Finally, a new post! September 12

This blog is updated once a week.

Hey All,

I knew this would happen eventually where I miss a whole week of posting. In order to make it up to you, I am going to try to have two posts this week. One thing I am extremely excited about is that my cousin Ellen is coming in just 3 weeks now! I am extremely excited for her to come and I am ready to show her what London is all about. She arrives on a Thursday, we fly to Madrid, Spain the following day returning on Sunday. So much fun. As for my working out, I am happy to say that I have fit into shirts and jeans that I could not when I arrived, as such I am on the right track. I have lost more weight and am now at 107 KG (about 135LBS). Not as much as before, but that is because I went to a couple of happy hours. Although, for example, my meals on Tuesday consisted of: Breakfast – Blackberries, carrots and grapes, snack – kiwi, lunch – salmon on veggies, snack – blackberries, dinner avocado, grape, and tomato salad. Yep, if I can keep eating like that I will keep on the right track!
As for other activities this week, I went to see Oliver on Thursday with my friend Leanne. We had front row tickets and we got a DEAL on the prices. Has anyone ever heard of www.groupon.com? Well, they have it here and we signed up for it. We purchased FIVE tickets to any five West End Broadway shows for 75 pounds. Well, this was the first of our five shows, and the value of the tickets we received were 62.50 each! That means we essentially got buy one, get four free! Next week we are seeing Billy Elliott. I was not too excited to see Oliver at first because I heard it was not that good. However, after the first song and seeing to many talented kids on stage doing their choreographed dances so well, I knew it would be an enjoyable show. And it was!

Another day this week, I broke one of the rules my personal trainer gave me…. No Cheese. For those of you who know me, my favourite foods before I moved to London were Nachos and Pizza, as well as a good bottle of wine and some nice cheeses. Well, there is this really nice place by my office (Gordon’s wine bar) that offers a great selection of wine, as well as some of their gourmet cheeses. A co-worker and I, Alex Tam, decided to go there after work one day for an after work cocktail. When I saw the selection of European cheeses, I could not but help order a taster place. We enjoyed a great bottle of Opal Syrah, with some brie and smoked gouda. Two of our other cowokers, Melissa and DIa, came to meet us for some wine and we ended up closing the bar! The good thing is that most pub’s in London close at 11PM, and you have to go to a late night pub to drink later than that. Meaning, it is easy to close a bar and still be in bed before Midnight. And since we start work at 9AM here, I can still get a full 8 hours of sleep, I love it!

Right now it is Sunday and I am writing my blog from Hyde Park, a beautiful park in London. I am sitting in a nice lawn chair in the sun, people watching and writing. Every day I spend in London I fall more in love with it. I really hope so stay here quite some time. I really cannot wait until March though. One thing about distance, is it makes you miss things back home so much and I have been missing my family so much lately. I love you all!

Well, I am off to the Tate Modern now to look at some artwork and enjoy the rest of my Sunday afternoon (and hopefully spend no money). The best thing about London, is that all the museums are FREE! Man, before I moved here I had so many bored days. You know, when you wake up and don’t know what to do… Or you wake up and want to do something, but don’t want to spend money… Well, that is not the case in London. There are so many free activities and so many people, that you literally don’t have time to be bored, the perfect environment for me. I hope everyone is well and talk with you all soon. Also, I have included a picture from the Great Britain Beer Festival! All the people in the pic are from my office in London!

PS.

- Kate and Trista, I love the email you guys sent! I miss you both as well.
- Kate and Ally, I hope you are ready to have fun in a couple weeks when Jeff and Christina visit!
- Jeff and Christina, I hope you have a blast in South Korea with Kate and your sister. How about a side trip to London on your way home??
- Cicely, we need to plan a Skype call soon, it has been awhile since we talked last, love you!
- Ellen, the countdown has begun! See you in a couple of weeks
- Tim, so, what’s the status on your passport!
- Sarah K, So, I need more recommendations from you regarding my Madrid trip!!!
- Avita, I got your wish list and I am on it!

And lastly some Wedding Congratulations!!

- Congrats Courtney Tisius!!! I still cannot believe you chose the year I left to get married!!
- Congrats to Stacy Biddle!! You have to tell me how he proposed, I am sure it will be a great story!
- Congrats to Brett Smith! I am happy you have found the one. I know from living with this guy that after one month after meeting his girl, he was smitten. He said he was going to marry her at that time and he was right!

Also, if any of you want to add me on Skype, feel free: AussieBelton!