"Hello, my friend, hello"

I called the lakehouse last night, because I knew my family (including my sister, home from Africa for a bit) would be there with the Heilalas, helping to close Wissahickon for the season. I was mildly chastised for not keeping up with the blogging.

A lot has been happening around here. This past weekend there was a leaving do for a physio on Friday at Floriditas, my favourite Cuban club in Soho. Both times I've been there, I've had a fantastic time. Last night we had a get-together at a lovely pub in the next town over, to celebrate Dave and Nicole's engagement. Nicole's ring had been at the jeweler for the past two weeks, being re-sized, so Dave picked it up Saturday morning, and showed up at our house with a single red rose and re-proposed to Nicole. Fittingly, the initial proposal was in a park across the road from the pub where the engagement party was held.

This coming weekend, my housemates and a bunch of other people (Dave's friends and family) will be in the Peaks District. We rented a big cottage, and several of us have signed up to go caving. Or spelunking as it's more commonly called in the US. We'll also do a fair bit of hiking and check out the country pubs. Several people are planning to go to Alton Towers on Monday (it's a big theme/adventure park), but I'm thinking I may have to be back at work for Monday. I have a student starting with me tomorrow (my first one!) and she'll be with me for seven weeks. So I probably shouldn't take the day off for a week from tomorrow. Other trips include one already booked for Amsterdam at the end of this month and one in the planning stages for Barcelona in October.

I'm also thinking I'd like to fit Prague and Iceland in there somewhere, and my family is apparently thinking of Italy for Christmas....if only!!! Stop thinking people, and book it!