Chop

Each time I make an appointment to get my hair cut, I go through the same questions with myself:

1) Should I do something a little different?
2) Should I really do something a little different?
3) Are you sure you want to do something a little different?

And then of course, I stick to exactly the same haircut I've had for the past 12 years!

This time I asked the questions, still had a MAYBE in my head when I went to the salon, and after she had cut the length off I asked myself all those questions all over again! And actually I asked the stylist the questions too. I think I spent a good few minutes staring into that mirror thinking if I do this, it's final, and trying to pin back my long layers to see what bangs (or a fringe if you're English) would look like! Anyone else ever done that? No? Hmmm, guess that's just me then! At this point I would usual back out. But no. Not this time. I said CHOP! So off came my nice long front layers to make bangs. Arrrrrrgh. Do you know how long it takes for my hair to grow?? Seriously?? Like forever! Last time I grew bangs out, I was 8. I cut my hair to chin length (well the stylist did, not me!) and had clips holding back my long bangs for what seemed like an eternity. Combine this with gappy teeth and you get the picture... not good! And now I think of it, the next time I had bangs (at 14), albeit thin whispy ones, I had terrible teeth too with braces. I am seeing a trend.

Well, now I have bangs and really they're not that bad! And my teeth aren't that terrible either. So maybe I can get away with it! I have to. Watch this space though... I'm pretty sure they'll be gone by next summer. The bangs that is, not the teeth.

Ode to the Ocean

Oh the longing that the ocean brings
When you've lived upon its mighty waters
And felt the thunder of the wind and waves
Upon the bow

And the still and calm of twilight
When light bounces on the surface
And shadows on glass, so still, so quiet
Peaceful thoughts

Ever changing, never settling, ocean
Horizon never ending, open, free
There's a place I'd love to stand in that salt breeze
Oh to be.

Proof of parents visit

So I'm finally catching up on myself! I have had so many things to do since my parents left that uploading photos was not top of my list!

Taking my parents on a walk up the Bluffs. I told them it would take about half an hour - hahahaha - it was closer to an hour and a half after I nearly killed my mum with the heat and the altitude!

Dad trying to climb out of a "door" at the pueblo:

The world's most exciting restaurant:

My mum loved the pool and hot tub at our apartments:

The slow pokes hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park:

Mini golf Thornton-style:

Bearing in mind it was about 90*F in the day, this is what we were wearing for our outdoor movie night... I am not joking.

Thanks to my mum for taking half of these photos :)

British

My parents visited for almost 2 weeks. I started to make a list of words that I haven't heard in a loooooong time that sound funny and soooo English to me now:

lift (elevator)
tele (TV)
pudding (dessert)
flat (apartment)
mobile (cell phone)
jumper (sweater)
boot (trunk)
bonnet (hood)
smack (spank)
petrol (gas)...

Seriously, this list could have gone on and on and on... I stopped listing after one evening. It amused me for a while! There are some British words of course that I still come out with from time to time and cause a blank look on the other person's face. Mostly though my British-isms are fading fast and since I never hear these words unless I'm on the phone to someone back home, I find them so funny to hear. And oh, the accent!! Yes, I know, I hear you say it - I have an accent too... but none so strong as my parents'. It was great to have them around :)

I will post photos when my mum sends me some (was nice to have someone else taking the photos for once!)

2 words

I have 2 words for you: CASA BONITA!!

Will be back in a week with some updates. Sorry no blogging at the mo - my parents are here.

Cheyenne Frontier Days and Bison Ranch

Luke was away on the weekend... booooo! Our first nights apart since we were married. However, I think I did pretty good, since I went up to visit his uncle and aunt and got spoiled rotten for the weekend :)

Pics from the rodeo at Frontier Days:

(Look closely at the photo above and you will see the bull throwing off the rider after 7.2 secs! Sorry, I didn't have a zoom lens! The rider has to stay on for 8 secs to get points.)

Pics from the Bison Ranch in Cheyenne (We went on a lunch train and ate buffalo burgers and saw the buffalo):

Thanks Robert and Sara!!

Not Me Monday

So.. the Jehovah's witnesses.. I promised those of you on Facebook that I would tell you what I did!

Knock on my door (well, my boss's door since I was at work). I answer. There stand 2 young-ish girls and a boy who couldn't have been older than 7. Knew straight off who they were since Mormons come in pairs and are generally high school boys, so it wasn't them, plus these were holding their magazine, which i recognized. One girl did all the talking and started out apologizing that she knows I'm super busy... Really?? I mean, all I did was open the door - how did she know if I was busy or not?! I actually wasn't so I certainly DID NOT go along with that. She asks if I have seen their magazine before, which I have, we had them all the time in England. I really DIDN'T want to get them off the doorstep, honestly, but I took their magazine and said I'd go back to what I was doing (not much). Upon closing the door, IT WASN'T ME who ripped up said magazine into shreds and piled it into the recycling can... nooooo. Most definitely not.

And as an aside, I WAS NOT the one who left her bag in a restaurant on the weekend and only realised about 20 mins later.