I won’t go into too much detail about the past weekend, although it was rather enjoyable. What I would like to make a point of talking about is the call I got from my dear brother, whom lives in England with his wife.

I was relaxing at home on Saturday afternoon - probably around 3/4pm - when I got a call from my brother telling me that his wife is pregnant - such wonderful news.

I AM GOING TO BE AN UNCLE !He was so excited, hardly able to contain himself. He told me he’d called our mother and gave her the news - apparently she almost collapsed in glee! I can just imagine how she would have taken that news… after all, she’s going to be a grandmother for the first time - fabulous!

So, my dearest brother, if you ever come across this post, I want to tell you how proud I am of you for all you’ve achieved in your life, for the amazing father you will be, for the brother you have been to me through our lives - I love you.

My love to you and my sister-in-law - I miss you both dearly.

p.s. good to know you’re not firing blanks ;)

so it’s July 4th weekend, plenty of time off work, and stuff to do - and I simply must get at least 50 miles in on my bike… Prospect Park, where would I be without your roads of glass, the silent whispers through the lining trees - uh, watch out for the sporadic branch on the road just waiting to rip me off the frame at 30MPH.

Saturday 2nd - relaxing, PSP time, reading, and a few drinks locally - good times :)

Sunday 3rd - brunch at one of my favorite local restaurants/bars, then on to the cinema to catch War of the Worlds (holy crap, did I just see what I thought I saw?) - great movie! laundry at my old place, spoke to a good friend (hey Chris!), carried my laundry back on my bike like some friggin’ Sherpa in Tibet (backpack on my front, rather large bag thrown over my back - what fun), and now I think I’ll go out for some food and a couple of frosty ones with a friend.

What does tomorrow hold? BBQ perhaps? cycling is on the menu, which I am very much looking forward to.

Til then, au revoir!

it’s July 4th weekend, and time for celebrations. happy July 4th my fellow Americans!

To be honest, it seems rather strange that I, a British citizen, be joining my Yankee friends in some hardcore BBQ’ing and tall frosty drinks… considering that Independence Day is the celebration of the 13 American colonies ousting the British empire 230 years ago.

Some little known [to the common yank] facts on Independence Day:

• July 4th 1776 was the declaration of independence, and the start of the Revolutionary War - not the celebration of winning the war against the British, but the commencement of the war
• the “cherry on the cake” for the forming of the committee and the creating of the Declaration was due to the fact that the Americans were tired of having to pay taxes to the British Monarch at the time, King George III, and not having any say in the British Parliament - they called it “taxation without representation!”
• on July 4th 1776, nobody actually signed the declaration - most of the 56 names were signed by early August. one signer though, didn’t attach his hancock until 1781 - Thomas McKean
• Philadelphia was the first to mark Independence Day in 1777 - the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence was held in Philadelphia, in Independence Square
• a total of 86 amendments were made to Thomas Jefferson’s original draft of the Declaration of Independence
• the committee that was formed to oust the British empire, and indeed draft the Declaration, decided that the document should be crafted by Thomas Jefferson, who was considered the strongest and most eloquent writer

so here I am, waiting for the dogs to go on the grill, the king of beers to flow and the fireworks to commence… all in the name of celebrating the kicking of Georgie Boy’s fat arse out of the country.

Happy July 4th everyone!!!