Hanging around with the little boys has made us all a bit silly so naturally we had to make silly poses for the camera.
More to come about the Hot Springs, when our little computer finishes its hissy fit.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The first holiday into the Rockies!
Hanging around with the little boys has made us all a bit silly so naturally we had to make silly poses for the camera.More to come about the Hot Springs, when our little computer finishes its hissy fit.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Dyeing Easter Eggs
Clarice is trying very hard to get me involved in everything that makes the American holidays so special for her, and so when Easter time came she was very excited to be able to take me to Fort Morgan so we could spend the day dyeing eggs with the nephews.
So off to Fort Morgan we went and, after collecting Avery from school, we settled down with 4 or 5 white eggs apiece, a white crayon, several tubs of egg dye (food colouring, vinegar and hot water) and some carefully bent wire and began the experience that is dyeing eggs. First I tried a layered effect with bands of colour which came out nicely (bottom left) then following Clarice's lead I tried drawing/colouring a picture in white crayon. On a white egg. It's not as easy as it sounds. So me being the over achiever I am decided I would draw a chicken on one side and a witty joke on the other. All without being able to see what I was writing or drawing. Any of you who have tried to decipher my handwriting at the best of times will understand how bad an idea this is. So the fact it was almost readable was rather amazing (it's the yellow and green one). Clarice's example of the flowers on blue, (top right) shows the effect that can be achieved. I love the contrast.
Then we tried dying, colouring and then re-dying a different colour. This was a first for Clarice, but worked very well. This resulted in the three in the top row, the rabbit was done by colouring the white bits and dying the whole egg blue, then colouring the rabbit in and dyeing the egg green. The detail was added with pen to make it look more rabbit-like. Clarice was working on the multicoloured hearts and finally created her masterpiece that is the 2nd from the left egg with flowers on. This one and the stripy one are my favourite. I also tried to make a Union Jack coloured one, but it wasn't very good.
Of course the best part of the whole process is eating them at the end!
Face fungus?
Thought you all would appreciate seeing me sporting the "sound enhancing moustache" that Clarice's boss was giving out with his band's CD. Can't quite decide if it looks Mexican gun-slinger or Columbian Drug lord!
Clarice could barely take the picture she was laughing so hard! Guess I'll put off growing my own 'tash.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
The 4th of July
The fourth of July is Independence Day in America. It is a national holiday (one of only 3or 4 3day weekends Americans get). 
Everyone goes to the park and has a picnic or a barbeque and watches the firework displays. It is a wonderful day do be American, but a bad day to be British. In keeping with the customs, Chip, Eddie, Clarice and I, accompanied by Clarice's estranged cousin, went to Civic Centre park on Sunday the 3rd to watch Colorado Symphony perform a concert of patriotic songs and set off fireworks. Civic Centre Park is beautiful, it has the state capitol building at on end, the city and country buildings (town hall) at the other, the business district of Skyscrapers to one side and the museum and library on the other. In short it it a very beautiful park surrounded by the most powerful buildings in the state! And they're shooting ordinance off them!
Well.....kinda. When you guys here the term "fireworks display" the image of the end of tattoo/festival or Hogmanay in Edinburgh where they play an entire symphony or two with fireworks going off in time with the music for the duration of the half hour. Well here it was more of an hour and a half of music then a 9 min display. Thats right, 9 whole mins of fireworks! But it was actually very cool and the music was well worth the evening.
The next day we went up to Cheyenne to Eddie's parents ranch, where they were
having a Independence day/going away party for Clarice's cousin Tennie and her husband Chad who are moving to South Carolina. I understand why the tradition of 4th July BBQ's came about, it really is a fantastic way to spend the day, and it doesn't matter if more people turn up than expected.
But there are plus sides and negative sides to every situation. I finally got to meet the rest of Clarice's family and eat many, many hotdogs and hamburgers! On the flip side, spending an anti-British holiday in a house filled with 90% Republican (i.e. Anti Immigration and devoutly against foreigners in general) was quite.......interesting? Fortunately my winning personality smoothed the way!
Everyone goes to the park and has a picnic or a barbeque and watches the firework displays. It is a wonderful day do be American, but a bad day to be British. In keeping with the customs, Chip, Eddie, Clarice and I, accompanied by Clarice's estranged cousin, went to Civic Centre park on Sunday the 3rd to watch Colorado Symphony perform a concert of patriotic songs and set off fireworks. Civic Centre Park is beautiful, it has the state capitol building at on end, the city and country buildings (town hall) at the other, the business district of Skyscrapers to one side and the museum and library on the other. In short it it a very beautiful park surrounded by the most powerful buildings in the state! And they're shooting ordinance off them!
Well.....kinda. When you guys here the term "fireworks display" the image of the end of tattoo/festival or Hogmanay in Edinburgh where they play an entire symphony or two with fireworks going off in time with the music for the duration of the half hour. Well here it was more of an hour and a half of music then a 9 min display. Thats right, 9 whole mins of fireworks! But it was actually very cool and the music was well worth the evening.The next day we went up to Cheyenne to Eddie's parents ranch, where they were
But there are plus sides and negative sides to every situation. I finally got to meet the rest of Clarice's family and eat many, many hotdogs and hamburgers! On the flip side, spending an anti-British holiday in a house filled with 90% Republican (i.e. Anti Immigration and devoutly against foreigners in general) was quite.......interesting? Fortunately my winning personality smoothed the way!
Exploring Historic Denver
Clarice, with her love of Historically significant rubble, was thrilled to find that Denver has an entire street of preserved antique buildings, complete with plaques outside to explain the historical significance. Upon discovering that this existed she felt obliged to drag me out of my warm, cosy bed so that I could get some culture. My sleepy complaints that I grew up in a country filled with castles, churches and even pubs that date back several hundred years, and that a street in Edinburgh would have more history went, as ever unheeded, and so exploring we went.
It was AMAZING! (Don’t tell her I said this but, sometimes listening to your girlfriend is a good thing!) We took the light rail from our handy neighbourhood stop down to the Auraria campus of Metro College, wandered (lost) for about 10 mins until we found the start of the historic street (about 20 feet from where we got off the train!) and lost ourselves in the very quaint little street that was once the town of Denver!
Each house had a plaque outside that explained who had owned and built the house and pointed out the interesting architectural quirks each had. 
And a more eclectic mix of architectural styles I have never seen. Some had balconies, towers and spires (which Clarice naturally fell in love with), some were much plainer, but each had a story to tell. Even Clarice, who normally waits for me to sum up the contents of any reading material, was engrossed by the charming little stories and read every one. The house shown here, that Clarice adores, was built by the builder who lived next door. He was bored and felt like making the house fancy, so he added the tower, the balcony with open tower supports and the wrap-around veranda beneath. Then sold the house because it was too grand for him!
Further down the street we came to Tivoli, the student union. It was originally a brewery, and with typical student skill, the brewing vats are still in place. Heaven forbid the beer delivery is late, here they just can just make it! Inside is phenomenal! It has 3 levels of stores including one floor dedicated to fast food and video games! Why couldn’t I study here? Oh right, because I would have spent lectures playing video games or eating Subway till I exploded! Perhaps both.
We resisted the temptations though and continued to explore the building, including going up the tower. This was especially fun considering Clarice’s fear of heights, but the view was worth the damage inflicted to my hand. Below is a picture of the Bronco’s stadium (Invesco field at Mile high). The Bronco’s are the local American football team here in Denver and their loosing streak is due to break anytime soon!
Of course no visit to historical non-rubble is complete
without visiting a church or two.On the historic street we found one of the oldest in Denver, but further on we found one of the most beautiful. It seems quite simple from the outside, but the inside is beautiful! My favourite part of the church (I know, I can’t believe I just typed that either!) was the mosaic stations of the cross that was in its own little walkway around the side of the church itself.
It was AMAZING! (Don’t tell her I said this but, sometimes listening to your girlfriend is a good thing!) We took the light rail from our handy neighbourhood stop down to the Auraria campus of Metro College, wandered (lost) for about 10 mins until we found the start of the historic street (about 20 feet from where we got off the train!) and lost ourselves in the very quaint little street that was once the town of Denver!
And a more eclectic mix of architectural styles I have never seen. Some had balconies, towers and spires (which Clarice naturally fell in love with), some were much plainer, but each had a story to tell. Even Clarice, who normally waits for me to sum up the contents of any reading material, was engrossed by the charming little stories and read every one. The house shown here, that Clarice adores, was built by the builder who lived next door. He was bored and felt like making the house fancy, so he added the tower, the balcony with open tower supports and the wrap-around veranda beneath. Then sold the house because it was too grand for him!
Further down the street we came to Tivoli, the student union. It was originally a brewery, and with typical student skill, the brewing vats are still in place. Heaven forbid the beer delivery is late, here they just can just make it! Inside is phenomenal! It has 3 levels of stores including one floor dedicated to fast food and video games! Why couldn’t I study here? Oh right, because I would have spent lectures playing video games or eating Subway till I exploded! Perhaps both.
We resisted the temptations though and continued to explore the building, including going up the tower. This was especially fun considering Clarice’s fear of heights, but the view was worth the damage inflicted to my hand. Below is a picture of the Bronco’s stadium (Invesco field at Mile high). The Bronco’s are the local American football team here in Denver and their loosing streak is due to break anytime soon!
Of course no visit to historical non-rubble is complete without visiting a church or two.On the historic street we found one of the oldest in Denver, but further on we found one of the most beautiful. It seems quite simple from the outside, but the inside is beautiful! My favourite part of the church (I know, I can’t believe I just typed that either!) was the mosaic stations of the cross that was in its own little walkway around the side of the church itself.
Mmmmm! Mint Jelly!
Several weeks ago (I know, I'm trying to update more!) Clarice and I went to visit her Grandparents in Cheyenne, Wyoming. We spent a very nice morning with GranMary and PopPop (Chip's parents) drinking lemonade and discussing many interesting topics from religion and Calligraphy to our future and the differences between Scotland and America. We also discussed several of the same topics more than once, in the time honoured tradition of speaking with your elders! This, coupled with the (as Clarice would put it) 'most delightful lunch', resulted in a most enjoyable morning and early afternoon.
Leaving around 2:30-3 we proceeded over to the Wiseman ranch to Clarice's other grandparents Sherm and Jean (who insist I call them Grandma and Grandpa) where we made magic happen! Jean is a wiz in the kitchen, her daughter gets it from somewhere after all, and is more than happy to share some of her secret recipes with her granddaughter and, after signing the official secrets act (and been shown grandpa’s rifle collection),her ever loving boyfriend, Me! So we learned to make mint jelly. Now this is not the stuff you put on lamb, oh no! This stuff if for sandwiches and is coveted by the Wiseman and Clark families as if it were the nectar of the Gods! I have to admit, it is very good on PB&J sandwiches. Or on toast. Or just with a spoon!
OK, I admit it! The stuff is good! So armed with our trust, rusty
(and slightly muddy)knifes we went mint hunting. This involves squeezing yourself under the house/stairs/well-house/barn/etc to trim off a large handful of mint. Why these places? Well.....Sherm and Jean's ranch is a horse ranch. The horses roam free and eat the mint, so it grows best in the places that the horses cant reach, but still get the benefit of having horses nearby! If you don’t understand what I mean by this, try walking in a field. So our next step is quite obvious......WASH THE MINT!!!!!! And your hands! Then with some sugar and some secret ingredients mixed, boiled, roasted and dissolved in, you get hot mint jelly gloop! Then its just a case of jarring and cooling and its done! Then its a case of leaving some for the grandparents (like an offering!) and fighting your way out with the rest! We escaped with *several* jars (number not disclosed as we live too close to people who want it!) of Jelly, including one we planning to give to Aric and Stacia, but they haven't visited yet. Maybe we should mention we have jelly for them..............NAH! YUM!
Leaving around 2:30-3 we proceeded over to the Wiseman ranch to Clarice's other grandparents Sherm and Jean (who insist I call them Grandma and Grandpa) where we made magic happen! Jean is a wiz in the kitchen, her daughter gets it from somewhere after all, and is more than happy to share some of her secret recipes with her granddaughter and, after signing the official secrets act (and been shown grandpa’s rifle collection),her ever loving boyfriend, Me! So we learned to make mint jelly. Now this is not the stuff you put on lamb, oh no! This stuff if for sandwiches and is coveted by the Wiseman and Clark families as if it were the nectar of the Gods! I have to admit, it is very good on PB&J sandwiches. Or on toast. Or just with a spoon!
 |
| Learning to turn this..... |
 |
| ...into this! |
Thursday, July 7, 2011
What a way to pass the day
I need a way to pass my day,
Oh what shall I do?
I'll drive a train
(but not in the rain)
And feed the poor on a Monday!
 |
| The Trolley in front of Clarice's work |
But volunteering as what? Working in a thrift store is paid work here in America and I don't fancy religion based work. Then I chanced upon a tourism company that runs an old tram along the Platte river run completely by volunteers! I was in luck, they were just starting their yearly recruitment drive. So I put my name down and became Platte Valley Trolley's youngest conductor, providing a tour to the good people of Denver as well as taking tickets. But the best was yet to come. Once I had become a conductor, I was immediately started on Motorman training (train driving to you and me) and at the start of June passed! Yippee!!! I am now officially a Motorman! Able to drive the trolley whenever I choose (providing it is on a Friday, Saturday or a Sunday!) from one end of the track to the other. Unsupervised! Freedom to race along the track at a breathtaking 8 miles per hour! Talk about extreme!But what to do the remaining 3 days? House chores need done, but 3 days of chores?! Ugh!
So what shall I do to amuse myself and put my (quite exceptional) culinary skills to good use? A soup kitchen! I can go, hone my skills and help out the less fortunate (and I only need to hear one blessing!) and get my good deed done for the week. It is actually very rewarding and I have made very good friends with some of the other volunteers too. Multi-tasking of the first order! Not only do I help the needy, but I get to make friends, listen to Americans (in the hope I will learn to Understand them!) and above all not do housework!
Food glorious Food!
To truly discover a country, I feel you must eat the food. In Italy, eat pasta, pizza and above all Canolis! In Britain have a roast, haggis and maybe welsh rarebit! But what do you eat in a country that is the original melting-pot society? Would have to be their take on the original foods. Germany may have invented the frankfurter, but it belongs with fried onion, relish, ketchup and mustard snuggled up in a long bun. Or why have a boring deep pan pizza when you can have a stuffed crust! Or cheddar when you could have Velveeta! Ok so my logic is not always true (though I do prefer Velveeta!) but the fact remains that food makes a country as much as people or scenery. In America there is definitely something for every taste.
At Goodtimes burgers they pride themselves on their frozen custard! I haven’t been brave enough to try it yet, but one day when I am feeling adventurous (or crazy!) I shall and report back.
One treat I have found and am slowly becoming addicted to is Taco Bell. Its my guilty pleasure! Imagine someone taking the lowest quality meat available, ‘beef' or 'chicken', flavouring it to taste Mexican. Now imagine that that meat is coupled with the food of the Gods (guacamole), sour cream, salad and other mexican-esk items and all wrapped up in a tortilla or taco! Awesome, right? Then imagine this is being sold for next to nothing, and they will give you all the fizzy juice you can drink! Heaven!
Of course, man cannot live on Mexican alone, and when the burn gets too much, that’s when we turn to the other wonder of the west. Arbys. Here they serve sliced roast beef. On buns, on baguettes or in a pile on a plate. I was introduced to the French dip (which is simply amazing), to the alternative to a burger (roast beef instead of a patty) and to the joy of frozen cookies (not beef flavoured!).
When you are done eating these fatty foods and realisation dawns that inside your arteries could soon resemble a shag pile, the best thing to do is eat healthy. But how to make it so you can do this but not feel like you're eating rabbit food? Simple, we cheat! Not in the Scottish way of simply frying the salad, but by going to the wonder that is Jamba Juice. This experience can only be described by one word: AMAZING! Especially when its constantly over 90F/30C. Imagine someone taking the most delicious of fruits and blending them together with fruit sorbet to make a thick, almost frozen goop. Cools you from the inside and tastes like....a fruit party in your mouth!
However, as we are all aware, no meal is complete without dessert! There is a reason the Italians simply call it "beautiful" and here in America they have taken it to heart. Here you can have a Chocolate taco filled with fruit and chocolate mouse (no picture as I couldn't wait to eat!), you can experience the true use of peanut butter in the wonder that is peanut butter ice-cream (I recommend blue bunnies peanut butter panic), and Sundaes that you could eat all week! Perfection in confection attained in phenomenon of Robin eggs (a cross between a malteaser and a mini egg, but the size of a quails egg!) and Turtles (caramel and pecan filled chocolate).
In short, life is good and the eating is better! Now which way to the gym.......?
At Goodtimes burgers they pride themselves on their frozen custard! I haven’t been brave enough to try it yet, but one day when I am feeling adventurous (or crazy!) I shall and report back.
One treat I have found and am slowly becoming addicted to is Taco Bell. Its my guilty pleasure! Imagine someone taking the lowest quality meat available, ‘beef' or 'chicken', flavouring it to taste Mexican. Now imagine that that meat is coupled with the food of the Gods (guacamole), sour cream, salad and other mexican-esk items and all wrapped up in a tortilla or taco! Awesome, right? Then imagine this is being sold for next to nothing, and they will give you all the fizzy juice you can drink! Heaven!Of course, man cannot live on Mexican alone, and when the burn gets too much, that’s when we turn to the other wonder of the west. Arbys. Here they serve sliced roast beef. On buns, on baguettes or in a pile on a plate. I was introduced to the French dip (which is simply amazing), to the alternative to a burger (roast beef instead of a patty) and to the joy of frozen cookies (not beef flavoured!).When you are done eating these fatty foods and realisation dawns that inside your arteries could soon resemble a shag pile, the best thing to do is eat healthy. But how to make it so you can do this but not feel like you're eating rabbit food? Simple, we cheat! Not in the Scottish way of simply frying the salad, but by going to the wonder that is Jamba Juice. This experience can only be described by one word: AMAZING! Especially when its constantly over 90F/30C. Imagine someone taking the most delicious of fruits and blending them together with fruit sorbet to make a thick, almost frozen goop. Cools you from the inside and tastes like....a fruit party in your mouth! 
However, as we are all aware, no meal is complete without dessert! There is a reason the Italians simply call it "beautiful" and here in America they have taken it to heart. Here you can have a Chocolate taco filled with fruit and chocolate mouse (no picture as I couldn't wait to eat!), you can experience the true use of peanut butter in the wonder that is peanut butter ice-cream (I recommend blue bunnies peanut butter panic), and Sundaes that you could eat all week! Perfection in confection attained in phenomenon of Robin eggs (a cross between a malteaser and a mini egg, but the size of a quails egg!) and Turtles (caramel and pecan filled chocolate).In short, life is good and the eating is better! Now which way to the gym.......?
Monday, April 18, 2011
Welcome
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)