An update!
It's surprising how fast time flies when you're doing other things. I did intend to post something most every week but now it appears three weeks have actually passed since the last entry...
So this will be a brief update, but probably contain little or nothing of substance. :)
We're both a bit lazy Julie and I. Despite having moved into the house there were still a few jobs that needed doing. Approximately one (give or take) of them has been done. None of the jobs are urgent though, so I guess we'll get around to them at some point. Visiting other people's houses - especially those of friends of mine who earn stupid amounts of money - make me realise just how small our place is, and yet I never feel cramped or in need of space here.
Teamed up with Pete and Ollie to play a big Team Qualifier in London a couple of weeks back. Luck was on our side a little but we also played really well through-out the day, and were able to win the qualifier. This means being able to play at the Pro-Tour in Boston at the end of September - Becky/Warren/Karen etc - make sure you are there!!
Have just returned from Amsterdam where Julie and I went to watch the Magic European Championships. Or rather where I went to watch the European Champs and Julie went to shop and hang out with other partners of Magic playing friends of mine whilst we all did stuff they found very boring. Being from Canada origininally - a country where anything fun is illegal - Julie was interested to see the prostitutes and sex shops as she'd seen nothing like them before. A little time was thus spent wandering around the red light district. A lot of the women seem a lot more attractive than I would imagine prostitutes to be, but I guess in their industry looking sexy is a plus. The sex shops are more worrying as you literally can buy almost anything. Several Video/DVD boxes were returned to shelves by one of us with exclamations of "Eeeeww!!" as they had pictures of things you really didn't want to see (I'm talking animals and such things here).
We got to hang out with our friends a lot in Amsterdam which was great as many of them live a long way from us and Magic events are often places where we all get to congregate for several days at a time. Pete arranged a meal for 20 of us at a pasta restaurant where all of the waiters and waitresses are also singers. Every so often they quieten the whole restaurant down whilst one of the servers performs accompanied only by a piano. We were treated to german opera, old Marlene Dietrich songs, current pop songs and more through-out our meal.
Was happily surprised to see Vanessa (and Vicky) at the event too. Vanessa is a friend I've known for quite a long time but who I hadn't spoken to in a couple of months probably, and hadn't seen in over a year. Often you meet up with people like that and it's all uncomfortable chit-chat but seeing her again reminded me that yes, I do like her, and I miss her a little again already.
In the mean time everything with Julie is as good as I could wish it to be. We're happy, we're still totally into each other and no doubt embarassing people everywhere with blatant public displays of affection. There's a chance that Julie might have to go back to Canada for a couple of weeks soon as she may need a temporary work visa before a teaching agency is prepared to stump up for a more long term one. I'm kinda hoping she doesn't have to though as I don't much fancy the porspect of living in the flat by myself for a fortnight. She does need to work though so I guess we'll have to see.
So this will be a brief update, but probably contain little or nothing of substance. :)
We're both a bit lazy Julie and I. Despite having moved into the house there were still a few jobs that needed doing. Approximately one (give or take) of them has been done. None of the jobs are urgent though, so I guess we'll get around to them at some point. Visiting other people's houses - especially those of friends of mine who earn stupid amounts of money - make me realise just how small our place is, and yet I never feel cramped or in need of space here.
Teamed up with Pete and Ollie to play a big Team Qualifier in London a couple of weeks back. Luck was on our side a little but we also played really well through-out the day, and were able to win the qualifier. This means being able to play at the Pro-Tour in Boston at the end of September - Becky/Warren/Karen etc - make sure you are there!!
Have just returned from Amsterdam where Julie and I went to watch the Magic European Championships. Or rather where I went to watch the European Champs and Julie went to shop and hang out with other partners of Magic playing friends of mine whilst we all did stuff they found very boring. Being from Canada origininally - a country where anything fun is illegal - Julie was interested to see the prostitutes and sex shops as she'd seen nothing like them before. A little time was thus spent wandering around the red light district. A lot of the women seem a lot more attractive than I would imagine prostitutes to be, but I guess in their industry looking sexy is a plus. The sex shops are more worrying as you literally can buy almost anything. Several Video/DVD boxes were returned to shelves by one of us with exclamations of "Eeeeww!!" as they had pictures of things you really didn't want to see (I'm talking animals and such things here).
We got to hang out with our friends a lot in Amsterdam which was great as many of them live a long way from us and Magic events are often places where we all get to congregate for several days at a time. Pete arranged a meal for 20 of us at a pasta restaurant where all of the waiters and waitresses are also singers. Every so often they quieten the whole restaurant down whilst one of the servers performs accompanied only by a piano. We were treated to german opera, old Marlene Dietrich songs, current pop songs and more through-out our meal.
Was happily surprised to see Vanessa (and Vicky) at the event too. Vanessa is a friend I've known for quite a long time but who I hadn't spoken to in a couple of months probably, and hadn't seen in over a year. Often you meet up with people like that and it's all uncomfortable chit-chat but seeing her again reminded me that yes, I do like her, and I miss her a little again already.
In the mean time everything with Julie is as good as I could wish it to be. We're happy, we're still totally into each other and no doubt embarassing people everywhere with blatant public displays of affection. There's a chance that Julie might have to go back to Canada for a couple of weeks soon as she may need a temporary work visa before a teaching agency is prepared to stump up for a more long term one. I'm kinda hoping she doesn't have to though as I don't much fancy the porspect of living in the flat by myself for a fortnight. She does need to work though so I guess we'll have to see.