Let me explain....

I've been getting questions from a few people who followed me on VOX about why I'm no longer blogging there or anywhere for that matter...

I'm taking a break.  =)

I'm actually in the process of copying my blog entries from VOX to Blogger for a special project I'm working on.  It's taking me...FOREVER.  lol.

Anyhow, I just really haven't had much time to actually sit and write anything.

I feel pretty terrible about that and vow to make it up to you.

Sooner rather than later...I hope.  ; )

For now...here is the latest on my life:

-had a wonderful vacation/family reunion over Christmas (09)
-had a terrible falling out with my best friend (early 2010)
-been traveling a LOT for work (2010)
-adopted a dog (2010) (shown at top of post)
-more friends got pregnant (2010)
-lots of muddy buddy type events (2010)
-lots of incredibly strange dreams (2010)
-more work (2010)
-favorite show coming to an end (2010)
-thinking about learning to trapeze (2010)

UK Vacation (day 10)

(July 25, 2008)

Day ten--St. Andrews, Kingsbarns

Woke up early.

Walked Gabriel to his day care facility (about a mile and a half from the appartment) with Shane and Si and got our first look at the Fife Coastal path that we'd be hiking...

hello gorgeous.......

The hike started above the beach and would take us right next to one of St. Andrews many golf courses (course on the right pictured below)...

It was a beautiful day for a hike...the ocean looked amazing....everything was blooming....it was a hikers dream! 

The wide-open-space was incredibly comforting.....the land seemed so....fresh...

The trail took us down to the beach................

Then back up the hills through tunnels of white-branched trees....

Then over stone fences.............

We saw caves and crazy rock formations....

and then suddenly we were on someones farm!

It was beautiful!

Suddenly we were back next to the beach! This trail is amazing!

Just as we got closer to shore...a wave of crows that had been resting on the rocks took off...

 
 
 
The last part of the trail was actually on the beach...which was a bit difficult....but it did give us some amazing views.....
 

After a few hours we reached our destination...Kingsbarns.

We had lunch at a wonderful restaurant "The Barns" where we mustered up the courage to order the Haggis, tatties and neeps. (tatties and neeps = potatoes and turnips)

I had to try haggis.

How can you go to Scotland and NOT try haggis?

So we ordered, it came...and it didn't look how I'd expected it to...

it actually looked pretty! LOL!!!

Here's a rundown of EXACTLY what went through my head the moment the waitress brought the haggis out....

Oh god. There it is.
Wow. It doesn't look gross.
It smells wierd.
What have I done?
It smells wierd!
Everyone's watching me!
Pick up fork....pick it up....
Ok, stop thinking of the sheep, stop it.
It's sheeps innards!
Woman, pick up the damn fork.
Sheep!
Ok, stop!
Jody has the camera on you....stop being a wuss.
Fork in hand...good...
Will I need a knife to cut into it?
Oh wow, my fork went right through it....
It smells wierd!
Lift fork....lift fork...lift fork...
I don't want to do this!
Shut up and take a bite!
Ok....it's in my mouth...
salty
wierd
gross
not gross
soft
mushy
sheep
oh god I'm going to hurl...
everyone's watching you, say something
swallow first!
ok now say something....
"It's not as bad as I thought it'd be...."
thank god that's over.

After lunch we caught a taxi back to St. Andrews, picked Gabriel up from daycare and treated ourselves to some double-cone icecream.....YUM!

UK Vacation (day 9)

(July 24, 2008)

Day nine--St. Andrews

After all the running around we did in Edinburgh and Stirling, it was definitely time for relaxation.

Jody and I got up and walked to BeanScene for breakfast. (Loved their cinnamin-rasin bagels)

Had a nice chat about the vacation thus far, looked through some tourist pamplets and then parted ways. (Jody was going to have a "boys day" with Shane and I was going to explore St. Andrews...and yes...when I say explore...I mean shop)

I know I've mentioned this before...but St. Andrews is beautiful...

As much as I love being with my husband...I really enjoyed this time alone.


Actually, I just really enjoyed not having to worry about someone else getting tired of walking or not wanting to go into the shops with me....

Jody is the BEST person to go biking with, driving with, or go to a movie with, etc....but he's definitely not the ideal candidate when it comes to walking and shopping. =)

I strolled around town, snapping photos, window-shopping, people-watching...etc...I was in heaven.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


After awhile I put the camera away and got the wallet out.

It was time to shop.

I stopped at a few places and found some really great souvenirs to send to family and friends....and a few things for meself...naturally.

Lunchtime rolled around and I parked my bottom at an outdoor cafe, ordered a sandwich and a cappuccino, bought a newspaper, put my sunglasses on (it was that sunny and warm) and lounged there for a few hours. It was wonderful.

BTW---Scottish terriers are adorable.

I made it back to the appartment before the boys and so Si and I had some quality girl time. We talked about the usual........mother-in-laws, babies, life, travel, etc.

The boys eventually made it back...they had rented bikes and invaded a skate park. =) Silly boys.

Later in the evening Sandra came over while Shane cooked up yet another amazing meal.

Dinner was superb and then it was time to get serious.....about cards. =)

I can't remember the name of the game...but there was a bit of name-calling, cursing and groaning and moaning going on.....coincidentally....the previous night we had watched a movie about pirates where there was also a lot of name-calling, cursing and groaning and moaning going on........ARGH! (Just for you Si)

The game ended pretty badly...I think the guys beat the girls somehow...or maybe they sabotaged the girls....I can't really remember the whole thing...I just remember the girls were not happy with the guys. =)

Turned in a bit late which was a bad idea since we'd need to get up early for our 13 mile hike along the Fife Coastal Path the next day....

bring it!!!!!!

UK Vacation (day 8)

(July 23, 2008)

Day eight--Edinburgh, Stirling

Started the morning off right....coffee and cereal. =)

Since Shane, Si and Gabriel were coming with us to Edinburgh (I was totally excited about this) we decided to make a game plan (in the event Gabriel didn't feel good...he was teething while we were there). The game plan was to pack up the car and head out to Edinburgh during Gabriel's nap time so he'd sleep in the car and be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed by the time we reached Edinburgh castle.

Plan worked like a charm.

Gabriel slept almost the entire drive and when he wasn't sleeping he was just looking out the window....so freakin cute...ok...moving on....

We reached Edinburgh Castle...it was situated at the top of a hill and it was....massive.

Jody and I had purchased explorer passes when we visited Urquhart Castle at Lochness so we didn't have to pay to get into this castle. (sweet!)

We hiked straight to the top of the castle and got an amazing view of the city....

The structure, the stone, it was all magnificent. I had a hard time looking at any one thing because there was SO MUCH to look at.....

The highlight of the castle (for me) was definitely the weapons room. (Eric...brace yourself lad...)

Swords, axes, spears and armor lined the walls. Guns made up a wheel of fortune of death. It was insane.

The massive amount of tourists (and massive amount of walking) starting getting to us (Jody mostly) and Gabriel was starting to get tired so we left Edinburgh castle (knowing we only saw a fraction of what that castle truly had to offer) and went in search of lunch.

Just down the royal mile we ran into none other than William Wallace.....well...the guy who is famous for playing William Wallace in Edinburgh. (Don't know his real name but have seen him featured on PBS Globetrekker and various other travel shows).

It must have been the testosterone I still felt after walking around in that weapons room...because I immediately walked up to him and challenged him to a fight. (No...I didn't. In fact I waited patiently as someone else took their picture with him and then asked if I could go next.)

FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok...back to the search for lunch....

We had a TON of options...

but decided to go with the Elephant House Cafe instead (the birthplace of Harry Potter)....

Apparently J.K.Rowling penned most of the first Harry Potter book in this cafe.

I can see why she was inspired here....the view of the castle from the cafe is astounding...

And the cappuccinos weren't bad either....

We lingered at the cafe as long as we could before having to rush back to the car (we had to make sure we didn't have any parking tickets) and then made our way to Stirling.

Stirling castle was also included in our explorers pass, but what I wanted out of Stirling was the William Wallace monument.

I wanted to see where the battle of Stirling took place. I wanted to look out on the horizon and visualize the battle.

When we got to Stirling, I could see the monument in the distance....(it's hard to miss actually)...but as we got closer, I appreciated the structure so much more...

Like most of the castles and monuments in Scotland....it was massive. I have no idea how tall it was...but I know the structure itself was built at the summit of a hill that was a bitch to climb! LOL!

Once we reached the top...it was totally worth it......we were now looking down at what once was a bloodied battlefield.....

When we reached the top we happened upon one of Wallace's soldiers retelling the story of the battle of Stirling.

I could have listened to him talk all day...

And now...I give you the only two pictures we have of Scotland with both of us in it..courtesy of Si. =)

After the Wallace monument we headed over to Stirling castle.

It was later in the day when we got there...so lucky for us...we had the entire castle almost to ourselves!

We also had a fantastic view of the Wallace monument from the castle....

One of the things I LOVED was that flowers and weeds continued to grow through these stone crevices throughout the castle walls.....

Another thing I loved.....Stirling kitchen...

It was great to be able to interact with the locals....

And you couldn't quite beat the view....

After a few hours we were kicked out of the castle....(I've never closed a castle down before....awesome)...

and eventually made the journey back to St. Andrews.

T'was a grand day!!!!!!!

UK Vacation (day 7)

(July 22, 2008)

Day seven---St. Andrews

Slept in for the first time since the vacation began.

Shane and Si's room is so awesome, they have this HUGE baywindow that overlooks the rooftops of St. Andrews....

Seriously...that's the view....it's FABULOUS! And the sky is really that blue!

Took a nice leisurely shower, got dressed and headed out with Norm, Si and Gabriel in search of cappucinos and snacks. (Shane had to study in the mornings...he's doing heavy research for his dissertation.)

Had cappucino and bagel at this really neat coffee shop called BeanScene and then walked around St. Andrews a bit before meeting Shane for lunch.

We grabbed sandwiches and walked across the street to one of the quads...I believe the medical building quad (gorgeous) and had lunch.

Pictured is us girls fashioning our glamo sunglasses and Shane tossing Gabe around.

After lunch, Shane had to go study again so Si and Gabriel took us on the walking tour of St. Andrews.

Obviously....St. Andrews is gorgeous. The weather was VERY warm that day....a nice 70 degrees....a bit too hot for the natives. =)

After a long day of walking and exploring Shane cooked up an amazing dinner and we all planned our next adventure....Edinburgh and Stirling....