World Cup Fever and a Visit

Where have the last 12 days gone? I am exhausted but it's been fun.

I'm trying to remember what we've done these last couple of weeks, but struggling fiercely. I think I may have gone to the Rockaways and seen the sandy beach replaced by a big ugly pipe. OK, maybe not replaced, but it's definitely an eye-sore. However, it could be that this was a few weeks ago.

I know we definitely celebrated the start of the World Cup and have been watching games religiously. The England v Italy game watched tensely at home with a bunch of fellow Brit expats. The Ecuador v Honduras game watched at the huge Studio Square in Queens with about seven Hondurans and a million Ecuadorians. The USA v Portugal was watched in Madison Square Park with about seven Portuguese and a million Americans.

Our friend, King Tint came to visit us in Manhattan, but we ended up taking her on a voyage around the world. Ecuador for the game followed by Columbia for food. Then the next day to the high seas at Coney Island for the Mermaid parade with a pit-stop in Brighton for some Russian food. We headed over to Japan for some average tasting ramen at the well-respected Totto Ramen, and then headed to the top of the Universe to view New York from atop the Rock. Sunday, we stayed in America mostly, by touring Central Park, but took a jaunt over to Xian for some hand-pulled noodles. We rounded her trip off at B Bar for some Mediterranean flavas.

No wonder I'm tired.

A Blub

I've been offline for a couple of weeks because I have a confession: I did another stealth visit back home. OK, admittedly it wasn't that stealth, as my sister kept posting pictures of us on FB, but if I'd had my way, it would have been more discreet. It was a work trip followed by a conference in DC, so it was truly exhausting.

Highlights in the UK were fitting in the Drowned Man before the end of its run and also going to the new LBD (craft beer) and the new Mr L's wine bar next door. A veritable crawl.

The reason I was home for a brief visit was because I was losing my boss and gaining a new one. I was super sad about that, as my old boss is pretty empowering and hands off. My new boss is less like that.

I just had a wee blub. I cursed myself, as three months ago, I was just saying how lucky we were. Fast forward to today and my new boss wants me to focus on fundraising, which is not what was discussed with my old boss (I feel like I've regressed six years to earlier jobs), and there is no escape, as I won't be going on maternity leave in four/five months' time.

I'll indulge myself for a little while, but I promise I'll pull myself together after that.