Do Reindeer Have Toothbrushes?

Tonight, Soph asked me, wide eyed, whether reindeer have toothbrushes(!)
When I said that no they didn't, she looked rather concerned and said "don't they get lots of cavities"?

Earlier on today we were discussing the imminent arrival of Santa. Soph exclaimed..."I am going to be on my "bestest-haviour" (say it fast).

Cute or what?

Anyway....Happy Christmas to our millions of readers.
May you have a very peaceful and contented festive season and a thoroughly spiffing 2009.

Bye Bye Roger

Roger the Spitty has gone! I waved him off on an 18 wheel car transporter last week, on his way to New York. I sold him on ebay to an art dealer chappy from Germany who lives in Manhattan. It tuns out that the new owner is planning to spend a "few thousand bucks" to get him "just right". I can only conclude that Roger will be much happier in Manhattan. But hey...it was fun.

My recent bicycle commuting has been a bit of a revelation. Riding up to 2 hours a day, every day, has really changed my physiology. I feel fitter than ever and have lost loads of weight in the process. Sadly I am becoming an evangelical cyclist and can regularly be heard ranting at naughty Pittsburgh car drivers in a thick scouse accent. Luckily nobody has any idea what I am saying so, whereas in Liverpool I would get my head panned in, in Pittsburgh the objects of my anger just nod vigorously and smile sympathetically.

After the departure of Roger the Spitty I'd like to say that it is "mid life crisis over" but I seem to be lurching from one distraction to the next. My next adventure is going to be a recumbent bike.....or even a trike. That is, one where you lay back and pedal. Clearly this represents a complete and unidirectional descent into middle age but frankly....and thankfully...I couldn't give a hoot.

We were in Blighty recently for a couple of weeks. Sadly everyone got the flu while we were there (except me!) so it was a low key trip. It was really nice to spend a couple of days with my dad and family in Glynde. Soph developed quite an affection for Layla the Staffy.




Happy Christmas to all!

Stay out the pubs!

REFEREE!

Yesterday was the last game of the season at Edgewood Soccer Club. Adam celebrated the occasion by bagging two of the three goals scored by his team, the Green Yodas. I know I am biased but one of these was quite simply sublime. The goal of the season by a mile. Adam picked the ball up in his own half....weaved his way past about 50 of the purple team and then, discovering that he had only keeper to beat, steadied himself and blasted it into the bottom corner. Fantastic stuff!






Today we went off to Janowski's farm in Clinton PA for some fall fun. Pumpkins and hayrides were the order of the day with few cuddly ovine (and a bovine) beasties thrown in for good measure. We got lost in the corn maze, took a tractor ride and wet ourselves in the haunted barn (actually it was pretty darn scary in there). As you can see from the piccies, we unearthed a genuine 1919 Model T Ford and the original "Terrence the Tractor" from "Thomas the Tank Engine". We rounded the afternoon off by a runaround at Raccoon Creek and then headed into Shadyside for ribs and stuff at Buffalo Blues on Highland Avenue where we watched the Steelers get beaten by the Giants.



And, given today's result at Stamford Bridge, I cannot resist having a quick gloat. COME ON YOU RED MEN!!!!!!!!

Football Crazy

I am considering growing a goatee beard and donning a dark suit with red tie to go with my new-found role as local soccer coach. Of course I will also need to adopt a Spanish accent and end every sentence with......"no??"

Needless to say we have been heavy on the old footy lately. Adam has two sessions a week at the Edgewood Club and two at school. Surprisingly I am the coach (thankfully not the only one) at all of these sessions. Plus...Adam and I are keeping up our regular schedule of hoofing the ball back and forth on the other days.

Today we explored the "Yough" River bike trail at the Pittsburgh end. Sadly it was like peddling through darkest Garston although I have to say there was a notable absence of scallies despite the overwhelming economic void that appears to exist there.

Oh yes...Adam lost his second tooth today in a breakfast pancake. Methinks Mrs Tooth-fairy will pay a visit tonight.

Friday night was the School Fall Festival complete with chilly fall weather, pumpkins galore and lots of good honest fun! Adam's school is fantastic although we found out on Friday that his class teacher....the amazing Enrico Nardini will be moving back to Philly any day soon to deal with a family emergency. This is a bit of a blow as Adam thinks Mr N is the bee's patellas. Hopefully his replacement Mrs Murray will be OK.

Here is the latest bike movie.

...and some pics of the 2018 LFC Centre Forward.






BTW...for those of you who support real football...(not that riff raff from the other side of Stanley Park Bergy)...here is some classic YouTube humour. Long live the internet.

Last Few Sunny Days for a While!

Apologies for the lapse in bloggage.

It isn't that nothing has been happening. More that too much seems to be happening. I have been working my proverbials off and the kids seem to be on an endless merry-go-round of school, homework, mates and footy. Shaz is heavily into yoga (Namaste!) and riding her bike.

Adam has started playing for one of the local footy teams in Edgewood (near his school) which means practice on Tuesday and a match on Saturday. I am now involved in the coaching which means we are both busy bees. To make life more complicated I am just about to start coaching the footy club at his new school which will be two nights a week. That'll teach me!

Today we went for a pedal in the woods before the icy winds and snow start turning weekends into snuggling sessions. We went out to the bike trail next to the Youghiogheny River and did 12 miles which I think is pretty darn good for a 6 year old never mind for his wheezy old dad.

Click here to see the movie!!!!

GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Watch this video.

Further comment would be superfluous.

I need a beer!

Achooooo!!

I realize this is a "family adventures" website but I really feel I should share with you a glimpse of some truly scholarly activity.

First check out this link....

Then you can confirm its authenticity by checking out the citation at the National Library of Medicine site here.

I assume this has been peer-reviewed.

I can just imagine the gathering of experimental data.

I guess you could call this... "pushing back the foreskin of science"

Ramblings from The Burgh

Summer is finally packing its toothbrush and canceling the milk, ready for a vacation down south. In some ways I am dreading the arrival of the chilly weather (and boy does it ever get chilly) but in another way I will be glad to see the back of sweaty nights when I can't sleep cos it is too hot and being endlessly soaking wet from cycling in 90 degree temperatures.

Adam seems to be loving his new school which is absolutely massive for us. Comments at the end of the day when asked "how was school" include...."wonderful" which frankly is hard to believe but I'll take that any day over a grunt and a shrug.

My new regime of dropping him off and picking him up on the bike means that I am getting to know the staff quite well which is great. Mr Nardini, Adam's class teacher, is a very cool dude. Lots of communication with the parents and very quick to praise good behavior and point out "issues" so they can be dealt with.

One thing that strikes me about Adam is how comfortable he is in saying what he thinks. For example, when I picked him up today he saw Jon McCann, the headteacher, standing in the yard. The conversation that followed went something like this.

Adam: There's Jon McCann

Me: Yeah???

Adam: Well...er....I just wanna have a quick chat with him

Me: Err

Jon McCann: What's up Adam? (or similar)

Adam: Alright?...Anyway I was wondering why it says "Principal's Office" on your office door....seein that your never in there"

OPEN MOUTHED SILENCE....(I have to say that Adam wasn't trying to suggest a lack of attention to duty on Mr McCann's part so no deduction of house points so far)

Shortly after this came the following exchange,

Jon McCann: Adam...do any of the other kids in your class ever comment on your different accent?

Adam: Yes

Jon McCann: Don't worry....they'll stop that soon when they get used to it

Adam: Do your secretaries and teachers ever comment on your different accent? (Jon McCann is English)

PAUSE: (honest question so still full marks)

Jon McCann: No I just tell them to shut it

PAUSE: (Adam was clearly considering this as a possible strategy)

Adam: I'll just tell them that I must be talking properly cos I talk like the principal.

There's not much you can add to that really is there?

Recent activities have included a lightening quick camping trip in Laurel Ridge State Park last weekend which was fab.

Also I've been riding alot with my buddy Avi. He is writing a book on cycling routes in Pittsburgh neighborhoods and there is a sort of book launch/ride party coming up in two weeks when we will do the entire ride (I think it is 80 miles which means I am in trouble).

Anyway....some pics of the camping and kids and Avi and bike rides and stuff. As you can see....Adam loves the Hobbitt. We are reading it together.

Cranky

My peddling muscles are getting stronger thanks to a rather challenging morning commute. Adam has started in first grade at the Frick Environmental Charter School in Regent's Square. This is a new venture that exists outside the Pittsburgh School District and, consequently, has more freedom to design its curriculum than the other local (mired in bureaucracy) schools. Because the school is on the doorstep (literally) of Frick Park the daily learning activities are designed to get the kids into the park at every opportunity. Not sure how this will work but I think it is a very cool idea and clearly lots of other mums and dads do too as the school is oversubscribed despite being brand new. Adam is in Mr Nardini's class and the head is a Brit so you can't beat that can ya? And it's FREEEEEEEE!!!

Anyway...the morning commute.

Adam and I peddle from Wightman St around the edge of Frick Park and into Regent's Square. After I have dropped him off I descend into Frick Park and out the other side into Squirrel Hill. Then I go down the Schenley Park trail and into Panther Hollow before climbing back out into Oakland where I stop at my fave coffee venue (The Crazy Mocha/Dancing Goat). Then the whole process is repeated at the end of the day, after which I collapse in a chair and have a doze until tea time.

Cool!

THIS is a very cool idea

Wish I had thought of it ;-)

Sophia is 4!!!

Happy Birthday Sophia!

Millie the Minx turned 4 yesterday and so today (which is a bank holiday) she had a small gang of buddies over for a tea party. Adam and I made ourselves scarce by heading to the park for a kick around.



Life has been busy lately but we have found time for some bike rides and canoe trips. Shaz has spent the last week or so of the school hols by making the most of the local kid focused attractions such as the zoo and Carnegie Science Center.

One of the cool things about Pittsburgh is the network of cycling trails which seem to be expanding and a nice way to get to the Science Center, which is near downtown, is to peddle along the river on one of the trails. Shaz has been making the most of this and getting around with the kids on bikes.



Shaz also took the kids to Idlewild, which is a water theme park, with the Mastriano family which (I hear...sniff) was fun.



Last Sunday we had a quiet paddle and a swim at Raccoon Creek. Sadly we were ordered out of the lake when the ranger caught us swimming "away from the designated beach" I am now a grumpy old man and definitely do not appreciate such mindless "law" enforcement. As you can see from the pic....independent swimming is banned but blowing poor innocent Canada Geese away is quite acceptable. After all...they shit on the beach in the designated swimming area and we can't have that can we?

After all this fuss I just had to chill out at the Church Brew-works with a pint of Celestial Gold.

Muttley From the Wacky Races Does the Weather

THIS made me laugh more than it should...

In case you'd forgotten...HERE is the original. Classic stuff.

Glade Dam Lake

My mum flew back to Blighty yesterday so we tried to avoid the blues today by heading out with the canoe to a new paddling venue.

Glad Dam Lake is a bird watcher's paradise (apparently). Most impressive however were the water lilies that carpet either end of the lake.

Crystal Clear

If only I could remember the important stuff! I have vivid memories of watching THIS live when I was a wee lad. Imagine my surprise when I find it on my nightly webcrawl.

Stuff

My mum (a.k.a "Granny Garlic") is in town! She flew in a week ago Saturday and we razzed up highway 79 to meet her in Toronto.

Mum flew into Toronto (and not Pittsburgh) for the simple reason that when a British National lands in Canada the immigration officials routinely smile and say..."welcome to Canada". It's not that difficult when you think about it is it?

Let's just say that the US equivalent is rather less welcoming. So UN-welcoming in fact that it is worth the 12 hour round trip drive to Toronto. Can I also add that I did actually draft a version of this paragraph that says what I really think but I decided to delete it on the grounds that these pages will probably be trawled by some clandestine government "spy-bot" and I am not ready to be deported. Not that this is the land of the free or anything (rant over...big sorry to my American buddies).

Having collected "GG" from the airport we decided to make a weekend of it and headed for a B and B in Welland Ontario. We would have gone somewhere more "glam" but Ontario was heaving and there was very little room at the inn(s). Anyway...Welland turned out to be just fine. We stayed at the Anderson's B and B which I highly recommend not only because it is cheap and nice but also because the Anderson's are an older couple who like to sit and philosophize. There is nothing like a good discussion in a comfy chair after the pub about life and the universe. Mrs Anderson was particularly intent on providing Shaz and I with "serious" marital advice which was very nice but after a while I began to wonder whether, despite our usual state of relatively cozy domestic bliss, we portray an image of nuptial dysfunction and general romantic decay.

AND.....
Little did we know it but one of the other guests was non other than MISS OHIO!!!!!

Actually that would be "MISS OHIO the KITE FLYING CHICKEN".

No joke. One of the other guests was a kite enthusiast from Toronto on his way to a big kite flying gig.......with his chicken!

Further comment would be superfluous really but that doesn't usually put me off.

Just so you know I am not joking...here are some pics of "Miss O" with us and also evidence that she is Google-able....so she must be famous.



Definitely a touch of the bizarre!

Oh yes...on the way back we stopped off on the shores of Lake Erie for a swim. Luvverly!!



AND.....I nearly forgot. We have moved house (AGAIN!!!!)

Our new address is 1141 Wightman St, Pittsburgh 15217. Same phone numbers.



Love yuz

Doc P

Car Show and Raccoon Creek

Last weekend was the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix and car show so I dutifully sped round the corner (literally) to line Roger the Spitty up alongside a dwindling number of similar manifestations of mid-life crises.

I must be having mine early as all the other blokes (no chicks) were older (and I have to say tubbier) than me. To their credit they were incredibly friendly. No sooner had I backed into my alloted spot and crawled out (it's a long way down to the driver's seat), I was set upon by a welcoming throng of beer bellied jovial chaps remarking enthusiastically things like "ooh what a beauty" (thankfully they were talking about Roger) and "nice paint job"... "I bet somebody really gave that a good buffing". I am ashamed to say that this motivated me to abandon Roger on the spot and disappear for a slap-up breakfast with Shaz and the kids. When I finally returned at around 2 pm, most of the chaps had been subdued by a few hours of "Bud Light" consumption and sunshine so it was a bit more laid back and I spent an enjoyable hour pootling around amongst the Aston Martins and Jags. As you can see, Soph's Lady Penelope impression is coming along nicely.






On Sunday (last week) we went for brunch at Laura, Andy and Sophie's place. Dare I say that I think Adam has got the hots for Sophie. I well remember my interest in the contradictory gender being aroused (can I use that description?) during infant school and I am sure Paula Kennedy is still traumatized. Anyway...Adam and Sophie (and Sophia) had a blast while the grown ups sat around scoffing French pastries and all manner of exotic delicacies. Poor old Laura and Andy got more than they bargained for because we ended up staying most of the day and howling old rock songs on the porch while Andy strummed expertly on his various guitars.




Fortunately Laura and Andy (and more to the point Sophie) were not too bothered by our overstayed welcome and yesterday they joined us for a paddle on Raccoon Creek. Our old canoe weighs a tonne and so I bought a much lighter version earlier this summer with the intention of off-loading the old one on ebay. However, true to form, I haven't got around to it yet and so we are the proud owners of two canoes which was great because it meant that both families could paddle together. After a picnic lunch we headed off to a distant shore and spent a happy couple of hours jumping into deep lake water and paddling about. The water temperature was bath-like and the whole experience, frankly, glorious. There is nothing like swimming in warm fresh water.

Woof woof

This is a quickie.

I thought I would share a touch of the bizarre.

First....read THIS

Then watch THIS

And I thought I was good!

Well So Much for That

My grand plans of sneaking covertly onto the open wireless networks of Maine backfired in a cloud of misty ocean views, hot sunny days, paddling in Penobscot Bay and red wine. Well OK...probably mostly red wine.

We spent the first week in July staying in a delightful little two bedroom cottage in Bayside Maine which is right on the shores of Penobscot Bay. The cottage had a deck leading by stairs to a pebbly beach and so Shaz and I spent many happy hours sitting and chatting while the kids poottled around collecting "treasure". I had forgotten how it feels not to be immersed in the hustle and bustle of a US health sciences university campus.

One of the highlights of the week was the food. I am a seafood hound and there was fresh lobster and crab in abundance. Perhaps the greatest treat however was being able to stagger down the stairs to the beach and gather bucket fulls of mussels for steaming in garlic. The delightfully simple pleasure of this was magnified by the fact that Maine, for some reason, has lashings of excellent cheap red wine wherever you turn. What a treat!

Despite the fact that we spent an entire week in Maine, there really isn't much to blog about it which, lets' face it, must be a blessed relief to anyone who might read this (Hi Bergy).

Here are some pics.....

New Hampshire and Maine

We left Montreal on Wednesday and headed East to the "Eastern Townships" of Quebec. They were billed by the locals as being really beautiful and authentically European in their style but to me it just seemed like a drive through rural poverty stricken PA with a few nice hotels thrown in.

We headed over to see Vicky, Mike (whose second name is "Streich" pronounced "Strike"...how cool is that?), their son Sasha and Vicky's mum Nancy. Vicky is a professional singer, Mike a literary specialist and general cultural encyclopedia and Nancy a painter and classics scholar. They are also all fantastic hosts and we spent possibly three of our most memorable days in the USA at their home in Franconia New Hampshire which is nestled at the base of Mt Lafayette in the White Mountains. Their house is situated behind a huge meadow down a dirt road and sits within a 145 acre wooded estate. It has a view of the mountains and when I get my camera fixed I will upload some piccies. Needless to say the scenery was breathtaking and the company fantastic. Lots of songs, piano playing, wine drinking, interesting chit chat, great views and fantastic food.

We managed to squeeze in some canoing on "Echo Lake" and a couple of short hikes but mostly wallowed in the swimming hole in the river than runs along the boundary of their Mike and Vicky's property.

Yesterday we finally drove over to Maine. Shaz has done her usual and managed to conjure up an unexpected surprise and we are renting a beautiful little 2 bedroom cottage on the Atlantic shore for a week. The cottage sits on the beach in "Bayside"about 2 miles South of Belfast Maine. We are here until Saturday and I will try and keep blogging as we go whenever I can gate-crash an open wi fi network.

Vive Montreal!

I have seen the future and it is on two wheels!

Montreal is absolutely brilliant! We arrived Sunday night with the intention of having a quick look around and are still here (leaving Wednesday after the footy).

My head is spinning with all sorts of things about Montreal. For example, there are bike routes everywhere in which the bikes have their own separate screened off lanes. Not surprisingly there are millions of bikers. We took advantage of this civilized urban opportunity today and peddled across town with the kids on the tag along bikes to the "Biodome" which started life as the velodrome for the 1976 Olympic Games.

Another cool thing about Montreal is that I can't figure out why I didn't need to catch a plane to get here. It is so INCREDIBLY different from anywhere else I have ever been. It feels a lot like France but is undoubtedly North American and yet it seems like nowhere else I have been in North America.

Today is "Quebec Day" (which is fab timing) and there was a parade and a huge festival down at the old Olympic park. They allow the public consumption of alcohol here (at least it is tolerated) and yet everybody was cool, no trouble, no scallies, no overly-aggressive cops. Very impressive.

During the day it absolutely poured with rain. We had run out of cash and the corner cafe we dived into for shelter didn't take visa. Amazingly they sat us down and made us some food anyway. How cool is that? I made it to the cash-point in the end so was able to pay but I was so impressed by their warmth. While we were in there I got talking to Enrique....a Quebec Nationalist. I have never given this much thought before but he described how the Francophone-based culture is being eroded by immigrants to Quebec who learn English instead of French and adopt an English-Canadian approach to naturalization. He welcomes the immigrants but wants to use political means to preserve the French culture. Without knowing any of the details, it seems to me that any dilution of the unique character and culture of this wonderful place would be bad news.

I have, however, struggled to banish thoughts of Blackadder III. I am thinking of the French aristocracy episode with "Le Pimpernel Scarlett" and the enormous trousers etc.

"Vive indeed"!!!

PS: Sorry for the lack of pics. Dead camera. Will try and solve before New Hampshire which is our next stop.

Splish Splash

We almost wimped out completely and booked into the Crowne Plaza for a second night but our pioneer spirit got the better of us (or was it our sense of fiscal responsibility?) and on Friday we headed up the road to the ADK Wilderness Campground at the foot of Mt Marcy.

Unfortunately the campground is hugely popular and our site was booked for Saturday night so we lifted the tent further down the trail into the forest (no camping out of the car here) to a so-called "lean too" which is the sort of structure that Rambo might use a base camp. Adam was delighted by the prospect of a new adventure while Soph kept asking "when can we go to a hotel?" Shaz and I were delighted by the prospect of a dry night.

After a paddle on Heart Lake and a swim, we had a quick lunch in Lake Placid and motored North into Quebec, stopping en route to watch the second half of the Spain vs Italy game.

We arrived in Montreal on Sunday night and have checked into the Meridien Hotel so Soph is content.

Montreal seems very different from anywhere else we have been. We are a bit confused by the juxtaposition of US-Canadian culture with French-European vibe. It's fun!!

Off for coffee and pastries and a bit of culture.