Living in America....... summer 2010!

[redflipflops]

So.... new thread.... please join me

introductions:

redflipflops - California (central Coast)

don't ask me - i have a phone that's over 3 years old, has been dropped into the sink, on the floor, run over by the tractor mower etc etc.

as i have such appalling credit i can't get a contract, which means no nice phone for me!

I wish I had seen Cali, but I only have a "building I saw she was once in" story.

No help re phone, here, either. Mine only texts and receives calls. If anyone would like to feel sorry for me for being so archaic, they can send me the new version of the iPad coming out.

How rude of me. Hello new people. What a lot of activity going on here when I was gone. Is there some sort of correlation between the two?

My phone only texts and phones and takes about one photo too! Don't know enough people here to make it worth while having a a really cool one!

Do you have any recommendations re whale watching on the Oregon coast bucket?

We've only ever gone to Depoe Bay to watch them, so I don't know much, but this link seems to say that it is a really good spot. It looks like it has a lot of helpful links for whale watching, too. We never did more than stay on a high point of land to watch, and that seems to give some better ideas.

Thanks very much Bucket. Have been to the coast a few times, even during whale watching week and they've all been way out to sea! I'm beginning to think they're hiding from me. Last year we went to the Sea Lion Caves and there was one in there! There were a few swimming outside, fortunately!

It won't be in Oregon, but we're due to go whale watching next week (in California). We're spending dd's spring break with one of my oldest/dearest friends, and she has arranged the outing. Fingers crossed it will be a clear day, and we'll see some whales.

jabber - good luck with your blackberry. I've always heard it was the top phone of choice for the business community. I'm still trying to understand everything my Android will do (and I've had it 10 months ). Luckily, the friend mentioned above is married to a technology geek, and he's promised to give me a tutorial.

Daffodils are beginning to bloom here, and we're due another round of tornado watches/warnings on Saturday (our third in 2 weeks) - a sure sign spring is here!

Sea Lion Caves? How was the smell?

Whales can be tricky things. Some years are good, some years you just have to be happy you had a nice time at the beach.

Have a great trip, Earlybird.

I would like to go on a whale watching trip. I believe the season has started here. I should look it up but am lazy and everything with a young child seems like hard work, although we do know a babysitter but all adds to the cost.

DH went to the doctor today and they think he has stomach ulcers, cue specialist's being called and all kinds of warning. This is the not the NHS anymore

where about's in CA are you to get tornado warnings, or do you normally live in Oregon but are popping down for a trip?

I don't think earlybird is in Ca or Or, but not sure where. It may be our first trip with the little one and I am determined to see some this time!

are you going to San Fran again?

No, just the Oregon coast, if I can persuade dh to take a day off.

good luck with that. I still can't get my head around the work culture here. In my head, I don't feel it is sustainable. I would burn out if I stayed here. Crazy.

The trip should be lovely though, when is it planned for?

A plan would involve having a conversation. I'm sitting here planning tomorrow's German lesson and dh is sorting out some problem with Singapore. There is a whale-watching week the third week of March, so I'm hoping to go then, but we'll have to see how little one is doing.

the work culture does seem quite intense, but then they also seem to make time for relaxing - there's quite a lot of evenings that people meet up after work & relax, so i think it's more that the lines between work & home seem to blend a little. i've heard of some areas of the world where work & home are almost like 2 different lives. i just wonder how that works around having kids - i like that it's ok to take dd along to the pub after work, sit & chat in a group etc.

we've been to point reyes a few times to watch whales. sometimes seen lots of activity, sometimes nothing.

The trip sounds really nice, earlybird! I hope you and your dd have a wonderful time.

I will actually be coming your way in April for a class in Cookeville. We probably won't actually go into Nashville though. I want to catch up with some of our old friends if I can while I'm in the area.

I love Whale Watching but have only done it on Cape Cod. We have dolphins here but I've never seen them.

jabberwocky - hope you have a great trip back to this area. Are you happily settled where you are now, or do you sometimes have wistful/sentimental thoughts for these parts? Let me know if you make it through Nashers - though I imagine time will be short, and your list of things to do will be long....

For those who asked, I'm in TN - which, (due to colliding cold fronts and warm fronts and lots of rising gulf humidity), is cursed by some fairly ferocious storms (sometimes tornadoes!) every spring.

A general question - are your towns being overtaken by frozen yoghurt shops? They seem to be sprouting n every neighbourhood here - along with far too many specialist cupcake bakeries. Not what is needed as summer time approaches, and I can no longer hide in my big jumpers!

No, the froyo trend happened here in the '80's. It died a long time ago.

As for cupcakes, kind of but not really. According to the recipes I read on all my food blogs, and also a few magazines I've read, cupcakes are on their way out, and macaroons are the hot dessert trend for now. Which is too bad, as most of them I've had tasted like plastic. (Although I got 3 wonderful ones from when we were on our trip. I was going to take 2 of them back to the kids, but they were all gone by the time I got on the plane.)

Hmm...interesting.

The frozen yoghurt shops came and went here too, but these new shops have a bit of a twist - they are self service. You collect a one-size cup, and fill it yourself with as much 'soft serve' style yoghurt as you like. They have different 'base' flavours - french vanilla, cookie dough, chocolate, strawberry etc (usually about 8 at a time, and they change from week to week). You then move to the wall where you select from perhaps 25 different toppings - jellybeans, smashed heath bar, m&m's, gummy bears, etc. You can also add fresh fruit on top from the 'fruit bar' - blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, etc.

The cup is then taken to the register where it is weighed, and then cost is announced.

Cupcakes here are still on the upswing - I went yesterday and picked up 3 (sweet potato, red velvet, wedding cake) from the newest shop - but haven't tried them yet.

We haven't had the macaroon craze yet.

I have to say, earlybird, I haven't missed it one bit, lol. I never imagined I would move somewhere more conservative than Arkansas but then I experienced Middle TN! I'm really enjoying being back with my funky artsy friends here.

New thread HERE since we're 3 messages away from being full. Please don't leave me all by myself.

Shiny

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