Skipton
Topic: Day Trips
It's Saturday and it's beautiful out. Definitely got to go somewhere.
Today Ryan and I went to Skipton. It's about twenty miles west of Harrogate straight off the A59. It was a pretty drive, with rolling countryside. There are farms, hedgerows, and brushy areas dotted with shaggy sheep. I felt a bit of a thrill upon the realization that I had just started to go farther on the A59 in that direction than I'd ever gone before. New territory!
I found a car park that was rapidly filling up. Parking was a bit expensive, but there's not much of an option.
I put Ryan in his stroller and walked back out to the main drag. There was a lively market going on outside on both sides of the road, in addition to the usual businesses there. The roads were mainly cobblestone, so that made pushing the stroller at times.
I wandered around a bit in search of an elusive Tourist Info. center that I never did find. I think they just put up signs to make tourists wander around strange backstreets. I saw signs for canal cruises. It occurred to me that Ryan had never been on a boat. He'd been on a plane and a train, so I thought, "What the heck? Let's go for a boat ride." We left the stroller and got onto the boat. The skipper was nice and friendly. When we began our half hour cruise, there were only four other people on the boat. It had a capacity for 12.
We saw a beautiful swan at the start of our cruise. I was to see one. Click here for photos from our day: Skipton
The cruise went down a side canal around the back of Skipton Castle. It was pretty and nice. The boat was small, so it was fairly quiet. (I've been on some noisy boats.) Ryan of course wanted to be practically hanging over the side looking at things. On the way back I saw a scene I wish I'd gotten a chance to photograph. We were passing a stationary canal cruiser, that I suspect may have doubled as a small houseboat. In a window framed by white lace curtains, there was a vase of pretty yellow flowers with a black cat lounging next to it. With the sun shining on it, it just would have been a relaxing image to capture.
After our canal cruise, Ryan and I went to Skipton Castle. Click here for the website: Skipton Castle I couldn't take the stroller on the castle grounds, so Ryan was going to have to hoof it most of the way. Luckily he's got lots of energy! The castle was a nice size for us to explore. It wasn't too big, so we could see pretty much all of it. There were plenty of places Ryan could run around. I did have to carry him up and down some of the steeper, spiral staircases. Luckily there weren't too many of those.
After a while we took a break at the tea room and got some refreshment. We went back out for a little longer, then headed back to the car.
All in all it was a really nice afternoon. We're very fortunate that there is so much to do in this general vicinity. As the weather keeps improving, it will be fun to get out and see more things.

Ryan Report, or, That Ring Really Socks
Topic: Ryan
I can't even tell if Ryan is over his cold or what. His nose is a lost cause until summer, I think.
Anyhow, when I put lotion on Ryan after his bath at night, I take my wedding ring off first. Sometimes I forget to put it back on. One morning I left Ryan in his room while I went to the bathroom. I realized I hadn't put my ring back on. When I came back, Ryan had it on his finger. He had his fist curled up so it wouldn't slip off. Clever lad. He didn't want to relinquish the ring. I did however, get it back. It looked weird on him, I must say.
Today I found that Ryan can match his socks. He likes to pull all his socks out of the sock drawer and either put them on the floor, or stuff them into different drawers. From the pile he made on the floor, he picked out a perfectly matched pair of socks and brought them to me to put on him. The socks did not, however, match his outfit. :) The socks he likes are white with red, and have little red reindeer on them. They go with his fleece reindeer outfit. I don't know why he likes those particular socks so much, but he does.
Lately he's been very good at communicating his desires. He still isn't really speaking English (he just says, "chee" instead of "cheese," for instance), but he gets what he wants. He goes over to the fridge, has me lift him up and open it, then he points to or grabs what he wants. One morning he wanted ravioli for breakfast, so I heated up some for him. What the heck? Another morning he wanted a slice of chee.
I'm not as worried anymore about Ryan climbing out of his crib. I don't know what possessed me about that for a while. It helps though that we have a baby gate in the doorway to Ryan's room. The other day we were upstairs, and I'd taken the baby gate down and leaned it against the wall. Ryan went over to the baby gate, and tried to put it back in his doorway! Not sure what was up with that.
I've been meaning to note for a while that I used up the last of the Dreft and have been using normal detergent on Ryan's clothes. It's not really a big deal (especially because before Ryan was born, I washed all his stuff in Tide before I realized you're not supposed to - it turned out fine though), but it's a mini-end of an era. I love the way Dreft smells. It's just one more move away from baby stuff, so that's why it made me a tiny bit wistful to let the Dreft go.
Something very cool happened the other day. I was talking to my Mom (hi Mom!), and told Ryan to say bye bye to Grandma. Ryan did! He also waved at the phone, which I thought was cute. I think that is the only time he's ever said, "bye bye." He doesn't wave very often, either.
I want to get my next post up before I go to bed, but in saying that I probably just jinxed myself. Check back in about an hour from the time this says it was posted. If it's not up then, it won't be tonight. If it is... enjoy!

Use Your Illusion
Topic: Featured Link
Now for something really different...
My Mom just sent me this.
Pink Dot Illusion
Click on that and have fun!
(I was "lucky" when I looked at it.)

Mercy Me
Now Playing: Classic fM tv
Topic: This and That
Today was busy. I had a doctor's appointment at 11am. One of the ladies in the baby sitting co-op was going to watch him. I got out of my car and almost got blown halfway back to Germany by the wind. The wind out at MHS is unreal. It gives the AV a serious run for its money. I hate it. There were dark clouds mixed in with sun. I took Ryan out of the car seat and walked over to the apartment. There was a very friendly, petite black kitty that desperately wanted inside. I rang the doorbell, but there was no answer. Turns out I had the wrong apartment. Oops. Luckily, the right one was only two doors down.
Ryan seemed to have a good time while I was at my appointment (which went well). It is a relief to know people who can watch him. Hourly care at the CDC is almost always full. I prefer to leave him in a home anyway.
After my appointment, we had the WIC appointment. After that, Ryan and I went to the commissary. On the way home, something very scary happened. A car came into my lane while passing a line of cars and a big truck. This car was coming fast and there was no way he was going to make it before I got there. I actually had to bring my car to a complete stop on the road, and the other car barely made it back in his lane. The only options I would have had would have been to be run off the road, or to throw it in reverse and hope no one was coming. It's a busy thoroughfare, only two lanes, curvy and rolling, and locals tend to speed. After I recovered from the shock of nearly being in a head on collision, I was PISSED OFF. How dare some jerk drive like that, thoughtlessly endangering me and my son? It's occurred to me before, but I was reminded that our lives are at eachother's mercy every day, multiple times a day. Every time we get in a car, we are trusting other people not to crash into us. Every time we step into a crosswalk, it's the same thing. We trust total strangers with our lives every day. Sobering thought.
To take it ever further, we trust people like bus drivers, taxi drivers, and pilots. Doctors, pharmacists. We trust that the person walking past us on the street won't stop and mug us, or pick our pockets. It's crazy. In some ways all we have keeping us safe and holding society together is trust in total strangers. We trust that those around us will conform to certain accepted behaviors. We trust that the people around us can adequately operate their vehicles, or perform their jobs.
I hope wherever that jerk today was going, it was worth risking my life and Ryan's, because that's what that man did.

WIC Appointment
Topic: Ryan
Today was Ryan's WIC appointment. He is 31 and 3/4 inches long and weighs 24 pounds even. He's right smack in the 50th percentile for height and weight. The appointment went well, actually. I feel bad because I was dreading it and saying not nice things about the WIC lady, and she turned out to be perfectly nice. Live and learn. Anyhow, she said that Ryan is doing well and I'm doing a good job with him. Yay!
He's still got a little bit of a cough and his nose still runs. It seems to stop at night and when he naps, so that's something at least.

Happy Valentine's Day!
Topic: Holidays

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope everyone is having a good one. Ryan and I did.
This morning we got what was one of the weirdest Valentine's things I've ever seen. A letter in a red envelope came through my letterbox. It had silver writing on it that said, "Happy Valentine's Day Love, Dad." It turned out to be an advertisement for a church! Nice of God to be handing out Valentines to the citizens of Harrogate.
Yesterday I made cupcakes to bring to a Valentine's party. I took some, along with some of those little kiddo Valentines, over to my next door neighbor's. That was fun. Ryan got to play with the kids there for a little bit.
We went to a Valentine's party at the Strike Zone at MHS. My friend Sarah organized the whole thing. It was a nice party. There were about a dozen kids, most of whom were somewhere near Ryan's age. There was free pizza, along with lots of sweets and snacks. (There were the cupcakes I made, cookies, brownies, rice krispy treats, mini-cheesecake bites, "goldfish" cheese crackers - only they were dolphins, and marshmallow peeps in heart shapes. Someone brought vegetables, oddly enough. The lady who brought them good naturedly said, "What was I thinking?!"
Ryan sat at the table in a booster seat. He was having a blast! He had pizza in one fist, and brownie in the other and a huge smile on his face. He loves parties! The people and the hustle and bustle seem to energize him. He really comes to life at get togethers.
We had a Valentine exchange. Each kiddo had a box with their name on it. The person providing the boxes used small size priority mail boxes. Cool! I can use it to mail a book to Larry! Anyhow, the haul was quite impressive. Ryan got in his box:
9 Valentines
8 lollipops
2 candy necklaces
1 goody bag (with one of the necklaces, a ring pop, and a cute little M&M mini-filled guy).
After everyone ate, we moved over to the bowling lanes. This was Ryan's very first time bowling. Not only were there bumpers on the lanes, but there was also a ramp that you could put the balls on so that they got some speed up before going down the lane. (You can see the ramp in the picture to the right.) I thought that was neat. Ryan LOVED bowling! He enjoyed pushing the ball, and was delighted to see it hit the pins and see the pins drop.
There were also some arcade games. There was one that was a driving game with a big steering wheel. I don't think it was plugged in. Ryan was having a great time just sitting on my lap turning the wheel. I had a vision of him as a 16 year old driving a car, and was grateful that is still a long time off!
All in all we had a fun time at the party.
We came home and Ryan slept for quite a while. He was pretty tired out.
Larry had e-mailed me in the morning saying when he would be in his room if I wanted to call. I thought that was sweet. In the evening I called Larry and he talked to Ryan. Larry sent me a Valentine's Day card that arrived today with perfect timing.
It's been an exciting couple of days for Ryan.
Last night Sarah's husband watched Ryan while Sarah and I went to the spouse coffee. At the coffee we had fondue and played bunco. I'd never done either before. There was a cheese and beer fondue that was heavenly.
Bunco was fun. It's a good activity for socializing, without straining your brain too much. (You do have to pay attention though.)
It was after 10pm by the time Ryan and I got home. It was fun to get out and have a girls' night. Ryan did well at Sarah's, so I was happy about that. Today Sarah told me her husband was amazed that Ryan did not stop moving the whole night. I said, "Welcome to my life!"

Rainy Day Writing
Topic: This and That
(I call this one, "Helping With The Laundry.")
Friday was the six month anniversary of Ryan and I moving to England. It's strange to think that much time has gone by already.
Yesterday I was trying to figure out what to get out and do. It was really cold out, and overcast. I talked to a friend on the phone who lives out at MHS and she said it was snowing there. I have yet to see it snow here, but it sure gets cold enough plenty often. Today it's just been raining. Most of the time it's a kind of fine rain that doesn't really get you wet.
Yesterday I wound up just putting Ryan in his stroller and going for a walk around the Victoria shopping center. On weekends it's quite busy, making for interesting people watching. I'd forgotten how vibrant the area is on a Saturday, with all sorts of interesting sounds and scents wafting on the air. There was a man in a kilt playing the bagpipes for donations. It was pretty cold, so I was impressed to see him in a kilt! The aromas were fun. There are several bakeries and coffee shops, not to mention a personalized/organic type cosmetic shop with various clean and floral scents emanating from within.
Speaking of cafes, there's a new one that just opened up called, "Caffe Latino." (Yes, there are two "f's" in it, plus an accent over the "e.") It's right across from another cafe, Cafe Nero, and a couple doors down from Starbucks. When I went in to check it out, it was packed, so I guess there's enough business for everyone.
My mission for this particular outing yesterday was to pick up some scones and some clotted cream to put on them. I was going to get the scones from Betty's, but that place was a madhouse. I got a couple scones, along with some savory pasties, from another bakery. I got the cream from ASDA and was all set.
I actually checked out the Caffe Latino Thursday or Friday. I had been by a few days before and a man there told me they would be open in a couple of days. When I came back, the same man, whom I assume is one of the proprietors, opened the door for me and Ryan. I thought that was nice. He gave Ryan a cookie. I got a mocha capuccino. The drink seemed more European in character compared to your average Starbucks. It reminded me of the many capuccinos I've had in various European countries. They had a really good selection of sandwiches and pastries. I think what I would do for a lunch situation would be get food there, then coffee at Starbucks.
A few weeks ago I came up with a concept I would dearly love to execute: "A Cafe A Day." I love the Travel Channel and the Fine Living Channel and the Foodnetwork. There are so many cafes walking distance from my house it's ridiculous. I think it would be so cool and so much fun to go to one a day and review it. Unfortunately, that would get rather expensive in a hurry. Also, as well behaved as Ryan can be, having him around is not conducive to relaxing and soaking up a cafe's ambiance. So I might not be able to do a cafe a day, but I can definitely get coffee and a snack to go from various ones now and then.
Ryan still seems to be sick. A friend of mine said a doctor here told her that kids that live here, who aren't born here, tend to be sick more often than usual. Great. Shall I just consider this immune system building? Ryan seems fine except his nose won't stop running, and he has an intermittent cough that's worse at night. He's taking a marathon nap right now, which is good since I'm sure he needs the rest. The last couple of days he didn't nap much, so I think it's caught up to him.
It's hard because this time of year is a bad time for bugs and such going around. I was supposed to get together with my next door neighbor, but her kids were sick and bronchitis was going around at their school. With Ryan still having a runny nose, we thought it would be better to wait. It was sad though, because Ryan saw the next door neighbor kids, and cried when he couldn't play with them!
I'm mostly fine. I'd say about 90 to 95% over my cold. I think I will try to run again soon. There's a race at MHS around St. Patrick's Day that I would like to participate in.
Lately Ryan's been trying to feed himself with his spoon and fork. I'll try to feed him and he'll push my hand away and say, "No!"
The next three days should be busy. Tomorrow night there's a spouse coffee that will involve something called, "bunko," that I have never played before. Tuesday is a Valentine's day party for moms and kiddos. Wednesday I have a doctor's appointment (woo!) and Ryan has a WIC appointment. The WIC lady intimidates me, but I need some advice on how to get veggies and fruit into Ryan's life. Hopefully she can help.
For those of you who have been wondering about Larry, he's fine. He's busy. Apparently he's fighting off the flu or something there, too. It's quite warm in San Angelo. It's sunny and in the 60's and 70's. Isn't this supposed to be winter? Anyhow, on the weekends I call and he talks to Ryan. I'm glad Ryan gets to hear Larry's voice.
Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Ryan's awake!

RHS Garden Harlow Carr
Topic: Day Trips
(When I took this photo, Ryan was running toward me. Even though he's a little out of focus, the look in his eyes makes the picture.)
Yesterday was sunny after a gray and icky stretch. I had to get out of the house. I never realized how close to our house the RHS Garden Harlow Carr was. (Royal Horticultural Society) It's only a couple miles away.
There's a plant center and shop in front of the Garden. I parked and took Ryan in in his stroller. I saw other people with strollers, so I thought that was a good sign. The shop was really nice. It had all manner of books having anything and everything to do with gardening and plants. They also had general interest books, and a really nice children's book section. There was a gift section, with beautiful journals, cards, address books, stationary, as well as tea sets and all sorts of gift items. One section of the shop was sunken down half a level and was a wide, yet cozy area with a huge bay window overlooking the Garden. It was gorgeous. There were books and flowers everywhere. The wall opposite the window was decorated with metal dragonfly sculptures. That made me smile. I felt so happy and comfortable there. Being in such gorgeous surroundings, I realized that I am lacking beauty in my life. I need to do something about that.
Next to the shop is a plant center. There wasn't much in it this time of year, but it was still nice. It had a conservatory style roof, so it was warm, but the sun came through.
RHS Garden Harlow Carr (Click on this link for the Garden's website.)
I went outside to walk around and explore. It was bright out, but very windy and cold. Since it's winter, there wasn't much going on in the Garden, but I could tell that once spring arrives, it's going to be spectacular.
I kept thinking how much my grandfather Walt would have loved this place. He was quite the gardener and could make anything grow.
I walked around and found a playground. Ryan is still too little for most things, but he loves slides. I helped him up and down the slide a bunch of times. I let him run around a bit. Unfortunately it was a bit wet, muddy, and slick in some places. Ryan was getting away from me and falling down and getting wet and dirty. Since it was cold and windy out, I wanted to minimize the damage and get him back in his stroller. Ryan had other ideas. Of course he would rather run around than be confined. He threw a huge fit. I don't blame him, really. I tried to explain things to him, but he wasn't having it. I think he was getting tired, too.
There's a really nice tea house and cafe there. It's a Betty's. (There's one in the Victoria shopping area.) I wanted to get some refreshment, but I wasn't sure Ryan would cooperate. I figured I'd better get him home. I look forward to going back to the Garden in the spring and summer.
Harlow Carr Snapshots Click here for a few photos from the Garden. I didn't take very many since the Garden is in a somewhat dormant state.

Ryan Report
Topic: Ryan
Ryan didn't get his shots today. The clinic was out of one of them, and also they wanted Ryan to be 100% over his cold, which he's not yet. I did have the doctor give him a quick once over though. Apparently, other than getting over a cold, he's fine. That red cheek thing is Fifth disease, which Ryan doesn't have. It's just called "slapped cheek" over here. Weird.

Four Things
Topic: This and That
Four Things
Stolen from Kate

Four jobs I've had (not necessarily in order)
1. Barista at Starbucks
2. Backup singer on a demo tape
3. Extra in the movie, "Messenger of Death"
4. Drummer for an accordion band in a competition

Four movies I can watch over and over
1. Grosse Pointe Blank
2. Hunt For Red October
3. Under the Tuscan Sun
4. Threesome

Four places I have lived
1. Wuerzburg, Germany
2. Palmdale, CA
3. Seaside, CA
4. Irvine, CA

Four TV shows I love
1. Lost
2. Alias (only the first three seasons)
3. I don't watch much tv over here.
4. Sadly, I am very behind on current shows.

Four places I've vacationed
1. Prague
2. Rome
3. Amsterdam
4. Paris

Four of my favorite dishes
1. My mom's pressure cooker pot roast
2. a #1 with beef from Ernie's
3. kung pow chicken from the Great Wall
4. my father in law's tacos

Four places I would rather be right now
1. Back in Germany
2. At my parents'
3. Santa Barbara
4. Scotland