So cold.

I don't really want to waffle on about the weather, but I mentioned it was frickin' freezing last week. Well last week was a lovely cool breeze compared to today. It's insanely cold, minus 10 degree C but with the wind chill, feels more like minus 20. Frankly when the weatherman says you could experience a little frost bite if your outside for more than half an hour you decide to stay in and have a cuppa instead of venturing out to the local Starbucks and returning with black fingers.


I ventured down to the Charles River earlier in the week to take a couple of pictures. The river is completely frozen and is one of the most beautiful things I've seen. That's until you see somebody has tried to smash the ice with a dustbin. It has snowed a little this week but only an inch or so. Nothing major. Also out on my walk I came across the local eagle or hawk nibbling on a little rat. We've seen it a few times lately but managed to get pretty close this time to take a picture. It didn't seem to mind the attention. There was even a professional photographer there with his massive lens taking pictures too. Not something you see every day.


We're planning to have a tourist type day once a week before we head home in the summer. This week we went to the JFK museum and library. Which was pretty interesting. As you get older you obviously get more interested in politics and world events. So me and Em found it all pretty fascinating especially the parts of the museum covering the Cuban missile crisis and the Space race. Loads of stuff about how he used television to help get his messages across to the people. So recommend a visit if your in Boston.

The Patriots lost last weekend, didn't have a good Sunday really, Watched Man Utd throw away the lead against Arsenal then the Patriots did the same thing. Leading 21-6 at half time they lost to the Indianapolis Colts 34-38. So it's going to be the Colts against the Chicago Bears in Superbowl 41 a week on Sunday. Still going to watch it, Em’s going to make a chilli which is apparently the thing to do.

Cheers till next Friday, have a good weekend.

Long johns on

Yep it's frickin' freezing, well not so much today but for most of the week it's just been so cold, minus something or other all day long. Em's worked four straight days this week so we've both been up at 5:20 and walking to work with 18 layers of clothing on to try and keep warm. I even had two hats on one day. At least we didn't have the 70 mph winds that have been hitting England and other parts of Europe. No real snow fall yet, sure there will be some soon.

Started a life drawing class the other week, takes place every Friday for the next 10 weeks. I'm posting the drawings to the sketchblog, so feel free to click on the yellow pencil to the left which should take you straight there. Em's well into here yoga classes, attending at least one class a week and getting as flexible as a rubber band. Not quite to Stings standard mind.

My cold's slowly clearing, still got an irritating cough but feeling much better than a week ago. Working off the Christmas belly too due to us not eating and drinking as much, so feeling good. Need to start jogging again, Em's planning to run the Great North Run again, this will be about the 6th or 7th time if she gets in.

The New England Patriots are in the AFC Final this weekend which is like the semi-finals for the Superbowl. Em's not much of a fan but it's bringing back memories when I was a kid and watched it all the time on Channel 4. Should be a great experience if they can win on Sunday and get to the Superbowl while we're here. 'Come on Pats' as they say.

Cheerio till next week.

Well Christmas and New Year already feel like months ago. I know it's January, but in many ways it feels more like March to me. Can't really explain it but the mild weather and no snow whatsoever has probably got something to do with it. It's cold today mind but dry and sunny. Maybe the cold I've had this week is an attribute to my feelings. I'm crap with a cold, suffering from the typical bloke with a cold syndrome. I just shut down, unable to sleep and sit there with tissues stuck up my nose. Luckily Em's pulling me through it.

An interesting start to the year in the apartment. It's not every day that it starts to rain in the corridor, but that's what happened a few doors down last Sunday. A burst water pipe was to blame and not somebody in the apartment above leaving a tap running or something far more sinister. We're not just talking about a trickle of water either here. It was like a cloud burst that lasted for an hour or so. It was more entertaining than watching tv anyway.

Start a figure drawing class tomorrow which should be cool, looking forward to it. Hopefully it will get the ball rolling and inspire some new work. Em's working a couple of nights this week, she bought a map of America the other day to plan our summer holiday, tour, trip. Whatever you want to call it. Seattle, Chicago and San Fransisco are top of the list of cities with the Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Joshua Tree Park other places we would like to visit before returning home. Better earn some money then. So enough from me, time for a brew, a cough drop or two and to crack on with some work.

Cheers.

P.S. Have a look at this. Takes a minute to load but worth the wait.

New Website

I spent the last 3 months or so of 2006 re-designing my website for the New Year and launched it the other day. The grey background is gone and frankly I'm pleased to see the back of it. A fresh start for the New Year. There's a couple of new pieces of work on there too. So please click here to have a look. Feel free to let me know what you think.

Cheers.

Happy New Year

So how was 2006 for you? I guess it had it's moments like every other year. For us it was a full calendar year living on the other side of the pond, so will no doubt always be remembered for that. We did take a couple of trips back home to Blighty to celebrate Emma's 30th and Richard & Ian's civil ceremony. Which stand tall as a couple of highlights to the year. I spent the first of what I hope to be many working for myself, I did manage to do some work for other people too, and finished the year with a few freelance jobs under my belt. Em's worked her socks off, ticking off the number of shifts left to work as she goes. Sure it's not quite worked out as she expected but she's gained a whole new family of friends and seen an aggressive patient pinned to the wall by hospital police with guns at the ready. I'd never seen her so excited after a shift.

Em also fulfilled an ambition to see Madonna in concert, which I'm sure Richard & Ian wont mind me saying was the gayest thing I've seen this year next to a trip to P-Town. Another highlight was going whale watching in August which was just something else. Breakfast down by the Charles river was the best way to chill and start our days through the summer months. Picking up loads of copies of Boston's Weekly Dig, which published one of my illustrations was a huge buzz. Parents visiting, drinking and eating pizza in Woody's. The July 4th celebrations. We certainly had some of the best days of our lives last year, and some low ones too. Hey your going to have a couple no matter what.

Anyway it's 2007 a new year and there's loads to look forward to. The first things Emma said when the clock struck 12 on Monday was "We're going home this year". Which surely is one, but we've got loads more to do before then.

Cheers.

P.S. I have to give Em credit for the fireworks picture at the top, I spent most of New Years Eve sleeping and coughing at the toilet. So was concentrating on other things than taking pictures. I never really had drinking legs. I think my dad kept them for himself, Ha ha.