Where Have I Been? - Part 1 - "Rosie-coloured Glasses"

Driving to Rosie's. That's totally NOT a 
Tesco "meal deal" on my passenger seat.

A lot of you may have been wondering, "What on earth happened to that ginger dude who's totally full of himself?" Obviously, it's totally cool if you've not been wondering that! I'm still going to tell you though. (Mind you, you probably wouldn't be reading this if you weren't interested.) I was last "seen" poking around a bunch nose-planted Cadillacs somewhere in Texas but I've been up to a whole host of amazible (just invented that word) things since then so I'll do my best to quickly bring you up to speed!

No doubt I'll finish relaying my crazy adventure around the States soon but, to summarise, I'll begin from when I landed back on UK soil...

On a picnic...

As I've said in a "much belated update" I got a part-time job at a pizza shop and started driving Spring 2014. I passed my test January 2015 and took on managing the pizza shop full-time. It's not gonna win any Michelin stars but I absolutely loved it and gave it everything I could. Seriously upgrading equipment, creating new and seriously tasty dishes to take the menu up a notch, fine tuning station flow and introducing contactless card readers to name a few of the improvements. However, backing up a little, I have to confess something...I kinda met a girl...

I became an Uncle!

Rosie and I actually met back in September 2012 on a movie set (it's a cool story!) and were friends for ages and then she came on holiday to Scotland with my family and I April 2014. Everything changed from then cause we both realised that we kinda really liked each other and so, after a few times of plucking up the courage and chickening out, I made an unofficial "proposal" of sorts. It was time to update the relationship status!

Took months to find this ring.
Never seen another like it.

Seeing Rosie was tricky as she lived with her parents across the country, 196 miles away in Ludlow, Shropshire and taking time off work was basically impossible as apparently they "couldn't do without me". We made it work though and I started entertaining the thought of maybe working in Ludlow. Critically acclaimed for being a culinary epicentre in the UK and boasting a vast array of some of the country's best food including Michelin star rated restaurants, it seemed like an amazing opportunity!

Messing about at work.
That's my boss...

Come late December 2014, I was slipping a peridot and diamond ring on Rosie's finger cause she had said, "Yes." We went to Costa with her Mum after to share the news and Rosie, in her excitement, managed to knock my caramel latte in my lap! Had a fabulous meal that evening with Rosie's parents and brother at what has become one of our favourite restaurants, Golden Moments. (Went back a year later with Rosie. Definitely need to blog about the place.) So, yeah...it's kinda been a joyous blur since then.

Lamb Balti. Firm Fave.

There is literally loooads more I need to write about but I think that may have to do otherwise I'm never going to publish anything for you guys! I gotta go for now cause I'm in the middle of sorting out a gammon joint for dinner and it's gonna be delish but one of my pet peeves is something boiling over in my kitchen...


Love, love, love!

Jacob

Just got engaged!!!

In Golden Moments.

Sooo happy together!

"To glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Creator 

of the universe and spread further abroad His glorious gospel." - Yours Truly

Hey, Everyone...

...I think I'm back.

Cadillac Ranch - There's Art and There's "Art"

Yes, I left my mark

 I'm sure many of you were a little confused by my last post so here I am to explain. The two photos in "It's a Photo of..." were of Cadillac Ranch: a most peculiar looking tribute to the evolution of the Cadillac Tailfin. I can remember seeing Cadillac Ranch in a documentary when I was younger and thinking that it was one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen!

 This strange work of art was built by Hudson Marquez, Chip Lord and Doug Michels in 1974 as a public art installation. It consists of 10 disused Cadillacs buried nose first in a field outside of Amarillo, Texas, at, according to Wikipedia, "an angle corresponding to that of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt."

 For some reason it's encouraged to graffiti the cars and, as you may have guessed, many people certainly take advantage of that. (I didn't have time to do a Jacob and Jamie mural unfortunately.) Apparently the cars are even periodically given a fresh coat of solid paint to give artists a "fresh canvas" to work with!

Now, these guys...

 I know it seems a very bizarre thing for me to do a post on but I thought some of the photos were kinda cool so here they are. Although, I must say that I prefer art when it's on a plate...

Oh, Gordon...

Seasoned with arbitrarialness,

Jacob

...are what I call artists.

"To glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Creator 

of the universe and spread further abroad His glorious gospel." - Yours Truly

It's a Photo of...?

Confused?

 OK, so I thought I'd do something a little different here for you guys. Before I tell you about where I went next in a new post, here are two not-so-fantastic photos of it for you that I managed to snap from the road. I was looking at these strange objects that were all lined up in an empty field for a while, a little puzzled as to what it could be, and then I realised what it was...

Any ideas? Just leave a comment below.

"To glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Creator 

of the universe and spread further abroad His glorious gospel." - Yours Truly

Route 66 - New Mexico to Texas

The State border sign. I'm in Arizona!

 So...it was time to really pick up some speed and start making my way back up to Chicago, Illinois. That meant driving through Arizona, New Mexico, the top of Texas, etc, on the one and only, world renown Route 66! 2,488 miles of tarmac stretching from Chicago to Santa Monica in Los Angeles. (I was unavoidably doing it backwards.) As cool as that was, it unfortunately meant not much time for cooking so quick stops for a bite to eat was the only answer. However, the States understands this necessity and cater for it very well.
 Having left Arizona behind, I crossed into New Mexico for a stop at Gallup's Golden Corral (See previous post "Billings MT: A Golden Corral Buffet") and then continued on towards Albuquerque. There was a pool at the Motel in Albuquerque which was a welcome treat!
 The following day consisted of driving to Amarillo, Texas with a brief stop at the half-way point of Route 66 for fuel. I can remember waking up that morning and wondering where I was! Having done so much travelling, it was becoming difficult to keep track of where I'd been and where I was going that day.
 In the breakfast room in my motel in Amarillo, there was a very cool little waffle maker that made waffles in the iconic shape of Texas! It made me smile anyway...

Seasoned with Panache,

Jacob
   
P.S. Here's one of my favorite "on-the-road songs". I think I ticked off nearly every town and city mentioned in it.

Man, I wish I could print these on three separate canvases like this.

Golden Corall Buffet in Gallup. Observe the naughty, deep-fried ravioli in the bottom-center.

The open roads across New Mexico! Over 200 miles to Albuquerque. Oh, brother.

I found a cool hat...

The half-way stop in Texas on Route 66!

"To glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Creator 

of the universe and spread further abroad His glorious gospel." - Yours Truly

I Passed My Driving Test and Other News

Customizing the interior of my new car with my Mum

 Whoohoo! Dear readers, I am thrilled to announce that 'L' plates have been removed and that I am qualified to drive! This was my second attempt at my test but with only two minor faults, I was very pleased as you can imagine! I would like to thank all of my family and friends and especially my fantastic instructor who supported me every step of the way, I could not have done this without you. Take a look at this post "A Much Belated Update" to see the awesome car I learned in!

 In other news, I'm loving my job. I've got a fantastic boss and all the guys I work with are great fun. I also have my own car of which I am very proud especially since I was bought bright green "racing" seat covers for my birthday! (Yes, that's your cue to roll your eyes.)
 Anyhow, though it may have been sorely neglected we've still got a story to finish. So, watch this space, there's still more to come!

Jacob

Seflie!

"To glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Creator 

of the universe and spread further abroad His glorious gospel." - Yours Truly

The Grand Canyon!

Whoohoo!

11th November 2013
Arizona, US
78.8 miles north of Flagstaff

Words are going to fail me and never do justice to this day so I'm simply attaching the photos to this post and letting them speak for themselves. Even then, it's just one of those places that will never have the same effect on you unless you are actually there to see it for yourself. Standing on the edge of one of the world's natural wonders with the wind in your face as you cautiously peer over the edge to see the Colorado river miles away below you is an indescribable experience. Everyone should visit the Grand Canyon.

Seasoned with Grandeur,

Jacob

Getting excited!

Super excited!

Some things make you feel like you can fly!

One of my all time favourite photos of this trip

I thought this was cool. Different hiking routes with the recommended supplies needed. I would love to do some of these!

If you look closely you can see a pod-racer bottom left...I'm joking!

The raging and wild Colorado River literally miles below.

Now, that's a view...

The vastness is hard to comprehend

"Am I really here?"

Breath taking, right? It's about ten miles to the plateau on the other side.

He, he! Now this was a surprise!

Elk at an arms reach was such a cool, unexpected thing to see.

A few for my ever growing collection...

An experience that I'll never forget.

Anyway, anybody else hungry now?

Oh, and here's a fantastic picture I thought I'd add...

The Grand Canyon from Space! Just bamboozical..