I don't believe it!!!!

So this weekend we went to Cream O' Galloway- the best ice cream in Britain. For those of you who have tried Cornish ice cream, it doesn't compare. Yummy. Here's Mae having a double chocolate.

She almost finished it......

Then we went to the David Coulthard Museum. He is a Formula One driver who is from the area, and Mae was so excited. We are in deep trouble. I really think she is going to end up a girl racer. She ran around the place saying I don't believe it! then ran up to the woman at the counter and asked if she could touch the cars. That's when the woman said she could pick one and sit in it- I can't tell you how happy she was!! See her looking at all the memorabilia? I really don't get it, but hey, she must get it from her Papa...

And here's a pic for Rita- here are the fairy earrings the dummy fairie gave Mae. Thank god they are slightly painful- they put Mae off real ones. It won't happen anyway. I used to hate my dad for saying I couldn't have earrings until I was 16- then I got shot in the earlobes with those evil guns and I realised he was right....

Later

Well, it was a long drive over to our holiday home, thank goodness it was broken by a nice ferry ride.

We also stopped at a tea room, where the dummy fairy left Mae a note and a pair of fairie earrings, telling her that she no longer needs her dummies. I am surprised how well she is doing, only a couple of not very bad nights.

Our farmhouse was great- near to the beach, cows in the field, nice and clean.

The water in Ireland smells and tastes like peat. I really like it, earthy and warm.

The beaches were fabulous, even the one with a cow on it. It was a bit scary and some silly people went very close to it and sat down, at which point it stood up and scared them away. Never mess with cows, that's my motto.

We went to a fishing town, Killybegs, and Mae thought it was great; in fact, driving into the town and seeing all the boats in the harbour, she said (very slowly, for effect) 'frigging hell' (that's not too bad in Canada, but in Britiain that word is extemely rude.

The Giant's Causeway was fantastic, but a long day marred by an incident in a local playground, where no one would play with Mae and she got quite upset. Put me off Northern Ireland altogether (that and the fact I was raised Catholic).

Also, we went horseback riding! What fun, Mae got Monster and she really enjoyed it. We might have to do that again.

I would go back, it was lovely, we got lucky with the weather and after maybe Canada and Spain, we will!

We went to a Leisure Centre for a swim, and I had said to Geoff that in Ireland you have to wear swimming caps at the pools (a friend told me)- so we got there and the woman said they were 4 euros each(!) although they have diposable ones we could use. I said that would be okay, but they were shoe covers! So I took them, and Geoff and I had these things on our heads as well- obviously Mae could carry it off but I had to go get us proper ones, it was so funny! Thank god we were the only ones in the pool!!

I have more pics but am having issues with them- they will follow!!

More later

about our holiday. it was great, horse riding, beach walks, the Giant's Causeway, etc etc.

And the dummy fairies visited. Mae no longer has one (although she did want to call the fairies to discuss the situation. We didn't have coverage in Donegal, thank goodness...)

We're on our way, from misery to happiness today..

uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh!

for two reasons:

1. I quit my job! (apart from being poor it is a really positive thing). I am so happy not to work there, I won't go into why, if you know me you know why. So, I am at home. I just about got a kick in the ass out the door on my last day, but Jane made me this lovely cake, which is based on an art installation in the gardens of the house. Very thoughtful!!

2. Holidays from Saturday!

And so an early Happy Birthday to Heather, who is three on the day, we are sorry we can't make it- but look- this is what she is getting:

I must say, I am the best non-official auntie for this. (plus a good mom; Mae got one for nothin')

Sayonara!!

busy week

Mae started school, John and Lesley were here, Mae started Jumpin Joeys-and this weekend we were going to go to Lilian and Ross's to have a train ride- but we are all exhausted and getting sick. Kaibosh.

But- we are going to Ireland in a week- wahey!!

ESP

Today Mae and I were having a laugh, as she discovered a way to make purple 'doggat' (I think she means Dog Crap- she got this from her childminder- 'don't step in the doggat!') out of play dough.
I was killing myself laughing and said something to her, can't remember what, and she started laughing and said 'mom, you're so funny- you're tickling me with your brain!!'
Then we laughed even harder! Crazy kid.

I, Sudoku

for those of you that know me well, I hope you were sitting down when you read that.

Bokasso

I coulda been a contender.....

Okay, maybe not balancing a chicken on a quad bike, but I could certainly win the best crazy animal from vegetable category. I am for sure entering the Dumfries Show Home Industries competition next year and as many categories as possible (except vegetables, of course).

What a great day out- shame about the foot and mouth outbreak down south, which meant all the sheep and cows got sent back home before it started but apparently this area was hit terribly last time and the farmers involved in the show are devastated it's out there again. You know all those photos of me and Mae at Dalscone play farm and Mabie farm park? They were working farms before that that had to diversify to survive....scary.

But even without the sheep, which is what I was looking forward to seeing it was great; there were car dealerships there with plenty of cars with their lids off (convertibles, in Maespeak), and diggers and cranes and quadbikes and even a windmill!

But you know what the best thing was? We bumped into loads of people we know- I love it here! It's great living in such a friendly town (not today though, when Mae had an unspeakable tantrum in the shops- Social Services are probably onto us already...). We bumped into people that I have worked with, exhibitors from Dalscone who said hello as they see us there all the time, and spoke to a family about their rescued greyhound for about 20 minutes. This really may not seem much to you, but I was at WHSmith bookshop in Kingswood once a week in Bristol and the woman there NEVER acknowledged that she knew me. IN 5 YEARS!!! I wanted to tell her she was the reason I was leaving Bristol, but figured she didn't give a shit....

I ramble. And rambled with Sharon and Bethanne on Thursday, which was really nice. Sorry Bethanne, about forcing you to eat kids food....it was so nice to see them and their hair. Mmmm.

What a great weekend

Just recovering from my birthday weekend- it was great! On Saturday we went to a ground Air Show (my favourite kind as I really hate air shows). There's a really nice aviation museum in Dumfries, run by old guys who volunteer and it has a bunch of aircraft half falling to pieces that you can go into. There was also sports cars, vintage vehicles, and a small fair, so Mae was very very happy! We hooked up with Sharon, Emily and Findlay so it was a really nice day out.

That night Geoff took me to the Linen Room, Dumfries' best restaraunt! It is great. It's really carzy combinations of food but it all works beautifully. And there is a prestarter, palate cleanser and a pre-dessert, which are to die for, even though they are just in tall skinny shot glass type dishes. One was tomato jelly, watermelon and basil, one was beetroot, berries and youghurt. Can't remember the exact combo of the third but they are so good! If anyone ever feels the love, just send me there.

Then on Sunday we went to Powillimount, another nice beach down the road. We saw a baby crab, about 3 millimetres across, tons of sea snails, fossils, etc.

What a great weekend. Being 36 is great!

It's all Dana's fault

I am totally addicted to Facebook!!! I can't leave my computer! But, on the bright side I have hooked up with Bethanne (of course), Mae's old nursery nurse (Little Louise), my friend Renee (no contact in about 8 years!), Corey Mullins (not seen since 1993 or so!) and Mike Petite, my highschool schoolbus crush. Cool.

Happy Birthday to me!

Expect big things- I got a great camera for my birthday! I also got some nice PJ's- thanks Chris and Elaine, so I will also be sleeping!!

Birthday Boys

Happy Birthday to my little brother, who is now a fully fledged member of the Russian gymnastics team (see you in London in 2012)

And to Joy, who never let an ice cream sundae beat him

TV bad, TV goooooood

Yeah, I know, TV is crap- I wish I could live like Sharon and entertain my daughter, read the news in the papers, bake cookies and all that stuff.

But, sometimes it is good.

I have had a very bad day at work. But then I saw Fabio on TV and it brightened my day. The story was bad, but I laughed ( I am a bad person, most of you know that already...), and now I feel better. Thanks Fabio. (PS- he is alive and well.)

D.I.V.O.R.C.E.

So I was brushing my teeth last night when I look over at the bed, that Geoff has been sleeping in on his lonesome due to my sleep 'issues' (i.e. no sleep, can't sleep with a snorer, too bright to sleep, etc...).

Then I notice her.

I have competition.

The funniest thing about this? She was there in the same spot the next day. Apparently 'she' has no sleep issues. Bitch.

I'm taking a new direction......

check this out and try to figure out what category I am entering.
Hint: 17, 65, 95

http://www.dumfriesshow.co.uk/07%20Home%20Industries%20Schedule.pdf

The funniest thing? (Breadmaker allowed) and (Jam filled)

I love small town life.

Bad guys and water wings

Mae started swimming classes today- she was great, listened to the instructor and she really enjoyed it (although her assertion that she is the 'best swimmer in the wide world' is slightly premature, however optimistic)

Then we went for lunch.

Afterwards we saw this guy being carted off by the police from this discount shop (why shoplift cheap stuff? An idiot both ways....).

Here is the conversation that ensued....

Mae: what are the police guys doing?

Me: they are taking that guy to the police station.

Mae: why?

Me: I think he is a bad guy. (Can you tell I was window shopping and not really paying attention?)

Mae: why?

Me: he must have taken something without paying for it. That's quite naughty. (I have become British as well)

Mae: why?

Me: because he is a bad guy.

Mae: what then? (or something along those lines but more in keeping with the language of a toddler..)

Me: he will go to jail, maybe.

Mae: why?

Mae: so he will learn it's not good to take things without paying and make him a better person.

Mae: jail won't work.

Now, this is kinda funny- Geoff laughed and said she will become a prison reformer (yeah, stick all the second home buyers in the can, I say!)- but there is a slight conundrum because we have been having conversations about Nelson Mandela (Mae loves Ska) and he was in jail, but he was a good guy.

Someone help. Send me a manual. I think I have caused Mae irreparable damage.

Should I go to jail?

It's over!

Sounds dramatic but Monday's suck in this house. It was a nice weekend, went to a parade in Penpont (little village north of here) with Mae to meet her friends Emily and Findlay, who were in it. We were too!

Geoff went shopping with Mae today for my birthday gift. Mae whispered it when I was pressing her for details, then she said 'I said it quiet like 'it's a blue purse'-really quiet in my mouth'. I am a bad mom. Hate surprises.

Rather than work I would have Mae be my personal hairdresser. Even with all the pulled out hairs this is relaxing. Mum and daughter time. Lovely.

And Mae is now a fully fledged photograper. There was one of Geoff but I couldn't pixilate it and he would divorce me if I put it on the net. But he does live here!!

Have a good week everyone!!

Paint the placards

So I was reading the Scotsman today. Get to the Property section, okay, I will look through it and look at dream properties (can't afford any of them, of course). Then I get to an article about Nova Scotia- nice, maybe it's about having a nice holiday? NO! It's about buying a second home in Nova Scotia!

The buggers. First, people here in the UK start scooping up properties on a 'buy to let' scheme, and so drive first time buyers WAY out of the market. Now property prices have skyrocketed here because of it, why don't we buy up Nova Scotia...?

OOOH, that makes me mad. I just don't understand why you need more homes. So locals can't afford to live in a place, anymore. Unethical, socially irresponsible. Drives me mad.
I have emailed the Scotsman. Do it too and email these gits as well.

http://www.secondhomenovascotia.com/

Here is what I wrote:
So, Buy-to-let and second homes purchase has created a huge gap between the cost of a new home and the amount a first time buyer can afford in Britain. What to do? Drive up the cost of local housing abroad where we only have to see the effects for a couple of weeks a year...! I am a Nova Scotian, it's bad enough that in the Halifax Airport all the property advertising is in German, none of my contemporaries can afford a home, now we will have an influx of British home owners, that we all know, will not really save the economy. Get real. Socially irresponsible and unethical. Your are better than that, Scotsman.

Great expectations

I am not a political animal. Or, not really. But there is a war on, we have a new Prime Minister, and now terrorism is closer to home.

Geoff and I saw two unmarked police cars speeding up the motorway on Saturday. Later in the night (not having watched the news) we discussed terrorism in Scotland. We all discounted it. Then we saw the news on Sunday morning.

I like Gordon Brown. I think he is a good guy. But I don't think there is any turning back, we have radicalised people into doing things like this. We have walked into Glasgow Airport through that door many times. Which is quite frightening but probably much less frightening than being an Iraqi in Basra at the moment.

Get us out of this war, Gordon. Do the right thing.

On a much lighter note, we had a great time at Lauren's thrid birthday party. She and Mae played hospital after everyone else had left, hijacking a vegetable trolly to transport their babies into the doctors room. Very imaginative!!

Later on Sunday we hit the forest, where we found evidence of faeries. A teepee and a twirl. Both shots by Mae; soon we'll call her Man Ray.

At the forest I picked up a tick. Just for the gross out factor, here's what it looked like. (Note: I had my trousers tucked into wellies. How did it get on my leg!!!???)

And for a real gross out, here's something I found on the net. EEEEWWWW!!

And on a happy note- nice to hear from you Eric, hope to meet you sometime!!