Birthdays, Burgers, and BT

Afternoon, all...

First let me make apologies for not updating the blog very frequently this week. BT (I think this might stand for British Telecommunications) cut our phone lines last week in error, cutting us off from the world around us. As it turns out, when you are the only phone company in town, you don't have to care about your customers, and therefore can leave them without service for weeks at a time. We finally got desperate and purchased a "pay as you go" Broadband service which allows me to write to you. Alas, however, we still have no way of calling the states until BT gets around to getting us back online. Blerg...

Anyway, in the past week, we have seen three birthday celebrations around here. The first being an early celebration of Brian's May 5th birthday while his parents were still in town. In recognition of his birthday, we took him to dinner at a UK chain restaurant Frankie and Benny's or Benny and Joon's, or Frankie and Johnie's; I can't really remember the name. It was a very kid friendly restaurant, touting a New York Italian 50s style. It was kind of a strange take on an American styled restaurant. The majority of us ordered cheeseburgers, since they are known for them there. I thought it was ironic that they proudly advertised Irish beef, when everywhere else in Scotland praises their Scottish Angus. In any case, the food was good, but the burger had a microwave dinner salsbury steak taste to it. I didn't mind it, but Brian and his dad thought it strange.

After dinner, we took the kids to a video arcade next to the restaurant (all located at Fun Beach in Aberdeen) where I amused myself with a 2 pence arcade game, losing about a pound in an hour. (I'm too cheap to ever try real gambling.) Since it was a school night, we headed home early while I prepared myself for the next birthday celebration, Bryson's 5th birthday.

Thursday morning, I began preparations for Bryson's birthday. He had requested a Thomas the Tank Engine cake. I didn't bring a large enough sheet pan to bake and carve my own train, so earlier in the week I had ventured out to a local cake shop for some supplies and ended up "hiring" a 3D cake pan. (As a side note, the cake supply area of this cake shop was smaller than my laundry room. There is really only room for one customer at a time to browse. Needless to say, I didn't tarry, picking up the sugarpaste I needed for the project and going about my way.) I didn't care for the look of the 3D train, and apparently neither did Bryson, as he proceeded to tell me throughout the day on his birthday of all of the ways the cake did not look like Thomas. I have to admit, it was certainly the ugliest cake I have made in a while. Oh well, I was limited. Still, he (and all of the neighborhood children) liked the taste of it, so I was satisfied.

For Bryson's birthday, we of course bought him a few more train pieces for his every growing Thomas set, but I also ordered the kids a couple of Didicars.

(http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/images/B000HDQ24I/sr=8-1/qid=1240921454/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=468292&s=toys&qid=1240921454&sr=8-1)

Our next door neighbors have these little scooter cars and Aubrey and Bryson just went crazy over them. Now, that is all I hear in the afternoons, the roaring sound of racing Didicars.

The final birthday of the week was actually our neighbor's birthday. Aubrey and Bryson were invited to the party where they had a giant bouncy castle set up in the back yard. They had so much fun and the party lasted all afternoon. I finally told the kids they needed to come home because I was afraid that they had overstayed their welcome. As it turns out, it was just a really long party. They didn't even get to stay for cake! I don't know if this is indicative of parties here, but they sure make the most of them. :-)

The only other bit of excitement of the week, was an afternoon trip to Crathes castle. It is about 20 minutes drive from here and has a beautiful estate with gorgeous landscaped areas for the children to play. They also had a fun little playground for the children to play. While the castle itself is not as beautiful as Balmoral, the grounds were impressive and the kids were able to work out a lot of energy there. I would recommend a visit if you are ever in the area.

We also had to bid farewell to Bill and Jan this past weekend, as they ended their visit and headed back to the states. We had a really nice time with them and I already miss them. I know the kids do too.

Well, that is all I have to report for now. I apologize for the length and the disorganization of this post. Perhaps if I had internet access over the weekend, you would have had the opportunity to read about this in a few different more cleverly written posts. But, for now, this is as much as my jumbled brain can do!

Missing you all.... W

Roundabouts, Royalty, and Lamb, oh my!

Evening all! This has been yet another fully packed weekend for me and I must admit, I am quite tired tonight. Of course, it is a good kind of tired! :-)

My weekend was surely off to a great start on Friday evening when my online grocery order was delivered without delay and was accompanied by a bouquet of fresh cut flowers, compliments of Asda. I cannot express the delight I feel when I think of the time I will save utilizing this service. In celebration of our grocery delivery, we ate fresh deli pizzas for dinner, which cost me 1 Pound a piece. That's right, $1.45 is all it cost for a 10" freshly made (not frozen) pizza. I fed the entire household of 7 for 7 pounds, and we had food left over. Brilliant! We all went to bed happy and full and I was eager for rest, since bright and early Saturday morning I would have my driving lesson.

Saturday morning arrived, and with my nerves in my throat, I awaited the arrival of my driving instructor. When Dave, a true Scotsman arrived, I prepared myself for my adventure. I asked Brian along for some moral support. For four hours I drove about Aberdeen, encountering one lesson after another, and rehearsing one Roundabout after another. Dave, a right patient fellow, and I did not always communicate effectively and I came across a blithering idiot at times. (Not that this is necessarily different from my communications with any other sort of person.) In my defense, however, I don't think he always understood my questions. After a break for some coffee and scones, we finished my lesson, returning once again to the safety of my own driveway. There he assessed me as a High Level 3 or Low Level 2 risk...meaning, keep off the curbs and watch where you are going cuz there is a crazy American woman on the loose in town! LOL Seriously, he said he wasn't too worried about my driving and that I would do better with time. I was so thrilled to be through with my lesson that I quickly ate lunch and then crashed into bed for a long unwinding nap while everyone else went shopping.

Saturday evening came about and the kids and I spent some time outside playing in the yard, where I was able to meet my neighbor Tim's wife, Susan. She is quite a lovely lady and I could see us having a nice friendship, especially since our children seem quite taken with each other. (She has 4, all around the same ages as my littles ones.) She invited me to coffee sometime, as well as invited the children to her son Josh's 4th birthday party next Sunday. Aubrey and Bryson are so excited about that! Her youngest, Sophie, is Sadie's age and it is uncanny how much they resemble one another...with blonde curls at the nape of the neck and chunky little knees. I should get a picture of the two of them together.

Sunday (this morning) we got up and decided to take a trip to Balmoral castle, the Scottish home of the Royal family. It is about 40 miles from Aberdeen, up north in the Highlands. This was the perfect day to make the drive, as we awoke to sunshine. In fact, the first words I heard this morning came from Bryson's mouth "Mommy! It isn't gray outside today!" Before we left, our neighbor Susan suggested we take in lunch at the Old Royal Station Cafe in Ballater. So, before heading to Balmoral, we stopped off and had lunch, (I had a beef and lamb burger) picked up a few souvenirs, and snapped a few pictures of the town. Once we finished lunch, we headed to the castle, where we were pleased to see that the Royal flag was flying, indicating that someone from the Royal family was on the estate. We were unable to tour the inside of the castle, with the exception of the Royal Ball room, but the outside of the castle was charming enough and quite beautiful.

All in all, it was a wonderful day and a wonderful weekend and I look forward to closing it out with a few pages from a book about the history of Scotland. I wonder what adventures are in store for us next weekend? Until next time, good night!

Knickerbocker Glory

Good morning all! It is another chilly, cheery day here in Aberdeen. I awoke this morning to the sound of our first garbage collection day; the large noisy truck making its way down our street. Thankfully, trash is collected but once a week! :-)

It is hard to believe that we've been in the new house for an entire week now and that I am proud to say we are all tucked away and organized. (Or should I say organised, as they would say here!) Bryson and Aubrey arrived home last night with the their grandparents, having taken a train from York England. They had such a wonderful time with Grammy and Grandad, though I think they may have not been on their best behavior while away.

Since we did not get the change to have an Easter egg hunt last weekend, the children were greeted with a chocolate egg hunt in the back garden when they arrived home and even Sadie got in on the action. Sadie had already enjoyed a bit of a hunt before they arrived, as she helped me to hide them. (Well, she collected them behind me as I hid them. LOL)

After we brought in bags, gave a tour of the house, and gathered ourselves, we set out for some Fish and Chips at "Great Britain's Number 1 Fish and Chips" restaurant, the Ashvale. I don't know if I mentioned this place in my last blog, but it truly is the best Fish and Chips I have ever eaten. I suppose that is what happens when you live right next to the sea and can get fresh fish daily!

Anyway, we all ordered a dessert, and being adventurous, I chose the Knickerbocker Glory. This is a favorite British dessert and I was so curious to try it. I am generally not a fan of ice cream, but I was being adventurous, after all! This delicious and suprisingly light dessert consisted of a strawberry half atop fresh whipped cream, atop strawberry ice cream, a layer of fresh peaches, a layer of vanilla ice cream, a layer of fresh pears and a layer of strawberry syrup in the bottom. All of it was topped off with a couple of wafer cookies that Aubrey likened to a peacock. It was really quite good. If ever in the area, I recommend you try one!After dinner we made a quick stop at ASDA and then came home to retire for the night. All in all, it was a nice homecoming for the kids and once again nice to see some familiar faces.

Today, I am hoping to receive delivery of my first ever online grocery shopping experience. This is really quite wonderful, since I have not had my driving lesson yet and am unable to drive to the local grocery. I am actually quite excited about the prospect of having them delivered, saves so much time at the store!:-)

Aubrey and Bryson could not wait to break out their scooters that they have been missing since February. Both were greeted with the added bonus of meeting the kids next door who are right at their same ages. These children are from Ireland. I met their father who told me that there are several children on our street their ages. How wonderful! In fact, I haven't seen Aubrey and Bryson in the house since they went out to play! FABULOUS!

Well, that's all to report right now. When I have some free time, I will try to upload some London pictures for those of you who are not on facebook. Weekend blessings! W

A taste of the familiar

Hello again! Today was a rather tedious and boring one for blogging, I am afraid. I spent the day continuing my quest to get the new house in order. I've almost completed things, with one final suitcase and a few odds and ends to finish up tomorrow. It will be good to have everything in order for a change! :-)

Probably the most interesting bit about my day was the chance to sit back and relax this evening with Pizza Hut delivery and a few hours of watching 30 Rock on DVD. DVD players are not the same here, so we are limited on what we can watch, but had the fortune of finding Season 1 yesterday at ASDA. It was a great reward for a couple of days of hard work. :-)

On the downside, however, I'm afraid my immune system is getting the better of me as I have developed quite an annoying sinus infection. Sadie attempted to help me cure my ills this evening by emptying an entire box of tissues around the living room. I just wish she would have given me one!

Anyway, it is always nice to experience a bit of the familiar when you aren't quite 100%. Btw...Pizza Hut pizza is as good or better here as it is at home! Until next time.... W

Good morning all from a lightly rainy day in Aberdeen! :-) It seems I have been quite busy as of late. On Good Friday, Brian, the kids, and I hopped a flight to London to meet my in-laws, Bill and Jan in London for the weekend. On the flight we were treated to a traditional English breakfast which consisted of egg scrambled, soft bacon, sausage, steamed tomatoes and mushrooms. It was quite delicious and even Aubrey thought so.

When we arrived in London, we took a hired car to our hotel, The County Court Marriot which is located next to the London Eye. Incidentally, it is named this because it used to house the County Court before it was converted into a hotel and museums (which house a Salvador Dali exhibit and a Movie Museum). The building itself is quite beautiful and sits along the Thames River. On our way, we happened upon the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. We also passed the Museum of Natural History where there were literally thousands of people lined up outside waiting to see the Darwin exhibit.

As we arrived to the hotel we saw a beautiful silver Rolls Royce exiting. We checked into our room and met Bill and Jan, whom we were delighted to see after a week of near solitude and strange faces. The rest of our first day, we spent dining in and resting, swimming, and enjoying the company.

On Saturday, after feasting on a rather large English Breakfast buffet in the hotel, we ventured out onto the street outside of our hotel. There we took in the cool misty air of London, along with thousands of other people on holiday. Just down the way was Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament (which are separated by color, red & green), Westminster Abbey, 10 Downing Street (which houses the Prime Minister), The Old Scotland Yard, MI5 and much more. It was a lovely site, though quite a bit of walking for my mother-in-law, so after a few hours, we returned to the comfort of our hotel.

On Sunday, Brian, Bill, Aubrey and Bryson took a ride on the London Eye while I stayed in with Jan and Sadie to pack up our things for our departure. After their return, we all took a tour on the River Thames, seeing the replica of The Globe Theater, as well as it's original location, The Anchor Pub, London Bridge, Tower Bridge and so much more. It was an amazing ride and Brian filmed the entire tour while I took photos. As soon as I get those photos downloaded, I will post them on my Facebook page to share with you. :-)

After completing our river tour, Brian and Aubrey toured the Movieum while the rest of us took time out for High Tea in our hotel where we enjoyed traditional finger sandwiches, fruit scones, tea cakes, and of course, tea. It was delicious and quite filling. I look forward to sharing a High Tea with Aubrey when she returns from holiday with Bill and Jan.

The end of our stay crept upon us quickly and soon it was time for Brian, Sadie, and I to say goodbye and to journey back home. Aubrey and Bryson stayed on to enjoy more sights in London with their grandparents during Aubrey's Easter break.

As side note: Easter is well celebrated in GB, but not in quite the same manner as in the states. Easter is celebrated with decadent chocolate eggs (not bunnies), given as gifts to all and used in egg hunts. There are no cheesy colorful plastic baskets with fake grass to be seen anywhere, much to Aubrey's dismay. Brian and I searched about for plastic eggs to give the children a belated egg hunt when they return and could find none...So, they shall hunt chocolate eggs instead!

We of course arrived home safely in Aberdeen Sunday night. Monday morning, bright and early, the movers arrived with the rest of our belongings and spent the morning unloading and unpacking; commenting on the amount of kitchen stuff I have! LOL They went upon their way and I set to the task of putting my house in order. I did quite well and as a result have the first floor squared away quite nicely. Today, however, (after I finish procrastinating by writing) I must finish the second floor in preparation for the family's return in a few days.

As you can see, life here is going quite well, as I am enjoying the newness of it all. I look forward to, however, meeting some people and getting to know more about life in Aberdeen!

Taking a Few Steps Backwards

Good morning all! I say morning, because it is currently 12:41 a.m. here, or 00:41 as they refer to it in 24 hour time. Right now I am lying in my bed listening to the soft pitter patter of rain on the bedroom window of our new home. Our day began early yesterday morning, preparing Aubrey for school and, oh yeah...getting the heck out of that apartment. :-) I rushed around all morning cleaning up rooms, picking up toys, zipping up bags in hopes of having it all ready for the movers (or Removers as they were called) to arrive to retrieve our things. Naturally, they were very prompt, about 20 minutes early, actually.

It didn't take the two fine gentleman very long to pack our things onto the truck, completing our time in the apartment. I referred to them as gentlemen, because indeed they were. One constantly referred to me as Madam while the other was wearing a pressed shirt, tie, sweater vest and suit to move my junk around. I was quite impressed with them, even though one smelled strongly of pipe tobacco. Of course, our time with these gentleman was short, since all they had to transport was the mere air shipment and our suitcases. Our larger sea shipment is due to arrive on Monday. I am eager to receive it, since it has all of my beloved kitchen toys that I have been missing so dear!

Once everything was placed upstairs in the new house and Sadie was snuggled up in her new play yard for a snooze, I set to work unpacking all of the suitcases and boxes in an effort to sort all of our clothing for repacking for a trip to London tomorrow (now today). Needless to say, it was a very long day and my weary joints are feeling it.

One thing I find peculiar about this country is how inefficient (though certainly cost effective) laundry is. In both the apartment, and this house, I have experienced great frustration with the amount of time it takes to process one load of laundry. Mind you, I do not mind using a clothes drying rack, or a clothes line to dry my clothes, in fact, I rather enjoy the thought of taking a step back to enjoy the simplicity of life. What I find utterly mind boggling is how a tumble drier (this most recent one only 6 months old) can take an entire day to dry a small load of laundry. No, I'm not talking jeans or heavy cottons. I am talking a load of undies and socks. I had faster results rack drying a sweater than I did with those silly undies. Laundry here might prove to be the thread that unravels me...LOL Thank goodness for clothes lines, though it will take time for me to interpret whether or not the cloud cast means rain or not. As I have mentioned before, my track record is not so great.

Well, I suppose I have ranted enough for one blog. I am not sure when I will have a chance to write again, as we will be away for Easter weekend I will try to snap some photos and upload them if I have access to the Internet. Until then, Easter blessings to each of you and I hope that you take the time to appreciate the sacrifice made on this Good Friday, as well as the amazing redemption we receive as a result...W

Short and Sweet

Halo again! Gonna be short tonight. We've a lot of packing up to do tonight because the movers will be here in the a.m. to move us to the new house. It is such a beautiful house and I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to live in it. The homeowner is wonderful to work with, so I think it will be a great fit. Anyway, I am excited to get out of this apartment, my chubby-short legs don't handle three flights of steep stairs very well. LOL I can't wait to tell you all about moving day. Until then, though, I wish you all a wonderful evening... W

A Tour About Town

Yesterday was a pretty full day. Pat, from Relocation Scotland, took Bryson, Sadie and me on a driving tour around Aberdeen. I tried to take pictures, but am apparently too ignorant to work Brian's new camera. (Not surprising, really.) We drove all around Aberdeen and its suburbs. I would love to say that I absorbed it all like a sponge, but I am afraid that I missed most of it- so much to take in at once, I suppose. The city seems pretty straight forward, though and I am pretty sure that once I conquer the Roundabouts, I should be able to find my way around.

We only made a couple of stops on our tour, the first being at a local family oriented Country Club where we stopped for a tour and a cup of coffee. This was the first kid friendly country club I had ever been to and was quite pleased to see so many little ones (and available high chairs) in the small cafe where we had coffee. The Cafe is called The Observatory, as it has a beautiful view of the countryside, as well as of the playground outside. Poor Bryson kept wanting to go play on the toys. Our hostess ordered a Coffee and Scone, while I had the tastiest Mochachino. Bryson and Sadie each had a Dough Ring, which is a very light cake doughnut dipped in sugar (no icing). The experience was quite lovely. :-)

Upon finishing our coffee, we toured the facility as well as the Creche, which is a childcare facility for members to make use of while using the club. (How fab is that?) The best thing about this club, aside from the Kid Camps, kid classes, and all around kid friendliness is that it is right next to Aubrey's school. Just a footpath and we could pick her up from school. It is kind of a one stop shop of sorts, they have a full service salon, a gym, tennis courts, golf course, raquetball courts- a place to just go sit and read a book and sip coffee for a while as the kids are playing with other kids. We should look into joining...

Our second stop was at hospital. Yes, I left out the "the". Apparently "the" is not used as much with nouns here as in the states. I had to pick up the paperwork to register the family with a General Practice Clinic. Where you live dictates which clinic you attend. Since it is the National Healthcare System, it is not like choosing your own GP like at home. The upside, though, is that there is a brand new Children's Hospital, so our kids should be well cared for in case of emergency.

That pretty much concluded our tour about town. An interesting side note...yesterday I dressed Bryson in his new Rain Boots because I was expecting rain. This was a bit of an error, since it never did rain until after we were home and only a light shower at that. The locals commented on his "Wellies" (short for Wellington Boots) and got a chuckle at the fact that he was wearing them. That makes two days in a row that I mis-dressed the kids. Oh well, I will learn...

I have decided that I really need to invest in a small digital camera to take pictures to share with you. My iphone pictures do not do this city justice and as I stated before, I am not skilled enough to use Brian's big camera. :-)

One last bit of info...we take posession of the house on Hammerman today, and will be moving in tomorrow. No more apartment dwelling and three story climbing for this broad. :-) I'll take some photos when I can! Cheerio!

W

Aubrey's First Day of School

Guid eenin!

Today started off promptly at 6:00 a.m. this morning; that'd be midnight Central time. Aubrey was up and running, excited to start her first day at ISA (International School of Aberdeen). It was, quite possibly, the easiest school day preparation since the first day of school last fall. I suspect, however, the excitement will wear away soon and we will be back to dragging gloomy, groggy faces out from under snuggly blankets and into the harsh reality of business as usual.

Brian delivered Aubrey to school with fresh school supplies and a lovingly packed lunch (by mom). He then returned home to offer me my biggest challenge yet, driving him to work in weekday morning traffic. We loaded the wee ones into the car and off we went. I must say, despite my trepidation, I felt quite at ease (of course, that might of been the sleepy haze I was in guiding my nerves) behind the wrong-sided wheel. I managed to get him to work, soundly, perhaps not safely as I did bump the curb once along the way. The biggest measure would come when I had to remember my way home without my beloved co-pilot. (Let me just take a moment to praise the inventor of Tom-Tom and GPS technology, as well as the lovely voice-over artist who so delicately and reassuringly guided me home.) I managed to make it home, unscaithed and unshaken. A good start to the morning, indeed!

The rest of the school day for Bryson, Sadie, and me was quite uneventful, as I felt the weight of sleepiness pulling me down. Bryson watched hours (insert bad mommy comment here) watching a Thomas the Tank Engine DVD.

I spent the afternoon filling out more forms for Aubrey's school until time to collect Aubrey from the bus stop arrived. Since dad had taken her to school, this would be her first time on a school bus (other than field trips) since Kindergarten. I grabbed up the other two monkeys and headed out for the bus stop at the corner. It was glaringly obvious that I had not been in this climate for long, since the kids were underequipped for the cooler weather. (I was quite content in just a sweatshirt, but then I am almost always hot.) Since it is likely to rain tomorrow, perhaps I will practice my driving skills a bit and drive to the bus stop. After all, the only other mother there had done so! :-)

Aubrey was excited to share the events of her day with me, which made me happy. She had a bit of trouble in Science class, since she had never studied circuitry before. Otherwise, she had what I would call quite a successful day. If you would like to read about it, you can check out Aubrey's blog at http://aubreymills.blogspot.com/ Let's hope that tomorrow is an even better day! :-)

After such an eventful day, we decided to dine familiar. So, off to Burger King it was! LOL (And yeah, I made it back to the office without issue.)

That pretty much concludes what might seem to be a pretty ordinary day in such an extraordinary place. Tomorrow, the smallest munchkins and I will be touring about town with a guide from Relocation Scotland, sharing valuable information to help us to assimilate. Should be interesting. Guess I will check in with you later...Until then...Guid Cheerio the nou!

W

Drive Time

It was a particularly lazy Sunday, which we really needed to help our bodies to continue the adjustment. After Brian and the kids went school supply shopping for Aubrey's first day of school, I swallowed my fear and went for my first drive.

Of course, I was not about to make my first driving attempt alone, so we packed the three kids in the car and off we went. I started my drive out simply by driving around and around the oval drive in front of our apartment. I drove around it so many times, I began to feel a bit car sick! :-) Brian decided then that it was time for me to venture out into the neighborhood. It took a bit to get my bearings, but in time I realized that I felt quite comfortable on the right side of the car and on the left side of the road. (Maybe it is a left-handed thing). I drove about our neighborhood for a bit, and then Brian took me down the simple route to his office.

Since he can only park on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, it will be up to me to deliver and collect him on the off days. That means tomorrow I will be driving solo on the way home. Yikes! I am ever so grateful for Brian's Tom Tom which very gently and calmly directed me to and fro during the rest of my excursion. Very smartly, I might add, the kids were distracted with Nintendos and headphones during my short lesson, so as to lower the stress level.

I managed to take us to and from the ConocoPhillips campus twice and was satisfied with a job well done. I was adamant, however, that I not be taken down a Roundabout just yet. All in good time, right? I need to see it done a few more times, first. Of course, I will want to practice it a bit before I have my official driving lesson with a licensed instructor. I must say, though, that Brian is an awesome teacher...of course, I knew he was...he helped teach me how to drive 15+ years ago in the states! :-)

That pretty much concludes my excitement for today. The weather was lovely (see the picture I posted on Facebook) today and I am looking forward to the beauty that tomorrow brings. Until then, Baidh.

Saturday in Aberdeen

Our first Saturday in Aberdeen has come and gone and while it was a leisurely one, we still enjoyed a few sights around town. After a very late night last night, the entire family slept in until 11:30 a.m. After we got around, we visited our new home, where we were greeted warmly by the home owner. The place is really quite lovely and the kids were quite taken with it, as well.

The neighborhood where will live is called The Campus because it used to be a college for secondary teachers. The school has since been demolished, but the dormitories were converted into flats and are really quite pretty. Perhaps when we get moved in, I will take some pictures to share with you. Apparently, our neighborhood is quite a diverse one, as well. We have neighbors from Ireland, France, Spain, and Russia to name a few. I think this will be a really neat environment for the kiddos.

After our visit to the house, we ventured out to the Sea for a look and then downtown for a quick tour. The buildings are so beautiful in downtown Aberdeen and I am so amazed at how many places there are in this town of 250,000. I think we could take our entire tour just exploring locally. While downtown, we saw a Bagpipe player playing outside what looked to be a wedding. Interestingly enough, he was the second man in a kilt I saw today. :-)



Brian has been trying to encourage me to drive him to work on Monday, but I must say I am so completely intimidated by the roads, rules, and other drivers here. Perhaps tomorrow I will actually get behind the wheel for a bit of practice.

A couple of interesting food items today... Dr. Pepper Zero (doesn't taste like Diet Dr. Pepper, but it will do.) and Crumpets. I never knew what a crumpet was until today...See attached photos, looks and tastes suspiciously like a pancake. Also, not surprising, Cadbury makes an amazing hot cocoa mix.




That's all for today. Perhaps something really intriguing will occur tomorrow...Mar sin leat.

Okay, here I am again, another day is winding down, as my body continues to adjust to its new surroundings. Not a lot of excitement today, but we did visit Aubrey's new school and took a family outing to Asda (Walmart). The weather today was significantly cooler than yesterday and we awoke to a thick fog. A few folks we encountered were hopeful that it would lift, but it never did. I didn't care, though, because the cool temperature feels good to me right now.

We walked the kiddos down to a little park by our apartment and played with them for a spell before we made our Asda outing. It was nice to be outdoors, even though the kids were a bit chilly.

Asda is a very interesting place, almost like an upscale version of what we know of as Walmart. There is no frozen food section, all pre-prepared foods are in coolers, so you have the option to cook promptly or to freeze. They had so many interesting breads, pastas, meals, etc. that I am kind of looking forward to meal planning! :-) Also, prices for food are really quite reasonable, despite the current exchange rate. This is encouraging, to say the least. I have to say, though, I was tickled to find Weight Watcher's Wine in the Spirits aisle. Only 1 point per glass! I had a good chuckle and made Brian snap a photo with his cell phone...will upload it when I can. Guess that tea is not the only beverage of choice around here! :-) Until next time... Dia Leat...

Here it is early almost 5 p.m. on our first full day in Aberdeen. My body is starting to adjust to the time change, though I am still kind of tired. Aubrey and I are working on our blogs for the first time, and as unseasoned bloggers, they are likely to be a bit boring at first, but practice makes perfect, right?

Anyhoo, our flights from Bartlesville went very well. The flight from Bartlesville to Memphis was a bit smooshed, but thankfully quite short and uneventful. The real amazement came when we stepped foot onto the Airbus A330. We had so much room. I have never flown Business class before, so I felt like I was walking into a Day Spa for the first time. That's right, completely self-conscious of my behavior and worried I would look foolish. The kids thought it was great fun. I don't know what the other passengers thought, but I am sure it wasn't that travelling with three kids nearby was great fun.

As it turns out, they really like to feed and water (or wine for most folks) you alot in Business class. Seems like everytime I blinked someone was offering food or beverage. It was such a tremendous treat, but difficult to indulge since I was so tired. (Yeah, I forgot to mention the complete lack of sleep I had the night before.)

We made it to Amsterdam without much ado, and then on to Aberdeen. Upon our arrival in Aberdeen the weather was gorgeous (unlike today) as we awaited the approval of our Visas through Customs. Once we made it through, we collected our 13 bags, 4 back packs, 3 kids and a Partridge in a Pear tree and loaded up a van waiting outside for us. (Thank you Mary from Relocation Scotland). The kids were amazed at how taxis looked different here. Interestingly enough, they didn't seem to notice that we are actually driving on the other side of the road. Our driver was quite friendly and chatted with us as he drove us to our apartment. It was fun to listen to him speak. I don't think I will ever tire of hearing the beautiful dialects of this region.

After we arrived to the Apartment and settled in a bit, we took a ride in our Rental car (A Vauxhall) around Aberdeen while Brian educated me on driving on Round abouts. I am always so completely amazed at how well he picks these things up. He was meant to be a world traveler, I think. Anyway, he drove us by our soon to be new house where several kids were at play in the streets. Aubrey and Bryson would have bailed out of the car to greet them if we had slowed the car enough. They were so excited about everything. Finally, we made a stop at Asda, the UK version of Walmart (owned by Walmart) where Brian took the two older kids in with him to pick up some groceries. They were amused by the fact that Asda is two stories and has an escalator for shopping carts.

We rounded out our day with some fresh pizzas (from the Asda Deli) and some fussiness from Bryson. The kids were tucked away in bed by 9 p.m. (3 p.m. Central). I ended my day with two cups of hot tea. (Can't get Diet Dr. Pepper here, so I am making some huge sacrifices.) In honor of the great United Kingdom, I added milk to my tea for the first time ever. It was quite delicious, hence the second cup. I took a moment to breathe in the cool sea air from our apartment balcony as I sipped my tea, then retreated to bed with open windows. It was a lovely end to our first day.

Well, I think that is quite enough boredom for anyone to endure in one sitting. Perhaps the next note will share a reflection on European toilets to spice things up a bit...Until then, Beannachd leat! (A Scottish Gaelic goodbye)

Wendy