Hello everyone, and welcome back to A Cup Of English. I'm very excited to start this season of podcasts; I have a lot to tell. I have been away, with my family, travelling around Europe, visiting family, for about 6 weeks. We had a great time, but now it is time to get back to work, and to 'hook up' with my listeners again. I hope your Summer was a very good one, and that now, you are ready to learn some more English. For the first week back from vacation, I dragged my feet a little. That means that I didn't have a lot of energy to get on with normal activities. Jet lag was one reason for my tiredness. And then, when I saw the huge mountain of laundry that I had to do, I felt like running and hiding. But, hey, I have nothing to complain about. It is nice to be back in familiar surroundings. The kids were pleased to play with their toys again. My boys immediately set up a big 'battle' with their various soldiers, plastic monsters, robots, and bionicles. They kidnapped a few of my daughter's dolls to make their game more interesting. She was pleased to see her Hello Kitty soft toys again, and to color in her coloring books. The best part of getting back was the beds! To sleep in your own bed is heaven! My son Cass giggled when he went to bed because he was so relieved and comfortable. Those long, transatlantic flights are not the most comfortable, are they? So, what about your English? Have you kept up with it at all? It is difficult to do so during vacation, unless you are lucky enough to be around native speakers. I was able to practice my Spanish quite a bit with my family in Spain. And I even had a few short conversations in French when we were near the border with France. It may sound silly, but it was very exciting for me. Well, now, I have to drive off and pick up my kids from school, but I will be podcasting again tomorrow, and talking about some of the fascinating things I saw this Summer. So join me for some practice!

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: to drag one's feet, to 'hook up' with someone, to kidnap, the best/ worst part was ....

1. I didn't want to wash my car but I had to. I dragged my feet, but then decided to just do it.

2. They hooked up with their old college buddies after not seeing them for many years.

3. The President of the new Republic was kidnapped. The kidnappers demanded one million dollars to release him.

4. The best thing about podcasting is the emails that you receive. The worst thing is having computer problems when you are trying to write. ** the verb to be is singular because the best or worst thing is singular, even if the 'thing' you are talking about is plural.