Holes in the Wall Remain....

Hello,

I have a questions for homeowners who have gone through the process of renovations. When dealing with tradespeople and they don't get back to you in a month, do you continue with the nice approach? Patient phone calls that are supposed to remind them that they need to return a phone call. Or, at three months, do you get a little more assertive? I have opted to go with more assertive, because no plumbers have been to our holes-in-the-wall-I-need-to-be-re-piped-and-re-tubbed-and-re-toileted now bathroom and it is just the same as before EXCEPT:

In our living room, we have:
1. Large bathtub in box
2. Large vanity, wrapped in plastic
3. Toilet bowl, tank and lid.

Our living space is less than 700 square feet. It certainly helps being a teacher, because when I made THE phone call to the plumbers requesting some attention, I used my you-are-going-to-listen-to-what-I-have-to-say-unequivocally and hopefully, we'll have someone from our plumber-from-another-planet return our phone call. It also helped that my voice was raspy because of my cold, and that I'm already feeling a little grumpy because of my cough. Fingers crossed. And Janis, have I made you smile?

Happy New Year, by the way!!

Amanda

PS: Swiss Fondue is definitely my fave meal right now.... and no, I didn't make any New Year's Resolutions so I have nothing to break!

Holes in the Wall

Update on the Bathtub situation: As of today, the powers that be are tinkering with my sense of humour and I must admit I'm feeling rather stretched but anyhow. I now have three lovely, asymmetrical holes in my bathroom wall. One below the toilet, one above the toilet, and one on the roof of the bathtub. It is now lovingly covered with a carefully chosen opaque-chic plastic, sided by silverfish-silve duct-tape. The framing was done by my husband and we are now allowed to have showers, but when we leave I follow these steps (I love to have three steps... for the OCD in me)as the work done by the plumbers is not a guarantee but a first step in fixing the water fountain pump we have in our tub
1. Stuff a ziplock bag partially down the drain
2. Jam plug into drain
3. Place one of Stew's 15 pound weights over the plug with the hopes that the water pressure won't be that strong.

It gets funnier but more embarassing, so I'll leave the last bit to the story for now!
Amanda

A Sequel to a Bathtub Full of Aparment Drama... A Neighbourly Note

Please see the next post if looking for information on the Bathtub.

Now to the Neighbourly Note:
We were away on Gabriola Island for Thanksgiving visiting good friends of ours. It was nice to get away, and as a previous Islander (not quite official but six years is more than just a taste) and being married to an official Islander, it was great. We came home late on Monday night and found this note on our doorstep:

THANKS FOR WAKING ME UP AGAIN THIS MORNING. I'M NOT SURE WHICH PROJECT YOU'RE WORKING ON THAT REQUIRES BANGING BEFORE THE SUN COMES UP!!!!! (Extra exclamation marks added by me) A LITTLE CONSIDERATION OF YOUR NEIGHBOURS WOULD BE NICE.

PLEASE FIND ATTACHED THE CITY OF BURNABY BYLAWS WHICH OUTLINE WHENWE GET A BREAK FROM THE NOISE. THIS INCLUDES SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAYS LIKE TODAY. PLEASE READ THEM.

THANKS, YOUR NEIGHBOURS.


Well this is kind of funny because we weren't even home and we brought our alarm clocks with us... so to solve the mystery the note writer left the "Neighbours" part a little vague. I especially loved the By-Laws bit, because we were in Gabriola eating Crab Chowder while our "Neigbour" was being irritated by some kind of loud banging. The mystery remains, but the note was even circulated amongst the staff at my school who all got a chuckle out of it. What else can you do folks? Moral of the tale, if complaining, leaving your name is a good idea? He he he
Amanda

A Bathtub Full

Hello Everyone,

With a Halloween party being planned by my class (which for those teachers out there equals complete mayhem for the duration of the planning period)and parent-teacher conferences right around the corner, and report cards around the next, I was thinking that was as full as I wanted my plate to be. You see, every since University I've been trying to find ways of trimming from my plate rather than making everything more complicated and stressful than it needed to be.

For instance: At UVic, I was determined as a 1st year student that the only way to study, was to TYPE out notes from the textbook. So what I ended up with, was a binder full of notes, that were really an abridged version of the textbook.

So #1: Why spend $150 on something when you can breach the Copyright and type out your own? Plus a whole ink cartridge to replace the one I used up printing?

#2: How many great (potential) social hours did I spend typing those notes? I really thought sacrificing a weekend would make me attend classes. Nope didn't always work

#3: I think guilt from not attending classes made me type those notes.


So a few years later, I've trimmed trimmed trimmed. I can let dirty dishes stay in the sink for longer than a few days (although that's not what Stewart would agree to). I let my family and social life be a priority over work. I don't let annoying parents irritate me anymore. I TRY not to let really bad drivers (because of course I'm not one of those aggressive commuters--haha ha) get my goat. No one fingered salutes here folks. I now have cereal nights (much to Stewart's dismay) at least a few times a week. I go for regular runs and try to appreciate all the great family, friends and life I have. Especially, I've tried to accept myself for what I am -- a quirky, caring, stubborn, difficult person who lives passionately for what she believes in, and lastly, to make peace for mistakes I've made, people I've hurt and things I wish I'd done differently. Da-da-da-daaaaaaaaa!

But all this positive thinking brings me back to the point about a balanced plate. Now an unbalanced plate.... So, this morning one thing was added, not by me, but by the plumbing in our building. At 5:30 am our bathtub was gurgling like a happily fed newborn and pretty soon there was a deluge of water bubbling forth from our drain. Going the WRONG way. So, Stew stayed behind and bailed the water out with a pink bucket lent to us from Dawn (thanks again for that)for the remainder of the day, while the Property Manager and Building Manager and whoever else tried to figure out what to do (quite valiently might I add). Now, if anyone has a shower in the building or tries to sneak a quick wash-down, we have the remainders of that experience bubbling up into our tub. And so sleep tonight will be like watching a baby or taking care of a baby, except this kind you don't cuddle, you just down the watery soup down the toilet. I've really got to laugh... but the next story is also real, also fresh and wish I had a picture but... I'm sure you can imagine. Hugs,
Amanda

In Honour of Diane Milliken

Hello Everyone,

It is with profound sadness that I write this very delayed blog (6 months actually) on such a somber and serious note. Our family matriarch, Diane Milliken (previously Diane Swan) passed away suddenly this week. It has caught us all off guard, and I am in a state of shock, almost numbness, to what has happened. So, I wanted to write about Auntie Diane, as I always so affectionately referred to her as -- to honour a great woman who has shown countless numbers of people the true value of family, friendship, loyalty and service. Please feel free to post a comment and share your thoughts about Auntie Diane, or something about her life that will bring a smile to our faces.

When I was young, ADiane would spoil Alexis and I rotten. She'd let me have extra sugar in my cereal (when my Mom & Dad weren't looking), she'd send us special Valentine's packages, she'd bring us out to the Calgary zoo a thousand times, and every time she would act like it was her first. Sort of like seeing life through the eyes of a child. We'd also beg and beg to go to the "Pool with the Waterslides" (I actually don't know the real name) and ADiane would organize it and off we'd go. She'd pack a lunch and give my Mom a break from all those things a young mother deals with, whining children and sibling rivalry. These every day little things defined ADiane, because she did these things not only for me and for my family, but for family of friends and friends of family. Stewardship of life, I suppose, was her calling, and she doled it out to anyone she came into contact with. This wasn't without the reminders to e-mail, call and be in touch. She loved hearing from her family and, she expected us to! If we'd been wayward in communication, she would let us know... "Oh, haven't heard from you in a while! I'd love to hear your news." And now, I understand, it's because she loved us within every inch of her soul, she loved us with true compassion and dedication to keeping a family connected and in touch. As Janice Gibbs said the other day, "She was our Pipeline [of information]." Even if I hadn't talked to my family in the East or West, to Marilyn or Rudy, to Alice and Dwayne, to the Crazy Ladies (I never got to meet everyone, just a couple, but I feel like I knew them, somehow) to.... the list is endless. All of these people are going to miss her calls, e-mails (yes at 74 she was more computer literate than me!!!) and her Cards.

Everyone keeps saying they can't imagine a world without ADiane. She shepherded us through childhood and adulthood, and encouraged us even when she knew we were being crazy and out of control (ahhhhm I have quite the little temper and have been known to be rather opinionated). In particular, she took great pride in her home and her husband, Uncle Jim. And of this were her two daughters Julie and Janice. Her grandchildren, consequently, were a source of joy for both she and Jim, and those kids could have burped the wrong way when they were babies and laughter, smiles of amusement and pampering would have ensued. ADiane is almost a piece of olden days values, when time was slower and a woman's castle was her home. She worked tirelessly her whole life for others, and now, she is in a better place with her mother and father, Nanna and Gramps, and she is free to smile upon all of us and see EVERYTHING that we are doing without those e-mails and phone calls. But for us, we are weary from our loss and barely coping with not having her around to love us, pester us, encourage us and laugh with us. We can't see her, but she has built for us a beautiful thing, a family quilt of love and honour. In turn, we will honour her gifts to us by taking care of each other, and passing down her generosity of spirit and love for life to future generations. And not one family dinner will go by, I'm certain, without some mention of Auntie Diane.

May your soul rest in peace Auntie Diane, and until I see you again, all my love.

Love Amanda
xoxoxoxox

School

Hello Everyone!!

Cooking for Over 100 is Reallllyyy.....

Hello! Happy New Year to all. And Happy New Year to all teachers and educators, as technically, our year is officially halfway through. That's what the end of January means when you are associated with a School Board. So a few new developments...

We had a great Christmas. I am now acting upon New Year Resolutions that actually began in September: walk, bike or jog to work whenever possible, complete with blinking LD lights, reflectors and anything else that draws attention to self-sustaining human transport on early, dark mornings in rainy Vancouver. My ourfit is the same everytime -- and, my umbrella in hand (when on foot) as I march onward like a parade of army ants. But I'm only an army of one. I like to assert my place on the sidewalk. But I won't go up against dogs -- nope -- Only one scary dog incident to report, and I now avoid that house like the plague and have deferred to the dog. I have gone the same route so many times that I now know if I am late/early by the other "regular" pedestrians I see on my way to work. That's pretty neat - human activity clocks. Who said you need a watch anyway? Said tongue in cheeks as I am from the White (ahhhhm) family -- sorry Dad.

So, the title of the entry. Were you wondering? Well, cooking for over 100 people (125 to be exact) is realllllllllyyyyyyy interesting & suprisingly non-stressful. With everything (ingredients) jumbo size, lots of helpers and industrial equipment, anything is possible. How do I know this, you wonder? Well, Stewart & I have been taking "en masse" cooking classes, learning about how to cook for large crowds. We have then been practicing and honing our skills once every couple weeks for Out of the Cold, a program that feeds some homeless folks. We provide a main dish with protein, a starch (rice, potatoe), salad, bread, and dessert. We have really been enjoying it and I've got to say that four people working together can do some amazing things in the kitchen! What I can't get over, is that I spend triple the amount of time prepping for a dinner party for 10, but yet we can feed 125 people and make it look like something you can do in your sleep. No disasters yet, but I'm lacking the serving skills. I tried to serve the Enchiladas once but I butchered the poor little guys by accident. I've also learned that when you are serving food to people you don't know, they are not polite enough to take the butchered ones your friends might say a reluctant "ok" to (He- he- he). The people who don't know you want the nice, untouched cheesy one in the corner and aren't afraid to demand it. Enchilada serving 101? Check.

We bought the groceries for dinner (125 people) from the Superstore, and this is the grocery list to the tune of our $400 budget, and many stares later, especially when we cleared out the chicken section:
- 18 packages of large chicken thighs
- 3 flats of condensed mushroom soup
- 2 5lb blocks of Mozza cheese
- 14 boxes of Stovetop Stuffing
- 10 kg bag of rice
- large block of butter

- 6 bags of ready to go salad
- 6 Red Peppers
- 6 red onions
- 6 large cans of cooked chickpeas

- 5 flats of yummy Nanaimo bars (28 per box)
- 3 giant tubs of chocolate ice-cream

From the list, you may gather that calerie counting has not been considered. We've been instructed that the heartier the meal for these folks, the better. So that's what we did. Thanks Mom for the Chicken recipe! It was a hit! And now, it's time for bed after cooking the afternoon away...
Amanda :)

Something to Wonder, Laugh & Cry About

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Ho-ho-hooooooooo!! Happy Holidays!

Ok, I won't overdo it, but for me, Christmas is Christmas. For some, it's Winter Holidays. For others, X-Mas time. For others, Hanukkah. These are all good things. But for me, Christmas is a special time and though I am decorationally challenged (definitely NOT Martha)though the rest of my family Decks the Halls on November the 1st at 12:00 am, I love this time of year. Regardless of religion, regardless of background, this is a time to reflect, give, receive and look ahead to a new year. I'm not getting sucked in by all that marketing either. Nope, I'd rather eat goodies and have to suck my waist in instead, and spend the next two months feverishly walking/running/panting off those 5 pounds you're never supposed to gain over the holidays because-your-doctor-said-so. Sigh! So, to those of you who celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas! To those of you who don't, Merry Christmas anyway!
Sidenote: But saying Merry Christmas to people has almost become a thing to be done carefully (especially in schools) so you don't offend anyone, kind of like when you drop the line about how cute babies are to someone you think might be pregnant but you're not sure because they might be a little robust in nature and you don't want to ask outright if they're pregnant so you drop the hint... and wait for them to say "Oh, I'm 3 months pregnant." Or whatever. Sometimes being PC is sensitive, isn't it?

Have a good laugh by going to the following link (make sure you give the clip at least 2 minutes to run):

The male competitor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4Y4keqTV6w

The female competitor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iys86OcXPY8&feature=related

For you baby fans out there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3Rw_3ky-uo&feature=related



For those of you who are interested in becoming involved with supporting Vietnamese children who have special needs and who are living in poverty, this is a good website I found & it seems to be a very worthy cause:

http://www.hscv.org/

Love Amanda

The Onion Lady at the Superstore

Hello Everyone!
I suppose that a delayed post is better than none -- how life can get busy. But I can happily say it is not due solely to work that I am delayed in writing this post. It is due to being happy being outside, exercising, baking, going to/having parties and seeing family and friends and... you get the picture!! So, just a commentary about bagging those onions, at the Superstore folks.... BEWARE! My experience with the onion lady will never make me think the same way about bagging onions again!

We had just said goodbye to my sister, Alexis, as she went off on her adventure to the UK. It was bittersweet, happy to see my sister go off on her adventure, bike in box, cute clothes and computer in hand. Sad because we'll miss her lots and lots and lots. So the family had gone for a walk, and that was good. We dropped off at the Superstore to pick up a couple things for Butter Chicken and then......

Mom bought a bag of onions in the mesh bag. You know, and the little oniony bits go everywhere. And she had put the mesh bag in a plastic bag to prevent the oniony bits from going everywhere. At the checkout, the cashier huffed and puffed and almost blew her black conveyor belt away because she was trying to access the tag. My Mom, being the eternal polite saint, said to the hostile cashier, "Oh, Sorry!". And me, being the non-polite non-eternal saint said infront of the cashier, (**erroneously**) "Mom, you don't have to say sorry for putting your onions in a bag, because otherwise the oniony bigs go everywhere."

Well, this cashier would have leaped over and throttled me if she could have (I think this might have been her pet peeve -- people putting the mesh bag in the plastic bag) but instead she made it clear that her efficiency depended on people not bagging things unnecessarily. ????? ?This is a grocery store folks? Okay. But now to my back peddling.

I could see this lady was ready to pop out her eyeballs with irritation. So I explained that we apologize for way to many things in Canada. Back peddle back peddle. That we meant no harm by bagging the onions. Back peddle back peddle. That clearly she would understand about the oniony bits. Back back back peddle.

No, the cashier didn't understand my POV and she didn't understand my opinion on Canadians being too polite and apologizing for everything. Furthermore she appreciated my mother apologizing. Dig dig dig. The lady looked like she was ready to take out a Ninja sword and shuffle me right out the door.

So, on a scale of 1 to 10, that customer service experience ranked a minus 2, though the Ninja-like anti-bag-your-onions-in-another-plastic-bag lady certainly should be given 10 points for knowing how to put a customer in their place. On a scale of 1-10 for humour, this experience was definitely a 10 because the Onion Lady gave us a lot to laugh at. Oh, and I practiced my back peddling!! Yes, it was a good lesson for me, on how to stick your foot in your mouth and try to sidestep/hop your way out of it (unsuccessfully) with the remaining injured and hobbling foot.

Well, it's approaching Christmas, so before you bag those onions for your stuffing and all those delightful appies, remember, the Onion Lady might be watching....
Amanda

Martha Stewart Unplugged

The truth of it all is, I love to bake and am what people now refer to as "self taught." Trust me, if you saw the picture of the cake in my cookbook, and compare it to my final product, you would know the definition of "self taught". A whole lot of fun,planning,dreams about a fantastic centerpiece on my Mom's table to celebrate my Auntie Diane's visit -- vision vision vision. A great time on a Saturday morning, knowing someone will like a nice slice of yummy cake. Here's the reality: Oopsie #1: Forgot oil for cakemix. Oopsie #2: Always re-grease cake pan after pouring batter in/out in/out after oil mishap. Oopsie #3: When those cake people tell me to use a flat metal spatula, a flat metal flipper isn't synonymous with the metal spatula. Real vision: Mumbling under one's breath about why the recipe doesn't give more specifics to the depth of chocolate squiggles or the specific piping tips required for that depth, that chocolate chips cannot be substituted for melting wafers in the instances of making chocolate collars, that the circumference of the parchment paper has to be exact otherwise your bavarian topping spills out everywhere becuase there's nothing to hold it in (sin) OR you waste nice yummy Bernard Callebaut chocolate (an even greater sin). When I put the "still pliable" (according to recipe) collar around the cake, the pliability was taken to a whole new level as the collar became a cake topper. Yes, it's amazing what 12 bamboo skewers can do to hold up an overly pliable, semi-wet and sticky chocolate collar.
You know, Auntie Diane loved that cake. And together we named the cake, instead of "Rasberry Bavarian," the "Wholely Elliptoid Leaning Tower of Pisa" Cake. And seeing a family member enjoy an aesthetically displearurable culinary delight was worth every oopsie.
PS: School is great... I love my Grade 4's.
Love Amanda

Oh I forgot what School Mode felt like...

Pictures A & B: My classroom after 3 full days of setting up. With Stewart's dedicated help. Yes I know it doesn't look like much but let me tell you I was almost going crazy putting those shelves into the frames and aligning all those metal thimmajiggies so the shelves wouldn't slant.

Picture C: 2 of 8 containers of nomenclature cards ready to go after being cut, laminated and organized by one of my wonderful parents. Now I get to organize and shelve them in a way the children can get their heads around. This means I have to think folks.

Picture D: Our little Godson taking a nap

School has started, and I am still in Europe mode. Not quite ready to relinquish long days of exercise and excitement. Now I have a different kind of excitement. I'm very happy to be back but I am determined not to relinquish my state of relaxation.

I am riding my bike to work 3 days a week. Up and down and up and down real hills has been good for my overall fitness and has really worked the breathability qualities of my gortex jacket. I love gortex. On the first day of school it rained to hard my glasses were fogging up and I had difficulty seeing. So after that anything will be ok. I walked into the office dripping wet and signed in. I felt very good about being dripping wet on Day 1 because it means I will prioritise my health and well-being. Good Amanda. Good Bike. Goal: Ride until it's icy. Next goal: cross-country skiing. Next goal: Spring bike riding. Next goal: Parachuting. Just kidding. You couldn't pay me to parachute.
Love Amanda

Back Home in Vancouver!

This is a picture of me beeing goofy but it represents how happy I am to be back in my own house with my own bed and have a shower that is used by a maximum of two people per day. The novelty factor at the moment seems astounding.

Hello everyone. We are back so the random letters and mixed up alphabet will no longer be an issue. Though I'm sure you had to really think when you were reading things I wrote in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. We arrived back after a rather uneventful and boring flight, and have started back into regular sleeping patterns. And laundry. We even used hot hot water to fry out any random organisms picked up from camping & sitting on any available concrete surface for lunches/dinners. And regular work patterns also. Stewart and I have spent the past two days setting up the classroom, and for about 20 hours of work all we have to show for it is a few tables sitting at the right height (they were new and had to be adjusted)and barren shelving with the shelves added. I am determined to not let teaching take over EVERY aspect of my life and to be a healthier person throughout the year. So I will be riding my bike to school as often as possible to keep the fitness at a prime (woe is me -- almost 30 means strange things are happening to my body -- no more can I eat what I want with no exercise and see no consequences). Well, thanks for reading my random rambles and adieu for now!
Amanda :)

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland & St Goar, Germany

Well, nearing the end of 8 weeks of travel and I really can't believe how many things we've seen and done. Travelling has been very good for the heart and soul, and it also makes me feel more connected with my home and all our family and friends as you realise that life simply wouldn't be the same without our fantastic solar system of people.

Getting to Lauterbrunnen from Munich, was a 12 hour bus ride. We were diverted from the quicker route because the roads were under construction -- and we were on a very loaded bus and were going up and down mountain roads and winding Alpine "highways". And for those of you who don't know, I suffer from motion sickness. I was feeling quite awful by the end of it and when we arrived it was raining and everyone was feeling grumpy. So Stewart and I stayed in a nice little cabin and didn't think twice about plunking down 80 dollars for two nights. That was the night that the "real" campers were separated from people like us -- people whol like to camp only when the weather meets camping requirements. AKA generally sunny and not raining. So Lauterbrunnen is in the middle of the Swiss Alps, and there's a mountain there called the Jungfrau which was gorgeous. We walked to some waterfalls near the Jungrau and went up this very narrow passageway via a creaky elevator to access the walkways around the waterfalls (which are inside the mountain). The sound was deafening and the rock around us was shaking. It was a very powerful experience. We also had a fondu night. Giant pots of swiss fondu made their way to our tables and boy did we enjoy these with bits of bit. The crusty bits at the bottom were the most enjoyable. We were also served giant sausages which I promptly gave to Stewart. I'm sausaged out, I'm sorry to say. Lauterbrunnen was quite Swiss, with the cute Swiss houses and latices and lovely flower baskets.

St Goar was a quick one night stopover on our way to Amsterdam. But it really captured our hearts. It's in the Rhine Valley and supports the vineyards which supply the Ice Wine from the region. I ate a Berliner, which is just a fancy name for a jelly donut. I had to have one for historical reasons, as JFK announced to the real Berliners that he was a Berliner, but what he really said is that he was a jelly donut. So next time you sink your teeth into one of those, remember that there's some history to all that jam. We will definitely go back here someday. We saw a family of Swans and they even let us near them to look at their babies. We also saw gorgeous hand painted Steins (beer mugs) and one of them was $2300 hundred dollars. Better like your beer for that price. Stewart and I kept saying that Bruce, you would love it here, we thought. Especially the Steins -- they were classy and historical at the same time. Stewart and I stayed in a 1970's camper van because we were a couple and the owner gave all the couples a camper van to stay in. Apart from a couple big spiders it was a great treat.
Love you!
Amanda and Stewart :)

Vienna & Prague

Hello all,

Just for those of zou who donät know, we are on a camping tour right now. Zes, real camping. With air mattresses that have other peopleäs sweat stains on them and dirt from the bottom of the bus. And, when it rains,which it has for the past week or so, our tents get wet. And then we pack them in wet bag and there is then a lovelz smell the next night of wet tent. Wet tent is actuallz almost worse than the smell of wet dog. Let me tell zou whz, because zou sleep in that tent. Zou dont sleep in-or on-zour dog. So, mz bag smells like wet tent and mz clothes aslo acquire the wet tent smell. And Stewarts too, but it doesnät seem to bother him at all. But his bag smells more like wet socks than wet tent.

When we were in Vienna, we saz a prazing mantis+++ A real one. It flew over to the bush we were sitting next to and it perked up and looked at me, because it knew I was pazing lots of attention to it 00 and I was because I couldnät believe it was a real prazing mantis. It had those little pinchers readz to grab mz nose if I got too close with the camera. We saw all the sights in Vienna, went to QuickLees (just guess what kind of food that was) for lunch, and then I guarded our laundrz for an hour while Stewart talked to some reallz nice French people.


Prague was definitelz Eastern Europe. We walked around the cobbled streets and the people were nice enough, and it was cheap+++ We had some gorgeous desserts at a nice cafe and watched the world go bz. Mz drink was called Coconut lips which made me think about mz horse Hot Lips and Fish Lips from mz Timberline Dazs. We went to a machinerz museum &&&&& all under 30äs come and ask me later about the details &&&&&& and saz manz interesting machinating items. We had a couple wet nights, and the facilities were a little downgraded. So, I showered in a cess pool of soap, human hair and shampoo from randrom donors. Also, if zou ran out of time zou had to run over, naked, and put more monez into the machine so it would give zou more lukewarm water to add to the growing cess pool around zour feet, and there zou have it in a nutshell. We are having fun but we are definitelz readz to come home and see all of zou guzs++ And Rachelle is almost having her babz+++ WOW+ Rachelle, zou and Peter hang in there. Onlz a few weeks to go+++ Love zou everzone+++
Love Amanda

Venice, Italy... with Guest Writer SmacJazz!!!!!!!

They say Benito Musollini enjoyed working late at the office. italianos relish the bridge he built over to finally connect Venizia with Italia proper. Grazi mi amigo. We two appreciated the road bridge over to the filthy cannals. Yep...Venice has cool canal rides folks. Very cool Gugenheim museum as well. Nervous touristas rubbing shoulders at one of Earths weirest locales. They towns politicos have devised a master plan to reduce the foulest of featherd beasts. Supposedly...hucksters,merchants and shop-keeopers are selling birth controlled grains?? Amanda told me so and it makes good sense. Like sucking soupy lemon gelato through a straw...like refilling your water bottle at Guidos finest cafe! Ole! The camp site near Venice was very relaxing and even Amanda(the Blog Spot Grand PooBah) slipped into the very sensuous waters. I have photo shop proof of that. Note to self...we did attend a ameutish togo party. However;most of the pics were too dark to post? Amazing! Wow...we are chugging along with the grace of one legged camel at at the Nauturist Olympics. Gratzi Mila. Thanks to our stewardship of our crafty Ausie bus driver. Currently we are in Vienna or Wein, Austria. This guest writer totally loves the Austro-Germanic approach to living. Well organized efficient cities and actual biffies that are available to frugal blokes, college odd-balls and the generally exhausted nitt-witss(like me i reckon)! Smacjazz over and outta here...HELP???

More Pictures from Rome

See commentarz below....

Pictures from Rome

Here are the pictures from Rome -- see below for the commentarz.

Florence, Rome and Venice

Bonjour. The weather here has been mixed -- hot all the time but we have had some rain which has meant our tent has been rather damp and had a verz interesting smell. The food on the tour has been amazing -- our cook makes us wonderful lunches complete with Camembert, Gouda, and Boursin cheese. We have also been doing a great deal of driving, an average of 8 to 9 hours everz second daz. However, if zou see as much as we are in three weeks, this is the onlz waz. I have not been carsick, zet.

Florence was quite beautiful. It specializes in leather and gold. Neither of which was on our budget, though if I had had room for a leather bound book (about 80 euros, which is about $160 or so) we would have considered it. We had a guided tour and saw an outdoor museum,complete with the second David statue. The next stop was Rome. Rome was breathtaking, although I must admit I had mz hands on mz purse the whole time. Stewart felt like an armed guard the whole time in Rome because there were manz gzpsies there. The worst ones were the gzpsz children -- thez swarmed around zou and waved cardboard to distract zou while little fingers poked through zour pockets. It might be the one time in mz life I look at children with automatic disdain and hostilitz which was verz strange for me as I love kids but I had to be aware that these were not the children I teach in mz classroom. We saw the Pantheon, Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and manz other things which I donät remember now. The Colosseum was the highlight -- it was reallz fascinating to go inside (plus we had a guided tour) and as the main floor is gone, we could see all the rooms that were underneath where all the gladiators and animals fought for their lives. Quite a bloodz historz. We also learned about the Vestel Virgins (sp) who had to keep the flame at the Forum burning, or thez would be put to death. Thez trained for ten zears, practiced for ten zears, and then taught for ten zears. 30 was their retirement age but no man wanted them then. If thez slept with a man, thez were put in a coffin alive, and buried, as punishment. We also went to the Vatican Citz and saw great works bz Raphael and Michelangelo.

Venice looked like a postcard but it did not capture mz heart, or Stewarts. It had a fairlz potent smell, something inbetween humiditz gone wrong and stinkz stagnant seawater. Oh, and if I was given a dollar for everz pigeon within each square I would be a millionaire. We enjozed the Gondola ride the most, for sure. Quite romantic and the boats actaullz crash into each other. What thez donät tell tourists is that the boats are rather tippz and zou have to paz attention going under a bridge.

Well, enjozing these last couple weeks verz much. Looking forward to seeing zou all as we walk down these picture perfect streets, minus the gzpsz children of course.
Love Amanda and Stewart

Avignon = A Must See

In Avignon; ze stopped there for qn qfternoon on our zqy to Nice; Frqnce: It zqs so quaint qnd perfect: The city the Itqliqn pope chose zhen he zqs kicked out of Itqly for chqllenging the pozers thqt zere in Europe: There zere street bqnds plqying; lovely little streets; the bequtiful river qnd q city contqined zithin its Medievql Zqlls: Ze hqd q fqbulous picnic by the oceqn there qnd it zqs tqco sqlqd; co,plete zith sour cream qnd guacamole: Fqbulous: Thqt night ze hqd q punch pqrty qnd it zqs enjoyqble for us qnd the rest of the tour group: Miss you guys qnd I zill be thinking qbout qll of you zhen I go for q szi, in the French Riveriq in qbout qn hour: Love Q,qndq qnd Stezqrt

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