Peters Family Adventures

Edgewood Club 2011

2011-07-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

Much of the summer has revolved around trips to the Edgewood Club in Pittsburgh. Most of the folks we know have membership and we have been heading there most days after school and then during the day (kids and Shaz) during the hols.

Bayside Maine #4

2011-07-28T07:20:00.000-07:00

I have never been much of a one for return visits to the same holiday destination but Bayside Maine is an exception. Maybe it is the fact that it reminds us of home but it just feels like our kind of place. Slightly cooler than Pittsburgh in the summer, on the coast, lots of trees, islands and rocky shorelines. It feels a bit like the West coast of Scotland.

We drove up on Friday last week having started moving house on Wednesday. Packing for vacation AND packing all our stuff into storage and leaving a clean empty house for the next tenants was a challenge. This probably explains why I have spent the last 4 nights sleeping 10 hours per night.

1151 Wightman St

2011-07-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

After years of renting houses in the USA we are finally making preparations to move into our own place. Shaz and I have spent the past couple of months meeting various building contractors and engineers and trying to make lists of what we NEED to do to the new house, what we WANT to do and what we can actually AFFORD to do. Not surprisingly the last of those three is the shortest list. As a consequence and in typical fashion we have made a dramatic U-turn in our plans. Plan A was to do a major remodel of the house while living in yet another temporary place until it is ready. However, the effort of moving out of our most recent rental on Ivy Street has motivated Plan B, which is basically to move right in and do the remodeling work in stages. Despite the inevitable hassle of doing this we are much happier about this version because it means less time spent moving and less money spent renting. It probably also means less money spent remodeling too although the result may be less impressive.

Here are some before and after pics of the new gaff!

One plan is to add a french door at the front, which would open onto the large patio. My mate Gordon has does a nice job of photo-shopping this one.

Catch Up

2011-07-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

It has been almost a whole year since I blogged. To be honest, I find that tricky times leave me either too knackered or too gloomy to blog and once I miss a few I miss a lot.

Last summer we came back from Maine to a moldy and half fixed rental house for which we were paying a whopping $2300 per month. We were still on H visas and so had no real idea of whether we would be allowed to stay in the USA for the long haul. Because of this uncertainty and the never ending insecurity of my job I was really hesitant to buy a house. Mostly this is because of the enormous expense of buying and selling houses in Pittsburgh. Aside from he texes, which are high, the real estate agents here charge a standard 6 or even 7% commission, which is ridiculous.

In October of last year our landlord booted us out with 2 weeks notice. We could not find a new place in time and ended up staying with our good friend Rob O'Doherty who is basically family to me. A very special guy. The kids love him too.

We spent around 2 months at Rob's house while we searched unsuccessfully for a house to buy. Right before Christmas 2010 we moved into a rental house on Ivy St. Small and expensive but a welcome relief. I must admit, this was a low point.

Everything changes. My R01 grant was reviewed at the NIH and scored a 10. The lower the score the better and 10 is the lowest and most perfect score you can get. Nobody gets a 10 but I did! I guess I am still on a high from that. Of course the grant scored in the top 1%. Nice! Then we got word that our green cards would very likely be granted. At least we found out that my "outstanding researcher" application was approved and from there it is only a short hop to a green card.

The crown jewel was that we finally bought a house. It is a rickety old 6 bed victorian on our favorite block in Squirrel Hill but it is a gem and we are looking forward to getting it fixed up.

Onwards!

Maine 2010

2010-08-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

My blogging routine has decayed into oblivion, mostly as a consequence of Facebook which is just so easy and yet....well.....crap. I say this because Facebook does not (as far as I know) allow you to archive your memories in the same way a blog does. On the other hand I get about 1 comment a year on Blogger whereas Facebook is happenin' baby.

So after Dave and Peter Woods left town we had a week of calm before heading out on a road trip to Maine. This was all very last minute. In fact, we didn't know what the plan was when we left the house (I LOVE this kind of traveling) so we packed for multiple outcomes including camping. In the end we spent one night under canvas in Poe Paddy State Park in PA and then legged it up to Bayside Maine which is where we ended up last year. I usually prefer to explore new places but Bayside is unique! At this time of year, most of the North East USA is sweltering. I am sitting here writing this in Pittsburgh with the temps in the 90s and humidity is way up there. In contrast, Maine is just right....with nice sea breezes on the coast, sunny days and cooler nights. Bayside itself is a collection of Victorian cottages on the coast (near Belfast) that surround a small sailing club. There is nothing of commercial interest in the village so nobody bothers going there except the few folks "in the know". The result is that Bayside is perfect for a family holiday. Plenty of other kids, somewhere nice to swim and kayak and enough to go and visit so as not to get bored.

During the first week we were joined by some friends from New Hampshire, Vicky, Mike and Sasha. Mike's last name is "Striech" (pronounced Mike "Strike")....cool eh?

Pretty normal scene at the dock in Bayside. Adam and Soph spent lots of time just chilling down here

The bikes in Belfast Maine are part of an art installation that you can play on. My kind of art!

Splendid local "Andrews" Pale Ale brewed in Lincolnville

One memorable day trip was out to Fort Knox. This was probably built to keep out the Brits but we did a pretty good job of getting there. They were having a re-enactment of the American Civil War when we were there. Good stuff.

I managed to aim it at his head :)

Revenge!

Yes Sah!

Mini-Shaz does a quick Travolta routine during the Civil War re-enactment (surreal)

Another memorable day out was spent on the Amity Sloop. Run by Captain Steve (originally from Oz) and his son. It was a bit calm for good sailing but maybe that was a good thing given how sea-sick I get :-)

Amity

Dave and Peter Woods

2010-06-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

We are having a very pleasant time entertaining Dave and Peter Woods. Adam adores having Peter (16 years old) here. Peter is a great musician and footy player. A good role model for our boy! Trumpet lessons are underway, as is a healthy resurgence of a scouse accent (although only from Adam...not Soph :))

Most of the weekend was spent chilling out although we did hit the pool and of course we watched all the available footy. Last night we went to Leo and Joanne's annual summer music fest. Adam and Peter did a turn off the back of about 10 minutes rehearsal. Hats off to Peter to accompanied Adam on the guitar despite having never actually heard the tune before!!!

Here is a link to a vid of the "fab 2"

Ooh...almost forgot. Adam competed in his first swim race at the Edgewood Club last week. The team is called the "Edgewood Eels". Have to say it was an excellent day out. Lots of great kids, great parents, great coaches. Just good fun. I am impressed!

Bike Camping With Scallywags

2010-06-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

Shame on me for being being such a slacker. Life has been busy, cameras have been lost and found, Facebook serves as an easy distraction for sharing news but, let's face it,......I must try harder!

Loads has happened. Much of it forgotten (which is exactly why this blog needs maintaining).

Adam played the Spring footy season at Pittsburgh Dynamo. I coached...which, frankly, was a bit of a disaster because I naturally revert to "Scouse Git Man" whenever there is a large round ball nearby. None of the kids (except Adam) has any idea what I was rattling on about but we won all our games anyway so something must have gone right. Actually, I think we did well because, well, a) the kids can actually play well and b) Brent Plummer did a top job of translating and organizing and....er....coaching. So well done us.

Last weekend was Father's day here so Brent and I took our boys (and the Soph) bike camping. We rode 16 miles South East along the Yough trail to Adelaide with all our gear and camped overnight. It was a great weekend! Adam and his buddy Caelen rode their own (new) bikes. Soph rode on Brent's tandem and Aiden rode with me. Packing was a bit of a nightmare. I took too much and forgot half of what I actually needed (including raingear) but we saw a Copperhead snake, got rained out in a lightning storm and then sprayed by a skunk so what more can you ask for?

Shaz's brother Dave and his son Peter arrive tomorrow. Will try and update with more news soon.

2010 East End Brewery Keg Ride

2010-05-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

Last week was the annual east end brewing company keg ride. This year we had an estimated 800 riders and once again shut down most of Shadyside and Point Breeze. My favourite part is the fact that most car drivers just chill out and wait for us to ride by. Of course there are always a few nutters who get upset and try and force their cars through the mass ranks of cyclists. Of course this gets them nowhere which is very funny :)

Busking at Bedtime

2010-05-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

Adam and I had some fun messing about on the computer before bed tonight.

All I can say is that the boy has "got the chops".

(If only that old fart on the keyboard could make the chord changes at the right time)!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COgfaGLUNKI

Spring has Sprung

2010-04-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

We've had a couple of weeks of ridiculously hot weather. Spring seemed to last about 24 hours and we are consequently all sneezing our heads off and rubbing our eyes thanks to levels of tree pollen that have left everything carpeted in a thick green baize

I had an unusually early Saturday bike ride, heading out with a buddy from work along the Allegheny river. It was perfect weather and we rode an easy 40 miles before returning for a slap up breakfast.

Sharon was rehearsing with her quartet today and Adam went of with his mate Caeden so Soph and I had a dads and daughters kind of afternoon with a lazy visit to Shadyside on the tandem for books and ice-cream.

Ohiopyle, footy and well....everything!

2010-04-03T20:43:00.000-07:00

Exactly two months ago there was 6 foot of snow in my garden. This week it has been 80 degrees. Adam and I tried heading out on the tandem for a kick around yesterday but we lasted about 10 minutes and ended up retiring to the ice cream stand to cool off.

My mum has been in town for a few weeks and on Thursday we headed to Ohiopyle for some fresh air and fun. The Youghiogheny River is still full of snow melt and so it was a roaring spectacle. Sadly my mum is heading back to the Pool on Monday so the kids will miss their granny treats and Shaz and I will miss the on-tap babysitting.

Shorts!

2010-03-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

As usual at this time of year, Pittsburgh has gone from about 50 below to 60 above freezing in a matter of hours. My mum is in town for 3 weeks so Shaz and I took advantage and escaped to OhioPyle for a couple of days. Hiking in shorts, reading in the sun, sleeping in!! A nice change. But forgot my camera! Ooops!

Anyway...this is where we stayed, which is here and near here.

The river water was REALLY high...probably cos of all the snow we've had this winter.

Roll on summer!!

And then the Sun Came Out

2010-02-07T09:52:00.000-08:00

After 24 hours of nothing but snow, Mr Sun came shining through and we had the most amazing couple of hours with bright blue skies and snow everywhere. We optimistically walked/sledded down to the library in Squirrel Hill with the kids but of course it was closed. It was an amazing glimpse of life with no cars. Everybody was walking or skiing or sledding along the main drag. Somehow the world seemed calmer and happier. Of course I am even more convinced now that we should abandon our cars and ride bikes everywhere! But don't forget your snow tires!

State of Disaster Emergency Declared!

2010-02-06T12:03:00.000-08:00

We had a seriously large dump of snow here last night. Apparently this is the most snow to have fallen in one go in 90 years. They are calling it "Snowpocalypse" which is a bit of an overstatement but it is good fun. The kids have been out there for hours and are now thoroughly worn out. Clearing snow from the pavement outside the house took a good three hours and it looks like I have been digging trenches for the Battle of the Bulge!

Is this the World's Steepest Street?

2010-01-18T20:26:00.000-08:00

I have heard that this is a contender for the world's steepest street. It's one of the hills in the famous "Dirty Dozen" bike race which takes place here every November. I was too much of a wimp to try it this year. Maybe next time?

Here, here and here are some of the other hills in it.

Here is a vid of some suffrin' riders

Snow, Snow and More Snow

2010-01-10T19:11:00.000-08:00

Just like dear old Blighty we have have been getting large amounts of snow and freezing temps. However, this is pretty standard for Pittsburgh in January. We spent today at Chatham College, sledging down their big hill. Soph is an instant wizz on the snow board (check out this video link).

Adam has discovered that he can surf the web and send email from his dsi, which in theory is great apart from the fact that he seems to be able to access just about any web page he wants. Educational as long as I can figure out how to block the dodgy stuff.

I'll be 43 tomorrow!!! Gulp!

Happy 50th Birthday Dave Woods!!!!

2010-01-03T15:06:00.000-08:00

Check it out....click this text!

Happy Holidays

2010-01-03T09:50:00.000-08:00

Belated Happy New Year to All. We had a very mellow Christmas and New Year.

It has been freezing cold here.....-12 oC today with wind chill taking it down to -20 oC. It's pretty grim when it gets that cold. Yesterday I went to get gas (petrol) and pump up the car tyres and forgot to take a woolly hat and gloves. I almost lost an ear and it took about 30 minutes for the blood to start flowing through my hands afterwards. Brrrrrrr!!! It's so bloody cold that our bathroom pipes have frozen.....with us living in the house with the heating on full blast.

The laziness of Christmas has been interspersed by a few outings. We spent an eclectic time at John and Cecile Allison's on Christmas night with John's mum and dad, his brother and wife (who hunts deer for food with a high powered rifle) and a Bulgarian accordion player called Raddo. Lots of eating and drinking was followed by lots of loud singing and playing of the accordion. Cecile is French and is quite possibly the world's greatest cook. We hit the Carnegie Science Centre for an afternoon of fun and took in the Roboworld exhibition, went for a freezing walk at Raccoon Creek (where we often swim in the summer) and did some sledding in Chatham College which is round the corner from our house. I sold a bike on ebay and immediately went out and bought another. This is definitely a mid-life crisis bike (another one) as it is designed for going fast fast fast.

Geneticists are the ROCK STARS of the tech world!!

2009-12-14T18:51:00.001-08:00

Sorry.....perhaps I am getting carried away but I love this stuff

Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T18:24:00.000-08:00

After a grand total of 11 Thanksgiving holidays in the USA I am finally beginning to get it!

It is always on a Thursday and is followed by a very quiet weekend. There is no distraction from having to give and receive gifts and it has no (current) religious overtone, which means everyone gets to enjoy it together at the same time and for (just about) the same reason. Nice!

This year we went to Brent and Susan's place and enjoyed the day with them and and their kids Caelen, Aiden and Maya and Brent's sister Dawn, her partner Diane and their son Elijah. Fab!

Today we went for a quiet walk in Todd Sanctuary, which is an Audubon Society wilderness North of Pittsburgh, and rounded the day off with beer and pizza in the Church Brew Works.

Adam Turns 8!!

2009-11-28T17:43:00.000-08:00

Adam was 8 on the 15th. We ended up having a bit of a birthday fest with one party and a sleepover (complete with Star Wars movie fest) for school mates on Friday, followed by a grown up gathering on Saturday and another party for neighborhood mates on Sunday. We even had a "Skype breakfast" with my mum. Good times! Time flies!

Who Says Barbershop Choirs Can't Sing?

2009-11-28T08:45:00.000-08:00

I've been interested in Barbershop music for almost 30 years! During that whole time I cannot remember meeting another vocalist from outside the Barbershop world who didn't regard it as "naff" and unimportant.

Well...too all those muscial snobs......none of whom I realize will be reading this.....kiss my ass!!....cos the Westminster Chorus won the 2009 Choir of the World title in Llangollen this year.

Here is the link to their performance.

And just for Dave Berg here is a video of some more top quality vocal music. Vocal Spectrum (another Barbershop group) singing in Dunedin New Zealand.

And more from Dunedin here

Finally.....in case you thought only Americans sing Barbershop...here is a Kiwi group called the "Musical Island Boys"

Don't Play on the Railway!

2009-11-18T16:44:00.001-08:00

Look at this for a near miss (x2)

Graduation Day

2009-11-04T21:06:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Soph graduated from her little 12 inch wheeled kiddie bike to something more sophisticated.
I am particularly proud of her because her old bike had "coaster" brakes operated by the feet as oppose to the regular handlebar levers. As we were riding along the trail I kept checking in with her to make sure she remembered where the brakes were and she did fine until just as we were turning from the Panther Hollow trail onto the Jail Trail.......

There is a steep descent and as Soph began to accelerate she panicked and completely forgot where the brakes were. She was hurtling down the hill screaming in terror with me yelling "hands Soph!!!!"....HAAAAANDS! Fortunately when she hit the 4 foot high boulder she had remembered where the brakes were and had slowed from about 20 mph to around 5 mph. Phew!! The end result was a traumatized little girl who...bless her......got right back on and started pedaling. She is hard is our Soph. Hard as nails!

We had more dads vs lads at the footy last week which was a hoot because the field was a swamp. It reminded me of playing for Newheys!

Of course Halloween is a big deal here. Adam is dressed as Django Fett from Star Wars. Soph was Yoda. Personally I think she should have been Darth Vader!

All American?

2009-10-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

Adam has gone to the Pitt football game with Brent and Caelen. Given that I am writing this in Pittsburgh this is REAL football.....not that other game that is played in a few corners of the world. After all....this is a football town. The Steelers have won the super-bowl more times than LFC have won the Cccchhhhampion League.

I have to admit to being a little jealous......the games are played at Heinz Field. The view of the city from the stands is pretty amazing. The Mighty Reds could do with somewhere like this.

GO PITT!!!!!

Digital Open Winner

2009-10-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

This is a really cool digest of the Digital Open. An online science expo for kids of 17 or younger.

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/10/15/digital-open-winner.html

Block Party and Big Dummy

2009-10-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was our neighborhood block party, involving a large "Wall-E" bouncy castle, pot luck grub and lashing of beer from the East End Brewing Company.

The kids spent about 9 straight hours bouncing on Wall-E apart from a few party games and other mandatory activities like consuming 10 million chocolate brownies and a few gallons of lemonade.

ALSO!!!........I have a new bike. I sold my poor unused road bike on Craigslist and spent the proceeds on a Surly Big Dummy frame set. Then I took my old mountain bike into the famous "Kraynick's" bike shop in Garfield and stripped all the parts off it before using them to build up the Surly bike. Kraynick's is unique in that Mr Kraynick (Gerry to his mates) allows poor hapless souls like me to use all his bike tools and workshop space for free. So I did. Despite my complete lack of mechanical know how the project seemed to go pretty well. Well.....OK.....to be honest I had to take the bike into "Iron City Bikes" in Oakland where Steve and Luke did a fantastic job of undoing all my mistakes and tuning the bike to perfection.

The Big Dummy is a cargo bike that can also haul passengers. On Monday, Adam and I rode to his footy practice on it and this morning I loaded it with no less than 7 cardboard boxes packed with stuff I just sold on Ebay (more bike bits) and rode to the post office. Who needs a car???

Happy Autumn!

Endless Mountains 1240K Randonnee

2009-10-07T12:39:00.000-07:00

Hardcore man.....hard-core!!

Check THIS

Saturday Footy.....Dads (and a mum) v Lads and Daughters

2009-10-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

The reputation of the mighty Edgewood Red Team must have preceded it today because only a single member of the opposition team turned up. Even their coach didn't show!

Instead, the parents lined up against the kids. Great fun. Adam enjoyed scoring against us. Bah!

Even more of a Hoot!

2009-10-02T19:32:00.001-07:00

Psychiatrist's Answering Machine

This is a Hoot!

2009-10-02T19:29:00.001-07:00

Great school policy....hope it's real.

I am on the Telly!!!!

2009-10-01T20:13:00.000-07:00

I got my 2 seconds of fame today. I was pedaling home from work along Forbes Avenue in Oakland and timed my run brilliantly to get in the shot from the WTAE news team who were covering a story about how EVERY kids in the Allegheny County school system MUST have a full complement of vaccinations or risk exclusion. Gulp!

Anyway....here is the link. I am the dude in the fetching dayglow vest cruising by about 20 seconds in.

Pedal Two-gether

2009-09-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

Me and the Shaz hit the road for some tandem riding this weekend. The kids were ensconced with their mates so we sneaked off for a ride around the city. Sorry the pics are rubbish....I was trying to get the bike in the frame while speeding through Polish Hill (having just ridden up it).

Pittsburgh took on the image of police state last week during the G20. We stayed well away and enjoyed the two days off that were enforced by the shut down of schools and my work place. The only minor excitement we got in Squirrel Hill was being buzzed by the Blackhawk helicopters. Well....they looked like Blackhawks anyway. Never seen one close up before.

Fall has arrived. Bike rides are getting chilly. Brrrrr...

2009-09-21T16:36:00.001-07:00

Synthetic Biology

I am posting this link so that I don’t lose track of it. I know this is a rather eccentric way to bookmark something but I thought Bergy, Pete and the dog from the chippy (my only readers apparently) might find it interesting.

What would you synthesize using synthetic biology???

Here is the link

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/09/28/090928fa_fact_specter

2009-09-21T16:07:00.001-07:00

I guess it works! Coooooool!!!

2009-09-21T16:04:00.001-07:00

I am exploring mobile blogging. If this gets published then.....it works

Bonkers!

2009-09-21T09:37:00.001-07:00

The story at THIS LINK is bonkers but it made me chuckle.

This is How We Roll

2009-09-20T18:59:00.001-07:00

Ride On

2009-09-20T17:59:00.000-07:00

Turbo Gran!

2009-09-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

Mum and Derek are heading home tomorrow so we went for a final jolly on the local bike trails today. Considering that she had knee surgery only a couple of weeks before arriving my mum did LOTS of riding while she was here. She and Derek even skipped out for a few days down the Pittsburgh to Washington DC bike trail (they didn't make it to DC....fair enough really given that it's about 250 miles).

Adam had his usual Saturday soccer match yesterday and I surprised myself by not picking an argument with any of the opposing team's coaches or the ref. I guess that's progress.

We'll miss "Granny and Grandpa" when they go back. Having family over to stay or going back to the UK always makes Pittsburgh seem a long way away from our roots. Sniff.

Soph is 5!!!

2009-09-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

Soph turned 5 last week. I am still trying to figure out what happened during the interim. All I seem to have achieved since we had kids is a fairly impressive collection of grey hairs and a smaller bank account (and "lots of bikes".....says Shaz. I guess that explains the smaller bank account :-))

We have been quietly enjoying the last of the summer weather. Unusually for us we have spent most of our time in town. One of my favorite city pass-times is to hang out in Shadyside on Walnut Street at Jitters Cafe where I can get thoroughly soaked in caffeine and the kids can gourge on ice cream. This is a good Saturday ritual for after Adam's footy match now that the season has started again.

The G20 circus is coming to town next week so we are all getting 2 free days off school and work.

Adam is losing teeth at he rate of about 1 every week. I need to record him saying "some silly sausage stole my sixpence".......hilarious (but then I don't get out much).

Shaz has been heavily into yoga for quite a while. Here she is doing a "double downward dog" with Adam.

Alive and Kicking

2009-09-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

Yep.....I am still here. Only 4 months hiatus. Life has been busy so not sure why I haven't blogged. But now I am back!

Lots has happened. We spent a couple of weeks in Maine at the beach. Did loads of canoe paddling and swimming in lakes etc. Adam finally learned to swim properly and has taken up kung fu (now a yellow belt). Mostly the kids spent the summer playing with their mates on our street which was easy and great.

Soph turned 5 last week and has started proper school and my mum is in town visiting with Derek.

OK...I've run out of things to say. Here are some pics :-)

Keg Ride 2009

2009-05-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

On Friday, my favorite local brewery the East End Brewing Company did its annual "Keg Ride", involving the brew master ceremoniously towing a keg (3 actually) of Spring Pale Ale to a "mystery" bar. An astonishing 500 (yes...500!!!!!!) riders showed up to ride along.

Never mind "Critical Mass" and other mass statements about sustainable transport and environmentalism.....we were riding for BEER!

We literally clogged up the streets of Pittsburgh for a couple of hours on the way to the Bicycle Cafe on Carson Street. It was fab!

Check out this link for photos...

and this link for photographic evidence that I was there (I am the lanky dude in black on the far right of the photo wearing the silly helmet)

Ride on!!!

Unblocking the Blog

2009-04-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

I have been swamped so apologies for the lack of blogging.

As usual at this time of year, Pittsburgh has gone from 30 below to 30 above in a matter of hours. The trees and flowers have exploded into life and we have gone from shivering to sneezing. Not that I am complaining. I am back to pedaling in shorts and the kids are back to messing in pools and fountains etc.

Below are some pics of the trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. It was great week despite the mixed weather. We stopped off on the way back to see Ben and Jen Baughman in Raleigh. They showed us a great time and it was sad to leave.

Shaz's new Xtracycle is earning it's keep as a "BUV" (Bike Utility Vehicle). She has been doing all her city traveling on this...hauling all kinds of stuff.

Outer Banks

2009-04-09T17:25:00.000-07:00

We are at the beach in North Carolina!
Sorry for the lack of photos but I have neglected to bring my PC-camera cable.
We have been intermittently diving in the surf and sheltering from the remains of the winter chill.
Photos next week!
In the meantime.....
READ THIS!

XtraSoph

2009-03-15T07:41:00.000-07:00

We had a quiet Saturday pedal along the Eliza Furnace Trail on the South side of the Monongahela River with Brent and Caelen Plummer. Temperatures in the 40s = bliss.

Soph and shaz are riding their new XtraCycle. A "Bike Utility Vehicle".

REGULATIN' GENES!

2009-03-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

Check out this rap by a couple of Stanford Biologists on the subject of gene regulation.

This is wonderful stuff!

BIOLOGY IS COOL!!!! HOX ROCKS!!!!!!

Comment up if you know what HOX is and win a mystery prize.

0 to 60 in 7 days (degrees Farenheit that is)

2009-03-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we all pedaled down the Jail Trail to the Science Centre which, in addition to all the usual cool stuff, had an exhibition of pop art Darth Vader masks that have been showing at the Andy Warhol Museum up the street (Andy Warhol is from Pittsburgh). This seemed like a fantastic idea until the wind chill dropped to about 0 degrees F. Luckily we managed to repair to Kiva Hahn coffee shop for hot chocolates and heat.

This weekend it has been 70 degrees.

So I guess last week was spring.

Watch this right to the end

2009-03-08T22:12:00.000-07:00

Click the link below to see this beautifully simple and entertaining lecture on the so called "financial crisis".

I am so tired of reading and listening to mindless and ill-informed journalistic "commentary" on the subject of our economic and social demise. Whether you agree with this professor of economics or not (and I hope you do), he takes a refreshing stance that summarizes the history behind the mess we are all in and, at least in my opinion, proposes a common sense solution.

If only we hadn't all been so effectively brainwashed and intellectually neutered by central government and mass media we might even take notice and begin a debate that sparks fundamental changes in how we do things as a society.

Nah...bollocks to it.....let's just bale out the banks and the auto industry and wait for the land ice to melt.

http://vimeo.com/1962208

Bizkit the Sleepwalking Dog

2009-03-03T21:04:00.001-08:00

Sorry but I pissed meself when I saw this.

Worth a giggle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2BgjH_CtIA

This is Cool and Scary...Check it Out!!!

2009-03-02T20:35:00.000-08:00

This is a reconstruction of the flight that ditched in the Hudson river in NYC recently.

Boing Boing

2009-02-27T21:04:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in cooool blogs then check out THIS link to Boingboing.net
If you scroll down you can see some wierd stuff like THIS (funk out man!!!)

Come to think of it though.....if you like cool blogs then what are you doing here?

Also at Boing Boing is THIS...which is some blurb about how the Merck subsidiary Rosetta Inpharmatics (which was a start up within minimal data on board and I believe cost them about 600 million bucks in 2001) is about to release a whole heap of hard core genomics data into the public domain. This is VERY COOL!! and yes.....I am a nerd.

We is all well. Roll on spring.

The Boys Get New Wheels

2009-02-20T17:47:00.000-08:00

Adam is too beefy for the tag along bike so I have invested in a tandem. There is nothing better than riding together and I don't want to stop yet. I am hoping it is a long time before Adam thinks he is losing cool points by riding with his creaky old dad.

AND.....the bike was hand built in Pennsylvania so you can't get more local than that can ya?

Slipping

2009-02-16T17:01:00.002-08:00

Sorry....my blog posting enthusiasm has been tempered a little bit by the grindingly cold weather we've been having. We did have a day or two of decent weather last week and managed to escape for some playtime.

Yesterday we went to the Pittsburgh Zoo. We are spoiled that this great facility is almost literally on our doorstep (some of our friends can hear the lions roaring at night). The membership is $75 for the whole family and you can go as many times as you like for the whole year. How is that possible when Chester Zoo costs millions of pounds just to park your car there?

Oh yeah.....I bought another bike. Time to see a shrink I think.

Tickly-Portant

2009-01-11T06:54:00.000-08:00

The other day Soph exclaimed that she wanted to tell us something "tickly-portant". I have no idea what it was but this new hybrid has been rapidly adopted into the Peters family dictionary and is now used frequently.

Anyway....I AM 42 YEARS YOUNG TODAY!!! Whooooooosh....how did that happen? There I was, a thrusting teenager, happily minding my own business, squeezing zits, failing exams and wondering why Sharon wouldn't give me the time of day and KABOOOM!!!!!!!.....I am a wheezy old fart who can't hold his ale, has to get up in the night to pee and grumbles about almost everything. Actually I suppose things haven't changed much. I am still happily minding my own business, the zits have been replaced by suspicious skin bumps that occasionally have to be sliced off by the dermatologist, I am still failing exams (although now they are called "grant applications" and Shaz still won't give me the time of day (sometimes). So it goes.

We had a great break over Christmas. A good combo of lazing around in jammies by log fires, getting out for bike rides and socializing. We even had a 70 oF day when we got to peddle along the river trail into town and luncheon with a bloke called Al Fresco. These temperatures seem dim and distant now that we are back down to lows of 4 oF (-15oC).

It has been too cold for happy cycling....I went for a ride on the new recumbent bike (I told you I was having another mid life crisis) on Christmas day and literally lost feeling in my feet for about 30 mins afterwards. There is a pic of the trusty new steed below which, I have to say, is MASSIVE fun. Yes I can just see me riding it through Old Swan!

"Nutcase"!!

"Zooooooooom"

On New Years Day we went for a very chilly walk along the "Jail Trail" which runs next to the Monongahela River. However, it was bloody freezing so we scooted across the Hot Metal Bridge (an old railway bridge for trucking steel away from the mills and now dedicated to trail bikers/hikers) and into REI (outdoor gear store) for a gander at the sales and a go on the climbing wall. I was my usual cowardly self....bottling out at about 4 ft while the kids showed no fear. Shaz, however, is the family mountain goat....casually ambling almost to the top and then wondering what all the fuss was about. We rounded the afternoon off with a Guiness in Claddhagh.

Happy New Year from da Burgh

2009-01-02T22:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to yooz all!

We have had a happy time taking time off from school/work etc. We even had a balmy weather day last week with highs of 70 degrees. Unfortunately the temperatures have plummeted again and we are back to brass monkey weather.

We had a truly American Christmas Day. We went for dinner at our friends Tara and Kevin's house. Kev's dad is Turkish and his mom is Dutch. Tara's mom is American and her dad is English. Their were also Italians, Jewish pals (and their extended families) and about 300,000,000 kids. It was fab! A real melting pot.

Do Reindeer Have Toothbrushes?

2008-12-24T23:23:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-17T15:45:00.001-08:00

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!

2008-10-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-19T18:19:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-10-12T18:51:00.000-07:00

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

Watch this video.

Further comment would be superfluous.

I need a beer!

Achooooo!!

2008-09-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-07T20:40:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-09-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

THIS is a very cool idea

Wish I had thought of it ;-)

Sophia is 4!!!

2008-09-01T20:09:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

THIS made me laugh more than it should...

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

Glade Dam Lake

2008-08-17T20:08:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-12T23:39:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-22T18:55:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-15T15:15:00.001-07:00

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

2008-06-29T14:50:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-06-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

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.

Posh

2008-06-20T06:54:00.001-07:00

We are poshing it up at the Crowne Plaza in Lake Placid. This has provided a much needed break from the endless driving wind and rain but is a bit heavy on the pocket book. The idea is to luxuriate for a day or two before pushing on into Qubec. The scenery is beautiful here but, given that this is a major destination for New yorkers, they could learn a thing or two from Ambleside.

Lake Placid was the venue for the 1980 Winter Olympic Games, during a particularly chilly part of the cold war, in which the USA came from behind to win the ice hockey final against the USSR. The locals are still harping on about it too!!

As you can see, the portion sizes at the brew pub are not for the faint hearted.

Time for a paddle on the lake!

Nefyn

2008-06-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

We may as well be camping in Morfa Nefyn! We have had howling winds and plenty of rain since we left Pittsburgh with highs in the 50s.

Last night we camped at Long Point State Park which is on the north eastern shore of Lake Ontario. The site was deserted which probably reflects the weather but this means we got the best pick of the sites and pitched the tent right on the lake-shore.

We spent day two of our trip meandering North via Syracuse. Syracuse is a complete dump by the way so I won't be job hunting there.

The new hammock has been a blast.

"I Knew It!"

2008-06-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

Our little quartet is currently obsessed with another little quartet. The kids are mad about the Beatles and so the constant sound track to our road-trip has been Please Please Me, The White Album, Hard Days Night etc etc (with a little bit of Queen and Beach Boys thrown in for good measure). We have been having frequent family debates about which Beatle wrote the best songs and who had the best voice, John, Paul, or George (sorry Ringo). Adam is definitely a McCartney fan whereas Shaz and I prefer the rough edges of Lennon. Whenever a new track comes on and Soph finds out who is singing the lead she says..."I knew it!"...which has had us in stitches.

We left Pittsburgh on Monday after a leisurely breakfast and drove North into New York State where we camped in Allegany State Park at Red House campground. We had planned for some serious bike rides and a canoe trip but Ironically the weather has been very Welsh, with temperatures in the 50s (unheard of for June) and bucketing rain. In fact we could have flown home for a decent pint and some good scouse company and gone camping in Nefyn.

Yesterday we pootled slowly towards the Finger Lakes region of New York. It was a quiet day but it is nice just to be able to hang out together as a family. Shaz and I cooked some fillet steak and sipped some splendid Italian red on the shores of Lake Keuka while the kids had a riotous time messing about on the swings and playing footy. Best restaurant in town!

I Rock Dude!

2008-06-15T20:52:00.000-07:00

Now that Adam has "graduated" from kindergarten, he seems compelled to use a mysterious mid-Atlantic dialect consisting of good old scouse-isms and failry middle of the road Pittsburgh-eze. For example...."I rock dude" is used frequently, as is "what the heck"....along with old favorites from back home such as "bloody hell" (don't tell Mrs Barlow) and "Steve Gerard Gerard....he can pass if for 40 yards.....he's big and he's 'REALLY' hard....Steve Gerard Gerard" etc etc.

I was just about to type..."anyway...enough of my rambling"...but of course, if you are still reading....here is MORE of it!

Last weekend, my barbershop quartet (too new for a name) sang its first gig. Nothing flash...just a graduation party....but it was nice to get out in front of an audience. Shaz and the kids came and I had high hopes that Adam and Soph would be rooted to the spot and captivated by our melodious warblings. Instead....Adam got stuck into a water fight with some local kids and Soph played on the swings (it was in a picnic shelter at park). Oh well!

BTW...I am the lanky one on the left singing baritone.

Soph has been developing quite a talent for the old gymnastics. I realize I am biased but she seems to take after her mum and has proper talent. At least...whenever something needs demonstrating to the class the coach always asks our Soph to show the others. Proud dad!

We are frantically packing the van in anticipation of a road trip to New England. We are heading to the Catskill Mountains in New York tomorrow and then on to the Adirondacks (or the "Daddy-Wrong-Tracks" given my shoddy navigation skills). After that we will head North East into New Hampshire to the White Mountains where will are staying with Mike, Vicky and Sascha from the Pittsburgh old days. The final destination is the coast of Maine. Pittsburgh is land-locked and we have been missing the ocean so a week or two on the Maine Coast seems like a good remedy. Anyway....I'll try and blog en route. Watch this space.

Love to all.

Hot Shot Hamish

2008-06-03T20:47:00.000-07:00

Our lives are being consumed by footy! Here are a couple from Sunday at the Schenley Oval in the local park.

Allegheny National Forest

2008-05-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

Spring season camping trip number 2 took place last weekend which was just about the first decent weekend we've had. It was USA's Memorial Day on Monday and therefore a bank holiday. Which reminds me.....when we lived here in 1996 my Barbershop quartet, the legendary "Chordsharks", sang a gig at the Bethel Park Memorial Day Parade. Our show-stopper was "I'm Proud to be an American" with me on melody (suppressing scouse accent). A hoot!

Anyway....last Saturday we headed North to Allegheny Forest at the Loleta Recreation Area. This is not far from the fabled "Straub Brewery" in St Mary's PA where, it is rumored, they have a tap outside from which runs a fresh and unlimited supply of free beer. This could only happen in PA. Can you imagine a tap dispensing such delights on Smithdown Rd?

Only problem with the camping trip was that it got down to 36 F overnight which is about 2 C. The kids snored all night while me and Shaz stayed awake listening to each other's teeth chattering. Luckily the days were hot and we managed a couple of decent bike rides with Adam on his posh new bike and Soph having her first outing on the tag-along bike.

Life is busy in the Burgh. Adam is obsessed with playing footy which is good fun but requires me to play taxi driver out to Gibsonia PA (about 45 mins away) on 2 or 3 nights per week. Unfortunately the club he has joined is called "Arsenal". However, I have to say that the standard is excellent. The senior boys make the NewHeys first eleven circa 1984/85 look rubbish but then again....we were!

Adam is training with the under 10s because they don't have a little-uns team. I was a bit worried about this when "Coach Ed" suggested it but it is working out really well. Adam is catching up fast and the bigger kids have really warmed to him which I have to say is a typically North American positive response. Bless 'em. Makes ya proud to be an American!

Lots of Fresh Air But Not Much Sun

2008-05-16T17:38:00.001-07:00

At last! Something to blog.
We headed North last weekend to Pymatuning State Park in northern PA. The weather could have been better but we seem to have had a run of weekends with lousy weather so we were determined to break out and get some fresh air.

We even paddled the canoe around in the driving rain. Got some funny looks from the other campers in their 28ft RVs (satellite TVs etc).

Even if we did spend much of Sunday huddling in the tent eating jelly beans it was a fantastic weekend. Long overdue!!

Everything Old is New Again

2008-04-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

IT IS SPRING....and not a moment too soon. The winter seemed absolutely brutal (I can sense all the Western PA-ites sniggering at my wimpishness on that front) and it is a massive relief to get outside again without losing body parts to frostbite.

To celebrate, we spent the weekend in the Chesapeake area of Maryland and also went to the "Sussex Shore" in Delaware. The only snag was the 6-7 hour drive but it was worth it.

Dear Old Blighty

2008-03-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

We are just back from spending two glorious weeks in dear old Blighty. It was a bit of a spur of the moment decision to head back. Actually it came down to a coin flip between Liverpool and Florida. We chose dog turds and scallies over sandy beaches and pelicans. Ooops!

Shaz and I made it to the Lakes for a couple of days. We lived it up and stayed in the Wasdale Head Inn. The spectacular scenery made a welcome change from the forests of Pennsylvania and West Virginia (but we are about 3 weeks away from warmer weather here and I can't wait to get the tent out!!!).

It was interesting to be back in the UK and reflect on the past 12 months spent overseas.

Thanks to Lewis and Mel for a great overnight in Manchester. Tequila slammers at 5 am gave me just the boost I needed for packing and heading to the airport! Ed, Ken and Mike.....keep our seats for us in the Gardener's!

On the way back we stayed in Niagara on the Lake in the Oban Inn and took the kids to see Niagara Falls.

Tally Ho!!!!

2008-02-02T20:21:00.000-08:00

Right.....more self indulgence, but this time with a potentially positive side effect.

This post is dedicated to Nancy, Kenny and Thatcher.

Guys.....if you read this, try not to shed a tear as you listen to our collective harmonious warblings.

This stuff (below) was recorded on a hand held Walkman-style tape player, in mono, back in early 2001 at Thatcher's place. I think it was the day that Thatcher broke the news he had a job in Cleveland and me and Shaz announced we were heading back to Blighty for my Astrazeneca year. In other words.....no more vocal group.

Sorry for the quality but I just love this stuff.

More to the point, since we are all now back in Pittsburgh......WHEN ARE WE GETTING TOGETHER FOR A SING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????????????????????????????

Downhill

2008-02-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

There hasn't been much opportunity to get out and enjoy the great outdoors lately thanks to temperatures and wind chills so low that it feels like you could quite easily lose an ear if you forget your woolly hat.

However, last weekend was bearable and we had a nice dump of snow in the city so we bought a sledge and, after some fun with the neighbours, headed for the slopes of Frick Park. Adam soon discovered that standing up is more fun than sitting down (I am biased but his sense of balance is amazing) and so he has now progressed to a snow board.

PS: To change the subject...check out this fantastic Will Hutton piece in the Guardian.

PPS: Since I am in "Guardian Mode"....check this one out too. Makes you think dunnit?

Imagine My Surprise

2008-01-31T17:14:00.000-08:00

Sorry for this self indulgence but I need a new front bumper for my spitty and was just googling "Triumph Spitfire" when......I found this link. There I was admiring the fine lines and shiny paint job when I realized....bloody hell....this is MY Spitty at the Pittsburgh Schenley Park Car Show. Cool or what? Small world.

Imagine my surprise!!!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr

2008-01-21T19:29:00.000-08:00

It is -19 here at the moment. We have been huddling at home and enjoying the holiday that honors Dr Martin Luther King Jr's birthday. So...Happy Birthday Dr King.

However, the sun shone bright today so we legged it out to Laurel Ridge State Park which is about 2 hours East of Pittsburgh. We only managed about a 30 minute toddle along the trail but the snow was deep and the kids had a blast.

No pics yet but.....you'll love the video at this link. Mrs Clinton's campaign must be taking a toll on poor old Bill.

Love to all.

PS.....all yooz with young kids.....check this link out. We are adopting it as our household anthem!

Rocky Raccoon Again

2008-01-06T18:19:00.000-08:00

The temperature spiked above 50 degrees F today so we legged it to Raccoon Creek for butties (sandwiches to our USA readers), footy and a yomp through the woods.
The recent cold snap has enforced a few quiet weekends at home so it was great to get some fresh air and throw off the cabin fever. Good for the soul!

However....although Pennsylvania parks are relatively free of dog turds, they are widely populated with hunters! I have a tough time getting my head around this one. Here we are in the middle of massive stretches of wilderness, on a scale that the average Brit can only dream about, and they allow hunting in Raccoon Creek State Park. To put this in context, the park is maybe 15 minutes drive from the Pittsburgh suburbs. Not exactly in the wilderness. There was a sign at the trail head that advised hikers to "wear orange clothing" and our peaceful stroll was punctuated by the sound of the distant (thankfully) discharging of firearms. Bonkers!!!!

Brass Monkey

2008-01-03T18:48:00.001-08:00

It is -9 degrees here right now and the weatherman has reliably informed me that this actually feels like -14 because of the wind chill. I had forgotten how chilly it gets. Unfortunately it will be like this until the end of March so we are stockpiling hot choccy and red wine. Nothing new there then.

Happy New Year to all our readers! (Hi Dave B and Liz S)!

We discovered Sophia's competitive streak on New Year's Eve. It was vaguely sunny (ish) so we headed to the park on Wilkins Ave and had a kick around on the basketball court. One thing that is brilliant about the Burgh is that there is a park on every corner. It was me and Soph against Shaz and Adam. It must be the red hair but Soph is a maniac on the footy pitch. A complete hooligan. So nothing new there then either.

Happy Christmas!!!

2007-12-26T08:02:00.000-08:00

A very Happy Christmas and Peaceful New Year to anyone actually still checking this blog.

Sorry for my lack of posting. To be honest it has been a bit of a shock having to work for a living again;-) We are trying lots of new ideas out in lab, which has been good fun and a great experience but my poor noodle has never been so challenged. Now at last I have a week to catch my breath.

Christmas Day was beautiful here. Blazing sun and no wind so we made the most of it by getting out with the kids for a runaround in Schenley Park. On Christmas Eve we made our church choir debut by boosting the ranks at St Pauls church in Kittaning, which is Kenny and Liz Smith's home church. The absolute best part was having two delicious dinners in five days at Ken and Liz's place before rehearsal. Thanks Ken and Liz!!! Good times were had. Oh yeah.....and check out the pic? There has to be a first for everything eh?

News Flash

2007-12-09T14:48:00.000-08:00

Adam has started his own blog! Check it out and say hi at http://peewack2001.blogspot.com/

Snow

2007-12-09T12:27:00.000-08:00

Winter is upon us. We had our first proper snow of the winter this week. My mum headed back to Liverpool on Monday so we had a decadent weekend sitting around in the snug of various cafes and brew pubs. Then my old mate Dr Adam Platt arrived for a lightening tour of town and a few meetings at the uni with possible collaborators. Dr Platt crossed to the dark side some years ago and now works for a drug company in Cambridge.

One major plus about our house is its location. We are a healthy short walk from the University and even nearer to the Squirrel Hill shops. Above are some pics of the view from the back deck.

We joined the JCC this week. This is a local community center with loads of stuff going on. Most importantly they have a gym and pool etc and even an indoor running track which helps given the fact that it will be proper brass monkey weather until March. Brrrrrr!

Todd Sanctuary

2007-11-25T19:08:00.000-08:00

Too much work and cold rainy weekends has left us long overdue for a day in the woods. There was a clear blue sky today so we headed north to Todd Sanctuary....an Audubon wild bird haven. My mum is visiting and she is a big ornithologist so it seemed like a splendid idea. Actually all the birds appeared to have packed up and left for the winter but it was nice to experience the tranquility of the forest after our recent cabin fever.

After some fresh air and a stroll we stopped on the way home to buy Derek some cheap Levis at the mall and then headed for Buffalo Blues in Shadyside for ribs and beers.

A great day.

Happy Birthday Adam!

2007-11-24T19:35:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was Adam's 6th birthday so on Sunday we hosted 24 kids for a Harry Potter party complete with compulsory wizard outfits and a magician. Good fun but definitely bordering on the edge of anarchy. Not sure I would want to do it again!

After the doo, we hung out with John and Cecile Allison and their daughters Paige and Margo for pizza and beer. I think Adam might have a soft spot for Paige :-)

Ouch!

2007-11-12T10:36:00.000-08:00

It had to happen!.....This morning I wiped out on my bike.

I thought I would share this experience, not for the gory details of the crash but because of the reactions of the onlookers. Somehow this was prosaic as I spent a good twenty minutes earlier this morning with Laura, one of the other parents at Adam's school, discussing the fact that Pittsburgh is, sadly, a racially divided city.

So there I am hurtling down Forbes Ave in Squirrel Hill when I hit a big pile of wet leaves. The front wheel goes out from under me and I come clattering down onto the tarmac....skidding across a road junction with numerous bits of my bike flying in various directions. Once everything comes to a halt I lie there dazed for a couple of seconds before writhing around for a bit and then silently yelling expletives (you know the ones) to nobody in particular.

Thankfully I wasn't riding in heavy traffic so here I am in good enough shape to be able to write this.

As far as I am aware, only three groups of people witnessed this event.....

One was a young white guy who made sure he looked away and carried on walking when I caught his eye (from the gutter).

One was a very well-to-do middle aged white couple who stopped their car just out of ear-shot and beckoned me over. I indicated that I was OK but they continued to beckon me. So.....thinking that they were REALLY REALLY concerned about my wellbeing, I dutifully hauled myself to my feet, hopped about in agony for a few moments (more silent expletives), and hobbled over to their car. They asked me for directions to the Schenley Golf Club!!! I regret to say that I did my best to send them in the right direction. Unbelievable!!!!

Finally an African American lady stopped her vehicle and asked if I was OK and whether she could drive me anywhere. I didn't get her name but she deserves a hug.

Sophia's Tea Party

2007-11-11T22:15:00.000-08:00

For months, Soph has been requesting that she wants to have a tea party. Not just any old tea party mind, but one to which her old pal Alex Baughman is invited.

Alex and Soph became good buddies during our last few months in Liverpool when we spent quite a bit of time hanging out with Ben and Jen Baughman from Raleigh North Carolina. They were living in Liverpool while Ben completed his Masters in Psychology at the Uni.

So yesterday was the big day. Ben's brother lives in Monaca PA, which is about an hour away from our house and Ben and Jen and the kids were up for the weekend from Raleigh for a visit. Incidentally, Monaca, is now affectionately known as "Me Knackers" thanks to the fact that me and Shaz are scouse gits and have corrupted Ben and Jen into regular use of the ancient language of Scouse.

So....we spent a very pleasant day hanging out at Ben's brother's place while the kids (and us) renewed old acquaintances.

And Soph and Alex had their tea party (see below).

Alex has made it quite clear that he wants to marry Soph. She responded by saying that she wasn't going to marry him because she is "too young". I couldn't agree more.

Adam is also the focus of Alex's sister Caitlin's affections. Actually I think the feeling is mutual but Adam's public response to any mention of this is...rightly for a 5 year old bloke...."yeuch!"

JazzBurgh

2007-11-03T22:23:00.000-07:00

The University of Pittsburgh Jazz Seminar has been going on all week and today was the climax of the program with a day of "show and tell" sessions from genuine A list jazz greats followed by a concert at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. At the center of the University's jazz program is the Pitt Big Band....a full jazz orchestra with all the trimmings. Shaz is an alumnus of the band, having played second alto with them for the first few years of us living here on our first tour of duty. Proof of this can be found in that fact that Shaz's photo is still on the front page of the program's web site.

Today has been fab! It was one of those brilliantly sunny yet cool fall days. We mooched into Oakland this morning with the kids and had pastries and coffee outside the Crazy Mocha (my daily coffee shop and the place where I regularly push back the foreskin of science with other future Nobel laureates). Next stop was a demonstration and question/answer session by drummer Cecil Brooks III. Both the kids thought this was brilliant, particularly Adam who was captivated. Here is a video of him explaining how he plays poly-rhythms. Here he is doing his stuff. Shaz knew what he meant. I didn't have a clue!

After the jazz, Sophia and Shaz went to a class-mate's birthday party and Adam and I visited the Soldiers and Sailors memorial museum which was packed with various firearms and sabers. Needless to say this went down well with Adam!

After racing home for a quick scoff, Adam's favorite (student) teacher from school came over to babysit and Shaz and I went to the Jazz Seminar Concert. It was wonderful to get out and do something grown up! The line up included Benny Golsen who wrote classics such as "Killer Joe" and "I Remember Clifford (in memory of the trumpeter Clifford Brown". He also wrote some classic TV theme tunes including M.A.S.H, Ironside and, incredibly, The Six Million Dollar Man. Also playing were John Faddis, Randy Brecker and Monty Alexander, not to mention our old pal Dr Nathan Davis who used to direct the Pitt Jazz Ensemble and once described Shaz's rapid improvement on the alto sax by remarking..."aint she gettin' busy?"

Finally....here are some pics of Halloween. It is a really big deal here and the kids loved it.