These two have been friends since they were six months old - time and distance seem to make no difference.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Park life
These two have been friends since they were six months old - time and distance seem to make no difference.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Linton - the never ending party
A visit to old neighbours this morning was followed by quite a gathering - thanks to April Fool and family for hosting us all in their lovely garden. Many of the other guests have commented on this blog at one time or another - it was great to see you all!
Just like last year we have the impression that life in Linton is an endless series of relaxed encounters with some of our favourite people, chewing over the local issues of the day with them and laughing a lot. That's about right isn't it? Or is there a load of existential angst that I'm not noticing?
Photos tomorrow, I need to go to bed and battle the jetlag some more.
Just like last year we have the impression that life in Linton is an endless series of relaxed encounters with some of our favourite people, chewing over the local issues of the day with them and laughing a lot. That's about right isn't it? Or is there a load of existential angst that I'm not noticing?
Photos tomorrow, I need to go to bed and battle the jetlag some more.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Reflecting
Skipped a blog day yesterday because we were having too much fun with friends - what better reason could there be?
We're back in Linton, catching up with many old friends. Not much has changed here, though of course with our acquired US perspective everything looks rather small and 'quaint'. And none the worse for that.
Linton still feels like home, though our upcoming plans and commitments are all focused somewhere else, and that seems strange. It's odd, and not entirely easy, to feel you belong in two places at once.
We're back in Linton, catching up with many old friends. Not much has changed here, though of course with our acquired US perspective everything looks rather small and 'quaint'. And none the worse for that.
Linton still feels like home, though our upcoming plans and commitments are all focused somewhere else, and that seems strange. It's odd, and not entirely easy, to feel you belong in two places at once.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Transported
All except the Man got up late this morning, and we took a while to get going. But in the afternoon the Boy set off to London with his Grandpa, while Grandma, the Girl and I went dolls-house accessory-shopping and then came home to do some miniature carpet-laying.
Meanwhile the Man booked a rental car on-line, and a couple of hours later we walked down to the collection point to pick it up. Amusingly enough, in those two short hours the entire office and all rental vehicles had relocated to the other side of town ('We're going to mention it on our website this evening,' explained the man left behind in the empty office suite), so we had to walk another mile and half across Watford, without the aid of a map, in the rain. The cheery young woman smiled as we dripped on her brand new carpet and thought it a 'shame' we'd been put to so much trouble, but not so much of a shame as to offer us a discount. Ah, it's great to be back in the homeland!
The Boy was pleased with his London visit - an all-transport tour taking in mainline trains, Docklands Light Railway, a double decker bus and a look at the Eurostar. He has revised his opinion, stated this morning, that London is a 'boring' place where there is 'nothing to do'.
Meanwhile the Man booked a rental car on-line, and a couple of hours later we walked down to the collection point to pick it up. Amusingly enough, in those two short hours the entire office and all rental vehicles had relocated to the other side of town ('We're going to mention it on our website this evening,' explained the man left behind in the empty office suite), so we had to walk another mile and half across Watford, without the aid of a map, in the rain. The cheery young woman smiled as we dripped on her brand new carpet and thought it a 'shame' we'd been put to so much trouble, but not so much of a shame as to offer us a discount. Ah, it's great to be back in the homeland!
The Boy was pleased with his London visit - an all-transport tour taking in mainline trains, Docklands Light Railway, a double decker bus and a look at the Eurostar. He has revised his opinion, stated this morning, that London is a 'boring' place where there is 'nothing to do'.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Leap year
We spent the day waking up.
My brother and family came over for a visit, and we made a trip to the park to admire some spendid new play equipment which was getting a lot of use by about 500 other children. To our kids, now used to days out around quiet Albany where for the most part three actually does constitute a crowd, the numbers were a little overwhelming. But at least my five year-old nieces seemed to enjoy everything with gusto.
Apart from that outing, the children have mainly vegged in front of the telly in a state of semi-coma, while the adults have sat and chatted and kept going on caffeine.
Yesterday my other brother and his youngest child were here in Watford - only the 'child' is no more, she's has grown up so much since we last saw her. The small steps we all take day to day can look like giant leaps when run together and witnessed at intervals of a year.
My brother and family came over for a visit, and we made a trip to the park to admire some spendid new play equipment which was getting a lot of use by about 500 other children. To our kids, now used to days out around quiet Albany where for the most part three actually does constitute a crowd, the numbers were a little overwhelming. But at least my five year-old nieces seemed to enjoy everything with gusto.
Apart from that outing, the children have mainly vegged in front of the telly in a state of semi-coma, while the adults have sat and chatted and kept going on caffeine.
Yesterday my other brother and his youngest child were here in Watford - only the 'child' is no more, she's has grown up so much since we last saw her. The small steps we all take day to day can look like giant leaps when run together and witnessed at intervals of a year.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Red-eye, Steady, Go.
Remembering last year's near disaster, I'm happy to report that so far this time our travel to the UK has gone smoothly. We arrived at Heathrow this morning slightly earlier than scheduled, and after the obligatory eight mile hike through the terminal retrieved our luggage safely and got on a bus to Watford without even having to wait.
So, no complaints except that we are all horrendously tired after no sleep overnight and very little since. I for one plan on having an early night, and tomorrow maybe I'll feel like I belong on this planet again.
So, no complaints except that we are all horrendously tired after no sleep overnight and very little since. I for one plan on having an early night, and tomorrow maybe I'll feel like I belong on this planet again.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Grate blog
So, a last day of errand-running for me, earth-shovelling for the Man, and all-day playdates for the kids. We're pretty much ready, though obviously not packed yet as that would be like having all the Christmas presents wrapped before Christmas Eve - just too unnerving.
There was an exciting moment this evening when I found myself with my hand stuck in the grating of the storm drain. This is the big drainage hole where our front yard meets the street and into which rain from our downpipes runs, along with rainwater from the road. I came to have my hand in the drain because a young visitor decided to drop a stick-shaped tool down there, just for the hell of it. The Man managed to half-fish the tool out with a small leaf-rake, but someone had to grab hold of it as it neared the grating, and having small hands, that someone was me.
Although everything turned out well and we eventually got both the stick-shaped thing and my hand safely out again, there was an awkward second or two when I wondered if I was going to end up missing our flight to the UK tomorrow and instead spend the next fortnight lying by the side of the road with my hand in a grate. Which, even I have to admit, would have been taking the pursuit of bloggable material a step too far.
There was an exciting moment this evening when I found myself with my hand stuck in the grating of the storm drain. This is the big drainage hole where our front yard meets the street and into which rain from our downpipes runs, along with rainwater from the road. I came to have my hand in the drain because a young visitor decided to drop a stick-shaped tool down there, just for the hell of it. The Man managed to half-fish the tool out with a small leaf-rake, but someone had to grab hold of it as it neared the grating, and having small hands, that someone was me.
Although everything turned out well and we eventually got both the stick-shaped thing and my hand safely out again, there was an awkward second or two when I wondered if I was going to end up missing our flight to the UK tomorrow and instead spend the next fortnight lying by the side of the road with my hand in a grate. Which, even I have to admit, would have been taking the pursuit of bloggable material a step too far.
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