Bubba Melanson

With Rhea, Jon, and Sam still here on Saturday we decided to go out for a traditional southern breakfast. We headed out to the the Cracker Barrel. The place was packed as the University of South Carolina Gamecocks were playing the Clemson Tigers. Once again the food was good and the service was OK. I think everyone had a good time. The real story for this blog begins when I arrived at the restaurant. I got there a few minutes early with Isabelle since we had to take two cars to get all six of us there (not enough room for all the carseats!). I stepped up to desk to get our name on the list for a table and the head waitress wrote it down. Then she told me it should be spelled Melancon and pronounced in French! It turns out she is from Louisiana and here maiden name is Melancon. We talked for a bit and she told me more about where she was from. Her parents still live in Louisiana but her grandparents were the last in her family to speak French. She said it was not exactly standard French (I told her I knew what she meant). She came by the table a few more times and to say hello and check on our meal. When Isabelle decided to play shy with her and wouldn't say her name the waitress christened her Bubba. Bubba is used both as an term of endearment and an insult down here, although the most interesting item I found on it was about a fish named Bubba the Grouper. I knew I'd meet Cajuns down here eventually but I didn't think I'd make connections this easily. I told the waitress I'd be back to quiz her on where to visit for more Melans(c)ons in Louisiana when we start planing our road trip to the Gulf Coast. It may not be for a year or two but it definitely needs to happen. We did brave a little of Black Friday. Jane and Rhea made a run for Target just before lunch and then Jon and I hit Lowe's in the afternoon. It wasn't too bad but the staff in the stores were defiantly frazzled. I heard this morning there was even a death on Long Island at a Walmart when an employee got trampled by the "frenzied Black Friday shoppers". In California two men pulled guns on each other and shot each other to death after two women got into a fight. On second thought maybe we'll stay away from the big box stores for a while. Friday was a beautiful day and I took advantage of it to put up the Christmas lights. On Sunday I got a few more items up and finish the lights. I have a plan involving some stars and lights that should be pretty unique. I'll post some pictures here when I get them done. Rhea and the family left on Sunday morning. Isabelle was very sad to see them go. Here we are Monday night and they just got in to Quaker Hill in Connecticut. It was a long drive with lots of traffic but I hope it was worth it. I know I enjoyed having them around for a few days. Hopefully we'll see them more often now that we're all on the same coast.

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a quiet day waiting for my sister Rhea, Jon and Sam to get here. Lots of cleaning and raking (we had a beautiful day with lots of sun and temperatures just short of 70). Most people here celebrate Thanksgiving on the Thursday. We decided to hold off until everyone arrived. It's interesting to see all the out of state cars in everyone's driveways. There seems to be people from all over the country here this weekend. The reports suggest that people won't be travelling as much this long weekend but the price of gas being so low has made it somewhat inexpensive. We're down to $1.65 a gallon.

Our company arrived around 5:30 and Isabelle was ecstatic. She loves her cousin. In fact she pretty much smothered him for the first few hours. There was a bit of a fuss when she couldn't sleep in the same room with him but she worked it out in the end. This morning they both slept in (almost 'til 8:00). If it wasn't for Maggie I would have slept in too.

Today is Black Friday here. It's one of the biggest shopping days of the year, often 2nd only to Christmas Eve. I don't think we'll be going out for much. Some stores were opening at 5:00 and a few were even going to be open at midnight! I think the plan is pretty much just to have a quiet day. Maybe I'll get to the gym, and the Christmas lights we bought last week need to be put up, Maggie could use a walk, I need to clean up the garage...

Hugs, Smiles, and Cold Noses

There is nothing like coming home to a warm huge, big smiles, and a nudge from a cold canine nose. Getting home took a while this time but I managed with a little help from my friends. Dublin to Atlanta and a drive to Greenville was not a straightforward as one might think. When leaving Dublin you clear immigration but not customs. Customs is in Atlanta. That makes things faster but not easier. The thing is that when you leave Ireland if you get a bottle of something (Ireland is known for it's whiskey) you don't get to put it in your bags so it gets carried on the plane. In Atlanta once you've cleared customs with all your bags you need to go through the airport to arrive at the main terminal. That means going through security but now you have a bottle and you're not allowed liquids in the airport! So if you forget to put the bottle in your checked bag, which gets checked after clearing customs, you are stuck with it and can't get it home. Luckily I didn't have that problem but some of the people I was travelling with did. They ended up pulling their computers out of their computer bags and checking the bags with the bottles in it. Now that would be fine except that at the other end things go missing. One fellow I was travelling with had to wait (along with the rest of us) until his bag showed up. About forty minutes later we are on our way and singing up for our rental car. Unfortunately the rental cars get picked-up after a shuttle ride to another part of the airport and more delays. In the end I got home about 8:00 to the welcome above (hugs, smiles, and cold noses). I'm glad jane let Isabelle wait up for me. I did get a few pictures of Atlanta as we drove through. I've never been a passenger through this part of I-85 so it was neat to look around. Unfortunately I didn't get a good shot of the flame used in the Olympics, but the skyline was very impressive. The sun was setting behind us so the colours were neat.

Today felt like I hadn't left Ireland. It rained and was relatively cold by South Carolina standards. I still can't complain. It gets below freezing at night but doesn't add up to anything. We haven't seen snow and may not. On the other hand, we just might, you never know.

Here is a little more of Isabelle's artwork. These first two she brought home today. One is a footpath and pond and the other is a tree. They both have brilliant colours and show how Isabelle's imagination has improved. She also does portraits. This is one of her friend from school. I was really impressed when I went to her friend's house to collect her one day and she came out with this.

Now that I'm home for a while I can't wait until all our company arrives. My sister will be here for Thanksgiving weekend with Sammy and Jon. A few days later some friends from Nova Scotia come for a week. After that it's back to work for a few days and then we're quickly into Christmas. Hopefully our trip to Connecticut and Washington will work out and I get to see my parents at my sister's house. Then shortly after that in January Jane's parents will be around for while. All in all it should be a good couple of months. This is part of why we got the big place down here. So if anyone else wants to come...

Down the Rocky Road and all the Way to Dublin...

OK so it might be a little cliche but the song has been with me since I found myself travelling to Dublin. As the song goes:

One, two, three, four five,

Hunt the hare and turn her

Down the rocky road

And all the ways to Dublin,

Whack-fol-lol-de-ra.

Our road to Dublin wasn't bad but like the roads everywhere else there was some construction and we did get caught up in a little traffic. The hotel turned out to be difficult to find but we got to the airport, returned the car, and eventually found the shuttle to the hotel. It is very nice but terribly small. The rooms are very modern and have an Internet connection (which it is always a bonus).

I was hoping to head into Dublin tonight rather than staying out at the airport but things just got the best of me here. The drive was long and we just popped out to the hotel restaurant for a few pints and a sandwich.

I know I've already mentioned this a few times but I can't get over the food here. Last night I went out with two fellows from Ballymenna to the Pavilion. It's in the golf club near Galgorm Castle and is a spot I was at the last time I was there. Well it turns out one of the fellows who took me there is the Men's Captain of the club. The Men's Captain is like any other team captain but because we're in the UK it comes with all sorts of privileges and perks, as well as responsibilities. (Apparently the year after the one year term you can play golf at any club in the UK for free, as well as a few in North America.) He explained how the restaurant had been through a change in management so they wanted to see how things were.

Well we were treated like royalty. Lots of wine and excellent service. I must say that after the first visit I wasn't impressed but now I think I'll go back. The eggs mayonnaise were good and the steak had a great pepper sauce. Dessert was good too. I had a chocolate fudge cake.

On Wednesday after spending the week with eight other auditors some of us decided to go out on our own. We ended up at a little English pub in Ballymenna. I ate a typical Irish meal of mixed grill. There was ham, pork chops, lamb chops, sausage, steak, portobello mushroom, grilled tomato, and an egg. All with vegetables and potato. It looked like this:

Afterwards we heard it was a bit of a dodgy place and that there is likely to be one or two fights a night there. In the end the cider and Guinness were good and we didn't get into any trouble, although I thought things might get a little edgy when they ran out of Guinness at the bar. i figured that would be a crime in Ireland.

Ballymenna also had some serious shopping this week with big sales and lots of people in the two shopping centers. Christmas is in full swing here as much as it is in the US. On Thursday they even blocked the streets and kicked off the season with carols and reindeer. Apparently they bring in real reindeer every year. I wasn't there (so I don't have a picture) but some of the other guys on the trip said it was quite the sight.

Wednesday I took a few hours to run an errand for our team in the office back in Greenville. I think I mentioned I went to Portrush to the Royal Portrush Golf Club for a gift. Portrush is a nice little town on the coast. The golf club is right on the beach in amongst the dunes. It is a nice course but very difficult (although short). The winds make it very challenging as the breeze off the North Sea is almost always blowing. My guide took me around town for a look. I got a few pictures. The one below is for all my the paddling friends at home in Nova Scotia. The surf was just pounding. It was a beautiful spot. The whole town is on a point and seems to be coming back from a hard few years. There aren't many things to do but if you like the beach and a quiet place to sit, read, or take the dog for a walk it can't be beat.

It may not seem like much now but when the sun comes out...

Living the Life

Still in Northern Ireland and still having a good time (if anyone had told me I'd be making regular trips to Northern Ireland ten years ago I'd have thought they were nuts). We've been so busy that we haven't had time to get over the jet lag. Things are busy with 10 and 12 hour days in the plant and big meals at night. There's also lots of beer, cider, and Bailey's to be had. Some in the group here have even enjoyed some local whiskey. I still can't get over how people eat here. Not everything is deep fried but lots is. Potatoes aren't just a staple here, you often get two kinds with your meal. The guys were also saying how everything is so tasty. I think it's because they really believe in buying local. The steak, the salad, the vegetables are all good. The fish here is impressive. One of the guys had cod last night, it was the biggest piece I had ever seen. You can also get good haddock, plaice, and salmon. Driving has been uneventful although it's hard to believe I was ever worried about it. Traffic isn't too heavy and the traffic circles or roundabouts are no problem. The shifting on the left is still a little rough but I'm managing. Tomorrow I'm taking a little jaunt up to Portrush. A fellow from the plant is taking me there in the morning before work so we can go to the Portrush Golf Course to buy a gift for someone. Apparently the British Open has been there but that doesn't mean much to me. It is a beautiful area and last time I was here we did drive around the coast. Tomorrow is another day and Friday is the last one in the plant. On Friday we drive back to Dublin for a night at one of the hotels by the airport. Our flight isn't too early on Saturday so I hope to get out to downtown Dublin to poke around and see what the Republic of Ireland is like. I hear the night life there is very good and that it is much different than Belfast where I was the last time I was here. Hopefully everything will go well until then and the flight home will be uneventful.

Back on the Emerald Isle

I'm back in Europe and am enjoying it so far.

The flight from Greenville to Atlanta was fast but we spent more time on the ground taxiing than in the air. Atlanta was very busy. By the time we got to our gate they were boarding for Dublin. The Dublin leg was fine although the food on the American carriers will never be as good as Air France (oh how I miss those days). I think I slept four hours and felt fine to drive the two and a half hours to Ballymena. Bill B. (one of my colleagues from work) came along and we did fine between my Google Maps printout and the GPS. You just have to remember to keep left and look right.

One thing about Greenville Airport was the football team. Duke University was in town to play the local Clemson Tigers. The game finished with Clemson up 31-7. While we were waiting for our plane the boys in blue (Duke's athletic teams are called the Blue Devils) started wandering up looking a little glum and dejected. In the end about one hundred players, coaches, cheerleaders and support staff came through to board the plane. Then, the buses were on the tarmac to move the gear into the plane. Did I mention the coach had his own state trooper? All I could think of was Dalhousie and SMU and me playing at MUN and how we would jam all our players in a small van or two mini-vans.

Anyway, back to the drive here. We got the rental car and had a bit of a challenge finding it. Once we did that we had to pay for our tolls, ahead of time. That meant going back to the airport to pay ahead of time at a kiosk. The way it works is that you register the plates and off you go. I guess the toll takes place on the highway with a camera at full speed. It seems convenient but it sure wasn't intuitive for me to figure out how to do it.

So far the food here has been good, although I've only eaten once. The restaurant here in the Adair Arms is very nice. They had a nice shrimp salad and a roast pork loin with apple sauce and two kinds of potatoes. The dessert was a strawberry pavlova (I'm thinking of you Rob) with a raspberry sauce.

In Ballymena I've been out around town for a walk. The town has two shopping centers in the old district. We poked around both of them and found some interesting shopping. I hope to go back later this week to shop a little more seriously. I may find some interesting deals for Christmas and maybe for myself, who knows. One of the stores, H&M, is one of Jane's newest favorites. They have a good selection of kids stuff too.

That's all for now...more later.

Off Again After a Rough Week

Well another week is done. If you check the post time on this you'll see I'm doing it midday on a Friday. No, I'm not at work doing, I've taken a day off after a really rough week. Work has been tough with lots of meetings and too much stress. Being here in the Central group means answering to lots of people in various places and balancing multiple priorities. Don't get me wrong, I love the work and the opportunities, but everything always seems easier from the outside looking in. I have to say the people here are very good. My colleagues are very supportive and helpful and I feel like I'm really starting to contribute but every now and then... At home we've had a house guest from home in Nova Scotia. Jane's friend has been here since Sunday and has had an opportunity to experience a little of the Upstate's food, flavors, culture, and shopping. The two of them, along with Isabelle and Maggie have been pretty busy. We had a little party for Jane on Tuesday (her birthday) and celebrated a little. Isabelle on the other hand is not well. She's picked a cough from school, I think, that has really knocked her down. She isn't sleeping well, which means no one in the house is sleeping well, and she's missed two swimming lessons. I think having a sick child is one of the most difficult parts of having kids so far. I feel so helpless because I can't make her feel better. In the end I guess time is the only thing that will help her get over it. Our guest leaves tomorrow and then I leave for Ireland again. This time I go through Atlanta and Dublin rather than Newark and Belfast. Hopefully I won't end up in Iceland this time. I'm also driving back form Atlanta rather than driving. It means I get back about 4 hours earlier and don't have to sit around the airport for 7 hours. After the trip comes American thanksgiving. Rhea, Jon, and Sam are looking to come down. It will be nice to see them again. Sam is like Isabelle, he's growing very fast and changing all the time. They should be around for a few days but we don't expect to get out too much. Sam still takes naps morning and afternoon (how civilized). It will be nice just to sit around and catch up. Thanksgiving here is a four day weekend. After that come some other friends from the Valley. One of Isabelle's best friends will be here with her parents. I'm taking some time off to play golf and show them around. It will be nice to see them since we haven't really been in touch much since we left. It will be interesting to see how Isabelle is with a friend visiting for a whole week. I suspect they'll get on e each other's nerves a little but the plan is to keep them busy and tire them out so they'll sleep at night and play hard all day. Shortly after they leave it will time for Christmas...oh how the time flies!

Ghouls, Junk Food, the Election, & Food for the Soul

Well Halloween has come and gone. It wasn't as big as I expected but it certainly was a good night out. Jack King was here from Kentville to share in the festivities. He was down for a course and had take out pizza with us at the house and helped hand out the candy. In the end there were about 150 trick-or-treaters. Not bad compared to the measly 7 to 10 we used to get at Belcher Street. I honestly expected more but being on a dead end street (some prefer to call it a cul-de-sac) does have its advantages. Unfortunately there is a whole lot of candy left over and it isn't helping with the whole "Chose Well, Life Well" initiative. The apres Halloween was good too. The neighbors all got together on the street next to two fire pits and spent the rest of the evening talking and carrying on. Isabelle did something she hasn't done in a while-she fell asleep in my lap, in her fuzzy elephant costume. It brought back memories of when she really little. Meanwhile we had an election. Now this is nothing like in Canada where there are multiple parties and only two networks to report on the returns. This was an all out, down and dirty, mud slinging election. In the end (everyone knows how it ended) it was interesting to see it from the inside. There were seven networks reporting results and making all sorts of predictions. In one case they called a state for McCain just minutes after the polls closed when Obama was in the lead with only 1% of the vote counted. It was one heck of a media circus. At least now its over and we can move on. Maggie has been through a hard few days. She had surgery yesterday to remove a lump on her side (we'll know more in a few days) and seems to be coping very well. At least this time I don't have to carry her up and down the stairs. The incision is four inches long and looks pretty nasty but she hasn't been at it. It's in a location that makes it difficult to reach, up behind her left shoulder. Maggie also has more meds now than most octogenarians. Between the painkillers, the antibiotics for the surgery, the steroids for her nose, a thyroid replacement, and another supplement, she gets eight pills a day. Jane is in charge because I can' t get my hand far enough down her throat to administer them effectively. Lastly I want to tell you about the Y. Things are going well, though I haven't lost any weight (damn Halloween candy!). The weight routine is good, the running program is coming along, and I've started swimming lessons. Now, I know how to swim, but the spin turns and stroke improvement class will build my technique so I can swim laps for fitness without flailing around like fish out of water. Today I did my second cycling (or spinning class) and had an interesting thing happen. Now I know it's the YMCA (the C stands for Christian) but I've never had an instructor pray for us after a workout before. I guess it just caught me off guard. We are in the South after all.