progress is great and they have given him a fighting chance going into the surgery. Dr. Colin is back tonight and surgery scheduled for Sunday morning. His wife will get him to try calling after the surgery to keep us informed.The trp up here was good. We got into Gatwick at about 6.40 yesterday morning and icked up the rental car. Pete (Aidan's brother in law) and Aidan took turns driving. The english countryside was amazing. The spring flowers are out in force and it was just an amazing show out the window. We're staying at Cleat House in Sheringham. It is a wonderfully quaint town on the Norfolk coast of the North Sea. We visited the reception site and had lunch with the bride, groom and family yesterday. We then went into Cromer to do a little shopping for necessities before coming back to Sheringham for a nap. We went out with Aidan's pareents to a Thai place for dinner and ended the evening walking along the promenade and visiting the model yacht pool (I'll go back and take pictures tomorrow). Aidan picked up flint rock off of the beach and threw them at other rocks to make a spark. It was pretty cool in the darkness.This morning we got up around 8 and had breakfast. I'll take pictures of this place because it is my ideal house. The detail is superb and the bathroom s as big as the bedroom! We went into Sheringham to find cufflinks for Aidan but also were able to visit the little shops and walk about with people doing their Saturday shopping. I love that there are dogs everywhere and butcher shops and small bookshops. The lady who runs Cleat House bicycles everywhere. It is just such a nice vibe.

It's been a tough month...

Our vows included the phrase "in good times and in bad". This past month has included the 'bad' but we have had to find strength in each other. Today we lost one of our cats, Loreley. She was attacked on Saturday night by a cat or dog, we do not know. She did not make it to the vet. We buried her this morning in Aidan's parent's backyard. It was the hardest morning of my life thus far because how could you lose such a young and sweet life for no reason. Yes, we plan to adopt another cat from the SPCA but we will never forget our princess cat.We are also counting down to major surgery for our puppy, Deaglan. He has a portosystemic shunt and if he does not have the surgery we will lose him too. Unfortunately, we will be overseas when he has the surgery on Sunday but our thoughts will be with him through the whole ordeal. At this point, he has to make it through the surgery and recovery - there is no other choice.There has been 'good' as well. I auditioned for an got into a show for the fall. We are going to Aidan's brother's wedding this weekend and it promises to be beautiful. Our garden is lovely and the roses are phenomenal. My mom has been in the hospital (bad) but she is out and much better (good). And finally, we have each other and we're getting through the bad and good together. That is what it is all about.