Yummy

Last night just us girls broke out of the controlled chaos that has been surrounding us for the past couple of days and made a mad dash out for ice-cream. Now, this ice-cream store is not just any old place. The ice-cream in this place is out of this world. To die for. It's called "Cold Stone Creamery."

Places like this proves that there is a God.

An observation

Have you every noticed how babies work so hard for nine months to enter this world out through a particular canal, only to find themselves, if they are males, to spend the rest of their adult lives trying to enter that same type of canal every chance that they can get?

Just a thought.

Wanna make a wager

I've been thinking. I think I know exactly when this new baby is going to decide it's time to make his entrance into the world. His Dad is about ready to go out to the field in the very near future, which means that he will be gone for a number of days. That's when this little munchkin will want to be born.

Probably in the middle of the night.

A warm breeze blowing

I have been away from air-conditioning now for almost three years. I mean as far as our home goes. It doesn't get that hot in the U.K.; although, lately that's been a different story. Anyway, here the air has to be on, on pretty low (about 66-68 degrees due to a certain someone being very much pregnant and hot all the time) and because of this, I find myself going outside to warm up. I am enjoying the muggy warm breeze that surrounds me when I am out there. It's funny how I am wearing shorts and tank tops around the house, and yet wishing that I had brought sweats.

However, it would be impossible to live in this climate without the air. So, when I can't count all the goose bumps on my arms, and my legs start turning blue, I just pop outside and pretend I'm baking in the oven. I want to soak up all the warmth I can while here, won't be long before winter comes roaring into England.

I really wish I could bottle up this heat and humidity and bring it back with me. With my luck, the Custom officials would confiscate it and throw me in jail for bringing, what they would register, as something highly illegal into the U.K.

Long, slow ride

What a mess! We flew into a particular international airport late Monday afternoon. Arrived on time, in fact a little early. And that was nice. Kind of went down hill from there though.

You know when you leave another airport on an international flight, i.e. London-Gatwick, you and your luggage go through Immigration and Customs. You and your luggage are checked quite thoroughly. You and your luggage get on a direct flight. No lay-overs. No getting off the plane, not even if the baby behind you is screeching all the way from the U.K to the U.S. of A. Nope, that's why it is called a "direct flight." So why in the hell do you have to go through so much hassle when you get to the other end; i.e., especially this particular airport?

I'm not talking about Immigration. Although, I felt for the Brits having to go through the eye and finger exams. We all had to stand in long-ass lines (queues). In that respect we were all in the same boat. The Brits' oars were just a little bit heavier, but we were paddling up the same river. What I am talking about is Customs.

After Immigration we all trotted off to Customs pick up our luggage. No problems there. It wasn't until you were trying to get through to your loved ones. We got stopped again. Had to get our luggage inspected...again. Where pray tell, could we manage to stash something or someone in our luggage from the time the luggage left London-Gatwick to this airport. [sigh]

I realize that security is tight. And I know why security is tight; however, if it occurred to me that perhaps the U.S. of A. (at least the folks at this airport) don't trust the folks in the U.K. (the folks at LGW), then what kind of impression is it sending to the tourists coming from the U.K. Do the people at this particular airport really think that the people at LGW would really allow anything or anyone to be snuck through onto our shores?

Geesh, give me a break. I don't feel any safer or less safe, for that matter, after passing through the doors of this airport and their inspections than I do after leaving LGW. I just feel like I have to apologize to all Brits who go through this airport for the inconvience that we all have to go through.

And guess what...it only took two hours to get through. Two hours. So, you might be thinking that this particular airport is out of Washington, D. C.; right? No, and it's not out of L.A.; Atlanta; Dallas-Fort Worth; nor Orlando; not even Chicago. It's Raleigh-Durham. That's right. Raleigh. As in North Carolina.

And have I mentioned it's hot here?

Leaving on a jet plane

On Monday, I fly back to the States with Flower. My oldest is having her third babe. They really hoped for a girl, having two boys already, and so naturally the baby is going to be another boy. Can you say, 'Murphy's Law?' Anyway, this was not planned. I mean my trip back, not the baby boy.

It kind of kills it for any holiday time with Flower, as we will be returning around the end of July, staying a month exactly. When and if I have time to record, it will be quite sporatic. Interesting, probably, but sporatic.

It would have been so convenient if they had had their 'let's have a baby' shag six weeks later than they did, so I could have come after the summer holiday was over. If you think it's been hot here, they know how to do hot there so much better.

Will I or won't I

I miss driving. No, I don't drive here. We have a 'stick-shift,' which is something I have always driven; however, it's on the left side, and I am used to the right side. If I had to concentrate on just changing gears assbackwards, or just driving around and around round-a-bouts, or the opposite side of the road, then I would drive. But having to concentrate on all these things at once, is just too much of a hassle for me.

Combined with reasons mentioned above, let's take a look at the size of the streets, or lack of size. The primary streets themselves are really not too narrow (for the most part); however, cars parked on either side on a two way street does make life interesting. Those parked cars leave the middle of the street as the only way to go. So many times I have felt like reaching over and fiddling with rearview mirrors as we are going by. We pass so close that if I had a sharp instrument on me, I could scratch a line on every single car parked on my side for a mile or so. This can be done even when we aren't squished in because someone is trying to go down the street as we are going up the street. I would have a hard time driving in this situation because most times my hands would be covering my eyes out of fear.

Oh God, then I would have to take a driving test. I haven't taken one in years. So, having to worry about driving with the gears on the wrong side; driving on the wrong side; round-a-bouts; and just the usual congestion on the roads, the thought having to take a test just chills me to the bone. I have heard it's very difficult. I don't like difficult. And I don't want to do difficult. I am more nervous about taking a silly driving test than any exam I had ever taken before during my six years at University.

Course, maybe some day I may try driving, if we get an automatic. I mean really, how hard can driving be, or the driving test be? I have seen an awful lot of little twits driving these roads. If a little twit can do it, surely I can.

Hmmmm.

Cause for a rumble

There are three PC references that absolutely drive me nuts.

1. "Partner": Why does everyone say this? There are sports that have partners; i.e., golf, bowling, etc. There can be "partners in crime." A partner in card games; i.e., bridge, spades, etc.One can even have a business partner. But romantically? It just absolutely drives me nuts to hear, "my partner;" his partner;" or "her partner." Oh for fucksake! These people can be your husband or wife; boyfriend or girlfriend; fiance; or just good old live-in shag. But partners??? Give me a break!

2. "Baby on Board": These signs were in the States a couple of years ago, and now they are the rage in the U.K. They drove me nuts a couple of years ago, and they are still driving me nuts. Like I am going to drive any differently because you believe you need to advertise what you are hauling around in your car. Next the same people will be announcing the fact that their partner and the driver is hauling around a baby on board for crying out loud!

3. "At the end of the day": This just tops it. I was listening to a news item on Fox this a.m. and it was taking place in Aruba. Guess what the person said during the interview. Yep, you got it...'at the end of the day.' The guy lived in Aruba, a native of Aruba, not a tourist. Damn. Can't even get away from that phrase in Aruba of all places. What's this world coming to, I ask. It's everywhere. Must be air-borne, like pollen. What a horrible phrase.

All three of these things are prime examples of political correctness and they are enough, just by themselves, to drive a person right around the bend. So at the end of the day, I'd like to take my partner, grab some snot nose kid off the street so I am able to put a sign on the back window of our car announcing baby on board, and get the hell outta Dodge.

Unbelieveable

You wouldn't believe what was waiting for us when we got back from our holiday. The joker who owns the land behind us has decided to clear-cut. Everything is gone. All the trees, except for the one oak tree which is suppose to be a 'protected tree,' and all the other smaller bushes, etc. The birds are now gone. Have seen our robin and Mr. Bob (our blackbird) only about once or twice; none of the tits have come around, nor any other of the smaller birds. It's bare and dead outside. I almost cried when I saw the past our garden.

The joker wants to build on this land. He wants to build a house and various flats for family members to keep them close, you know. Walrus and others have protested against the build now for around five years now. The joker started the clear-cutting before the last letter of the request's final permission date was up. Strange that only we got the letter, our neighbors/friends around us did not. That should be taken to task too.

Our next door neighbors, one set that did not get their letter informing of the build, are putting their house up for sale next week. Now they are very upset because the destruction/construction may impede the sale of their place, or if nothing else, effect the asking price.

I hope this joker is stopped in his tracks again at the eleventh hour. It would serve in him right.

Joker.

Missing it already

We're back! And we had a glorious time...well sort of. The weather was a bit of everything. When the weathergirl said clear and sunny in most places, it didn't mean us. And when she said cloudy and rainy in most places, it did mean us. Go figure.

The Mad Hatter had a grand old time. He wound up jumping on the bank, right off the boat, while it was running, I might add several times. Unfortunately for him, he was attached to the boat by his leash. Think his neck has stretched by a couple of inches. Never did manage to get the hint. Finally, we just let him be, that's when he would literally dive into the canal. Most times he was trying to get to the ducks. He really didn't like the swans, he was rather taken back that they would hiss at him. Gee, I can't think why. However, by the end of the week, he had become a right old boat dog. Five days too late I'm afraid. Like I said above, he had a grand old time.

The only draw-back that I can think of was taking Walrus's father. Won't do that again. Thought he was on holiday, and everyone else, especially me, was there to wait on him. Nope, nada, that didn't go over very well. Trust me when I write that. Walrus and I worked our arses off and Walrus's father, well you'd a thought he was king of the canals. [Sigh.] Only real work that man did was to put that damn antenna up for the television as soon as we moored. Should have banned it altogether.

Thought Flower would be bored to death on this trip, but she had a wonderful time. She loved walking on the canal paths, feeding the ducks (in fact we went through quite a bit of bread, but those ducks were happy), playing water balloon toss with Walrus, and just munching her way through the whole trip. I'm glad she had a good time. Said that she would love to do it again. Pretty good endorsement from a ten year old girl.

Walrus and I also enjoyed ourselves, apart from the pain-in-the-ass old man. And we have promised ourselves that we would go on a canal trip alone, just the two of us; no dog, no kid, no old man. And we are pooped. I mean really exhausted. We need a holiday just to recover from this one.

All-in-all, it was wonderful. We would live on a canal (narrow) boat tomorrow if we had the chance. Totally different world out there. We definitely could handle it.

Gotta win the lotto.

Sounds of silence

The garden is quiet now. Mr. Bob, our resident blackbird, is keeping guard in a near-by tree over the feeding table. All the little ones are gone now. We still get the variety of tits who grace our feeders. Our little robin no longer comes to feed out of our hands.

However, the feeding frenzy is over.

And you know what? I kind of miss it.

An un-natural arrangement

Did I mention the sleeping arrangements for this coming holiday? Flower and I in one bed (with most likely the Mad Hatter), and Walrus and his Dad sleeping in twin beds. This means a whole week without my man, and with a child (and dog) who like to take up three-quarters of the bed.

And did I mention that you have to go through our bedroom to get to the toilet? So, along with the wrong crowd in my bed, sleeping al'natural, will not be on the menu.

Course, it also means that if the old man farts during the night, we won't get the first wiff of it. Thanking God, already, for small favors.

Putt, putting along

I know I haven't written much, but we have been getting ready to go on holiday. It's off to the canals on Saturday for a week! I'm pretty excited since I have never been on a canal boat. It's gonna be a very interesting week, in my most humble opinion. Walrus, me, Flower (who's ten), Mad Hatter (the dog), and Walrus's Dad - all on this little boat.

Please no rain. Please no rain. Please no...

Hellos and good-byes

Times are a-changing. The birds in our garden are starting to experience "empty nest" syndrome; at least for another year that is. Our little robin, the one who ate raisins out of our hands for the past month, is coming around less frequently now. I saw her only around four times today, and she was tempted by the raisins only twice. It makes me kind of sad to know that she will be on her way for another year. I do hope she will return next year; however, since she has been coming around for about two years now, I think she might be getting a little old in bird years. If we don't see her next year, then we will know that she didn't make it, and that will bother me.

Flower is arriving tomorrow morning for the whole summer, and I am very excited. I haven't seen her since Christmas. Now I understand the true meaning of 'quality, not quantity.' And since we will probably be pretty busy over the next few weeks, I will be very sporatic in my writing. Once-a-week will be the norm I would imagine. Again, 'quality, not quantity.'

Summertime,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are a jumpin'
And the cotton is high

Good-bye Spring.