Yesterday (27/8) was a public holiday here in Britain so I was a bit more lively than I usually am, and there was more on to do. I am interested how people spend there leisure time. THis was my weekend. <BR> <BR>Friday: Met with some ex colleagues for a few pints in Covent Garden, nothing earth-shattering. <BR> <BR>saturday: Went to watch England v Australia cricket test match at the Oval. This was day three of a possible five (in the end the Aussies only needed four to blow us away). <BR> <BR>This was quite a treat for me as tickets for the Saturday of an ashes test are gold dust, and we were lucky to have got them, I don't usually get so lucky. <BR> <BR>The day was swelteringly hot 90 degrees, and no shade. I could see people visibly burning around me. However I covered up and enjoyed the sun and the cricket (it was England's day - they did well). In the evening we carried on with, yet again, a few pints in Lavender Hill (no sign of Alec Guiness, but plenty of Guiness nevertheless). <BR> <BR>Sunday: Went to the last day of the Reading festival as my friend had got tickets through their work. I felt extremely old. That Eminem is a whiny little brat and you can keep Marilyn Manson too. *sigh* I sound like my dad. I feel like him too at times. <BR> <BR>Monday: Homer simpson day. Lounged around the house in my shorts, and did absolutely nothing until the evening when I went out and had, you guessed it, a few pints with friends in my local pub. Then home to watch the "100 best kids TV shows" on the TV (The simpsons won). <BR> <BR>This is a lot more active than usual. <BR> <BR>What about your weekend? Does it give a flavour of wher you live? <BR>

Glad to hear that you enjoyed your weekend. I was just in London a week or so ago on a business trip, but I did take time out to visit the various sights of interest. <BR> <BR>My company's international headquarters is in Oslo, Norway -- but I normally work for the North American headquarters in Toronto, Canada. I've been assigned here temporarily for a few months. <BR> <BR>I stayed in Oslo over the past weekend to participate in the big celebrations for the Royal Wedding. The Crown Prince of Norway got married, and it was a fantastic ceromony with great things to see and do all weekend long.

Decided to get out of the smoke for the long weekend and drove from London to Cornwall. <BR> <BR>Weather was fantastic, visited the Eden Project, took in an Anthony Gormley exhibition at the Tate in St Ives, ate Cornish Pasties and clotted cream ice cream, dipped my toes in the sea... <BR> <BR>But my god how tired am I today? I need another break to get over it.

Friend's family bought a canal narrowboat years ago, sharing the cost with a couple of other families. <BR> <BR>My friend now owns a share in this canal boat so we joined her, her husband and anotehr couple we are close to on the boat for most of the weekend. <BR> <BR>Its moored in napton, (midlands) we got there friday night, i cooked thai green chicken curry in the tiny boat kitchen, we had a few drinks. <BR> <BR>Set out on Saturday through many a lock and moored up for the night near a pub restaurant we love, chugged back to base for SUnday evening and drive home, via Luton where my parents are at. <BR> <BR>Monday, didnt even get dressed! Sat around, had a 3 hour bath reading a book, watched TV, slobbed... wonderful <BR> <BR>Finished the evening watching a TV show on the top 100 kids shows over the last xyz years, which was great!

I live in Washington, DC: <BR> <BR>Don't remember if I did anything on Friday... <BR> <BR>Cleaned house and read on Sat. before going out to dinner and to see Apocalypse Now Redux that evening. <BR> <BR>Sunday drove out through farmland and over a fantabulous bridge to get to the beach/boardwalk in Delaware (my first boardwalk ever!). Had fun in the sun and bought some truly delicious farm-fresh peaches at one of the stands on the way home. Brought back peaches and salt water taffy to my office on Monday.

Friday evening, drove from Geneva to Saint-Germain-Laval (Loire) to my parent's house. Found dad painting the windows, both he and mom seeing some visitor off. Had dinner at the "Hôtel des Voyageurs", then a drink in our neighbours' garden. <BR> <BR>Saturday, helped dad with the windows, went with mom to Feurs to the market, spent some time chatting with the honey merchant, visited a antiques dealer and a stove repairman in Balbigny (he has hundreds of old wood and coal stoves in his warehouse, repairs or transforms them into electric or gas stove, has equiped all kinds of houses and restaurants with them, really fascinating guy). Evening, had diner at home, then went to Pommiers (great abbey from Cluny monks) for the local seasonal festival: about 500 people, half from the camping down the river, the local brass band (awful rendition of some Beatles song), free drinks in front of the town house, great ambiance, typical small French village celebration from an age you might think has disapeared (think of the movie "Jour de Fête" by Jacques Tati). <BR> <BR>Sunday, helped dad in the garden, had apéritif with some neighbours, lunch at home, drove back to Geneva, arrived just in time to watch a re-run of "Keeping up appearance" on Swiss TV. <BR> <BR> <BR>PS: can the spelling and syntax police have a look at my English ?

Oh the shame of it - "keeping up appearances" - I can't believe they sold it to foreign TV. Please have my heartfelt apologies for making you suffer bad British sitcom.

What "bad British sitcom" ? It's a riot. First time I saw it with my (British) friends, everybody burst out laughing and told me "Florence, look, it's a program about your mother !". Even dad (whose knowledge of English starts and stops with "My taylor is rich" and "My sister is not a boy") admitted mom is a bit of a Hyacinth (although her sister is not half as bad as Daisy and her brother in law would rather be seen dead than in a vest).

Friday night: met some friends for a BBQ on Vierwaldstattersee. wonderful sunset. <BR> <BR>Saturday: cat was sick and too hot to do much here anyway so sat on the balcony with some iced tea looking at our view and watching the paragliders on the Stanserhorn. In the evening we loaded up the car with our tent and drove to Stechelberg (near Lauterbrunnen) to spend the night. <BR> <BR>Sunday: took the 7:25 cable car up to Muerren. Fantastic morning hiking over the Sefinenfurgeepass to Griesalp. took the bus and train 2.25 hours back to the campground. We have now officially completed the entire 340km Walk across Switzerland via the Alps Pass Routes!

Not an earth-shattering weekend! Friday night went to a minor league baseball game. Saturday morning went to an outdoor farmers market for fresh corn, peaches, tomatoes, then spent the afternoon cleaning my house. Sunday I had the day to myself because hubby and kids were away, so I painted my toenails gold, shopped for a birthday present for my husband, spent some time in Barnes and Noble bookstore perusing Rick Steves guide to Rome over a cup of cappuccino. Bought the book and another guide to Tuscany and went home and read both of them cover to cover in a lounge chair in the yard with a glass of iced tea! Then rented Chocolat and watched that after dinner! Nice relaxing weekend.

Cindy, sounds perfect. Love the bit about the gold toenails. <BR> <BR>My favourite sunday is lieing in bed (not on my own) reading the papers and watching Doris Day movies.

Friday night - went out for Thai food. <BR> <BR>Saturday - errands/chores/pedicure/triathlon expo/bookstore/ate pasta/to bed early. <BR> <BR>Sunday morning - competed in Chicago Triathlon. <BR> <BR>Sunday afternoon - read paper/talked on phone/slept on my roof deck.

Friday night--appeared in a walk-on role in a local production of "The Tales of Hoffman" <BR> <BR>Saturday--errands, book store, party for a friend at a cider mill/apple orchard <BR> <BR>Saturday night--appeared as Titania in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" <BR> <BR>Sunday--slept in, did laundry, took my mom on a shopping spree to celebrate her birthday & had dinner with her <BR> <BR>I'm really not active at all in local theater/opera, but got cast when friends auditioned & I'd accompanied them. <BR> <BR>BC

Friday evenining after work - went Mountain Biking on trails a few miles from home, then out to dinner at a little Mexican restaurant. <BR>Saturday - went to the track at Saratoga Springs, spent the evening at home. <BR>Sunday - cleaned house and pulled up all weeds and scraggly old perennials that the previous owners had planted that I didn't like (a little "gardening guilt" there), and pruned trees while my husband and father in law re-shingled our garage roof. Got take-out for the whole family-in-law from our favorite Indian place around the corner. This provided a great sense of accomplishement; my in-laws consider mashed potatoes a vegetable. It was their first time eating Indian and they seemed to like it. At least I know I loved it!

It was a public holiday WHERE, yesterday, John? <BR> <BR>(The answer is England and Wales, for the uninitiated) <BR> <BR>Friday night went to our local pub with friends for supper. <BR> <BR>Saturday we went up through Highland Aberdeenshire to strathdon to visit the Lonach Gathering and Games (see http://www.highlandtradingpost.co.uk/lonach.html) <BR> <BR>We have friends who have a holiday cottage up there and, as every year, we joined them for a lazy lunch in their sunny garden, then went down to see the marching Highlanders, pipe bands, Highland dancing, caber tossing; then back for a long evening of wine and good company. <BR> <BR>The Lonach used to be my favourite Highland Games bar none. It's very distinguishing feature is that during the morning the Men of Lonach march through the glen visiting each of the big hooses and being given a dram to be going on with. It's a small enclosed valley and until 4 years ago, it was very much a family affair with maybe 6000 visitors on a good day. <BR> <BR>However one Billy Connolly bought one of the big hooses 4 years ago and he has taken to having a house party of famous people every year. This year it included Robin Williams, who regularly runs in the hill race, and Ewan McGregor. In the past we've had Steve Martin and Judi Dench and her husband, Michael Williams. As a consequence of that and the good weather there were nearly 12,000 people there on Saturday. It's a bit overwhelming... <BR> <BR>Sunday (as nearly always) I went to work

I live in Washington, DC too. Saturday, hubby and son and I had a "tourist weekend" -- took the metro to Union Station, had lunch, walked to the Capital and down the mall, visiting the art museums and Museum of American History. The day was glorious -- breezy, 80 degrees -- and the city was full of happy tourists from all over the world, trying to figure out which museum was which, whether they had the energy to walk back to their hotel, and whether it was too soon for the kids to have another ice cream. Sunday had the family over for sister's birthday -- grilled steak and the vegetables of the season (eggplant, tomatoes). A quite lovely weekend actually.

Geoff, I read about the Norwegian royal Wedding in Sunday's paper. Now that sounds exciting! <BR> <BR>Well, here's my weekend: <BR> <BR>Saturday: My husband and I drove about 15 miles to the Chehalis Indian Reservation and enjoyed a free outdoor performance of a Creedence Clearwater Revivial tribute band. There was seating in a beer garden with salmon barbecuing on sticks over a fire and $4.00 pork butt sandwiches. It was a gorgeous day in Southwest Washington. Afterwards I took a bike ride for about an hour and a half out to some country roads. There was, in places, a heavy scent of pine and lots of birdsong. <BR> <BR>Sunday: Woke up. Read the Seattle Times. We had so much fun Saturday that we went back to the Casino on the Res. Sunday there was a Blues Brothers tribute band and we met some friends I hadn't seen yet during the year and had lots of fun catching up. Afterwards my husband and I went in the jacuzzi and then lap swimming at the indoor public pool down the street from our house. Sunday evening I was a little at a loss because HBO ran the season finale of 'Six Feet Under' the week previous and I'll have to wait several weeks for the show to return. I watched about ten minutes of the Detroit Madonna tour, got bored, turned it off and spent the rest of the evening reading. <BR> <BR>Monday: My husband took the day off. My daughter had a friend over. Went to the gym and worked out. Husband and I went to the butcher's and the grocery store. It is a joy to shop for food! Watched 'What Lies Beneath'. Cleaned house. My son did a tarot card reading for me. <BR> <BR>Every evening at 7:30 I take my Beagle, Nelly, for a walk down several blocks to the cemetery where my husband's parents are buried. The cemetery is lovely and has many long established trees and shrubs. There is an older, unkept section in the back of the cemetery which is entirely wooded. The tombstones and monuments within this little forest look striking at twilight. <BR> <BR> <BR>

On Saturday we went to our local (Seattle) farmers market for our weekly harvest of goat milk yogurt, Rainier cherries (if you only knew..) peaches, wonderful “heritage” tomatoes, eggplant (aubergine) in all sorts of strange shapes and hues, and dahlias. Then we did work work and housework, followed by attendance at our 3-y.o. nephew’s birthday party consisting of cosmic bowling and blue cake frosting. Nervous breakdown and bed followed. Sunday was a different scene: we drove around 100 miles over the “Mountain Loop Highway” (mostly gravel, some highway) through the Cascade mountains, picnicking and book reading near a stream, just us and the critters (some deer and an eagle or two), then returned for pollo con mole and taquitos with friends at a riverside park, then watched the sun set behind the Olympic mountains over Puget Sound. Chamber of commerce day and glorious end-of-summer weather, definitely feeling like autumn is near. Vancouver BC this weekend for the Labo(u)r Day holiday; watch out M&S here we come. <BR> <BR>As BBC addicts, we can’t abide “Keeping Up Appearances” but it’s sure better than “British Men Behaving Badly.” My spouse would run off in a minute with Jonathan Creek; I’d have Anna Ryder Richardson redecorate her room after she left. <BR>

John <BR> <BR>watch out M&S here we come. <BR> <BR>I hope that wasn't to mean Marks and Spencers. They've closed all their stores in Vancouver, actually all of Canada I think. <BR> <BR>

Chicago Triathalon! Way to go Holly! Congratulations.