Thursday, July 31, 2003

Another Great Site

Ooo Pete found a funny site in one of his Xbox Mags... shall add it to my fav stupid links such as GreatBoyfriends.com. This new one is Bitter Single Guy.com hahaha. Ah we're watching an FBI Files thing that was in FL and the guy who raped and murdered 3 women (a mom and her 2 daughters) was found in a town right by where I live!!! This happened in 1989 and he was found in 1994! I was 10 so I don't remember it on the news but how weird!!! Only in Florida!!

Wednesday, July 30, 2003

Expensive Meals

Okay so Pete and I are going to dinner with his parents and grandparents on Friday night. We wanna try the new Outback Steakhouse that just opened in Basildon. Pete's Nan went by there today and got a menu - the average price is like £15 for a steak grrr. Its only about $12 at home - I even tried to go on the Outback UK website to look at the prices but they conveniently don't have the prices on the menu - but the food looks the same as in the US Hmph - guess we'll see on Friday night.

I finally redid the index page of my website - to a summery feel again and added an Engagement page that isn't 100% done yet oh well. ANyway stomach is feeling crap so I best be off here!

Tuesday, July 29, 2003

Feeling Better

Well at about 3pm I finally started to feel human again, so at least now I'm dpressed and up, even if my only movement is around the house. Only a few more days and then I head home :( I'm ready to go home, definitely, but I really wish Pete was coming with me as I really REALLY don't want to have to leave him again - and go back to the dreadful LDR mode. I think the more we think about it the more Florida seems to be the best home for us in the end...can't say particularly what specifically has changed my mind - other than Pete's sudden change of heart a few months ago. But its not like we'l never come back to visit, or even maybe someday consider living here again but not anytime in tne near future - as the practical things just seem to be easier to sort out in the US like house, jobs, driving, and bringing up kids. And after going to Amsterdam we really don't think we'll be travelling around Europe again anytime soon. I don't think it I have ever felt more proud to be an American and live in American until the way back from Amsterdam. And no I@m not getting super patriotic (ahem Sara - so don't have a cow!) Just saying I appreciate my country a lot more I guess.

Hmmm I'm in Wedding mood - looking at dresses and having daydreams of the 'big day' even though in a way I feel way too young to get married at the moment - hmmmm I can't make up my mind I know! Anyway I'm watching 4 Weedings and a Funeral so I'll get off here and relax ;)
As my Imood says I feel CRAMPY!!! UGH! It all began about 6am this morning... I really don't think I've ever had cramps this bad in my life ugh! I feel a bit better now - obviously as I'm on here. I uploaded the Amsterdam pics to my MSN group if anyone wants to see them and is a member. Anyway going to lay down again before I get worse. Bye! Pete's at work today so I'm just going to take it easy and relax.

Monday, July 28, 2003

Morning. Well we got back from Amsterdam yesterday at 5am - so needless to say we did nothing yesterday as we were exhausted. We had a pretty good time, the worst part was the trip there and back - 10 hours each way on a coach (chartered bus) and ferry. We got the coach at about 12:30AM on Saturday morning, I had a nap before we left the house but I really didn't want ot get up to go ugh. At 4:30am we got on the ferry in Dover, which we were on for an hour and a a half, which brought us to Calais (sp?) France. From there we got back on the coach and drive through France and Belgium I think and then we got to Holland, and finally to Amsterdam at 10:15am (GMT time.)

We had 10 hours free time in the city. First we went into a bookshop and got a map of the city and then walked around trying to find a place for me to go to the bathroom - which was a chore in itself ugh, the people were so rude,, but finally we found a decent person that let me use a bathroom in a bar/cafe place. Then we spent a few hours being rally lost looking for Anne Frank's House - we finally found it at around noon! (It was the only thing I really wanted to see there.) By the time we waiting in the queue to get in and looked around it was about 2pm. Then we walked around a bit and found a KFC to eat in, it was really expensive though about 18 Euros for our meal! We took our time there and rested a bit, so by the time we were ready to see the museums they were just about to close! So we eneded up taking a boat tour on the canals which was really nice. Then after a lot more walking and resting we got back on the coach and headed back home. ANyway I'll upload the pics to my MSN group soon - best be off for now as Pete's off today so I want to spend a lot of time with him :)

Wednesday, July 23, 2003

you smell like butt
congratulations. you are the "you smell like
butt" bunny. your brutally honest and
always say whats on your mind.


which happy bunny are you?
brought to you by Quizilla


Hmm interesting. Well I finished Mr.Maybe by Jane Green about an hour or so ago...which means I have no more books ugh - might pick up another 2 for £10 on friday (to read on the coach and ferry on the way to and from AMsterdam and on dreaded plane home :( I dunno this time I'm not too incredibly depressed about going home - I mean I'm not jumping for joy at the thought of leavng Pete (yet again - this is the 8th time we will part), but since we are now engaged it seems like we're at least heading for a goal in the future. Hmph plus I'm totally bored here when Pete isn't here and some of the time when he is home. I guess I'm just used to having tons of crap to do that when I have nothing really to do I get bored easily (hence the reading of 2 books in less than 2 weeks.) It'll be interesting being home with an engagement ring on my finger, and I have a very girly inclination to show it off to all my friends, and when college starts again in Sept to all my friends there hehe. Okay I just like the attention it brings I guess hehe. WEll not too much up for today... I did 3 miles yesterday - so today my back hurts :( I might do 2 miles today if that - not sure see how I feel later.

Monday, July 21, 2003

Good Afternoon. I feel lazy/tired. I got up with Pete early this morning, then he left for work and I had some toast and watched some morning TV... then around 11am I laid down for a little while, next thing I know its 2:45pm ummm guess I was tired hehe. Then my mom called and we chatted a bit. More bad news - a friend of Pete's mum's had a car accident on friday afternoon I think... they were going up to Scotland for a wedding, and in Ledds they got hit by a lorry (big truck) and they're daughter (in her mid 20's I think) was thrown from the car and isn't expected to live much longer, her cousin was killed on the scene :( They say death comes in three's - this past week it really did (as Pete's dad's uncle also died earlier in the week - a few days after Pete's uncle.) So we're all very depressed about death lately - so sad. Well I'm being lazy today ugh just don't have any energy - hopefully I will by Friday night (as we get the coach in the highstreet at a bit after midnight to goto Amsterdam.)

Saturday, July 19, 2003

Morning. Yesterday Pete and I went to London, we didn't leave until about noon because we were watching Family Exchange - I'd been watyching it the whole week and Pete had seen the one on Thurs so we wanted to see the last one. I hope its on next week too hehe. Anyway we went to Shakespeare's Globe... it was neat but the 'guided' tour was a bit crap for £8 each. Good think we went in the summer though as we got to see the actors rehearse a bit - which was the only worthwhile part of the tour. Pete said we could go back and see a play there next tiem I'm over in the summer - as the ones playing now aren't very good. WE had Starbucks Caramel Frappacinos and sat by the Thames (pronounced 'tims') a bit, as we couldn't get into the Globe with the drinks hehe. Then we went on the tube to Victoria and had lunch/dinner at Pizza Hut ;) Anyway thats about it for now. Bye.

Wednesday, July 16, 2003

Blah blah. Nt much to report on - grrr boredom! Pete should be home in less than an hour ;) I'm more than 2/3 of the way done with Babyville...its pretty good makes me think about not ever wanting to have a baby. Ok thats not true I want to have kids - just not any time soon. Hmmm. On Monday Pete was Mr Popular - he was asked out once at work and then again on the bus on the way home - grrr hehe. Makes me realize how lucky I am to have him ;) Ummm I added pics to my MSN group yesterday a few cute ones - none of us though - we need to get some pics of us together before I leave. Grrr been thinking about how much time I have lefthere and how much I want to and don't want to leave ugh. Anyyway thats about it fore now - bye bye.

Tuesday, July 15, 2003

Who's going to Amsterdam ???!!!! We are!!!! As you know I've been really bored here. I was talking to Pete's mum last night about it - she had a look in the paper and found a day trip thing to Amsterdam for £28 each and 10 hours free time in Amsterdam. So she phoned up and I gave her my credit card and she booked it for us. The coach leaves at around midnight on Friday the 25th and we get back sometime Sunday I guess. Anyway I'm excited - going to look at stuff to do with our 10 hours in Amsterdam :) I got an engagement card from my great Aunt Mary with a sweet note and a check for $100 :) Anyway going off to blog hop and surf for things to do in Amsterdam ;)

Monday, July 14, 2003

Presents Galore!

Gotta love this engagement stuff - you get a ring and pressies yay! Pete's mum just got back from doing Jan's hair (neighbor next-door-but one) and she and her husband got us a set of kitchen knives and scissors hehe looks like our kitchen items are coming together all we need now is a kitchen (and house) to put them in ! hehe. Pete also got his bday present to himself through the post today - a game called Steel Battalion - which has this 2ft controller thing - ugh hehe. Best be off he's unwrapping it now ;)
Hello. As I've adapted my title to my 'Essex Experience' I might as well posts about my experience. This is my 5th time coming here, every time it changes. This is the first time that Pete has had to work full days with me here (except for the holiday time he got off - this week he's off Thurs and Friday.) I feel rather housewife-ish. Which I'm not sure I like very much hehe (no offense to house wives - its just not my thing) - but in another way I like it. I'm sure I would like ti more if Pete and I had our own place, not that I don't love Pete's parents house but its not 'ours' and a feel a bit weird doing too much around the house. I do hand up and take down the washing from the line. Like most Americans, I have a drier at home, we used to have a line outside and would air-dry our clothes when I was little. I always loved it, and doing it here has been nice and rather quaint/domestic. Other than house work - I'm not up to much when Pete's at work. Usually when Pete's not working we're watching the telly or DVD's and having gone shopping a few times (which usually ends up resulting in us having no money left lol.) Yesterday we went to the park around the back from Pete's house and brought the football (soccer ball) and kicked it around a bit. There was a basketball hoop screwed to the cement fall that we were kicking the ball against - only the hoop and it was rather old (I know it was there two years ago when I was last here for the summer.) We ended up trying to use the football as a basket ball and only a made a few shots. Pete has an old basket ball so we decided to come back home and pump it up and go back and play a bit - it sucked though as its about 10 years old hehe.

This morning I watched BBC One for a few hours, which I love. Then I did my WATP for Abs 3 mile walk, took in the washing from the line, took a shower, got dressed, put the other washing up outside then went to into town. I got Babyville and Mr. Maybe both by Jane Green. I actually saw Babyville in the St.Louis airport on my stop over there but it was $20 so I didn't get it. I only got Mr. Maybe because WH Smiths was having a special on a lot of their books - 2 for £10 - and after about half an hour of looking I decided on that one. Actually when I was there an older woman (about 50-60ish) was looking at bookes and having the same problem as me - finding another one as there were so many. She recommended a book to me...I dunno if she realized by my 'accent' that I was American but she didn't mention it and neither did I. I then wnet to the grovery store and got some more Posh Noodles (yummy) and a few more bits.

I have a few pics from the BBQ but I couldn't add them to my MSN Group earlier bc Pete's dad's comp was being a pain. Grrr. Thanks for the Tags about Pete's uncle - he actually lives in Australia and has so for about 20 years I guess so Pete's barely remembers him and was mainly upset for his dad's sake as he was the closest brother to Pete's dad (he has a total of 5 brothers and one sister.) Anyway Pete's dad isn't religious or anything so I doublt there will be a memorial service here - as the funeral is in Australia. In more brighter news - Pete and I got a little pressie from Pete's Nan - its a little framed thing of Chinese writing and it says something about love (she ccouldn't remember the exact wording) and at the bottom is says 'Love' and under it says 'Peter & Julie' (she wanted it the other way around but they did it that way.) I just got it a few mins ago from Pete's mum so it'll be nice to show Pete when he gets in. Well best be off !

Saturday, July 12, 2003

Post from last night - lets see if it'll post

Evening. I'm tired. Bit of bad news - seems Pete's uncle has died :( He's been ill for about 3 years now (as I remembver it was during my first time here when they found it he was ill.) Pete's dad has been on the phone a lot with his family today.

In more brighter news - the BBQ was a success and fun hehe. I got some cute pics - everyone hasn't gone home yet but we're tired so we just came in Pete's room.

Yesterday we went to Lakeside. We got our bear we made in January some new clothes at The Bear Factory hehe. Our scruffy got a new jumper/sweater which is red and has the union jack on it and navy blue trousers :) I also got Sara a present hehe (all I can say is fcuk!) She better like it as a paid a pretty penny for it - well 2500 in fact!! (£'S) We got lunch at Quizno's (which i didn't know they had in the UK) it was yummy! Later I got a Starbuck's Caramel Frappacino...they asked me if I wanted a "cream base" or a "coffee base" - as I am one for cream I decided on the cream base - so the frappacino was more like a milkshake but yummy none-the-less. We spent a lot of Pete's wages yesterday and a good percentage of my money so we're a bit broke ugh. Anyway I'm tired so I best get off here. Goodnight!
Morning. I really should jump in the shower but I came on here ;) We're having a BBQ today and its actually sunny!! woohoo. Yesterday was Pete's mum's bday. We got her a Me to You bear card and Gosford Park on DVD - as she said she wanted to see it. Of course yesterday she went down to the pub with her friends hehe. I think we were asleep by the time they all came back hehe.

I've been messing around with PSP and am working on an engagement announcement for my homeage I guess. I should finish it up sometime on Monday. I was going to put up something here I made but Lycos is being a pain grrr. Well best be off here and shower.

Wednesday, July 09, 2003

Hi hi. Not too much to report on today. Its 'hot' here in England today - well as hot as England can get really I guess. Which means pale english skin is being exposed to the daylight...for example Pete's dad has the day off today I guess and is doing some gardening shirtless so that his pale chest can get bright red hehe. It feels nice to me - though I have to admit I did get a bit sweaty walking home from the highstreet with some groceries earlier, but its definitely not my definition of hot as I have spent most of my life in Florida and am not too keen on returning in August - the hottest month of the year hmph.

Pete should be home in about a hour :) I feel reather homely/wifely - I washed the sheets on the bed today and then hung them out to dry in the sunshine. I just brought them in and am half way done making the bed. I slept til late today - about 11am...I felt achy and pretty sick this morning but am okay now. On monday Pete and I bought his mum a present for her bday on Friday :) She's having a BBQ this weekend which will be fun - it'll probably rain but thats what is expected from an english bbq hehe. I got some sweet and sour Posh Noddles (from the makers of Pot Noodles only they're 'posh') I had those they were good :) When I was in town I stopped in Choice - which is like a discount store for NEXT merchandise - some cute things in there but I didn't see anything I really liked. Anyway best make the rest of the bed - Pete's off the rest of the week yay :)

Tuesday, July 08, 2003

Oooo I forgot to mention I got PSP 7 yesterday at GAME for £20. It was originally £40 but was 50% off woo-hoo. Guess its not such a great price with the conversion rate but oh well. I wanted to install it on Pete's comp but it sounded as if it was going to take off into outer space with the weird noises it was making so I cancelled that - piece of crap comp grrr.
All on my lonesome

The rest of the family is at work hehe - meaning Pete and his parents. So here I am with the house to myself and I don't mind it. Pete should be home by just after 6pm :)

Yesterday we went to Basildon again for some shopping as my money came through - all £140 ugh damn conversion rate! I had like $250 grrr. Anyway now I only have £80 left ugh. I got two tops at NEXT - which I can't find on their website. One is a white tshirt with the union jack flag on it but the flag is in floral print which is neat. The other one is a black v-neck top with tan embroidering around the neck and at the bottom of the 3/4 length sleeves. I might actually exchange the black top for a size larger as the embroidering at the sleeves makes them a bit tight around my wrist area. Pete got me the Original Brown Me to You bear ;)

We went to KFC and also bought some Thank you cards for everyone who sent us an engagement card :) Though when we came home and opened the thankyou cards they weren't really cards but rather just decorated pieces of cardboard - in other words they didn't open. They just say Thank you on the top with silver and white stars around a white box where you have to write the note in. Grrr not what I wanted but oh well. I did my 3 mile WATP for Abs today - felt good I guess. Then I ended up showering and walking down to the highstreet to get Pete's parents a proper thank you card. Hehe. I have a bit of a card dilemma...I haven't done a card yet for Pete's parents and grandparents because I don't know if I should address it to them as "Mum and Dad" and "Nan and Granddad" or by their first names which I call them...since the card is from both of us. I might just get Pete to do those and I'll sign my name, hehe its weird changing what you call people ;)

I found a cute engagement page set at Terri Lynn Graphics that I'll use for my engagement page...for some reason Yahoo pagebuilder won't open on this computer hmph.

Oooo I also added more pics to our MSN group from the past week or so and approved Heidi to join our group :) Well thats about it for now. I think I might try pagebuilder again and do some tidying up for Pete's mum :)

Sunday, July 06, 2003

Hi - just a quick question. Does anyone know of any cute engagment adoptions or graphics ? I want to make an engagement page for my homepage soon and I want something different :) Thanks for any suggestions!
Feel all Grown Up

Awww Pete and I got back from his friend's and Pete's parents got us an engagement present ;) It was really big and heavy and we had no ideas what it was. Pete said I should open it while he opened that card hehe. I unwrapped it and it was a 44 Piece Cutlery set!!! It has like 6 of every spoon, fork and knife known to man! Very posh hehe. I felt shocked opening it - like the whole engagement/wedding/marriage thing is official hehe. As Pete's mum said it's our first household item - and as I replied "now all we need is a household!" hehe. We're getting Thank You cards tomorrow for everyone who has sent us a card and of course for Pete's parents for being so great and getting us such a lovely present!
Bored in Essex


I've been here little over a week and now I'm bored out of my mind. Don't get me wrong - I love being with Pete and just hanging out with him but I wish there was more we could do that didn't cost a fortune and was relatively close to here. I can hear the voices in my head saying "Why don't you go to London ? " Hmph thing is theres not too much to do in London that we haven't done already (this being my 5th time here.) Plus its £10 each for the travel card to get there, back and ride the tube around during the day. The fact of the matter is there is NOTHING worth doing in Essex - that doesn't include drinking all night and puking your brains out (which Pete and I are not into.) So here I sit at Pete's friend's house while he plays video games which he could do at home but we just needed to get out of the house. My money should go through Pete's bank by tomorrow hopefully (I had to convert it and it took a few business days to go through - why ? I have no idea.) If it does come in tomorrow we're going back to Basildon town centre/mall for some shopping :) I saw a lot of cute tops in NEXT the last time we were there :)

Haha little Essex joke for everyone ( I doubt anyone who hasn't lived in Essex will undertstand it but here it goes..)

What's an Essex girl's favo(u)rite wine ?

Answer: "Can we go to Lakeside?" (Lakeside is the closest big mall around - which we might go to on Friday.)

Hmmmm thus the boredom continues... Pete will be working on Tues and Weds this week so I might just hang around or go to the highstreet... maybe do my Walk Away the Pounds for Abs then. I haven't done it since I've been here - though we have been walking a lot as Pete doesn't have a car ;)

Friday, July 04, 2003

Happy 4th of July

Because Pete's bday is the day before America's independence day, I have only been in the US for once 4th of July since 1999 Ooops hehe. Not that I'm not proud of my country, I'm just not really an overly patriotic person - I was actually going to bring this little American flag door hanger pillow to put on Pete's door for today buy I forgot to pack it. Hmph. I know I need to take the little June angel off the right side and add the July one but I seemed to have forgotten my username for lycos grrr.

Thanks for all the bday wished for Pete :) He had a good day. I got him this ring and a Battle of Britain DVD from a local shope here. We went to Basildon (nearby town centre/mall), there wer had some KFC ( I had the Zinger twister which they don't have in the US - it was good but I prefer the orginial twister.) Then we went to go see Anger Management at the local cinema. Its rather new out here and its the one of the few that both of us wanted to see and that I hadn't seen - it was really funny! Then we came back home and ordered chinese yummy!

Last night on the phone I also told my mom that Pete and I are engaged ;) It was really funny and she was all happy for us and immediately told my dad - I thought that she would wait until after I got off the phone to tell him but she didn't hehe. He got on the phone and was very sweet. :) SO now she has been spreading the news hehe. She also mentioned about us going out for a great wedding dress hehe though it will be a rather long engagement (probably about 3 years.) Thene she phoned up close to midnight and we were sleeping, but I got up and answered it as I thought it might be her or my sister. She wanted Pete's address (which I know she has somewhere.)

This morning we got up early to go to the dentist (Pete had an appt for a check up.) One of the recpetionists actually lives next-door-but-one (hehe I love that phrase) to Pete's parents and is a friends of the family so we had a chat with her and she introduced me to the other receptionists as "Julie from America." Hehe. After that we shopped around the town and I got a new assignment/calender book (UK diary) at WH Smiths ( I LOVE that store!) Its pink and has little cows on it and says "Mad" on it hehe. We also got some drinks and "American style cookies" hehe. Its funny how "american" food is always labelled as such with stars and stripes on the front hehe. Well thats about i for now. BTW I approved those who applied to join my msn group :)

Wednesday, July 02, 2003

Another quick note - I took a few better pics of my ring and added them to my MSN group which you can join here :) Awww today Pete and I got two Engagment cards - one from his grandparents and another from a friend of the family. We're thinking about having a little engagement party soon so I shall take pics of that if it happens. Tomorrow is Pete's bday so we'll probably go to the movies and then order in chinese or something. He's in the living room watching is fav programme which is over now so I best be off to cuddle him as he's feeling crappy ;(

Tuesday, July 01, 2003

Just a quick note. I added a pic of my engagement ring to the albums of the two Yahoo groups I'm apart of - Online Wives Club and US UK LDR SUPPORT group. (latter one I'm the creator of) I wanted to add it along with the pics of Mr. T to my MSN group but its buggering up ;) Ooo been here 3 days and already talking english slang hehe.