French 'revision', sorting Scottie's music, 'Julie and Julia' LOVE film, P&G Salsa, Gran Canaria reunion weekend in Bournemouth - Ringwood, Christchurch, Hengistbury Head, Jazz Juice at Aruba, country pubs including The Fish Inn, lots of local ales, Salt at cinema then once back home: Inglourious Basterds, drinks with Keeley tonight, couch-surfing in York this weekend...

Meal at Anna's house, Scott Cupit weekend - Charleston routines, Jazz Steps and The Big Apple. Tom Snell moved in, Lindy Jazz emergency door-covering, Ceroc (first time!), Swing Tyne (first time!) Steph to visit - meal at Newton Park, town, Quayside, Baltic, Tyne pub followed by Cumberland Arms, Cluny and The Ship last night. Disastrous Villa - Newcastle match (for Steph) at St James Park this afternoon followed by Coco Before Chanel LOVE film....

No Globe (still), no gym (still) Blues Club, and meal with Anna, Steve, Jo, Tom, Oli at Spago's, dinner with Joo-Lee at Zen, P&G Salsa course first lesson, hosting Rahel, Juan Franco, Chandeep and Sally for Loony Toon, drinks at the Northumberland Arms plus Twister and Kerplunk, Speed-friending at Cumberland Arms, Toon Monopoly, Tillys, Union rooms and WHQ, Arockalyse gig at Cumberland Arms and 'picnic' followed by strawberry beer at Cluny and coffee and chat with Sue at mine.

Meal with Rahel at Newton Park last night plus writing references on Couch-surfing, Part of Surrogates Love film tonight and mega laundry and house-work - including cleaning the oven!!!!

Mum's sixtieth

Since I last wrote:

Cut the lawn, got an iPhone, played on iPhone a lot. Watched more Desperate Housewives, been to Lindy Jazz, and to the Metro Centre - met Hisham, a Couch Surfer. Didn't go to Ceroc, didn't go to Globe (again). Town Hall meeting at work.

Spent weekend at Centerparcs in Sherwood Forest for mum's sixtieth - ten pin bowling, swimming, lunch at Strada, dinner at Cafe Rouge, changing babies' nappies, makeover and fashion photo shoot, pure harmony massage, lavender relaxation, jacuzzi, sauna.

What have I been up to since I got back from the US?

Apart from being jet-lagged, not so much.

Finished Lost and started on Desperate Housewives. Been to Body Attack @ the gym, had friends over for Mexican, didn't go to Zumba on Tues, Ceroc on Weds or Metro Centre on Thurs as planned. Last night I went on a Couch Surfing social in Union Rooms.

Today I have met Mo (who now lives in Germany) and B for lunch at Bangkok cafe and for coffee at Caffe Neros, followed by a trip to the Metro Centre to meet Joo-Lee, Andy and Nina to see Inception and go for a Kir Royal at Cafe Rouge!

My Great American Adventure!

Below is a summary of my trip:
Nats baseball game (fireworks) - cinema (twice) - two dance nights at Arthur Murray - rained-off Julio Iglesias concert! - dancing to live band on deck at the Rio - Fireworks on 4th July with BBQ and Church - Settlers of Catan games at Chloe's coffee shop - Hard Rock Cafe - Guapos Mexican meal - chili dinner at Hard Times - Dogfish meal - Harris's crab place - O'Donnnells seafood - Famous Dave's ribs - Boat House dinner in Charlottesville - cocktails - root beer floats - crabcakes - cornbread - Krispy Kreme donuts - Memorials (World War II, Vietnam and 3 Presidents) - Washington Monument - Natural History museum - American History museum - Air and Space museum - Holocaust museum - Gettysburg battlefields and museum - Maritime museum at St Michaels - Mount Vernon estate and museum - Monticello estate/museum - National Archives - White House - US Capitol - Great Falls - Ocean City via Chesapeake Bay - Shenandoah National Park - Barboursville winery - Fort McHenry and Baltimore docks (ships) - Full body and head, shoulder & neck massage with reflexology - Shopping (200 USD on 4 dresses from Macy's amongst other things) - Tango (dog) - Meeting Josh and Kristen and Jerry's mum - Getting to see Sarah (when not on holiday in Texas and not working either at her unpaid part-time summer internship, at Chloe's the coffee shop, or house-sitting, dog-sitting or baby-sitting: she's been pretty busy!!!) - Meeting Peter, Michele and Zaven (family friends of Mckamys)

Not bad for two weeks and a day!!!!!

USA tomorrow!

Tomorrow I fly to Washington DC! So excited!

Since I last wrote, I have been round to no 98 to see Jo, had Carolyn, Alex and Sasha up - we did the open top tour bus, some shopping in town, lunch in the Slug and Lettuce went to Popworld in the Bigg market, Revolution, Floritas and Baby Lynch on the Saturday night, lunch and hot chocolates in the Charles Grey on Sunday.

I've finished SATC 6 and started Lost season 5, I've finished the Hip Hop course, had salsa taster (both @ P&G) been to the gym a couple of times, been to the BALADS summer dance and come home to Worcester for the weekend with Trini.

Have met Dameon, seen Kristal walk, done some shopping in town, seen Hannah's new house, been to the Slug and Lettuce, Bar 12 and Sin (Saturday night), Ketch car boot sale and to Salma's house with her and Waqas (husband), have had Roast Beef in the sun in the garden with Pimms for Trini and seen the disastrous England - Germany World Cup match....

Final things before US today - repacking, transfering money, checking orange tariffs etc before going for a meal at Ask tonight with a few old friends (not sure exactly who!)

Less than two weeks till USA!

What have I been up to recently?

I have been to the Green Festival in Leazes Park (met Martin from Couch Surfers), watched quite a lot of SATC. Done 2 more Hip Hop/Break classes at work, been to Lindy Jazz (of course!) performed the Waka Waka dance for a World Cup video at work, been to a City Socialising event at Bar Bacchus and The Swung Eight at WHQ. To B's for afternoon tea and to Julia, Liz and Annie's to say hello while Kate was up visiting.... Now listening to some songs on Spotify and figuring out how to download from Limewire again. Flyered 100 houses on my street to try to get rid of gym membership...

This morning we had a breakfast meeting and talk at the Village Hotel with Alex Resly who is the head of Global Consumer Relations for P&G worldwide!

Sasha, Carolyn and Alex are coming up this weekend for a Gran Canaria reunion....

A year later....

So I got slack, here is the last year (almost) in one post:

Sarah's hen party weekend and wedding, Dublin and Edinburgh, bought own flat and moved in! Two house-warming BBQs, Big Chill, Oli (Navella!), supposed scabies (eczema!) and the week off work, several DVD boxsets from Amazon, LOVE film, Willis, Roller Derby and skating in Leazes Park, Sunderland 10k, Great North Run, Paddy & Marium's wedding, GBSEx, London Gran Can Reunion, Lindy Hop, Hip Hop and Shim Sham at P&G S&SC, Flavia & Vincent, Annual Function 'committee' and Power of You, Dameon and Kyran born, language exchange at work, life-coaching! Newcastle Swing Thing, Oxford Lindy Exchange, Scotland Swing Storm, learner driver/examiner crash! Fitness First membership, Auntie Joo-Lee and Lindy Jazz - Blues Club, Snow Ball and Three Tuns Hotel, workshops (Balboa, Fast & Flashy, Improvers/Advanced, Blue-lesque, Ladies styling, Improvers/Intermediates?), team meal at The Godfather, DJam10 Event Manager, Heaven & Hell Lindy Jazz team meeting, sleepovers, Joo-Lee's birthday, Swung Eight and Jook Joint, JL & A's BBQ, Durham city revisited, Grandpa :( Couch Surfing, CitySocialising, Gumtree (Jane)and Friends North East, SATC2, dresses and lots of Cosmopolitans! G Casino launch, Trini's visit! Paella and lots of nights out, Roast dinner (Vik's visit), Chilli con carne, Christmas dinner in my flat, Wii games (occasionally), Claudia's birthday night out, my birthday picnic, Effective Presentation skills course, mowing the lawn!

To come:
Green Festival in Leazes Park with Loredana (Italian tourist I met today!) Trini and the couchsurfers, trip to see the McKamys in the USA, Ceroc! Gran Can reunion in Newcastle, Kate Wilkins' visit, Loonytoon social, Lindy Jazz cruise?!