Sarnies

I love most things about America-land, I really do.  But without beating around the bush, I absolutely LOATHE the sandwiches here.  This is what many 'normal' American sandwiches look like:

Loaded, I say, loaded with meat - way too much bloody meat!!!  How much meat do you need, and why bother with the bread at all?  Have you seen some of the sandwiches that Adam Richman eats on Man vs Food?  They're not sandwiches at all, they're just huge piles of meat!  American sandwich bread is usually sweet and slightly floppy - everybody in America should immediately travel to the UK and try a delicious, crusty, filled baguette or sandwich from the local baker on any High Street, I promise you that your mind will be blown.  Even Marks and Spencer sandwiches are better than most of the deli sandwiches over here.  Oh the joy of fresh, granary bread, filled with whatever takes your fancy, that doesn't involve a massive pile of meat.  Yes, we too can make large sandwiches, but not the colossal size that is so normal over here.  If the filling is tasty and the bread decent, you don't have to!

Perhaps the meat quantity in the US is to disguise the taste of the bread.  Brits want to taste the bread, it's equally as important as the filling.  A favorite sandwich back home is prawn cocktail, either on bread or in a baguette.   Prawns in America are called shrimp and a shrimp cocktail sauce here is bright red and slightly spicy.  It's pretty good, but it's not British prawn cocktail, which is prawns mixed in a creamy, tangy sauce.  Baguettes are not and should never be soft, America.  You should never, ever be able to bend a baguette.  If you can, you should stop what you're doing and immediately run for the hills. 

I miss British sandwich menus too.  It's mostly the same old, same old here - reuben, turkey, ham, blah blah blah.  ALL PILED HIGH WITH MEAT.  I would love to be able to order a chicken tikka sandwich, a coronation chicken sandwich, any variation of flavorful British cheese with pickle, or even some tasty meat - just not in a huge pile (don't mention mad cow please)! 

Anyway, as always people, this blog is written mostly tongue in cheek, so please don't be offended!  I do have a favorite sandwich place here called Jimmy Johns which has just the right amount of meat and tastes delicious, so it's not all bad :)  Our Scottish vacation date is drawing closer, and it's safe to say that we will be out and about a lot, sampling delicious sandwiches all over the Highlands.  I really can't wait!  Prepare to be bored to tears with millions of food photos when we return :)   Till next time...! 

Anyone for Tennis?

ESPN, you are killing me.  It's Wimbledon time, but for some reason you don't think it's necessary to show games in their entirety.  You cut without notice to other matches and play commercials at ridiculous times - I can't bear it!  Don't you realize that my heart literally stops beating when Andy Murray is playing?  For God's sake ESPN, I'm Scottish, we rarely win anything, but Mr Murray has a good chance this year so PLEASE let me watch a whole game!  Your commentary is also extremely dull, a good commentary team can add so much to the whole experience and yours is sadly lacking.  It was the same for last year's World Cup - your commentators had little to no enthusiasm and commercials were way too frequent, I miss the UK so much at times like these.  At home, I'd get to see the whole match plus the pre-match build up, post-match commentary, interviews and even get to see what Kim (Andy's wife) is wearing!!  I also like to see who's in the Royal Box, who the Beckhams are sitting next to, and what other celebrities are in the audience.  No such luck on TV over here.  Bah humbug!

C'mon Andy!!!

One of my favorite American holidays has just taken place, the 4th of July.  I'm happy to report that it was Molly's least stressful Independence Day ever.  Usually, the 2 weeks preceding the day itself are full of fireworks going off at all times of the day and night and Molly will be found pacing our closet, shaking and panting like she's going to die.  It's equally as distressing for us as it is for her, as there's not much you can do to help her.   We've tried prescription tranquilizers in the past, and also her thundershirt - which actually works pretty well for thunderstorms, but fireworks not so much.  Anyway, I took her to the vet here a few weeks ago, and she prescribed our fur baby some human Xanax.  I gave her one the day before the fireworks, another the day of, and she was pretty calm even during the noisiest part of the night which was unbelievable!  I stayed with her in the one air conditioned room of the house most of the night, played some loud Taylor Swift music and it all really worked.  She got up the next morning, right as rain and no more fireworks have been heard since.  I'd definitely recommend asking your vet for Xanax if your dog suffers during fireworks or storms.

It's been bloody well roasting here recently!  So much so that we had to buy a portable air conditioning unit because we were all sweating and whining profusely.  I know, first world problems and all that...  When somebody tells you it rains all the time in Seattle, believe me, they are lying.  We're off to Scotland on our hols soon, I know there's not a chance of the weather being this nice there and it's going to be tough dragging out all our long sleeved shirts and trousers to pack.  But this time next week, I'll be in my beautiful homeland for the first time in 3 years, and I'm more than excited, regardless of the weather.

Life here continues to be very good, the kiddos have done a variety of summer camps already and we've done a few outdoor activities as a family.  We recently hiked to Annette Lake on a hot Saturday.  It's a 4 mile climb to get there, but once you reach the top you are greeted with this view:

Even my youngest who didn't enjoy the last mile or so of climbing agreed that it was worth the effort.  We spent the day chilling on one of the small beaches, swimming and chatting to other hikers before the return hike down.  We are so lucky to live this close to such beautiful destinations like this, and we intend returning to Annette Lake to camp out overnight towards the end of the summer. 

Anyway, that's my quick catch up for now, blogging has definitely taken a backseat recently!  I'm sure I'll have lots to report after our Scotland trip though, so till then folks, have a great summer! 

Shoes, Soccer & Outlander

It's safe to say that blogging has been on the back burner since we moved to WA.  Perhaps it's because I've been in the States for so long that I'm finally used to most things over here, or maybe it's just because we're now living somewhere that I could actually see us staying for a very long time.  Regardless, we've definitely settled in here and got in our groove! 

Of course, most days I still say things that are prone to confusion.  I was speaking with an American friend the other day discussing what she should wear to an interview.  We got the outfit sorted, then I told her just to finish it off with a nice pair of court shoes.  There was a silence so I realized that I'd said something not quite right.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you UK style court shoes:

And the US version of court shoes:

I guess I should have known, given what country I'm in, and it definitely wouldn't be a good idea to wear court shoes to an interview in the US.  Lesson learned...

Speaking of sports, we've become diehard Seattle Sounders fans and have already applied for season tickets for 2016.  We've been to a few games recently, and have tickets for a few more before the end of this season.  All we need to do now is learn some of the songs/chants!  To be honest, I think I've been to more soccer games here than I ever went to in the UK.  The atmosphere here is amazing.  It's also very family friendly so we can take the littles without worrying about the football hooligans or casuals that you sometimes get back home.  Shame really.  Although we did find a pie and sausage roll stand in the stadium that serves delicious, authentic Brit food - albeit for a small fortune.  But it's well worth it for a taste of home and the Scotch pies were AMAZING!  The beer selection isn't lacking at the stadium either.  You can't beat watching a game, beer and pie in hand with the sun shining.  Go Sounders, fight and win!!! 

We've been to see the Mariners play (baseball) too, it was definitely a fun experience but not nearly as exciting as soccer.  Sorry baseball fans, but the most exciting part for me is what celebrity gets to throw the first pitch!  I love the patriotism before the games though, (both soccer and baseball) hats off and standing for the National Anthem.  It gets me every time.  I really feel lucky and proud to be both a British and an American citizen, and I love how Americans celebrate their country.  'MERICA!!! 

Another huge bonus of living here are the many local breweries and wineries - and they're all fantastic!  But man, I'm going to weigh 200lbs soon if I don't refrain.  My favorites are too numerous to mention, but it's so cool to be able to visit the actual brewery of your favorite tipple whenever you're out and about, or just go and try a new one someplace you haven't been before.  Oregon beers and wines are plentiful here too, and just as tasty.  I think I'm slowly turning into a beer snob - although I still wouldn't say no to a good ol' mass produced Shocktop :)  

Our neighborhood is also pretty fantastic.  There's never a shortage of kids outside playing.  Friday afternoons/evenings have turned into Fun Friday for kids and grownups alike, we enjoy our adult beverages, chuck some food on the BBQ, order pizza for the kiddos and everybody just hangs out.  If this is the American dream, then I like it a lot :) 

Has anybody else been watching Outlander on TV?  I read the books last year after being pestered by a few friends for years.  I had no interest because it sounded so cheesy - time traveling back to Scotland - umm, no thank you.  But, I gave it a go and ended up absolutely loving them.  In fact, I cried when I read the last one and I wish Diana Gabaldon would hurry her ass up and write book number 9!!!  Anyway, there's been a TV series made from the first one and it totally did the book justice.  My friend DD, who coincidentally is also a genuine Sassenach, lives close to where they're filming Season 2.  She's been down taking photos and spying on the handsomeness that is Sam Heughan and some of the other characters.  I'm more than jealous!  Funny thing is, it's given me a renewed interest in Scottish history.  It's not that I've never been into Scottish history, I have, but I will definitely be looking at places differently when we go home in the summer.  Culloden Battlefield (which features heavily in Outlander) is not far from my parents' home at all, and I want my kids to know about my homeland's colorful and tragic history, so we will be visiting there for sure, amongst other places.  I consider myself very lucky to come from such a small but beautiful country with such a huge history - and as patriotic as I am about America, Scotland will always have the number one place in my heart. 

Sam Heughan as Jamie in Outlander.  Phwoarrr!!

Anyway, that's it for now, life is fantastic in WA and it just keeps getting better.  I'm going to try to be more consistent with the blogging now too, so be warned :)  Till next time from sunny Washington, folks!     











 

Happy stuff

Let's talk poo for a moment.  As a Mum to 3 kiddos and 1 fur baby, I've changed countless diapers and cleaned up many messes that have caused me to gag over the years, but that's all part of being a parent of course!  Recently though, I've had to deal with way too many poo situations of toilet blocking proportions.  Is it because American toilets are different from British toilets?  I don't remember the toilet ever blocking this much in the UK, or is it that my kiddos are doing something they shouldn't?  Regardless, after spending 45 minutes trying to unblock the downstairs toilet from one of the kiddos this morning, the feeling of elation I had when I was finally successful, led me to shriek with happiness.  Today's tools included the obligatory wire coathanger, baking soda, vinegar, washing up liquid and finally, the plunger.  I hate even touching the plunger because of it's history.  To me, it's in the same category as raw meat.  Shudder.  But in the end, it came through and finally sent the poo of epic proportions on it's merry little way to the Pacific Ocean.  Strange the things that make you happy huh?

Lots of other things have made me happy this week!  Middle son did great at the soccer tryouts and made the team, we are so proud and excited for him.  One of his friends from down the street also made the same team, and they're now thick as thieves which is great.  There are a lot of kids in the neighborhood so there's always someone for my kids to play with.  It was the same in Tennessee, but I was worried there would be nobody for them to play with here - happily I was wrong!

We took a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island and drove from there out to Poulsbo at the weekend, the dog came too.

Riding the ferry

It was a beautiful day and the scenery was amazing.  We considered living out there when we first moved here, but the daily ferry commute for the husband was a bit daunting so we ended up by the mountains instead, which definitely isn't a bad thing.  Bainbridge was gorgeous as was Poulsbo.  We walked on the pebbly beach, found tons of crabs and had lunch outside in the sun at JJ's - Molly too.  It's just a shame that it's taken her till she's 14 to calm down enough to be able to do that with her!  Poulsbo reminded me of Scotland and Cornwall, and we had a wonderful, relaxing day. 

Beautiful Poulsbo

JJ's

Instead of taking the ferry home, we drove down to Gig Harbor to check it out too.  Another gorgeous waterside town with incredible views of Mount Rainier.  Seeing Mount Rainer as many times as I do also makes me very happy.  It's bleedin' massive.  It doesn't look real, but there it is, sticking way up into the sky.  It's hard to take your eyes off it when you can see it, I'm so lucky to live in this amazing place!

I met up with a friend from Korea for lunch at (of course) a Korean Restaurant in Redmond.   It was so good to hook up again after all these years!  The conversation, the food and the sides were fabulous and I'll definitely take the family back for dinner. 

This past week wasn't all rainbows and unicorns though.  I had the misfortune to meet who could only be described as the most miserable and rude man in Washington in the parking lot of my daughter's martial arts center.  Parking spaces there are pretty tight, and my parking on that day wasn't exactly stellar, BUT, there was still some space between me and the line as you can see in this pic (my van is on the left).

I am not parked on the line!!!!

Anyway, there I was, sitting in the van with the boys, waiting to go in and collect my daughter, when my new friend pulled up in the space on my right.  He opened his door and it banged loudly on my van.  He just looked at me and walked off.  I was a bit disconcerted of course, so got out for a look, and asked him if he'd just dented my van.  He kept walking so I said it a bit louder but with a polite excuse me.  He turned round and started yelling at me, saying he hadn't touched my van, it was just my mirror and that I had no right to accuse him of anything because of my parking.  I was speechless, he'd obviously had a very bad day, but there was absolutely no reason for him to start screeching!  He refused to acknowledge that he'd banged my van,  yelled a bit more, then turned round and stomped right into my daughter's martial arts place.  Not one to remain silent - especially when I'm in the right - I called after him that he was the rudest man I've ever met and that he obviously has a problem.  A lady in the parking lot was concerned about me (bless her) and she too agreed that he was indeed crazy.  I then had to run the gauntlet of walking inside the building to pick up my daughter while he was there waiting for his son.  Ha!  I can't wait to see him twice every week as we pick up our children at the same time and place...

So apart from the miserable b****** mentioned above, it was a mostly happy week!  There are so many things to do around here that we will certainly never get bored, although it could get pretty boring being yelled at in the parking lot every week!      

Elk, Cherry Pie & Soccer

This place amazes me every day.  On the way home last week this happened:

Right next to the road.  Yes, I pulled over like a tourist and took a photo, but wow, who gets to see an elk herd this close up?   They might look like gentle giants but somebody's dog was actually attacked by one of them at a nearby lake yesterday, so I'll be keeping our Molly on a short leash when I'm up there!

We had family visiting over the weekend and it was so much fun being tourists.  We hiked locally to Teneriffe Falls on Saturday.  The trail was pretty challenging for the kiddos towards the top, but it was so worth it to see the Falls.

So steep!

We rewarded ourselves afterwards at Twede's Cafe in North Bend, famous for being on Twin Peaks and for having the most awesome cherry pie.  I can confirm that it was indeed the best cherry pie I've ever eaten - crust and all - which is really something because I usually don't like pie crust! 

After we cleaned up from hiking, we drove to Seattle to drop a small fortune on buy shirts and scarves for the Sounders soccer game that we were going to the next day.  Mission accomplished, we took a walk around the waterfront for some people watching, a scenery fix and a Rachel's Ginger Beer to go.  I'm still getting used to all these imaginative ways to park downtown and get around.  We used Zirx for our parking.  You tell them your whereabouts, some nice man shows up and takes your car away and then keeps it someplace safe until you're ready for it later on.  No matter where you happen to end up later on, they will deliver it back to you!  It's pretty cheap too!

Daughter in crow pose with a view :)

We decided we wanted to eat Korean BBQ, so we uber'd it out to Shoreline where the only Korean restaurant in Seattle with grills at the tables is situated.  It was well worth the trip out there.  The taste of bulgogi, kimchi and mandu transported us back to Korea, minus the nasty smells of Songtan of course.  OB beers were consumed and a bottle of soju purchased to take home.  Only the husband partook in the soju though, I'm still scarred from drinking one too many soju slushies when we lived there!   The staff were lovely, helpful and we will definitely return in the future.  If you fancy giving it a try, here's the link: Old Village Korean BBQ

Korean BBQ

Sunday was game day.  We arrived pretty early at the stadium, but there was already tons of people milling around.  The Seattle Sounders/Portland Timbers rivalry is serious, some drunken 'lady' was yelling swear words at our kids while we were looking for our friends.  Normally Americans are so nice that it was a bit of a shock to be honest!  The atmosphere in the stadium and the game itself were FANTASTIC!!!  We ate authentic Scotch pies, rather expensive, but they were the real deal.  The stall also had sausage rolls which I will definitely try at our next game.  We yelled ourselves hoarse, learned some of the team chants and watched the Sounders win.  We also met up with 2 friends that we haven't seen since our wedding, many years ago!  They were supporting the opposition, but still hung out with us for a while even though we were decked in Seattle shades of green and grey :)  Middle son was in heaven seeing two of his soccer idols, Dempsey and Martins and it was so exciting when Dempsey scored. 

Posing!

Rocking our Sounders scarves :)

Speaking of soccer, this week middle son started tryouts for select soccer.  It's a whole different ball game up here (pardon the pun) from how it was in Tennessee.  The pressure on the boys here is enormous.  My son is 9 years old and awesome at soccer, but there is a good chance that he might not get selected.  I can't even imagine how rejection would feel for a kid his age - not good obviously, and probably very spirit crushing.  There were a lot of boys there for the first session and to me, it looked like not enough coaches taking notes on the boys trying out (but that's probably just an over anxious Mum thing)!  All the kids out there were awesome, the competition is high and this isn't even premier - a whole other level higher than select.  I don't want my son to be mollycoddled at all, but I also think he's kinda young for all this pressure.  One more session to go and then we find out who  made it.  Please cross your fingers for my wee lad! 

Otherwise, things are going great here.  There are so many things to do, see and eat.  I miss our friends from Tennessee of course, but we're starting to make new ones here in WA.  I've even seen the sun A LOT contrary to popular belief!  I'm also happy to report that I haven't bumped into any bears yet, let's hope that streak of luck lasts.  And of course, you can be sure I'll tell you all about it, were it ever to happen! 

7 things

I would like to share some new (to me) things this week. 

Number 1:

My Washington license plates!  No more Scottish flag on the front of my car (sniff), but I guess I won't be so easily recognized on the road any more, which probably isn't a bad thing when I may be having a bad driving day. 

Number 2:

A bunch of reusable shopping bags.  Recycling rules here and I'm getting used to it already.  I used to reuse my plastic grocery bags for poop patrol, but they weren't always reliable, if you know what I mean.  I now buy proper poop bags and don't have to worry about getting poop in my fingernails ever again (true story).   

Number 3:

Bear Spray!!!  Yes, yes, I know I'll probably never need it, but we plan on taking a lot of hikes around here with the kiddos, and you just never know.  Better safe than sorry! 

Number 4:

My brand spanking new bear proof trash can with a locking lid!  Because it's been a warm spring, bear activity has been pretty high around our neighborhood and the surrounding area.  Do I want to get arrested for feeding bears from my trash can?  No sir.  I would rather pay the extra $4 a month for a locking lid to keep my furry friends away. 

Number 5:

Strange (to us) snacks.  I'm in the healthy mecca of America, so I may as well jump on the bandwagon!  I even made raw brownies last week, strange tasting at first, but the whole pan was gone in a day so they were actually pretty good.   No photo of those because they were eaten so quickly!

Number 6:

Every time I look out the window and see this in the yard, I jump because I think it's a bloody bear or something.  It's the husband's shiny new smoker/bbq/thingy and it's absolutely massive.  I have absolutely no idea how it works or what it does.  I only know that it eats wood pellets that look kinda like gerbil food.  The husband assures me I will be enjoying delicious smoked meats soon, perhaps if I'm lucky, it will also do the laundry or help the kids with their homework.

Number 7:

Homework.  In Tennessee, the kids' school had a no homework policy which I absolutely loved.  The kids had lots of time to play outside with their friends and time to do their after school activities.  Here, however, my youngest especially seems to have quite a lot.  I have always had an aversion to maths (sorry America, still can't call it math), so let me tell you people, I've nearly been brought to tears this week by 2nd Grade geometry.  Thankfully my kids are cleverer than me, but I'm glad it's the weekend tomorrow and NO HOMEWORK!!!

So that's it from beautiful Washington for now.  The weather is going to be nice all weekend - it really doesn't rain here all the time - and we're going to go hiking with my bear spray :)  We did a fantastic trail last weekend at Mailbox Peak, which is a mere 20 minutes from the house.  Here are a couple of photos for you.

I am truly astounded by the beauty of this place every time I leave the house and I really can't believe we live somewhere so beautiful!  Livin' the dream baby... well, apart from the homework! 

What's going on

So, we've been in the Pacific NW for over a week now.  The movers came on Wednesday and Thursday, then we moved in to our new house on Saturday after a final breakfast in Seattle at the Portage Bay Cafe.  Man, that place is the bomb.  I had bananas foster french toast, smothered in caramelized bananas, sauce, fresh strawberries and coconut.  I could eat it every day and never get bored.  Perhaps that's why when I weighed myself this morning for the first time since all this moving house business began, I saw that I've gained a massive 10lbs!!!  Eeeek!  My excuse is that we've been eating out for every meal, every day, over the last 2+ weeks, but I don't have an excuse any more, so it's time to get back on the healthy train.

The kids started school on Friday, just to get a feel for it before Spring Break.  I'm happy to say that they loved it and are really excited to go back!  Middle son is doing a UK Elite Soccer Camp all this week, and it's rained quite a bit.  If we were still in Tennessee, the camp would for sure have been cancelled, but here, it's business as usual!  It's the same at their school.  If it rains, the kids still have outside recess.  The only time they don't, is if there is thunder and lightning. Just like back home in Scotland really.  Monday marked the husband's first day of commuting.  He left pretty early and his drive was only 30 minutes, which is pretty good for driving into Seattle. 

The funny thing is, although we've downsized quite substantially from our Tennessee McMansion, we still have to buy new furniture for our rental house.  I thought we'd have way too much stuff, but turns out not so.  Our house is lovely and has amazing views.  There is a golf course out back, we can see Mount Si from the front, and beautiful tree covered hills to the side.  Like the bananas foster french toast, I don't think I'll ever tire of such spectacular views!  Another difference from Tennessee is that there is no air conditioning in most houses here and our rental doesn't even have ceiling fans.  I can't complain yet because it's not summer, but we'll see how that goes...

I'm loving being able to buy beer AND wine in the grocery store, and even better, you don't get asked for your ID every time you do so!  It's the small things!   My freak magnet is still drawing them in though and I did have an encounter in the Safeway bathroom yesterday.  I was waiting for my son and trying to avoid eye contact with some lady who was literally just staring at herself in the mirror and poking her forehead.  She then asked me if I shopped at Safeway or QFC the most.  I said Safeway to be polite, she then launched into an angry tirade about how people at the other grocery store are so much nicer.  As soon as my son was done, we were out of there at top speed.  I guess being approached by strange people isn't just a Tennessee phenomenon. Otherwise though, I'm happy to say that everybody I've met so far has been really friendly! 

Anyway, sorry this was very mixed up and random, but I've been too busy to sit down and think about writing a proper blog post!  Hopefully normal service will be resumed once the kiddos are back at school next week.  Till then!