January Update

As my post below says, we are keeping it real during January, and not doing much besides work, gym, chillin' and popping into the Dew Drop Inn for our Sunday pint (which is just about upon us again. . . )!

I'm settling into my new position at the business school, pretty easily actually. And very much taking advantage of an extra benefit while working there- 30 minute coffee break in the Common Room with free lattes! I'm not one to take a full lunch break (I still go American style with eating at my desk) but by god I'm going to be downstairs for the free lattes every morning! Oh yeah, and I'm enjoying the actual work too. . . :)

Brian has spent this past week home with a bad cold - but prior to, he's been figuring out tons of paperwork to extend our UK Visas and get visas for Singapore. We might possibly both have to go to Singapore in March to get him all squared away. He'll be working for the University there, but stationed in Oxford. I am very excited about the prospect of spending my bday on the equator in a bathing suit!!

We did watch the inauguration at Brian's office, along with many of his international colleagues. I walked over around 4:30 (left work early) to his lab, and saw that they had set up a laptop to project the BBC video onto a large screen for all to watch. It was all set up like a movie screening with snacks and seats! There were 4 Americans out of about 20 in the room - so pretty cool to experience such an amazing historical American event, with an international audience. There were colleagues from: Ireland, UK, Germany, Canada, Israel, Scotland, China and the Netherlands. They were all really into watching/hearing all about it. Pretty cool!

We're heading to Scotland next weekend, for a short trip. We'll go just north of Edinburgh, to St Andrews, the birthplace of golf. Brian is meeting with some collaborators there, so I'm tagging along, since most of the trip will be paid for. And it's just a good excuse to get out of town for a weekend. So stay tuned for photos . . . .

Not much else to report from the Oxford front here - other than to say you might want to think about coming to visit. The pound is the lowest to the dollar it's been in years (boo for us) - so it might be the cheapest ever time for you to visit the UK. And while watching the BBC at the gym this afternoon, they announced that Oxford is the most unaffordable city in the UK - yippee more for us! Makes sense, since it's London property prices, but not London salaries. . . I do look forward to living back in the US - even a small cozy house will feel like a castle after living in these old school, tiny broom closets for outrageous prices! (Well I'm not being quite fair, as we've made out fine enough with a fairly spacious flat for you to come visit. . . )

Off to the pub!

Holiday Recap

We have been enjoying a much needed "normal" month of January. This consists of going to work, going to the gym and spending the weekends being lazy at our flat. You would think that would mean I would take the time to update the blog, but I've been enjoying leaving it alone for awhile!

I'm not going to type up the entire schedule from our trip, but it was our typical Midwest tour, living out of a suitcase. And it was darn cold this time too! We def don't miss that at all!! But of course, we had a wonderful time being with family and friends, and I know I would have had a hard time if we had stayed in Oxford. So I am so thankful we were able to be home!

Hanging with Cousin Patty and the Doyle fam - meeting Olivia for the first time
Bro Rick and Sis-in-law Rick and Kate, and their baby Abigail's baptism in 'Kato
Entire Moen clan
Colvin clan
Guys on Xmas morning
Kelly discovering Guitar Hero for the first time - awesome!
Bri feeding Abigail up in Two Harbors - good practice!
Abs feeding herself . . .!
Jamming with the Wright cousins
New Year Celebrating with Nelly Bear and Amanda

Happy New Year 2009!!!

Hope your New Year is off to a great start! We are back to reality in the UK and staying on for one more year it now looks like (pending visa renewals)! So I'm moving to the Business School to continue in Alumni Relations, and Brian will continue with his same research, but with new funding from Singapore. So that will make things even more interesting for us this year! Otherwise, all is the same, and we hope to travel more this year, while focusing on figuring out our next move for 2010. Hopefully it will be more permanent and closer to home!!

With best wishes for the New Year!

Kelly & Brian