St Patricks Day with the Aussie

 Emma and I took on the town for St. Pattys Day which apparently is not a holiday in England, at least in Shrewsbury at all ! I think we were the only two people celebrating that night. It was certainly a big change from last year when I was hobbling around on crutches and managed to lose them in the Long Island Sound.

Dorothy not in Kansas anymore.

Watch out Shrewsbury ... here comes and Irish American with a Double Chin!

The Flag summed up the ethnicity for the night! 

Nettles...

Every Wednesday we (Emma and I) have to go to forest school (which is when we bring the nursery school kids into the woods) to help out on our off time!

So...

Anyone ever hear of nettles? Me neither. I was warned to stay away from them because every time you touch them they sting you! So the teachers kept going on about nettles and they all knew what she meant I hadn't a clue! All the kids had to explain what they were. It's not like poison ivy apparently, but it stings you to the touch. I touched one because I wanted to see what it felt like...and it definitely stung!!

Apparently when people are tending to their gardens, they are a real pain in the summer because they rub against your ankles and hurt. I put that knowledge right into my pocket in case I ever have a garden...

Nettles...Weird (sounds like something Luna Lovegood would go on about in Harry Potter...must have been the inspiration for some things in the series...)

Days In Shrewsbury....

It was the Aussies and my last weekend together so we decided to have a Sunday Funday together and I took her on a boat ride around the "moat" - which is actually the River Severn that surrounds the town of Shrewsbury!

Getting Ready to Depart!!!

Look... the Welsh Bridge!

The Crown Pub which curiously I have not been to yet

Just looking out onto the Quarry <3

Full view of the Quarry! Apparently is beautiful when the weather gets warmer.

Hey Emma! Get a Picture of the Bridge Behind me...
She took to long... got a picture of nada

Beth and I went shopping through town, got some tea (which apparently is what you call meals every time you eat...)

Beth and I
I made her take glamour shots of me around Shrewsbury (click link at bottom for more around town!)

The English Bridge in the Background!

GLAMOUR SHOTS OF ME FROLICKING AROUND SHREWSBURY

LAX CLUB

Every week I run a lacrosse club on Monday (for grades 5-8) and Tuesday (for year 3/4's)! The girls are great and who knew that Id actually like kids!

Coco and I ... teaching "proper" defense
She hasn't missed a week and we sometimes do 1 on 1 training sessions. She's such a tough kid and one of my favorites kids at the school! 

Group Shot!!!!

For Pictures of the Girls!! Click - Lacrosse Club

Rugby...

The only time I ever thought about rugby was during college parties when I would look out on Sunday afternoon at Fairfield Beach and the Rugby team would be chanting and being loud and obnoxious when everyone who lived at the beach just wanted to relax and sleep off the weekend.....

Now I am a rugby fanatic, actively involved in watching the 6 Nations (go England) that attends weekly rugby games. I had to fill the American Football void somehow! (Although...story for another day- I had all the 3rd/4th grade girls running options during an activity period this week - hopefully they won't go home to their parents saying they love football...)

My english best friend Beth (sorry fuchs...your getting down to the bottom of the list pretty soon...) who I play lacrosse with is dating a rugby player on the Whitchurch club. I've had the pleasure of attending a few rugby games with her, and for the first time this past weekend, had the pleasure of attending a rugby "afterparty" if you will at the club. (every team has a clubhouse with a bar etc...duh)

I have never seen men more in touch or as comfortable with each other than I have at this party. There was grabbing, gropping, kissing, and the craziest songs and chants I have ever heard. I hid at the back of all of this and observed. Mostly I just mom danced and did not want to go near the drinks being thrown and weird concoctions being passed around (long way from the seagrape). Overall I had a really great time and look forward for the next one!

Tenerife 2011

I just got back from Tenerife, Canary Islands about a week ago. The weather was gorgeous, surf was awesome, and water was warmer than the Cape.

A couple months ago my buddy from home mentioned his buddy was over here doing the same program I was so I shot him a facebook message and asked him if he was planning on travelling anywhere over the break. When he got back to me about Tenerife, I wanted in - so  naturally wired him £290 on a whim and had it all booked. He picked me up at the Manchester airport and I met all of the people we were going with.... it wound up being me and 8 american lacrosse bros haha.

They were all great guys and I had an absolute blast. Played a ton of kadima and American football which I think the natives had never seen before. We were on the beach every day at 11:00 am and were the last to leave after sunset around 8:30pm.

Check out more pictures (not sure if the link will work...)
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?albumId=101491152311