Where the Deer and the Antelope Play - Living in the USA (visitors welcome)

[SuperBunny]

East Coast
MaNanny - Boston
Twinmommytobe - Boston
MuminCT - CT
Greatgooglymoogly - NY State
Yesthereare4ofthem - NY State
Brooklynmom - NYC
alarkaspree - NYC
MKG - New Jersey
Mummimamma - PA
Poetmum - PA
Twirl - MD

South
Earlybird - TN
jabberwocky - AR
Sunchowder - Florida
Marls001 - Bentonville, AR
Tinpot - NC
MadameDeathStare- AL

Midwest
SuperBunny- Chicago
Dodgykeeper - Dayton, OH
Chocchipcookie - Ohio
MonkeyLover
KickAssAngel - Ann Arbor, MI

Rockies
Alipiggie - Boulder, CO
Ribena

Northwest
AnnieLaurie - Seattle, WA
Dooneygirl - Oregon City, OR

California
SittingBull - nr San Francisco
Califrau - Milpitas
loopsngeorge - Brentwood, LA
Syd - Manhattan Beach, LA
SofiaAmes - LA
LATyke - Redondo Beach

Texas
Texan - Dallas
Tiggyhop - Houston
Vixie78 - Houston
BananaPudding - Austin
Cosmicdust - East Texas

Canada
Hellish - Ottawa
Shouldlistenedtomymum - Hamilton
Nooka - BC
Jacksmama - Langley

Exotic Islands
Anorak - Bermuda
cp - Trinidad
Barefeete - BVI

Brazil
Albert

Ooo, welsh cakes. Do you have a bakestone, cali?

It's pouring - proper English rain!

when americans say grill do they really mean shallow fry? cos when you ask for a grilled sandwich, it's shallow fried, isn't it? i don't have any kind of a grill, and can't have chees on toast! ]sorry, dooney, we're talking food again.

Yes, grilled cheese seems to be done in a frying pan. I make DS's by buttering the wrong side of the bread, making the sandwich, then cooking in the frying pan.

Or I just make cheese on toast in the toaster oven.

Oh, I made pretzels - the big soft kind. They are delicious!

What do you cook in your griddle thing, Cali? Is it just for meat? It looks like a fancy George Foreman. I always want to say George Formby.

ooh, sn how did yo make prerzels? dd loves them, i take her to the mall for a cheesy one, but would be fun to do at home.

Hello everyone I am now officially sick of the winter. The roads here in Boston are so full of potholes and last night I was driving home and went through a pothole and my tyre blew!!! Luckily I managed to avoid crashing my car or being hit by other cars (who just honked at me and swerved around me, like it was my fault the damn tyre blew up) so now I am stiff and sore, my car needs a new tyre and rim, the AAA guy had to come and rescue me, and it happened in a rough end of town. Ugh. Highly recommend NOT driving through potholes at 50mph.

oh, mananny, bit of a bummer (are we allowed to say that in the us?)
when we bought cars, they tried to sell us insurance against that sort of thing, but we decided to risk it. near us there's an on/off ramp so bad we have to drive at about 5 mph (AA/Saline, mumof5. i'm sure you know)

I love talking about food, kickass. I'm a food and recipe freak. And now I have a kitchen scale, I'm a freak on a worldwide recipe level.

I hate grilled cheese. I'm much more of the cheese on toast in the oven kind of person.

Funny about pretzels, I was going to make some until I got this stupid infection that has knocked me for a loop. I'm going to do that as soon as I get my house in order. DH loves pretzels.

What a horrible story, mananny. Hopefully the tow truck driver didn't try to extort money from you like they do in Chicago.

The AAA guy was actually lovely. I think he could tell that at 10pm a single lass such as myself would need to get the hell out of dodge asap. He didn't charge me a thing, changed my tyre and put the spare (donut) one on, and then followed me back to my neighbourhood to make sure I got back ok. I was a shaky mess. He did ask if I wanted to go to the ER to be checked over but I was so damn tired and stressed I just wanted to go home. I am really very lucky, aside from the wheel I had no other damage to my car, and it could have been a nasty accident as there were loads of cars speeding around me. None of them stopped to help though. Bastards.

Oh god I want a hot pretzel and cheese dipping sauce.....

So sorry about pothole, Mananny. I am still recovering from my being towed in December. Potholes here are horrendous too. Last year, they were so bad, you could sue the City for repairs to your car if you got stuck in one. Thank goodness you are ok - it sounds like it could have been much worse.

Pretzels

Jabber, if you could be so kind, and anyone else could you look here
and tell me what you think. Even if i don't get much response, it's helped me to write my concerns about dd in a list, so i know how severe i think they are.
this afternoon she's been a complete delight, making (appalling) easter cards, and chattering constantly, then playing games & talking to her 'animals' etc. there are times when i have to 'prod' her to get a response, but everyone is like that anyway.

yes we would love a pretzel recipe. it's meant to be british raining all weekend, so some good indoor activities would be welcome. in fact, i can hear the rain hammering against the windows, it's just started.

d'oh, just spotted link, thanks sb

Arhg! This is coming to chicago and they need people to work at the exhibition. People with authentic British accents. Brits! But I can't bloody do it cos I don't have a farking work permit. Am soooooo pissed off - I'd love to do this and I live right by the museum . I'd be perfect!

more obvious link to pretzel recipe here

I (heart) the fact that the recipe came from Alton Brown.

sb, can you do this as a volunteer? i would like to come to chicago for a long weekend, and dd wants to see HP, this could be a good way of indulging her without letting her watch the film.
btw, does anyone have any idea what is a good age to start watching HP? there are ads for it on some of the dvds dd has, but i would have thought that 8 was prob the starting age? or am i over precious. (is ort of have a love/hate thing with hp)

oh, and sb, if you have the time, could you look at my thread on sn? there's a link on it a few posts ago. you said you know some kids, so i'd be interested if any of dd's 'symptons' match?

I'm going to call them tomorrow and see if I can volunteer. The fact that you have to audition at Second City has scared me a bit though! Do come and see it, Kickass. We can get coffee or something I don't know what age is a good one for the films but they are quite scary, aren't they? Well, I think they are [wimp] I think about 8 sounds ok, depending on how sensitive she is.

Will read your thread in a bit - I opened it but I need to find my specs before I read it all.

bless, sb, once i take my glasses off i can't find them. trying to find the money & time to get lazer treatment, but it's not yet got to the top of my 'to do' list.
dd is coughin loads tonight - she cannot be ill. we've got movie night at school tomorrow & I've just made 40 odd cupcakes to take over. grr.

Nope, not working - only volunteer stuff but plenty of it. I call it 'work' but I do not get paid. Only in personal satisfaction which is all very well but doesn't pay the bills, does it?

Doesn't the exhibition look fab? I'm so excited!

Have replied on thread, Kickass. Sorry am not much help.

My you've all been a chatty bunch!

Have replied on your thread, kickass.

40 cupcakes?!!!!

thanks for your input ladies, thought i'd better stop monopolising this thread & start my own. kinda relived things have come to a head, i'm fed up with people politely telling me i'm being all pfb about her, when i've been sure for ages there's something there. anyway, she's lovely & on one-to-one almost no probs, so it's teachers who suffer, not me ha ha. after 12 yrs teaching i feel like i'm getting my own back.

actually, jabber, 48 full size cupcakes & 24 mini ones. i got too busy emailing dh & burnt some but dd & i can still eat them up. now i just have to 'butterfly' them all, and get them to school along with picnic tea, and blankets. i just hope dd wil sit still for the movie, i will wrap her tightly lovingly in her blanket and restrain cuddle her.