Living in California

homesick....?

Its just before midnight, I can still type without too many corrections and I haven’t broken anything after clearing up.

Not bad.

A few friends (8 friends, 2 in-laws, 6 children) have been around for a chilli and a ‘quiet’ night.

Matt kicked us off with a fine introduction to margaritas....can you see now why I am soo chuffed with no breakages??

One of the lasses ran her first 5 km today... I just need to get her up to a 10km now....although her hubby did ask if he could get his wife back

....who knew after 19 years a wife could still surprise her hubby??...that’ll just be us wives then J

Thelast week I have felt the need for wine most nights. Although some of you maybe surprised, thats quite unusual for me.

Normally I am what is affectingly known as a binge girl....once a week maximum and not really touching it in between.

This week has been different and looking back in my hazy state I am wondering if its my first bout of homesickness.

Do I miss home..... on a day to day basis not really. I have lovely friends who skype/email monthly and slag me/ complain that I have a good life and generally remind me that I do miss a good ole natter.

We have family on both sides (thats you Em!! J ) who skype and email keeping us up to date and generally making us smile.

Live is good here, the weather is already stunning (sorry) which makes it so easy to plan day trips and barbeques....

But its not the UK, the friends aren’t just there, popping in for a cuppa, reminding me of the childcare stuff I have forgotten since monkey number 1, dressing me, slagging me (I think I miss that most).

I see people I know around town, who say hello, stop to ask after the kids, which is nice.....mmm, I think this might teach me to go home.....

With time I know it will get there and with time I may even develop an accent....but then pigs might fly. J

Back to the folks who were round tonight, all lovely and my lifelines really, cause they get it and have been or are now in the same boat.

The good still outweighs the bad and I need to grown up and stop drinking...Ill start on Monday J

X

PS I was wrong about the corrections just the 16J

Patricks day in California

St Patrick's (or St Patty's for short) day is celebrated with corned beef brisket and cabbage....I didn't know this

All the children wear green to school/nursery, all the adults wear green, whether it be in the gym, the pool (oh yes, we have special St Patty day bathers here!), the supermarket or walking their dogs...who obviously green collars. The Leprechauns 'pinch' you during the day aka anyone can pinch anyone else and they also go into classrooms, turn chairs and tables upside down and generally sprinkle their green and gold dust/shamrocks everywhere. sounds to me like the Leprechauns have been on the sherry.....

Apparently its also an excuse to drink here - so maybe it isn't much different from the Ireland St Patrick day celebrations....

When I asked why St Patrick's is celebrated so heavily, other than the rafts of irish descendants here...one of the local lasses told me its because 'we (americans) celebrate Hallmark holidays', I hadn't heard that expression before but it rings true. St Patty's day; Halloween; 4th July; Thanksgiving....the only vaguely religious holiday is Christmas. I don't consider myself religious, but not having a long weekend over Easter feels wrong....or maybe its the thought of 'missing' a holiday which has been part of my upbringing. Part of the joy of living in a new place is finding the differences and figuring out how they sit with you. This one is working. Ciara was very excited about the Leprechauns coming and Matt couldnt object to the donning of irish shirts on both children :-)

Whereever you are ' la brea feile padraig'

Ramble 2 2010 - 14th March

I have neglected my rambles for a while, the holiday, the jet lag, the childrens jet lag, the washing....I am trying to figure out how I got all this done while I was working.

Two weeks back and life is almost back to normal, we haven’t seen hide nor hair of Matt, Tom has bitten me, aimed and hit a ball at Ciaras nose and the alcohol intake is slowly on the rise.

It rained whilst we were away. I know this because our drains pong and the ladies of the gym are talking about being pale.....?!?!

Their comments on paleness/terrible weather/cost of fuel, do make me chuckle. I keep my thoughts to myself but I am sure they see my looks of disbelief and mirth.

They say familiarity breeds contempt and yet I have found the ladies i encounter have been lovely on my return. More are talking to me and one lass even said she had missed me.

Although I think she missed tom more than me.

My thinking is that they have realised I am here to stay and as such are deciding its easier to talk to rather  than ignore me.

The ex-pat ladies have obviously not missed me – they call me ‘meine furher’....apparently I might make them go to classes they wouldn’t otherwise attend.....I only want someone to chat too. J

I did a double take in the gym car park the tuther day...Thierry Henry as I live and breath was walking 3 children into the crèche. He is better looking in real life.

Before I made a complete tit of myself I recognised the kids and realisation dawned....one of the woman I knows hubby obviously. L

There was a girls night out from the gym a while back amongst the locals. I am reliably informed one of the conversations centred around who would be your lesbian lover...?!?!

 It obviously sparked something because two of the married lasses decided to do a bit of experimenting.

No judgement from me but possibly the middle of what classes as a club here, with the other 22 lasses out with you watching, isn’t the best way to try these things out....?

On the bright side I bet the guys in that night didn’t mid. J

The fact I know this gossip does strike me as a step.....I dont know if that step is backwards or sideways. Do I want to know the gossip....do I care what the locals are doing....?

Its nice on one hand to know that lasses will talk to me, I just dont know if I want gossip to be the be all of my existence.

Which brings me back to the ...’should I go back to work..’ question.

Sometimes I really want to. I miss the structured non nursery rhyme/toilet centred conversations.

The adult interaction about something other than when i will be at the gym and if Ciara fancies a play date.

On the other hand, I am more patient with both children – because i am not tired/stressed from working. I have the energy and will to crawl around being horsey or doing ‘sticking’.

Ciara and I are friends and play tricks on daddy.

I know I am lucky to have the choice and I know I will always be torn.....my aim at the moment is to find a happy medium....when I figure out what that may look like I will let you know.

Ramble 1 2010 - 27th January

As I am sat here watching the Australian Open I do wonder where December has and January is disappearing too.

Its been a busy old time and as per usual the yanks have kept me very entertained.

 

Churchs here give a new meaning to social networking. I hadn’t realised how much ‘socialising’ and ‘friendships’ stem from your church, where it is, who goes etc.

Let me explain before I offend. The church you go to doesn’t depend on your religion or your beliefs. People tour churchs like shops to find the right one for them. By ‘right’ the church must meet the ‘social’ level for where they feel they are/should be/want to be. In other areas it will also be mostly based on your political leanings – here that isn’t an issue, we are in the republican stronghold of California. ALOT of social networking is centred here so if you get into the wrong church or it doesn’t meet your expectations you move on to another.

 

Dentists here are brilliant with Children. Ciara’s is decked out like an open plan pirates ship, with stickers, TVs above every dentist table playing cartoons, a booty bag and prize chest for the way out. The children can do no wrong and I get the ..’you need to be a better mother..’ look when we are talking about Ciara thumb sucking....how on earth can I have let her get to the age of 3 ½ and still be sucking her thumb. Oh and of course this is going to mean she will definitely need a brace....they can tell these things already....apparently!! Call me a sceptic but every Brit (man, woman and child) who has been to a dentist around here has been told unequivocally they need a brace before their jaw drops out..!!! Luckily they are cheap...$4000 (thats the excess after your insurance has kicked in!)

 

I have nothing against straight teeth but some of the ‘perfect’ women I see really could do with a bit of character, even if its just from crooked teeth. Others have such big white sparkly teeth they bring to mind horses mouths and that old advert where there was a star like sparkle on the windows (Was it windolene?). Dazzling but not in an attractive way.

My appointment is a week Thursday, I am intrigued to see how I get on, I expect much mirth and constant use of the word NO!

 

I hinted at being ‘ejected’ from a an establishment before Christmas. I will set the scene – 14 ex-pat ladies, all having a glass of wine after Thanksgiving. At least half with hangovers due to said Thanksgiving, so the wine wasn’t flowing down. We were one of 3 tables in this kind of upmarket but new wine bar. We should probably have seen it coming when the 25 year old manager asked us if we were being ‘responsible’ drinkers aka who was driving!! After I stood up and (genuinely) tripped over the bottom of my jeans we were told we could have no more wine because we were ‘drunkards’!!

Apparently and I quote, ‘12 bottles of wine amongst 14 women is an unacceptable amount – you are drunkards’!!

We had been there 3 hours......and as we are all quiet retiring types, it all kind of kicked off from there and the rest is history!

 

What is Thanksgiving? Having been through one I now know it is a time for family and effectively a warm up for Christmas, without the wrapping paper.

 

Since I last wrote the family Satchwell and uncle Kevin have been to visit. We took them skiing in Squaw valley which was brilliant. All the girls had lessons and excelled. Matt was given a ‘bar bible’ and everything he would ever need to make any cocktail by the ‘assassin’ himself! Our lucky visitors got to be guineapigs on New Years eve and just about survived Matts first martini efforts. The Satchwell girls were brilliant with the Bates monkeys...I can see Charlotte making great money as a babysitter in the not too distant future. The Satchwells handy hints and feedback have been noted for future visitors....more beer wasn’t one of them!

 

This weekend we took a drive down highway 1. We started just south of half moon bay (south west of SF bay) and drove towards Santa Cruz. Stopping on the way to walk beaches, enjoy the views and generally chill.

Beautiful weather, fantastic waves and just amazing beaches – with good surf. A lovely lovely day topped off with fish and chips.

 

I am counting the days till I land in blighty. A curry and some face to face talking is what I am looking forward to. Mrs S being here reminded me how much I miss girl talk.

Skype helps me keep in contact but its isn’t quite the same with the time delay and microphone issues.

 

I cant imagine I will be in contact before I land back here again (28^th Feb).....did I mention we are heading to Capetown for a friend’s wedding after ‘dropping the kids off with grandma and grandpa...’?

One of these days this holiday will end.....but till then I will carry on annoying you all.

In 8 months we have..............

Been too, an American football game – Oakland Raiders, watched the Oakland Athletics play baseball and our favourite was watching the Golden State Warriors play Orlando magic (basketball).

Thoroughly enjoyed and will never forget our week in the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador. A FANTASTIC experience.

 

We went to first of what we hope will be many trip to Yosemite posh camping for 2 nights/3 days. For Matts 40^th we spent 3 nights camping in lake Shasta, in August – bloody hot!

With work Matt has been in Chicago for 5 weeks and the UK for  2 weeks.

For 2 weekends we were in Sebastopol (nr Bodega Bay) for a relaxing and martini filled time.

The city has seen us for 3 day trips where we saw the Academy of Sciences, walked the Embacadero, Fishermans wharf, cable car ride, walked long beach.

And one weekend where colleagues of Matts kindly put us all up in their apartment next to the Bay bridge.

Sausalito is the original hippy town , we managed only 2 days trips...it will see more of us in the new year DEFINIETLY.

Not far from Sausalito and in danger of being closed through budget cuts is Mount Tamaulipas. We had one daytrip this year, Matt had a mountain biking trip there as well.

Mount Diablo is on our doorstep, I see it every morning – assuming there isn’t a cloud stuck over the top. It is 300ft higher than Snowdon and has seen us traipse over it 3 times since we arrived.

A favourite of most is Monterey Bay and its Aquarium. We went down for a day trip and loved the aquarium. Early November we went down for the weekend so I could run the half marathon around it.

A beautiful experience, the views were stunning with alot of the route along the coast line...if you could run it whilst on morphine I would recommend it to all!! J

We spent a lovely evening in Petaluma at a fabulous Italian restaurant celebrating the ‘assassins’ 60^th birthday. The tequila was flowing by 8pm.

Christmas will be spent in Truckee (NW of Tahoe) with snow, food and ‘the assassin’ of martini notoriety...god help our livers!

 

We have also had day trips, with portable barbeque/picnic and swim gear to the following state parks:

Del Valle State park – 4 visits, Shadow Cliffs state park, Tilden national Park and lastly Oakland Zoo for 3 visits. Oakland zoo is brilliant for kids, we became members and get to go for evening events.....fabulous.

 

Lets not forget Ciaras broken elbow and our first emergency room experience. One I now look back on as a good learning experience – I met a doctor who worked in Scotland for 5 years and is very pro the NHS as a result of this incident. She and I had a very frank conversation about republican California (aka where we live) and what is wrong with the US healthcare system...lovely to met an American who understands/listens and respects anothers views...few and far between here they are.

 

1^st , 3^rd , 37^th and 40^th birthdays have been celebrated...in varying degrees....Matts 40^th went on for about 3 months. J

 

We hosted a curry evening to thank the people who helped us settle in, with 20 ex-pats and 4 americans present and we hosted Thanksgiving for 11.

We have had 15 visitors this year and are looking forward to more in 2010....with the Satchwells, Uncle Kevin, Mrs Mattock, Maritz family, Auntie Nolls and possibly the Halls we are looking forward to a busy year.

 

To all of you who have put up with my ramblings may I wish you a happy Christmas. May ‘santa’ visit you all.

To a prosperous and healthy 2010.

Take care lads and lasses and I’ll fill you in on me being asked to leave a wine bar, an evening of pokino and our Christmas adventures in the new year.

Dee

Ramble 17 - 4th November 2009

This ramble is hot on the  heels of the last....its been a busy time here in the good ole US of A!

 

My parents saw us for 48 hours before they departed back to the UK/Eire. They looked well rested but mum reckons she wont bring dad again – it was like having 3 children.

Next time I will ensure I have a full schedule of golf arranged for him, there seem to be a few eager golfers around – I just need to find a few who can understand him!

 

The Beveridges visited the last week in October, my red wine intake peaked at 7 nights out of their 9 night stay. (they were in Yosemite for 2 nights)

And when I say intake – a bottle a person was the norm.

I cant fully place the blame at their door, I was still in holiday mode, Matt was away and I had my first visit to the ‘emergency room’.

The short story is that Ciara slipped whilst at a birthday party. The party was being held in a venue specifically for parties, with huge inflatable’s for kids.

As a result we now have a bright pink...80’s neon esq cast, a complaint letter into the paediatrician and a mediator ‘discussing’ our position with the party venue.

We are officially living a part of the American dream unintentionally.

 

Fi and Al arrived back from Yosemite to a note saying Tom was round the corner with a friend and Ciara was in the emergency room.

Thankfully when I arrived home Fi had the red wine open, Tom in bed and her listening head on.....I may have ranted and raved, just a wee bit.

Tom was kidnapped the following day which helped me no end. He was shown the ‘Exploratorium’ in SF and Al reckons he hasn’t ever had so much female attention. J

 

Halloween came and went in a bit of a red wine haze. My father reliably informs me that Halloween is derived from a pagan Irish ritual/celebration.... which the kids here get a half day at school for.

2 doors up we have a full graveyard, with ghosts and a ‘death-eater’ look-a-likey. One street down we have the largest spiders web with wrapped up prey and baby spiders.

On the night I popped round to a friends house and listened to an ‘alpha female’ telling me how disgusted she was that some folk didn’t celebrate Halloween, didn’t they realise it wasn’t religious?!?! My response of ‘ thats the beauty of living in America, you have the choice to celebrate or not....dont you?’ didnt make me a new friend.

 

Rodeo riding....talk me through that? They are bloody nutters. I sat (red wine induced) watching some rodeo one night with the Bevs.

Those bulls do some serious damage but calling a bull ‘bikini sling shot’ seemed very wrong.

 

As it stands the days start at 59F (15C) and rise through the morning to 75F (23C) and 80F(26C). The air is fresher and the grass all around on the rolling hills is green. I REALLY like this weather.

I am reliably informed it will start to rain soon and when it does, it wont stop....I think I may regret saying this but I am almost willing this to happen.

I need 2 seasons in a year and a reason to get my flip flops off and my boots on!

picture from Galapogas

Ramble 16 - 4th November 2009

The GALAPOGAS. A very lovely place. We were literally tripping over the wildlife.

Words cant describe the trip, Matts pictures do a much better job.

I have posted some on facebook and I will send a few clips Matt took underwater.

Definitely a place to put on the ‘to do’ list. We spent a few days in Quito – the capital of Ecuador first.

A lovely city, and at 9,000ft great for altitude training.

If you fancy going I can recommend very highly Columbus travel and the Santa Cruz boat.

 

On the Santa Cruz we met 2 New Yorkers. Both are female trauma (A&E) doctors. They really are a ‘brand’ unto themselves.

They were funny, bright and got sarcasm....2 of the nicest Americans I have met in the last 6 months (Ken the assassin and his wife Sharon excluded).

Also, we met 2 Australian mums who have were suggesting we build a house outside Brisbane....tempted we are...just the question of money!!

Then there was a lovely ditzy lass who works for the UN in Rome, a couple of northern ladies (Tanya -one of the ladies daughters is marrying ‘Jeremy’ from Kirikiri on new years day this year....!!!), Rolf the Swiss gentleman with the largest camera lens I have ever seen and a Belgium couple who live in Ecuador 6 months of the year (with 5 children and 17 grandchildren I think they are hiding)

 

Whilst we were away my parents did the honourable thing and took control of (in the loosest form) the children. Ciara was under instructions to ‘look after’ Thomas, Grandma and especially grandpa.

Apparently she did just that – ordering grandpa around and generally ensuring all knew who was boss.

Luckily for my parents the week we were away composed of:

-   2 earthquakes in one day (we have been here 6 months and not had any). Apparently the mountain moved – 3.7 on the richter scale!

-   A day of torrential rain....UK esq, flights cancelled from SFO roads flooded etc. Luckily this was only for 24 hours, then the temperatures returned to 80F(26C)

-   4 teeth in one week from Tom, which involved him throwing up for a full day

Ramble 15 - 4th October 2009

In my last ramble I neglected to tell how my night out with the Scottish ladies had gone. I was very well behaved, just the one bottle of wine.

We had a good ole gossip and were stopped in our tracks by our very drunk but stunning (and it was all natural) waitress. At one stage she landed in the lap of one of the girls.

We are planning a bit of a session post half marathon....a new wine bar with ‘small plates’ aka tapas. Luckily its about 4 miles from us – Fi Bev....I will introduce you to it when you come over later this monthJ

 

Matts sister, Em and family (Ginge+Freya) have been over visiting. They came to Yosemite with us...god that place is beautiful.

Thankfully they brought a large Cadburys and Walkers supply with them...so all visitors for the next 6 months are off the hook. 

Tom has been taking talking lessons from his cousin Freya and she has taken waving and eating stones lessons from him!!

Ciara has taken to speaking certain words with an American twang: Potty, water, bottom. Its a slippery slope....I may have to draw the line at being called mom.

 

We had a curry night last night, we cooked a (very good) curry for 20 folk, mostly ex-pats.

6 scots, 5 english, 3 welsh, 3 irish, 3 americans

My parents friends came down from Sebastable and introduced all to their ‘demon’ martinis and vodka gimlets. VERY tasty and lethal.

Ken now goes by the nickname ‘the assassin’!  My mum was in bed asleep by 8pm and dad should have been....jet lag apparently...nothing to do with martinis?!?!

 

We have been here 6 months and we worked out we have had 4 days in which in rained. One of those days it rained for about 2 minutes.

Another we had stunning forked lightning and thunder which set of car alarms.

The weather in the last week has cooled, so i wear tee shirts with sleeves and ¾ length trousers over shorts. In the evenings I now need a light jumper.

Bizarre to think its October and I am still in flipflops......hate me yet? J

Ramble 14 - 25th September 2009

I learnt another new thing today. California has ‘spare the air’ days....ah ha...I am obviously supposed to breath less today...?

Nope, I am supposed to keep my youngsters inside between 12 and 4pm...when the heat and smog levels will be at an ‘unhealthy level for sensitive groups’.

Add Ciara and the ‘whirling dervish’ appears. J

 

In the mornings, between feeding/dressing monkeys...

-   check the weather-to see how much sunscreen to put on,

-   check to see if there were any earthquakes over night and

-   I can now add  checking the air quality to see if Tom/Ciara can leave the house......yeh right!

 

Quote of the week:

‘how is our recession affecting the rest of the world and England...’ from a financial advisor touting for business...?!

 

Sight of the week:

An older rotund lady dressed in white, with a pink trim, sports attire (tennis skirt/sleeveless tight top/hair band) pushing a white with pink trim ‘pushchair’ housing a white poodle with a pink bow. J

-gutted I didn’t have my camera

 

Personal licensed plates are called ‘vanity plates’ the ‘YFANNI’ on the Scottish guys down the road made me chuckle, especially because the yanks dont get it. J

 

In case you haven’t seen this, bonnie prince Charles supports this and it just requires a signature. The frog videos are funny.

www.rainforestsos.com

 

YOSEMITE – BRILLIANT. A lovely place to spend a few days chilling out. A top recommendation for visitors. We stayed in housekeeping camp, basic and loads of fun.