On the Town

Yesterday we spent some time on Portobello Road near Mandy's flat. It is this great place where on Saturdays there is a huge outdoor marketplace. Antiques, food, fruits & Veggies, clothes - you name it you can find it there. According to Mandy it is evern bigger most weekends, but since this is a holiday weekend it was not as full as usual. It was nice and I bought a cool t-shirt from this vendor who designs and makes his own products.

Last night Andy Mandy & I went out on the town. We were advised to try this small place near Soho square, which was nice but completely packed. It was in the basement of a small building and Andy's friend told us that we just should go in as if we had been there before. Very strange, but it worked. The doorman didn't even blink. But since it was so busy we had one drink there and moved on and found this small club that was playing rockabilly music. It wasn't live music, but the DJ's were really into it and played some great music. We danced late into the night and had a lot of fun.

London part two

It has been a hectic few days of touring London. On Wednesday we went to Trafalgar Square and saw the statute of Lord Nelson. We then went inside the National Gallery - the first picture, and saw a wonderful Velasquez exhibit. After, we went on a pub tour with a classmate of Andy's - Michael. It was great fun.

On Thursday went to the Tower of London. The second picture is of the White Tower. It was interesting to hear the history of the Tower and see some of the buildings. We were not able to see the Crown Jewels because there was a huge line to get in. After that we went to the Tate Modern and saw the slide exhibit there. It was really neat and they have a great collection of Modern art.

Today we went to the British Library and the British Museum. The Library was incredible and we were able to see some illuminated manuscripts and a special exhibition of maps of London. The British Museum was amazing, but it was hard to take it all in. Every room was packed with these amazing artifacts, and it was surprising that not everything is behind glass or barriers, so you can go right up to these marble busts that are thousands of years old.

Boxing Day

Yesterday was Boxing Day here in London and many museums and tourist areas were closed. We took a boat ride on the Thames and saw many of the sites we hope to visit. We saw the London Eye, St. Paul's, the Tate Modern, and the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. It has been pretty comfortable weather but damp.

We spent the afternoon at the Globe Theater. It was very impressive and our tour guide was very knowledgeable. After that we walked across the Millenium Bridge and took a bus through town to get back to Mandy's - through a very busy Picadilly Circus and Oxford Street, by Hyde Park and on to North Kensington.

Chrsitmas Eve

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve in London. We arrived safely around 9 AM and it took some time to get through the lines to check our passports and wait for our luggage, so it was about noon before we finally arrived at Mandy and Andy's flat.

Everyone was tired from the trip and mom and I took a little nap before lunch. After, we went to Westminster Abbey for the Christmas Eve service. By the time we arrived it was standing room only, but we got close to the altar and the choir was wonderful. We went back to the flat for dinner and Mandy, Andy & I went out to their friend Michael's home for a Christmas Eve gathering. It was a great time. There were a few other classmates of Andy's there, along with their friends. We had mulled wine and mince pies and we sang and danced into the night.

I hope you all are having a good Christmas!

Puppy love

Puppy pictures! I was trying to get my webcam to work today and found these old pictures of Oscar. What a cute puppy he was. Mandy- remember when he would shake when you came over? And hide behind my legs? He was such a sweet little pup. He is a sweet dog now only with less shaking and more shedding.

Thansgiving!

Oscar and I went to Eveleth for Thanksgiving this year. We had a good time with Martha's family there also. Oscar and Henry were fairly well behaved. They could not decide who was Alpha dog at Grandma's house, however and that meant both of them tried to be.

The cats, however, pretty much stayed away until Henry went home. They can only handle one dog at a time. Hobbes was a bit more brave this time, hanging around a hissing at the dogs, but never near enough for them to sniff him.

Oscar's new toy

Oscar has a new toy: Uglydog. He likes to chew and lick and sleep with his uglydog. Aren't they cute?

He still has his helper monkey, but he seems to be hiding these days.Oscar drags him out every so often, but he has a secret spot for him that I haven't found yet.

New Curtains!

Martha, Ailee and Dan came over this weekend to help me put up my curtains. It took a longer time than expected because I did not have the right size screws, but Dan brought some and I now have curtains. I am glad Martha & mom talked me into the rust decorative style to go along with the tan. Its nice to have a little more privacy.

Oscar was quite a troublemaker when they were over, however, and he spent most of the visit in the bathroom. He kind of freaked Ailee out, and was just too wound up and would not calm down. I think Ailee being tired and acting scared just got him going, which scared her more. We are going to have to work on his behavior more, because he is going to stay with them when I am in London, and he has to behave himself for it to work.

Traveling

Oscar and I went to visit my parents last weekend. He has become so much more comfortable with them. He no longer sticks by my side, but actually jumps on the couch and snuggles with my mom! I guess he must miss snuggle time with Mandy. Here is a picture of him in our new house.

Bedtime

This is Oscar telling me it is time for bed. It is a little early for me, but he is already sound asleep. I guess its been a hectic day with a visit from my parents, lots to bark about today, which must be tiring.

Settling in

Oscar has been a very tired dog lately. He and I walk 3x and day and it just takes so much out of him. He prefers sleeping on the couch or bed, but the rug will do too....We are settling into our new home and he is adjusting to his new routine. It took him a few days to get used to the leash, but now he is ready to go when I get up in the morning and when I get home from work.

Condo!

I closed on my condo today. What an exciting day. I am so happy that I have been able to actually find a place that suits me and that allows dogs. I think Oscar will love the park that is nearby.

Oscar & Helper Monkey

Here is the pic of Oscar & his helper monkey. He is dragging him all over the house. Surprisingly, he has not yet chewed off any limbs yet! He just gnaws on him and licks him obsessively.

Moving away

Oscar has been really strange this week. Mandy has left for London, and he seems to be confused as to where she has gone. I think it will take some time to adjust to a new schedule without Mandy & Andy, but he has been snuggling with his helper monkey in the meantime. I'll post a pic of Oscar and his monkey later.

Oscar is preparing to move

Oscar is getting pretty nervous around the house lately with all the moving boxes and shuffling of furniture. But, he is a resilient dog and will pull through it. He will miss Mandy time in the morning though, so I will have to give him extra love before work in the AM.

My first post!

Here it is, my own blog. This is for my sister who is moving far away so that she can get her Oscar fix on a regular basis. I will start with a cute puppy shot and after she leaves we will have to get more current shots.