You Know It's Halloween When...

My diet for the day so far:

• One grande skinny latte
• 1 flapjack
• 2 mini candy bars (Mars and Milky Way)
• 2 gummi skulls filled with 'blood' syrup
• 1 set gummi dracula teeth
• 1 peppermint eye(gum)ball

Happy Halloween!

People are seriously cruel...

Waltzing ReckenRoll

Today I bought my most expensive plane ticket to date for my furthest trip to date (so far, Cape Town reigns supreme). In March I will be winging my way to Singapore and Perth, Australia for 2 glorious weeks of new experiences and Mel & Leigh's wedding!

I'll admit, it was a bit of an "OMG" moment when I actually hit "purchase' on the web today...there was a big gulp and quite a bit of math...but hey, I've been meaning to cut back on food latley anyway so why not start now?

This will definitely help.

New diet aside, I have always wanted to travel to Asia, any part of Asia, and I think Singapore will be a good first impression. I spend 4 days there, visiting Rob and Shaun, (note to self: email Rob and Shaun) before I spend a week in Perth for the wedding. I expect Shaun will show me all the highlights of his big city, the Hard Rock Cafe, the Irish pub, the Benetton shopping (he tells me Singapore is really different!) and then off to the beautiful Western Australia for a little bit more country and what is sure to be a gorgeous wedding. The new diet should help me fit into any dress I choose!

Oh, and I'll see if I can sneak out any Veggiemite for you CherryRide.

Random Kate Moment of the Day

Not "KATIE" moment. "Kate" moment. As in my friend Kate who just moved to Seattle.

Hop on over to CherryRide and read about his trauma with Veggiemite...then scroll through the comments until you get to KateR's where she says she brought "decent instant coffee" with her to Seattle.

....

That's like taking your own pasta to Italy or your own beer to Germany. Kate, why would you do that?

Friday's Top Five: My Favourite British TV Shows

In an attempt to not blow my new commitment on the very next day, I dedicate this week's Top 5 to my favourite British TV shows.

For all those who don't live in the UK, let me just begin by saying there is a LOT of American TV to be had. Granted, it's all a season late but we get it eventually and that makes it difficult for me to invest in the UK telly offerings. But what I love, I really love...

1. Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Take Away - Variety Show

How do I even explain this show to Americans? I can't think of anything to compare it to. It's a variety show of sorts, they have a live audience and are always having the most bizarre competitions to help the audience win prizes. They surprise their audience a lot too with things like, opening the curtain and the entire contents of my living room have been removed and placed on the stage and set up again to look like my living room. Stuff like that. People's reactions are high comedy. Em, you would LOVE this show.

They also compete against each other every week (Ant v. Dec) in competitions like being a lumberjack and repelling down a skyscraper in London. As far as I'm concerned, the Jiggy Bank is the best piece of Saturday night television I've ever seen...and if you really want a giggle click here for Little Ant and Dec's highlights. The best part of Ant & Dec is that they are rebroadcast on Sunday afternoon. I'd never have to miss it if it didn't run in such short seasons.

2. Friday Night with Jonathan Ross - Talk Show

I am never too sad to find myself too worn out from the week to have a big night on Friday night. I am actually more than happy to have a quick one after work and then make my way home to my couch with Jonathan, his speech impediment (Jonathan Woss weally), and his line up of British and American stars. How could you not love a show whose house band is called Four Poofs and a Piano? To see the Poofs in action watch until about 45 seconds in on the Ricky Gervaise interview.

3. Extras - Sitcom

Ricky Gervaise new show on BBC2. If you watch the Ricky Gervaise interview above you'll get a good sense for the plot of the show. If you want to see a qucik clip, click here. No one creates humour in awkward situations like Mr. Gervaise. In a word = Funny.

4. SuperNanny - Reality TV

No, not the versions that the US has copied. The original SuperNanny Jo, and the completely mad children and families that she helps out. I won't go into too much detail on this one since you are all familiar. Just suffice to say, I don't do reality TV but I love SuperNanny. It's like watching a car wreck but with a sense of naive superiority. You're able to tsk tsk tsk and say, "I would NEVER drive like that."

5. Relocation Relocation / Saturday Kitchen (tie)
Both of these programmes fill the sad space left in my heart where the Food Network and TLC used to live.

• Relocation Relocation = A couple wants to sell their current house and buy (usually) a big nice country house somewhere and also a little flat in London or near where they work. The tag team help them do it on their limited budgets and re-negotiate what is actually possible on that budget. Usually runs in marathons on Sunday afternoons.
• Saturday Kitchen = Exactly what it says it is. 1.5 hours on BBC1 on Saturday morning all about cooking. James Martin hosts this live studio show and they very often bring in famous/semi-famous chefs to teach us about their famous dish and style of cooking. Also get to hear about what wine goes with the foods and why along with classic footage of master chefs. Nothing beats a cup of coffee and settling in for some Saturday Kitchen.

So if you are wondering where to find me on a Saturday afternoon, chances are high I am in front of the telly...absorbing the best of British culture ;-)

Note to Self: Must Blog More About London

Here I am, an American in London, 2.25 years in and I rarely actually blog about London anymore.

Am I 'over it'?
Well, the flash of irrational and irritated anger I felt no less than 3 times at stupid people on the Tube this morning tells me I am not. ("Seriously, we are all moving here. MOVE OR GET OUT OF THE WAY")

Am I numb to it?
Well, the guy completely opening his trousers in the middle of Covent Garden this morning didn't appall me, just made me annoyed that he was doing that in my public space. I did manage to avert my eyes in time (no one needs to see that before caffeinating) but it made me wonder just how jaded I had become.

Anyway, I aim to fix that here and today:

• I added some new London blogs to the blogroll on the side there. These people are actually dedicated to talking about London. When I am too lazy to do it, you can always see what they have to say.
• I am going to start trying to take more trips OUT of London into the rest of the UK. Turns out, there is a WHOLE COUNTRY here that is not London. Go figure. I will report back. Any suggestions on where I should go?
• I am going to try to focus more on reporting on London things (besides dirty old men having a wank in public). Sometimes I forget that not everyone does what I, and the people around me, do everyday.

Starting tomorrow, things gon' change around here.

On Repeat This Week

As the winter freeze sets into the area immediately around my desk I find myself turning to some hot tunes and an extra big pashmina to keep warm. The choices are a bit all over the map this week but variety is the spice of life kids.

• Jump - Madonna (can you believe this Malawi baby thing? I am so over it.)
• New Shoes - Paolo Nutini (free iTunes download)
• Sinner Man - Nina Simone
• Here it Goes Again - O.K. Go (if you haven't seen the treadmill magic, click here)
• Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol (I am late to liking this one, I know)
• Steady As She Goes - The Raconteurs
• 'Ridin - Chamillionaire (cause that's how I roll)

Crazy Strikes Again

The mad pincher is still on the loose in London. She got Deidre yesterday and Cally today. If you are walking on the Strand and near the bus stop outside Queensland House and female...

WATCH OUT!!

Another One Bites the Dust

And another one gone, and another one gone

Another one bites the dust

Hey, Im gonna get you too

Another one bites the dust

- Queen

This last weekend we said goodbye to yet another member of the UK office as Kate hopped on a plane and winged her west to Seattle for 2 years. It was a bit bittersweet and the office will never be the same until she returns.

Who will judge my choice in shoes?
Who will teach me about which London B list celebs I should know in the gossip mags?
Who will go on holiday with me to Italy? Spain? Etc?

Very sadcakes indeed.

Kate and I first met in Vegas over 5 years ago. I was a wide-eyed Account Coordinator - all alone - supporting a client who had no need for me to be there. I was living pay check to pay check and a trip to Vegas for work (to be expensed later) was a strain to say the least. I had roughly $50 to spend on "non-client" meals everyday. If a restaurant didn't take the corporate Amex I was basically not able to eat there.

Entre Kate.

She was senior, she was from the Europe office, she was glamourous, and, lest I get a beating for not mentioning it, she had fabulous shoes. She took pity on poor little me being all alone and said we should go out for dinner the next night. She suggested getting tickets to Tom Jones - but at $80 Vegas tickest prices, I had to politely decline. Instead we went to the Bellagio where I taught Kate about free drinks for those who gamble. The free drinks were all we needed to become lifelong friends.

Kate picked the restaurant for dinner and as I eyed side salads and tap water (Vegas prices) she suggested a fabulous looking chicken dish and a bottle of wine.

"Um, I don't think I can spend that much on my budget," I stammered, embarrassed to be so lame.

Kate took one look at me and laughed in that lovely Kate way and said one of the most beautiful phrases in our modern society, "Oh, I'll expense it."

When I moved to London 2 years ago Kate taught me some of my most valuable London lessons. She taught me that I love champers. She taught me that I loathe shoes without a heel. She assured me that someone on this planet talks faster than I do! In return, I taught her about snow berms.

It's been a beautiful friendship!

I am so sad to see her go but am so happy she'll be back in 6 weeks to visit. Best of luck in the USA Kate! (Not that you need it!) We miss you already!

The French Woman's Secret to Great Skin

No wonder they look so fresh and youthful...

http://www.voyezleseffetssecondaires.ca/

To get the English translation click on the "Passez au Salon" and when the page refreshes there will be a small button on the left bottom corner that says "English". Just click on that.

Oh, and you might want to have a cigarette ready for when you're done...

Friday's Top Five: Movies from My Childhood

Welcome to Friday's Top Five. This week we look at the great movies of my childhood.

As a child of the 80's, I was part of one of the first generations to experience movies at home, practically on demand, thanks to that crazy new invention, the VCR. Today, I honour that invention and the movies that helped shape my young view of the world.

1. Goonies (1985)

How could any childhood be complete without the Goonies? Action! Adventure! Kids as the heroes with the bumbling adults who just don't quite 'get it'...this movie had it all! And let's not forget the fact that it was filmed in Astoria, Oregon which made it even cooler for any kid who had ever spent any time on the Oregon coast. I don't think this one really needs too much explanation so I will just give you the quote and, after a moment of reflection, we can move on:

Chunk: "...But the worst thing I ever done - I mixed a pot of fake puke at home and then I went to this movie theater, hid the puke in my jacket, climbed up to the balcony and then, t-t-then, I made a noise like this: hua-hua-hua-huaaaaaaa - and then I dumped it over the side, all over the people in the audience. And then, this was horrible, all the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. I never felt so bad in my entire life."

2. ET (1982)

This was the first movie I actually remember seeing in a movie theatre. I remember I was restless (I was 6 and probably just a bit too young to sit still that long) and then I remember I cried for ET. So sad, so happy, so heartwarming. I still cry when I see that movie and, let's be honest, so do you.

Elliot: "He's a man from outer space and we're taking him to his spaceship."
Greg: "Well, can't he just beam up?"
Elliot: "This is REALITY, Greg"

3. The Watcher in the Woods (1980)

We'll keep this one quick. Put simply, this movie scared the crap out of me. It still scares the crap out of me. Bette Davis made for a very scary old lady and only years later when I saw "The Shining" did I find a word spelled backward that was more scary than "Nerak". I can't say anymore now. I need to hide under the covers.

If you don't know this one, click here to read more and consider yourself lucky...

Mrs. Aylwood: [to unseen presence in the woods] "She's going to stay here... is that what you wanted?"

4. Mary Poppins (1964)

Who didn't spend hours watching and re-watching this Disney classic? This is the first one I remember learning the words to the songs so I could sing along. I also loved that the little brother was named Michael...just like my little brother! I mean, come on, that's an important connection.

Let's go fly a kite kids. Let's go right now.

5. The NeverEnding Story (1984)

I'd like to take this moment to personally thank the Anchorage School District for making this movie a permanent fixture in my childhood. Every year, on the last day of the school year, you'd have that day where the schoolwork was done, your desk was empty and the classroom walls were stripped bare. The teachers used this time to wrap up and to keep us kiddies occupied they shuffled us all into the music teacher's room or the gym to watch The NeverEnding Story. Once, they mixed it up and showed us Flight of the Navigator...and another time we got the Princess Bride...but standing out in my memory is The NeverEnding Story. It's a classic kids.

Falcor: I like children.
Atreyu: ...for breakfast?

And just because it was a struggle to decide, I've included some Honourable Mentions. It's only a Top 5 List afterall:

• The Dark Crystal
• The Muppets Take Manhattan
• The Princess Bride

And there you have it. These are the movies that helped make me the freak I am today. Agree? Disagree?Am curious to hear the thoughts of the crowd...Either way, have a happy Friday kids!

Bent

Two plays under the belt for this week. Monday, we saw "Summer and Smoke" a Tennessee Williams exploration of unrequited love and all the pain that goes along with it. Yadda Yadda Yadda. The dialogue was ok, the acting was passable, the sets were functional...it was alright. Nothing wowed. Nothing made me think. Nothing shocked. It didn't suck. It didn't rock.

Overall, I shrug my shoulders and say, "Eh."

Last night was quite a different experience. We went to my favourite performance space , The Trafalgar Studios, to see Alan Cumming in Bent. Focusing on the lives of Berlin's gay (male) community, and their treatment at the hands of the Nazis, it was one of those rare moving theatre experiences that shows like Summer and Smoke just can't deliver.

I'll admit, it was touch and go in Scene 1. I saw Alan Cumming's full moon and another actor's full EVERYTHING and thought it might be a bit more gay man than I could handle. However, it quickly became a very intense and touching story that spoke universally to the bargains we all make with ourselves everyday. As one review I read said, "It has much more to do with the meaning of self, our responsibilities to others, and how we handle impossible situations which put our very existence at risk."

The staging was inventive and the acting was fabulous. Truly truly fabulous. It wasn't just Alan either, the whole cast was extremely impressive...and even more impressive is that they have to go through that emotional rollercoaster every night. I have to watch nothing but Friends re-runs and Disney movies for at least a week to recover, they have to do it all again tonight at 7.30.

If you can handle seeing a full on nekkid man on stage and don't mind a bit of the intense in your theater repetoire, I fully recommend it.

I Need a Dating Holiday

For those that are curious, I have an update on the dating experiment. Yes, the experiment has continued and I have now come to a conclusion:

Dating is a lot of hard work.

They like me, I don't like them. I like them, they don't like me. And who was it that said a first date is like a job interview with drinks? I couldn't agree more.

To coin one of my favourite phrases, I just really don't know if I can be bothered anymore.

And the stupid thing about it, is that it is making me miss all my ex-boyfriends (well, not ALL my exs, let's be clear, but the good ones at least). It certainly makes me appreciate how easy it was with each of them -- especially in comparison to how not easy it is to start fresh. I never had to work at this so much before. It always just kinda found me.

So where does that leave me? The good ones don't require work but in London, if I don't work at it, I don't find the good ones.

I know where it leaves me.

Needing that holiday.

Apparently, It's not Just Europe

And in dating news on a global level...Singletons of the world UNITE!

"Married couples, whose numbers have been declining for decades as a proportion of American households, have finally slipped into a minority, according to an analysis of new census figures by The New York Times."

(This photo of CherryRide and I has nothing to do with it really,
except that it makes me laugh and it looks a little bit like we are celebrating.)

Garden State and My New Funny Guy Crush

I watched Garden State again this weekend and would like us all to just take a moment and reflect on what a brilliant movie it is.

Intelligent writing? Check.
Brilliant dialogue? Check.
Quirky memorable characters? Check.
A new and interesting viewpoint? Check.
Subtle humour? Check.
Great soundtrack? Check.

I love the way it's shot. I love the way the characters interact. I love the way the humour is subtle enough that you could miss it.

I was inspired to watch it after seeing Zach Braff on "Friday Night with Jonathan Ross" and developing a little crush on how down to Earth and geniunely funny he seemed. I have since found myself watching Scrubs (never really cared before) and realize I have a new funny guy crush on Mr. Braff. I can't wait to see the new movie, "The Last Kiss."

I realize he did not write and direct Last Kiss and I also realize it's not going to be the same as Garden State.
But I am also totally in love with it based on the trailers I have seen. Without even seeing it, I love that they are exploring all those big questions that we are all asking ourselves. Around how you ever know if you are making the right decision? (My answer so far: You can't and you don't until after it's over.) And the quotes are things like this:

• "The world is moving so fast now that we start freaking long before our parents did because we don't ever stop to breathe anymore. "
• "Did you know that the institution of marriage was created when the average person lived to the age of 30?"

I am hoping it's not going to be one of those 'Great trailer, Crappy movie' experiences. Has anyone in the US seen it already? Care to share thoughts? Please tell me it's great. Please?

Friday's Top Five

A new feature here on ReckenRoll. A top 5 list every Friday (as long as I remember to do it).

Today, in honour of the rumour that there may be a Wham reunion concert on the horizon, I give you my top 5 concerts. Feel free to share your list...

1. U2 - Elevation Tour - GM Place, Vancouver, BC
2. *Nsync - Celebrity Tour - Tacoma Dome, Seattle (No I am not ashamed)
3. Jason Mraz - Geek in the Pink Tour - Shepherds Bush, London
4. Dixie Chicks - Top of the World Tour - Key Arena, Seattle
5. Nu Shooz and Billy Ocean (my first concert!) - Sullivan Arena, Anchorage, Alaska

Oh My God, You're TOTALLY, Like, Famous!

Fame, (fame) makes a man take things over

Fame, (fame) lets him loose, hard to swallow

Fame, (fame) puts you there where things are hollow

Fame (fame)

- David Bowie

My best friend is totally famous. Seriously. I can prove it.
She actually has her own IMDB entry!
Check it out here.

AND she's already perfected her paparazzi face. Maybe I should post this on the IMDB site as her official photo. Thoughts?

Anyone want to help me start the fan club before Paris Hilton tries to date her?

(yes, I am in big trouble for posting that photo but it makes me laugh and it's my blog so I can do what I want...that's the beauty of the Internet.)

I'm a Big Kid Now.

This is Maggie. She is one of the world's cutest babies. She belongs to my friend Mollie.

Was reading the latest issue of Time Magazine today on the Tube, "Europe's New Frontiers" and there is this very long and extensive article about the redefinition of the European family.

In a nutshell? The nuclear family is a dying breed.

It went on and on about Europe's aging population. How most countries aren't reproducing enough children to maintain population levels (couples need 2.1 kids and most countries average 1.3 - 1.7 kids per couple) and governments are having to do things like have liberal immigration policies to keep population numbers up. In the UK they even took away tax breaks for married couples without kids and only give them to couples with kids to encourage people to pop into the bedroom and pop out some lil' uns.

It also talked extensively about the issue of women waiting later in life to have babies. This is where I suddenly realized I was a grown up. I'll share the exact sentence with you:

"The average age of women giving birth in the EU hovers at just below 30, up from 27.4 in 1991."

I saw my age and was gobsmacked. Kids? Really? At my age?
But I'm just a kid myself!!!

Seriously. Somedays I feel like a fraud. Like at any minute someone is going to take away my business cards and tell me to go back to the finger paints.

And somedays I think that would be really nice.

It's funny to sit and think about how you fall statistically and realize you still don't think of yourself as a grown up. Turns out I am not alone. In Europe, "many modern families are planned around that quintessential of baby-boomer obsessions, the desire for self-fulfillment."

In other words, we're all selfish bastards who view kids as slowing us down, making us give up nice holidays and white furniture, being a burden on our disposable income, and making us come home at a decent hour.
According to Time, we are a massive change from past generations where women were brought up to believe that only by having a baby (or 3) would their lives be complete. (There is data in the mag to back this up).

Now to be clear, I do want kids someday - at least 2, maybe 3. I have visions of being old and having a house full of grandkids. (I think my mom has the same vision for herself but my bro and I have yet to help her out there. Sorry mom.) But I always think of this as something that would be nice to have - not the only way to make my life complete.

And how that is actually going to happen? Well, I'll figure that out when I get around to it.

I've got a lot of things to do first.

TGIM

Monday Monday, so good to me,

Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be

- The Mamas and the Papas

Thank god it's Monday.

No, seriously. Thank god it's Monday. This weekend just about killed me.

I spent Friday in Paris...this is not as glamorous as it sounds. I got up at 5.30 am, rode the Eurostar, was in all day meetings, missed my Eurostar back so had to take a later one, and got back to my flat in London at 10.30 pm that evening.

There were several things that made this trip interesting:

1. The taxi driver who picked me up to take me back to Gard du Nord at 6.30 pm telling me in French/English (mostly French) that traffic was so bad along the route at that time of night that I should take the Metro instead. So I did. No biggie. But riding the Metro with the unwashed Parisian masses when you know you had the option of your own private black Mercedes with leather interior after an already long day? Well, let's just say it falls far short of the proverbial icing on the cake.
2. Upon arriving at Gard du Nord, being told by a Eurostar ticket guy with FAR TOO MUCH ATTITUDE (in a haaayy sista kinda way) that regardless of the fact that we had called to change my ticket he had no record of that. That I should have changed my reservation on the phone and they (the phone people) should not have told me to change my ticket at the station. Ok, great. They shouldn't have but they did. So Mr. Eurostar, how are we going to fix this now? The funny thing is, he never actually told me I couldn't get on the train and, after 10 minutes of one of the most annoying conversations I have had in a long while, he still gave me a ticket in the end. I am not sure why we had to go through that stupid discussion to get it...but we did. Maybe he just needed a hug.
3. Upon boarding the Eurostar, being confronted by a young couple sitting in my seat. Could I please change seats with his girlfriend? They were separated. Would that be ok? Sure, no problem I say and make my way back to the carriage she was meant to be in. Problem #1: The new seat is a 4 seater around a table, my seat is riding backward and 3 of the seats are filled with strangers - so there is no space to move or stretch out my legs. Problem #2: Over 3/4 of the carriage is already filled with a large group of Japanese tourists loudly discussing in Japanes how much they liked the Eiffel Tower. Problem #3: The rest of the immediate 10 seats around me are soon filled with a tourist group of special needs people. All loudly discussing how much they liked the Eiffel Tower. I had half a mind to ask if I was being Punked.

Instead, I momentarily debated making the girlfriend switch back with me and sitting next to the boyfriend who hated me for the whole trip to London...Realizing this wasn't really an option I got up and staked out a pair of seats that no one had yet claimed in another carriage. After 10 nail biting minutes spent panicking every time someone new entered the carriage I actually won and got my own 2 seat spot to myself. Thank god.

Needless to say, this is not the ideal way to do Paris. Saturday I slept until noon. I can't remember the last time I slept until noon.

Yesterday, I did the Nike Run London 10k. It's acutally a pretty fun event, they divide the whole of the runners into North London vs. South London (based on where you live with the Thames as the dividing line. We ran for North obviously). It was a gorgeous day for running: slightly cool, sunny popping out every once in a while, nice breeze. Without any type of training, Suzanne and I managed to shave over 5 minutes off of our time from the June 10k. South London won in the end but we all had a good time.

However, this morning my legs were so sore I could barely motivate to get out of bed.

So yes, thank god it's Monday. I can sit here at my desk, during normal office hours, and not physically exert myself.

Long live the cube.

A Hazy Shade of Winter

Here comes the rain again,

Falling on my head like a memory,

Falling on my head like a new emotion

- Eurythmics

It's official. I miss August.

London is so gross today. It's cold. It's gray. It's drizzling. It's wet. It's really wet.

I mean really wet. I spent the 30 minutes after lunch trying to dry out after being caught out without a brolly or a coat.

My feet were actually squishing around in my soaked shoes.

Sadcakes.

On top of crap weather, it's been busy busy busy from start to finish every day at work. It makes me look back fondly on August when I would send out emails asking if anyone needed help with anything. When I could take an hour (or more!) lunch break and sit in the sun. When I could plan a holiday for any day of the week I wanted and actually take it. When flip-flops, skirts, and short sleeves were a necessity cause London was melting. When the thought of a heavy beer offended and all I could think about after work was a nice cool crisp glass of white wine.

Those days are gone my friends.

Bring on the boots, the coats, the long sleeves and the umbrellas. It's soup for lunch everyday and a pint at the pub at night.

All of London agrees.

My evidence (besides the rain and the fact that it's dark at 6.30): I went to two different sandwich shops today (in the pissing rain) hoping for a warm bowl of soupy goodness only to encounter a "Sold Out" sign both times.

Very sadcakes indeed.

No Time to Talk...

So I added photos from Saturday night to Flickr instead. Enjoy!

She's Off to See the Wizard...

...the wonderful wizard of Aus.

My first real British friend, Cat, left me this weekend to spend the next 2 years travelling and working in Australia. Her big plans include spending a ski season in New Zealand and meeting cute outdoorsy ski bums.

Me = Jealous

I do have plans in the works to visit her next September when I am on my sabbatical. (The one good thing about all that time spent with BA is the fact that I now have 130k air miles.) In the meantime, I needed a way to keep track of her so I cajoled her into starting a blog.

Cause we all know, Bloggers rock.

She's been added to the Entourage as "Cat on the Go" or you can check her out here.

What I Learned This Weekend: Birthday Edition

They say it's your birthday
Well it's my birthday too, yeah
They say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you
- Beatles

• I am old enough that when the guy in the wine shop asks for my ID it's to verify my credit card, not to check if I am legal.
• I am wise enough to know not to take that 'birthday shot' of whiskey.
• However, I am not so wise that I don't stay out dancing until 3.30 am.
• And you are NEVER too old to party for almost a week straight. Only the strong survive.
• Guilty Pleasures are really the best kind.
• I am getting bold in my old age.
• I got a lotta peeps all over the world and I am well loved. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone for the e-cards, the presents, the well wishing and the hugs. I loved them all.

Finally, the most important lesson that I learned this weekend:

Thirty is f*cking fabulous.