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

[redflipflops]

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

introductions:

redflipflops - California (central Coast)

Hello ladies, I'm coming to California on 24th July for 3 weeks. I'm going to pick all of your brains for advice when we're there if that's ok with you

Burbank for 3 days, fly to Tahoe for 3 nights, drive to San Francisco for 3 nights then 2 nights in Carmel followed by 12 nights in Montecito.

I know this isn't a holiday thread but I'm marking my place to find you all again if necessary.

Apologies for hijack but could I ask you lot what "softball" is exactly? DH's colleague keeps going on about his softball team and we have no idea what it is. Something similar to baseball?

In Germany, where DH is from, softball is the game like tennis that you play with children but with soft foam balls so he is having fun imagining his colleagues playing that.

Ds is ok thanks red - he's a tough cookie! It seems every couple of weeks he's getting a different head injury: falling off the stand at the rodeo then tripping over and making a rock bleed! He scares the living daylights out of me.

Is softball baseball for girls in the US? Hopefully someone American will come along and explain MmeLindt (Every time I see your name I can almost taste the chocolate bunnies!)

MLindt. A softball is like a baseball. Only it is big and a bit softer. Nothing like a foam ball, though, it still leaves a nasty bruise when you get hit by one. Usually boys play baseball and girls play softball, and if it is a co-ed team, they play softball.

Alouiseg-Carmel is absolutely gorgeous, great town for little boutique stores. You must go to the Monterrey Bay Aquarium when you are there, too. Otherwise I can't be much help, because other than a few spots in San Diego, I loathe California. All I can say is check the websites of places you want to go in San Franscisco right before you leave, because when we're there, there's always something we were going to see that is closed down for some reason.

Glad to hear DS is okay, tadjennyp.

Thanks for the explanation. DH will be so pleased as one if the guys who plays softball is a right idiot and always puffing himself up importantly. He is a pain to work with. DH can now ignore his colleague while thinking "Softball is for gurrrls" (he has a good Scottish accent when he says girls).

You have made his day.

Just got back from our trip to Snoqualmie Falls and Seattle. Loved it! So jealous of everyone who lives up there. Though I love Central Oregon too! The dcs were thrilled with Thomas and loved taking the monorail in Seattle too! We all loved the Space Needle though I thought Pike Place Market was a bit busy for 2 dcs under 5! Hope everyone is having a great summer.

hi all,

we need to make this more active (doesn't help that I lost it again, going to mark it on the watching tab while I remember).

We're getting settled into American life, even going climbing next week. Found a store that sells Heinz baked beans . We're trying to hold out on buying a car and making do with public transport, but they don't make it easy for you. Still struggling to find group for DH, sent out a few emails, but no replies. Oh well, we'll keep trying. Think we're going to book a hire car for next month and have a weekend trip to San Franciso.

Glad summers arrived, though hope it doesn't get too much hotter.

Climber there is a shop in Goleta that sells lots of English stuff - maybe that's where you found the beans??? Unfortunately I think your DH will struggle to find baby groups tbh. There only seems to be BF and PND groups...not so easy for a Daddy to bond over! Once baba is older there are 'activities' (music /gym etc..) in SB - if he can hang on for 6 months!

Glad you had a good trip tad

My DH was in the UK last week (work related). He's came back with so many messages & gifts from friends.... makes me feel all homesick again

My dh hasn't been back to the UK since he got here more than 2 years ago. However his friend did arrive yesterday (passing through on his way to Yellowstone) and brought a multipack of Cadbury's chocolate with him!

Lots of the old posters seem to have disappeared. I hope they're just having a really busy summer and haven't left us. I miss the food discussions!

Whereabouts are you again red?

Yep, definitely killed this thread! Sorry.

Hello tad sorry to ignore you (been busy with visitors). I think maybe people are away for the summer? We need to kick off a REALLY interesting conversation to get everyone back!

We are near Santa Barbara.

Cadburys chocolate.... yum

Santa Barbara sounds gorgeous! I keep hovering by the fridge in the hopes that a mini flake or twirl will force itself into my hand, then I feel guilty that I am not eating as healthily as I should be while pregnant. Oh well, once they're gone, that's it! Has anyone found any good American chocolate? Scharffenberger's?

I've not yet dared to adventure American chocolate

Have to admit I'm not very keen on Hersheys... Occasionally buy the European brands Lindt / Ritter - am not being very adventurous!

DH went camping with kids and got shown how to make 'Smores' (Graham Cracker with melted marshmallow and Hersheys inside - for anyone yet to experience!). The kids now insist on these every time we BBQ!

Smores sound nice!

Do NOT adventure American chocolate. At least the mass produced kinds. Tadjennyp, Sharffenberger's has been owned by Hershey's for the last few years. And the quality has definitely gone downhill. If you ever make it to Southern Oregon, try Lillie Belle Farms. Very yummy. If you've never tried Moonstruck (Portland based chocolate company) don't, in my humble recommendation. They're awful.

It has been busy around here this summer. Crazy busy, in fact. (Not complaining, it makes the summer go by much faster) My biggest problem posting is that I usually have some free time around the same time in the evening every day. Which happens to be the exact same time the server is down each day.

dooneygirl you sound like you speak from some bitter experience

that should be bitter sweet experience

(I've just made myself chuckle)

Well Kraft have bought Cadbury's now dooney so I imagine the quality (though it was never an upmarket brand) will start heading south in a few years! What about Newman's Own?

You sound like the female equivalent of my dh climber who! has a PhD in physics and loves climbing in the peaks!

I send you my condolences then tad I wouldn't want to live with me. Does he like the Scottish mountains as well?

Ohhhh, I miss living next to the peaks (and having a car which to be fair is the biggest limitation on my climbing now, oh and the baby and the job), but lets see what type of climbing tomorrow brings.

We had our honeymoon on the Isle of Skye as he is named after Sgurr Alasdair. We met in Nottingham and used to go to the peaks a lot. He's quite keen on all the mountains around us in Central Oregon and wants to do some of the climbs on Smith Rock, not far from here. That is stunning and worth it for the walk anyway. I used to climb with him but was never very good and didn't have a great experience in the Wye Valley. Pregnancy soon afterwards put paid to me trying again.

Freaky, I was at Nottingham

I found I was pregnant the week I did the Cuillin ridge. Even did a half day where I went up the stone shoot of Sgurr Alasdair. Took a lot less time coming down, as it did going up.

I did my PGCE 98-99 and dh finished his PhD in 2000, so we probably a little older than you! Are you doing a post-doc in Cali or lecturing?

Phew - No offence but RL crossing with MN, just too weird

Yeah just a postdoc atm, only just got the PhD. You still teaching and DH still in physics. Where abouts are you?

Congratulations on the PhD and the baby all in one go - impressive! Dh is in nanotechnology stuff and I am at home with the dcs. Trying to set up some teaching but there is not that much demand for German here in Bend, Oregon. Miss it a lot but having dc3 now so lots to look forward to. Are you in Oakland?