i am here to extol the virtues of leg warmers and arm warmers. because they rock. and they keep you toasty warm.
usually i would have scoffed the return of the leg warmer but those things are utterly awesome under jeans. i now own several pairs which are in daily rotation and part of my everyday wardrobe here in b'tol.
i found arm warmers at primark here in b'tol and although my friend bonnie said i was a 'tard for getting a pair, she later relented and got herself a pair when she saw how cool they looked on me not to mention how warm i was. so there.
so if you want to be warm and toasty this winter season, go out and score yourself some arm and leg warmers. or tell me and i'll personally bring you a pair all the way from england.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
boxing day
boxing day, december 26th, the day after christmas when one would typically box up all their christmas leftovers and visit family they didn't visit on christmas day is really a crapshoot here.
some things are open but generally speaking, b'tol is pretty deserted. except mcdonald's. everyone is in there for some reason. also baguettes are in short supply.
some shops are open for business in the mall while others are closed. from personal experience being a store manager, in the states, stores are "fined" by the mall management if said store does not open for business on a day when the mall is open. don't think that's the case here though.
the crazy day-after-christmas shopping frenzy doesn't seem to really go off here in b'tol. if fact, one store, although having very large signage announcing their day after sale, seemed like it was closed and empty. upon closer inspection, it was open for business, with quite a few shoppers shopping.
the salesgal at harvey nichols, an upscale, high-end department store on par with barney's back in the states said that "it was complete mayhem this morning". apparently mayhem to get to MY charcoal balenciaga classic city tote which was 30% off.
some stores had fantastic sales (thank you harvey nichols and joe. you know why) while others operated business as usual (um primark, where were you on the sale front? i expected so much more and am frankly a little disappointed in you) and some stores didn't even bother to open (yes, i am talking about you st. nicholas market).
all in all, it was fun to be out and about with joe and the kids, soaking in the wonderfulness that is b'tol.
some things are open but generally speaking, b'tol is pretty deserted. except mcdonald's. everyone is in there for some reason. also baguettes are in short supply.
some shops are open for business in the mall while others are closed. from personal experience being a store manager, in the states, stores are "fined" by the mall management if said store does not open for business on a day when the mall is open. don't think that's the case here though.
the crazy day-after-christmas shopping frenzy doesn't seem to really go off here in b'tol. if fact, one store, although having very large signage announcing their day after sale, seemed like it was closed and empty. upon closer inspection, it was open for business, with quite a few shoppers shopping.
the salesgal at harvey nichols, an upscale, high-end department store on par with barney's back in the states said that "it was complete mayhem this morning". apparently mayhem to get to MY charcoal balenciaga classic city tote which was 30% off.
some stores had fantastic sales (thank you harvey nichols and joe. you know why) while others operated business as usual (um primark, where were you on the sale front? i expected so much more and am frankly a little disappointed in you) and some stores didn't even bother to open (yes, i am talking about you st. nicholas market).
all in all, it was fun to be out and about with joe and the kids, soaking in the wonderfulness that is b'tol.
correction
please stand by for an important announcement: clack has now become crack. so now someone cracks their head, not clacks it. sad to say it but clack has gone the way of cuckcape, water mountain, cagoose, and hamguber.
we now return to our regularly scheduled blog entry.
we now return to our regularly scheduled blog entry.
my britishisms
so there are some britishisms that i am adopting and bringing home with me.
get ready to hear:
brill (as in brilliant)
good work you
lovely (ok, i already use this one alot)
lie-in
i have left the bristolians with the following shellaine-isms:
awesome sauce (this is really from teri j. but it just fantastically describes anything)
fantastic
awesome
supa-dupa
all toe-up
porntastic
pornorrific
chillax
state of zen
scosh
i have also been told that i have the biggest american accent that our british friends have ever heard. not sure if this a compliment or not or if it just means i'll never sound like i live here.
get ready to hear:
brill (as in brilliant)
good work you
lovely (ok, i already use this one alot)
lie-in
i have left the bristolians with the following shellaine-isms:
awesome sauce (this is really from teri j. but it just fantastically describes anything)
fantastic
awesome
supa-dupa
all toe-up
porntastic
pornorrific
chillax
state of zen
scosh
i have also been told that i have the biggest american accent that our british friends have ever heard. not sure if this a compliment or not or if it just means i'll never sound like i live here.
a word from our sponsor about allergies
since no one has inquired, i just thought i;d throw it out there that my allergies have not bothered me one iota since we landed back in september.
i have a total of one cold since i have been here. and fingers crossed, the kids zero.
back in LA, i am sick at least one week every month due to allergies just bringing my whole system down. i hate to sound paranoid but this means my house and environs may be trying to kill me.
another reason why we just NEED to move here. i have not touched a single allergy med since i have been here and damn that feels good!
i have a total of one cold since i have been here. and fingers crossed, the kids zero.
back in LA, i am sick at least one week every month due to allergies just bringing my whole system down. i hate to sound paranoid but this means my house and environs may be trying to kill me.
another reason why we just NEED to move here. i have not touched a single allergy med since i have been here and damn that feels good!
sunday roasts
before i forget, i must boast about british sunday roasts, which rock the heezy. delish, delish, delish.
a typical sunday roast consists of:
meat - be it beef, chicken or pork - whatever makes you socks roll up & down
potatoes
gravy
yorkshire pudding (for you yanks: not a pudding in the bill cosby way but more like a crispy pastry bread that is awesome for soaking up the last of the yummy gravy on your plate)
roasted or steamed carrots
baked broccoli in cheese sauce
baked cauliflower in cheese sauce
steamed brussel sprouts
all in ridiculously large quantities, except for the meat.
if you haven't had a sunday roast, i suggest you get over to england stat, because you don't know what you are missing.
a typical sunday roast consists of:
meat - be it beef, chicken or pork - whatever makes you socks roll up & down
potatoes
gravy
yorkshire pudding (for you yanks: not a pudding in the bill cosby way but more like a crispy pastry bread that is awesome for soaking up the last of the yummy gravy on your plate)
roasted or steamed carrots
baked broccoli in cheese sauce
baked cauliflower in cheese sauce
steamed brussel sprouts
all in ridiculously large quantities, except for the meat.
if you haven't had a sunday roast, i suggest you get over to england stat, because you don't know what you are missing.
can i get an ay?
where is the time going? we have been here since september and had envisioned every-other-weekend trips to other EU countries, but alas, we haven't visited any yet. this must be remedied stat.
joe had been monitoring ryanair, the official airline of ireland, for inexpensive fares to the land of emerald grasses. we had heard fabled tales of 5# fares to exotic destiniations within the EU. with baggage and carry-on restrictions, of course. but still, ryanair beckoned.
finally paydirt hit: after daily check-ins on the ryanair website, joe found the 5# airfare. pow. with lots and lots of fine print. but who cares? we were finally making our first sojourn out of the UK.
better late than never.
destination: shannon, ireland.
joe had been monitoring ryanair, the official airline of ireland, for inexpensive fares to the land of emerald grasses. we had heard fabled tales of 5# fares to exotic destiniations within the EU. with baggage and carry-on restrictions, of course. but still, ryanair beckoned.
finally paydirt hit: after daily check-ins on the ryanair website, joe found the 5# airfare. pow. with lots and lots of fine print. but who cares? we were finally making our first sojourn out of the UK.
better late than never.
destination: shannon, ireland.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
clack
diggy has a little trouble with double consonants (like hamburger was hamguber, track is twack, cupcake is cuckcape) and one recent word that has given his little mouth grief is "crack", which he pronounces "clack". gemma recently fell & bumped her head (surprise, surprise) and diggy yelled out that she had "clacked her head". upon hearing this, gemma grabbed the back of her head and asked if her brains were falling out of her head.
we, of course, assured her that they were not.
we, of course, assured her that they were not.
gemma's britishisms
gemma has really become ingrained in the local language & now refers to things she knows in "american english" using the "british english" term or britishisms, as i've dubbed them.
trips to the store are now "trips to the shops"
popsicles or anything on a stick is a "lolly", pronounced "laahlee"
a mess is a ruckus
behavior and people are "cheeky"
lip gloss is "lippy"
it's "chocklate" instead of chocolate
snacktime is now tea time
pita bread has become "pitta" bread
where you park you car is pronounced "ghairage"
school is called "nursery"
an elevator is a lift
tape is now cello
and of course, french fries are chips and potato chips are crisps.
go gemma! plus she lapses into a british accent when she excitedly relates a story then goes right back into her american accent. too cute.
trips to the store are now "trips to the shops"
popsicles or anything on a stick is a "lolly", pronounced "laahlee"
a mess is a ruckus
behavior and people are "cheeky"
lip gloss is "lippy"
it's "chocklate" instead of chocolate
snacktime is now tea time
pita bread has become "pitta" bread
where you park you car is pronounced "ghairage"
school is called "nursery"
an elevator is a lift
tape is now cello
and of course, french fries are chips and potato chips are crisps.
go gemma! plus she lapses into a british accent when she excitedly relates a story then goes right back into her american accent. too cute.
some things i will miss about b'tol
some things i will about living here in bristol AKA b'tol:
- driving on the left
- primark
- sainsbury's grocery & their yummy offerings ranging from fresh made jelly doughnuts to heat & eat indian curry to 27 pence dark chocolate bars
- the weather (it's not that cold!)
- the bristolian peoples
- gemma's british accent & britishisms
- weekend trips driving through the british countryside
- british ciders
- cumberland sausages
- yorksire pudding
- sunday roasts
- the pound coin
- curly wurly caramel candy bars
- reliable, working public transportation
- being able to walk just about anywhere in the city, making nights out really fun
- pub nights
- delicious indian food and the abundance of indian restaurants everywhere
- our little tyndalls flat, which is sooooo easy to keep clean & tidy
- legwarmers
- armwarmers
- the super fresh, pesticide free fruits and veggies from nearby spain (esp. the grapes! we will miss them)
- elderflower presses
- roundabouts
our time is bristol is winding down. it's been way too awesome for words and an adventure we are so glad we got to be a part of. wish we could stay here.
anyone want to buy a house in west los angeles? it's on the santa monica border and has a huge backyard . . .
- driving on the left
- primark
- sainsbury's grocery & their yummy offerings ranging from fresh made jelly doughnuts to heat & eat indian curry to 27 pence dark chocolate bars
- the weather (it's not that cold!)
- the bristolian peoples
- gemma's british accent & britishisms
- weekend trips driving through the british countryside
- british ciders
- cumberland sausages
- yorksire pudding
- sunday roasts
- the pound coin
- curly wurly caramel candy bars
- reliable, working public transportation
- being able to walk just about anywhere in the city, making nights out really fun
- pub nights
- delicious indian food and the abundance of indian restaurants everywhere
- our little tyndalls flat, which is sooooo easy to keep clean & tidy
- legwarmers
- armwarmers
- the super fresh, pesticide free fruits and veggies from nearby spain (esp. the grapes! we will miss them)
- elderflower presses
- roundabouts
our time is bristol is winding down. it's been way too awesome for words and an adventure we are so glad we got to be a part of. wish we could stay here.
anyone want to buy a house in west los angeles? it's on the santa monica border and has a huge backyard . . .
london bridge is better without kids
part 3 of our weekend getaway culminates in a trip to london to check out a show at the tate modern and go handbag shopping for yours truly.
we park the car at osterly station and take the tube into london so we don't have to withdraw from the peanuts' college funds to cover weekend parking fees in the city centre.
making our way to the tate modern is hard work & we are hungry for lunch. it's sunday and not quite the holiday season yet, so there isn't much open in the way of eats on the way to the tate modern. my stomach just hopes there is a cafe at the museum that serves more than muffins and snickers bars.
we are in luck as the tate modern boasts an award-winning full service restaurant that is packed to the gills today as the lunch options the the surrounding areas seems to be a bit nil on a sunday. with yummy burgs & fries filling our tummies, we are now ready to check the exhibit, featuring damien hirst, andy warhol, murakami, keith haring and jeff koons to name drop a few.
the exhibit was fairly good as far as exhibits go but joe was a tad disappointed as it was not what he was hoping to see from these artists.
murakami had a music video looping with kirsten dunst that had the vapors' song, "turning japanese" churning in my head all day long and part of monday too. it was interesting to see all the covers from interview magazine that warhol had painted during the 80's. one artist featured identical twins reading the same book on identical chairs and otufits as they flanked a painting hung on the wall. i so wanted to talk to them and to find out how they had scored this art gig.
after getting our fill of art for the the day, joe promised some handbag shopping. i had done some recon on the internet and determined the whereabouts of balenciaga, longchamp, mulberry, and lancel as well as their opening hours. being sunday and not quite the holidays, most shops were closed but luckily mulberry (a london based brand) was open, so we headed there straightaway where i scored a cute yummy little ledbury handbag in chocolate leather.
london trip=full success!!!
we park the car at osterly station and take the tube into london so we don't have to withdraw from the peanuts' college funds to cover weekend parking fees in the city centre.
making our way to the tate modern is hard work & we are hungry for lunch. it's sunday and not quite the holiday season yet, so there isn't much open in the way of eats on the way to the tate modern. my stomach just hopes there is a cafe at the museum that serves more than muffins and snickers bars.
we are in luck as the tate modern boasts an award-winning full service restaurant that is packed to the gills today as the lunch options the the surrounding areas seems to be a bit nil on a sunday. with yummy burgs & fries filling our tummies, we are now ready to check the exhibit, featuring damien hirst, andy warhol, murakami, keith haring and jeff koons to name drop a few.
the exhibit was fairly good as far as exhibits go but joe was a tad disappointed as it was not what he was hoping to see from these artists.
murakami had a music video looping with kirsten dunst that had the vapors' song, "turning japanese" churning in my head all day long and part of monday too. it was interesting to see all the covers from interview magazine that warhol had painted during the 80's. one artist featured identical twins reading the same book on identical chairs and otufits as they flanked a painting hung on the wall. i so wanted to talk to them and to find out how they had scored this art gig.
after getting our fill of art for the the day, joe promised some handbag shopping. i had done some recon on the internet and determined the whereabouts of balenciaga, longchamp, mulberry, and lancel as well as their opening hours. being sunday and not quite the holidays, most shops were closed but luckily mulberry (a london based brand) was open, so we headed there straightaway where i scored a cute yummy little ledbury handbag in chocolate leather.
london trip=full success!!!
da plaine, da plaine
bath trip. part deux.
to recap, joe & i were able to steal away for a weekend getaway to bath, about 12 miles from bristol.
sadly, we waited until the very last moment to make our travel arrangements, so our hotel choices were really limited. as in no where to stay. not even the dreaded within walking distance holiday inn had a room for us. i mean, who comes to bath and stays in a holiday inn? i don't even go to holiday inns back home. but in this instance, the holiday inn would have been sufficient.
industrious joe got online and was able to find a room for us at a hotel about 6 miles outside of bath, called the plaine. while we could have just gone back home to tyndalls, finding this open room meant that after our relaxing visit to thermae, we would not have to go home to little people.
on the twisty drive to the plaine, joe kept saying "i hope you like it. i just hope you like it." i just said i hoped it wasn't a bed and breakfast, being that we are not bed and breakfast people. for those of you who are ben stiller film buffs, i challenge you to name that film.
of course, it starts to pour buckets & it's taking forever to get there. at this point, i am just hoping that an actual hotel actually exists out here and that we have not booked a hay bale in some local barn.
we arrive at the the plaine. and guess what? it's a bed and breakfast! and from the look of things, we look to be the only guests that weekend. from just the look on his face, i can tell joe is just dreading tomorrow's breakfast and having to make small talk with complete strangers or even worse, the b & b owners. i would even go as far to bet that joe thought about leaving before the break of dawn to avoid said breakfast.
the plaine turns out to be quaint and small, owned by a husband & wife and thankfully not some old cranky woman with a cockney accent. it has electricity, it's own bath with a shower & a flushing toilet from this century. plus we're only sleeping here before we shove off to london to visit a museum or 2 and handbag shop for moi.
the bed leaves something to be desired as it is short & maybe was pilfered from napoleon's garage sale plus it's a little low to the ground for my taste. there is a fireplace in the room but it's been turned into a reading alcove. a small tv has been provided but there are like only 4 free channels in england and they always seem to be showing a documentary about fishing or something.
our breakfast order was taken when we checked in and we have been told to arrive in the dining room between 8:30 and 9am for our breakfasts. we are the first (or we had thought the only) guests to arrive. the husband is reading the sunday paper in the kitchen area but immediately greets us and sets about cooking up our brekkies.
breakfast is a simple affair: eggs any style, beans, sausages, tomatoes, and toast. very basic but very delish & perfectly filling with orange juice, fresh tea & coffee.
the plaine turns out to have had a full house last night as all tables are full with weekenders. the wife makes the rounds at breakfast, making small talk with each of the couples, maybe 6 or 7 in all.
but we are off like a prom dress promptly after finishing up brekkie and heading to london!
to recap, joe & i were able to steal away for a weekend getaway to bath, about 12 miles from bristol.
sadly, we waited until the very last moment to make our travel arrangements, so our hotel choices were really limited. as in no where to stay. not even the dreaded within walking distance holiday inn had a room for us. i mean, who comes to bath and stays in a holiday inn? i don't even go to holiday inns back home. but in this instance, the holiday inn would have been sufficient.
industrious joe got online and was able to find a room for us at a hotel about 6 miles outside of bath, called the plaine. while we could have just gone back home to tyndalls, finding this open room meant that after our relaxing visit to thermae, we would not have to go home to little people.
on the twisty drive to the plaine, joe kept saying "i hope you like it. i just hope you like it." i just said i hoped it wasn't a bed and breakfast, being that we are not bed and breakfast people. for those of you who are ben stiller film buffs, i challenge you to name that film.
of course, it starts to pour buckets & it's taking forever to get there. at this point, i am just hoping that an actual hotel actually exists out here and that we have not booked a hay bale in some local barn.
we arrive at the the plaine. and guess what? it's a bed and breakfast! and from the look of things, we look to be the only guests that weekend. from just the look on his face, i can tell joe is just dreading tomorrow's breakfast and having to make small talk with complete strangers or even worse, the b & b owners. i would even go as far to bet that joe thought about leaving before the break of dawn to avoid said breakfast.
the plaine turns out to be quaint and small, owned by a husband & wife and thankfully not some old cranky woman with a cockney accent. it has electricity, it's own bath with a shower & a flushing toilet from this century. plus we're only sleeping here before we shove off to london to visit a museum or 2 and handbag shop for moi.
the bed leaves something to be desired as it is short & maybe was pilfered from napoleon's garage sale plus it's a little low to the ground for my taste. there is a fireplace in the room but it's been turned into a reading alcove. a small tv has been provided but there are like only 4 free channels in england and they always seem to be showing a documentary about fishing or something.
our breakfast order was taken when we checked in and we have been told to arrive in the dining room between 8:30 and 9am for our breakfasts. we are the first (or we had thought the only) guests to arrive. the husband is reading the sunday paper in the kitchen area but immediately greets us and sets about cooking up our brekkies.
breakfast is a simple affair: eggs any style, beans, sausages, tomatoes, and toast. very basic but very delish & perfectly filling with orange juice, fresh tea & coffee.
the plaine turns out to have had a full house last night as all tables are full with weekenders. the wife makes the rounds at breakfast, making small talk with each of the couples, maybe 6 or 7 in all.
but we are off like a prom dress promptly after finishing up brekkie and heading to london!
sad lonely little b'tol blog
not sure if a neglected blog is a sign of someone who is just very busy & out having adventures or someone who is just lazy.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
spa thermae, bath
after weeks of doing stuff that kept the kids' interests in mind, joe and i finally got a much needed break.
we were spending the weekend away from the bristol (or b'tol, for those in the know) flat. sans kiddies. we were beyond excited. a whole night without some little person climbing into our bed and shoving us over the edge or kicking us in the head.
and we were going to spa thermae in bath then on to london for a little museuming as well as a little hanbag shopping for moi.
awesome sauce.
my parents had offered to watch the peanuts for the entire weekend, allowing us to get away.
thermae is located in bath, 12 miles from bristol and draws upon the city's well known mineral waters that made up the roman baths for some 400 years. thermae boasts a rooftop pool as well as steam rooms, various pools and treatment rooms, all utilizing the health vitalizing bath mineral waters.
unfortunately, i waited too long to make spa appointments for both joe and myself at thermae, so we were out of luck as far as getting spa treatments that we actually wanted.
joe waited too long to make hotel reservations and as luck would have it, every hotel room in bath was booked. even the ones at the dreaded holiday inn nearby. my persistant husband went online and was able to locate a place for us to stay. outside of bath and almost 10 miles away. but at least we would not have to return home to crazy children after a day of relaxation.
thermae was . . . underwhelming. i like my water really really hot, almost scalding and the thermal waters of bath, although naturally imported from the center of the earth, were a bit lacking in the heat department. it was plenty warm but a few degrees more would have been awesome. but then if the waters were heat assisted, we might have a lawsuit on our hands. the rooftop pool was awesome and we hoped for rain as we had heard it made the pool even more fantastic. seeing bath from the 4th floor was amazing.
the downstairs minerva bath reminded us of spring break at daytona beach plus the accoustics of the room mixed with the voices of all the other spa goers didn't help in making the environment more relaxing. the glass enclosed steam rooms were awesomely warm and the lavender scented room was my personal fav.
we each were able to snag a last minute treatment, although not the specific treatments we were hoping to get. beggars can't be choosers and i did wait too long to book, so the fact that we got anything was beyond a miracle. i got a vichy exfoliation which was way too short at 30 minutes. joe had the vichy shower which is relaxing but does not do much in the way of relieving stress in one's joints.
next installment, da plaine, da plaine.
we were spending the weekend away from the bristol (or b'tol, for those in the know) flat. sans kiddies. we were beyond excited. a whole night without some little person climbing into our bed and shoving us over the edge or kicking us in the head.
and we were going to spa thermae in bath then on to london for a little museuming as well as a little hanbag shopping for moi.
awesome sauce.
my parents had offered to watch the peanuts for the entire weekend, allowing us to get away.
thermae is located in bath, 12 miles from bristol and draws upon the city's well known mineral waters that made up the roman baths for some 400 years. thermae boasts a rooftop pool as well as steam rooms, various pools and treatment rooms, all utilizing the health vitalizing bath mineral waters.
unfortunately, i waited too long to make spa appointments for both joe and myself at thermae, so we were out of luck as far as getting spa treatments that we actually wanted.
joe waited too long to make hotel reservations and as luck would have it, every hotel room in bath was booked. even the ones at the dreaded holiday inn nearby. my persistant husband went online and was able to locate a place for us to stay. outside of bath and almost 10 miles away. but at least we would not have to return home to crazy children after a day of relaxation.
thermae was . . . underwhelming. i like my water really really hot, almost scalding and the thermal waters of bath, although naturally imported from the center of the earth, were a bit lacking in the heat department. it was plenty warm but a few degrees more would have been awesome. but then if the waters were heat assisted, we might have a lawsuit on our hands. the rooftop pool was awesome and we hoped for rain as we had heard it made the pool even more fantastic. seeing bath from the 4th floor was amazing.
the downstairs minerva bath reminded us of spring break at daytona beach plus the accoustics of the room mixed with the voices of all the other spa goers didn't help in making the environment more relaxing. the glass enclosed steam rooms were awesomely warm and the lavender scented room was my personal fav.
we each were able to snag a last minute treatment, although not the specific treatments we were hoping to get. beggars can't be choosers and i did wait too long to book, so the fact that we got anything was beyond a miracle. i got a vichy exfoliation which was way too short at 30 minutes. joe had the vichy shower which is relaxing but does not do much in the way of relieving stress in one's joints.
next installment, da plaine, da plaine.
the world famous . . . clown eggs
yes, here they are in all their glory, the famed clown eggs of wookey hole.
feel free to ooooh & ahhh to your heart's content.
we strassers know how to suss out the fun and unusual.
wookey hole
so in looking for things to do with kids in or around bristol, we happened upon wookey hole, a local attraction that boasts cheddar caves, life size dinosaurs, a circus museum and the world's largest collection of um, clown eggs. we'll get to those later.
to clear things up, wookey hole is in no way associated with chewbacca, much to our disappointment. so needless to day, chewie wasn't on hand to greet us upon arrival.
most english amusement parks, castles and public attractions close up for the season in october. some reopen for a brief christmas stint but otherwise after october, it's kind of a tourist attraction ghost town.
which is how we arrived at wookey hole, it being one of the few open year round.
sadly, the day we visited vacillated between drizzles and full fledged rain, further limiting the already limited array of things to do at wookey hole.
parking is free though. which is big, for england.
after ruling out pirate miniature golf due to being rained out, we opted for a tour of the cheddar caves, which is reputedly haunted by the wookey witch. the cheddar caves are true cheddar caves. not in the sense that one can reach out & pull off a hunk of cheese goodness from the cave walls. somehow, someone figured that you could leave fresh cheese in the caves to ripen. probably some old miner that forgot his lunch only to return the following spring to find it had "matured" and that the resulting cheese tasted damn good. the caves are a constant temperature all year, thus being the perfect environment to ripen cheese.
wookey hole also has a large mirror maze which the kids delighted finding their way through. they were better than most of the adults present. i must note that my children are also unusually adept at finding their way through a corn maze, so mazes must just be their thing.
wookey hole also has an amazing amount of circus memorabillia, if that makes your socks roll up and down. costumes, hats, shoes, scaled models of circus sites, and many circus wagons, including one of the abominable (or is it abdominal?) snowman being kept alive with various potions and whatnot.
lastly, the wookey hole also boasts the largest collection of clown eggs ever assembled in the world. what are clown eggs you ask? these are regular eggs with the insides drained out and painted with the facial likenesses of famous and not so famous clowns from around the world. there must be like 300 of these eggs at wookey hole. so incredibly strange. there was also a marcel marceau egg but it didn't do any of that walking in the wind or invisible wall thing. thank goodness.
we learned several things on the wookey hole expedition:
1. wookey hole not affiliated with chewbacca. damn.
2. cheddar caves not actually "made" of cheese but more a cheese storage/ripening facility.
3. clown eggs exist. for what reason, we do not know. kinda like stonehenge.
4. dignan is claustrophobic
to clear things up, wookey hole is in no way associated with chewbacca, much to our disappointment. so needless to day, chewie wasn't on hand to greet us upon arrival.
most english amusement parks, castles and public attractions close up for the season in october. some reopen for a brief christmas stint but otherwise after october, it's kind of a tourist attraction ghost town.
which is how we arrived at wookey hole, it being one of the few open year round.
sadly, the day we visited vacillated between drizzles and full fledged rain, further limiting the already limited array of things to do at wookey hole.
parking is free though. which is big, for england.
after ruling out pirate miniature golf due to being rained out, we opted for a tour of the cheddar caves, which is reputedly haunted by the wookey witch. the cheddar caves are true cheddar caves. not in the sense that one can reach out & pull off a hunk of cheese goodness from the cave walls. somehow, someone figured that you could leave fresh cheese in the caves to ripen. probably some old miner that forgot his lunch only to return the following spring to find it had "matured" and that the resulting cheese tasted damn good. the caves are a constant temperature all year, thus being the perfect environment to ripen cheese.
wookey hole also has a large mirror maze which the kids delighted finding their way through. they were better than most of the adults present. i must note that my children are also unusually adept at finding their way through a corn maze, so mazes must just be their thing.
wookey hole also has an amazing amount of circus memorabillia, if that makes your socks roll up and down. costumes, hats, shoes, scaled models of circus sites, and many circus wagons, including one of the abominable (or is it abdominal?) snowman being kept alive with various potions and whatnot.
lastly, the wookey hole also boasts the largest collection of clown eggs ever assembled in the world. what are clown eggs you ask? these are regular eggs with the insides drained out and painted with the facial likenesses of famous and not so famous clowns from around the world. there must be like 300 of these eggs at wookey hole. so incredibly strange. there was also a marcel marceau egg but it didn't do any of that walking in the wind or invisible wall thing. thank goodness.
we learned several things on the wookey hole expedition:
1. wookey hole not affiliated with chewbacca. damn.
2. cheddar caves not actually "made" of cheese but more a cheese storage/ripening facility.
3. clown eggs exist. for what reason, we do not know. kinda like stonehenge.
4. dignan is claustrophobic
in remembrance
this is for ed strasser, joe's paternal grandfather who passed away last week.
ed had recently celebrated his 102nd birthday & now joins his lovely wife, joe's grandmother, mary in the great beyond. they were quite a pair in their day!
we hear that ed was buried with his harmonica, so you know he'll be whistling tunes on the other side. maybe even taking requests as he was often willing to during his birthday celebrations at the manor.
dignan's middle name is edward - named after the grandfathers on both sides.
we will miss ed and are so thankful that gemma and dignan both had the chance to meet their great grandfather.
ed had recently celebrated his 102nd birthday & now joins his lovely wife, joe's grandmother, mary in the great beyond. they were quite a pair in their day!
we hear that ed was buried with his harmonica, so you know he'll be whistling tunes on the other side. maybe even taking requests as he was often willing to during his birthday celebrations at the manor.
dignan's middle name is edward - named after the grandfathers on both sides.
we will miss ed and are so thankful that gemma and dignan both had the chance to meet their great grandfather.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
now a word from our sponsor
hey everyone, sorry to have fallen off the wagon with bristol posts.
we had guests for 3 weeks+ & went to wookey hole & ireland.
so i been a tad busy.
but i am about to get it started all up in here with the latest & greatest news from our fav new city, bristol.
hope everyone is well & that your turkey day was delish.
stay tuned! more to come!
we had guests for 3 weeks+ & went to wookey hole & ireland.
so i been a tad busy.
but i am about to get it started all up in here with the latest & greatest news from our fav new city, bristol.
hope everyone is well & that your turkey day was delish.
stay tuned! more to come!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
peanut birthday
so the peanuts celebrated their 4th birthday here in bristol.
i made thomas the tank engine and fifi and the flowertots cupcakes for diggy and gemma to hand out to their friends at school. there are cupcake mixes here that have EVERYTHING in them: cupcake cases, icing & decorations. making me look like the most awesome cupcake decorator ever. their class made big birthday cards for each of them and sang happy birthday.
we had a birthday dinner out at a restaurant called giraffe in cabot circus, where they got a slice of chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream as well as a pink and a blue birthday candle. we were joined by gram-gram, pumpa, miss bonnie and mr. tim who all helped ring in the double birthday.
after balloons and many plastic giraffes later, we also popped into hotel chocolate - purveyor of fancy british chocolate where each of us was offered a dark chocolate angel from the advent calendar collection. delish. specialty chocolates abound at this establishment. delish. delish. delish. got a giant skull that is the size of a sheet of paper for 5# (about $9). gemma was beyond to get a heart shaped strawberry chocolate lolly that she was jumping up & down. this amused the hotel chocolate staff so much that the manager went and filled 2 cups with milk chocolate angels, snowmen & mistletoe and gave one to each child. gemma almost screamed.
what an awesome birthday indeed!
bristol
has the dumbest. flies. ever.
and damn, they are big.
big and dumb, an awesome combination in traits for a fly.
and damn, they are big.
big and dumb, an awesome combination in traits for a fly.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
today is gemma and dignan's 4th birthday!
they are celebrating with a homemade thomas the tank engine and fifi and the flowertot cupcakes to share with their fellow classmates at woodland nursery which will be served at tea today at 4pm.
later, we'll call nana and poppa in rhode island. gram-gram and pumpa came to visit last week. then a dinner out in their honor at cabot circus, which is not really a circus at all.
will post pics from the birthday revelry soon.
happy birthday dignan!
happpy birthday gemma!
we love you both so much!
they are celebrating with a homemade thomas the tank engine and fifi and the flowertot cupcakes to share with their fellow classmates at woodland nursery which will be served at tea today at 4pm.
later, we'll call nana and poppa in rhode island. gram-gram and pumpa came to visit last week. then a dinner out in their honor at cabot circus, which is not really a circus at all.
will post pics from the birthday revelry soon.
happy birthday dignan!
happpy birthday gemma!
we love you both so much!
fall back
england also follows the tradition of turning the clocks back in october which has lead to the days seeming like they are really short. like over by 1pm.
i pick up the peanuts from school around 4pm-ish and by 4:30, it's dusk. by 5pm, it's dark outside. and by 5:30pm, night is completely here.
on the upside, i always say when it's dark, that means bedtime. good for mama & daddy!
i pick up the peanuts from school around 4pm-ish and by 4:30, it's dusk. by 5pm, it's dark outside. and by 5:30pm, night is completely here.
on the upside, i always say when it's dark, that means bedtime. good for mama & daddy!
cheeky monkey
so i may just come home with 2 kids with british accents. or at least an infusion of britishisms peppered throughout their vocabulary.
since their enrollment at woodland house nursery, there has been an increased usage of the very british term "cheeky monkey" around our flat. as in "you're a cheeky monkey." "no, you're the cheeky monkey." then cue peals of preachooler laughter.
i am just happy that we have been able to expunge both "poop" and "poopy" from daily conversation. we had already infected room 3 back home with these catchphrase witticisms and was worried that was going to be the impression we were going to leave behind here in bristol.
sadly, now EVERYTHING is cheeky. that is cheeky. she is cheeky. he is cheeky. you are cheeky. that was SO cheeky. too cheeky. upon uttering such a phrase, dignan and gemma fall on the floor in such laughter that they roll around, just repeating over and over, cheeky, cheeky, cheeky. which just starts the laughing anew.
and keeps them from throttling each other as i make dinner.
since their enrollment at woodland house nursery, there has been an increased usage of the very british term "cheeky monkey" around our flat. as in "you're a cheeky monkey." "no, you're the cheeky monkey." then cue peals of preachooler laughter.
i am just happy that we have been able to expunge both "poop" and "poopy" from daily conversation. we had already infected room 3 back home with these catchphrase witticisms and was worried that was going to be the impression we were going to leave behind here in bristol.
sadly, now EVERYTHING is cheeky. that is cheeky. she is cheeky. he is cheeky. you are cheeky. that was SO cheeky. too cheeky. upon uttering such a phrase, dignan and gemma fall on the floor in such laughter that they roll around, just repeating over and over, cheeky, cheeky, cheeky. which just starts the laughing anew.
and keeps them from throttling each other as i make dinner.
now that's a real dilemma
not sure if i have mentioned that we are within spitting distance of bristol university. not that i condone spitting.
a few uni students came by woodland house nursery and asked if they could do a little study on the preschoolers. a parental agreement form went out and the "experiment" was detailed as such:
each child would be shown a puppet show featuring puppet A and puppet B. puppet A has the intention of giving puppet B a gift but some type of three's company misunderstanding ensues whereas the gift intended for puppet B actually goes to puppet C.
after watching the puppet show, each child would be asked a series of questions to determine their understanding of the situation, the emotions for each character as the gift is handed to the wrong person, etc.
gemma's summation of the whole thing? "well, that's a real dilemma". my girl is succinct if nothing.
apparently, the uni students and woodland house nursery school teachers were laughing so hard there was not a dry eye in the house because of her nonchalant yet straight to the point comment. nor did they get through their roster of questions with gemma.
despite the inconclusive findings, i was told they found her brilliant and very entertaining as she went on to tell them in very detailed description some other story. plus they could not get over her proper and appropriate use of very big words as therefore, nevermind, gargantuan and otherwise.
a few uni students came by woodland house nursery and asked if they could do a little study on the preschoolers. a parental agreement form went out and the "experiment" was detailed as such:
each child would be shown a puppet show featuring puppet A and puppet B. puppet A has the intention of giving puppet B a gift but some type of three's company misunderstanding ensues whereas the gift intended for puppet B actually goes to puppet C.
after watching the puppet show, each child would be asked a series of questions to determine their understanding of the situation, the emotions for each character as the gift is handed to the wrong person, etc.
gemma's summation of the whole thing? "well, that's a real dilemma". my girl is succinct if nothing.
apparently, the uni students and woodland house nursery school teachers were laughing so hard there was not a dry eye in the house because of her nonchalant yet straight to the point comment. nor did they get through their roster of questions with gemma.
despite the inconclusive findings, i was told they found her brilliant and very entertaining as she went on to tell them in very detailed description some other story. plus they could not get over her proper and appropriate use of very big words as therefore, nevermind, gargantuan and otherwise.
ziploc recant
so apparently, ziploc technology HAS made it over here; sainsbury's just doesn't always carry the zip top bags i've grown up with.
it still must be somewhat puzzling food storage technology as when i went to george to look for sandwich bags, the last 2 packages were opened, as if someone was like, well should i get these? it is new fangled food storage technology that is heralded to keep my food fresher longer. let's open 'em up and have ourselves a look see. nah! nevermind. i'll just go back to stale sammies.
therefore, i recant my ziploc post admonishing england for it's lack of ziploc bag options.
it still must be somewhat puzzling food storage technology as when i went to george to look for sandwich bags, the last 2 packages were opened, as if someone was like, well should i get these? it is new fangled food storage technology that is heralded to keep my food fresher longer. let's open 'em up and have ourselves a look see. nah! nevermind. i'll just go back to stale sammies.
therefore, i recant my ziploc post admonishing england for it's lack of ziploc bag options.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
fancy schmancy ziploc technology
apparently, the makers of ziploc technology have withheld releasing such incredible food storage knowledge across the pond. at least not for the popular sandwich size bags.
no blue and yellow make green. uh-uh. no way, jose.
instead there is this 2 sided stickety stick scientific mumbo jumbo standing in for the revered ziploc bag closure system. which means, whatever you put in said bag always gets stuck on the sticky part of the bag or the sticky part folds over itself and upon separating the two conjoined pieces, the stick no longer sticks.
sigh.
no blue and yellow make green. uh-uh. no way, jose.
instead there is this 2 sided stickety stick scientific mumbo jumbo standing in for the revered ziploc bag closure system. which means, whatever you put in said bag always gets stuck on the sticky part of the bag or the sticky part folds over itself and upon separating the two conjoined pieces, the stick no longer sticks.
sigh.
ladybugs
and i'm not referring to the comic masterpiece of the same name starring the late great comedian rodney dangerfield.
what is up with all the ladybugs in bristol?
every time i open our bathroom window, they slowly creep in until there are 8 or 10 laybugs throughout the room. they are also supa dupa wary of people. i tried to get one to crawl onto my hand so i could show the kids. nope. this ladybug avoided me at every turn.
denied. by a ladybug.
like driving on the other side of the road, these ladybugs are black with red-orange spots and they are so abundant it makes me wonder if perhaps the ladybug is the official bug of bristol.
what is up with all the ladybugs in bristol?
every time i open our bathroom window, they slowly creep in until there are 8 or 10 laybugs throughout the room. they are also supa dupa wary of people. i tried to get one to crawl onto my hand so i could show the kids. nope. this ladybug avoided me at every turn.
denied. by a ladybug.
like driving on the other side of the road, these ladybugs are black with red-orange spots and they are so abundant it makes me wonder if perhaps the ladybug is the official bug of bristol.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
london calling!!!
although we have been here just about a month, we have yet to take any weekend getaways. we decided to shoot for london because it's only about 2 hours away via car or a little over an hour by train.
we had been advised by several of joe's co-workers that the best way to london from bristol was to make the drive in, park the car at the train station just outside of london and take the train in. parking is 1# a day at the train station as opposed to 25#s at one's hotel.
worst. idea. EVER.
first of all, these people don't have 2 almost-4 year olds and they take a half day off from work so they aren't arriving in london at 1am or missing the train INTO london, the last of which is 11pm.
that being said, we made it into london and found our hotel after MUCH fumbling with the garmin, which at the most inopportune times, has this feature which auto-completes what you are typing. unfortunately, it never actually auto-completes with any place or street that you need or want at that particular moment. i must say joe did an excellent job driving while i did an excellent job at being tired and cranky. the peanuts did an excellent job of sleeping through the entire car ride into london. which is awesome until you have to wake them to get them into the hotel. oops.
all in all a good trip. we rode a double decker bus throughout the city. for my thin california blood, london was freezing and luckily, i packed everyone's down jackets, hats, scarves & gloves for this weekend jaunt.
we took the kids on the london eye, which is a giant ferris wheel with these glass encased pods that allow you get a 360 degree view of london from about 414 feet above ground. an entire rotation takes about 30 minutes, which just seems to fly by. tickets are expensive but so worth it. luckily, the kids are at an age where they are FREE. unfortunately, we are not so when dignan asked to go on it again, we sadly had to say no, the london was closing for repairs.
hitting all modes of travel on this getaway: we did air (london eye), land (double decker bus) and tackled sea by taking a ferry ride around the harbour.
we also took in some exceptional london theatre. what did we see you ask - les miz or phantom? more like scooby, as in scooby doo and the ghost pirate. yes, people when you have kids a night of london theatre means going to the hammersmith apollo and watching a british interpretation of an american cartoon from the late 60's. jinkies.
we tried out the london bus system, rode in a london taxi, and took the tube. we also discovered that dignan may be claustrophobic, a matter i will have to explore further with our pediatrician when we return home.
the kids ran around trafalgar square, which seemed empty since they shooed all the pigeons off in 1999. the last time we were here was the last hurrah for the famous trafalgar pigeons, one who thought my little toe looked like a delicious piece of corn. at least no dirty pigeon was going to nibble on my little toe this time.
the sherlock holmes pub, which has the yummiest bangers and mash EVER is even bigger and fancier than it was 10 years ago. bangers and mash being sausages, mashed taters and gravy and so good in fact, we came back the next day to have exactly the same meal.
amazingly, the texas embassy restaurant is still in business with their little tecate umbrella'd outdoor seating area. just in case you didn't know this little tidbit, the brits go crazy over armadillos, which makes me wonder if any 'dillos reside at the texas embassy.
and the london dungeon, which 10 years ago was this little attraction off the beaten path that featured a lame little 1 minute water flume ride is currently doing a brisk business and looks to have taken up the entire block with it's macabre reenactments of terrible events throughout history plus the london dungeon now boasts several rides. AND the line stretched around the friggin' block. what can i say? joe and i have have an eye for what is going to be the next big thing.
we had been advised by several of joe's co-workers that the best way to london from bristol was to make the drive in, park the car at the train station just outside of london and take the train in. parking is 1# a day at the train station as opposed to 25#s at one's hotel.
worst. idea. EVER.
first of all, these people don't have 2 almost-4 year olds and they take a half day off from work so they aren't arriving in london at 1am or missing the train INTO london, the last of which is 11pm.
that being said, we made it into london and found our hotel after MUCH fumbling with the garmin, which at the most inopportune times, has this feature which auto-completes what you are typing. unfortunately, it never actually auto-completes with any place or street that you need or want at that particular moment. i must say joe did an excellent job driving while i did an excellent job at being tired and cranky. the peanuts did an excellent job of sleeping through the entire car ride into london. which is awesome until you have to wake them to get them into the hotel. oops.
all in all a good trip. we rode a double decker bus throughout the city. for my thin california blood, london was freezing and luckily, i packed everyone's down jackets, hats, scarves & gloves for this weekend jaunt.
we took the kids on the london eye, which is a giant ferris wheel with these glass encased pods that allow you get a 360 degree view of london from about 414 feet above ground. an entire rotation takes about 30 minutes, which just seems to fly by. tickets are expensive but so worth it. luckily, the kids are at an age where they are FREE. unfortunately, we are not so when dignan asked to go on it again, we sadly had to say no, the london was closing for repairs.
hitting all modes of travel on this getaway: we did air (london eye), land (double decker bus) and tackled sea by taking a ferry ride around the harbour.
we also took in some exceptional london theatre. what did we see you ask - les miz or phantom? more like scooby, as in scooby doo and the ghost pirate. yes, people when you have kids a night of london theatre means going to the hammersmith apollo and watching a british interpretation of an american cartoon from the late 60's. jinkies.
we tried out the london bus system, rode in a london taxi, and took the tube. we also discovered that dignan may be claustrophobic, a matter i will have to explore further with our pediatrician when we return home.
the kids ran around trafalgar square, which seemed empty since they shooed all the pigeons off in 1999. the last time we were here was the last hurrah for the famous trafalgar pigeons, one who thought my little toe looked like a delicious piece of corn. at least no dirty pigeon was going to nibble on my little toe this time.
the sherlock holmes pub, which has the yummiest bangers and mash EVER is even bigger and fancier than it was 10 years ago. bangers and mash being sausages, mashed taters and gravy and so good in fact, we came back the next day to have exactly the same meal.
amazingly, the texas embassy restaurant is still in business with their little tecate umbrella'd outdoor seating area. just in case you didn't know this little tidbit, the brits go crazy over armadillos, which makes me wonder if any 'dillos reside at the texas embassy.
and the london dungeon, which 10 years ago was this little attraction off the beaten path that featured a lame little 1 minute water flume ride is currently doing a brisk business and looks to have taken up the entire block with it's macabre reenactments of terrible events throughout history plus the london dungeon now boasts several rides. AND the line stretched around the friggin' block. what can i say? joe and i have have an eye for what is going to be the next big thing.
all the elevators AKA lifts in england
seem to always be broken or in some state of repair.
just thought you'd like to know. because if you were hoping to get on one, there's a 50-50 chance that is non-operational.
just thought you'd like to know. because if you were hoping to get on one, there's a 50-50 chance that is non-operational.
Monday, November 2, 2009
there is NO target in england
but they do have walmart but here it is called george or ASDA. we did see a super walmart this weekend, near cribbs causeway.
there is also a costco right here in bristol and i was told that american brands were in abundance at costco. not so. some brands, yes, skippy peanut butter and peanut m & m's but just as many british brands. and the hot dogs suck.
there is an IKEA a mile from the flat, which has more goodies than our IKEA including shower gel, shampoo, lotion and conditioner. an IKEA lifestyle if you will. plus an automated soft serve ice cream cone machine.
no sephora in bristol but an abundance of boots and superdrug stores, which give access to all those boots items that target is importing these days plus a whole lot more.
starbuck's are here and i have already written my rant on the lack of green and iced tea offerings so i'll spare you that subject again. there just isn't one on every corner thank goodness. mcdonald's, burger king, pizza hut, domino's, KFC & subway but no baja fresh, taco bell or chipotle, so forget running for the border.
there is also a costco right here in bristol and i was told that american brands were in abundance at costco. not so. some brands, yes, skippy peanut butter and peanut m & m's but just as many british brands. and the hot dogs suck.
there is an IKEA a mile from the flat, which has more goodies than our IKEA including shower gel, shampoo, lotion and conditioner. an IKEA lifestyle if you will. plus an automated soft serve ice cream cone machine.
no sephora in bristol but an abundance of boots and superdrug stores, which give access to all those boots items that target is importing these days plus a whole lot more.
starbuck's are here and i have already written my rant on the lack of green and iced tea offerings so i'll spare you that subject again. there just isn't one on every corner thank goodness. mcdonald's, burger king, pizza hut, domino's, KFC & subway but no baja fresh, taco bell or chipotle, so forget running for the border.
bristol, england prices
a few of you have been asking, "shellaine, what are the prices like in england? we hear it's terribly terribly expensive"
well, some of that is true and some of that is not.
you just have to adjust your thinking of course and embrace the # as the new dollar. and try not to think that $1 american is equal to about #1.65 british pound sterling.
sometimes this is easy to do and sometimes it is not.
at the grocery store, for example, this is easier to do. especially since i shop at sainsbury's (or insanesbury's as joe has affectionately dubbed it) and price compare like i have got all day to shop. which i could, because grocery shopping days are tuesdays and thursdays - days the peanuts are in school but really who wants to spend all day in the grocery store? not i. grocery shopping for 4 bags of groceries takes me about an hour 15 min - this includes going to the sainsbury's there and back on foot.
here's some idea of the dough we are spending on foodstuffs: bread is 99p, about $1.60 a loaf. same with marshmallows. a small milk is 68p (maybe 1/4 gallon), so $1.20-ish. 8 fairtrade bananas are 95p and the red grapes from spain that we are all addicted to are #1.09 for a bunch - $2. a small basket of plums - 99p. a bag of 8 granny smith apples, #2.49 - $4.50. mini carrots 99p. rocket salad #1.17 and a bag of baby spinach, #1.57, just under $3. pizza express (a pizza chain like CPK) pizzas, on sale, natch, 2 for #5 or $7.50. jar of honey 62p = $1.10. a chocolate roll 17p, .30 cents american. a dark chocolate bar, 27p = .45 cents.
i have encountered some interesting price "hikes" - ugg boots at costco, #118 and strangely, $118 in the states. a jacket at guess at cabot circus #169 and again, $169 at home and online (this from bonnie, my online shopping source). seems like some companies leave a either the #, euro or dollar sign off a price ticket and when the item is sold in stores, you just add the appropriate monetary sign before the numbers.
primark still remains my favorite. alot of their items are made in ireland of all places and so many of their items go for #1 or when they ring you at the till (cash register), 96p. love this. most of my halloween costume was made up of #1 items from primark, which i will have to photograph for you to believe.
i haven't done any luxury shopping yet but am curious if the price will be the same number in pounds as it is in dollars. we have yet to take advantage of the tax-free shopping available to those not living here, which entitles us to avoid paying the VAT (value added tax) on an item.
well, some of that is true and some of that is not.
you just have to adjust your thinking of course and embrace the # as the new dollar. and try not to think that $1 american is equal to about #1.65 british pound sterling.
sometimes this is easy to do and sometimes it is not.
at the grocery store, for example, this is easier to do. especially since i shop at sainsbury's (or insanesbury's as joe has affectionately dubbed it) and price compare like i have got all day to shop. which i could, because grocery shopping days are tuesdays and thursdays - days the peanuts are in school but really who wants to spend all day in the grocery store? not i. grocery shopping for 4 bags of groceries takes me about an hour 15 min - this includes going to the sainsbury's there and back on foot.
here's some idea of the dough we are spending on foodstuffs: bread is 99p, about $1.60 a loaf. same with marshmallows. a small milk is 68p (maybe 1/4 gallon), so $1.20-ish. 8 fairtrade bananas are 95p and the red grapes from spain that we are all addicted to are #1.09 for a bunch - $2. a small basket of plums - 99p. a bag of 8 granny smith apples, #2.49 - $4.50. mini carrots 99p. rocket salad #1.17 and a bag of baby spinach, #1.57, just under $3. pizza express (a pizza chain like CPK) pizzas, on sale, natch, 2 for #5 or $7.50. jar of honey 62p = $1.10. a chocolate roll 17p, .30 cents american. a dark chocolate bar, 27p = .45 cents.
i have encountered some interesting price "hikes" - ugg boots at costco, #118 and strangely, $118 in the states. a jacket at guess at cabot circus #169 and again, $169 at home and online (this from bonnie, my online shopping source). seems like some companies leave a either the #, euro or dollar sign off a price ticket and when the item is sold in stores, you just add the appropriate monetary sign before the numbers.
primark still remains my favorite. alot of their items are made in ireland of all places and so many of their items go for #1 or when they ring you at the till (cash register), 96p. love this. most of my halloween costume was made up of #1 items from primark, which i will have to photograph for you to believe.
i haven't done any luxury shopping yet but am curious if the price will be the same number in pounds as it is in dollars. we have yet to take advantage of the tax-free shopping available to those not living here, which entitles us to avoid paying the VAT (value added tax) on an item.
the strasser twins get special treatment at the henge
as everyone the world over knows, dignan and gemma are just so cute.
so cute, in fact that the stonehenge docents let the peanuts get up close and personal with the rocks at stonehenge. i mean, they lifted the rope barrier and let the kids roam, climb, and in gemma's case, kiss the stones. the rain stopped, the clouds parted and everyone was in shock, because i think the last person they let do this was the pope and he was IN the popemobile.
just kidding people. these are rocks near the entrance that everyone can touch.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
bristol zoo and botanical gardens
it is considered an small zoo and the zoo itself doesn't cover much acreage. there is a very good sampling of animals but some favs are missing, mainly elephants and giraffes.
bristol zoo does have:
lion and lioness
lion and lioness
seals
penguins
fruit bats
spider monkeys
armadillos (which seem to be a bristol crowd pleaser for some odd reason)
meerkats
loorakeets
prairie dogs
flamingos
ducks
various birds
various fish
various snakes
plus bristol zoo boasts a fantastic butterfly pavillion where the peanuts got alot of personal attention from gill, i think because they had just really cute accents according to the zoo staff.
the lion and lioness are housed in what i consider a small enclosure but behind very thick wall of plexiglass or glass so you can get amazingly close to both without danger of either jumping out at you. probably the closest either peanut will ever get to a lion.
we got to see the lions fed as well as the seals. the peanuts spent alot of time at the seal encounter which had a new baby seal cub, 2 "teenage" seals, and 5 adult seals. the encounter also has an underwater tank to allow visitors to view the seals from under the water.
the fruit bats held their attention as they headed in to their enclosure for the night, one by one. one particular fruit bat waiting until the last possible moment to enter and call it a day.
there is also a fantastic play area for the kids to run, jump, climb, swing, slide at the bristol zoo as well as a activity center which strangely, charges for colouring pages and other activities.
we saw a brown rat, a tarantula (which dignan bravely stroked), a snake and a australian stick bug (which gemma touched). having seen alligator al and his brood of snakes, frogs and such at school, they were quite familiar with snakes but were unfortunately not allowed to touch.
the bristol zoo was amazingly easy to access via the bus, which dropped us off right in front and buses came and went every 5 minutes.
all in all, a good day was had by all.
things i don't like
i already did an entry about things i like/love about bristol, so to even things out, here is an entry about things i don't like about bristol:
-the limited recycling repetoire - joe calls me a recycling nazi back home because i recycle everything that can be recycled. i mean everything. despite bristol's top rating as "the" greenest city in england, they could expand their recycling trifecta to include cardboard, which is really just heavy paper in my opinion but not so in the bristol recycling pyramid which only currently allows for glass, paper and cans. no plastic either.
- elevators or lifts, as they are called here are almost always broken. i told joe if we want to stay here, the business he should be in is lift repair, because they are broken ALL over the city. and in london too.
- hot chocolate machine is always broken at places like miss millie's cookies or costa. more often miss millie's - i think because they just cleaned it and don't want to muck it up. i have gone to buy hot chocolate like 5 times and have been denied like 4 of those times. kinda reminds me of the cafe behind visionart: the menu offered milkshakes but gawd forbid if you asked the proprietress to make you one, she rolled her eyes like you asked her to raise your child from birth to adulthood. if you don't want to make it, then don't put it on the menu for gawdsakes.
- or alternately, "we are out of hot chocolate mix". how can a business be out of something? did you not "see" that the hot chocolate container was running out and think, hmmm, perhaps i should order another? cold weather is coming and it seems to be a popular drink. reminds me of honey's kettle in culver city - they offer mini apple pies but i have yet to go in on a day when they actually make any apple pies. honey's kettle always offers pecan or peach but i don't want either of those. i want the damn apple. please.
- restaurants stop serving early. too early in my opinion. but then what do i know, i'm just really hungry with no options.
- stores close too early on sundays. and damn the luck, i always discover i need something to complete dinner at the last minute. one sunday i ran to each of the grocery stores and got to the front doors just as each store was closing up for the night.
- it is expensive for a family of 4 to eat out. we went out for burgers the other day and the total bill came to 35#s, which roughly equals $60. for lunch. restaurants need to ask the store primark how they are able to have a business model that offers clothing for starting at 1#.
- bacon is not so good here. even streaky bacon which is supposed to be like american bacon. it's just weird and too thick.
- the lack of green tea at starbuck's or any cold tea options at any dining establishment. i have had to find a substitute in elderflower presses or "lemonade" which tastes suspiciously alot like sprite or 7-UP
-the limited recycling repetoire - joe calls me a recycling nazi back home because i recycle everything that can be recycled. i mean everything. despite bristol's top rating as "the" greenest city in england, they could expand their recycling trifecta to include cardboard, which is really just heavy paper in my opinion but not so in the bristol recycling pyramid which only currently allows for glass, paper and cans. no plastic either.
- elevators or lifts, as they are called here are almost always broken. i told joe if we want to stay here, the business he should be in is lift repair, because they are broken ALL over the city. and in london too.
- hot chocolate machine is always broken at places like miss millie's cookies or costa. more often miss millie's - i think because they just cleaned it and don't want to muck it up. i have gone to buy hot chocolate like 5 times and have been denied like 4 of those times. kinda reminds me of the cafe behind visionart: the menu offered milkshakes but gawd forbid if you asked the proprietress to make you one, she rolled her eyes like you asked her to raise your child from birth to adulthood. if you don't want to make it, then don't put it on the menu for gawdsakes.
- or alternately, "we are out of hot chocolate mix". how can a business be out of something? did you not "see" that the hot chocolate container was running out and think, hmmm, perhaps i should order another? cold weather is coming and it seems to be a popular drink. reminds me of honey's kettle in culver city - they offer mini apple pies but i have yet to go in on a day when they actually make any apple pies. honey's kettle always offers pecan or peach but i don't want either of those. i want the damn apple. please.
- restaurants stop serving early. too early in my opinion. but then what do i know, i'm just really hungry with no options.
- stores close too early on sundays. and damn the luck, i always discover i need something to complete dinner at the last minute. one sunday i ran to each of the grocery stores and got to the front doors just as each store was closing up for the night.
- it is expensive for a family of 4 to eat out. we went out for burgers the other day and the total bill came to 35#s, which roughly equals $60. for lunch. restaurants need to ask the store primark how they are able to have a business model that offers clothing for starting at 1#.
- bacon is not so good here. even streaky bacon which is supposed to be like american bacon. it's just weird and too thick.
- the lack of green tea at starbuck's or any cold tea options at any dining establishment. i have had to find a substitute in elderflower presses or "lemonade" which tastes suspiciously alot like sprite or 7-UP
settling in @ woodland house nursery, day 2
before the peanuts can go to school on their regular tuesdays and thursdays, dignan and gemma must complete at least 2 days of settling in.
and i am proud to report that the 2nd day of settling in went so very well! lunch was had this time around and i am told that my children eat all the fruits and vegetables, probably because they are not so in to meat pie.
dignan and gemma will be part of the fox cub room (named as we have fox cubs in our 'hood) along with xiao, hugo, otis, tissia, jenya, susie & a few others. teacher sam (the british version of teacher katie back home interestingly enough) finds the two of them HI-larious and completely brilliant. in the fox cub room, they also have teacher imogen and teacher becky to hang out with.
more woodland house nursery news to follow in upcoming blogs!
and i am proud to report that the 2nd day of settling in went so very well! lunch was had this time around and i am told that my children eat all the fruits and vegetables, probably because they are not so in to meat pie.
dignan and gemma will be part of the fox cub room (named as we have fox cubs in our 'hood) along with xiao, hugo, otis, tissia, jenya, susie & a few others. teacher sam (the british version of teacher katie back home interestingly enough) finds the two of them HI-larious and completely brilliant. in the fox cub room, they also have teacher imogen and teacher becky to hang out with.
more woodland house nursery news to follow in upcoming blogs!
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