We had planned to go to the seaside but had to abandon that because we had an appointment to sell the Discovery. After so long of being a four vehicle household we are now down to a single car and relieved because of it. We don't even like moving the one we've got lest we lose the ideal parking space in front of the house.
So today we took the Central Line out west to Lancaster Gate, home for so long of the English Football Association. It was a scorching hot day and the day of reckoning for England in the World Cup.
Cards on the table: I'm a Scot so not much interested in seeing England win but this has been my home for twelve years and I am equally not interested in seeing them lose. If Corporate Financiers are over-paid then footballers certainly are but they do pay a price of public intrusion and instant judgement that the bankers' could not handle.
Anyway off we wandered into the park. We found a shady spot by the Serpentine and gave Harriet her lunch. She has become quite the fan of cheese and is even allowing cold food like fromage-frais.
Next stop was lunch for us in a decent little pavement cafe in Knightsbridge. Apparently they were all out of Peroni (they had a TV inside and were showing the matches) so I was forced to develop my palate with a malty Italian beer I'd never had before.
We then headed back into the park and headed to the children's playground. It was a joy to see Harriet interact so confidently with the other children and copy what they were doing. The sun was merciless though and we decided to see if her new found tolerance of cold food extended to ice creams. It went ok but I suspect she was mainly interested in playing with it than eating it but still we enjoyed ours.
So at least if she reads this she will know that her first time on the swings was today and she loved it.
In the middle of Hyde Park we heard a cheer go up. Twitter gave the score as 2-1. Well, they still have a chance.
But soon we gave in to the heat and headed home. First a toilet stop for me; 3-1. Then J: 4-1.
We returned home. Two doors down one of our neighbours has decorated their house in England flags. They arrived at the same time as us (about 5.30) looking dejected and worn out.
We've had a great day but for the rest of the country it has been less so. Still, Harriet has a couple of passports and a rich heritage so she should never be short of a reason to be cheerful. After all it's only a game - isn't it?
Sunday 27 June 2010
Wednesday 16 June 2010
So Long, Farewell
The alarm sounded at 5am and we reluctantly got up. Even Harriet was none too thrilled at the early start to the day but we had to return the RV to Oakland by 11am so there was nothing for it.
The return journey was pretty straightforward and the check out procedure at the RV depot was smooth too. We had done only 887 miles and so even qualified for a refund on the 1200 miles we had bought.
At ten past eleven we were crossing the Bay Bridge and returning to the place where it all began. Never will I tire of seeing the city pull closer into sight. If Belinda Carlisle was right then this is where it would be.
Thanks to a few emails in Yosemite we arrived in the hotel to find a package waiting for us. This contained a replacement spare wheel plus an additional spare set just to be safe. We were mobile again.
So off we went, down the familiar route of Market to the Ferry Terminal building then round to Pier 39 and the Wipe-Out restaurant - a real favourite of ours since we first came six years ago.
A great piece of luck was the fact that it was Tuesday so we could go to another Castro Dads. After doing some saltwater taffy shopping in Fishermans Wharf we took one of the F line streetcars down to the Castro.
Apart from Kevin it was a different group this week and so we could retell our story and hear some new ones. This is the sort of group we need especially for Harriet when she's older -the children really enjoy it although they prefer to keep their own company outside and leave the Dads to talk.
It will also provide fodder for my latest book idea about a group of gay dads bringing up their families in a major conurbation - there will be six children and it is provisionally titled Six in the City ;-)
I'm running a bit ahead of myself I know but you can see why wannabe authors would hang around groups like this because you hear some amazing stories.
We met one couple who had just adopted a 12 year old from one of the more socially conservative places in Northern California. The machinations of the social workers and the foster parents left us slack-jawed. The boy himself is as happy and bright as you could ever wish for and confident enough to give us a Shakespeare recitation. Another Dad had a much more difficult time with his home country of Belgium than we had with the British Home Office.
It's also a place to discuss how to handle the questions we get asked so regularly by other people such as 'where is the mother'. When discussing people's assumptions one Dad trumped us in indignitation: he says that he is usually assumed to be the nanny! He is actually a stay-home Dad and his partner and he have just come back from a holiday in Ireland without the children. It was the first time he had off from his 24-7 job.
I'm sure he found it tough to be away from them but holidays do come to an end. This one pretty much has. This morning we will have breakfast and then soak up our last few hours in San Francisco before flying home.
This holiday blog will end here. I'll spare you the blow by blow details about the flight because I'm sure we all know how it's going to go. It's been such a great pleasure to be here as a family and to spend every day with them uninterrupted.
These days will always be most treasured memories.
The return journey was pretty straightforward and the check out procedure at the RV depot was smooth too. We had done only 887 miles and so even qualified for a refund on the 1200 miles we had bought.
At ten past eleven we were crossing the Bay Bridge and returning to the place where it all began. Never will I tire of seeing the city pull closer into sight. If Belinda Carlisle was right then this is where it would be.
Thanks to a few emails in Yosemite we arrived in the hotel to find a package waiting for us. This contained a replacement spare wheel plus an additional spare set just to be safe. We were mobile again.
So off we went, down the familiar route of Market to the Ferry Terminal building then round to Pier 39 and the Wipe-Out restaurant - a real favourite of ours since we first came six years ago.
A great piece of luck was the fact that it was Tuesday so we could go to another Castro Dads. After doing some saltwater taffy shopping in Fishermans Wharf we took one of the F line streetcars down to the Castro.
Apart from Kevin it was a different group this week and so we could retell our story and hear some new ones. This is the sort of group we need especially for Harriet when she's older -the children really enjoy it although they prefer to keep their own company outside and leave the Dads to talk.
It will also provide fodder for my latest book idea about a group of gay dads bringing up their families in a major conurbation - there will be six children and it is provisionally titled Six in the City ;-)
I'm running a bit ahead of myself I know but you can see why wannabe authors would hang around groups like this because you hear some amazing stories.
We met one couple who had just adopted a 12 year old from one of the more socially conservative places in Northern California. The machinations of the social workers and the foster parents left us slack-jawed. The boy himself is as happy and bright as you could ever wish for and confident enough to give us a Shakespeare recitation. Another Dad had a much more difficult time with his home country of Belgium than we had with the British Home Office.
It's also a place to discuss how to handle the questions we get asked so regularly by other people such as 'where is the mother'. When discussing people's assumptions one Dad trumped us in indignitation: he says that he is usually assumed to be the nanny! He is actually a stay-home Dad and his partner and he have just come back from a holiday in Ireland without the children. It was the first time he had off from his 24-7 job.
I'm sure he found it tough to be away from them but holidays do come to an end. This one pretty much has. This morning we will have breakfast and then soak up our last few hours in San Francisco before flying home.
This holiday blog will end here. I'll spare you the blow by blow details about the flight because I'm sure we all know how it's going to go. It's been such a great pleasure to be here as a family and to spend every day with them uninterrupted.
These days will always be most treasured memories.
Monday 14 June 2010
A Last Hurrah
It is now the third morning in a row I have been climbing the slide. I can recall it perfectly.
Yosemite on the other hand is a harder ask. Although we were there two days ago our visit today felt like it was fresh. Superficially we knew the roads and some of the layout but that felt very two dimensional compared to the glory of walking in the place.
We started off at Bridalveil Falls. It took an age to get a parking space but it was worth it. The falls were amazing and you get up close and personal with them - in other words soaked! It was such a hot day (fire risk was high compared to moderate on the previous visit) so actually quite refreshing.
We then parked at the old church and walked across to Yosemite Falls - using the bridge unlike the bear. Alas there were no bear sightings today and no mountain lions either. Since we were without pushchair Harriet travelled in the back-pack which got as many curious looks there as it does back home (hopefully spare wheels will be waiting for us at the hotel in San Francisco if all goes according to plan).
After a stop at one of North America's best burger joints (seriously, it's quite good) we finally visited the visitor centre.
We then had one last stroll and tried to absorb as much of the place as we could. Really we should have visited before now because it is such a breathtaking place and holidays in the future are going to be more about the slides and the swimming pools than hikes and scenery. Still, we can always combine them as we have for the past four days here. In fact the only thing that will change is the RV is just going to get bigger as we hopefully accommodate more children and expand to meet the needs of the one we've got.
The measure of the success of this trip is there for all to see. Our daughter has ruined three pairs of jeans as she has played in playgrounds, firepits and and every bit of dirt and gravel she could find. The red wine lies undrunk because it has been just too damned hot to contemplate (yours truly bought all the beer they had in the store yesterday although if you are my sister reading this then these were ginger beers of course).
The ultimate measure of the success is that we don't want to pack up tomorrow. However, to steal a phrase from the wise ruler of this place: 'We'll be back'.
Yosemite on the other hand is a harder ask. Although we were there two days ago our visit today felt like it was fresh. Superficially we knew the roads and some of the layout but that felt very two dimensional compared to the glory of walking in the place.
We started off at Bridalveil Falls. It took an age to get a parking space but it was worth it. The falls were amazing and you get up close and personal with them - in other words soaked! It was such a hot day (fire risk was high compared to moderate on the previous visit) so actually quite refreshing.
We then parked at the old church and walked across to Yosemite Falls - using the bridge unlike the bear. Alas there were no bear sightings today and no mountain lions either. Since we were without pushchair Harriet travelled in the back-pack which got as many curious looks there as it does back home (hopefully spare wheels will be waiting for us at the hotel in San Francisco if all goes according to plan).
After a stop at one of North America's best burger joints (seriously, it's quite good) we finally visited the visitor centre.
We then had one last stroll and tried to absorb as much of the place as we could. Really we should have visited before now because it is such a breathtaking place and holidays in the future are going to be more about the slides and the swimming pools than hikes and scenery. Still, we can always combine them as we have for the past four days here. In fact the only thing that will change is the RV is just going to get bigger as we hopefully accommodate more children and expand to meet the needs of the one we've got.
The measure of the success of this trip is there for all to see. Our daughter has ruined three pairs of jeans as she has played in playgrounds, firepits and and every bit of dirt and gravel she could find. The red wine lies undrunk because it has been just too damned hot to contemplate (yours truly bought all the beer they had in the store yesterday although if you are my sister reading this then these were ginger beers of course).
The ultimate measure of the success is that we don't want to pack up tomorrow. However, to steal a phrase from the wise ruler of this place: 'We'll be back'.
Winding Down
We are approaching the end of our stay here in California. The cupboards are becoming bare so an emergency trip to the campsite shop was called for.
Other than that it was a rerun of yesterday with many trips up and down the slide and playing on our pitch. Tomorrow we will return to Yosemite to finish with a bang.
Other than that it was a rerun of yesterday with many trips up and down the slide and playing on our pitch. Tomorrow we will return to Yosemite to finish with a bang.
Saturday 12 June 2010
Attack of the Llamas!!!
Now I realise that yesterday's blog took a little while to get going and some may not have managed to make it to the arrival of the bear so I have decided to jazz things up with the title and get straight to the animals.
Well, I've taken a bit of creative licence here. It's true we met two Llamas but they were in the petting zoo within our campsite and they didn't attack, they just came to us hoping for some food.
Today you see was a day for Harriet. Yosemite may be majestic but she spent much of it in a push-chair and J spent much of it driving. Today the RV has moved not an inch although I have been moving more than most days - up and down the steps to the top of the slide mainly.
Two glorious weeks I have off and it makes such a difference being away from it all. I get to notice everything and see her progress. She has been so reluctant to walk recently but today marked a real change - she decided she wanted to play in a fire pit and without thinking much about it she just strode right out. She has been climbing into the RV and up the steps of the play structure. Every meal has been scoffed and every bottle sunk but almost a terrible sight was seeing her sitting in the playground drinking her juice out of her own cup - looking so grown up and independent.
The other boon to this campsite (apart from the petting zoo and the bizarre tractor tours they do) is the swimming pool. It's not quite so inviting as it looks because it is not heated so there was a definite shudder when she went in. Still she and J had a whale of a time larking about in the water.
Not everyone is supportive of us. It's not overt hostility but we have both noticed that people will talk to us individually but when the other appears they withdraw. Chatty Americans become hushed or silent.
When it happens it really makes me tense and I feel ready, just so ready to pounce on them if they dare vocalise their opposition. I care little, if anything, for what people think of me but the collateral damage taking in an innocent child infuriates me beyond all belief (when it's their problem, not ours).
All of which makes it just the more perfect when the elderly man comes across to us at the pool's edge where we are changing her. "I remember those days" he says and walks off into the pool chuckling.
When we left the pool area an elderly American woman who had been avoiding eye contact looked straight at us and spoke: "You're really great Dads".
We feel on top of the world and even those menacing llamas couldn't chase away that feeling.
Well, I've taken a bit of creative licence here. It's true we met two Llamas but they were in the petting zoo within our campsite and they didn't attack, they just came to us hoping for some food.
Today you see was a day for Harriet. Yosemite may be majestic but she spent much of it in a push-chair and J spent much of it driving. Today the RV has moved not an inch although I have been moving more than most days - up and down the steps to the top of the slide mainly.
Two glorious weeks I have off and it makes such a difference being away from it all. I get to notice everything and see her progress. She has been so reluctant to walk recently but today marked a real change - she decided she wanted to play in a fire pit and without thinking much about it she just strode right out. She has been climbing into the RV and up the steps of the play structure. Every meal has been scoffed and every bottle sunk but almost a terrible sight was seeing her sitting in the playground drinking her juice out of her own cup - looking so grown up and independent.
The other boon to this campsite (apart from the petting zoo and the bizarre tractor tours they do) is the swimming pool. It's not quite so inviting as it looks because it is not heated so there was a definite shudder when she went in. Still she and J had a whale of a time larking about in the water.
Not everyone is supportive of us. It's not overt hostility but we have both noticed that people will talk to us individually but when the other appears they withdraw. Chatty Americans become hushed or silent.
When it happens it really makes me tense and I feel ready, just so ready to pounce on them if they dare vocalise their opposition. I care little, if anything, for what people think of me but the collateral damage taking in an innocent child infuriates me beyond all belief (when it's their problem, not ours).
All of which makes it just the more perfect when the elderly man comes across to us at the pool's edge where we are changing her. "I remember those days" he says and walks off into the pool chuckling.
When we left the pool area an elderly American woman who had been avoiding eye contact looked straight at us and spoke: "You're really great Dads".
We feel on top of the world and even those menacing llamas couldn't chase away that feeling.
Friday 11 June 2010
The Value of Nothing
Inflation is the greatest friend of debtors and the enemy of savers. Its single-minded purpose is to erode the value of assets and so makes it more difficult for the people of today to relate to the past. Recall the great scene in Austin Powers when Dr Evil, recently awakened from cryogenic freeze, demands 'one million dollars' as a ransom, little realising that this is no longer such as a vast sum of money.
Of course we can try to talk in 'today's money' but that is somewhat arbitrary and becomes out of date itself. Money is a confidence trick so if you want to protect yourself against it you need something that people will always want everywhere in the world.
In other words you want gold - highly prized throughout the ages because it is easy to work with in jewellery, non reactive and straightforward to identify. Inflation and government fiscal policy can go to Hell, human beings are always going to want gold.
Which of course is what brought non-indigenous people to California in the first place and Yosemite, our destination today, in particular.
And what a place of magnificent treasure it is. There are still parts of Yosemite that command a dollar value (since even gold has its price) including its trees, the minerals and more recently water and hydroelectric power.
But the staggering scale and beauty of the place are beyond value. Almost wherever you stand and gaze, whether at granite mountains, crashing waterfalls or giant trees you will feel exactly like everyone who has stood in that spot. You don't need anyone to translate into 1930s awe - it is the same today.
That's not to say its not changing. It is changing on a geological time scale of course but the thundering waterflows are shaping the place as you watch them. Neither is it a paradise - there are too many of us swarming about for that - but it is special place and my overriding feeling was that I could not take it all in.
I am reading 'The Behaviour of Moths' by Poppy Adams at the moment. The main character could no doubt see hundreds of distinct lives in every square foot and I feel quite the dullard that most of the life, the insects and plants, just pass me by. I can notice the deer with their amazing antlers wandering a few feet from us and the ever present squirrels (the pigeons of Yosemite). I could even notice a bear but we wouldn't be 'lucky' enough to run into one of those surely?
Here's the thing though: we had a disaster with the push-chair when one of the wheels snapped off. So we had to carry the chair back along the path and the beauty of Yosemite was replaced bt a sense of profound irritation. We stopped so J could take his pain-killers for his arms and because of that delay he saw it.
The bear was on the other side of the river and slipped into the water. It glided at speed, looking like a brown, furry crocodile. J was taking photos as quickly as he could and retraced our steps to get closer. An Asian family started running down the middle of the road away from the ursine swimmer. There was no danger though, the bear got out of the water, shook itself off and crossed the road. At the noise of an oncoming car it sped up and disappeared into the forest.
We'll order a spare wheel, who cares. But a bear! A real bear close enough to admire but far enough away to not require a change of underwear.
I know the start of the blog might seem a bit pompous but I make no apology for that. I was just talking about what I know to try to give this place the respect it is so clearly due. If you are lucky enough to go you'll see it in your own way, individual yet with a common connection to many.
If someone offered me gold or the chance to see a bear I'd choose the gold.
So, that I could have many more bear adventures in the future.
Of course we can try to talk in 'today's money' but that is somewhat arbitrary and becomes out of date itself. Money is a confidence trick so if you want to protect yourself against it you need something that people will always want everywhere in the world.
In other words you want gold - highly prized throughout the ages because it is easy to work with in jewellery, non reactive and straightforward to identify. Inflation and government fiscal policy can go to Hell, human beings are always going to want gold.
Which of course is what brought non-indigenous people to California in the first place and Yosemite, our destination today, in particular.
And what a place of magnificent treasure it is. There are still parts of Yosemite that command a dollar value (since even gold has its price) including its trees, the minerals and more recently water and hydroelectric power.
But the staggering scale and beauty of the place are beyond value. Almost wherever you stand and gaze, whether at granite mountains, crashing waterfalls or giant trees you will feel exactly like everyone who has stood in that spot. You don't need anyone to translate into 1930s awe - it is the same today.
That's not to say its not changing. It is changing on a geological time scale of course but the thundering waterflows are shaping the place as you watch them. Neither is it a paradise - there are too many of us swarming about for that - but it is special place and my overriding feeling was that I could not take it all in.
I am reading 'The Behaviour of Moths' by Poppy Adams at the moment. The main character could no doubt see hundreds of distinct lives in every square foot and I feel quite the dullard that most of the life, the insects and plants, just pass me by. I can notice the deer with their amazing antlers wandering a few feet from us and the ever present squirrels (the pigeons of Yosemite). I could even notice a bear but we wouldn't be 'lucky' enough to run into one of those surely?
Here's the thing though: we had a disaster with the push-chair when one of the wheels snapped off. So we had to carry the chair back along the path and the beauty of Yosemite was replaced bt a sense of profound irritation. We stopped so J could take his pain-killers for his arms and because of that delay he saw it.
The bear was on the other side of the river and slipped into the water. It glided at speed, looking like a brown, furry crocodile. J was taking photos as quickly as he could and retraced our steps to get closer. An Asian family started running down the middle of the road away from the ursine swimmer. There was no danger though, the bear got out of the water, shook itself off and crossed the road. At the noise of an oncoming car it sped up and disappeared into the forest.
We'll order a spare wheel, who cares. But a bear! A real bear close enough to admire but far enough away to not require a change of underwear.
I know the start of the blog might seem a bit pompous but I make no apology for that. I was just talking about what I know to try to give this place the respect it is so clearly due. If you are lucky enough to go you'll see it in your own way, individual yet with a common connection to many.
If someone offered me gold or the chance to see a bear I'd choose the gold.
So, that I could have many more bear adventures in the future.
Thursday 10 June 2010
Ready, Steady, ..., Whoosh!
We climbed down from the ice mountain as carefully as we had ascended the day before. First stop was Wal-Mart to find more of the approved food and to have a shower (we did not want to run the generator in the campsite because all the other occupants were in tents and it was too early).
Alas no food could we find and neither could we find some new jeans to replace the ones she has ruined by crawling through the stones. Still we stocked up on food for us and set off for Yosemite.
En-route we picked up the Harriet food and the jeans (three supermarkets in a day) so that was a relief.
Highway 120 was another dramatic climb when approaching Yosemite. It was worse than Coe park because this time the traffic was two way and it was much busier. The views again were great but had to be enjoyed in fleeting glances.
Our campsite is thirty miles outside of the park and set in a pine forest. The views are not so dramatic as yesterday's but it's no car park either. We have finally caught up with the laundry but the highlight of the day was taking Harriet on the slides. It was quite literally the best thing she had ever done judging by the reaction. I certainly don't remember the last time I was on a children's slide but I suspect it will be happening a lot here.
Alas no food could we find and neither could we find some new jeans to replace the ones she has ruined by crawling through the stones. Still we stocked up on food for us and set off for Yosemite.
En-route we picked up the Harriet food and the jeans (three supermarkets in a day) so that was a relief.
Highway 120 was another dramatic climb when approaching Yosemite. It was worse than Coe park because this time the traffic was two way and it was much busier. The views again were great but had to be enjoyed in fleeting glances.
Our campsite is thirty miles outside of the park and set in a pine forest. The views are not so dramatic as yesterday's but it's no car park either. We have finally caught up with the laundry but the highlight of the day was taking Harriet on the slides. It was quite literally the best thing she had ever done judging by the reaction. I certainly don't remember the last time I was on a children's slide but I suspect it will be happening a lot here.
Wednesday 9 June 2010
From Burned to Frozen
The brief was to find somewhere with a view - the last campsite had the amenities but was little more than a car park. We are due in Yosemite on Thursday so ideally not too far out of the way and in any case Harriet limits us in the length of journey we may make.
So I stared at the map and picked one plausible block of green fifteen miles south of San Jose. It was Henry W Coe State Park.
The unnerving part came when I checked the website. It warned that the road approaching the park was narrow and windy and advised people to 'keep this in mind'. There were no height, length or weight restrictions just the caveat 'if you have had little experience with such roads you may want to reconsider your plans'.
Well it was too late for that - we were off. The only sour note was that Harriet refused to eat her porridge but we thought that was because she had got up late and was not yet hungry enough.
The interstates and the 101 carried us to the outskirts of the park quickly enough but the reason for the warning on the website soon became clear. The road is extremely narrow and climbs very quickly. The views are breathtaking but even I was not too keen to look because if you did you saw how quickly the slope fell away. A wrong move and it would literally take your breath away. It took us about an hour to travel the ten miles to the campsite and it was a great relief to arrive at last.
Now this was a view.
Even though we were 10 miles from a town and a major highway it seemed as if we were alone in the world. All around us were steep inclines - the green bushes more often as not turned out to be the tops of very tall trees on the slope below. Helpfully a sign instructed all vehicles to remain on the road.
Amidst all this beauty though was the continuing problem of Harriet refusing to eat. She is still teething - the bottom molars are fully out but the top ones are still to fully arrive - but a bottle and a half of milk was not good enough.
Then another miracle. We discovered that one of the American jars was very similar to one of her favourites back home. She scoffed the lot. Delighted and determined to push our luck we have her a pack of lunchables - little crackers, slices of cheese and ham. She scoffed the lot of that too.
We were overjoyed and later made a sacrifice to the bear god of that place. To be more precise we had a fire using one of the supplied drums. It was extremely welcome because it had started to get cold, very cold.
It continued to get cold. At night the wind was extremely viscious and we had to bring H into bed with us to keep her warm. We had no hookup so no heating and ended up sleeping dressed. H, who will not normally tolerate a hat, was happy to have her hood up.
In the morning, frozen and still sunburned we set off for Yosemite. What a night but a what a view!
So I stared at the map and picked one plausible block of green fifteen miles south of San Jose. It was Henry W Coe State Park.
The unnerving part came when I checked the website. It warned that the road approaching the park was narrow and windy and advised people to 'keep this in mind'. There were no height, length or weight restrictions just the caveat 'if you have had little experience with such roads you may want to reconsider your plans'.
Well it was too late for that - we were off. The only sour note was that Harriet refused to eat her porridge but we thought that was because she had got up late and was not yet hungry enough.
The interstates and the 101 carried us to the outskirts of the park quickly enough but the reason for the warning on the website soon became clear. The road is extremely narrow and climbs very quickly. The views are breathtaking but even I was not too keen to look because if you did you saw how quickly the slope fell away. A wrong move and it would literally take your breath away. It took us about an hour to travel the ten miles to the campsite and it was a great relief to arrive at last.
Now this was a view.
Even though we were 10 miles from a town and a major highway it seemed as if we were alone in the world. All around us were steep inclines - the green bushes more often as not turned out to be the tops of very tall trees on the slope below. Helpfully a sign instructed all vehicles to remain on the road.
Amidst all this beauty though was the continuing problem of Harriet refusing to eat. She is still teething - the bottom molars are fully out but the top ones are still to fully arrive - but a bottle and a half of milk was not good enough.
Then another miracle. We discovered that one of the American jars was very similar to one of her favourites back home. She scoffed the lot. Delighted and determined to push our luck we have her a pack of lunchables - little crackers, slices of cheese and ham. She scoffed the lot of that too.
We were overjoyed and later made a sacrifice to the bear god of that place. To be more precise we had a fire using one of the supplied drums. It was extremely welcome because it had started to get cold, very cold.
It continued to get cold. At night the wind was extremely viscious and we had to bring H into bed with us to keep her warm. We had no hookup so no heating and ended up sleeping dressed. H, who will not normally tolerate a hat, was happy to have her hood up.
In the morning, frozen and still sunburned we set off for Yosemite. What a night but a what a view!
Tuesday 8 June 2010
Castro Dads
When is it ok to be ordinary? The pack animal likes to be ordinary because it is hard for a predator to pick out an individual from a herd that looks the same. There's a comfort for humans too in knowing that you just fit in, that no one could easily pick you out from the crowd.
It's a curse too because we are all different. Some wear it on their sleeves but even the most conformist harbours something that they think no one else shares. In the ideal situation we celebrate our common ground but are proud of our difference. More likely we try to over emphasise our common ground and hide our little differences, our kinks, our otherness.
I want to fit in despite what my public persona of indifference might suggest, but let's face it fitting in is not something we can do easily. Our family is not ordinary because there are not many like us.
But today was different and today we ran with the herd. We went to Castro Dads, a group we follow on Facebook, that meets weekly in the Castro area of San Francisco. At this meeting there were three other other families and our story was almost banal. It's such an unusual experience to keep saying 'yes that's what we found too' whether about the surrogacy itself, people's reactions to it all or the subsequent family relations.
Take a thousand people and you can predict that a certain percentage will do this that or the other. Statistically it's very accurate but for an individual it is worthless - the variance is too high. It's a question of scale.
I am proud that we are different and doing something special. It hasn't been easy and I think it is to the credit of us all - J, Harriet and me, and to our family and friends. But today it was a blessed relief to sit down in San Francisco with the Castro Dads and be ordinary'
It's a curse too because we are all different. Some wear it on their sleeves but even the most conformist harbours something that they think no one else shares. In the ideal situation we celebrate our common ground but are proud of our difference. More likely we try to over emphasise our common ground and hide our little differences, our kinks, our otherness.
I want to fit in despite what my public persona of indifference might suggest, but let's face it fitting in is not something we can do easily. Our family is not ordinary because there are not many like us.
But today was different and today we ran with the herd. We went to Castro Dads, a group we follow on Facebook, that meets weekly in the Castro area of San Francisco. At this meeting there were three other other families and our story was almost banal. It's such an unusual experience to keep saying 'yes that's what we found too' whether about the surrogacy itself, people's reactions to it all or the subsequent family relations.
Take a thousand people and you can predict that a certain percentage will do this that or the other. Statistically it's very accurate but for an individual it is worthless - the variance is too high. It's a question of scale.
I am proud that we are different and doing something special. It hasn't been easy and I think it is to the credit of us all - J, Harriet and me, and to our family and friends. But today it was a blessed relief to sit down in San Francisco with the Castro Dads and be ordinary'
Back To The Beginning
A lot has changed in fifteen months but some things you hope will be just the same. Following a morning at the local shopping centre (waiting for Harriet to reach a point when she would contemplate breakfast) we set off for the I-80, destination Sacramento.
Our first destination was Homestead Studios, Gateway Oaks drive, H's first address. Everything was exactly the same and we posed for a photo outside room 221 where for so long we waited first for Harriet and then for a passport.
We took a nostalgic walk by the drainage canal. I associate this mainly with the pre-Harriet period as I tried to kill time hoping that the call would come. For J it is mainly something he remembers doing with Harriet in her first pram. The only time I did it with her she was so tiny we carried her in a sling and one woman stopped to ask whether we had a baby or a dog in there. No danger of that now. She loved the walk because of all the weeds she could run through her fingers as we wheeled her by.
Our next stop was Applebees in the Truxel Road shopping centre. It was a toss up between that and the Dennys in downtown Sacramento but we reckoned the parking would be easier in the out of town mall. So much of our time was spent hanging around, waiting for the call that the highlight of our day was going out to eat.
Once H was here J was alone for most of the time so he often went out to shops and our next stop on the nostalgia tour was the Target store. Our nominal goal was to look for some clothes because Harriet is becoming filthy from the van and the stones outside but it was really a chance to wander round and try to recapture in a calmer way those very tumultuous times.
Our first destination was Homestead Studios, Gateway Oaks drive, H's first address. Everything was exactly the same and we posed for a photo outside room 221 where for so long we waited first for Harriet and then for a passport.
We took a nostalgic walk by the drainage canal. I associate this mainly with the pre-Harriet period as I tried to kill time hoping that the call would come. For J it is mainly something he remembers doing with Harriet in her first pram. The only time I did it with her she was so tiny we carried her in a sling and one woman stopped to ask whether we had a baby or a dog in there. No danger of that now. She loved the walk because of all the weeds she could run through her fingers as we wheeled her by.
Our next stop was Applebees in the Truxel Road shopping centre. It was a toss up between that and the Dennys in downtown Sacramento but we reckoned the parking would be easier in the out of town mall. So much of our time was spent hanging around, waiting for the call that the highlight of our day was going out to eat.
Once H was here J was alone for most of the time so he often went out to shops and our next stop on the nostalgia tour was the Target store. Our nominal goal was to look for some clothes because Harriet is becoming filthy from the van and the stones outside but it was really a chance to wander round and try to recapture in a calmer way those very tumultuous times.
Sunday 6 June 2010
Changing Times
It was a nervous start to the day because we had drained the main battery listening to the radio. We could start it with the leisure battery but we would need to go for a drive to charge it up so there was no escaping from a trip to Wal-Mart.
So today's journal reads like this: got up, went to supermarket, came home, sat around and went to bed.
But there is a little more to it than that.
We are as obsessed as any new parents and carefully track every change and nuance. We put up videos, photos and stories on Facebook. We try to be careful when meeting people in the real world not to talk too much because at least on-line you can choose not to look or comment but in the flesh it's hard to ignore us.
So we have a huge amount of scientific data on Ms Lovemason's progress. For example the latest phrase she repeats endlessly is 'Who's that?' But sometimes in science there is a profound change in thinking, the so-called paradigm shift, and yesterday I had one of those.
It's perhaps the setting that throws it into sharp relief. Tomorrow we are planning a nostalgia trip to Sacramento. When I was last there she was a baby of a few days old. When J and Harriet left there for the last time she was four weeks old.
Gradually she has changed but yesterday it really hit me. This campsite is not very good for a child because there is no grass - just stones that look clean but contain lots of cigarette butts. She was quite frustrated at not getting to stick stones in her mouth or play in the driver's cab so she threw her first major tantrum that I have seen. Previously she threw tantrums but she could always be consoled but this time she was having none of it.
She threw whatever came to hand in all directions and then lay on the floor banging her hands and feet. We have a new cry too that can shatter glass.
Mercifully she went to bed early and had a good long sleep. J and I had an extremely good evening listening to David Sedaris recordings which left us weeping with laughter. That may be our main support in the battles that lie ahead.
So today's journal reads like this: got up, went to supermarket, came home, sat around and went to bed.
But there is a little more to it than that.
We are as obsessed as any new parents and carefully track every change and nuance. We put up videos, photos and stories on Facebook. We try to be careful when meeting people in the real world not to talk too much because at least on-line you can choose not to look or comment but in the flesh it's hard to ignore us.
So we have a huge amount of scientific data on Ms Lovemason's progress. For example the latest phrase she repeats endlessly is 'Who's that?' But sometimes in science there is a profound change in thinking, the so-called paradigm shift, and yesterday I had one of those.
It's perhaps the setting that throws it into sharp relief. Tomorrow we are planning a nostalgia trip to Sacramento. When I was last there she was a baby of a few days old. When J and Harriet left there for the last time she was four weeks old.
Gradually she has changed but yesterday it really hit me. This campsite is not very good for a child because there is no grass - just stones that look clean but contain lots of cigarette butts. She was quite frustrated at not getting to stick stones in her mouth or play in the driver's cab so she threw her first major tantrum that I have seen. Previously she threw tantrums but she could always be consoled but this time she was having none of it.
She threw whatever came to hand in all directions and then lay on the floor banging her hands and feet. We have a new cry too that can shatter glass.
Mercifully she went to bed early and had a good long sleep. J and I had an extremely good evening listening to David Sedaris recordings which left us weeping with laughter. That may be our main support in the battles that lie ahead.
Saturday 5 June 2010
Burning
The only drama from yesterday was the mad rush to catch the ferry, which is much less frequent at the weekends. Once arrived in San Fracisco we had a pleasant day with Matt walking along the front from the ferry terminal almost to the Golden Gate bridge.
The weather takes a bit of getting used to. It was sunny in Larkspur in the morning but there was a lot of cloud inbetween it and the city. The views of the bridge from the ferry were spectacular - you could only see the tops of the main supports peaking up from the cloud.
At the ferry terminal it was bright but what we didn't appreciate was how strong the sun was. By the end of the day we were all really quite sun burned (except H who was covered in factor 50). I never expected that to happen here in a city I always think of as damp and cool and even more surprising was that J was just as red.
We had a farewell drink with Matt who flew back to Seattle that night. Then we were back on the ferry and heading home.
The coda to this mostly uneventful day was that when we returned we found that someone had left a packet of nappies and a bucket and spade by the door to our van. There was no note or any indication from whom they came but Harriet loved playing with them in the stones in front of the RV. I hoped that if the benefactors were still in the park they would see just how much they were appreciated.
The weather takes a bit of getting used to. It was sunny in Larkspur in the morning but there was a lot of cloud inbetween it and the city. The views of the bridge from the ferry were spectacular - you could only see the tops of the main supports peaking up from the cloud.
At the ferry terminal it was bright but what we didn't appreciate was how strong the sun was. By the end of the day we were all really quite sun burned (except H who was covered in factor 50). I never expected that to happen here in a city I always think of as damp and cool and even more surprising was that J was just as red.
We had a farewell drink with Matt who flew back to Seattle that night. Then we were back on the ferry and heading home.
The coda to this mostly uneventful day was that when we returned we found that someone had left a packet of nappies and a bucket and spade by the door to our van. There was no note or any indication from whom they came but Harriet loved playing with them in the stones in front of the RV. I hoped that if the benefactors were still in the park they would see just how much they were appreciated.
The Greener Grass
The Microwave has just pinged and at last I have a sausage muffin in my hands. The problem with our rush to collect the RV, get to the campsite and travel to San Francisco to meet Matt was that we had only a limited time to stock the cupboards at Wal-Mart.
It was a rubbish store to be fair. J was something like Spitting Image's Queen Mother as he wandered round "I used to live in Sacramento you know! And they would never have organised it like this or stocked it so poorly".
So we did a rubbish shop. Harriet was ok (we found an equivalent to Ready-Brek) but yesterday there was no breakfast for us. The fridge contained milk, baby juice, beer and Margaritas.
No problem I thought - you cannot walk more than five minutes in this country without finding some take-out.
Wrong. Yes you can if you walk alongside the 101 down the Redwood Highway. Repair garages, spinal doctors and fabric superstores there are a-plenty but nothing to eat. Breakfast is the best thing in this country - my thoughts were full of pancakes, biscuits (scones to the UK readers) and French toast but thinking was as far as it went.
Now no doubt you are really worried for my well-being but fret not because we were soon sailing across the Bay to salvation. The problem with the City though was that we went from no choice to too much choice and in a panic ended up in McDonalds. Not good but enough to stave off that hunger.
We met Matt in the Nordstrom shopping centre where we were trying to find a hat that Harriet would keep on. That having proved impossible we had a drink in the cafe and planned the day.
We decided to go to the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate park. It was a mission to get there on the bus but once there it was a spectacular place.
I have been to some great aquaria including the amazing one in Sydney but this was in another league. There were so many creatures I had never seen below including the leafy seadragon. Please google these amazing looking creatures - to describe them as big sea horses that look like seaweed would be a crime.
All the displays were very new and afforded some great views of all the fish. Even the simple tank of jellyfish was strikingly lit and drew you towards it.
The next section we visited was a recreation of the rainforest. Within the building the had created a dome with a ramp that spiralled upwards to demonstrate the life at different levels of the forest. Butterflies and tropical birds flew about in the humid air and at the bottom there was water filled with large prehistoric fish. At the top of the exhibit you take the lift down to the basement to get up close to the fish.
We took Harriet to see the penguins in the Africa exhibit but she was more interested in just walking about. It was touching to see her standing at one of the displays really concentrating on the lizard sitting on the other side of the glass.
Finally we toured the extreme mammals exhibit. This was more for the adults and was really fascinating. I learned that animals I thought of as dinosaurs (dimetrodon) are actually closer to mammals than dinosaurs. The exhibit does a good job of showing that for every 'typical' mamallian trait there is an exception. It seems that being a mammal is something to do with bones in the ear and everything else (warm blood, giving birth to live young etc) is up for grabs.
The return journey was another nightmare. J's arms gave him a lot of pain so it was easier for us to walk back to the ferry terminal. It was a long, long way but we were able to stop off and get the muffins and pastries. Everthing was going to be alright.
It was a rubbish store to be fair. J was something like Spitting Image's Queen Mother as he wandered round "I used to live in Sacramento you know! And they would never have organised it like this or stocked it so poorly".
So we did a rubbish shop. Harriet was ok (we found an equivalent to Ready-Brek) but yesterday there was no breakfast for us. The fridge contained milk, baby juice, beer and Margaritas.
No problem I thought - you cannot walk more than five minutes in this country without finding some take-out.
Wrong. Yes you can if you walk alongside the 101 down the Redwood Highway. Repair garages, spinal doctors and fabric superstores there are a-plenty but nothing to eat. Breakfast is the best thing in this country - my thoughts were full of pancakes, biscuits (scones to the UK readers) and French toast but thinking was as far as it went.
Now no doubt you are really worried for my well-being but fret not because we were soon sailing across the Bay to salvation. The problem with the City though was that we went from no choice to too much choice and in a panic ended up in McDonalds. Not good but enough to stave off that hunger.
We met Matt in the Nordstrom shopping centre where we were trying to find a hat that Harriet would keep on. That having proved impossible we had a drink in the cafe and planned the day.
We decided to go to the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate park. It was a mission to get there on the bus but once there it was a spectacular place.
I have been to some great aquaria including the amazing one in Sydney but this was in another league. There were so many creatures I had never seen below including the leafy seadragon. Please google these amazing looking creatures - to describe them as big sea horses that look like seaweed would be a crime.
All the displays were very new and afforded some great views of all the fish. Even the simple tank of jellyfish was strikingly lit and drew you towards it.
The next section we visited was a recreation of the rainforest. Within the building the had created a dome with a ramp that spiralled upwards to demonstrate the life at different levels of the forest. Butterflies and tropical birds flew about in the humid air and at the bottom there was water filled with large prehistoric fish. At the top of the exhibit you take the lift down to the basement to get up close to the fish.
We took Harriet to see the penguins in the Africa exhibit but she was more interested in just walking about. It was touching to see her standing at one of the displays really concentrating on the lizard sitting on the other side of the glass.
Finally we toured the extreme mammals exhibit. This was more for the adults and was really fascinating. I learned that animals I thought of as dinosaurs (dimetrodon) are actually closer to mammals than dinosaurs. The exhibit does a good job of showing that for every 'typical' mamallian trait there is an exception. It seems that being a mammal is something to do with bones in the ear and everything else (warm blood, giving birth to live young etc) is up for grabs.
The return journey was another nightmare. J's arms gave him a lot of pain so it was easier for us to walk back to the ferry terminal. It was a long, long way but we were able to stop off and get the muffins and pastries. Everthing was going to be alright.
Friday 4 June 2010
The New Home
Once the mad taxi driver had left we checked in with Cruise America. The guy behind the desk was a dead ringer for Fargo from A Town Called Eureka and mercifully let us skip the orientation video.
It's a bigger unit than the one we rented in Arizona. It has a fixed bed at the rear as well as the over the cab bed. The main thing though is we now have a microwave and so can heat her milk and food. The shower is much better than the farce we have at home too.
I will never drive this thing I hope. It's 24ft long and extremely wide. American roads are big but the lanes looked a little small when we set out on the interstate. I would've been a nervous wreck but J took it in his stride.
We are staying in Larkspur, 10 miles north of San Francisco. The place has a certain resonance for J because it was where his parents stayed when they were here and where his brother and his family stayed on their holiday.
To get to San Francisco from Larkspur you can either take the bus or the ferry. That's a no brainer - imagine arriving into San Francisco across the bay. It's magical because you see such a contrast between the fecund hills of Larkspur with the clouds rolling down them and the skyline of San Francisco -all pointy towers and colourful chaos.
Even better the ferry, unlike the bus, has a bar and we set out on our first trip with a gin and tonic (minus the tonic) and a beer.
We were going to meet a friend of mine, Matt, whom I hadn't seen for ten years. I met him at Edinburgh University in my final year when he was visiting for a year from the States. He now lives in Seattle which to an American is of course only just up the road so he flew down to meet us, for which I am very grateful. All those memories of CC Blooms came flooding back.
J had never met him of course so we did the intros walking along the embarcadero down to Fisherman's Wharf. At dinner Harriet was as good as gold and sat at the table with us munching on a few chips and joining in with her own brand of conversation.
Then it was back home across the bay and our first night in the RV. It felt good to be back here, good to see old friends and best of all to know that it was only the beginning of the holiday.
It's a bigger unit than the one we rented in Arizona. It has a fixed bed at the rear as well as the over the cab bed. The main thing though is we now have a microwave and so can heat her milk and food. The shower is much better than the farce we have at home too.
I will never drive this thing I hope. It's 24ft long and extremely wide. American roads are big but the lanes looked a little small when we set out on the interstate. I would've been a nervous wreck but J took it in his stride.
We are staying in Larkspur, 10 miles north of San Francisco. The place has a certain resonance for J because it was where his parents stayed when they were here and where his brother and his family stayed on their holiday.
To get to San Francisco from Larkspur you can either take the bus or the ferry. That's a no brainer - imagine arriving into San Francisco across the bay. It's magical because you see such a contrast between the fecund hills of Larkspur with the clouds rolling down them and the skyline of San Francisco -all pointy towers and colourful chaos.
Even better the ferry, unlike the bus, has a bar and we set out on our first trip with a gin and tonic (minus the tonic) and a beer.
We were going to meet a friend of mine, Matt, whom I hadn't seen for ten years. I met him at Edinburgh University in my final year when he was visiting for a year from the States. He now lives in Seattle which to an American is of course only just up the road so he flew down to meet us, for which I am very grateful. All those memories of CC Blooms came flooding back.
J had never met him of course so we did the intros walking along the embarcadero down to Fisherman's Wharf. At dinner Harriet was as good as gold and sat at the table with us munching on a few chips and joining in with her own brand of conversation.
Then it was back home across the bay and our first night in the RV. It felt good to be back here, good to see old friends and best of all to know that it was only the beginning of the holiday.
The Taxi
We were struggling to keep awake at dinner and threw in the towel at eight, pretending that we were going to watch Law and Order. I woke at three thirty in the morning - Harriet was playing and in a very good mood as if everything that had just happened to her was the most normal thing in the world.
The good news is that at five we all went to sleep again and woke up at half seven. It felt like morning and Harriet scoffed a jar from the infant meal we got on the plane.
Breakfast for us was a trip to Burger King. So early in the morning SF's vagrants were the main people on the street. A man, by his own admission drunk at 8am, talked to us in Burger King, sharing his faith in North European paganism. It was by no means threatening just very Californian.
Back out on Market Street we took a stroll. Remarkably all the way down to the Castro there are pride flags along the route. It looks a bit like the Mall set up to expect the Queen of the Friends of Dorothy on a state visit.
We reached the Ferry Building where J swore blind that we used to get a coffee and sit on the pier watching the ships. I had done no such thing and reminded him of just how long he had been here with Harriet without me. So we got a drink and made the false memory a real one.
It was a glorious day in which the city was bathed in sunshine but across the bay it was all rolling mist and fog. Everyone smiled at us and Harriet charmed them all.
The next phase of the day cannot be described effectively, not by me and not by anyone most likely. The simple facts are that we took a taxi to Oakland and our taxi driver was mad. I mean really mad. It wasn't that he had every episode of Juliet Bravo on tape it was that he was insane.
He was Japanese and told us he was sixty eight. All the way to Oakland he told us stories of the key to good health . All the advice was dispensed in terrible English with shrieks and shouts at random points. For emphasis he would slam his hand on the dashboard and cackle at the foolishness of the world around him.
When we arrived at the RV lot there was some building work and true to form he ignored the designated route and drove over some thin planks of wood which snapped and the taxi dropped into a hole. Mercifully he got it out and we didn't have to spend any more time.
Well, that was my attempt at a description. J took some video of him in full flow and once we are back we will post it.
The RV was great but I'll describe it and our first meeting with Matt in a separate piece because to associate them with this would be unkind.
The good news is that at five we all went to sleep again and woke up at half seven. It felt like morning and Harriet scoffed a jar from the infant meal we got on the plane.
Breakfast for us was a trip to Burger King. So early in the morning SF's vagrants were the main people on the street. A man, by his own admission drunk at 8am, talked to us in Burger King, sharing his faith in North European paganism. It was by no means threatening just very Californian.
Back out on Market Street we took a stroll. Remarkably all the way down to the Castro there are pride flags along the route. It looks a bit like the Mall set up to expect the Queen of the Friends of Dorothy on a state visit.
We reached the Ferry Building where J swore blind that we used to get a coffee and sit on the pier watching the ships. I had done no such thing and reminded him of just how long he had been here with Harriet without me. So we got a drink and made the false memory a real one.
It was a glorious day in which the city was bathed in sunshine but across the bay it was all rolling mist and fog. Everyone smiled at us and Harriet charmed them all.
The next phase of the day cannot be described effectively, not by me and not by anyone most likely. The simple facts are that we took a taxi to Oakland and our taxi driver was mad. I mean really mad. It wasn't that he had every episode of Juliet Bravo on tape it was that he was insane.
He was Japanese and told us he was sixty eight. All the way to Oakland he told us stories of the key to good health . All the advice was dispensed in terrible English with shrieks and shouts at random points. For emphasis he would slam his hand on the dashboard and cackle at the foolishness of the world around him.
When we arrived at the RV lot there was some building work and true to form he ignored the designated route and drove over some thin planks of wood which snapped and the taxi dropped into a hole. Mercifully he got it out and we didn't have to spend any more time.
Well, that was my attempt at a description. J took some video of him in full flow and once we are back we will post it.
The RV was great but I'll describe it and our first meeting with Matt in a separate piece because to associate them with this would be unkind.
Thursday 3 June 2010
Back in the City
We had to wait at the aircraft door for Harriet's amazing car-seat/buggy combo to be brought to us. So many people charged past us no doubt dreading the age that it takes to clear US immigration.
Indeed it was extremely busy. It looked like another couple of jumbos had arrived before us and still hadn't cleared.
I tried to care but couldn't quite manage a serious effort. Some families had bought business class tickets but they didn't have the little blue book - Harriet's US passport. So we turned right and joined the citizens queue. Five minutes later we picked up our bags and we were then outside waiting for the shuttle to the hotel.
Harriet's buggy transformed again into a car seat and we were off. It has been a real success and it will be interesting to see if Americans are as surprised by the sight of it as people in London.
She has just been amazing and was still in such a good mood but once the car got going she could finally have a doze.
As for us we were just relieved that there was a bar and restaurant in the hotel. It was finally time to unwind and have a drink. The next big stage of the adventure begins tomorrow
Indeed it was extremely busy. It looked like another couple of jumbos had arrived before us and still hadn't cleared.
I tried to care but couldn't quite manage a serious effort. Some families had bought business class tickets but they didn't have the little blue book - Harriet's US passport. So we turned right and joined the citizens queue. Five minutes later we picked up our bags and we were then outside waiting for the shuttle to the hotel.
Harriet's buggy transformed again into a car seat and we were off. It has been a real success and it will be interesting to see if Americans are as surprised by the sight of it as people in London.
She has just been amazing and was still in such a good mood but once the car got going she could finally have a doze.
As for us we were just relieved that there was a bar and restaurant in the hotel. It was finally time to unwind and have a drink. The next big stage of the adventure begins tomorrow
Wednesday 2 June 2010
The Beginning
Well it has begun. I'm writing this as we are flying over England - only ten hours to go.
So far (and the seat belt signs have only just gone off) so good. The seats are horrendous of course - we are in a row of three and the window seat is taken by a poor soul who is making her first long haul flight.
The real boon though is that there are many children on this flight so we don't feel quite so bad. In fact Harriet has been one of the quieter ones so far.
Long may it continue. Long, very long / about ten hours long.
Update 1248: in the air for an hour and still no in-flight entertainment which is a pain. Harriet is almost ready to go to sleep and a cartoon would be just the ticket.
Flight attendant is a very camp Scot. Thought we would do well from him but two very small glasses of wine and that was it.
Update 1450: the worst thing about economy is not the cramped seat or even the food. In fact the food has been very good. The problem is losing all sense of individuality. We really needed them to clear away our trays because Harriet kept trying to grab stuff. But instead of clearing they first served the tea and coffee. It took an age to clear. Yes we could ask but they have a real knack of disappearing as soon as you try. Just wait your turn and know your place.
The American woman, mother to the little girl in front is chatty in a way typical of a Californian. The English woman to my right is also not afraid to talk albeit in a quieter way.
Update 1512: The first nappy has been changed. How was it I asked? Bloody difficult came the reply.
Update 1623: Water or Juice? So that will be no booze then. Forget the rubbish I was talking earlier - the worst thing about economy is the lack of wine. I know how much some of you love it when I talk about wine but the truth is that I am usually happy with an indifferent red and right about now I would be ecstatic with any vin de table.
Update 1804: They have run out of wine apparently. J has resorted to rum and coke. Harriet has come alive and it's been more difficult. Immigration forms are done so not much to do. No chance of reading or watching anything.
Update 1826: Miniature wrap arrives. Scalding hot. No beverages of any description. American woman is very friendly but pace of conversation is draining.
Update 2022: We're over Idaho now so getting close. Our seats are next to the galley so we can hear the staff preparing the next sumptuous feast (I have spotted a full bottle of wine too). What is astonishing is just how many people order special meals. If I were management I would scrap this and give everyone Vegan.
Update 2114: Less than an hour to go thank goodness. Harriet is still wide awake and interacting with Victoria, the girl in front is us. No doubt they are discussing just how wonderful it is to have dual nationality. Lucky things.
Update 2205: Touchdown :-)
So far (and the seat belt signs have only just gone off) so good. The seats are horrendous of course - we are in a row of three and the window seat is taken by a poor soul who is making her first long haul flight.
The real boon though is that there are many children on this flight so we don't feel quite so bad. In fact Harriet has been one of the quieter ones so far.
Long may it continue. Long, very long / about ten hours long.
Update 1248: in the air for an hour and still no in-flight entertainment which is a pain. Harriet is almost ready to go to sleep and a cartoon would be just the ticket.
Flight attendant is a very camp Scot. Thought we would do well from him but two very small glasses of wine and that was it.
Update 1450: the worst thing about economy is not the cramped seat or even the food. In fact the food has been very good. The problem is losing all sense of individuality. We really needed them to clear away our trays because Harriet kept trying to grab stuff. But instead of clearing they first served the tea and coffee. It took an age to clear. Yes we could ask but they have a real knack of disappearing as soon as you try. Just wait your turn and know your place.
The American woman, mother to the little girl in front is chatty in a way typical of a Californian. The English woman to my right is also not afraid to talk albeit in a quieter way.
Update 1512: The first nappy has been changed. How was it I asked? Bloody difficult came the reply.
Update 1623: Water or Juice? So that will be no booze then. Forget the rubbish I was talking earlier - the worst thing about economy is the lack of wine. I know how much some of you love it when I talk about wine but the truth is that I am usually happy with an indifferent red and right about now I would be ecstatic with any vin de table.
Update 1804: They have run out of wine apparently. J has resorted to rum and coke. Harriet has come alive and it's been more difficult. Immigration forms are done so not much to do. No chance of reading or watching anything.
Update 1826: Miniature wrap arrives. Scalding hot. No beverages of any description. American woman is very friendly but pace of conversation is draining.
Update 2022: We're over Idaho now so getting close. Our seats are next to the galley so we can hear the staff preparing the next sumptuous feast (I have spotted a full bottle of wine too). What is astonishing is just how many people order special meals. If I were management I would scrap this and give everyone Vegan.
Update 2114: Less than an hour to go thank goodness. Harriet is still wide awake and interacting with Victoria, the girl in front is us. No doubt they are discussing just how wonderful it is to have dual nationality. Lucky things.
Update 2205: Touchdown :-)
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