The Last of the International Playboys

I'm trying to keep the trend of song titles going for my blog entries, so let's see who can get this one. (John, if you don't recognise this title we're over.)

Anyway, the playboy in question is none other than Mr. Sparkles, who in his short life has travelled from Connecticut to Utah, from Utah to England, and then from England back to Utah. And to his credit he hasn't held a grudge. My friend Julie sent the cutest collar with the Union Jack on it and I really wanted to take a picture of Sparky wearing it. But, as you can see from the picture, when I approached him he was in such a comfortable position I couldn't bear to disturb him. After all, he only gets about 22 hours of sleep a day. So I put the collar next to him for the pictures. Look how annoyed he is in the second picture. That's because I used a flash in the first picture and almost blinded his one good eye.



This is a picture of Sparky relaxing on my bed next to a pair of my sweatpants. As you can see, his methods of lounging and relaxing are as varied and impressive as his travel history.



On a more lively note, we all chipped in and gave Steady Eddie a new barbecue for Father's Day. We have started a tradition of The Sunday Barbecue and regular dishes included grilled vegetable kebabs, grilled corn on the cob, hamburgers, etc. We have all been enjoying this immensely and and stuffing our faces like we've never barbecued before. See below for an example of stuffing faces:

I actually told everyone to take a big bite when I took the picture but this really isn't that different from how we really look when we're eating. You can't see her in this picture but Baby G is tucked away behind my mom so I took a close-up of the carnage. If you look closely you can see some corn stuck to her chest.

Also missing from these pictures are the dogs scavenging below looking for any missed scraps. Unfortunately for them we're all pigs and don't let any food slip through our fingers.

So that's the end of today's post. I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into my Summer of Eating and Relaxation.

The Bitch is Back

I was listening to Elton John just this morning, so don't take that title too seriously. Or maybe it's completely accurate - you'd have to ask my mom...

Well, I've finally taken the time to put a few pictures on this sorry old blog of mine. Now that I'm back in good old Salt Shake it's taking me a while to re-acclimatize myself. For starters, I am ashamed to say that after all my moaning about the gray English weather, all my complaints that I had SAD each winter, I am really struggling to get used to all the sunshine! Who knew? I really loved it the first few days, felt like I was finally seeping warmth into my bones. Then after a few days I felt like I needed a break! And I think my UV resistance is way down, not to mention the fact that my pupils aren't used to dilating so much. But...when I saw this sunset from my mom's backyard the other night I realized that I had missed my beautiful mountains very much. (Barbara, I know my photography skills aren't up to much, but try to enjoy anyway.) And a little sunshine never hurt anyone. As long as you use SPF 700 each day.

The other thing I missed was my little niece! Not so little anymore... Mom and Eddie bought her this fabulous turtle sandbox and the other morning she had to get in it immediately! Still wearing her orange Halloween pajamas! Please note the dog treats that she artfully scattered around.

Here's the cutest picture of the day. That's a very self-aware look she's giving the camera, I think. She's well aware of the power of her cuteness and uses it without mercy. You may also want to take a look at the delicious and nutritious lunch her lovely Aunt Stacy prepared.

Apologies for the lack of Sparky pictures, I tried to take a few today but he was feeling a bit camera shy. It's hard when everyone wants to pay attention to you all the time - sometimes he just needs a break. I guarantee my next post will be Sparky saturated.