Our Summer Vacation 2012: It's Fun Being a Yooper!

Yooper:  a common term for residents of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  

It was important to me to show Yasmine what I could about Iron Mountain and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  I thought the Iron Mine would be interesting for everyone.  Heidi and I have already been down there, but we surely didn't mind doing it again.  I knew Vern would enjoy it, he loves that kind of stuff.  Of course we had to stick our faces in the wooden cutout... it isn't a true tourist trap without one. (Right Kim M? LOL)





The next day we went out on the Menomonee River with a friend of mine.  He was more than happy to give us a ride in his speed boat and show us some  amazing scenery.    The Menomonee River is the natural border between Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. In the photo to the left, we are facing west.  Wisconsin is on our left and Michigan is on our right.  Pretty cool.  I've been living up here for quite some time, but I've never done this before.  I had a blast! The girls really enjoyed it too. Vern went on and on how beautiful it was, and how awesome the houses on the river were. "If I lived out here I sure wouldn't be inside watching crap on TV, I'd be out here every day."  He also pointed out one of the houses and said that if he were to win the lottery that is the house he would buy and he would move up here.  Keep buying those lottery tickets Honey.  Again, like the relaxing day at the beach, it was nice seeing Vernon sit back, relax and enjoy a beer.  He really deserves it.

Look!  He's wearing his Loving From a Distance "Worth It" t-shirt! We both have one.

After spending an evening out on the river, we went home and had pastys for dinner.  Of course Vernon has had real Cornish pastys, but they wanted to compare ours to the "originals".  Everyone seemed to have enjoyed their dinner.  Considering the drought, the corn from a local farm in northern Wisconsin wasn't too bad.  

I wanted to squeeze in the ski jump at Pine Mountain but I never got around to it. I really wanted Yasmine to see it.  I believe I have already taken Vernon there.  Maybe next time.

Our Summer Vacation 2012: Pictures, Porketta, Pizza and a Perfect New Swim Suit

Vernon was here for two weeks in July/August.  He brought his daughter and the four of us had a wonderful time.  We started out on day one with family photos!  We were sad that Vernon's son was not able to make it but we really wanted to do this and it seemed like the girls enjoyed it as well.  My friend Nick of NJ Freelance is ridiculously talented and I so badly wanted him to take these photos.  We were so grateful that he said yes!

The first few days they were here it rained.  Here I told him it was going to be sunny and hot and it was just as it was back in England... rainy.  The midwest was experiencing a drought at the time, so it wasn't much rain, and in England they were having severe flooding which was causing mudslides and the like.  Two extreme weather conditions both with devastating results.  Fortunately we didn't suffer from the drought as much as they did in southern Wisconsin.  We just saw it in the produce department with the pitiful looking ears of corn and higher produce prices.

When I go out I like to be prepared, especially when it comes to weather.  Living in the midwest all my life that is the way it goes.  Still raining off and on when they first arrived I thought we'd try "Out to Lunch" in downtown Iron Mountain.  The city sponsors free music entertainment, vendors come by selling food and from 11-2 people can enjoy music while eating their lunch.  We all dressed warm and I even brought an umbrella. The second we got to the concert, the sun came out stronger than I have seen it all summer.  Poor Vernon burned his head and I was hot in my jeans.  Poor Yasmine had long sleeves on.  I blame myself for telling everyone to dress warm.  Heidi and Yaz went to the downtown shops and looked around.  Yaz found some cute souvenirs to take home to friends and family and she got herself a really cute sweatshirt.  Oh... and Vernon had his first Porketta from Crispigna's and he loved it!  They make great Porketta!  I love how he trusts me when I get him to try new foods.  Me... I'm not so adventurous.

Our first weekend together we took the girls to the mall in Appleton, WI.  We had a great time.  We were surprised at how long the girls were gone.  Vernon and I stopped at a few places, but ended up in the food court, hanging out, people watching.  It was nice just hanging out together.  The best part was when we all had lunch at Rocky Rococo's!  It is my most favorite pizza in the entire world.  Some days I actually consider driving the 2.5 hours to Appleton just to have their pizza.  It's so so good.

Vernon enjoyed his pizza, and I believe that Yasmine did too.  It was awesome that they tried out my favorite pizza place. 

Before Vernon and Yasmine arrived I had purchased the most amazing swim suit.  I had not bought a swim suit in probably over 10 years.  I really wanted something that would support my chest and be comfortable.  Well, after searching and searching which seemed like for months, I found Linda the Bra Lady who specializes in garments for women blessed in the "chestial region". I found a beautiful suit top. I found a matching skirt bottom on another site. Vernon loves it and I got many compliments.  Vern and I went to the beach at Lake Antoine here in Iron Mountain.  It's a nice family oriented beach and park and it was not crowded at all.  We had a relaxing quiet afternoon.

We had a great start to our visit together and to Yasmine's first time out of the UK.  It was really important to me that I show her as much as possible, focusing on what we have and do here in the beautiful Upper Peninsula.  

ONE MORE DAY

Vern will be here with his daughter tomorrow night.  I'm very excited and very stressed because I have so much to do yet.  I hate that I'm a procrastinator but I usually get done what I need to get done.  I did a countdown on my personal facebook page.  My friends and family that follow our relationship have been very excited for me which is really nice.  I posted a number photo or graphic that I pulled from Google Images every day.  I started on day 42 which is a number with a very important meaning to us.  It really feels like I just posted number 42 yesterday.  

I have an itinerary posted on TripIt so Vernon can see what I'm adding and provide feedback and input.  I live in a pretty cool place, although all I seem to do is complain about where I live in the winter time, which lasts from October to May.  But, between June and September, I really do like it up here.  We will do things that are very American and very north woods. We may even throw a bit of Yooper in there to make it even more fun.  Lots of family time is a must, which will include games, cooking, Wii, the beach (need to show these Brits that even though we are land locked, we still have beaches) and of course the free activities around town like concerts at the park.  I think we will have a great time. 

I apologize it has been so long since my last post. I will blame it on work and school.  I really enjoy blogging and reading and interacting with my fellow bloggers so I'm not really sure why I would put that off for so long. 

If you are in a Long Distance Relationship, when are you planning on seeing him/her again?  Otherwise, if you are one of the lucky ones who has ended the distance or never had distance between you in the first place, do you have vacation plans in the works? 

We will be taking lots of pics and video so there will be more for me to post after the visit. 

A Cultural Moment

I wanted Vernon to watch a video that I saw for the first time today. He stopped 1 minute into it....

Me: "Why did you stop the video? I want you to watch the whole video."

Vern: "I don't want to watch any more."

Me: "Why?"

Vern: "BECAUSE HE WAS WAGGLING HIS TACKLE AT ME!!!"

Me: [laughing uncontrollably]........................................ [still laughing uncontrollably]

It's moments like this I love that he is English and I am American. We will forever keep each other entertained.

I'm a Lucky Girl

Tonight's communications class discussion was "gender".  We divided the class into men and women and we asked each other questions about the opposite sex.  I couldn't think of any questions.  Personally, I don't think men are that complicated.  I truly believe the words of Jeff Foxworthy when he reveals the answer to the big question, "What are men thinking?" to which the answer is "I want a beer and I want to see something naked."  I found the women to have negative feelings toward men, that they are for the  most part insensitive, selfish, forgetful, and thoughtless.  The girls in my class had all sorts of questions for the guys, questions that I thought were pretty easy.   Then I realized... these questions are easy to me because the man that I am in love with doesn't do any of this stuff. I just sat back, and listened.

Question 1. Why do men love video games so much?

The guys couldn't even really answer that one. The instructor helped them along by suggesting maybe it was because it was a challenge or competitive and the guys thought that was pretty accurate. Otherwise they were just saying, "cause they're just fun".  Vern appreciates a good video game, but he wont sit there for hours. He doesn't like to be stationary, he's more versatile in that he will play video games, read, cook, watch a good movie, or chat with me.  If anything causes him to sit for a long period of time it is because he is working on one of his computers. He gets caught up with it, wants to fix what he is working on and on occasion loses track of the time.

Question 2.  Why do men not throw away torn underwear or socks?

The guys thought this was a pretty funny question.  They both said they replace their undergarments when needed, but sometimes something can have a special meaning or memories attached to it which one guy stated.  I don't think Vernon has worn out socks or undies, he's too tidy of a person, but if he does, it's simply because he doesn't think to pick any up.  He takes pretty good care of himself for a single guy.

Question 3.  Why is it the mother's job to change poopy diapers?

My thought on that is what kind of guy are you with that can't even change his own baby's diaper?  We weren't able to get to this question, but then I don't think any of the guys in the class have kids.  Vernon was the type of dad who changed his kids and didn't complain.

Question 4.  Why do men get to go to camp for 2 weeks and the women can't take off when they want to?  

My thought again is what kind of guy are you with that wont let you go anywhere?  I find this to be very sad.  I know for a fact that if I were physically with Vernon, and I wanted to visit a friend or go on a girls weekend or whatever, he'd not only tell me to have fun, he'd make sure I had enough money.  I don't understand couples that get all bent out of shape over stuff like that.  Couples should do things as couples AND as individuals.  I honestly feel like there is something wrong with a relationship if one does not like the other to do things without them, ever.

Question 5. The king of all the questions asked. Why do men forget birthdays, valentines day, anniversaries but they remember opening day for gun season and muskie fishing?

This question was asked and one of the guys said, "Oh thanks for reminding me, I forgot about Valentine's Day." That was funny! Then his answer was "Because it's just like any other day. You women are special to us every day, all the time. We love you just the same." As he smiled his adorable smile.  I thought that was a good answer. I do think that men get the short end of the stick when it comes to these days.  But.... I will say that in the 12 years I have been with Vernon, I have been spoiled and treated like a princess for all of my birthdays and Valentine's Days since.  I haven't always been able to send him something because of money, but he has always managed to send me something whether it be a single rose in a vase or a stereo system I had my eye on. He always makes me feel special. If you want to see what I got last year, check out my blog post Happy Valentine's Day to Me.

Before I met Vernon, I was alone. Most single folks who are alone hate Valentine's Day and curse it. I LOVED it! I sent Valentines to my friends, got my daughter Valentine themed clothes and gifts, gave out heart shaped candy, wore red or pink and just really enjoyed the day.  I liked to hear about my friends who got spoiled by their husbands or boyfriends. It made me happy.  Now I'm the one getting spoiled, but then he makes me feel special each and every day.  He loves me, what more could a girl want?

Super Bowl Sunday and Other American Traditions

Photo taken by my cousin Holly while enjoying the festivities in Indianapolis.

Sometimes I wonder that if I were in England, what traditions would I bring with me as an American. Every family has their own traditions but overall, Americans have the same traditions when it comes to holidays and certain times of the year. Why am I picking American traditions as a topic today? It is the Super Bowl today! Although my team (Chicago Bears) is not in the Super Bowl this year, it is still a day I look forward to every year. It is awesome when your team makes it to the Super Bowl. The last time the Bears were in the Super Bowl was 2007 and they lost against the Indianapolis Colts. I DO remember the year they won the Super Bowl. It was 1985. I miss those days!


Chicago Bears - Superbowl Shuffle by jpdc11

So how would I bring the Super Bowl to England? Well first unfortunately we would have to record the game because it wouldn't start until 11pm. Then we would probably have the party the following week. I would invite Vernon's family, our friends, and encourage the kids to stick around too. I would make beer brats and hamburgers and have all the snacks anyone could want like cheese, sausage and crackers.. and not English sausage, it would be summer sausage. Not sure if they have that out there or not... I would definitely have to plan ahead to make sure I had all the foods necessary to make this a true Super Bowl experience. Then there is the football pool. I am participating in my first office pool so I'm anxious to see how that turns out. My next favorite thing about the Super Bowl are the COMMERCIALS! My most favorite commercial aired last year.



The halftime show entertainment can be great, or it can really suck, or it can involve a wardrobe malfunction that people will talk about for years to come.



Another American tradition which is also a holiday is Thanksgiving. I really want to show Vernon and his family what I love so much about Thanksgiving. Getting together with family, turkey, mashed potatoes, and all the extras with dessert featuring pumpkin pie! There is also the traditional Thanksgiving Day football game. It would be such a wonderful day and I would really enjoy cooking a traditional American Thanksgiving meal for my English family.



Another tradition / holiday would be the 4th of July. I never really got into this holiday because fireworks scare me and annoy the crap out of me when I'm trying to sleep at 1am, but I do like the picnics and all the stars and stripes.  Maybe that week we'd have an American Day and go out that weekend for a picnic or something. That would be fun. This past 4th I was in a parade and I admit to having fun.

Well, the game will be starting in another hour so I'm going to finish up this post and get out my football pool sheet to see if I win any money. I have some good numbers so we'll see how I do.

Wish me luck!

Happy Birthday Vernon!

Happy Birthday to the man whom I love.
The man who makes me feel like a princess each and every day.
The man who tells me I'm beautiful, sexy and wonderful every time he talks to me.
He adores the way I talk, the way I tell stories and the way I express myself.
I never feel like I have to make excuses, or that I have to prove myself to him.
It's been 12 years and he still gives me butterflies.

Happy Birthday to the man who loves my daughter.
The man who has been a father figure to her for many years.
The man who tells her he is proud of the woman she has become.
He admires her talent, creativity, and maturity.
She appreciates, loves and respects him.


Happy Birthday to a wonderful and loving dad and granddad.
The dad who has always put his kids first.
The dad who wants nothing more than his kids to be happy and healthy.
He is there when they need him and teaches by example.
They have always been able to depend on him.
He is loved and trusted by his granddaughter, and he simply glows when she is around him.


Although we have been apart these last 12 years, I feel so very close to you all of the time.
I can't imagine life without you, and I can't believe I managed to function before I met you.
I wish I could be there with you for your birthday and treat you the way you deserve;
Because you have done nothing but make me feel like the luckiest most special woman in the world.

I love you Honey. Happy Birthday.
I am yours forever.