Red Alert: International Ban for Mr. William Boddy !

Attention world. My husband, Mr. William Boddy, is hereby banned from purchasing any new denim jeans. If my husband should approach your house of commerce in an attempt to buy jeans of any sort - blue or coloured alike - please turn him away and notify me immediately. It is a moral obligation of all mankind to remind Mr. Boddy that his jeans collection outnumbers his wife's 2.5 to 1! Mr. Boddy has put the world at great danger with this imbalance of nature. You see, it usually starts with jeans but the next thing you know it's a huge collection of shoes followed quickly by man-bags - and I just can't allow such a travesty in our home.

Cultural Difference #1: Fancy Dress Parties

My darling Will and I are going to a Christmas/Holiday party in London on December 5th that is a movie-themed fancy dress party. And no, fancy dress does NOT mean ball gowns and tuxes in the UK. Fancy dress parties in Britain are all about costumes... and they are thrown for absolutely no reason at all. Unlike the US, the Brits seem hell bent on costume parties year round, not just at Halloween. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fancy_dress#Fancy_Dress_parties_in_Britain

This custom of having themed costume parties any time besides October is foreign to me. Not only do the Brits throw them for holiday parties, but apparently dressing up in themed costumes is popular for Hen Nights (bachelorette parties) and big birthday bashes. For example, Will was out recently with friends and came across a group of women out celebrating their friend's big 4-0. The entire group was dressed up in Medieval-themed fancy dress. Yes, I said Medieval... When I questioned this, he agreed it was incredibly bizarre. Good, I thought, he thinks dressing up in the middle of the year is weird too, I feel safe now. But no.... apparently it was not the fact they were dressed up that Will found bizarre, but instead it was strange because normally women dress up as naughty nurses, slags or something like that for a birthday event! Seriously? I mean, why?! What gets me about this response is that, to my lovely British boy, wearing a costume in public outside of Halloween is perfectly normal , but apparently going the medieval route is a little too much.

I just am not sure if I will get used to this penchant for fancy dress that the Brits seem to have. Maybe I'm just too cheap or easily embarrassed? Not quite sure... but if this is hard for me to swallow, how in the hell am I going to be able to handle Christmas crackers?

finally coming out of the haze

in a fog (day 282)
Originally uploaded by juliehicks75

The last two weeks have been incredibly stressful for me. I have been in a holding pattern related to many major changes in my life. I've been completely dependent upon the workings of of a corporate lawyer in Arkansas, hoping furiously that he really does know how to do his job. Tomorrow, the wait will finally be over. Tomorrow my work permit and entry clearance visa will arrive from the British Consulate in Chicago. Tomorrow I can start to work on the rest of my life. I'm so ready to charge forward and get my shit in order and get my ass to the UK and settle down with my partner Will.

The last couple years have been very challenging for me on a personal and professional basis. Mostly due to my own choices, both good and bad. I don't regret any of it. I've really come very far and grown insanely the last twelve months. For the first time in my adult life, I feel in balance without someone telling me how to live my life like a mother, sister, a therapist or coworker. I am completely confident in the decisions I have made and the future that lies in front of me. I don't feel clouded by romance or cinicism or boredom or mania or anything else that causes so many people to live in a state of suspension between the real and unreal.

Do I think EVERYTHING in my life is going to work out just fine? Nope, I'm pretty sure that's not possible, for anyone anywhere. Do I think that every decision I have made recently, every person I hold close to me, every direction I am facing are true, honest and right for where and who I am now? Yes, I do. And it feels great to be this clear. It feels amazing not be reacting out of emotional knee-jerking for once, but instead to really truly have confidence and contentment over who I am.

Now I just need that little piece of paper inside my passport to arrive tomorrow so that all the plans I've made can be confirmed and I can get started on the next phase of my life. For real this time.

At the corner of bliss and happiness...

Our Corner in Nice
Originally uploaded by juliehicks75

Back from Nice and the UK now, alone in my apartment going through pics and generally sulking about returning to work tomorrow and being away from my Will. I thought of so many wonderful little things to blog about when I was gone and swore upon my return I would do so, but alas I am feeling the grips of lethargy upon me and have yet to start. I jotted down some notes while I was away to refresh my memory, so maybe this week I'll pull out my little green notebook and get started. Who knows? It was perhaps the best two weeks I've had with Will ever, if not two of the best weeks of my life... but for now I am planning to sit here in my air conditioning and watch Heroes for a few hours, drink white wine and feel like a dumbass for accidentally stealing Will's shaver adapter. Sorry baby. I love you even when you're scruffy, if that makes any difference. :)

til later my friends.

Beachside Bacon

Umbrella at the beach
Originally uploaded by juliehicks75

Spent Monday at the beach in Vintimiglia, Italy with LOML Will. Was fantastic, although the city of Vintimiglia itself is rather decrepit and dirty. We rented two lawn chairs and an umbrella by the sea for 10 Euro, laid there watching the locals and the water hit the rocks drinking beer. Was a brilliant afternoon...

time moves too slowly

My flight takes off at 730pm and the time could not pass more slowly. o m g. Amy is picking me up around 530 to take me to Port Columbus Airport and that is 71 minutes from now and it's driving me nuts. I just went outside for a few minutes and realized that sitting out front in a lawn chair enjoying this fine day would be far better than sitting in the living room staring at the clock and drinking warm beer. Blah. I want to leave people! I wish I could take an earlier flight to Toronto (my stop over point) so that I could stare at a clock there instead.

The worst part about travelling overseas (of which the word "worst" is very subjective I admit), anyway the worst part is how fucking long it takes to get there. I'm facing about 15 hours of travel before I finally reach Durham, a few less than that before I see Will since he's kind enough to meet me in London and ride up on the train with me. :)

4:24 pm now. fuck this is taking so long. blah.

i'm happy.

I don't know why in the hell i'm writing this in a blog, but all I really have to say is that I'm really really happy. I cannot believe that this time next week I'll be in southern france with Will. I couldn't be more excited. So so so so so so so excited. So. This trip is going to be so much fun. Like the best trip ever. Cannot fucking wait. :)