Richmond - Strolling the Canal

The city or Richmond has much history, and I have no idea what any of it means, so I'm lucky to have someone with me like Preston who can read and give me the abridged version. I'm interested, but my ADHD gets me every time. So this plaque above begins a moving walk out along one of the old bridges that helped to evacuate people form the city during the fires, and commemorates the freedom Richmond gained in 1865.

Preston and I walked to this point on Brown Island (where the Richmond Folk Festival last weekend) along the canal system built by George Washington because the river isn't usable for transporting goods. (that's the lame Phil version)

It was perfect and sunny and romantic and ... stuff. So relaxing and freeing. We found a few cool things, mostly involving locations where we could take pictures of ourselves. Richmond is a very accommodating place. This weekend was a taste of what it might be like to live together permanently and both of us really liked it.

We had a real sleep in this weekend on Sunday. And had yummy coffee and then cleaned the house. We talked to Sallee for ages and then Preston briefly met my sister (who is living in England) on Skype. Loving technology. We eventually busted our arses out of the house and tried to find Shockoe Bottom but didn't really make it. But where we walked from on East Carey St was really nice.


Here he is. The man on my dreams in the real. So charming, accomodating, forgiving, passionate, easy going and ready for anything. We are having so much fun and he's my best friend, companion and lover. We're looking after each other Mum, don't worry...

So cute - he finds fish everywhere - and some of them were quite impressive. The water was clear to the bottom, and for a city fairly polution free. At the end of our walk we found a brewery for a beer and it was under the influence of a nice Pumpkin Ale, it was figured I can be debt free in 3 years. Fricken ya!

YEP I'M IN LOVE!

Ice Hockey & Hooters

Impressing the lady behind us.

"Go the Gays"

Katie and Jane are rockers from way back

My bubba's surprise this weekend was an Ice hockey game, even though it was the lame Richmond demonstration game, we had a great time, with Katie and Jane... aka Fergi and Di. There was a fat man belly dance at half time in the stand opposite (to the Macarina), three fights, 5 shots from the canon, a retarded guy banging on the persplex barrier who was kicked out by the cops, and a sower arse lady sitting behind us who apparently doesn't like two men holding hands. HA! She was just jealous of me.

So yeah.... fun times.

A fun chat with SAL

I miss Sallee so much, she is living in England, but she is Canadian and we are bestest friends from Australia. Sallee has an amazing voice, which she is excercising in this picture. She can chirp like a bird. And when she finally gets around to selling herself (and I mean both ways) she will be famous and finally be doing what she was born to do... (and I really do mean both ways .. *cough*). Americans know how to do things big, so while the kids were out of the room - as in I didn't have a class, I had a BIG OL' SKYPE CHAT WITH SALLEE! and it was ... nice. XO

Leonor's Shoes

WE might not have much money for food, but Leonor knows how to spend her last few bucks. In fact the last $70 was spent on these shoes, which she discovered this week don't really fit her... but they are fabulous. Wouldn't you say?

PSAT Today!

I have to supervise the PSAT today. Its a practice for students who will sit the SAT exam for college. The government is so generous and they've made it free. Don't you love it? How noble and kind they are to give something away. HA!

I am mindful now as I write that this is all really quite boring and no one is going to want to keep reading my blog if I keep reporting on silly little did bits. So I'll try and keep the pictures interesting. And feel free to leave your comments if you like.

I am looking forward to taking Preston somewhere for a surprise this weekend. It's exciting and he really wants to know what it is. I'm building it up and building it up, in order to disappoint him. But the best thing about him is that is never disappointed. He is so fun. We have fun doing very little, and it's great. I'd best get some marking done in this boring time of testing. You should see the look on some of their faces, some are already over it. HA... don't blame them.

Ice cream and Day Spas

Meeting Sonia.... and standing outside of a day spa I intend to go to for a week one of these days with my beautiful beaming partner in life and everything else....

Katie and Reyes are not lesbians, they are house mates and I love them!

They are my new brother and sister... we are family - yeah yeah!

Tapas - a touch of Spain.

My friends/family here are mostly European. If you asked an American where that is, you might laugh. Adan's students think that because he speaks Spanish he must be from Mexico and they are very confused when he says that he has never been there. But Reyes, and Leonor are the new women in my life. (sorry Mum, not like that.), and Katie from England is my sanity amongst all this "gadadadaddada falalala thelos comelargo si come ni estame no?" etc etc.

So Tapas in the land of the Fan in Richmond. It was lovely and rich and satisfying and dirt cheap (great for me). Finally a touch of real culture, even though the decor was kind of ... American, it was real Spanish cuisine and great company.

Povo weekend tops em all...

Well what a wonderful weekend. Preston came a day early and I got to kiss him goodbye as I went off to work on Friday. Sweeet action!

We are both still pretty poor so we made the most of home cooked vegies, only I burned the baked potato when we went to get wine. It had been a long day. We didn't eat until about 11:30 and that is never good. The next day we went to an SDA church for kicks and had yummy salad and turkey 'samiches' for lunch. Then off to check out the meet with Sonia, a friend of Pres. She is a really beautiful person and we all enjoyed yummy local icecream on Cary St. The Richmond Folk Festival, which was pretty good in my opinion, not that we saw all that much of it, was the next stop We got pretty lost getting there, and stumbled upon some interesting areas on the south side of the city.

I joined Blockbuster video store and we hired a few and got some make it yourself (in the microwave) popcorn and came home to our bottle of wine. Which helped us sleep until 11am the next morning. YAY to a beautiful sunny day and a cooked breakfast.

It's sucky to say goodbye on Sundays, but this one wasn't quit so hard. We are finally adjusting to the idea that we get to see each other very often now that we are not so far away. And I think I must be adjusting to my new life and really starting to embrace it. Last weeks days with the Henrico English team, made everything feel much more settled. I'm keeping just in front of my IB class, and have resolved that I actually can't write entire units that far ahead. It's all just a process that I hope to avoid next year by being super organised now.

It's starting to cool down these days, and I can't wait to see what winter brings.

A lot less 'debbie downer' days, and I'm glad. I'm having a great time, and could not be happier.