The Land of the Free & the Home of the Brave (expats)... All Those in the US!

[UnderRated]

I just finished the old thread by accident

Califrau, I was brave and looked at your link. He is not scary at all. I have hadto become braver since I mingle with Ronald MacDonald at word dos. DS thinks RM is my friend

Oh you must see V for Vendetta. I liked it so much I bought the DVD.

DH is away this week, and today the 3 of us all have fevers, and I can hear croup coming in Colin's cough and breathing.

Oh Dooney

I cannot believe that, just hours before Election Day, in Obama's hometown, I am seeing commercials saying, "Obama: too radical, too risky" SNL is making me laugh. I never watch TV but this is quite entertaining.

Hi all.

We are finally getting ready to move. Sadly my hormone-addled brain has left me so forgetful I managed to forget ds's passport when we had our appointment at the embassy for visas. This means that although visas for me dh and dd have been ready for ages we are still waiting for ds's! The others were so quick we were confident we'd have his within a week so decided to go ahead with the arrangements for pickfords to ship the stuff.

We are currently camping out at my parent's house (ours is let) and just waiting for the darn visa. Flights are booked for thurs but we may be rearranging AGAIN if we don't get the call from the embassy today.

We just can't wait to go now and I'm not sure I can cope with many more goodbyes!!

On the plus side our house in Des Moines is ready and furnished with rented stuff so that's easy peasy.

I just want to get there and take things a bit easier - I can't believe how much there was to do. All while trying to take it easy as pregnancy has not been particularly straightforward.

Hope everyone survives election day! Are you all sick of it? Folks in the UK seem to be getting a bit bored with the newspapers being full of nothing else!!

Haven't seen you around for a while. Hope you are ok. Good luck Bunkups. Let us know when you arrive.

Have you seen these (very topical) cupcakes?

Hope your stuff follows you in a timely manner, bunkups.

Mmmmm. . . Obama cupcakes.

I'm glad the kids were sick Monday. One of the kids in Colin's class came down with chicken pox, and we missed it. I keep seeing different times for how long one is contagious beforehand, so either we've missed it, or it was a bad thing they were both in his class Friday.

Uh oh.

Have they been vaccinated? Does it matter? We used to have chicken-pox parties when I was little. But I do remember being quite unwell with it and missed my neighbour's party. For some reason I had to sleep in my sister's room. I have missing eyelashes on one eyelid where I have a tiny scar from it. Sending anti-CP vibes to the Dooney clan.

They both have, but it isn't 100%. That's another thing, depending on where I read, it is either 80 or 90%. Then there's the whole they've had one vaccine and they're fine, or they need a second booster around age 5, which they haven't had, because only one is required by the state.

I always managed to be the one sitting right next to whatever kid came down with CP at school, but never managed to get it until I was an adult. I have a huge scar under one of my boobs, because that was the 1st one I got, and CP never crossed my mind, as I was helping do the garden section where I worked, and figured I was having some sort of allergic reaction to a product. I'm glad that it is where very, very few people will see it.

I'm freezing. I keep looking up temperatures in C, and instead of being 40-something, it is 8. 8 does not sound good, and I think it subliminally makes me colder. I propose a Bermuda meet up, or something. Too bad we've decided to redo the house a bit and not take a big vacation this year.

Poor you, dooney.

I have a question re the word 'bum'.Several people have mentioned DS's recently (no idea why) but they always talk about his 'bum' not 'butt' or something else. Are they using a British word for my benefit or do Americans use it? And, if so, why have I never heard it over here before?

Gosh, it's cold over there. Was about high 70s here today

I know nobody that uses it. It isn't a West Coast Thang, that's for sure. Maybe they're trying to make you feel at home, albeit with a slightly odd choice of word to pick????

I forgot something about Guy Fawkes today. I was going to look it up to find out what I was celebrating, but I didn't. So I'm sitting here in my coat that looks like a parka, but isn't as warm, zipped up with the hood on with a glowstick waving lamely around saying something about not blowing up Parliament, which I know I'm not doing right because Parliament conjures up the musical group fronted by George Clinton in my mind, not British lawmakers and their building. DH is looking at me very oddly, but he's playing his game where he's a Hobbit, so I told him I look much more normal than his character does. I hope nobody looks in the window.

Waves enthusiastic hi to everyone. Quick question is Dittany an expat Yank in the UK? Curious. Very HAPPY day in CO today. Lots of smiling faces. Shame the Dow didn't feel the vibe.

Good question, I never thought about if she was or not, but that would be something that wouldn't be a great surprise. Maybe from Southern Oregon?

I was surprised about the Dow. I figured whatever the result would be, it would go up today. It can stay low for a few more days, though, as DH purchased a ton more of stock options, and the price doesn't lock in for a few more days.

Oh, how lovely of you to join us, Dooney.

I took DS over to the allotment after supper and we waggled glowsticks and lit a candle. Not quite your traditional Guy Fawkes night but there was fire and lights and darkness. I tried to teach him the 'Remember, remember the fifth of November..." thing but he just at me.

Dunno about Dittany. She is very vociferous re Obama & the election.

I did wonder how Wall Street would react to the result. What did gordon brown say, do we know?

WHat shall I do with half a tub of sour cream?

I don't know, I never have a problem having too much sour cream. I'm having Chicken Stroganov for dinner tomorrow, and that takes about 1/2 a tub, but I can see where it wouldn't work for you. (Did I mention DH is making increasing rumblings about being vegetarian? Please tell me pancetta counts as a vegetable.) Make sour cream cookies? I like those.

Will look up sourcream cookies, thanks

I don't think pancetta counts as veg but anchovies do Why is DH making noises about being veggie? I miss bacon. Proper bacon sarnies. Like the ones you used to get in twatrose cafe or, even better, Bournemouth airport. All fatty and greasy and salty. Yum! I fear I haved scarred my poor DS. Anytime he eats anything he asks, "Is this an animal? Is cheese an animal? Is chicken? What about turkey? Shall we eat fish? I like eating animals"

I don't really know. Every once and again he seems to make noise about something out of the blue. I think it will probably be one of those things he makes noise about for a bit and then forgets, though, but we could probably do no harm by incorporating more veggie meals in the meal plans.

I would definitely have a hard time giving up any bacon-like product. Tonight I took a lovely veggie recipe with roasted pears, greens, goat cheese and walnuts and threw several ounces of pancetta in there to make it even lovelier. I tried really hard not to.

Does anyone know how Anorak is? She's in Boston now, isn't she? When will she be home?

Thinking of you, Anorak