We're Going Nordic

I have decided that this year is the year that we start exploring a bit. Adventures afar have been limited since my arrival in Scotland. After Dad got sick most of my holidays were spent travelling back to California - now that illness and death are looming no more, it's time for some sightseeing.



So we've already done a few days in Paris at New year and at the end of this week we are off to Stockholm for a long weekend. I never thought that I'd have an inclination to head north but we were able to get two round trip tickets for £70 - and so Stockholm here we come. At the moment, temperatures are hovering at just above freezing with numbers dipping into the minuses with windchill but I am hoping for some really cold weather. Will keep you posted!

David Callander Does Something Sweet

So David and I were talking the other day about what we were going to do over the weekend and David says, "I've got a surprise for you on Saturday morning so you need to make some time for that." "A surprise?" I ask amazingly befuddled (because he I thought he didn't do surprises) and then I badger him with questions...do I have to wear anything special? Are we getting a puppy? Do we have to drive far? How long will we be gone for? And I have badgered with questions everyday since he mentioned it. Poor fellow.

So I'm at home for lunch today and he says, "How about we go in to town and we can take care of the surprise. It should only take about 15 minutes." 15 minutes? That means getting a puppy is out of the question - bummer and I don't need to be camera ready. Anyway, we go in to town and I've no clue yet what he's up to until he walks in the door of the jewellery shop. Oh my... David has, with the help of Suzy Gillies, picked out and paid for my wedding band. Suzy and I had been to this jewellry shop around Christmas time and I pointed out the rings that I thought might go well with my engagement ring and she kindly relayed this information to my big softie. Turns out the ones that I picked out didn't quite work so well with my engagement ring but by tomorrow, when we go back to the store (alas, we had to leave because there were too many choices and I was on my lunch) I will have a wedding band...holy crap, I really am getting married.

Horrifyingly Lazy Blogger!

Wow...can't believe I haven't written anything in 6 months. I really didn't think anyone was following this anymore now that I've settled into my new home country and life has become a bit more ordinary. But alas, my sister complained that I haven't posted anything and so i will begin blogging again even if Terry McElroy is the only one that reads it!

I suppose I can condense the last six months as follows:

End of July: Took my first camping trip in Scotland with David and Sophie to Gariloch, a beautiful coastal town in Wester-Ross. The weather was incredible - hot and sunny, very 'unScottish' weather indeed and about the only week we got sun all last summer. Anyway, camping was lovely but Scottish camping isn't exactly like California camping. There were hoardes of people everywhere at the campsite and they tend to set up the biggest, most elaborate tents on the face of the planet and then surround their campsite in fencing so essentially their campsite takes up the same amount of space as a small home. Unbelievable. And then I learned about midges, which I've always heard of but never really encountered. A midge is a teeny tiny flying bug that comes out in the evening in swarms.

If you've ever had a horrible encounter with mosquitoes, then magnify that by 1000% and there you go. After our first night and our first encounter with the tiny biters, David wanted to flee back home but alas was convinced to stay. Alas, we remained at our campsite for a few rains and ran home once it started raining. I could not, however, return to work when we got back to Stirling since my face was so disfigured...42 bites...just on 2/3 of my forehead. Ouch!

August: I was really grumpy in August because we'd had virtually no sun all summer and it rained almost everyday.

September: Flew away to sunny and warm Portugal for a few days...and it rained.

October: The days really started getting colder and winter was surely on its way!

November: Spent Thanksgiving alone - sucks to me! Next year I'm taking Thanksgiving off and whooping it up with all the fixings.

December: The holidays were a bit nutty. Had the Evans clan up for 4 days and then ran away to Paris with Sophie. Loved Paris even though it was expensive (£14 for two hot chocolates, yes, that's about $20) and bitterly cold. Can't wait to go again! Ate way too much cheese and sauccisson but loved every minute of it.

Today: With the holidays over and June just around the corner, I'm constantly thinking about the wedding. Funnily enough, we haven't really done very much but have managed to get everything together and it seems to be falling in to place quite nicely. I freak out every now and again because I think that we haven't done enough but we've pretty much covered all our bases and with the first of the plane tickets being bought - Terry and the girls have booked their tickets - I'm getting quite excited.

I suppose that's enough catching up for now and will post pictures later!

My Girls

Just returned from a visit back to Cali. Although I love going back to see everyone, it never seems to get easier saying goodbye to everyone, especially my girls. I could never begin to describe how much I miss my California girls!

I've Done It!

I am officially a British driver! After several months of expensive lesson (which apparently paid off) I am now legally driving again as I just passed my driving test yesterday and am the recipient of a UK driving license! Hooray!!!

One of the best days...

For those of you who don't know, I have started taking riding lessons. I have returned to my equestrian roots after nearly a 26 year hiatus and am completely loving it. I go to a place called Drumbrae riding centre which is just behind the university where I work. One of my colleagues just started riding there as well as so we go together to our weekly lesson. Yesterday would have been my third lesson but when I got there, our instructor, Ron, asked if we wanted a lesson or to go on a hack (joy ride). Since it was another fine Scottish evening (sunny and warm if you can believe that) we decided to go on a hack. There really is almost nothing better than galloping through a Scottish forest and then coming out of the forest and watching the way the sun shines through the clouds in rays all over the countryside - sounds corny but it really it quite incredible.

Stay tuned as next week, Sonia and I have our first jumping lesson!

The saddest thing ever...

David, Sophie and I were at the lake on Saturday because it was a gorgeous Scottish day (pictures to be posted later). A gorgeous Scottish day isn't like a gorgeous day back home in California, they're better. Maybe it's because the light is different (and it really is quite different) or maybe it's because gorgeous Scottish days come along so infrequently, that we appreciate them a bit more.

Anyway, we took the boat out and had a lovely picnic on the shore on the far side of the lake. After a lovely lunch, Sophie and I left David napping on the beach while we went out for a nice leisurely row so that we could read our new InStyle magazine in peace. Glorious! Nothing better than rowing and reading about what I should pack on my next vacation. Eventually we went and picked up David, rowed some more, and went for a swim (freezing cold) - a perfect day. As we were admiring all the babies from the boat (baby sheep and baby geese) we spotted what looked like two giant plastic bags that were strewn on the shore. I was actually hoping it was garbage because the alternative was too miserable to think about. Lying on the shore was a dead swan and beside it was its mate, laying beside it just waiting for something to happen. Only makes it worse to think that swans are one of the few animals that mate for life. Wow, that really sucked.