Friends & Family!

I was very lucky to have two visits this Autumn/Winter from two of my favourite girls... my sister Danya & 'bessie mate' Elke! We had lots of fun & great girly time with both of them...I think they enjoyed it too! They were both also really lucky with the weather & we got out & about all over STL...it was sad when they left but they left at the right times as they were just starting to miss their families & I was running out of money! (**,)

Autumn Colours or rather should it be Fall Colors!?

Remember how I said I was going to attempt a mini photo project of the changing autumn colours...well here you go...over 4 weeks I tried to take a picture at the same angle on a Monday morning so I could see the changes & here they are...

Off to the Ball Game!

Ok so you may or may not know that since Harley has been at Rockwood Valley Middle School she has been playing the flute...at the start of the new school year we knew that her school band would be playing the national anthem (US not UK!) at the pre game entertainment at one of the games! She spent lots of time practising as they had to play it from memory, no sheet music allowed! We were so very proud of her & it was a very exciting evening! We had to get there early to drop her off before going up & finding our seats. I thought it was the best band performance I'd ever heard...biased maybe?! (**,)

I even manged to have the camera on when her little face appeared briefly on the big screen!

Why do they call it Fall here & not Autumn?

Ok so it really is autumn...well on Thursday it is officially 'Fall' or so my calendar says & they don't lie do they!? It's 21 days until my fabbie sister arrives from the UK & I've promised to hold off the autumn until she arrives..she doesn't want to miss it... or rather she wants to see it at its best! I'm going to take a picture looking out over the garden over the next few weeks to see how things are progressing out there...watch this space!

Autumn again...almost, not quite!

Where does the time go eh? Some one recently asked me about our blog...actually a couple of people did & I was ashamed when I went & looked & saw how long it'd been since I'd last updated it! So sorry to anyone who's stopped by & found us a little lacking! Blame Graeme! (**,)

So what have we been up too? Well the girls had finished school for the summer, had a ridiculously long time off & gone back again! The second Sex & the City Movie came out & I had the pleasure of going with Laura Clarke who was over from the UK on the day it opened just before the girls broke up for the summer...did you see it, did you love it? I did! We then began the lonnnnnng summer break...have I already mentioned how long it is...they get 11 & a half weeks off school, I work hard to keep sane during the school summer holidays! Actually we had a good one, it takes the girls a couple of weeks to get into the swing of not being at school, we broke up the sentence... I mean holiday with a road trip to South Carolina & also a trip back to the UK for the girls & I...more about that later. So how did we fill our time? Well we did various things including, swimming, sun bathing, playing, reading, eating ice cream, cinema visits, play dates & a few different other appointments! One of those appointments resulted in us finding out that Nyah needed glasses, which she was very happy to get (mainly because they came with a free pink mini bag that was actually the case) & then promptly lost them en route to South Carolina from St Louis so if anyone finds a pair of purple framed Disney designer glasses they are ours! Huge thanks to my lovely Mummy who helped us out buying the replacement pair! Love you Mum!

We had two great trips... the one to SC we did in two halves, we drove via Chattanooga Tennessee & stayed overnight before setting off for the 'seaside' early the next morning after a yummy breakfast of waffles with powdered sugar or icing sugar to you Brits & warm syrup, Mmmmmm! We had a fab week by the sea, stayed in a beautiful house surrounded by tall trees & lush plants...really was a tranquil & peaceful house...we were about a 10/15 minute drive to the beach & we also had the use of bikes to ride around the plantation...LOVED it, we all did! we were all happy to be by the sea again as it had been a good few years since we'd last had a beach holiday. What about Florida back in Feb I hear you ask....well that doesn't count because you could only go on the beach with 3 thick layers of clothing on it was so chilly...no heat from the sun? Doesn't count in my book! The girls & I flew back to the UK later in July for 10 days...we left G behind to look after the dog! Not really...he'd already been over in early June for work & is also going back in Oct for a wee trip to see friends & family. The girls & I had a great trip & pretty much managed to catch up with everyone we could in the time we had...I also had the honour of being invited to be Godmother for the gorgeous Ruby Hollins & the Christening was while we were back so it was great to go to that! I had fun getting a few little bits in the shops...things I can't get here, I also managed to fit into my case a Union Jack doormat...of which looked HUGE in the shop but now looks postage stamp size, outside the door, oh well...I didn't realise that even the front doors were bigger over here! (**,)

All too soon it was 'back to school' time...funny how the last part just whizzes, back-packs & tons of school supplies were bought...still seems weird to buy everything they need here right down to the pencils & paper, G almost had a heart attack at the pile of receipts but I did manage to come in under budget...sort of!

I always feel weird at 'Back to School' time... a little guilty at feeling excited at the prospect at being on my own again, excited for them for the new school year & also aware that as soon as the bus has left that feeling of oh so very quiet...I miss them being around, following me, annoying me with the bickering but it doesn't last & I'd never tell them I miss them a little (I'd never get Nyah on the bus if she knew!) & I soon get back into the swing of things! I love Back to School!

The last couple of days it has started to really feel like the end of Summer....even though we've had a long hot one, I don't want it to end yet! The sky is still blue & its still sunny but the heat is not as intense & you can actually have the windows open overnight & first thing in the morning which makes a nice change for the A/C not to be on all the time as I actually miss fresh air after a while!

Well I think that is quite enough...for now anyway...I really am going to try harder & blog a bit more often!

Right now I'm loving... that its still warm enough for outdoor concerts, we're off to one this evening!

Right now I'm not loving so much...the fact that the orange Oreo's for Halloween actually have orange flavour cream inside them instead of normal flavour, Yuck!

April Allsorts!

April is a funny old month isn't it? The mower has made its debut for the season & you know how that goes...once you've started there's no going back or getting off the 'Mowing Train' until the Fall...can't say Autumn anymore as no one knows what you're talking about! Ok ...so you've seen how big the lawn is yeah so its a big decision to start but we went away for the weekend & when we got back both neighbours either side had mowed & where you don't have any fences here you can really notice the 'dividing line' & we had to give in when all around us had cut theirs...talk about keeping up with the (Yankee)-Jones's!

We've also been away on another wee road-trip...this time down south to Nashville (over the Easter Weekend, more about Easter later!), Tennessee! We had a fun weekend & went to an amazing authentic southern style Cafe called 'The Loveless Cafe' & if you're ever in Nashville you need to go there, the fried chicken is to die for! They are famous for that & the all singing all dancing 'Biscuits y'all'...these are like our scones but more savoury & served up warm on the side of your meal & especially with gravy...YUMMY (but not with gravy for me, I'm not that keen on gravy...well it's not that I don't like it exactly, just a couple of drops is enough for me, but I digress & thats a different story one that isn't really even a story so much so that I don't even know why I'm telling you!) Now I'm used to the american accent but further 'down south' they sounded very different, it was a whole different beast & I found myself doing double takes when people were behind me talking...it felt like they were joking & speaking in a funny accent & it was really hard to understand!

Ok so Easter is a bit different here...for one thing the kids don't get the 2 weeks off school like they do in the UK, they get Good Friday & the Monday off & office workers etc don't even get that! But the main difference is the lack of Easter Eggs...there are all sorts of different types of Easter themed chocolate & sweet treat but nothing like what we think of an Easter Egg...OMG we were sooooooooo craving a plain & simple Cadbury's Buttons egg because everyone knows that easter egg choccie tastes different! it's funny the things you take for granted & what you miss...often the things you least expect too!

This month I'm loving... the amazing new hair growing tonic that G has been using!
This month I'm not loving... Volcano's...we have some Cadbury's & Piccalilli trapped in the UK that should of been here by now!

Weather Obsessed...

We got ourselves a little weather station because we are a little obsessed with the temperature & love to know what's going on...this is super-fandago-duper & extremely high tech...complete with a little man who changes his outfit to help you get dressed for the coming day...Love it! (Only problem is he doesn't seem to know when its raining, which is a slight flaw but we still love it!)

Birthday Cake!

Look what G & the girls made for me as a surprise while I was out having a girly lunch & shopping session for my Birthday!

Spring is finally sprung!

At last the weather is changing & its feeling more spring like...you also know when the season has changed when the Oreo's change the colour of the cream inside...taste the same & oh so very yummy!

Blacklers do Disney!

So we went to Florida early on in Feb for some 'Winter Sun'...we've never done that before, we've only gone on 'vacay' in the traditional season so we were excited! Of course the plan went pear shaped & it was cold when we were there...they'd been having some very weird weather & it was the coldest it'd been in years...it was warmer than the wintery STL that we'd just left but it was un-seasonally chilly! We weren't prepared for it of course, we only had one outer layer each so we spent the whole week layered up with all our t-shirts! We still had a fab week away, our condo was right & I mean RIGHT on the beach with great views & we had lots of fun! We stayed in Tampa & while we were there we drove over to Orlando & had a 'Disney Day' which was the longest most tiring day of my life but so worth it!

"It's Cold!" Says Graeme

I know you’ve heard us say it is cold over here, but that was before we had experienced a hot St Louis summer. Now that we have, we must have forgotten how cold it gets because it’s bloody freezing! We’ve now had over 2 weeks of the temperature not getting above 25F (-4C) during the day and some nights, wind chill taking it to -30F (-35C)! Notice how I’ve converted between Fahrenheit and centigrade? We’ve learnt so much while we’re here you know!

We also had some snow, about 4 inches overnight last week and again the efficiency of the snow ploughs are something to behold. I made my 20 mile journey to work and was only an hour late, and that is due to the office opening a little later! In fact most people make it in (might have something to do with the fact that if they don’t, they get fired!). Efficient or what! Mind you, Dionne was very nervous about me driving in the conditions. Not because of my lack of driving skills, but more about the lack of any common sense from the St Louis driving fraternity! They have a fantastic ability to not see weather. Weather is invisible. Snow, what snow I hear them cry, as they pile their car into the back of the car in front (who had to stop for traffic lights...Just) and not noticing the icy roads! M.U.P.P.E.T.S!!

We had a great a Christmas this year, which I think is largely down to us being so much more settled than last year. We could get wrapped up in the excitement of the season, rather than worrying about whether we had any cable TV connected, of whether the internet would be down because our stupid cable company failed to update our records. Dionne got a big tree (real one) which had a strange top to it... In fact it didn’t have a top as it had been chopped off by someone or something and looked very bushy, but we loved it as if it were our own! We had a lovely Christmas day and I cooked Christmas dinner at home, made by my own fair hands... No one died, so it must have been OK!

This winter, I’ve also got into making lots of fires. Not like arson, but nice house fires in the fireplace! We got half a truck load of wood brought down by our neighbour’s father from Tennessee, which we thought would last us all winter. Hmmm… We’re already running out! Well, not being wood burning experts, we weren’t sure how much wood it would take to have a fire going all day! I’ve become very adept at chopping wood into little bits, but not so adept at starting the fire! The problem is that now days we do everything online, on the computer, but I need paper to get the fire started and well, we just don’t have any. We’ve taken to smuggling out all the free newspapers at the supermarkets for our fire starting exploits! Still, we keep running out of paper. Also, the wood is so cold from being stored outside and holding in moisture, it takes longer to heat up and catch fire! Still, it’s fun trying and very satisfying when I eventually get it going!

Dog alert! Yoji doesn’t like the cold. She is becoming a lazy ginger fur ball! Oh, for sure she looks excited when I go to take her out in the morning or last thing at night, but as soon as she steps outside, she starts physically shaking (anyone would think it was cold!) and becomes schizophrenic (multiple personalities for those who didn’t recognize the word!). She gives it the ‘I’m so fit and energetic that I could run for miles’ look about her when I get my coat on, but as soon as she does her business, she becomes a mad possessed alien trying to drag me back to the warmth of the house, and in particular to get back in front of the now raging fire I made (well we burnt the children’s clothes to get it started!). If you’ve read last year’s blog entry, we’re back to me flying through the air again in front of the neighbour’s house, but this time slipping along on the icy paths (sidewalks)! Now they really do think I’m a mad Englishman… actually going out in the cold with a dog and sledging along with ginger ‘Husky’ type blur pulling me along but without the actual sledge!

We’ve got some trips planned for this year just in case we do come back in November. We’ve already booked Florida for 4 weeks time, to find out they are having the coldest temperatures (below freezing) for decades when they should be averaging mid 70’sF (23C). We will Sooooooo not be happy if it is not warm. But I’m sure that will be another story!Ok, enough of my rambling as I’ve got a stew to finish off cooking, but I’ll try and get back sooner this time with another entry.

Writers Block?!

That must be what I have...I can't think of anything to write at the moment...back soon! (**,)

Halloween Leftovers!

Something I’ve noticed with all the leftover Halloween sweets is that some of the names are wrong! Wrong, wrong wrong! Now don’t get me wrong, we love our sweets/candy but some things you shouldn’t mess with… for example: they call Maltesers, Whoppers & you’ll find a Mars Bar here but it’s called a Milky Way & a Milky Way is called 3 Musketeers. Smarties are what we call Fizzers & they don’t seem to do what we call Smarties at all! A Twix is …well a Twix but they also do it in a peanut butter version (don’t even get me started on peanut butter version of all sorts of food!) Hershey’s chocolate is weird but that’s probably because I was weaned on Cadbury’s. They do actually do Cadbury’s here but it’s a fake chocolate dressed up in a Cadbury’s coat!
Today I like… all the differences still!
Today I don’t like… weird chocolate!

Trick or Treat?!

So you may or may not know that Halloween isn't my most favourite time of year & we were in all honestly hoping not to have to do the Trick or Treat thing with the girls but Harley was invited to a party & we felt mean not doing something with Nyah. We were invited to the local yearly Halloween street party in a cul de sac round the corner from us & although G didn't fancy it I wasn't totally sure I convinced him we needed to go even if only for a little while! The 'Hosts' set up tables & chairs outside their house & there were long tables for food, desserts & then drinks. Everyone (if they want)can bring something to eat or drink & before you know it there is all sorts of food & drink available! There is also a 'candy table' which has enough for about a thousand kids then all the Dad's take the kids off trick or treating while the 'Mom's(!)sit round the fire pit (yep someone kindly bought one of those along too!)chatting! Everyone was very friendly & there was even someone there who had family visiting from Oxford! There was beer & a fire & food & fun was had by all! Harley & Nyah were on a sugar high after comparing their loot!

Changing Seasons!

Isn't it strange how you don't notice the leaves changing colour as if someone paints them overnight or something!? First is a picture taken at the start of the 'pool season' back in May when our neighbour uncovered their lovely new pool.... & then recently when the pool was covered for the winter...

Graeme's Observation of the month!

Over the last few weeks, we have been to a couple of outdoor concerts at our local town centre. Now when I say town centre, it’s a bit like Orbital district centre in North Swindon, with lots of shops, a big supermarket, some restaurants, bank and a big hotel. There is also a big car park that they transform into a stage area and set up stalls with free food. Talking of car parks, have you noticed in the UK how small the parking spaces are? I always struggle to get in and out of the doors without hitting the car parked next to me and from personal experience, as well as the chipped paintwork on previous car doors to prove it; other people struggle to do the same! Well over here the car parking spaces are huge! Probably to accommodate their huge SUV and pick-up trucks, or it may be that they have so much space that we might as well make things more spacey like, or it could be to help rather large people get in and out of their vehicles without squishing themselves, and we all know how large some of the people here can get! Either way, I like the fact you can get out of your car without breaking them!

Now, as I was saying, I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine that North Swindon council providing 600 free hot dogs, free popcorn, free crisps and drinks for the evening as well as free ice cream and live entertainment. I know we have the bowl at the Town Gardens, but it’s not the same.

Let’s compare the two. First imagine a sunny summer afternoon (well at least twice a year) with a few groups playing music, lots of blokes drinking cider and beer, throwing peanuts (paid for) at each other, shouting lewd remarks at the girls who are sporting tight shorts, with short tops with plenty of overhanging flash, sitting with the obligatory baby in a buggy and piles of empty cans and rubbish strewn around left for someone to pick up at some point over the following couple of weeks.

Now compare this to a hastily arranged stage complete with sound system, lighting with guys monitoring tables of monitors and other music gear (sorry I’m not technical with this stuff), police directing traffic, fire engine waiting for any problems with potentially lethal exploding popcorn, as well as the many people begging you to take all of the free food supplies so as not to waste anything. Then you have people, who turn up with their chairs and blankets, cool boxes of beer and wine, calmly staking a spot for themselves and their kids, chatting to all and sundry! The kids go off running about with friends in little possees even though its pitch black, while the adults singing along and with some doing very strange dance movements (chicken song springs to mind!). When the music stops, everything is cleared away and before you know it, you’d never have known that anything other than a car park had ever been there. There are even portable loos and free standing hand washing machines dotted around to stop the spread of germs.

I’ll let you guess which one is where, but the one we went to seemed to be really well planned and geared up for the family and made us feel contented to just sit, relax and while away the hours without a care in the world!

This month’s observation being that some things in the States are bigger and better organized with family in mind compared to the UK.

September 28 2009

Hello all…can you believe it…I know I say it a lot but I can’t believe it’s the end of September already & in a month’s time we will have been here, Stateside a WHOLE YEAR! So what’s been happening? Well G is actually in Amsterdam for a meeting as I type & I’ve just heard from him…he’s very very busy, busy out drinking beer & eating steak! Honestly sometimes I despair…it’s not as if I’m sat around here watching TV with my feet up or sat on the deck in the sunshine…well actually sometimes it is! I hear that you are all getting an Indian Summer, right now, right this minute…hope it’s still there by the time you read this!

We’ve recently been downtown to the ‘Fabulous Fox’ theatre…they actually call it that & I just thought they were being a bit pretentious but once we got inside we could see why they call it that, it REALLY is FABULOUS… the foyer was wow with amazing fixtures & ceilings etc all art deco style(e) & totally ‘fabulous darhhhhling’! It’s unusual to see old buildings here & I suppose in the UK we get a bit blasé about old & historical stuff…but being here surrounded by pretty much everything new-ish (in comparison…the Americans don’t really have history like we do, do they, I mean come on!) you forget how nice some of that ‘old stuff’ really is…anyway I digress…we went to see Mary Poppins & it was a great show but theatre is sometimes wasted on kids isn’t it…they tend to take it pretty much all for granted the fact that it’s a play & the Nanny is floating about above the audience so it was left to G & I to watch opened mouthed in amazement & clap excitedly while they sat watching calmly! We of course listened carefully to the British accents in case any of the actors were thinking they could let it slip a little … who’s gonna notice in an audience of yanks eh?! (meant in the fondest possible way!) I must admit I was surprised, all accents were pretty good…there was just one bit, for those of you who know the Mary Poppins story, the bit with the old down & out lady who sells the bird food for ‘Tuppence, tuppence, tuppennnnnccceee a bag’ well she couldn’t say tuppence right & you have to say it A LOT of times in that song, it grated on me I don’t know why & I was sat there listening getting more & more irate…again, don’t know why, it’s not like me (stop sniggering back there!) but I couldn’t take the ‘tuppence’ (I’m singing the song in my head as I type!!!) it was just W-R-O-N-G! The song finished & the show continued without further ado until later on, you know how they do in theatre shows sometimes, they sing the song again…maybe a slightly shorter or slower version (why do they do that?) & guess which song…yep…TUPPENCE A BLOODY BAG… I thought I was going to have to stuff my hand in my mouth to stop myself from shouting out…ENOUGH ALREADY! MAKE IT FIVEPENCE SOMEONE, A SHILLING? A FARTHING? ANYTHING BUT TUPPENCE, BOOOOOOOOOOOO GET HER OFF THE STAGE!!! As I said don’t know why I felt so strongly about it, I just did!

We’ve also been to an outdoor concert locally that was lots of fun…you turn up with your chairs (bit like July 4^th) & your cooler (cool box to translate!) if you wish…but you get given a free hot dog, soda (can of pop!) chips (crisps!) ice cream & kettle corn (sweet popcorn, if its savoury they just call it popcorn!) & did I say it’s all free? Oh I’m repeating myself aren’t I?! But how cool is that…they ask you along, ply you with food & drink, then make you sit & listen to the free music show! Love it! The night in question was a Beatles tribute band… they came on all dressed up & ‘in character’ & when they spoke G & I just looked at one another & couldn’t help grinning…they were the funniest liverpudlian (is that actually a word?!) accents ever…we found out later that it was probably because they all actually came from Chicago but it was a great night & the girls first ‘gig’…they loved it too, they ate lots of hot dogs & kettle corn, Nyah amused herself with her posse of chums & Harley & her friend were much more sophisticated & queued sedately at the end with napkins (serviettes to you & I!) to get ‘John Lennons’ autograph!

Something strange has been going on here in the shops & also outside people’s houses…there is a distinct ‘orange’ feel about everything & I mean everything! OMG all things Halloween/Fall (autumn they mean, what’s all this Fall nonsense!) come out to play with a vengeance at the end of Summer i.e Labour Day which is at the beginning of September which means that even though it could still be 80 degrees outside & in no way looks like it’s the end of Summer it is & you have to put all things summery away & bring out everything & anything orange/Halloween inspired/vaguely leaf patterned or pumpkin shaped. One of our neighbours has taken down his ‘Stars & Stripes & replaced it with a Halloween design flag! When you are in the UK you know that Halloween is a big thing over here but you really have no idea just how big… for example all your normal food you buy gets replaced with an ‘orange/Halloween’ version for the duration, so you don’t have cornflakes for breakfast between end of August & end of October you get a bright orange box with something called ‘Hallow-flakes’ instead…jest I not, the store resembles the orange crowd when Holland play in the world cup! Now don’t get me wrong it’s not that I dislike it exactly & I like Autumn as much as the next person, when it follows a long hot Summer...it’s just that it’s a little too much…we have neighbours with pumpkins on their doorsteps already & it’s not even October yet!!! Enough already!?

This month I’m loving… Faux British accents!

This month I’m not loving… the colour orange!

August 2009

Graeme’s Work & UK trip

You probably don’t know this but work was beginning to take its toll on me and therefore making me ‘not me’ at home so something needed to give! I’m glad to say home life won and work has started to get better over the last month or two as things weren’t quite going to plan and I was doing ‘stuff’ that I wasn’t brought over to do, which was stopping me doing the things I should have been doing! Well things came to a head while back in Blighty, while there for some meetings with one of my many boss’s who needed me to commit to producing more.. More, I said?! You having a laugh, I said?! I don’t have the time to do the things I’m supposed to do, I said?! And so the start of a bright new future started! Many discussions amongst my many bosses and I, came to the conclusion I needed to be freed up to do what I came here to do and hence now, things have become more exciting (in a workie sort of way) and I can do the challenging things I’m good at! Apparently.

As you know, I’ve travelled back to the UK 3 times now, twice with work and once on holiday to meet Dee and the kids. With the work trips I actually find that I want to get in and out as quickly as possible.. no smug comment’s from my wife or my friends please and anyhow, this is a clean blog unlike your minds!! The reason being is I actually want to get back home and as much as it’s nice to visit friends and family, the bits in between tend to drag on. However, I do plan the trips so that I fly in on a Sunday lunchtime and can drive straight to my mum’s for Sunday roast.. some things are worth coming back for!!

Now as Dee mentioned, she and the girls went back to Swindon a week before me for holiday, so while the cat was a way the mouse could play.. or so I thought! Beer, parties, BBQ’s films and all sorts of shenanigans could begin.. The slight flaw in my plan was a ginger fluff ball of a dog and work! My day would start at 5.30am to get ready, take the ginger thing out for a walk and feed her, make my breakfast and my lunch before starting off on my commute at 6.30 to work. On leaving work for the day, I would come home and take the dog out for a long walk as she had been stuck in the house all day (we do have a doggie door so she can go out and have a pee, we’re not that heartless!), get home, do a workout, shower, cook, eat and if I’m lucky I would have enough energy to have ‘a’ beer and watch some TV or a movie!! I’m sure it wasn’t this hard being single before I met Dee, but then, that was a long time ago and the memory isn’t what it used to be!!

Well eventually, after putting the dog into kennels and the long flight back, I met up with the family and it was good to see them all. Feeling better knowing I could actually still look after myself on my own, it was none the less good to be back as a family. The question we all had on our minds though, was ‘How would we all feel being back ‘home’ with family and friends in a town we had lived all, or most of our lives in?! Although, Dee stayed with her mum the first week, we decided to stay in a hotel for the second week and because of a good deal we got, stayed at the Express by Holiday Inn, in central Swindon. We checked in around 5pm and decided to go into town to get some water to be confronted by approximately 30 policemen with truncheons marching into town in front of us. As nice as it was to get a protection squad for us, I never expected to need one in Swindon! However, we found it wasn’t for us but was for a raid on the Flag pub (formally the Lamb & Flag) and for whatever sins were happening inside, they piled in leaving us to battle through new Eastern European quarter of Swindon centre just outside BHS on our own.! My how things have progressed in our short time away!!

After returning to the hotel, we decided to look at the views over the town (we were on the top floor) and noticed something going on in Fleet Street by all the pubs there. Lots of pointing, crying and staring.. What could it be?! A police car soon turned up with sirens blaring and a police man got out and walked to the corner of the street. Saw what was going on and decided to get back in his car!! It turns out that rival football fans from Cardiff decided to fight Swindon fans and for the next 20 minutes running battles and fighting took place while the lone policeman sat in his car! Until that is a policewoman decided to try and break it up, at which point the policeman thought it prudent to show his bravery (well you can’t be shown up by a woman now can you!!) and decided to do his job! At last after 25 minutes, the Calvary showed up in the form of two police vans full of policemen (and women) to take charge! “It’s just like TV” said Harley leaving me and Dee thinking that we all watch the wrong types of programs you typically find on Tru TV and the Bravo channels!!!

Safe to say that we were under no illusions about our home town and there was no way of looking at the place with rose tinted glasses anymore and once we had done all the nice things of family, friends, Curry & Chinese (not necessarily in that order of preference) we were in fact happy to come home to the safe and sunny haven of St Louis. Well, what I mean by safe haven is that Wildwood where we live seems safe, but we all know that East St Louis and Downtown is a different matter!

August 09

So, how are you all & what have we been up too? Before I begin… if you see these messages appear in your inbox or you get a notification from facebook telling you the news is in, all fresh & shiny, ready for you to read & it fills you with dread you do know it’s not a legal requirement to carry on reading don’t you?! Someone recently mentioned to me about how they look at it & give a groan to how long it is…YOU DON’T HAVE TO READ IT YOU KNOW! I write if & when I feel like it & then put it out there for anyone who wants to read it, simple as that.

We are thinking of moving from facebook to an actual ‘blog’ site which I think may put it in an easier format to read so watch out for news on that!

So back to business… I can’t believe it’s August already…. the girls go back to school in just under two weeks. Now we’re almost at the end it’s speeding along fast, it’s scary how fast actually but I still think just over 11 weeks is waaaaaaaaay too long to have off & they need to go back to school for their sanity as well as mine!

I’m sat out on the deck (under the umbrella for a change!) & it’s just after 11am & it’s a beautiful day…a hot but not too hot 79 degrees, sky is blue & there is a slight breeze… girls are in the playhouse & not arguing (that will only last about another 5 seconds) & the dog is here at my feet…she’s going to have to go in, in a minute though because she has a fur coat on & is panting like a sprinter already…she loves the sun so much but doesn’t recognize when she’s well done & needs to stop cooking! Stoopid dog!!!

It feels a little like the end of summer where the girls are about to go back to school but I have to keep reminding myself it’s nowhere near over yet! God I hope by the time you’re reading this you’re having some nice weather again too! As most of you will know we were back in the UK for a mini ‘vacation’ the last two weeks of July…we picked these two weeks purposely & for a few reasons, we wanted to visit the girls school before they finished for the summer, to break up our school holiday this end (the girls were ready to kill each other before we came out!) & at the hope that we may also carry on with the summer there…I mean HELLO it was the middle of July! It rained everyday apart from one & it was very strange being fully clothed again (not that we spend any time here naked you understand!) fully clothed as in jeans, socks, cardigans etc as we didn’t realise how much we’d been in shorts, vests & flip flops! But the weather didn’t spoil our time & to be honest it probably would have made it hard work as it’s not exactly as air conditioned as we are now used too! (**,)

It felt very strange flying back to the UK & ‘home’…it didn’t feel like coming home though & it also didn’t feel like we were on holiday either…it felt very strange to be honest & not as I expected. The first week the girls & I stayed with my Mum (G flew over & joined us for the 2^nd week) she was brilliant even though I’m sure it felt like she’d been invaded! She lent me her car, her bed, her food…everything & we really appreciated it! THANKS MUM! Big love to my fabulous Sister who picked us up at ‘cosy’ Heathrow & never seemed to tire of me moaning on endlessly about being jet-lagged (yes I’m still tired Sis!) I felt & how small everything looked & for a fab trip out to Malmesbury for a proper morning of English-ness & also for the closest I’m ever going to get to a festival as we drove past the car park for WOMAD! I caught up with the other two musketeers Elke & Tash, (felt like I hadn’t been away girls!) & it was great to see Louise & Ian (am so in love with the new kitten!) & Claire & Brad (funny how Tala wanted to eat Nyah!) I had my brows threaded to perfection & a long overdue pedi with the beautician to the stars (well stars of Swindon anyway!) the fabulous Jo! It was great to catch up with lots of friends at Catherine Wayte School & see everyone again… we also loved visiting our old street Arley Close & catching up with friends there & in Abbey Meads! It was funny seeing people do a double take when they didn’t know we were back visiting & we thought it a shame Borders was closing but loved the new M & S! We saw G’s Mum & Dad & it was Elsie’s birthday when we visited & instead of being waited on herself…she cooked a yummy roast dinner complete with my fave dessert rhubarb crumble which was the best ever (& Elsie you really are the greatest Mother-in-law!!) I had a lovely evening with girls I went to school with many many years ago & saw some funny photos & we also caught up with the (in)famous Nige & Jules…it was great to see you ALL!

The two weeks went so very fast but after all the visiting, shopping & I’d eaten all the foods I’d been craving such as toast (MMmmmmmm proper toast!) chips (just a couple with salt & vinegar did the trick) curry (& it was oh so yummy!) & a few Cadbury’s crème eggs I was pretty much done & ready to get back ‘home’ again! We couldn’t get to see everyone due to lack of time & in the end money...OMG it cost a bloody fortune & that was with the free flights!!

This month I’m loving…smiling to myself when thinking about friends & family!

This month I’m not loving… saying goodbye all over again!

June 2009

MAY/JUNE!

So what have we been up too recently…well, if you’ve read G’s last blog you’ll know all about the camping (which wasn’t half as bad as I thought it might be & was actually lots of fun, but 2 nights was enough for me with no email & 5* (a girl can dream can’t she?!) luxury!

We have been very busy & are actually away on ‘Vacation’ as I type. It’s so funny, if you say ‘Holiday’ to anyone American they only think of various different Bank Holidays such as Christmas Day, July 4^th etc so it makes for an interesting conversation when you tell them you are on holiday… tho sometimes I must admit I do it on purpose to see how complicated the conversation can get! We’re in Branson which is about a four hour drive (OMG/YIKES/ARE WE THERE YET etc etc etc!) but it really was ok… & no, I do not think it’s going to be Ok if we drive to Scotland when we get back to the UK Mr. Blackler!! So we’ve driven all this way…we packed up the car, dropped off the dog for her own little doggy daycare holiday & set off on our ‘Vacation’, even tho it’s a long drive away (stop tutting, it’s long for me people!) we are not actually going out of State & are still in Missouri which feels weird to us as it feels like we are in another country but we’re not & we’re still surrounded by Americans! (**,) … but more about that later

So since the last time we spoke (metaphorically speaking) we’ve waved au reviour to one set of relly’s & bonjour to another! My mum arrived from the UK just in time for our first baseball game (pic’s already posted on facebook) Harley’s 5^th Grade Farewell/Graduation (off to Middle School, the equivalent of our Senior school in the UK), the end of school for the girls (yes they finish at the end of May & don’t go back until August here & those who know me well can imagine what I think about the extended school holidays…as if 6 weeks sometimes feels like too long…well I’m navigating my way through 11 at the mo!) & to babysit the girls again as once we got a taste of it when Danya oh so kindly offered while she was here. There was no stopping us & we we’re off out to paaarrrrrrrrtttiiiiiieeee! Well out for ‘Wings & Ale’ with the Clarkes! Mum had a good time while she was here (I think & hope!) & it was fun showing her how normal our day to day life is…did you realise that we’ve been here for 8 months now… OMG….where on earth did that time go?! Do you miss us yet?! The baseball was fab & very exciting…it was a very big (& I mean big…but then everything is big here!) sporting event & I was a little nervous as to be honest I & it is probably an unfair view but when I think of big sporting events I can’t help but think of football hooligans, fighting & a general menacing atmosphere… but this was sooooo not like that at all… it was very family orientated, as well as there being groups of people of all different ages. We actually went twice as on the first visit the game was postponed due to a storm but we happily went back the a few days later for big screen entertainment, home-runs, hot dogs, waaaaay over price Cotton Candy (Candy Floss to you & I!) peanuts & cold beer you buy from very nice people who come to your seat! We all loved it…they even give you a t shirt on the way in so we could cheer on the home team (STL Cardinals) in style!

I’m still running (walking fast more like) with the dog when I can unless I have a suitable injury or excuse I can use not to go! Yoji still hates it but I sort of like it…well I like how I feel at the end of it anyway! The dog just wants to get back home (yes, I have let her off the lead recently but no, I’ve not been caught by any extremely jobsworthy cops (police to you & I!) so my record has been tarnished no further. We’ve seen some strange things as the weather has got warmer tho…most strange I think has to be Tortoises…(is that a proper word?)…the first time I was dragging myself & Yoji up a slight incline towards home we spotted it… honestly her face was so funny I really could see what she was thinking… ”What the hell is that thing?!”. Now I don’t know about you but I’ve never come across a tortoise before while out & about & I assumed it was someone’s lost pet & looked around for some distraught child calling…”Tommy?….Tommy??… where are you TOMMY??!!” (Tommy the Tortoise gettit!?) but apparently it’s quite normal to see them roaming & I’ve seen a few here & there & I don’t jump as much now, I know it’s nothing to be scared off but it was a surprise the first time…well & the second if I’m honest! I’ve also seen them flat on the road (whoops… but it must take them ages to cross the road!) which is NOT a good look on a Tortoise!

Ok where we we…on HOLIDAY! Vacation-Schmation Enough already! What is Branson like? Well it’s hailed as the ‘Live Music Capitol’ & there are millions (well prob not million but A LOT!) of theatres & shows but probably not what you’d expect…put it this way the highlights are “The Osmonds, The Beatles! & The Bald-Knobbers…don’t even ask!” But it’s great…so like nothing we’ve seen before! Let’s play a little game to see if I can help you conjure up what it’s like in your mind…close your eyes….go on really close them…well actually just pretend to close them as you won’t be able to continue reading if you really close them will you!? Ready…ok…here goes! Start by thinking of Las Vegas but on a UK scale….think of Blackpool but with no sea or Northeners…actually I’ve never been to Blackpool…ok take out Blackpool & put in Weymouth instead…still with no sea or Northeners …add the sun from Spain with a dash of BBQ & sangria but no Spanish or Northeners (no offence to Northeners but they do seem to get everywhere!) where were we… a dash of golf buggy with a pinch of hillbilly all topped off with a huge lake…you got it? GOOD! (**,)

What else have we done…we’ve been swimming, been to a Titanic Museum that is actually housed inside a half scale model of the real thing, swimming, eaten in an olde worlde 50’s style diner with prices definitely in the future but the yummiest shakes where they give you the last bit in those tall stainless steel beaker things you see in the films (it’s the little things that get me!) errrrrrmmm swimming, did I say we’ve been swimming?! Nyah just mastered the art at a ‘Swim America’ course the day before we came away so has been very keen to continue her training for the next Olympics! We’ve also ridden ‘The Branson Ducks’ that was fabbie….you basically ride a bus that then floats on the water…most bizarre & a bit scary when you start to think deeply about it & best not to think about how it works too much I found…safe to say we all loved it!! They do it in London too & I’ve always wanted to try it ever since I’ve heard about it & if you ever get the chance to try it…do it…great fun! Harley & I almost wet ourselves when our ‘Captain Jed’ stopped on the steep slope…took a deep breath, put on the music from the ‘Dambusters’ & then put his foot down & we were hurtling towards the lake at like a-silly-super-fast-speed…like he was Speedy Gonzalez or something…he must have been about 80 bless him & he thought it was hilarious & we made a huge splash…almost as big as G does when he does those bomb things to scare the little kids out of the pool….I was screaming inside my head…BUSES AREN’T MEANT TO FLOAT ARE THEY!?!? Nyah was slightly concerned about the buses floating capabilities but Captain Jed (& daddy) assured us all that they hadn’t the need for a lifejacket since before the war(!) & he let both girls take the wheel & drive while we were driving? Sailing?…see its weird isn’t it!? But we survived & even have our bright yellow duck quackers to prove we’ve ridden the ducks…I imagine they’ll also be handy if we ever go duck hunting eh? Watch this space! (**,)

This month I’m loving… Our air conditioned, fully appointed, super-kingsize bedded condo, complete with golf course, indoor /outdoor pools & hot tub!

This month I’m not loving… Thinking about going home at the end of our ‘Vacation’!

Storms & Camping by Mr. Graeme Blackler!

Did you know that here in St Louis, they get what they call severe weather, especially during spring when you get the warm air from the Gulf of Mexico meets the cool air from Canada? Well they do and I’ve become a bit of a weather freak. In fact I’m sure I used to be a meteorologist in a previous life and it just fascinates me to know we could witness tornados and baseball sized hail stones.. It also scares the living daylights out of me as I don’t like Lightning and these storms brings lots of it.. And I mean lots! So the sensible thing was to buy one of those specialist radios that turns itself on and gives you a severe weather warning when the National weather centre sends them out if a severe storm is looming down on you.

Within the first few days of buying one, me and Dee were in bed fast asleep, as you do 2 o’clock in the morning, when the alarm went off.. VERY LOUDLY .. scaring the beejeeeeesssssus out of us! After climbing down off the ceiling fan, which luckily wasn’t spinning at the time, we listened to the weather man to be told of a severe storm that was about 30 miles away.. 30 MILES.. What’s the point of telling us a storm is about 30 miles away??? So we went back off to sleep.. well we did once the heart rate had receded enough for us to actually sleep.

Soon after, we had a real severe storm and I’ve never seen lightning like it. The thunder was just one continuous rumble as there just wasn’t a gap between lightning strikes and the noise just got louder and louder! It didn’t take long before Nyah came running into our bedroom (as usual the storms arrive when you’re trying to get some sleep) to say she was frightened and jumped in with us. This was soon followed by Harley who also joined us, so there we were, four (squeezed) in a bed watching the light show and feeling the vibration of the thunder through the house. Have we told you that they don’t seem to make houses very sturdy?! Anyway, after about 30 minutes of this, the storm seemed to be passing, when the radio piped up with a severe storm warning for our area! My God, if there is a storm out there that is more severe than what we just had, no wonder they give warnings!! We were ‘umming and ‘arring whether to go into the basement or not, when I decided to check the Doppler weather images on the laptop to discover that the severe storm had already passed! We haven’t really used the radio since then!!

It’s been a long time since either Dee or I have been proper camping. You know what I mean, tent, camping stoves, chairs and all the gear. In fact, it was probably at least 30 years ago when I used to go with my family on our annual holiday every year and when you’re 10, camping is great, especially when you’ve got brothers to play with, it all becomes an adventure. But when you hit your teenage years, camping loses its appeal, especially when you discover hotels with bathrooms and room service!!

Well, our good friends, the Clarke’s, gave us the chance to go ‘proper’ camping again to a well known Missouri national park known as Graham’s Cave! Well you can imaging Dee’s joy knowing we would be camping in Graham’s cave and how she laughed at the thought… yes, yes, very funny, ha ha..

As you can imagine, not having camped in such a long time, we didn’t actually have any camping gear, but the Clarke’s being veterans of the US camping scene, had everything, even a spare 4 birth tent for us to use. All we had to do was to bring our bedding, food and us.

After another bout of severe storms, which threatened our whole trip, we set off on the 80 mile trip to the camp site. We arrived in the evening, with the sun shining and to Find Paul and Karen already there setting up camp. The girls (and I include Dee here) were very excited and we all set about doing our various duties. Me helping put the tents up (man’s work) and everyone else… doing, well doing just stuff! Well I was too busy putting the tents up to notice what the other jobs were, but the girls (I include Dee in this again) seemed to be having fun playing in the woods, jumping up and down and singing, etc, you know what I mean, typical camping frivolity, but I’m sure Dee will tell a different story!!!

At last the camp was set, the Union Jack tea towel was flying and the red and white checkered plastic table cloth was laid. The thing we found about camping in this modern day and age is it revolves around food and drink. Lots of food and drink!! We kicked off with spaghetti bolognaise which Karen had prepared at home, which was followed by a range of other delicacies including, burgers, hot dogs, s’mores and toasted marshmallows. In fact, by the end of the evening Dee looked like a marshmallow as she spent long periods toasting them over the camp fire and eating them! Paul had also bought along the biggest cooler box I’d ever seen. In fact it was so big; it had wheels so that you could pull it along! The nice thing about this cooler box was that it was full of ice and beer.. the perfect combination!

By the end of the night, we all trundled off for midnight pees and off to bed. By this time the girls were already asleep, so me and Dee crept in and snuggled up, which would have been great but we were pitched on a slope, which meant that Nyah kept rolling out of bed and we had to keep putting her back in. Also, have you ever slept in the woods after a storm… well let me tell you, it’s like living in a jungle with all the little critters wired up for sound and amplified through a boom box! Not conducive to a goods night sleep but I suppose it adds to the experience!

The second day we went exploring searching for Graham’s cave.. Yes more sniggering, but it was very pleasant and very warm.. Stop that laughing, the joke is wearing thin now!! We played with Frisbees and baseballs and all had a relaxing day. By night fall, the food and drink came back out and fire was lit making for another pleasant evening. There is something to be said about camp fires and beer.. they just seem to go together.

It was time to go bed, but tonight was extremely cold and for some reason, Dee imagined sleeping in a tent would be like sleeping at home.. warm and snug. Wrong! So she only brought along our summer quilt, but unfortunately it was bloody freezing and even with all our clothes on including hoodies over our heads, we couldn’t stop the cold getting through. To make things worse, I think I over indulged in the food and drink (or it could have been a ‘bad’ beer) but whatever it was, I felt decidedly dodgy and in the end had to venture out in to the cold dark night and find sanctuary at the big white telephone to God (toilet bowl to those of you not in the know). On returning to the tent, I found Dee having a bit of a conundrum as she needed a pee but was too scared to go out on her own in the woods in the middle of the night.. didn’t see the problem myself… but in the end, the laws of physics took over and Dee had to venture out on her own for a pee. All must have been well as she did return safe and sound and feeling very pleased with herself for being so brave. However, she woke me up coming back into the tent!!

The morning came and we chipped the ice of us (artistic license with that comment) and had another good English fry up before having to pack up shop and drive back home.

All in all, we had a really chilled and relaxing time and decided we would definitely go again, so Karen and Paul are apparently already looking at camping in Kentucky with a heard of Bison for this autumn!

May 2009

May 09

Ok so it’s been a while since our last post…thanks to all those who have been chasing me for news, it’s nice to know that at least three of you read it! (**,)

So what have we been up too? Well it’s been all about the Relly’s recently…meaning relatives of course! My sister Danya, her hubby Marcus & my gorgeous niece Roxanne all came to visit…Marcus & Roxy went to Ohio to visit some of his relly’s out there, leaving my sis & I to entertain ourselves & entertain we did! We packed a fair bit in to our time which was very precious as we very rarely have time to spend alone just doing what we want just the two of us & it was great! They arrived one afternoon at STL airport & managed to give us the slip or so I thought at the arrivals hall…little did we know that STL airport has two arrivals halls & they of course came in at the one that we were NOT waiting for them at which as a bit surreal! But at least now we know. We only just made the flight as there was torrential rain (did I mention the rain followed them here?!) & the traffic was crazy mad but luckily their plane was delayed & we all made it in the end. The morning after they arrived was dull & grey…I couldn’t believe it after I’d been telling them it’s never grey, two days in a row here but of course it was grey, damp & chilly yikes! On the Saturday morning we went to ‘The Donut Palace’ (because we’re in America & it’s the done thing!) & bought a nice big box of warm, fresh donuts for breakfast…we all felt a little sick after but it was worth it because they were soooo yummy!

We tried to visit The Arch downtown on the Saturday afternoon & it was a lovely sunny day at last but we’d left it a little late so even though they let us through the airport style security we couldn’t actually go up which was a shame but a nice afternoon anyway. On the Sunday we took them to see the historic St Charles & the famous ‘Main St’ which is all olde worlde with cobbled streets & is also close to the River which wherever you see it is sort of all brown & rivery looking (yes I am well aware that rivery isn’t a real word)! It was Easter Sunday so the shops were shut & we were the only ones out as it was cold but we Brits are a hardy bunch aren’t we!? After that we carried on up to Lake St Louis to visit our fellow brits ‘The Clarkes’ for Brownies (hand made by moi) & tea! After M & R left for Ohio we did all sorts of cultural/touristy/shoppy stuff! We went to LOTS of craft stores (for my Sis who is very crafty) & I was very patient…not sure if Danya thought I was as patient as I thought I was being though! On the first day we were alone we were late home & missed the girls coming home from school on the bus (that was a first for me since I’ve been here…(did I tell you she was a bad influence on me!?) luckily we were only two minutes late & they make the kids get back on the bus if there is no one home & they were dropped off on the way back up the street….the girls were VERY cross with us I can tell you!

We went mall shopping to our local mall which has all the ‘usual suspects’ Macy’s, Dillards, Bath & Body Works, Victoria’s Secret…Abercrombie & Fitch where the clothes were so tiny we thought we were in the children’s section a full size fairground carousel (as you do!) & various interesting eateries including The Cheesecake Factory which along with being a really lovely bar/restaurant has the most extensive dessert/cheesecake menu that I’ve ever seen & also had the opportunity to try…if I’m not careful I will look like a huge cheesecake when I return to the UK…but life is waaaaay too short not to at least try some of these places!

We checked out the STL Art Museum which was cool & was our slice of culture for the week! We wandered about being oh so impressed by all the paintings & various artifacts but got a little giggly in the Modern Art section…which was waaaaaay to silly for us…call that art?! I’m sorry some of it was not art…but let’s not get into the “What is art?” debate here eh!? The museum was huge & has three floors; we managed two but felt full of culture but empty on food so left for lunch after a few hours!

We visited a very posh mall…one like I’ve never seen before…a place you dress up to go to & even the bags hanging off the baby buggy handles were designer…it had very nice carpet, valet parking & big comfy sofa’s with matching cushions to rest awhile upon!! It also had a reception in what looked like a very nice hotel lobby complete with a highly polished receptionist & the toilets…or bathrooms as they call them here were huge, like your own mini suite! The shops were a little different also(!) we had Saks 5^th Avenue, Tiffany’s, Louis Vuitton & Neiman Marcus where the ladies who help you prey like very made up vultures & outnumber the customers by about 4 to 1! We had fun perusing all things sparkly in Tiffany’s & the designer bags in NM by Marc Jacobs, Armani, Prada, Jimmy Choo etc, it was a very interesting experience… there were lots of very rich looking ladies who were all definitely lunching rather than working…not sure about being looked up & down by an 80 year very well dressed lady in her Chanel pumps whose eyebrows were higher up on her forehead than mine were though! On the way home from the ‘posh’ mall we went to an American farmers market in another quaint little place next door to a train line…it looked a little like a film set & such a contrast to the mall with its fruits & veggies & home cooked produce etc.

We finished off the week with a trip to Silky’s for frozen custard (fabbie!) a visit to meet the American lady who got me into trouble with the law (remember…? Out dog walking?! How could you forget!) As she wanted to meet Danya & see if (her words, not mine) “she was as hilarious as me”….not sure what she meant by that!!? I don’t think I’m particularly funny actually! Also managed to fit in a visit to the spray tan booth (for me & yes my feet were bright orange the following morning & it was worth it for the laugh I got catching sight of myself in a full length mirror totally naked with a shower cap on my head & cotton wool balls stuck up my nose! We went out for girly cocktails with Mrs C & left G in with Mr C looking after the girls with beer (beer for the boys not our girls!) & the Wii! We larrrffffeeed lots over the course of the week over various things & once scared Harley when we were laughing so much we were crying about an innocent remark about Pearly Kings & Queens which still makes me feel like giggling when I think about it now but is sooooo one of those you needed to be there kinda stories & really wouldn’t be funny if I told you so I’m not even going to try!

The time quickly came round for M & R to come back to STL & we crammed in a few last shopping & downtown trips & made it up the Arch finally & the view was just as great 2^nd time around & all too soon it was time to go back to the airport & say our last goodbyes…& it was back to the four of us once more but a great time was had by all! Watch out though…my mothers on her way! (**,)

This month I’m loving… having a lovely clean house when visitors arrive!

This month I’m not loving… cleaning for visitors!