WEEK TWENTY

Week Twenty. WEEK TWENTY?! WTH. 

Week Twenty was fairly low key besides the fact that I went to the Taylor Swift concert on Tuesday with a bunch of my American friends. Luckily the tube strike was called off hours before the concert so our transportation wasn't compromised.

I do not consider myself a Taylor Swift fan. In fact, many times, I have claimed her music to be against my religion-- I really just joined in with the festivities in the spirit of sisterhood. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that: 1) we had floor seats (we were about 20ft from Tay at all times), and 2) she can really put on a good show! I had a really a fun time!  So, with that being said, I would like to make a public apology to the one and only super fan Catherine Allison Bailey-- "I'm sorry for thinking you were a twenty-something loser. It was actually a really fun concert! Forgive me?"

Since I spent a good portion of my "fun" money at the concert, I had no choice but to pump the brakes on my spending. That means, me staying in. It's inevitable that any time I leave the flat, I spend money. Whether it's lunch, grocery shopping, getting a coffee on the way to somewhere, or taking the bus, you can't avoid it. We live our life on a strict budget since I am currently fun-employed and with our Amsterdam holiday coming up next weekend, we need to save as much money as we can. 

I guess I shouldn't say that I am unemployed... You are looking at the newest member of Sir Oliver's Dog Walking Committee! Yes, I am now a part-time dog-walker! No seriously, I am so happy to help out my friend and walk her adorable Austrian Shepard a couple times a week. I am loving the company and it's nice to actually have a reason to get out and stretch the legs a bit!

Thursday, we laid low.

Friday (Valentine's Day), we laid low. We typically don't like to participate in the hype of Valentine's Day. I walked Sir Oliver in the early afternoon, went grocery shopping and then got the flat ready for James to get home.

We stayed in, exchanged cards, cooked chicken pitas and binge-watched House of Cards while sharing a bottle of champagne. Maybe that's not everyone's idea of romance, but for us it was actually quite perfect and we were able to relax and spend some quality time together.

Saturday, we met some friends at a pub called Duke of York in St. John's Wood. We had a a few drinks and then headed back to get ready for dinner and drinks out with another couple at 69 Colebrooke Row. Unfortunately, we received the news about my Grandmother and we decided to cancel and stay in. 

Only a portion of the Alexander Clan

Mother and Daughter

June 8, 2013

Grammy with her girls

Barb and Jerry circa many, many moons ago

Even though it was nice weather on Sunday, I didn't feel like leaving so I stayed in and putzed around the flat. 

Next week will be a lot of preparation for our weekend trip to Amsterdam. The weather seems okayyyy, so hopefully I can get out and explore a bit. I am trying to clean out my iphone in preparation for the obscene amount of pictures I will take next weekend. It is a very tedious task. Once again, I am kicking myself in the ass for not having a proper camera OR computer in the UK. cue: eye roll.

Today is the last day to vote for the Team Starnes Takes London for the “Top 100 International Exchange and Experience Blogs". Please vote if you already haven't, and thank you for everyone who already has.

Here is the link to the site: http://www.lexiophiles.com/english/vote-for-your-favorite-IX14-blog