If you're reading this it's likely that we are missing you right now. We just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and tell you all that we are so thankful for your presence in our lives. Our experience here is teaching us that life is not about where you are, but who you're with. We wish that we were with all of you tonight. Hope your having a lovely Thanksgiving Day and that you enjoy this tribute to you, the people we love and are thankful for.
We love you guys, thank you for loving us!
Brad and Sara
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Boys and their Toys
Last night we were skyping with my dad and, at the request of my father, Brad donned his cricket gear for my pop. The following pictures speak for themselves... enjoy! 
Most of the gear belongs to Brad's head teacher, although the cute white outfit and bat belong to Brad. He is going to start going to 'the nets' with his boss's team for training! Leave it to my husband to find a sport to latch onto everywhere he goes!
Sara's Dirty, Rotten, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week
Let me apologise now for the lack of pictures in this post. If you're not in the mood to read skip this and go to the next post.
Okay, so I've had an awful week... On Tuesday night my tooth was hurting intermittently. When it hurt the pain was intense but then it would subside. As the night went on the pain got worse so I got on the phone to the National Health Help Line (the UK has socialized medicine... keep that in mind as you read the rest of this horror story) and they told me to go to Charing Cross Hospital to receive emergency dental services.
The UK's idea of Emergency Dental is a man that doesn't speak English tapping on my hurt tooth and prescribing amoxicillin. He suggested that I contact another dentist in the morning... duh. (This appointment cost 16.20 plus 8 for the antibiotics)
So, armed with antibiotics, I went to work on Wednesday only to travel back home a few hours later because the pain had become so intense and constant. I made an appointment with a dentist in my area and went there at 3:30. Again, the man had a very thick accent and I could only understand about 40% of what he was saying. He didn't even tap my tooth... he never even asked me to open my mouth... just took my money and made be an appointment for the next day to, "open my tooth." During the 5 minute appointment he did however tell me that I would get the amount of care that I paid for and that if I wanted him to do good work on my tooth I should pay a private fee instead of the national health services fee (16.20). He also suggested that I pay him for another antibiotic and pain killer instead of going to a pharmacy as he would give me a price cut. I did and later found out that the antibiotic he prescribed was for yeast infections!!! He took me for 27 pounds and wasted my day! I knew I was being taken advantage of but what could I do?
Thursday morning I stayed home from work... in too much pain and on too much codine to make the trip. Brad got me the name of a dentist that someone at his school recommended. I booked an emergency appointment and then looked up how to get there... of course the office was about a 20 minute car ride away... but not having a car it took me an hour and a half by tube and by foot! Finally, this dentist spoke English and sounded as if he knew what he was talking about. Because I was an emergency appointment I had to play musical chairs with his other patients (getting numbed up then back to the waiting room... etc.). He did a root canal and made me an appointment for next Saturday so that he can make sure that all of the infection is gone. This appointment cost me 300 pounds because I decided to go the private route but at least I felt comfortable with the treatment I was receiving.
Friday morning I woke up in an intolerable amount of pain... called in to work ... took some codine and went back to bed. When I re-woke up I got ready and went to work. I had a good day at work until I remembered that I was on detention duty until 4:45... truly the worst hour that you can imagine... especially on a Friday. When I got home I wasn't feeling good but I attributed that to the events of the week.
On Saturday morning, I realized that I had the flu, my tooth still hurt, and every woman's monthly visitor was here to stay for the week! I have been lying on the couch all weekend and am bored out of my mind. Not much silver lining in this week but... a root canal is a great diet tool!
Okay, so I've had an awful week... On Tuesday night my tooth was hurting intermittently. When it hurt the pain was intense but then it would subside. As the night went on the pain got worse so I got on the phone to the National Health Help Line (the UK has socialized medicine... keep that in mind as you read the rest of this horror story) and they told me to go to Charing Cross Hospital to receive emergency dental services.The UK's idea of Emergency Dental is a man that doesn't speak English tapping on my hurt tooth and prescribing amoxicillin. He suggested that I contact another dentist in the morning... duh. (This appointment cost 16.20 plus 8 for the antibiotics)
So, armed with antibiotics, I went to work on Wednesday only to travel back home a few hours later because the pain had become so intense and constant. I made an appointment with a dentist in my area and went there at 3:30. Again, the man had a very thick accent and I could only understand about 40% of what he was saying. He didn't even tap my tooth... he never even asked me to open my mouth... just took my money and made be an appointment for the next day to, "open my tooth." During the 5 minute appointment he did however tell me that I would get the amount of care that I paid for and that if I wanted him to do good work on my tooth I should pay a private fee instead of the national health services fee (16.20). He also suggested that I pay him for another antibiotic and pain killer instead of going to a pharmacy as he would give me a price cut. I did and later found out that the antibiotic he prescribed was for yeast infections!!! He took me for 27 pounds and wasted my day! I knew I was being taken advantage of but what could I do?
Thursday morning I stayed home from work... in too much pain and on too much codine to make the trip. Brad got me the name of a dentist that someone at his school recommended. I booked an emergency appointment and then looked up how to get there... of course the office was about a 20 minute car ride away... but not having a car it took me an hour and a half by tube and by foot! Finally, this dentist spoke English and sounded as if he knew what he was talking about. Because I was an emergency appointment I had to play musical chairs with his other patients (getting numbed up then back to the waiting room... etc.). He did a root canal and made me an appointment for next Saturday so that he can make sure that all of the infection is gone. This appointment cost me 300 pounds because I decided to go the private route but at least I felt comfortable with the treatment I was receiving.
Friday morning I woke up in an intolerable amount of pain... called in to work ... took some codine and went back to bed. When I re-woke up I got ready and went to work. I had a good day at work until I remembered that I was on detention duty until 4:45... truly the worst hour that you can imagine... especially on a Friday. When I got home I wasn't feeling good but I attributed that to the events of the week.
On Saturday morning, I realized that I had the flu, my tooth still hurt, and every woman's monthly visitor was here to stay for the week! I have been lying on the couch all weekend and am bored out of my mind. Not much silver lining in this week but... a root canal is a great diet tool!
Cambridge with the Appel's
Last weekend we traveled to Cambridge to visit Nikki and Eric Appel. It was a 2 hour bus ride and Brad slept for most of the trip! Look at how cute that face is!
When we got there we ate lunch at the Appel's insanely cute flat and then they took us on a walk through the colleges of Cambridge. Eric is a student there so we had special access to some of the inner courtyards. 
We went to the Wren Library at Trinity College which houses medieval manuscripts, the Capell collection of early Shakespeare editions, many books from Sir Isaac Newton's own library,
As we finished gawking at old books and appreciating how cool it is to live in a place with such incredible history, we walked out onto this stunning tree in front of the Cambridge River.
We walked through a market, had Lunch at a cool pub, and then went to an Evensong at Kings College Chapel. This was a powerful experience and helped us to better understand what it would have been to be a church goer 500 years ago. We ended our evening with dinner at Giraffe and then good conversation back at the Appel's place. 
Sunday Morning we woke up slowly and then decided to go on a walk to Grantchester. The whole walk is like a scene out of Pride and Prejudice... 5 miles and worth every step!
Nikki failed to adequately break in her new shoes and got a blister as we walked... when we got to our destination we traded shoes... which just meant she was wearing a different pair of her own shoes as I'd had to borrow some due to poor packing on my part.
Our destination was a place called The Orchard which served traditional British tea and scones with clotted cream and jam!
We tried to roll our trousers up and take the muddy, but more scenic route home... in the end we decided to go back to the trail as none of us were properly adorned.
We caught the 3:30 bus home but not without a bit of a hiccup... I left my coat at the Appel's and Eric had 4 minutes to run back for it while the rest of us went to the bus. He made it, thank goodness, do you know how cold it is here?
We had a great time and are so thankful to have had some friends to hang out with! It was a little bittersweet though... great to be in fellowship but a hard reminder of just how lonely we are sometimes in Big London.
When we got there we ate lunch at the Appel's insanely cute flat and then they took us on a walk through the colleges of Cambridge. Eric is a student there so we had special access to some of the inner courtyards. We went to the Wren Library at Trinity College which houses medieval manuscripts, the Capell collection of early Shakespeare editions, many books from Sir Isaac Newton's own library,and the first Bible ever printed in English.
As we finished gawking at old books and appreciating how cool it is to live in a place with such incredible history, we walked out onto this stunning tree in front of the Cambridge River.
We walked through a market, had Lunch at a cool pub, and then went to an Evensong at Kings College Chapel. This was a powerful experience and helped us to better understand what it would have been to be a church goer 500 years ago. We ended our evening with dinner at Giraffe and then good conversation back at the Appel's place.Sunday Morning we woke up slowly and then decided to go on a walk to Grantchester. The whole walk is like a scene out of Pride and Prejudice... 5 miles and worth every step!Nikki failed to adequately break in her new shoes and got a blister as we walked... when we got to our destination we traded shoes... which just meant she was wearing a different pair of her own shoes as I'd had to borrow some due to poor packing on my part.Our destination was a place called The Orchard which served traditional British tea and scones with clotted cream and jam!We tried to roll our trousers up and take the muddy, but more scenic route home... in the end we decided to go back to the trail as none of us were properly adorned.We caught the 3:30 bus home but not without a bit of a hiccup... I left my coat at the Appel's and Eric had 4 minutes to run back for it while the rest of us went to the bus. He made it, thank goodness, do you know how cold it is here?We had a great time and are so thankful to have had some friends to hang out with! It was a little bittersweet though... great to be in fellowship but a hard reminder of just how lonely we are sometimes in Big London.St. James Park and the Lyric Theatre
A couple weeks ago we took a walk in St. James Park and then went to the theatre. Here's brad at the beginning of our walk. Notice Big Ben and the chairs on the lawn. You can rent chairs by the hour and on sunny days they are hard to come by.
It took us a good 5 minutes to find someone to take this picture for us. Even in a park, many Londoners seem to be rushing! In my hand is my favorite new snack... yougurt mixed with a crunched up Nature Valley Granola Bar.
It took us a good 5 minutes to find someone to take this picture for us. Even in a park, many Londoners seem to be rushing! In my hand is my favorite new snack... yougurt mixed with a crunched up Nature Valley Granola Bar.We loved the colors in this tree... actually I did and Brad made fun of me for wanting a picture in front of it... Thank goodness I'm strong headed or we'd have about 2 pictures from this whole experience! 
As our walk progressed we found ourselves outside the royal stables. This is the beautiful wall that guards the Queens horses. Eventually we made our way to a tube station and ended our trek.
As our walk progressed we found ourselves outside the royal stables. This is the beautiful wall that guards the Queens horses. Eventually we made our way to a tube station and ended our trek. We regrouped at home... meaning we put on a couple more layers... and then headed out to the Lyric Theatre. We saw a hilarious play called Spyski. The tickets were cheap, the seats good, and the company great so, all in all, it was a pretty succesful evening! Good job Team Osborne... we're not winning yet but we're starting to score some pints against Big-Bad-London!
Spitalfields Market and Brad's New Wallet
We've discovered a cool market to visit on Sundays. Spitalfields is a covered market where up and coming designers who are trying to break into the mainstream markets sell their latest creations.
We haven't bought much yet as we are trying to save for travel expenses and fun when family and friends come to visit. But we have made a breakthrough!!! If anyone has ever seen Brad's wallet then they have certainly suggested to him that it is time to get a new one. Lord knows I have! When we got to London Brad ditched the disheveled thrift store wallet and moved on to the free tube pass holder given to each Londoner when they buy their oyster card. I called this progress! 
Then, one day at Spitalfields Market Brad found the impossible! A wallet that he deemed worthy of his back pocket!
The market doesn't come close to Farmers but its a fun way to pass the day!
The market doesn't come close to Farmers but its a fun way to pass the day!Sunday, November 9, 2008
Just a Day in the Park
As Autumn comes to London we have been spending some glorious time in the many parks here. These are a few of our pics from our walks through London's parks.
Lord Mayor's Show
This weekend was the Lord Mayor's Show... Londoners have been welcoming in their new mayor each year with this parade followed by fireworks over the Thames for the last 700 years.
Brad and I snagged some front row, standing room only, freeze your bum off in the rain for over an hour, spots on the road!
Brad and I snagged some front row, standing room only, freeze your bum off in the rain for over an hour, spots on the road!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Just Life
On our way back from Madrid we were talking about how nice it would be to finally get home and sleep in our bed... at which point we realized... we are beginning to feel more settled in our flat and in our lives here in London.
This is the door to our flat.
We spend most of our time doing things that we would do back home... grocery shopping, going to the gym, cooking at home and going to bookstores.
Brad honing his skills in the kitchen (expert at all things involving eggs and chicken)
We walk or take the tube everywhere and are finding that we don't really miss having cars.
(Annoying Americans on the tube!)
We are slowly figuring out how to book the best tickets and find the hidden treasures. As we now have a working bank account we are able to book fun events and start having the experience that we came here to have.
(We actually got rained out this evening but we were dressed to impress and ready to hit the town!!! Baby steps...)
We still miss family and friends more than we'd like to admit. We feel like we should be strong enough to spend a year a way and yet sometimes panic strikes our hearts as we realize just how truly alone we are in this thriving metropolis! We're doing a great job supporting each other but we are also learning just how important fellowship and family are! As we learn to rely on each other while we are here, we are able to reflect on all of the love and support that we have received from those who love us. If you read this blog its likely that we are talking about you so THANK YOU. We are keenly aware of how much we need you in our lives!
This is the door to our flat.
We spend most of our time doing things that we would do back home... grocery shopping, going to the gym, cooking at home and going to bookstores.
Brad honing his skills in the kitchen (expert at all things involving eggs and chicken)
We walk or take the tube everywhere and are finding that we don't really miss having cars.
(Annoying Americans on the tube!)
We are slowly figuring out how to book the best tickets and find the hidden treasures. As we now have a working bank account we are able to book fun events and start having the experience that we came here to have.
(We actually got rained out this evening but we were dressed to impress and ready to hit the town!!! Baby steps...)
We still miss family and friends more than we'd like to admit. We feel like we should be strong enough to spend a year a way and yet sometimes panic strikes our hearts as we realize just how truly alone we are in this thriving metropolis! We're doing a great job supporting each other but we are also learning just how important fellowship and family are! As we learn to rely on each other while we are here, we are able to reflect on all of the love and support that we have received from those who love us. If you read this blog its likely that we are talking about you so THANK YOU. We are keenly aware of how much we need you in our lives!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Madrid Slideshows
These are some of our pictures from the trip... hope you enjoy!
We took so many food shots that we thougt we'd give them a slideshow of their own... enjoy if you've got time!
We took so many food shots that we thougt we'd give them a slideshow of their own... enjoy if you've got time!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Madrid
Hola amigos, que acabamos de llegar de Madrid! We had a week off for the half term break and decided to take advantage.
Day 1: On Wednesday we started with Museo del Prado, which is huge and houses works from Velasquez, Goya, Bosch, Reubens, Rembrandt, Rafael, Caravaggio… It was amazing, but very tedious and we decided that Renaissance Art is not our cup of tea! We also explored lots of plazas (not hard as they are on every corner!) and ate tapas (a fancy word for expensive appetizers).
Day 2: We went to the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. Which we enjoyed more as it was full of masterpieces from Monet, Degas … Sorry we'll stop boring you about the artists! We also visited the Royal Palace which was awe inspiring. In the Royal Armory we saw suits of armor that were worn by royalty centruries ago.
Oh yeah… did we mention how cold it was???
Day 3: We took a tour of Avila and Segovia. We spent about 4 hours in transit and 5 hours exploring with a bilingual guide and a group of mixed languages! We saw a Roman Aqueduct that dated back to Jesus’ time, a Cathedral, a castle (the one that Disneyland castle is modeled after), and a Roman Wall. We got rained on for most of the walking tour but… Se la vie!
Day 4: We enjoyed some tasty churros con chocolate (a traditional Spanish breakfast)… this is one ritual the states should think about adopting! Then we went to Museo Sorolla. This was "the best art… of all the art…" We enjoyed lunch and a long leisurely walk in El Parque Retiro and then went to our final museum, the Museo de la Reina Sofia, where we saw Picasso’s Guernica!
Finally, on our last night in Spain we slept in the airport… too cheap to spring for the extra night just to wake up at 3:30 for our 6:30 flight.
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