For the past few weeks during the weekdays Andy has been off with the boys running around the mountains in Wales waking up to beautiful white winter mornings. I on the other hand, am still in Poole watching the rain fall and getting creative with how to fill my nights alone. Here are a few of the things one can do when found caught in England alone in the rainy season....
Get to know the Fitness TV and Active channels on SKY. They have been great! I now am getting my workout without struggling to run in a rain storm with gale force winds wondering how on earth it isn't snowing it is so cold. I have come across a few favorites on Fitness TV. Cardio Combat, gaining strength and muscles while learning to defend myself from late night pub creepers; Meditation Pilates, working the core while reflecting on the stress of life as a stay at home fiancé; and Island Grooves, getting some sun-shining dance moves listening to Bob Marley day dreaming of the chill-axing Florida beach life! Now there are a few I am not so keen on but none the less still do to keep the day rolling. Yoga for Seniors, painfully slow and helps you be about as flexible as steel bar; Yoga for Moms and Babies, dangerously flinging your arms and legs into the air as your baby is helplessly laying on the mat next to you; and Cheerleader Dance Workout, as if we all didn't get enough of this in high school!
My next keep busy activity, a favorite to get the minutes to tick by, is baking. Since it is 'Tis the Season to be Jolly, I thought I would bake some Christmas cookies decorated with festive frosting. Well in Poole there was not one Christmas cookie cutter to be found. Not a snowflake, Santa Clause or even star. Not to fear though, I was not giving up! So I got creative and made my own.... out of paper. I first tried a snowflake but soon gave up on this shape because my artistic skills are completely lacking when it comes to creating a shape with six evenly shaped sides. Instead I made a snowman, three circles... easy, a candy cane and a Christmas tree - by far the hardest to get right but a must Christmas cookie. Then it was on to the making of the dough. This I have found can be a bit of a struggle even with the easiest of recipes, since I don't have a mixer. After about an hour and a half of vigorously beating butter and sugar while mixing it with flour at the medium to high speed of my arm, I got sugar cookie dough. Next I rolled it out and began cutting my shapes. I simply put down my paper shape and cut around it with a knife. Worked perfectly and even better took up an entire night and next afternoon since every cookie was hand cut! The time is flying by!
Another way to keep time flying is to wander around town and I have become a pro at this. A great way to pass an afternoon is to pick a store and wander, usually looking a tad lost and out of place. I went into the Sainsbury’s grocery store the other day and memorized the entire store. I think I spent at least two hours just wandering with a basket looking at just about everything. I browsed the clothes, milks, foods of the world, crisps, frozen foods and meat and cheese delis to get a few samples to keep me going. I now know exactly what Sainsbury’s carries and what they don't. Don't go there if you are looking for Christmas colored sprinkles, Goldfish or chocolate covered peanuts because they don't have it. But if you are in the mood for a wide selection of booze, ale, beer, cider and wine they have it all!! As well as having an array of sausages, Yorkshire puddings and meat pastries. And best of all, I know where they all are down to the aisle and the brand. I have that entire store memorized like the back of my hand. Now all left to do is join Supermarket Sweepstakes!
Wednesday 9 December 2009
Monday 30 November 2009
The war of the WASHER/ DRYER
When I moved into our apartment in Poole with Andy I was the most ecstatic person in the entire world because.... we had a washer and dryer!!!!! (God, you know you are growing up when your excitement is for an appliance and not new make-up or that fabulous tan leather metal studded Michael Kors bag I had been eyeing at Dillards.) Now, my excitement stemmed from living in Australia where we did not have such luxuries. Instead Andy would pack a duffel bag and run into work, a good 5 miles with our dirty laundry on his back and do the washing at work. We did this instead of going to the laundry mat, no more than 500 feet away, because it was free, of course. Andy would take my dirty underwear and bras and wash them alongside the other macho big military men. At first it didn't bother me, until he came home with my bras having been dried in the dryer and not hung to air dry!! For those who don't know, this is a huge NO NO!! If your bras shrink or are deformed from the dryer.... well you can guess what happens! So from then on I knew that every man I met who worked with Andy had probably seen my bras hanging to dry in the military laundry room! Not the best thought when meeting your boyfriend's military colleague. Needless to say having a washer and a dryer in our new apartment was like being in heaven!! No more meeting men who knew the size and type of bra I might be wearing.
Now that I had my very own washer and dryer it was time to get acquainted with the appliances of the UK. I have neglected to say that this is not a separate washer and dryer but a two in one washer/ dryer. At first I didn't believe there could be such a thing. I thought, "How on earth can it be a washer AND a dryer" I was not a believer. But it is true and it is something else. These washer/ dryers are also located, as all other washers I have seen in the UK, in the kitchen next to your food and clean dishes. I had a hard time coming to grips with my dirty laundry and my food being so close to one another.
The first time I did a load of laundry in this thing I wasn't sure what to do. There was a slot for detergent but Andy bought these little pouches of detergent, which on the box said to place on the load in the washer... not in the detergent dispenser. Already thinking this was strange, I put the clothes in, realizing this is a very, very small washer/ dryer and placed the pouch on the top. Now time to select a wash. I then looked at the knob and had absolutely no idea what to choose!! There was no HOT/ COLD, COLD/ COLD, WARM/COLD, nothing but numbers, 30, 40, 60 and then again 30, 40, 60, 60 STAINS and then Dry and WOOL WASH. WHAT!?!?!?! After sitting on the floor and debating what these numbers mean a light bulb clicked and I realized this must be the temperature, still getting used to thinking in Celsius. Since there were a few of my nice clothes in there I chose 30, thinking this must be the coldest wash. Did you know 30 is 86 degrees!!!!!!! NOT COLD!!!! Learned that lesson with a sweater a little bit smaller! Now I wash only on woolen, another light clicked... wool means delicate and delicate means cold!
After learning these settings, I decided to stick with woolen for most clothes and 60 for towels and sheets. This has been working for me for the past 3 months with clothes coming out clean and washed. Until the other day I decided, stupidly, to mix things up and I went for 60 STAINS for a load of towels. After loading the washer/ dryer and putting it on the 60 setting I waited for a sound similar to that of a rocket ship about to depart from earth. ( I forgot to mention the washer/ dryers are extremely loud and violent. They are not only are so loud you must have the TV volume on full blast to catch the gist of what is going on but they also shake the entire kitchen and its cabinets.) I sat back and waited for the load to finish. When the bell tolled and my laundry claimed to be done, I got up and opened the washer door. As I did this a waterfall of soapy water came gushing out onto the floor. As fast I could, I shut the door and looked at the devil machine to figure out what went wrong. And that is when I noticed the SPIN/RINSE option on the knob. Fair to say that I now only use the WOOLEN and 60 cycles and have invested a little time in reading the manual.
Now that I had my very own washer and dryer it was time to get acquainted with the appliances of the UK. I have neglected to say that this is not a separate washer and dryer but a two in one washer/ dryer. At first I didn't believe there could be such a thing. I thought, "How on earth can it be a washer AND a dryer" I was not a believer. But it is true and it is something else. These washer/ dryers are also located, as all other washers I have seen in the UK, in the kitchen next to your food and clean dishes. I had a hard time coming to grips with my dirty laundry and my food being so close to one another.
The first time I did a load of laundry in this thing I wasn't sure what to do. There was a slot for detergent but Andy bought these little pouches of detergent, which on the box said to place on the load in the washer... not in the detergent dispenser. Already thinking this was strange, I put the clothes in, realizing this is a very, very small washer/ dryer and placed the pouch on the top. Now time to select a wash. I then looked at the knob and had absolutely no idea what to choose!! There was no HOT/ COLD, COLD/ COLD, WARM/COLD, nothing but numbers, 30, 40, 60 and then again 30, 40, 60, 60 STAINS and then Dry and WOOL WASH. WHAT!?!?!?! After sitting on the floor and debating what these numbers mean a light bulb clicked and I realized this must be the temperature, still getting used to thinking in Celsius. Since there were a few of my nice clothes in there I chose 30, thinking this must be the coldest wash. Did you know 30 is 86 degrees!!!!!!! NOT COLD!!!! Learned that lesson with a sweater a little bit smaller! Now I wash only on woolen, another light clicked... wool means delicate and delicate means cold!
After learning these settings, I decided to stick with woolen for most clothes and 60 for towels and sheets. This has been working for me for the past 3 months with clothes coming out clean and washed. Until the other day I decided, stupidly, to mix things up and I went for 60 STAINS for a load of towels. After loading the washer/ dryer and putting it on the 60 setting I waited for a sound similar to that of a rocket ship about to depart from earth. ( I forgot to mention the washer/ dryers are extremely loud and violent. They are not only are so loud you must have the TV volume on full blast to catch the gist of what is going on but they also shake the entire kitchen and its cabinets.) I sat back and waited for the load to finish. When the bell tolled and my laundry claimed to be done, I got up and opened the washer door. As I did this a waterfall of soapy water came gushing out onto the floor. As fast I could, I shut the door and looked at the devil machine to figure out what went wrong. And that is when I noticed the SPIN/RINSE option on the knob. Fair to say that I now only use the WOOLEN and 60 cycles and have invested a little time in reading the manual.
Monday 9 November 2009
Spain!! oh yeah, and getting ENGAGED!!
Spain is AMAZING!!! And so, so very Spanish!! Andy and I went into Cadiz, via bus, and I was in love!! The bus dropped us off right in the middle of old town Cadiz. Then the hunt for our hotel was on! As Andy checked his hand written map, so smart I would have never thought to make a map hehe, and took us through this maze of history, I took pictures while running to keep up and screaming "I love this place!! Lets move here!!!" We found our hotel and it was literally tucked away in this maze of streets. The entire town was made of ally ways and intersecting streets with Spanish squares and a huge historic church or cathedral at every turn! It was amazing. We dropped off our bags and went exploring, hoping we would be able to find our hotel after we drank a few sangrias and glasses of beautiful Spanish red wine!!
We took off taking the first right and then left and there we were at another breathtaking church. We wondered inside to find your typical old Spanish style church decorated in head to toe crucifixes and Jesus painted in gold!! I LOVED IT!!! Anything gold and I am sold!! Andy kept telling me to "just wait" it gets better and better with the cathedral! After seeing the church we decided to take a breather and have a bottle of wine. We found a tiny corner restaurant with outside tables on a tiny street off a bigger busy one. We sat eating olives and drinking wine talking about how perfect and wonderful Cadiz is. I declared this was my NEW favorite place!!! And favorite city I have ever been to! Drinking a bottle of wine was fabulous but now we were starving and ready for some real authentic spanish cooking!!
We found a gorgeous street lit with overhead hanging lights and outside restaurants lined all the way up and down it left and right. We choose one not too packed where we were the only ones. In hindsight, maybe not a good sign that people were not eating here. We thought we had hit the jack pot when the waitress couldn't speak a word of English, "this will be soooooo authentic!" Well we couldn't have been more wrong........ Andy ordered a beef dish with tomatoes. I ordered chicken in a red sauce with peppers, tomatoes, and onion (thank goodness for the little spanish I do know!! It came in handy). When the meals came out Andy and I had the exact same thing.... a typical English meal, over cooked meat, fries, and peas and carrots!!!! I couldn't believe it!!! My chicken was so dry it tasted as if it had died of thirst in the desert then made into jerky!!! I took one look and said this in not what I ordered! It was no rojo y no tomate!!! And the pollo is fried!!! Andy, eating his like the proper English boy he is said, "I don't think mine is right either". "No Andy it isn't." So being the American I am, they should have never mistaken me for a Brit, I called the waitress over and got my point across. "No rojo, no tomate, NO BUENO!!!" And after repeating this phrase and having the owner come over and saying it a few more times, while pointing at the food and saying NO BUENO, they got the idea!! hahaha So we left after having our free appetizer of wine and olives. All and all I would say it ended up a plus!!! Free wine and it was authentic, just what we were looking for YUMMMM!! After the meal, and realizing I really should learn Spanish for real this time, we went off to a square, had some chorizo, and listened to the Spanish music while taking in the late night Spanish lifestyle of relaxing and laughing!
Saturday was site seeing day! We went to the fort, which was exactly like the fort in St. Augustine, to the weekend fish and meat market, ate some churro and then went to the lone Irish pub for a pint. After laughing at how strange it was to have this Irish pub tucked away in this old Spanish town and looking just like we had stepped back into the UK, we went on the hunt for the Cathedral. After about an hour of wandering around, I was not kidding about not knowing where you are, even with a map, we stumbled across the biggest square in Cadiz with the grand Cathedral. Before we ventured in we realized it was way past sangria time! So we had some more olives, a jug of sangria, and listened to an acoustic guitarist play western hits!
The Cathedral is so much more beautiful than anything I can describe. It is absolutely enormous with a huge gold tiled dome standing taller than another building in Cadiz. We went up in the tower and looked over all of old town Cadiz. It was amazing. We stayed up there trying to point out our hotel and long enough to hear the next ringing of the bells. My new favorite part of the trip!!!
We went back to the hotel to get showered, changed for dinner and to have a bottle of wine on the roof of the hotel before going out. The top of our hotel was stunning. The sun was setting and lighting up the gold dome with the Atlantic glistening behind it. And where the BEST part of the Spain trip took place!! As we were having wine Andy suggested we go over to the roof top of the building next to us so we could get a better view of the city. We hopped over and as we were looking out onto the cathedral, water and a city that looked like a picture from out of the Bible, Andy asked me to marry him!! He said it better than that and with more loving words, but I was in such shock and soooooo happy and saying yes yes yes that I can't really remember all the rest of it!! He took the beautiful most perfect ring ever out of his pocket and slide it onto my finger and of course it was a perfect fit! We sat there, Andy watching the sun set, me not peeling my eyes off my sparkling ring, and finishing our wine!! Then we ran down stairs so I could skype my Mom and Dad and Sam!! And tell them the good news!!!!!!
We found a gorgeous street lit with overhead hanging lights and outside restaurants lined all the way up and down it left and right. We choose one not too packed where we were the only ones. In hindsight, maybe not a good sign that people were not eating here. We thought we had hit the jack pot when the waitress couldn't speak a word of English, "this will be soooooo authentic!" Well we couldn't have been more wrong........ Andy ordered a beef dish with tomatoes. I ordered chicken in a red sauce with peppers, tomatoes, and onion (thank goodness for the little spanish I do know!! It came in handy). When the meals came out Andy and I had the exact same thing.... a typical English meal, over cooked meat, fries, and peas and carrots!!!! I couldn't believe it!!! My chicken was so dry it tasted as if it had died of thirst in the desert then made into jerky!!! I took one look and said this in not what I ordered! It was no rojo y no tomate!!! And the pollo is fried!!! Andy, eating his like the proper English boy he is said, "I don't think mine is right either". "No Andy it isn't." So being the American I am, they should have never mistaken me for a Brit, I called the waitress over and got my point across. "No rojo, no tomate, NO BUENO!!!" And after repeating this phrase and having the owner come over and saying it a few more times, while pointing at the food and saying NO BUENO, they got the idea!! hahaha So we left after having our free appetizer of wine and olives. All and all I would say it ended up a plus!!! Free wine and it was authentic, just what we were looking for YUMMMM!! After the meal, and realizing I really should learn Spanish for real this time, we went off to a square, had some chorizo, and listened to the Spanish music while taking in the late night Spanish lifestyle of relaxing and laughing!
Saturday was site seeing day! We went to the fort, which was exactly like the fort in St. Augustine, to the weekend fish and meat market, ate some churro and then went to the lone Irish pub for a pint. After laughing at how strange it was to have this Irish pub tucked away in this old Spanish town and looking just like we had stepped back into the UK, we went on the hunt for the Cathedral. After about an hour of wandering around, I was not kidding about not knowing where you are, even with a map, we stumbled across the biggest square in Cadiz with the grand Cathedral. Before we ventured in we realized it was way past sangria time! So we had some more olives, a jug of sangria, and listened to an acoustic guitarist play western hits!
We went back to the hotel to get showered, changed for dinner and to have a bottle of wine on the roof of the hotel before going out. The top of our hotel was stunning. The sun was setting and lighting up the gold dome with the Atlantic glistening behind it. And where the BEST part of the Spain trip took place!! As we were having wine Andy suggested we go over to the roof top of the building next to us so we could get a better view of the city. We hopped over and as we were looking out onto the cathedral, water and a city that looked like a picture from out of the Bible, Andy asked me to marry him!! He said it better than that and with more loving words, but I was in such shock and soooooo happy and saying yes yes yes that I can't really remember all the rest of it!! He took the beautiful most perfect ring ever out of his pocket and slide it onto my finger and of course it was a perfect fit! We sat there, Andy watching the sun set, me not peeling my eyes off my sparkling ring, and finishing our wine!! Then we ran down stairs so I could skype my Mom and Dad and Sam!! And tell them the good news!!!!!!
Tuesday 27 October 2009
Gibraltar: Rock of Monkey's
We hopped in a huge work van of Andy's (this seems to be a recurring theme with us) and began the journey to the top of The Rock. On the way up I soon began to learn there are absolutely no rules, at all, on the road. People do whatever they want and run into whatever they want. And if you are on a scooter then you rule, it is as if you are the semi on the road. This seemed to be the case all over Spain as well. I was terrified and relived when he said, "We're at the rock and on our way up" ..... until I saw how small these roads were, ten times smaller than the ones in the UK!! Yikes!!! And on the very edge of a 90 degree drop! But my mind was soon taken away form this when I saw my first Gib monkey!! Then I saw another and another and another!! They are everywhere and there are literally hundreds!! I couldn't wait to get out of the car and see them up close! And did we see them up close!!! Those little devils are not afraid of anything! I was terrified of them!! They come right up to you with absolutely no fear at all and ready to steal any thing they could from you! I began to have flash backs from the movie Monkey Trouble!
At the top of the rock we looked out on the Atlantic ocean, all of Gibraltar, Spain, and Africa! It was amazing. I couldn't believe how close I was to Africa! I can almost say I was there! We also went exploring in an old WWII war cave. As usual I was following along behind Andy questioning if we were going to get in trouble, but really just a bit sacred of what might be lurking in the cave. Once inside it it was so worth it. Inside the cave there was a huge opening into the rock of old bunkers the soldiers slept in defending the Big rock from Hitler. Very cool experience.
After admiring the amazing views and playing with the vicious and a bit frightening looking monkeys, it was dinner time!! We went to the boardwalk and has a bottle of Spanish Rioja, Andy's fav, while watching the sun set. FAB!! Then went to a little restaurant, Guachos, tucked inside the hundreds of years old city wall and had some of the best seafood I have ever had! It is my new favorite restaurant!!!!!!! I had king prawns, that were literally bigger than lobster and tasted better than it too, and Andy had a mixed seafood dish with amazing fish and a few of the humongous shrimp! I have really never seen anything like these things! They were unreal! Shrimp on roids!!
Thursday 22 October 2009
I'm Back!
Well I have been a terrible blogger these past few weeks!! Sorry!
Since I have last posted LOTS and LOTS has happened! Andy was sent to Gibraltar, a tiny, tiny piece of land on the south of Spain owned by Britain. He will be there for three weeks for work. So I decided to stay in Horsham with his family. Worked perfectly. This way Louise and I have company and are not sitting alone in two different places twiddling our thumbs all day! Andy and I got here on Saturday October 3. We visited for a short bit with his Nan and the rest of his family before we were off to a pub to say congratulations to his friend on the birth of his first baby. Then off we went around to his friends Katie and Barry's house for chinese and Cranium! Girls vs boys and we killed them!! Andy may be perfect at most things but at board games I dominate!!!!! Then on Sunday he left until the end of October! Booooo!! But on the bright side I am going out to Gibraltar and Spain for five days on the 14th!
My few weeks at the Murdoch's has been fun and entertaining! On the first Tuesday I was there I went out for afternoon tea, my very first afternoon tea (how very English of me!), with Louise and her friends from teaching. As we went up to order, never having done this before, when asked what I would like to have I just followed suit and said, "tea"! Then asked what I wanted with my tea, not quite sure still what a scone is and wondering if the cheese one on display would be good with tea, (I am thinking gross!), followed with an American answer "Chocolate chip cookie please!" Wonder if I had said biscuit I might not have gotten such bizarre looks..... Apart from looking sooooo American as I ordered, my first tea experience was FAB! Louise's friends from work were an absolute riot!! I felt like I was back with my girls or my mom and her friends with the stories and gossip they told!! Pauline, Louise's good friend and teaching assistant, had me almost peeing in my pants when she told a story of a "friend" from years ago who got Deep Heat (or Icy Hot) in a very, very sensitive area while being "intimate" one night. I take it that it is a very uncomfortable thing for a man to have on his sensitive area! And as she said "That relationship didn't go very far after that".
The next day, a few other friends Louise works with came over for more tea. It really is shocking how much tea they drink over here (no wonder the Boston Tea Party was such an insult to them..... they worship this stuff!) and more pastries. I think by the time I am done here in Horsham I will have gained 10 ponds on tea, biscuits and pastries!! But I must say the pastries are pretty damn good!!
When the weekend rolled around I was getting super, super excited to go to Gibraltar and Spain! Only a few days left! All I could think about was seeing Andy, being in sunny warm Spain and drinking lots and lots of sangria! Hola Señor y Gracias!! Maybe I should have brushed up on that Spanish......
Since I have last posted LOTS and LOTS has happened! Andy was sent to Gibraltar, a tiny, tiny piece of land on the south of Spain owned by Britain. He will be there for three weeks for work. So I decided to stay in Horsham with his family. Worked perfectly. This way Louise and I have company and are not sitting alone in two different places twiddling our thumbs all day! Andy and I got here on Saturday October 3. We visited for a short bit with his Nan and the rest of his family before we were off to a pub to say congratulations to his friend on the birth of his first baby. Then off we went around to his friends Katie and Barry's house for chinese and Cranium! Girls vs boys and we killed them!! Andy may be perfect at most things but at board games I dominate!!!!! Then on Sunday he left until the end of October! Booooo!! But on the bright side I am going out to Gibraltar and Spain for five days on the 14th!
My few weeks at the Murdoch's has been fun and entertaining! On the first Tuesday I was there I went out for afternoon tea, my very first afternoon tea (how very English of me!), with Louise and her friends from teaching. As we went up to order, never having done this before, when asked what I would like to have I just followed suit and said, "tea"! Then asked what I wanted with my tea, not quite sure still what a scone is and wondering if the cheese one on display would be good with tea, (I am thinking gross!), followed with an American answer "Chocolate chip cookie please!" Wonder if I had said biscuit I might not have gotten such bizarre looks..... Apart from looking sooooo American as I ordered, my first tea experience was FAB! Louise's friends from work were an absolute riot!! I felt like I was back with my girls or my mom and her friends with the stories and gossip they told!! Pauline, Louise's good friend and teaching assistant, had me almost peeing in my pants when she told a story of a "friend" from years ago who got Deep Heat (or Icy Hot) in a very, very sensitive area while being "intimate" one night. I take it that it is a very uncomfortable thing for a man to have on his sensitive area! And as she said "That relationship didn't go very far after that".
The next day, a few other friends Louise works with came over for more tea. It really is shocking how much tea they drink over here (no wonder the Boston Tea Party was such an insult to them..... they worship this stuff!) and more pastries. I think by the time I am done here in Horsham I will have gained 10 ponds on tea, biscuits and pastries!! But I must say the pastries are pretty damn good!!
When the weekend rolled around I was getting super, super excited to go to Gibraltar and Spain! Only a few days left! All I could think about was seeing Andy, being in sunny warm Spain and drinking lots and lots of sangria! Hola Señor y Gracias!! Maybe I should have brushed up on that Spanish......
Friday 2 October 2009
Out and About with the Murdoch's
Last Thursday Andy's parents make a road trip down to see us in Poole. They stayed on High Street, the end of the street with all the shopping, so we met them outside out apartment and took them on the other end of High Street, through Old Town Poole. We walked around as Andy chatted acting as tour guide. If he wasn't already such a good military man he would make a perfect tour guide! He is quite the chatter of knowledge! We went and got a pint and some food at our new local pub, The Plymouth Hoy. My summer edition Lemony Cricket ale was amazing, as always. After grabbing grub and showing off our town we showed off our bare but still cute apartment. Louise loves the country side in Dorset, as we all do, so we took a drive, it was a stunning day, to a small sea town Swanage and around Corfe. We drove through the Sandbanks, according to our tour guide it is the most expensive place in the world. The homes here cost more than anywhere in the world. None of us could figure it out! I mean, it was petty and all, but I have seen better and in much warmer weather, such as... Florida!! Supposedly it is so expensive because one: the people who own these homes are big wigs in London, and two: the front yard is water and the back yard is water (giving it the name The Sandbanks). After seeing the multi million pound homes we took the ferry across into the country side while eating a Cadbury's 99 ice cream! Yum Yum Yum!!
We got to Swanage and I fell in love with the place! Louise has always loved this little seaside town and I can see why. It was such a quaint tiny town right on the water. It felt as if you have stepped back in time. We just strolled around window shopping and watching crazy kids who were brave enough to play in the freezing ocean! I can't wait to come back and explore some more! Mom you will LOVE it here! We then set off for a walk around Corfe to see the castle while sipping on a pint! It was a fantastic afternoon!After our fabulous day exploring more of the English country and me feeling starved, surprise surprise, we went to dinner at a little Thai restaurant called Thai restaurant haha! It was amazing!! I ate so much I felt like someone was going to have to roll me out of there!! Thank god everywhere is in walking distance because I would NOT have been able to drive!! I could barley breath. The best cure for this... a few more pints down at our local!
Monday 28 September 2009
Mini Pub Crawl
Last Wednesday it was cloudy, chilly, and I was down in the dumps. I had been stuck in all day and missing home, so when Andy got home from work, wanting to make me happy, decided what I needed was to get out. There are tons of pubs right down the street from us in Old Town Poole. Andy looked at me and said, "Get up, get dressed, we are going out!" and we set off for a pub crawl around Poole!
The first pub we stopped in, literally only a two minute walk, if even, from our front door was the King's Head. We stepped in, got a pint of ale and thought, "hmmmm this isn't going to be our local pub, nice but not for us". While we were drinking our beers, we felt as if we were in an old lady's living room. The walls are fashioned with a cream and gold floral pattern wall paper and the seats are old rose plush with quite a bit of unknown stains. Andy sat on those while I decided, for my clothes sake, to sit on the wood chair across from him. It even smelled of stale roses and moth balls! As we laughed at the state of the pub and finished our English ales we gathered our coats and headed to our next pub!
Next on the list was The Foundry Arms. I liked it before we even stepped foot in the door. The thatch roof pub was at the end of the street lit up with old time street lamps looking like we had gone back in time. When we walked it it kept the same old feel with dim lights and low wood-beamed ceilings. We went to the bar to order our ale and cider when the bartender told us this pub was one of the oldest buildings in Poole dating back to the 14th or 15th century. It was much bigger, connecting to the building across the street, now the Poole Museum, and has been a merchants house, an inn for travelers and housed a number of families. He told us the upstairs is most like the original building. As he said this my face lit up thinking of all the history of just this one building and he asked it we wanted to see it. Umm duh, yes of course we do!!! It was a small banquet room covered in old dark wood and a huge fireplace at both ends. We were told it can be rented out for events and dinners (FUN!) and on the weekends a live band plays. I can't wait for that night out! He then gave us a book on Poole and it's history to look at as we had our drinks!
Our next stop was on the Quay. We headed into The Portsmouth Hoy. This was the best one yet! From the minute you walk in it has that warm feel of a small pub filled with people laughing, drinking and eating. It felt perfect! And to make it even better at the table across from the bar was a family having dinner with their border collie laying on the floor next to them! I can't wait to take my border collie to the pubs with me as I cozy up next to the fire drinking cider!! We sat down and decided this was out favorite pub in Poole. Nestled across from the harbor in between two other pubs and only a three minute walk home through cobble stoned allyways, this was going to be our local pub!
On the way home we went into one more pub called the Angle. This was the first pub I went to in Poole. It is next to the town hall and old church. This was our local, as Andy says, until our little pub crawl and the discovery of The Portsmouth Hoy. We drank our beers and I couldn't help but think how lucky I was to have Andy! When you are feeling blue he takes you out on a Pub Crawl!!
The first pub we stopped in, literally only a two minute walk, if even, from our front door was the King's Head. We stepped in, got a pint of ale and thought, "hmmmm this isn't going to be our local pub, nice but not for us". While we were drinking our beers, we felt as if we were in an old lady's living room. The walls are fashioned with a cream and gold floral pattern wall paper and the seats are old rose plush with quite a bit of unknown stains. Andy sat on those while I decided, for my clothes sake, to sit on the wood chair across from him. It even smelled of stale roses and moth balls! As we laughed at the state of the pub and finished our English ales we gathered our coats and headed to our next pub!
Next on the list was The Foundry Arms. I liked it before we even stepped foot in the door. The thatch roof pub was at the end of the street lit up with old time street lamps looking like we had gone back in time. When we walked it it kept the same old feel with dim lights and low wood-beamed ceilings. We went to the bar to order our ale and cider when the bartender told us this pub was one of the oldest buildings in Poole dating back to the 14th or 15th century. It was much bigger, connecting to the building across the street, now the Poole Museum, and has been a merchants house, an inn for travelers and housed a number of families. He told us the upstairs is most like the original building. As he said this my face lit up thinking of all the history of just this one building and he asked it we wanted to see it. Umm duh, yes of course we do!!! It was a small banquet room covered in old dark wood and a huge fireplace at both ends. We were told it can be rented out for events and dinners (FUN!) and on the weekends a live band plays. I can't wait for that night out! He then gave us a book on Poole and it's history to look at as we had our drinks!
Our next stop was on the Quay. We headed into The Portsmouth Hoy. This was the best one yet! From the minute you walk in it has that warm feel of a small pub filled with people laughing, drinking and eating. It felt perfect! And to make it even better at the table across from the bar was a family having dinner with their border collie laying on the floor next to them! I can't wait to take my border collie to the pubs with me as I cozy up next to the fire drinking cider!! We sat down and decided this was out favorite pub in Poole. Nestled across from the harbor in between two other pubs and only a three minute walk home through cobble stoned allyways, this was going to be our local pub!
On the way home we went into one more pub called the Angle. This was the first pub I went to in Poole. It is next to the town hall and old church. This was our local, as Andy says, until our little pub crawl and the discovery of The Portsmouth Hoy. We drank our beers and I couldn't help but think how lucky I was to have Andy! When you are feeling blue he takes you out on a Pub Crawl!!
Friday 25 September 2009
Becoming Betty Crocker
After a bit of Facebook stalking I was inspired by Kallen's amazing food pictures! The girl not only made gourmet meals but also made her own pasta, from scratch!, baked pies, crust and all, while she whipped up homemade cakes! I thought with all the time I have on my hands I would give it a whirl, surprising Andy with my domestic ways and try to redeem myself after the egg incident. I decided to bake muffins, thinking this was fairly easy and safe ( maybe one day I will work my way up to Kallen's Top Chef level!). I also had hand picked blackberries from our walk over the weekend. These muffins were going to be as homemade as you get. I searched the internet for the best recipe I could find and one that would make my muffins like the ones you buy at Starbucks or a fancy bakery with the sugary crusty tops. After finding a recipe I thought would do, being sold on the name "Best of the Best Blackberry Muffins", I went out and gathered all my ingredients along with a whisk and and muffin pan. After about an hour of mixing in the ingredients and looking up baking terms, such as creaming together butter and sugar, I was pouring the mix into the pan, popping them into the oven, and awaiting my masterpiece to be done! And what a masterpiece! They looked amazing, if I may say so myself, and tasted superb! Andy was quite impressed and even took them into work to share! The muffins were devoured with the guys saying "She must be American because these are amazing!" Haha they don't know how to react when they get a bit of flavor!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-of-the-Best-Blueberry-Muffins/Detail.aspx The recipe link
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-of-the-Best-Blueberry-Muffins/Detail.aspx The recipe link
Wednesday 23 September 2009
Durdle Door
On Sunday Andy took me on another adventure in the English county side. The sun was shinning, meaning a perfect day for a mini hike around Lulworth. We drove to Lulworth where there is Lulworth castle, absolutely stunning (I couldn't wait to see the inside), Durdle Door and a few country pubs. He said just recently a hotel in Dubai was sued for using pictures of Durdle Door claiming it to be a beach at their resort in Dubai. A bit hard to believe since Dubai is scorching hot and England isn't really know for its extremely hot, cloudless days but guess the picture was taken on an outstanding English summers day. Who knows?! Anyway, we parked in a field parking lot and walked down to the coast get a few pictures and explore some more. There were loads of people out and about taking pictures of Durdle Door and going on walks around the coast. Andy originally wanted to go on a few mile walk to Durdle Door but, thank God, we couldn't find the beginning of that walk. It would have been miles of, as Andy calls it "The Roller Coaster", constantly up and down on really, really steep hills. After taking a few pictures, and me eyeing the ice cream trailer, Andy some how convinced me to go up one of these hills. I don't know if I could have made it up multiple hills...and for miles! In the end, as always, it was worth it with a phenomenal view and a few extra calories burned! Guess thats better than an ice cream cone. :-) Then, as we usually do after these walks, we went to a local pub finishing the afternoon with an ale and cider!
Exploring Bournemouth
Friday Andy had the day off work after, for him, a long week! Wednesday he went on a 30k run up and down hills with a 60lb backpack and Monday he was at work until 1am, stuck on a rocking boat in the English Channel. And since he had these two "stressful" days he decided Friday to take the day off work and show me around Bournemouth. Bournemouth is the town directly west of Poole. It is only a 5 to 10 minute drive away. Those of us Jacksonvillians would call it another area of town. Bournemouth is the place to go shopping in Dorset, being the biggest of all the towns and villages, as well as the place to go out on the town!! I haven't done that yet, but keep looking for I am sure it is not too far in my near future!! Bournemouth is also home to Bournemouth University. It was the perfect day to get out and explore! We strolled around the center of town with me window shopping and Andy pulling me along. We shopped around the small open French market, straight from France, smack dab in the middle of the shops. There were tons of delicious cheeses, sausages, fudge and pastries (Jennifer, you would be in heaven! The biggest chocolate croissants I have ever seen!) We got some super stinky moldy blue cheese, herb crusted sausage and fudge.... YUMMMM! Guess what I picked haha. I can't wait to visit France if just for the food! We then headed into a small local Irish pub and had a cider. When we got home we got take out... Indian, surprise, surprise, drank wine and watched Forrest Gump!
Saturday we attempted to walk around Poole, but after that bit of wine, decided we were much better at vegetating and watching an array of college football, soccer and rugby while eating fudge, cheese, and sausage.
Saturday we attempted to walk around Poole, but after that bit of wine, decided we were much better at vegetating and watching an array of college football, soccer and rugby while eating fudge, cheese, and sausage.
Tuesday 22 September 2009
Second Week in England and Burning Eggs
Not a whole lot to report about my second week in Poole. I spent my days setting up this blog, which took much longer than it should have. Hint for anyone who wants to set a blog up: google blog backgrounds. It is much easier than trying to change everything yourself. I went to The Cutest Blog on the Block. They have a ton of cute backgrounds and are super easy to apply to your own blog.
Other than blogging I went on a few runs around Poole, along the harbor and the Poole Quay. The Quay is lined with shops, pubs, restaurants and ferries to different areas like Old Harry (where Andy took me the first few days). The weather has been amazing and perfect for just wandering around getting to know the area. When the Quay ends the path continues along the harbor for about a mile or so. You would be shocked at how many people have a dog in Poole!!! Everyday I came back and commented on the fact that everyone in Poole owns a dog. It is as if it is a requirement of living in Poole! And guess who is not for-filling this requirement... ME! Then one day on my way back down this path I saw the sign "Poole dog walk and park". :-( Guess you don't have to have a dog to live in Poole.
One last bit of excitement from last week was my attempt to make eggs. Everyday I eat toast for breakfast and decided to mix it up and cook scrambled eggs. I got out the wok, we didn't have a skillet and I saw Andy use this monstrosity to cook his eggs, put the heat on high and scrambled my eggs in a bowl with cheese. As Samantha told me, I let the pan heat up, precisely why I had the heat on high. So there I am with an all metal wok, fully heated, scrambling eggs thinking "Yumm no toast for me!" I pour my eggs into the wok, forgetting to turn the heat down and remembering I forgot to spray non-stick in the pan!! So I quickly got the Pam and sprayed. The entire kitchen and living room filled with smoke!! As I start to try and mix my eggs in the wok, which are not only black but stuck to the pan, the smoke alarm goes off! I was freaking out! I grabbed the metal handle to the wok, which was WAY hot, dropped it on the floor, black eggs flying everywhere, and the smoke alarm screaming in my ear. Terrified the fire department would turn up, I scrambled to get the smoke out opening all the windows and doors. I then attempted to turn the alarm off on my own. I grabbed the only thing we had I could stand on, the trash can with a metal lid, and twisted the alarm toward off denting the trash can. It didn't work, it was still beeping outrageously loud! Then I thought maybe I should call someone like Andy or the fire department or the apartment people, when I realized not only do I not have any of these numbers, I don't have a phone to call them on!!! Right as I was giving up the alarm went off. Did you know the smoke alarm goes off when the smoke is gone!?! Who would have thought!
Other than blogging I went on a few runs around Poole, along the harbor and the Poole Quay. The Quay is lined with shops, pubs, restaurants and ferries to different areas like Old Harry (where Andy took me the first few days). The weather has been amazing and perfect for just wandering around getting to know the area. When the Quay ends the path continues along the harbor for about a mile or so. You would be shocked at how many people have a dog in Poole!!! Everyday I came back and commented on the fact that everyone in Poole owns a dog. It is as if it is a requirement of living in Poole! And guess who is not for-filling this requirement... ME! Then one day on my way back down this path I saw the sign "Poole dog walk and park". :-( Guess you don't have to have a dog to live in Poole.
One last bit of excitement from last week was my attempt to make eggs. Everyday I eat toast for breakfast and decided to mix it up and cook scrambled eggs. I got out the wok, we didn't have a skillet and I saw Andy use this monstrosity to cook his eggs, put the heat on high and scrambled my eggs in a bowl with cheese. As Samantha told me, I let the pan heat up, precisely why I had the heat on high. So there I am with an all metal wok, fully heated, scrambling eggs thinking "Yumm no toast for me!" I pour my eggs into the wok, forgetting to turn the heat down and remembering I forgot to spray non-stick in the pan!! So I quickly got the Pam and sprayed. The entire kitchen and living room filled with smoke!! As I start to try and mix my eggs in the wok, which are not only black but stuck to the pan, the smoke alarm goes off! I was freaking out! I grabbed the metal handle to the wok, which was WAY hot, dropped it on the floor, black eggs flying everywhere, and the smoke alarm screaming in my ear. Terrified the fire department would turn up, I scrambled to get the smoke out opening all the windows and doors. I then attempted to turn the alarm off on my own. I grabbed the only thing we had I could stand on, the trash can with a metal lid, and twisted the alarm toward off denting the trash can. It didn't work, it was still beeping outrageously loud! Then I thought maybe I should call someone like Andy or the fire department or the apartment people, when I realized not only do I not have any of these numbers, I don't have a phone to call them on!!! Right as I was giving up the alarm went off. Did you know the smoke alarm goes off when the smoke is gone!?! Who would have thought!
Monday 21 September 2009
Pub Golf!
My first Saturday here Andy and I went to Horsham to play Pub Golf with his friends. I had no idea what to expect from Pub Golf. I was told to wear golf attire and make sure I came with a visor, golf tee, golf glove and a mini golf pencil. So I did as told, but Andy and I couldn't find visors so I wore a feather in my hair instead! I figured something was better than nothing! Then we went to meet everyone at the first pub. There were about 20 people playing Pub Golf with Barry as the judge and referee. Everyone was all decked out in sweater vests, argyle socks and visors!! We looked absolutely ridiculous and I LOVED it!! My first night out as an Englander was going to be great....
The rules of Pub Golf (handed to you on a score card with the required drinks and pubs/bars where we will drink them):
Aim of the Game: You must complete the course, without loosing your stomach en-route, ending on as few strokes (the number of drinks to finish your drink) as possible.
Terminology:
Stroke - sip/gulp of the beverage
Par - The guideline amount of gulps a drink must be downed in
Water Hazard - An establishment whereby the players are allowed to visit the toilet
Pro - A person partaking in the actual drinking game
Scorer - your partner with your scoring card
Rules:
1. All drinking must take place in front of at least two other pros in the group.
2. Pros must drink with their gloved hand, golf tee behind their ear.
3. One drink substitution can be made; this incurs a 4 shot penalty.
4. Any player caught being sick is instantly disqualified from the game.
5. Players may only visit the toilet on a water hazards (W) [marked on other side of the score card at designated pubs], failure to adhere to this rule results in a two stroke penalty [shot] and/or a drink penalty.
6. Any player spilling his/her drink must go and get a refill immediately, if a player spills another persons drink then he/she must get the refill and drink it himself.
7. The loser of the game will have an extra drink from the group.
*international drinking rules applied: No saying drink, no cussing, no pointing, must drink from gloved hand.
On the front of the card were the list of Holes (Pubs/bars), the Par (#of drinks a drink must be taken in), the Drink (example: Shot and mixer, wine, cocktails) and Time at each bar (thirty minutes at a pub/bar). There are 9 pubs/bars and Par 21.
Let the Games begin!! The first stop was the Queens Head. All the girls started off strong, each one finishing her drink (a shot and mixer) in 1 par. Then it was onto the Crown. Here the drink was a vodka mixer for the girls. All strong again taking it in 1 par. I am thinking this is a breeze! We were ahead of schedule a the next pub, B52's, where we had to stay until caught up with the time schedule. This is where it began to go downhill.... As everyone was sitting around the table talking it seemed at least everyone, some more than others, were throwing around "drink", cussing, and pointing. Shot time!!! I pointed earning myself a shot. I chose Sambuca and just about threw up!!! Everyone is saying "get Sambuca you'll love it, it is delicious, Yummm", blah blah blah.... It taste like black licorice!!!!! I thought that would be the end of Sambuca for me, then Pub Golf continued and Sambuca and I became BFF.
We traveled on to the next Pub where it was all starting to get a little more wild. People were taking shots left and right for penalties! A few got penalized for using the bathroom. At this pub I believe is where my downfall began. I made the "wise" choice of social drinking. Note to anyone who plays, never drink unless you must!!! Then before we left I heard a snicker and turned around to find out some of the guys "tainted" another's drink; he didn't want to get penalized by a toilet break!! GROSSSSSSSSS
By the next bar I was starting to go down and fast! I made it to that bar and still was able to take my drink in 1 par but all the social drinking was catching up. I made it through all the rest of the pubs in a haze dodging drinks such as whisky shots and trying with all my might to stand instead of lay on the floor. This was the hardest part of the night! By the end I was out for the count with the floor being my preferred place to be. It was time for me to leave Pub Golf and there I went on Andy's back to be put to bed. As he told me in the morning.... you play with the big boys you will get hurt!!
Barry the referee
The rules of Pub Golf (handed to you on a score card with the required drinks and pubs/bars where we will drink them):Aim of the Game: You must complete the course, without loosing your stomach en-route, ending on as few strokes (the number of drinks to finish your drink) as possible.
Terminology:
Stroke - sip/gulp of the beverage
Par - The guideline amount of gulps a drink must be downed in
Water Hazard - An establishment whereby the players are allowed to visit the toilet
Pro - A person partaking in the actual drinking game
Scorer - your partner with your scoring card
Rules:
1. All drinking must take place in front of at least two other pros in the group.
2. Pros must drink with their gloved hand, golf tee behind their ear.
3. One drink substitution can be made; this incurs a 4 shot penalty.
4. Any player caught being sick is instantly disqualified from the game.
5. Players may only visit the toilet on a water hazards (W) [marked on other side of the score card at designated pubs], failure to adhere to this rule results in a two stroke penalty [shot] and/or a drink penalty.
6. Any player spilling his/her drink must go and get a refill immediately, if a player spills another persons drink then he/she must get the refill and drink it himself.
7. The loser of the game will have an extra drink from the group.
*international drinking rules applied: No saying drink, no cussing, no pointing, must drink from gloved hand.
On the front of the card were the list of Holes (Pubs/bars), the Par (#of drinks a drink must be taken in), the Drink (example: Shot and mixer, wine, cocktails) and Time at each bar (thirty minutes at a pub/bar). There are 9 pubs/bars and Par 21.
Let the Games begin!! The first stop was the Queens Head. All the girls started off strong, each one finishing her drink (a shot and mixer) in 1 par. Then it was onto the Crown. Here the drink was a vodka mixer for the girls. All strong again taking it in 1 par. I am thinking this is a breeze! We were ahead of schedule a the next pub, B52's, where we had to stay until caught up with the time schedule. This is where it began to go downhill.... As everyone was sitting around the table talking it seemed at least everyone, some more than others, were throwing around "drink", cussing, and pointing. Shot time!!! I pointed earning myself a shot. I chose Sambuca and just about threw up!!! Everyone is saying "get Sambuca you'll love it, it is delicious, Yummm", blah blah blah.... It taste like black licorice!!!!! I thought that would be the end of Sambuca for me, then Pub Golf continued and Sambuca and I became BFF.
We traveled on to the next Pub where it was all starting to get a little more wild. People were taking shots left and right for penalties! A few got penalized for using the bathroom. At this pub I believe is where my downfall began. I made the "wise" choice of social drinking. Note to anyone who plays, never drink unless you must!!! Then before we left I heard a snicker and turned around to find out some of the guys "tainted" another's drink; he didn't want to get penalized by a toilet break!! GROSSSSSSSSSBy the next bar I was starting to go down and fast! I made it to that bar and still was able to take my drink in 1 par but all the social drinking was catching up. I made it through all the rest of the pubs in a haze dodging drinks such as whisky shots and trying with all my might to stand instead of lay on the floor. This was the hardest part of the night! By the end I was out for the count with the floor being my preferred place to be. It was time for me to leave Pub Golf and there I went on Andy's back to be put to bed. As he told me in the morning.... you play with the big boys you will get hurt!!
Barry the referee Dani, me, and Fin
Thursday 17 September 2009
Corfe Castle
Friday the 11th Andy took me on another walk in Dorset. The weather was stunning, again! We parked at a pub in a tiny village where there was nothing but a church, built in the 1100s, a few cottages, and lots and lots of people with their border collies and spaniels going on the coastal walk!!!! SOOOOO JEALOUS! We started off with the intentions of walking all the way to Corfe Castle!! HA HA yeah right! It is a 19k walk! Not sure quite how many miles that is, but it is a lot! I started off very optimistic ready to do it thinking "I did the other 'walk' I can do this one!" Well five miles into it and not even close to Corfe and many many more hills or as I call them mountains, we decided we better turn around and drive to Corfe. Good thing we did since Corfe Castle would have been closed by the time we got there and then dark by the time we got back! Not to mention Andy would probably have to carry me back!
At Old Henry
Inside the Church
Breaking to eat Subway
Once we were up in the top of the castle ruins in the keep (the main living quarters of the castle holding the banquet halls, king's living area, dungeon and the most protected area of the castle) we looked down at the village of Corfe. We walked around Corfe, which only takes a few minutes because it is so small, looked at the few houses, restaurants and many tea rooms! We had planed to have a cream afternoon tea (still not quite sure what the cream part means) but as we passed a pub I saw a Pimm's signs and thought "hmmm Pimm's I have heard this is good!!" So we ditched the boring tea and went for my first Pimm's! It was delish!! It is made up of Pimm's liquor, or it might be a liqueur, soda water, and tons and tons of fruit! I had strawberries, cucumbers, lemons, and cherries in mine. I think I drank it all in a matter of seconds! It was very very very tasty!
Mr. Muscles!
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