I love national events. Ruth pointed this out to me a good few years ago and it's true, Royal Weddings, State Opening of Parliament, Rembrance Day, the Grand National, the Boat Race, you name I watch it. Last week I given all the goal updates during the FA Cup from my parents. It wasn't the same as watching the build up, seeing the team arrive in their suits, Abide With Me and all that but I was in Wilmington, NC so it wasn't that bad.
Today I heard all about the Big Brother contestants arriving. As Graham Norton said a few years ago, 'first twelve through the doors again then'.
Later in June I'll miss the World Cup. I'm not hopeful it'll receive much coverage here, even though the USA is there and ranked 4th in the world (when did they get so good?!). And of course there's Wimbledon.
But the thing that hurts the most right now that I'll be missing is, sligthly ashamed to say it, the Eurovision Song Contest. Let me tell you, it is an event in our house. There are even more fights about who has to go down for the Chinese that Saturday night. I can remember times I've rushed out to the car to switch on Radio 2 so I still hear what's going on.
The songs are generally crap and the UK stands zippo chance of ever winning it, and Ireland's lucky string of win seems to have evaporated. The voting is the brilliant though. It's a lesson in European politics. But the best thing about the whole programme is Terry Wogan. He is hilarious.
If you don't watch it, you need to start. Maybe you could go round and watch it with my parents? Just be prepared to shout at the TV along with them.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Nothing like milking a story
I remembered my camera today and so I can now give the final part of the Wilmington adventure. I can just imagine your joy!
In the afternoon we went back to the beach to sleep off the drive the night before.
Seriously, how beautiful?!
We ate pizza on the beach and played a little Farkle before starting the drive back.
The first part of the journey was a boat. A bit like Portaferry-Strangford, it was quicker to get the boat.
Also pretty!
We left the beach at about 7.30pm to start the mammoth drive home. No, really. It was a seven hour drive back to the lake. The journey was ok. There was, however, a moment coming up to Charlotte, which is about half way, where we got slightly off piste.
Megann, chief navigator, was talking on her phone and we passed the sign for an interstate we needed to get on. But me, being Miss Know-It All 2006 and not wanting to disturb Megann on her call, remembered that we had passed a sign for the same interstate after we had come off it on the way there, so therefore, I decided, we would come to another point where we should take this interstate.
So driving, driving, driving and no sign. Then we see the bright lights of downtown Charlotte, which looks very pretty. Both of us commented on the lights of the skyscapers and how cool they were. We carried on getting closer and closer.
Tina: I really don't remember seeing this on the way there...I suppose it was behind us though!
Actually Tina you didn't see the bright lights of the big city because you didn't come this way!
If you've ever driven on interstates in America you'll know that when another interstate or road meets it they generally just swing shot you onto it .There's none of this roundabout-bridge-where-you-can-turn-around that we tend to get on motorways at home. So coming off the road we were on, stopping and getting onto the right road was going to be slightly harder. We saw signs for other interstates that would take us to South Carolina and goodness knows where else, but if we took them we might not be able to get off and get turned around easily.
This was a situation when just a little bit of luck is all you need. We got it! We got an exit onto a Charlotte street where we could stop (and laugh for a good five minutes!), consulted the map, worked out a new route, found the new interstate, and when we hit major traffic (at midnight!) somehow we were in the lane that continued to travel at 40mph passed all the other parked cars.
Ok, so maybe we got more than a little bit of luck.
In the afternoon we went back to the beach to sleep off the drive the night before.
Seriously, how beautiful?!
We ate pizza on the beach and played a little Farkle before starting the drive back.
The first part of the journey was a boat. A bit like Portaferry-Strangford, it was quicker to get the boat.
Also pretty!
We left the beach at about 7.30pm to start the mammoth drive home. No, really. It was a seven hour drive back to the lake. The journey was ok. There was, however, a moment coming up to Charlotte, which is about half way, where we got slightly off piste.
Megann, chief navigator, was talking on her phone and we passed the sign for an interstate we needed to get on. But me, being Miss Know-It All 2006 and not wanting to disturb Megann on her call, remembered that we had passed a sign for the same interstate after we had come off it on the way there, so therefore, I decided, we would come to another point where we should take this interstate.
So driving, driving, driving and no sign. Then we see the bright lights of downtown Charlotte, which looks very pretty. Both of us commented on the lights of the skyscapers and how cool they were. We carried on getting closer and closer.
Tina: I really don't remember seeing this on the way there...I suppose it was behind us though!
Actually Tina you didn't see the bright lights of the big city because you didn't come this way!
If you've ever driven on interstates in America you'll know that when another interstate or road meets it they generally just swing shot you onto it .There's none of this roundabout-bridge-where-you-can-turn-around that we tend to get on motorways at home. So coming off the road we were on, stopping and getting onto the right road was going to be slightly harder. We saw signs for other interstates that would take us to South Carolina and goodness knows where else, but if we took them we might not be able to get off and get turned around easily.
This was a situation when just a little bit of luck is all you need. We got it! We got an exit onto a Charlotte street where we could stop (and laugh for a good five minutes!), consulted the map, worked out a new route, found the new interstate, and when we hit major traffic (at midnight!) somehow we were in the lane that continued to travel at 40mph passed all the other parked cars.
Ok, so maybe we got more than a little bit of luck.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Song lyric/something witty relating to the post
[This post comes in place of the third part of the Wilmington story because I forgot my camera with the pictures. Maybe tomorrow then?!]
Exciting things happened in the office yesterday.
1. I got a new printer. Ok, so not that exciting for you but it is for me.
2. We got a summer intern. I am no longer the youngest in the office! Hurrah!
Eduardo is from Mexico (the intern, not the printer) but has been studying the US for a few years now. He went to college with a couple of people from NI on that Business Iniative whatsit which has given him a head start on all the others in mocking my accent.
Seriously it wasn't even 9.30am on his first day before he was getting me to say phrases such as 'I'm going to have a shower in an hour', 'aye dead on' and 'what's the craic?!'
It's going to be a long summer.
Exciting things happened in the office yesterday.
1. I got a new printer. Ok, so not that exciting for you but it is for me.
2. We got a summer intern. I am no longer the youngest in the office! Hurrah!
Eduardo is from Mexico (the intern, not the printer) but has been studying the US for a few years now. He went to college with a couple of people from NI on that Business Iniative whatsit which has given him a head start on all the others in mocking my accent.
Seriously it wasn't even 9.30am on his first day before he was getting me to say phrases such as 'I'm going to have a shower in an hour', 'aye dead on' and 'what's the craic?!'
It's going to be a long summer.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
I don't want to wait for our lives to be over
We went to Wilmington, NC which you might have heard of because the legend that was Dawson’s Creek was filmed there. It is a gorgeous town and looks very like Capeside (funny that!).
Pacey?! Is that you?!
We had to go to the TV studios where it was filmed to have the tour. They film One Tree Hill now, which was my favourite T4 programme last year (I wasn’t so keen on The O.C. – sorry Jud) and an important part of my Wednesday nights here. It was pretty cool to be walking through the sets where the great Chad Michael Murray walks!
That be the studios. Apparently it’s the largest studio outside of Hollywood. Who knew?!
Joey and Audrey’s dorm room.
R.I.P. the hottest dad that ever graced a TV screen.
Proving that she really is Katie Holmes, Megann climbs in through Dawson’s window.
Dawson invited me round to watch a movie.
Not sure they captured the exact likeness of the four main stars. Seriously, Megann looks more like Joey than that depiction!
The good ship True Love.
Hayley and Brooke's bathroom. Slightly blurry because you weren't really meant to take photos on this set. Ssh!
The Ravens dressing room, go Ravens!
All together now, 'I don't want to be anything other than what I've been trying to be lately...'
Pacey?! Is that you?!
We had to go to the TV studios where it was filmed to have the tour. They film One Tree Hill now, which was my favourite T4 programme last year (I wasn’t so keen on The O.C. – sorry Jud) and an important part of my Wednesday nights here. It was pretty cool to be walking through the sets where the great Chad Michael Murray walks!
That be the studios. Apparently it’s the largest studio outside of Hollywood. Who knew?!
Joey and Audrey’s dorm room.
R.I.P. the hottest dad that ever graced a TV screen.
Proving that she really is Katie Holmes, Megann climbs in through Dawson’s window.
Dawson invited me round to watch a movie.
Not sure they captured the exact likeness of the four main stars. Seriously, Megann looks more like Joey than that depiction!
The good ship True Love.
Hayley and Brooke's bathroom. Slightly blurry because you weren't really meant to take photos on this set. Ssh!
The Ravens dressing room, go Ravens!
All together now, 'I don't want to be anything other than what I've been trying to be lately...'
Monday, May 15, 2006
Looks like morning in your eyes
Megann and I had a bit of a crazy weekend so Monday came as a little bit of a shock. I picked Megann up from the airport at 11.00pm on Friday night and rather than drive the 30 miles home, talk for a few hours and go to bed to wake up ready for action on Saturday morning, we drove 370 miles across the great state of North Carolina, arriving in time to see the sun rise above the Atlantic ocean.
It happens every day but somehow when you see it, it is still amazing.
It happens every day but somehow when you see it, it is still amazing.
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