Stacy's Visit - Nottingham & Chatsworth House

For Stacy's last full weekend with us we had planned to journey down to Nottingham for some shopping and a night out with Andy's sister Alison. Originally Alex was supposed to be at his mother's thus leaving us free for an adult night out. However things didn't go to plan and Alex's mom sent him home after his only being with her for 12 hours (overnight). What could we do? We packed the poor mite a bag and brought him along with us.

The shopping was pretty good as Stacy and I got lost in H&M with an armload of clothes to try on. After nearly an hour of waiting Ali, Andy and Alex wandered across the road to a Coffee Shop to patiently await for word that we were indeed finished and ready to leave the store.

We returned to Ali's flat to prepare for our evening on the town. We were going to a pizza house for supper and then Alex and Andy were going on to a movie while Ali took us gals around the hot spots of Nottingham.


Sisters...

We started drinking Baha Rosa at the flat before proceeding out for the evening. The pizza was good but the bars were even better. Stacy has found a new drink in England, a blue cooler that looks and tastes like melted blue freezie entitled 'Wicked' however that evening I was surprised to see my sister try different drinks made from vodka. In one bar that was playing tremendously loud music she fell in love with a frozen cocktail called Watermelon Crush. I couldn't believe how quickly she drank it down and thought perhaps she was more inclined to alcohol than I had originally believed. Quite frankly it was a bit too strong for me! Either way we enjoyed that pub but moved on to the next one (Ali wanted to show Stacy a few bars before our night had to end prematurely).

As we were moving on to an underground bar, we passed a high-rise building where some fellows high up on a balcony were asking us to give them a smile and bellowing for us to 'come up'. I was completely shocked to hear my sister-in-law reply 'show us your cock'! Now Stacy swears she said something even more surprising, but I will leave it at that. Normally my sister in law is quite, well... not like that. She's small and compact and although demure isn't a word to describe her, let's just say I'd never heard her talk that way. I guess she is a bit of the firecracker her father has been saying she is! And to think I was always a bit worried to say something out of order and risk offending her... not anymore!

Anyway, as we moved along the road we ended up encountering another bunch of boys - two of whom were in headlock. One was shouting at us to come have a crack at his head as he was a policeman. I laughed and replied that I couldn't possibly, as I was a cop myself. God, I won't go into where that led, but it was funny. Yup, that's me... A Canadian member of the NYPD. Here I was, after all these years of putting people on and coming up with silly fake accents doing the same thing in England, yet the accent is real. Go figure. Stacy was quite amused that one of the 'drunks' was sober enough to think that she and I must be sisters as the resemblance was 'scary'. As amusing as these blokes were, we had to move on. We managed to make it into one last bar before the call came from the boys. It was short night out, but yet it was sweet.

The next morning we got up and left Ali to go visit a stately home in the Peak District. Andy had suggested taking me earlier in the year however I wanted to wait for Stacy's visit. I'm glad I did... she was in as much awe as I was over this fantastically beautiful mansion. The inside of the house was gorgeous but it was the grounds that were the show stealer. It was terrific to have Alex with us as we were even more inclined to act like big kids (something that comes quite easily when my sisters and I get together).

In the middle of the grounds was a huge maze that we weren't expecting.


The Maze

Upon arriving at the entrance to the maze, the four of us immediately devised a plan to split up into pairs to see who could try and find the middle first. Sadly Stacy and I were trying to place ourselves in our own episode of The Amazing Race... It was hilarious right from the start - Andy and I practically knocking the other maze-goers out of our way in our quest to beat Stace and Al to the middle. However it wasn't too long before we met with what seemed to be every dead end, and ultimately a lone Stacy. Alex was long gone and nowhere to be seen. After we'd tried for about the third time Andy and I gave up and went back out to try and find Alex. We should have guessed that he had found the center. Stacy at first didn't want to be shown where the center was, however after another shot or two, and a bucketful of sweat, we let Alex have a head-start and then ran after him into the middle. He was proudly sat under the lone tree trying to feign boredom. What a kid. I don't know what the rules are on the AR, however I don't think your partner is meant to leave you behind in your quest to the finish line, eh Stace?


The Winner

We took loads of pictures, and I've downloaded some for your viewing pleasure here.

Beautiful Dawn...




And the countdown is on...

12 Days: Our Honeymoon in Greece
24 Days: Our Puppy Molly Comes Home
2 Months: Andy's brother's wedding in a Glorious Scottish Castle (where we are also sleeping for the night - keep your fingers crossed that Andy's mom will have Alex for the night!)
4 Months: Andy's and My 1st Wedding Anniversary
7 Months: I'm going home for Christmas (and although I'm not wishing for the winter, or even Christmas so much, I am longing for the day I step off the plane in my beloved Nova Scotia).

So... as much as I am not wishing time away, I am eagerly anticipating the good things to come this year, but let's get through these first two exciting occurrences first!

Is It Back To the Beginning?

When I first came over here all I had to do in regard to driving was master the art of driving on the other side of the road. Luckily for me, I had been driving a standard/manual transmission car for over 12 years so I didn't have that to face on top of everything else. I had been told by my husband who checked online, that I could drive for a year on my NS License and could then exchange it in for a UK Issue.

Of course nothing is ever as easy as it seems. I now have two weeks to get my license exchanged. That isn't the problem. The problem is this: To exchange my license I need to send my passport in to the DVLA. If I send my passport in I won't be able to go on holiday to Greece a week Sunday. If I don't send my passport in with attached paperwork, I exceed the 12 month grace period and will have to go through the process a brand new driver would have to undertake in order to get a British License... hmmm.. nice eh? (I'm looking at my 12 month period from the date I was granted Leave To Remain - if they don't take it from this date then I've completely gone and blown it.)

Nevermind the fact that if I do in fact come up with some sort of way to get around the passport issue (i.e. having our solicitor photocopy it and verify it) I will still only be granted a provisional license that says I can only drive an automatic car when driving on my own. If I drive our standard car I have to have a fully licensed person in with me. Right. I suppose I can understand this as you don't have to pass a manual test in Canada, however it is a bit annoying after I have been driving a manual car here for over a year already, not to mention the 12 years back home... This however could easily enough be corrected with a manual test once I've received the provisional license. I just hope that I can figure something out so that I don't have to go back to the beginning and have to take the theory test, etc. Gawd... Let this be a lesson to all of you great procrastinators out there - stop sticking your head in the sand, get off your asses and check things out for yourself, and especially, stop leaving things to the very last minute. You'd think I'd have learned my own lesson by now.

I'm In Love

Stacy and I had debated buying this cd at various points throughout her visit. I'm sorry we didn't buy it sooner because after buying it today and listening to it, I have to say that it's the best damn CD I've listened to in AGES... There is not one song on it that I don't like. Naturally I like some more than others, namely the first 7, lol but the whole thing is wickedly good. James Blunt has so much depth, beauty and talent - he is an incredible songwriter, a unique singer and an extreme breath of fresh air. It doesn't hurt one little bit either that he is absolutely lovely to look at. Looks aside though, his videos are even fantasatically interesting and unusual - each has a neat twist and show lots of imagination. If you miss out on this CD, you are missing a lot... take my word for it. (Unless you are only in to pop and R&B - then you might want to give it a miss.) (Oh and Stace - I'll get ya a copy... no worries.)

I'm hoping my husband might just surprise me with tickets for his concert in Leeds or Manchester for the weekend of our first anniversary in October ;)

PS: I will be getting back to blogging about Stacy and the rest of her trip shortly for those of you that are interested.

I Just Can't Believe She's Gone...

We spent our last day/evening with Stacy in London last night before taking her to the airport this morning. I can't begin to express how lost I feel now that she is gone. Even though I am not alone the house seems empty tonight, especially now that we have dropped Connor home as he was a great comfort all day. He (along with Andy) kept cuddling me and telling me how much he already missed Stacy. Alex asked in the car if we could call Stacy tonight. Andy talked about all the great times we had. So you see, she will not only be missed dreadfully by me, but by my family here in New Waltham.

I'm sitting here blogging while Stacy's favourite UK show (My Family) is on the television and I can't believe the irony that it is on tonight of all nights when its usually on on Monday nights. The house feels strange now without her presence and I think it will honestly take me a few days to get over her being gone. We had a wonderful time together and once I get myself sorted out I will begin blogging again about our adventures.

For the time being here are a few pictures from our last hours together.


My Beautiful Sister Underground...


Goodbye Big Ben (I think we are both feeling a little 'drained' by this point)


My Lovely Sister and I... (notice her lovely new top;)

We CAN do this... (I Hope!!!)

After a wonderful weekend away (will update at a later date), Stacy and I are now up and eagerly getting ready for our four day trip to Glasgow. I only have one concern: As we couldn't get a train ticket at a half-way decent price I will be attempting to drive five hours into the city of Glasgow.

Good Grief.

Stacy is definitely looking at it from an Amazing Race perspective and is quite excited. Me? Well it will be a terrific boost for my driving ego if I do this without getting lost (or worse), especially the streets of Glasgow! (But that's where my navigator comes in right?)

See you when we get back!

She's Really Ours

Today we went and saw our little puppy. She's just turned four weeks old and we have to wait until the middle of June before we can bring her home at which time she will be the around the size of little Coco (the chocolate lab in the photo with me). All these labs are working labs and they are lean and gorgeous no matter the color. I can't wait until the day she is in my arms and we can bring her home!


Aunty Stacy with Our Baby...

We are thinking of a few different names to call her, predominately Molly, but I think we need to wait until we pick her up to see if it suits or not. In the meantime we are definitely open to suggestions!



Me & Coco

Here is a pic of a few of her brothers and sisters. This is just so exciting for us! She is going to be a very loved and special addition to our family!


Four of Ten...

As I blog this I must admit that I've been out drinking tonight so please excuse any bad spelling on my behalf...

So on Saturday the title would have went something like this...

A bit of Sickie, A bit of Snot and a Lot of Hail

So Saturday we made our way to Pleasure Island, a small theme park that is located on our waterfront. The day was slightly overcast to begin with but that didn't stop Stacy, Tash and I from going on the Hyperblast... its nothing too exciting but it shot you high engough in the air for a thrill... (notice the black clouds)


What a Ride

Later that day we had to make our way into Tinkaboo land with the kids as the skies opened up and HAIL, I repeat hail, not rain began to pour down upon us... only moments before had we made our way from the rollercoaster where believe this - Stacy - my sister who is a daredevil and LOVES rollercoasters, became sick to her stomach... not to mention the fact that during the ride we heard Tahsa scream 'gross' as Alex had sneezed during the ride and ended up with snot all over his face... all in all that particular ride was not successful...


Stacy and our baby

As we were leaving the park it would figure that that the sun would decide to shine...


Me and my mates...

Tonight Stace and I went to a pub quiz night with my friend Helen. Stacy and I talked to a local chap at the bar who joined us for some sad conversation and who ended up being absolutely hopeless (I was thinking of him as possibility for my single friend in my ususal druken way). But all the same we had fun!


Sorry!

Since Stacy has arrived we have gotten used to hearing 'sorry' followed by a giggle. When we first heard her say this, we were in the car and asked why - her response - "you'll know in a minute". It was soon followed by the most Gawd awful stench ever... now the big joke is that whenever of us fart we giggle and quickly say 'sorry'... whatever happened to the good old 'excuse me'???? Either way we are living thru some God awful smells that are always being giggled about. I suppose this is bound to happen when you have large groups of people living under a small roof!!!

Friday turned out to be an exceptionally good day for Stacy and I. We found our way to the city of Lincoln without any trouble at all. The drive down was smooth and easy going and it was so like old times for the two of us as we listened to our favourite songs. It seems to be that whenever my sisters and I now get together we always seem to have a 'theme' song for the duration of our time together. Last summer with Tawny in Toronto (and again with Dawn in Mercy River), it was sadly enough 'Eye of the Tiger'. There's something about that song that just makes you want to sing and shake your fist... hmmmm fist shaking seems to be a big thing with some people ;). Anyway, I am digressing. My point being, that this trip Stacy and I have adopted 'The Way You Move' by the Body Rockers as our chosen song. It plainly just 'rocks'.

As time is short, I have just downloaded a few of the pictures we took from our day out on Friday. I will hopefully be back to blog within the next day or so, maybe even tonight as I have a few funny things that are just needing to be told.


Lincoln Cathederal


Princess Stacy in the Tower at Lincoln Castle


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Happy Birthday Ruth!

Today my dear friend Ruth is celebrating her birthday back home in Nova Scotia. Not only does she have her fantastic life to celebrate on this day, but also the fact that after many years of putting it off, she has just this week become a fully licensed driver!!! HOoRAy!!! I'll be expecting a drive with you when I next make it home! Have a great day my friend, you deserve it!

Yesterday marked the first anniversary of two very special and wonderful people. My sister Tawny and her husband Taylor are at this moment having a widly romantic time together in the place where they were married one year ago yesterday: Las Vegas Nevada. I hope that the rest of their lives together are as good as this past year has been. Cheers to the first of many!!!

Five Minute Update

Stacy is upstairs at the moment getting ready as today I am going to attempt to drive us to Lincoln so that she can see this beautiful city, but more specifically to see the historic and beautiful cathederal that sits so proudly above the city.

We have been keeping fairly busy - last weekend Andy and I took Stacy to a working village called Beamish to show her how a typical village would have looked in the late 1800's, early 1900's. We stopped over in Newcastle to check out a few of the sights and to have a drink with an old friend before making our way to Robin Hood's Bay, a small village set on the side of of mountain above a gorgeous cove... it was breathtaking. The only trouble is my poor sister in her quest to download the pictures we'd taken that weekend, lost them all. We had some great pics, including one of Stacy in an ancient pub in Newcastle holding up (one on each side of her face) a tin of Red Bull and a glass of Vodka... (I'm sure the person this photo was taken for knows who they are ;)!!! Maybe this is what happens when we try to 'best' our friends! Anyway, on Monday (it was a holiday here) Andy and I took her to Horseshoe Point in the hopes of her catching sight of the seals, but alas no luck. However despite the absence of any seals, we did have a good hike out to the water and Stacy was quite thrilled to be frolicking around in the North Sea on the first of May as the shallow water was suprisingly warm.

Finally...

Andy and I arrived at Heathrow on Saturday morning in good time to enjoy breakfast before anxiously awaiting Stacy's arrival. To be truthful, I was the anxious one, Andy was quite relaxed, however either way we were both looking forward to the moment when she walked through the arrivals door. It felt so good to wrap my arms around my young sister and hug her tightly. Despite not having slept the night before, she looked great and was ready to take on the city of London. The overcast day was doing nothing to deter her. As she happily stated 'isn't it supposed to be foggy in London?'


Might that be BIG BEN?

We happily spent the day sightseeing and although the skies were often threatening us with the possibility of heavy rain, it was only rarely that I had to pop open the umbrella due to drizzle. I spent a lot of the day just clicking the button on the handle that popped the closed brelly into Andy's backside. (Until he had the gumption to actually 'click' it at me and hit my funny bone - abruptly putting an end to my game. (Well, after a few attempts on my behalf to get him back)).

It was pretty great to watch Stacy's wonder and share in her excitement as she saw all the sights I had first seen myself two years ago upon my first visit to the wonderful city of London.



I think one of Stacy's favorite aspects of the day was utilizing London's Underground. Andy kept correcting our term 'subway', as it is referred to the 'tube' here in the UK... Either way Stacy loved the automated voice informing us to 'Mind The Gap' prior to exiting the tube. We saw many a t-shirt with the London Underground emblazoned across the front and even discovered one with the tube's design, but the words "Fuck the Gap" written across the front. Stacy absolutely loved that one (I admit I did too, as we all know I think Fuck is a very good word when used appropriately), however my demure little sister couldn't buy it as it's not a word she could wear! Imagine!

A nap and a pint...

We held out until just after three when we retired to our hotel rooms for a nap. We had made plans to meet up with a friend of ours who used to work out in Halifax at the same time as Andy. Neither of had seen Mo since he left Canada in March of 2002. Honestly, although Mo and I had become fairly close friends, both of us probably figured it very unlikely we would ever see each other again, especially in England. A few months ago Mo had gotten in touch with me via a mutual friend, and to make a long story short, I was thrilled to meet up with him in the city for a pint. He brought a friend along that we used to know as well, Grant, who left an old friend of mine in a bit of mess, but like I told him, what's past is past and all the girls who got left 'disappointed' in Halifax were grown up and could look after themselves, what's past is past. I know how the majority of contractors are and I'm not going to blame any of them for their behaviour, what counts is that my contractor is a stand-up guy. As is our friend Mo. I just think it amusing at times that I ended up with one when I wasn't even looking to.

It was great to see Mo and we all had an enjoyable time downing a few pints. Even Stacy had a drink. I think she is actually looking forward to having a few more while in England... after all it is part of the lifestyle and she will be here for a whole month!


Reunited...

We woke up Sunday morning to sunny skies and made our plan for the morning. Stacy would be introduced to an English breakfast prior to our visiting the Tower of London. It was a bit surreal for me to walk around the 'Jewel House' inside the Tower, explaining to Stacy how the Monarchy works. Believe it or not, this is something I actually knew prior to living in London, thanks to my lovely Nanny. She was a great follower of the Royal Family and both times that I have visited the Tower and viewed the Crown Jewels I ended up misty eyed at the though of my Nan. She would have loved to have seen the beautiful history on display.


Happy in the Tower of London

We didn't have much time to spend in London on Sunday, but Stacy was fine to leave just past lunch time as we had to pick up a puppy to bring back to Andy's mom. Of course my dog-loving sister had no problem being in charge of the little cutie for the drive back to New Waltham. It was so cute at one point to look back and see them both konked out and happily snoozing on the back seat.

We will be touring around London again for a day or two before Stacy leaves, but of course I don't even want to think about that yet, as we still have a full three weeks to share before heading back down South.

New Beginnings

Andy and I attended the final hearing yesterday for the financial section of his divorce from the Ex. We didn't end up having to go into the Judge's chambers as the two of them managed to come to a settlement that only needed to be signed and witnessed in front of the judge.

The sad thing is that after two long years she finally agreed on a lesser deal than Andy had put forward in the beginning - a bit annoying as it could have been settled more in her favour a long time ago without the outrageous solicitors fees (especially as hers are likely much higher). All this so that Andy would walk away with only a quarter of what the house is worth. Either way, we are moving on, something we have been trying to do for over a year now. We no longer have to deal with her and her behavior in regard to financial and can begin saving money for a down payment on our own house.

If your up to a challenge, or May be just a bit bored, you might want to try this link. See if you can achieve what couldn't quite manage. Something tells me I will go back to it until I do succeed.

The Joy of Reading

Lately I have been polishilng off 1-2 books a week. I have always been mad about reading, ever since my mother first read to me as a baby. I'm not overly fussy about what I read, so long as the plot is captivating enough to hold my attention and its well written. Both Connor and Alex ask me on a regular basis why I read so much. Unfortunately they are not children who like to read. However because they are so used to seeing me read, they will from time to time ask me if I have something they might like to read, especially Connor. Just last night he asked me if I have always read and when I answered yes, he replied with 'why do you like to read so much?' My response was to ask him why he likes TV so much. His answer was because he can see the pictures... I told him with a smile that I too can see pictures when I read, only I get to make them up myself.

After this discussion I got to contemplating the thought of how much I actually do read, and why. Reading accomplishes a number of things for me: it takes me away from my troubles, somewhere where I can focus on the occurrences in someone else's life; reading helps me to relax just before going to sleep at night; reading takes the place of just sitting in boredom while in waiting areas or on long car journeys. But the plain truth of the matter is, I just love to read. Sometimes it is a bit worrying that I prefer to stay in and read than socialize or converse with someone, however this is a rare event, basically only when I'm engrossed in a fantastic book. I suppose I have never found my reading to be unusual or something to think about until now, as most of the people in my life were advid readers: Mom, Dad, Tawny, Dawn, my former boss Kristin, etc. Here's to all the readers out there who share in the love of a good book! Long may you continue to find solace in your books, as well as expand the grey matter!

Our Much Anticipated Honeymoon!







On Thursday morning I finalized the details of our delayed honeymoon to Greece. We have decided on one of the Ionian Islands - Kefalonia and leave on June 12th. I booked the Villa and the flights separately as we didn't want to go to an all inclusive. Now it seems that each night Andy and I go to bed dreaming about exploring the island by foot, car and boat. It is rumoured to have some of the most beautiful beaches in Greece and we are determined to find them. And how nice it will be after a fun-filled day of exploring to return to the local taverna for a drink before making our way up the mountainside back to our studio apartment in the Garbis Villas!

But before that....

STACY COMES IN FIVE DAYS!!!!! How I have been waiting for this! I don't know who is more excited - Stacy, me, or quite frankly, Alex!

She has been born!

And if Greece and Stacy coming weren't exciting enough, I got the call last Wednesday informing us that my baby had been born and would I still be interested! Would I still be interested? Of course, I have only been waiting for this for a very long time! I hadn't got my expectations too high as the breeder informed me that it was very unlikely that the mother would produce a yellow female (as the mom is black and the father is chocolate) however out of 10 pups, one was a yellow female and she is all ours if we want her, and we do! She will be ready to come live with us the week before our honeymoon, so of course I will make plans to pick her up the weekend after we get back. We will be going to see her while Stacy is here though. I want someone from the family back home to see my little 'baby' Molly!

I'm Cravin it Baby

Hrmmm... if only there was a way for Stacy to bring a small freezer/cooler with her! I've been thinking of DQ all day, so to make up for not having a local DQ I think I might go bake some choco chip/oatmeal cookies to satisfy my urge to indulge. So much for lighter eating. Owell there is always tomorrow!

Tonight we took Connor home via a bike ride. The sun was shining and it wasn't overly windy so it was set to be a very enjoyable trip. And it was - despite the fact that Alex took a header twice and wiped out due to the chain on his bike falling off. God love him, the first wipe out was hard - he ended up scraping his neck on his handle-bars and ended up with something akin to a bloody hickey, but he picked himself up and after a few deep breaths we set off again. Its amazing to watch the boys biking, they have so much energy. Connor's little legs were just pumping to keep up and he only asked to stop once for a break. He was so impressed that we took the scenic route back to his house and ended up doing over just 6 kilometers... (Andy has a speedometer on his bike). I'm really looking forward to getting a lot more riding it this spring/summer.

yesterday we took a trip to IKEA to get a few odds and ends. We ended up getting a nice little shelving piece that sits on the wall just above our PC/Desk and it looks so much nicer than the usual old junk we had hanging there (a phone list, a few unframed pics). We are debating painting next weekend but will play it completely by ear.



This weekend was a momentous weekend in world history - Pope JP II was buried and Prince Charles was re-married. I don't have much to say about either really. However I can't let the wedding go by and not add my two-cents worth:

I'm happy for Charles. He seems happy enough and his boys seem content and well adjusted with the issue so I can't really see the problem a lot of people are having. Yes Diana was lovely, and rightly should have been Queen, but she is not here in this world anymore (and wouldn't have been Queen anyway, even if she had lived). I won't go into the ins and outs about my feelings on Di, as this blog is about Charles and his new bride.

No, Camilla might not be as lovely to look at as Di, or be as young and interesting but she is the love of Charles' life. Perhaps they should have gotten their act together 30 years ago and married then, but they didn't. Sometimes life has a cruel way of denying us the things in life we really want. I don't envy the royals at all - I would never want to be held down by the laws they are meant to live by (I suppose that is why I admired Fergie so much). Charles, for many reasons did not marry the woman of his heart while he was young and I'm sure the years in between then and now have been difficult. However had he not gone down the path he felt he had to, he would not have the two beautiful sons he has today. So, although I'm not really concerned about the Prince of Wales, or his life, I am an advocate of true love and I'm glad to see that it prevailed on Friday (barf now if you choose).

And although I abhor the head-piece she wore for the blessing, I loved the outfit (hat included) that she wore for the actual marriage service. (FYI - I did not sit glued to the TV for the actual event - I was right there in the streets of Windsor... yeah NOT. I caught the highlights on the news that evening and read about it the paper.)

Some Time Alone

This weekend Alex was successfully returned to his mother for a weekend. He went from Friday at 6 and we picked him up on Sunday at 6. He spent most of the weekend playing out with his friends, however the most important issue is that he and his mom did alright and he will be returning again in a fortnight for his bi-weekly visit. This will accomplish two things: 1) Alex and his Mom and siblings seeing each other on a regular basis and 2)Andy and I getting some much needed alone time.

So, on Saturday morning after not hearing anything from Alex, Andy and I packed our bags and headed down to the South-East Cost of Norfolk. We drove quite far and landed in a place called Holkam for a hike throughout gorgeous woodland and beach area. After a few hours of hiking we continued on by car and passed through some gorgeous stone and brick villages, most of which had names such as Wells Next-the-Sea and ended up in a town down past Great Yarmouth on the South-East Coast. To get there we even passed a place called California. I realized at this point how unoriginal the folks from the 'old country' were when naming the new settlements of North America - or maybe they were just homesick??? Anyway, after travelling down to these places, we decided to have a quick tea-time snack of sandwiches before heading back up the coast to the particularly pretty villages we'd passed earlier, and settled for the night in a coastal town called Sheringham.

We picked a bed-and-breakfast at the top of a mountainous road and happily booked ourselves in for the evening. We happily got ready to go out for some fine dining, based on the suggestion of the Guest House hostess. As we were leaving our room we noticed loud voices coming from the room two doors down and I quickly mumbled 'I hope they are not so loud late tonight!

I Don't Much Like Fish, But This Sole is Good!

We made our way to one of the most beautiful restaurants I have ever been in. It was an old converted stable, aptly named - The Stables. It had a gorgeous selection of fish, amongst other things and I happily ordered the pan-fried Sole, it was served on a bed of salad, and accompanied by creamed almond spinach, new potatoes and veg... yummy. Andy ordered the pheasant, which was really gorgeous.

Prior to the meal, we were shown up a set of stairs into the 'loft' of the restaurant and were the first ones to be seated. Another couple arrived shortly after us, and almost immediately after, the quietly romantic atmosphere was broken by a very loud voice coming up the stairs. Two very flamboyant men were seated at the table directly across from ours. I was reminded instantly of Jack from Will and Grace, only this Jack was about 10-15 years older, with a deeper, English accented voice! I quickly leaned over to Andy after and whispered 'I believe those are our fellow housemates!' His answer was a surprised, 'I think you might be right, but I hope not!'

The lady diagonally across from me meet my gaze a couple of times and cringed at 'Jack's' loudness. The other fellow, although much quieter was very eccentric. They happily began by ordering a bottle of wine (very probably not their first of the night) and quite vocally discussed their food choice for the evening (they finally both settled on the sole). As Andy and I were eating our appetizer, 'Jack' somehow noticed me and added me to their conversation. Of course as soon as I began to talk he became very smitten with my accent and proceeded to ask me a number of questions, thus sharing information about himself and his partner. Me being myself, I was nothing but polite and gracious ;) I was practically kicking Andy under the table to assist him in refraining from making a sarcastic comment.

Once the gentlmen's food had arrived they quickly delved into conversation about how divine the food was. I consciously tried to concentrate on Andy, and managed to tune out most of the conversation. I wanted to focus on my husband and was amazed at how easy it was proving. Andy on the other hand, as were many of the other patrons, having a bit of a hard time. However I must admit, during our conversation we heard Jack exclaim profusely, at least four times 'I don't much like fish, but this sole is GOOD.' After the third time Andy couldn't help himself and made the comment 'I don't much like fish, but this pheasant is GOOD' under his breath to me and I couldn't help but giggle. It was all becoming very amusing.

After they had polished off their dinners and two bottles of wine, Jack's partner Andrew (yes that was his name) got up to leave. He had decided he'd had enough and informed Jack that he would meet him back at the Guest House... As he stood up he nearly crashed head-long into our table. He made it the few steps to the top of the stairs and almost toppled straight down. How he ever managed to get down those steps without falling is beyond me. After about 10 minutes Jack finally got up and announced to the room that he'd better go find his friend and make sure he was alright. He stood, fell and knocked over a nearly full glass of wine. That didn't surprise me as much as the loud 'fuck' that came out of his mouth. He bent to wipe up his mess, stumbled and gave up, the whole time muttering (well what he probably figured was a mutter) 'fucking hell, I don't believe this!' It was all becoming a bit tortuous to tell the truth! He finally straightened up and made his way, rather precariously, down the stairs leaving us all in utter silence, only broken by the soft classical music in the background...

After we had paid our bill we stopped in at the local pub for a pint before heading back to our room. We wanted to make sure the 'boys' had been settled in before returning 'home' for the night. The next morning we discovered from the owners that 'Jack' had made it back around 9:30 the previous night, however Andrew hadn't made it back until 3 a.m. - he showed up ringing the doorbell loudly. The owner let him in and warned him about noise, to no avail - most everyone heard him coming in and then arguing with Jack afterwards. Turns out Andrew had fallen over on his way home and had lain down on the waterfront promenade until this hour. He tried telling the owners the next morning that he had been mugged (his face was bruised) however it was very obviously not true, especially the next morning when he pleaded they would not be able to pay due to his 'mugging'. Even if he had been mugged, there was nothing from stopping 'Jack' from using the credit card he'd paid for their meal with in The Stables the night before. They also tried to leave a false address, however the owner intelligently saw through that act. Up until the morning, Andy and I had found the situation more amusing than anything, however upon hearing that this couple had ruined their sheets with cigarette burns, and left without paying the nice couple running the B&B,(the first time this had ever happened to them in 30 years) we just found it to be gross. We had originally just thought they were a flamboyantly drunk, issue-ridden couple but it turns out they were just a couple of assholes.

The Journey Home

That morning we took a train ride through three villages and back on an old steam engine train. On the way back, we got off at the 2nd station and walked the mile into the village for a look around. We made it back to the station in time to catch the next train back to Sheringham where we hopped in the car and headed to Burnham Market where we lunched at the coolest pub/hotel I have been to in England. We sat in a sunny solarium with the most comfortable leather couches, ate our sandwiches and drank a pint (Andy had a shandy), while reading the papers. It was fantastic and I hated to leave. I do think we will be taking a trip back to 'The Hoste Arms' to stay the night in the near future!


Jody @ 'The Hoste Arms' 

Our Weekend Getaway

Last weekend we decided to get ourselves away for the weekend. We decided upon Stratford Upon Avon, a beautiful town with so much history and also happens to be where Shakespeare hails from. Although I am not an advid enthusiast of WS, it was pretty cool to visit this place that has so much history, and involves an actual person I know something about.

The Bedroom On the Left is Where Shakespeare was born... That's me looking out the other window...


Although the weather forecasters got it wrong (as usual) and it wasn't the predicted sunny and 20 degrees, it was nonetheless a fairly warm day, if overcast. That evening after walking the streets of SUA, visiting local shops and the WS attractions, we retired to our lovely 4 star old English Inn to have a swim. Although the sun was just beginning to shine, our weary bones needed the relaxing atmosphere of pool and sauna!

Anne Hathaway's Cottage (WS's Wife)


The next morning we were up early in anticipation of the walk I had mapped out that would take us to Anne Hathaway's Cottage. It could easily have been accessed by car, however I thought the stroll through the villages of Stratford would be much more rewarding, and I was right. It was an invigorating start to the day and the cottage was well worth the walk.

Upon arrival back at the hotel (we were already checked out), we jumped in the car in eager anticipation of the journey to Warwick Castle.

River Surrounding Warwick Castle...


The Castle and grounds were absolutely amazing and gigantic in size. Our legs were well worn out from climbing countless narrow stairwells to get to the top of every single tower! We took a full 3 hours to investigate nearly every inch of the castle. Although I had been pretty gung-ho to check out the dungeon, I was pretty spooked out while investigating it and the torture chambers - a few of the 'implements' used in the dark ages were quite creepy looking and I could only cringe at the types of torture people could actually inflict on another human being! The feelings of unease didn't evaporate until I'd been outside for at least 10 minutes. I was only too happy to leave the 'depths of despair'.

Only a small portion (the living quarters) of the castle...


We definitely enjoyed walking throughout the living quarters of the castle as the decor was absolutely fantastic and was replicated to look much the way it did in the 1800's. Such grandeur! Alex of course wasn't as thrilled as much as Andy and I and was eager to get back outside and move on to the next tower!

My 'Knights' in not so shining armour!


It was a great weekend and I look forward to having more like it in future, especially when Stacy comes and I get to experience even more of the wonders the UK has to offer with her!

I Believe I've Finally Got It!

When I moved away from home in 2003 I was given some very special 'gifts'. One was a beautiful journal style book with lovely handwritten notes and drawings, plus pictures of special times placed sporadically throughout the pages. She thoughtful left many pages free for me to fill in myself, or have others write something for me... It was from my dear friend Dawn. She'd also placed in it a few recipes, one the Chipolte Sauce Reipe from Subway (an inside joke) and another a gorgeous salad with dressing. I have made the salad a few times and am grateful for the recipe as its lovely in the spring/summer.

My mother also included a recipe - a full page and a half's worth, for 'Jody's favourite chocolate chip/oatmeal cookies'. These were the cookies my mom often made at about 10 at night when the mood took her and Stacy and I would ultimately end up eating four or five while watching Survivor. Of course she'd made them for me when I moved away, and always makes them for me when I go home. Early last year, when I'd only been here about 2 months I decided that I would try and attempt to make them myself, however daunting the recipe seemed. Naturally, they did not turn out to be anything like mom's. I tried about 2 more times after that and again met with failure. I figured that it must just be that ingredients differ a bit over here (but really it must be that I'm no baker) and gave up.

Recently I have been trying to make these cookies again. I went out and bought a different kind of margarine (specifically for baking) and carefully measured out the ingredients. By my second attempt I'd finally gotten it right! I've just baked some this morning and helped myself to two. The boys really enjoy them and I figured it would be a nice treat for them this weekend (and well, I was craving them myself to be perfectly honest).

Where I had been going wrong? Well I do believe the margarine was a big part of it, however on my first attempt this year I realized that I was using my fancy 'Pampered Chef' measuring cup incorrectly. It was designed to measure both dry and liquid material and you have to do remove the inner tube to the right direction depending on what you are making... me not being an advid cook, I stupidly measured wrong prior to now. It took me long enough to recognize my mistake but at least I've sorted that out :)

However, let me say this: As scrumptious as these cookies taste, they aren't quite the same as the one's my mother lovingly makes!!!

TGIF

1. Do you believe in love at first sight? I suppose I do but its very rare. More often than not I believe its probably more of a 'lust' at first sight.

2. Do you believe in soulmates? I think that sounds a bit tacky at times, but I suppose I do. However I don't think the term 'soulmates' should only be used in reference to lovers. I feel that your soulmate could be your best friend, or someone that you have a very special connection to.

3. Do you believe in second chances? I believe that someone should always be given a second chance, but that is it.

4. What are your non-negotiables in a relationship? Dishonesty, deceit, cruelty.

5. Would you rather be single or be married to the wrong person for the rest of your life? Single - I'm not one of those people who attach a 'stigma' to the singles in this world. Most people who remain single have a pretty good reason for doing so. I've sometimes said, when chatting with friends who are sad and lonely about not having a boyfriend/girlfriend (particularly when not all people in relationships are happy) 'I'd rather be alone and lonely, than with someone and alone...'

It IS a Diet Coke Thing...

On Monday morning at work while I was enjoying my first diet coke of the day one of my colleagues from another department stopped in to say hello. To my amazement, she was drinking a tin of diet coke. I was a bit envious to see she was drinking the real thing, while I myself was drinking the caffeine-free version (I recently discovered caffeine can cause cellulitis !), but I digress... the point is, I've finally found someone with as strong an addiction to this fizzy and refreshing, but gut-destroying drink! After a lengthy conversation about the merits of can versus bottle, (of course we both agreed cans are the best as they pop the most fizz), I was much relieved to realize that my addiction isn't quite as strong as hers. As most of you know, the only drinks I consume are water and diet coke. Occasionally I will have a glass of skim milk, but for the most part I don't stray to liquids such as juices or other flavored drinks as they take up too many points on the WW chart. I try to keep my maximum intake of DC to three tins a day, and sometimes (but rarely) can manage to only have one. On stressful days I can consume up to 4 or five, but this is rare. This colleague of mine drinks about five or six tins a day and nothing else. I thought going thru a case a week was bad, nevermind a case every two days. Either way, I'm sure both of us will meet up in hospital in 10/20 years with severe stomach problems, but then again, maybe not. At the moment neither one of us experiences stomach pain or have dark, stained teeth. Our addiction is hurting nobody but ourvelves and until the day I'm told by a GP to stop consuming DC, I will happily continue to enjoy it.

It's Catching

I have taken to playing my cd 'Memories of the Maritimes' one that I burned myself just before leaving home last year. On it are tracks from Jimmy Rankin, Stan Rogers, Great Big Sea, The Fables, + many more. Songs such as Heave Away, The Jolly Butcher, etc. What's funny is that I played this CD once before and both Andy and the kids weren't too crazy about it (although Andy liked Jimmy Rankin ever since the night we saw him in concert at Apple Blossom). However things have changed over time and they have grown to actually like most of the tunes. Alex now is going so far as to request Followed Her Around and The Orange & The Green. Its a nice feeling to hear him singing along to these songs when we are in the car. My mother would be pleased to know that my old newfie/nova scotia roots are beginning to rub off on the boys and that's not too bad is it? A little bit of Canadian maritime culture never hurt anyone!

It is coming on to that time of year though when I begin to miss home the most. Apple Blossom time is drawing near, and of course shortly after that comes Stan Rogers Festival. Then of course I know that come July/August its going to be the hottest time of the year and I will be missing out on the beautiful sunny days out at Queensland or up at the lake. However if I was at home I would be missing out on a family wedding held at a Scottish Castle in August where we will get to spend the night (or two if we choose). I can't say I've ever spent the night, nor had the opportunity to, in a centuries old castle in Nova Scotia. So I have to look at it this way: At least I've been given the opportunity to have the best of both worlds.

Cowardly Behaviour (Edited As What I Meant to Say Originally Came out WrOnG

I find it funny that someone chose to make an unpleasant comment on my last post... I wasn't going to respond, as it hardly warrants a response, however I did feel compelled to say this: Most people who have something unpleasant to say usually choose to omit who they are, so naturally aren't worth getting worked up over as they are probably nobody of significance in my life and/or are just out to get a rise out of me. Perhaps it might seem as this has worked due to my mentioning it on this post, but really and truly, what unpleasant anonymous lurkers have to say is of little relevance, especially if they are just meant to be disruptive. But alas, this is an online journal and I must be open to any kinds of comments at any time. Personally, I find it very rewarding when someone has chosen to comment on my words, be they known or not.

Its Not A Tradition Most Englishfolk Seem To Celebrate...

Although I've not seen anyone happily walking around dressed in green giving out greetings such as 'top o' the mornin to ya', I myself will be fondly remembering those at home who throw themselves into the spirt of St. Paddy's Day. I may just raise a pint myself tonite to toast all the party-goers back home who will be drinking green beer in the local pubs (and of course those in Ireland too)!

If I have ever received one compliment that was worth something, it is this one: 'You are a lot like your mother'. Today is my mother's birthday and I want the world to know how much she means to me. She is the woman I admire most above all others. I miss her every single day, but I carry her with me in my heart everywhere I go. I am so truly lucky to have been blessed with this precious woman as my mom. I believe there just might be four others out there who feel the same way too.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

My Beautiful Mama 


30 Years Later

Yesterday was my parents 30th Wedding Anniversary. I'm so proud that they have made it this far. There were many times when I was very uncertain that they would persevere, but they did. They stuck to it, and they have made it work. Although at times life was more rocky than smooth, they have managed to come through it as friends. Although my dad couldn't make it home from the road yesterday due to the weather conditions, he is at the moment burning the blacktop to get home to her by dinner tonight...

This is the first book that Katie Long has written and it was a fantastic read. For those of you who enjoyed such books as the Shopaholic Series, I think you'd really enjoy this novel. Its a light read that touches on serious issues, but more importantly, its a touchingly funny read.



Kathy Kelly is a new author that I have discovered since moving to the UK and I haven't read a book of hers that I have not become completely immensed in. She usually touches on the lives of three to four woman, either sisters or friends and the trials and tribulations of their lives. And better yet, they are not romantic sagas.


No Entiendo

Spanish Classes. Hrmmmm. The problem is, I entered the program at Level One, Section Two and as a result I feel a little thrown into the deep end. We have had a substitute teacher last week and will have her again this Thursday. She is really good and works at a speed much more managable to Wendy and myself, plus the fact that her accent is a little bit easier to understand than our Anna's. Melana informed Wendy and I that she will be taking the beginners class, but also teaches private Spanish classes in her home and offered to teach Wendy and I for the price of one. Naturally we are very interested. I have wanted to learn Spanish my whole life and just because this first class isn't as successful as I'd hoped, I want to persevere. Besides I think Melana is someone I could become friends with...

Isn't It Ironic?

Andy took me out for a romantic dinner on Saturday night and I have to say, it was something we both needed desperately. The food was fantastic, the wine was cool and refreshing and our conversation flowed. We stoped into our 'local' on the way home for a drink and ran into our neighbour, Simon. Simon is single and happened to be with a friend of his, Marc, who is single too. Ultimately, the conversation moved to my friends and if any of them might be single. Being me in my usual, chatty way, I naturally informed them of the 30 something single, female friends I had back home, but of course that was totally useless to them. Figures. Back home its the single girls I know looking for a man, over here there's the single men. Of course Julie next door is hopeful of meeting someone, so I believe a BBQ mixer with the neighbours might be in order this spring - I know she's not overly interessted in Simon but maybe his friend???? hmmmm...