Living in California

School, drink driving n dick swinging.....or lack of

After the coldest summer in history in California, where temperatures hovered between 76 and 85 the last 4 days of 104, 108, 106, 101 have been a bit of a shock.

 

It has been 80 degrees by 9.30am and rising.

At 1.30 and 95 degrees the kids and I abandoned the park on Monday and headed for cooler air.

 

Normal people. Yeh, thats what we found at a barbeque in Berkley last weekend. No dick swinging or ‘do you see why we hate Obama’ comments.

Most had left the US and spent time in Europe. The piss was taken out of our baked beans and appreciation given to Cadburys. J

 

We went to Santa Cruz for the day. Its a mixed up place. Lovely beaches with volleyball courts spread throughout.

Sea lions off the pier and then a huge ‘pleasure beach’ off to one end of the boardwalk – which is actually a wide concrete pavement.

The town centre is very mellow, with lovely tree lined streets and pavement restaurants.

 

 

Things I have noticed:

The Boden sale is BRILLIANT in the US. In fact all sales are pretty impressive at the moment.

 

ATHLETA – a BRILLIANT ‘active gear’ site mostly for girls

 

The majority of locals dont do DIY, they want a ‘turn-key’ house...one you turn the key and live in. This may change as the housing market has just started another dive.

 

At the beginning of every school year you are asked for a ‘donation’ per child.

This ‘donation’ is anywhere between $250 to $500.

On top of this you ‘pay’ for your child to be in the band/choir/any sports team as well as paying a set amount per child for ‘supplies’ aka pencils/pens/paper

 

The elementary school next to us is looking to ‘raise’ $1200 per child this year to enable them to maintain music, science and sports classes.

And thats the state school option.

 

Drink driving does not have the same stigma attached to it as in the UK. It is common for 2 martinits or 3/4 glasses of wine to be consumed and still drive home.

A lack of consequence is why I think it happens.

If you are caught you are fined, no more. And there is no state wide database, only town by town 

Eg a local woman was caught drink driving for the 8^th time in 3 years.

The reason she lost her license and went to jail for 3 months was because she mowed down and killed 2 children who were on the pavement.

 

Alun, you'll be glad to hear my drinking has decreased substantially. I have been run down and in training. However with the parents and bro visiting in October that may all change. My golf is on hold till tom goes to pre-school....october.

Oh, Batesy and I are off to Vegas for a weekend once grandma arrives.....in October!!

 

And lastly, well done Viv!! She just completed her first ironman in Nottingham(2.4 mile swim; 112 mile bike ride and 26.2 mile run) in 11 hours 3 minutes, coming 2nd. 

UNBELIEVEABLE result....now theres a girl who needs wine!

 

 

being stalked and full fat milk....

When was the last time i did a proper blog?

I was trying to figure this out when I was told ‘get your arse in gear and write more’.

Things here are almost normal. I am already thinking how to re-phrase that. Relatively normal.

We have been here 16 months and the things/comments/attitudes which once surprised/shocked/stumped me, still do but I expect them to.

 

Some stuff has got through the acclimatised barrier recently.

 

Full fat milk. An innocent subject you may think. In a  country with an obesity problem the kids doc expressed deep ‘concern’ that my children were drinking full fat milk.

It was only when Matt re-told a conversation he had had that we both realised how bizarre this is.

The reasoning being that our 2 dont get soda(fizzy drinks)/candy(sweets) at all and occasionally get chocolate (Cadburys only!!).

So actually they need some fat in their diet, so full fat milk is a good option.

The doctor got it (she lived in Scotland for 5 years so i like to think they humanised her for me).

The response Matt got went along the lines of...what you give them full fat milk and no soda or candy?!?! You are mad, what have your kids got to look forward to as a treat in life.....?

The other interesting fact is the 2% and fat free milk here all has a lot of added sugar.....not as much as a soda but.....

 

I had a lass stalk me for about a week. She had decided watching the England v USA game in our house was the ticket of the week.

Stalking = 18 texts in one day. All trying to negotiate or weedle an invitation to our house.

At 9.46pm when she flat out asked what time she should arrive my reply read:

‘lol we have a cultural difference here, in the UK that would be considered pushy’.

She expressed horror at being pushy, blamed it on wine (the texts started at 1.30pm) and reminded me I still hadn’t told her what time to arrive?!?!

Note to self...just say no!

 

James came to stay. Hurrah. He is one of my oldest friends. A friend saw us out for food and commented on how ‘fit’ he looked.

And I know he is reading this and smiling!! In 2 nights I reminisced and drank more wine than I have in months. Get your pert butt over here again soon you. Its better tan therapy. We have a hot date in May which I am already looking forward to. X

 

Tomorrow is Ciaras 4^th birthday. We are camping. I am currently half cut. It bodes well. J Wish me luck....I am bringing my own 4 leaf clover...its a box of very drinkable red wine.

Toodle pip

x