Boston and Washington - Spring 2016 - Day 9 (PANDAS at the National Zoo, Museums, National Mall)

[Sparksy72]

Originally Posted by GopherLass

I sat here for a minute trying to come up with a good panda/athlete pun - but no joy. Where's Helen when you need her?

And is it sad to laugh at your own jokes?

Yes?

Rats!

'Cause I'm still pretty proud of "panda bouncer" - thank you for using it!

We've never been up to Edinburgh - this is such a small country, but the appallingly appalling traffic puts me off holidaying here. It's embarrassing to admit - but it's true.

R.C. was diagnosed right after Poot was born (that was a fun couple of months). The doctor told us he'd probably be in a wheelchair within two years - I am proud of his Winston Churchill approach to RA.

The weather did really blow one whole day later in the trip, but yes - for tonight I was happy to stay warm and forward some cash to my Target fund.


I should have called this trippie "Sequins and Meteorites" - or something like that. There will be more of the latter tomorrow, I fear. But Poot will be thrilled you picked one out to mention, as I think you are the first reader to express ANY interest. Could it be that you have a son? Hmm?

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It would appear that both your boys are made of 'stern' stuff. You must be really proud of both of them and how they have coped with what life has thrown at them

We actually caught the train to Edinburgh- we booked in advance and it was quite cheap. It is one of my most favourite places to visit, such amazing history!

I find it makes the boys happy when you show an interest in their interests. It's also lovely to see their enthusiasm for learning- I like to encourage it in a way that is authentic for me! What's not to love about a shiny sparkly meteorite

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Sparksy72

It would appear that both your boys are made of 'stern' stuff. You must be really proud of both of them and how they have coped with what life has thrown at them

We actually caught the train to Edinburgh- we booked in advance and it was quite cheap. It is one of my most favourite places to visit, such amazing history!

I find it makes the boys happy when you show an interest in their interests. It's also lovely to see their enthusiasm for learning- I like to encourage it in a way that is authentic for me! What's not to love about a shiny sparkly meteorite

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I like sparkly things, too.

And YES, absolutely. I've had to fake interest in a few of Poot's obsessions (worms leap to mind) - but I have genuinely developed an interest in volcanology. We never would have gone to Hawaii if Poot hadn't been desperate to see Kilauea. And that was just AMAZING. I'd go back in a heartbeat. Even his combine harvester obsession was good - we had an amazing trip to the world headquarters of John Deere (the last holiday we took with D-Bro - before he got married and his wife forbade it). And I'm telling you, the Jurassic Coast is beyond remarkable.


We SHOULD get the train to Edinburgh one of these days - we're practically on the line. I know the Castle is built on a lava plug - so Poot would love it. R.C., with his cut-glass English accent, is less eager to venture north of the wall - but everyone loves an Irish girl...

[Sparksy72]

Originally Posted by GopherLass

I like sparkly things, too.

And YES, absolutely. I've had to fake interest in a few of Poot's obsessions (worms leap to mind) - but I have genuinely developed an interest in volcanology. We never would have gone to Hawaii if Poot hadn't been desperate to see Kilauea. And that was just AMAZING. I'd go back in a heartbeat. Even his combine harvester obsession was good - we had an amazing trip to the world headquarters of John Deere (the last holiday we took with D-Bro - before he got married and his wife forbade it). And I'm telling you, the Jurassic Coast is beyond remarkable.


We SHOULD get the train to Edinburgh one of these days - we're practically on the line. I know the Castle is built on a lava plug - so Poot would love it. R.C., with his cut-glass English accent, is less eager to venture north of the wall - but everyone loves an Irish girl...

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Ooh Hawaii! It is on my list, just the flight prices put me off. DH told me to tell you that in 1983 he went inside a volcano (Matupit) which is located in Rabaul in PNG. he went with two other kids (no adult supervision in those days). He said it smelled, was hot and could see lava too.

I'm going to have to add the Jurassic coast too. My list for trips is sooooo long!

Just tell RC that the real Queen has her summer house in Edinburgh (Palace of Hokyrood House) so he should fit right in with his lovely accent!

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Sparksy72

Ooh Hawaii! It is on my list, just the flight prices put me off. DH told me to tell you that in 1983 he went inside a volcano (Matupit) which is located in Rabaul in PNG. he went with two other kids (no adult supervision in those days). He said it smelled, was hot and could see lava too.

I'm going to have to add the Jurassic coast too. My list for trips is sooooo long!

Just tell RC that the real Queen has her summer house in Edinburgh (Palace of Holyrood House) so he should fit right in with his lovely accent!

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Hehe...I'll have to give that a try. I am trying to be brief here (stop that!) - but once in Las Vegas we had a waitress who was very taken with R.C.'s accent; she kept ducking her head and calling him "My Lord". I think he liked it.

We have watched a documentary called "Life on Fire" MANY times chez Gopher - and the first episode is about Rabaul. Poot will be VERY excited/jealous to hear that your DH has actually been INSIDE the volcano.

I feel lucky that we all grew up when we did - allowed to just ramble where we liked. R.C. was allowed to go all over London on the buses by himself by the time he was 7. And yet down in Dorset R.C. had somebody "tut" him for letting the lads go alone into the loo! As kids in Minnesota, we used to spend ALL DAY in the lake - no adults around. I wonder what happened to change all that...

I *think* I'm going to do a tiny trippie (?) as part of the TF Update. It was such an amazing spot down there in Dorset. We went to Lyme Regis, too (just like in Persuasion) - what a fascinating spot.


And Hawaii is a great spot to break a journey to/from Australia. Just sayin'.

[Sparksy72]

Originally Posted by GopherLass

Hehe...I'll have to give that a try. I am trying to be brief here (stop that!) - but once in Las Vegas we had a waitress who was very taken with R.C.'s accent; she kept ducking her head and calling him "My Lord". I think he liked it.

We have watched a documentary called "Life on Fire" MANY times chez Gopher - and the first episode is about Rabaul. Poot will be VERY excited/jealous to hear that your DH has actually been INSIDE the volcano.

I feel lucky that we all grew up when we did - allowed to just ramble where we liked. R.C. was allowed to go all over London on the buses by himself by the time he was 7. And yet down in Dorset R.C. had somebody "tut" him for letting the lads go alone into the loo! As kids in Minnesota, we used to spend ALL DAY in the lake - no adults around. I wonder what happened to change all that...

I *think* I'm going to do a tiny trippie (?) as part of the TF Update. It was such an amazing spot down there in Dorset. We went to Lyme Regis, too (just like in Persuasion) - what a fascinating spot.


And Hawaii is a great spot to break a journey to/from Australia. Just sayin'.

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Lol! I think RC and DH must be cut from the same cloth He loves the attention from the opposite sex when we are in the US, mainly in the eateries etc. We were at Perkins for breakfast once and I thought the 75yr old waitress was going to drag him off to the broom cupboard - it was like I wasn't even at the table I think it must be the accent? Either that or she thought he was going to be a big tipper

No pressure... but you should absolutely do a trip report I am dragging out reading each day of this report, I need something for when I have finished this one... to keep me going until you do the next one again... No Pressure!

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Sparksy72

Lol! I think RC and DH must be cut from the same cloth He loves the attention from the opposite sex when we are in the US, mainly in the eateries etc. We were at Perkins for breakfast once and I thought the 75yr old waitress was going to drag him off to the broom cupboard - it was like I wasn't even at the table I think it must be the accent? Either that or she thought he was going to be a big tipper

No pressure... but you should absolutely do a trip report I am dragging out reading each day of this report, I need something for when I have finished this one... to keep me going until you do the next one again... No Pressure!

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Is your DH into older women?


It's the accent for R.C., no doubt about it. The day we met, we were flying Northwest - and our (American) stewardess must have stopped at our row a DOZEN times to see if R.C. needed anything.

"Oh, Sir...I could listen to you ALL DAY LONG...would you like another gin and tonic?"

"Oh, Sir...I could listen to you read THE PHONE BOOK...your accent is just AWESOME."

Vomit. I was lucky to get a plastic cup of water and my wee pack of peanuts!


But apparently YOUR DH is a manly rugby player-type - so I would guess that might have something to do with his appeal to the opposite sex, too.


I don't know if you had the ads up north, but three or four years ago these were all over London buses and the Underground...

Too true!


And thank you - what lovely compliments. I think I will do a teeny "life update" and trippie then - to frame the TF update.

[Sparksy72]

Originally Posted by GopherLass

Is your DH into older women?


It's the accent for R.C., no doubt about it. The day we met, we were flying Northwest - and our (American) stewardess must have stopped at our row a DOZEN times to see if R.C. needed anything.

"Oh, Sir...I could listen to you ALL DAY LONG...would you like another gin and tonic?"

"Oh, Sir...I could listen to you read THE PHONE BOOK...your accent is just AWESOME."

Vomit. I was lucky to get a plastic cup of water and my wee pack of peanuts!


But apparently YOUR DH is a manly rugby player-type - so I would guess that might have something to do with his appeal to the opposite sex, too.


I don't know if you had the ads up north, but three or four years ago these were all over London buses and the Underground...

Too true!


And thank you - what lovely compliments. I think I will do a teeny "life update" and trippie then - to frame the TF update.

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Some women have no shame, I think the more mature ladies are the worst

I love that advertisement- reminds me of Love Actually. You know the bit where the nerdy English guy goes to America and ends up with the hot American girls, all because they like his accent. I did wonder if there was a spike in English male visitors to the US after that movie

Woohoo for an update!

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Sparksy72

Some women have no shame, I think the more mature ladies are the worst

I love that advertisement- reminds me of Love Actually. You know the bit where the nerdy English guy goes to America and ends up with the hot American girls, all because they like his accent. I did wonder if there was a spike in English male visitors to the US after that movie

Woohoo for an update!

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I've not seen that movie.

I like Westerns - and you know R.C. only picks French films full of ennui and well, you know...French-ness.


But I get the point, absolutely. I do find it hysterically funny which accents are "sexy" to other women and which are off-putting. It's all relative...I think that New Jersey is the ugliest accent in the English-speaking world - but one of my (English) girlfriends says that's the one that revs her motor.

That is NOT the accent I want to hear whispering sweet nothings in my ear...

[Sparksy72]

Originally Posted by GopherLass

I've not seen that movie.

I like Westerns - and you know R.C. only picks French films full of ennui and well, you know...French-ness.


But I get the point, absolutely. I do find it hysterically funny which accents are "sexy" to other women and which are off-putting. It's all relative...I think that New Jersey is the ugliest accent in the English-speaking world - but one of my (English) girlfriends says that's the one that revs her motor.

That is NOT the accent I want to hear whispering sweet nothings in my ear...

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I think you would love Love Actually, if you went to the Library I bet they have a copy! It made me cry and laugh and also cheer on the main characters (even Hugh Grant)

I love accents! I'm really looking forward to going to Boston just for this

I have just sent you a PM

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Sparksy72

I think you would love Love Actually, if you went to the Library I bet they have a copy! It made me cry and laugh and also cheer on the main characters (even Hugh Grant)

I love accents! I'm really looking forward to going to Boston just for this

I have just sent you a PM

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I am DEFINTELY looking forward to hearing your thoughts on THAT accent!

Poot was rather taken with it, much to his father's horror. Poor R.C., it's hard for him to cope with the fact that Poot has MY messed-up accent instead of his lovely one (let's just say that no one's going to be calling Poot "My Lord" anytime soon )...


And clearly that film is magic - if it can make a person root for Hugh Grant!


PS: I have replied to your PM.