Shiver me timbers

Another fine day to spend outdoors, this time at a 'yard party'. One of the Boy's classmates was celebrating her birthday with a pirate theme. Eye-patches were handed out, there was a plank to walk and treasure to be had. There was even a pirate puppet show. But the really big attraction had little to do with pirates. Yikes!

Although it was pretty chilly, the company, the food and the setting were just great. We were surrounded by trees, from which had fallen these mystery objects. What d'you suppose they are?

Fair's fare

We spent the afternoon up at the children's school enjoying the annual Fall Fair.


The school grounds alone looked pretty fair.


The Girl, disguised as a bear, tucked into some hearty fare.


Girl and Boy fared well at all the stalls and we got to take all this lot home with us. Aren't we lucky!

Nobel endeavour

I was only joking the other day when I wrote about the Man's annual disappointment on not being awarded a Nobel Prize. But blow me, we wake up this morning and find that two of our friends have won one, and the big famous Peace one at that! Neither of them is Al Gore, but they are both members of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In case they should be reading - congratulations, you are worthy winners and we're proud and happy to know you.

More house-hunting today, followed by a trip to a broker to buy car insurance. In the package of paperwork we left the office with was a booklet on how to drive and advice on how to apply for a driving test, which was a bit disconcerting in a hard-to-define way.

As a new car is about to enter our lives, so our hire car, containing the Sat Nav, is about to leave it. Recently I've realised that I can now manage pretty well around Albany without satellite support. Somehow all the pieces have started falling into place. Just as well, as my Sat Nav friend has been having a virtual nervous breakdown. The other day she kept informing me that I had driven into the Hudson River. I told her, look, even taking my past record into account, I'm not that bad a driver.

Tree urchin

Today's highlight was meeting a couple of accountants from the UK for a tax consultation, so that tells you all you need to know about what an exciting day it has been.

Yesterday, after our car and sandwich-buying extravaganza, we had a Listening Conference with the Girl's class teacher. It was very reassuring to know how well this teacher seems to understand our Girl already. At home we hear positive things about school, and at school we heard good things about the Girl and how she's settling in, making new friends and generally doing fine. The Boy has also managed to make an impression on the same teacher. Apparently he marched into school the other day and announced 'I can hear with my tongue!'

SUV or not SUV?

The thought of going back to see Janice again was just too exhausting, so we ended up at a different car dealership where a gnarly old fellow called Grandpa Jed (or something like that) told us his life story, and that of his parents, and incidentally sold us a small SUV. We'll collect it on Monday -the day I'm supposed to be blogging for the environment. Ahem.

On the way to the dealership we had stopped by at an up-market deli so that the Man could grab a quick sandwich. Ha! Simply ordering the sandwich took about half an hour, involving an incredibly detailed discussion of its constituent parts. Then the earnest young assistant lovingly prepared it, layering the cheese slices just so, selecting the perfect pickle... If he'd actually baked the bread it wouldn't have taken much longer.

It was a bloody good sandwich though.

The deli specializes in fine cusine from abroad. In amongst all the fancy bottles of extra virgin olive oil, the gourmet chocolats and vintage salamis were examples of the 'best of British' (Hobnobs and Bassett's sherbert fountains particularly stood out). The assistant was also pleased to show us a selection of chocolate squares presented (as we English always prefer) in wrappers depicting famous British writers: Jane Austen and Shakespeare and the like. 'I'm a big admirer of Shakespeare,' he sighed, throwing in a line or two from Hamlet before telling us all about his acting career. Not that we were in a hurry or anything.

Moving house

Much of our house-hunting is done over the internet, tedious trawling through listings. But today we chanced across our ideal home right there on the highway. We gave chase, but all in vain.

Maybe we need a faster car as well. Or maybe we should just buy a Winnebago?

A fistful of dollars

Columbus Day today, so no school for the Girl and Boy. They had been badgering me for some time to take them to Crossgates Mall, the Girl having plans to spend her pocket money, the Boy because he wanted to choose a winter coat (now there's a turn-up).

So, off we went. The Girl, who had been saving her weekly two dollar allowance for almost two months, excitedly thrust an impressive wodge of notes at the toyshop assistant. The object of her desire? An 'e-pet' - a doleful looking cuddly puppy. It comes with a code that allows you to log on to a fairly average website. As seen on TV. It doesn't move me too much, but then I am not a 7-year-old growing up in 2007.

(I am a child of the 1970s. I found out in Borders today, to my consternation, just how venerable that makes me. A display stand for publishers American Girl bears the legend: Meet '70's girl Julie Albright - NEW Historical Character!)

The Boy managed to select a coat, so there's a chance he might actually deign to wear it come the big freeze. Miracles do happen!

The Nobel Prize for Physics will be announced tomorrow, so of course the Man's on tenterhooks. It's the same old story every year. The disappointment he can handle. It's the hope that always hurts.