ANTICIPATION…..

I must begin today’s blog with a "thank you" to my mate, Terry, for sending me the instruction video on ketchup. It was very helpful. Maybe that’s why I haven’t been having many second dates. Note to Terry: You can also just put a knife in the opening to "help things along."

I’ve been watching the Olympics….those ski dude guys are pretty hot in those form-fitting suits. Congrats to my adopted home on it’s ONE MEDAL – a silver- in Skeleton Bobsled. Well done, Shelley Rudman! However, Ha! Ha! The UsofA beat Britain in Curling, 9 – 8. I still don’t understand this sport, but anything that requires using a broom is not for me.

Tonight is the short program in Women’s Figure skating. Cousin Sasha, in a telephono callo from Torino, tells me she’s "up for it." Oddly, the Irish Lad’s away message today is a lyric from a song written by Cousin Leonard in Canada. Hint: Roberta Flack had a big hit with it, but I like Cousin Leonard’s version better. MY away message is a lyric from Terry’s cousin Bob in Dublin. (Isn’t everyone named "Dylan" or "Ulysses" from Dublin?

I’m intrigued that Terry’s message changes every couple days. Is there a competition going on that I’m unaware of? I can play, too. I have zillions of song lyrics cluttering up my brain. Hey, it’s more fun than recipes, unless I start to sing.

Since I’ve been stuck in the winter doldrums, in addition to not being well, I joined a group called Wired Safety, which is a monitoring agency for internet safety. In order to be accepted as a member, you must first provide a letter from your local police department that you are an upstanding citizen, and then take a variety of on-line courses. I’m half-way through my courses. I’m not sure if it’s popular across the pond, but there’s a site here called My Space, which has become a juggernaut for inappropriate behavior by teens. I’ve written a couple of articles for the Rockall Times about My Space, but it’s really not funny. Surfing the site is mind-blowing and frightening. Right now, there is a 14 year old girl locally who is missing. Apparently, she ran off with a 42 year old man she met on My Space. He was pretending to be a teenaged boy. It is my personal goal to get the damned space shut down. Okay. Enough "grown-up" shit.

As I now consider myself a resident of two countries, I feel it is incumbent upon me to be a Good Will Ambassador for both cultures. I made a good start in Weybridge by providing Philadelphia Eagles gear to the masses, and "Let them eat cheesesteaks!" fixings. I’m now focusing on introducing Pimms to my fellow Americans. Step-son Stuart was easy….way too easy. Mary took to it like mother’s milk. In fact, next to Leechy, it’s her favorite thing in England. Toots serves it all the time. I served it at the Pinkie partays, and breaking with a long-standing tradition, I served it on Super Bowl Sunday. My step-daughter was an immediate convert. In fact, she keeps inviting me over, casually mentioning that I should bring three or four bottles of "that stuff" with me.

It’s always Pimms O’clock!