Update (don't talk about the football)
2006-07-04

The new house is good, the job is still good. I am doing the animations on a M.Sc. in Brewing if you can believe it. You read right, A Masters degree in Beer... This could only happen in England.

Don't talk about the football...

I have had my first few "I have been away from home too long moments". My cousin Jimmy said he bought a new Toyota (Lampard Sucks) and I have never heard of the model! I thought I knew all Toyotas, but apparently there is a new, kinda retro SUV called the FJ Cruiser. It was the first time I didn't know what someone was talking about when we were talking about cars. CARS! It was very disconcerting.

Don't talk about the football...

Second, I completely forgot about Canada Day (England sucks at penalties). In fact, it wasn't until yesterday that I remembered. It was really weird. (Rooney is an idiot).

Also, it was only yesterday when I remembered that I forgot about Canada Day that I realised the Stampede is next week. It's the first time I really missed living in Calgary.

Luckily, the weather has finally changed and we have had almost a week of rain-free days. Unfortunately, they've been absolute scorchers, over 30 almost every day. My co-workers said I am officially English when I complain about the rain and then complain about the heat. That is a scary thought.

The good weather has allowed me to do some gardening. If you remember from the original photos of the house, the backyard was a blank slate. Here are some photos of my plants (Yes, I know I am turning into an old man, shut up).

The view from the top of the yard (I only just now noticed that you can't actually see any of the plants from here-- D'oh):


From where I am standing in the photo above, these are down in the far, bottom right corner:


These are down in the far, bottom left corner, by the patio doors:


These are right behind me from where I am standing in the first photo.


Did this one last weekend. It is just grass in the first photo.


These are at the top of the first level:


Bastard slugs and aphids tried to kill the plants. I asked a couple gardening people at work how to get rid of them organically, and they said plant some more flowers that attract ladybugs (to eat the aphids) and plant some big leafy plants in places that can't be seen to lure the slugs away from my other plants. That seemed like it would take a long time and, let's be fair, be kinda fruity. I mean, I am planting flowers for god's sake, that is fruity enough. So I poisoned and sprayed the fuck out of them. It felt good.