Catching Up With the UK

Wow! Has May been busy for just about everyone? Even my dogs are sacked out with exhaustion. I had to take a mini-break from blogging this past week as I had work obligations. Jack took off for Minnesota to do some training for his job. I had 2.5 days of company-wide meetings and 3 dinners that I planned/ co-planned from Weds to Saturday. We both had a blast!Getting a few "great jobs" meant a lot.

For those of you who don't keep track of world events much, I thought I'd bring a few special events in the UK to your attention. Yes, you may call me an "Anglophile" or just someone who keeps tabs on international events. Olympics 2012 happens in London this year. It's sure to be an absolutely dynamic treat. Just in case London's international hubs aren't busy enough, they are laughing in the face of danger and inviting the world to join them in their nation's capitol. Bring it on, London! You'll beat out Paris any day!

This year in June also marks the great Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee (60th year) since ascending the throne in 1952. For those of you who have no idea, the Queen evokes patriotism akin to the US flag. It's a symbol of who we are and what we stand for. She is that for them. Except their esteemed royalty adds unbelievable prestige to any event she attends. If the Queen is there, the whole nation will be watching the event on tv if possible.No ill word may be spoken of the Queen to any Brit. It's just their nature.

According to Real Simple magazine, the Queen has sent out approximately 540,000 telegrams in the UK and Commonwealth to couples celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. Wow.

A few vital words to know when going to the UK for the Olympics:

tranny is a transmission
crisp is a chip
chip is a french fry (you can see why they would prefer chip)
biscuit is a cookie
fanny pack is actually called a bum bag in the UK; this is one that you don't want to mess up.
boot is the trunk of a car
bonnet is the hood of a car
Telly is the television
Cheers means "thanks"

In other news, TIME magazine is reporting that Ebay is selling the Queen's embroidered panties from 1968. It has not been confirmed that these are authentically the Queen's but it's been on the news a lot in the US in case you are interested. So if you've got $5000+ to waste away, go ahead and bid. You can read the article and see the picture here.