Boston and Washington Spring 2016 - Boys, Blades and Balls! - Day 1 (Stansted to Dublin)

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Sparksy72

Oh April, I think you and Helen must be cut from the same cloth! You both have the ability to make me laugh out loud whilst reading my iPad! You can totally think of me as a westie - I am probably as shaggy but err on the side of bigger rather than smaller! Lol! As for immigration- you would think I was trying to sneak in, however my Grandadfather was born in Durham, so am I not practically a local? Regarding food, I tend to cook everything from scratch and Cooper is just like Poot, he loves food, from all different countries, I personally dislike beige food 😬 So lovely to catch up again. Michelle x

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Hehe...beige food. That says it all!


Many years ago my brother had a girlfriend who refused to learn how to cook - she said it was a "striking a blow against the patriarchy". But I don't think most non-cookers are such out of feminist principles.

And I know, right? I wish people would get that cooking from scratch is not just healthier and cheaper - it's also WAY more enjoyable than dumping nuggets on a baking sheet.


Climbing down off soapbox now.


But...in the interest of full disclosure - I do make an exception for mash. I DETEST mashing spuds (what kind of Irishwoman AM I?) ... and have been known to buy it (shh...whisper it) ready-made. Please don't tell my mother.

[Sparksy72]

You are a wild woman... ready made mash! I have been known to purchase this myself from time to time 😋 Also I recently found that you can buy frozen chopped onions - who knew this was a thing? I have to say though that I love it 😊 I think we might be rebels 😂

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Sparksy72

You are a wild woman... ready made mash! I have been known to purchase this myself from time to time 😋 Also I recently found that you can buy frozen chopped onions - who knew this was a thing? I have to say though that I love it 😊 I think we might be rebels 😂

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I like it, Michelle!

When I was hunting for the frozen potstickers a few months ago, I discovered all kinds of products for the lazy hausfrau at our local Tesco - and I saw the onions. They also sell pre-chopped garlic!

But my kitchen's the size of a phone box - and our fridge is very, very small - so there's no room for convenience products like those. Now that Poot is old enough to help with the cooking, I have made him my commis - and he does almost all the chopping. Life skills, my friend.

[Bianca]

Having, earlier, dipped in and out of your 2016 trip days (like taking bites out of chocolates and then putting them back in the box) (no I don't really do that ), I am now proceeding in an orderly fashion. (Ignoring the fact I should be asleep.)

Yikes to the tree, but what great neighbours and a pat on the back to you for being the one who volunteered to panic. Someone has to do it! I would have!

And yikes to the fella at Immigration! Does he not read The Dibb? (You don't strike me as the criminal type, but this is the internet... Perhaps you are a mastermind and have us all fooled. Except him at Immigration. )

...But you all made it in one piece to Dublin.

P.S. I love the idea of the flight crew wondering the aisles selling raffle tickets!

Originally Posted by GopherLass

...DS loves to ask people where they’re from. He always hopes that they say Poland so he can tell them that the only word he knows in Polish is the word for bottom. We’ve yet to determine if the word is the same or similar in Lithuanian.

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And I love this!

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Bianca

Having, earlier, dipped in and out of your 2016 trip days (like taking bites out of chocolates and then putting them back in the box) (no I don't really do that ), I am now proceeding in an orderly fashion. (Ignoring the fact I should be asleep.)

Yikes to the tree, but what great neighbours and a pat on the back to you for being the one who volunteered to panic. Someone has to do it! I would have!

And yikes to the fella at Immigration! Does he not read The Dibb? (You don't strike me as the criminal type, but this is the internet... Perhaps you are a mastermind and have us all fooled. Except him at Immigration. )

...But you all made it in one piece to Dublin.

P.S. I love the idea of the flight crew wondering the aisles selling raffle tickets!



And I love this!

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Yes, lol...when it comes to panicking I'm your gal!

And my neighbour is just wonderful; I'm so lucky to know him. We've had a rather...challenging...houseguest these last couple of weeks and he has dived in with both feet to lend a hand - building tree platforms and bonfires and more!


And I KNOW, right? What exactly did the miserable git at Dublin immigration think I was doing? It makes me SO CROSS when men try and intimidate me - but then can't be all buddy-buddy with DH fast enough...

"Oh, well now that I've heard the SAME EXACT EXPLANATION from ANOTHER MAN, it makes perfect sense. Have a nice day."


Ryanair (or RyanBus, as fellow Dibber jas72 calls them) - they make me laugh. What DON'T they try and flog you while they have you trapped 25,000 feet up?


Thanks for checking in -

[SEAWORLD FAN]

Well that was some start to your holiday April. Who needs to be chopping trees an hour before you leave home? I'm usually giving the bathroom the last once over to ensure cleanliness for any would be burglars. I have to admit though that the tree situation would have completely thrown me altogether and I would have been out of sorts all day. I don't do well with the unexpected unfortunately.

Glad you made it to Dublin in one peace though. We fly from Dublin for all our trips. Belfast would be closer but the smaller taxes and immigration pre-clearance make it a winner for us.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by SEAWORLD FAN

Well that was some start to your holiday April. Who needs to be chopping trees an hour before you leave home? I'm usually giving the bathroom the last once over to ensure cleanliness for any would be burglars. I have to admit though that the tree situation would have completely thrown me altogether and I would have been out of sorts all day. I don't do well with the unexpected unfortunately.

Glad you made it to Dublin in one peace though. We fly from Dublin for all our trips. Belfast would be closer but the smaller taxes and immigration pre-clearance make it a winner for us.

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I'm sure the burglars appreciate your sparkling commode.


And I fear that I, too, struggle with CHANGE TO THE PLAN. My DH is very much a "roll with the punches" kind of chap - it must drive him completely BONKERS when I carry on like a Bedlamite.


It makes such a difference going from Dublin, doesn't it? I was almost disappointed when our last trip to Florida was cheaper direct. Even as citizens - Poot and I still waited for more than an hour to clear immigration/customs at MCO. So much nicer to do all the bureaucratic nonsense when you're fresh.

[Cazzius]

Oh my goodness. I think I would have been in full on panic mode with the tree in the lane and the taxi waiting 45 minutes!
At least Stansted is a small airport if you need to get a hurry on... but WOW!

I love that your neighbour had a chainsaw to hand and popped round to help out.

We went to Mallorca on RyanAir and I lost count of the number of times they tried to flog us something on the plane - and it was only a 2 hour flight. Does anyone ever buy the raffle/lottery tickets?

Boo to the immigration man. I was thinking of looking into going from Dublin for immigration reasons but this sounds rubbish. Urgh.
I had a really nasty security guy when I was changing planes in JFK. I'd just got off a long flight from London, had to change terminals, change planes and fly on to Seattle. All by myself. I'd never done anything like it before and the guy was really snappy to me because I had my boarding pass in a plastic wallet! I nearly cried.

Glad RC was able to sort it out and you were allowed into Ireland, but it is annoying that he had to.

100% agree about food at the Premier Inn. The breakfast isn't too bad and is always hot/plentiful but reliably disappointing is more apt. It's not bad... but it's not good! Perhaps moderate works?!

Airport hotels that aren't at the airport are sneaky. We've seen people confused at the Premier Inn at Gatwick before as there are 2, and one is off-site.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Cazzius

Oh my goodness. I think I would have been in full on panic mode with the tree in the lane and the taxi waiting 45 minutes!
At least Stansted is a small airport if you need to get a hurry on... but WOW!

I love that your neighbour had a chainsaw to hand and popped round to help out.

We went to Mallorca on RyanAir and I lost count of the number of times they tried to flog us something on the plane - and it was only a 2 hour flight. Does anyone ever buy the raffle/lottery tickets?

Boo to the immigration man. I was thinking of looking into going from Dublin for immigration reasons but this sounds rubbish. Urgh.
I had a really nasty security guy when I was changing planes in JFK. I'd just got off a long flight from London, had to change terminals, change planes and fly on to Seattle. All by myself. I'd never done anything like it before and the guy was really snappy to me because I had my boarding pass in a plastic wallet! I nearly cried.

Glad RC was able to sort it out and you were allowed into Ireland, but it is annoying that he had to.

100% agree about food at the Premier Inn. The breakfast isn't too bad and is always hot/plentiful but reliably disappointing is more apt. It's not bad... but it's not good! Perhaps moderate works?!

Airport hotels that aren't at the airport are sneaky. We've seen people confused at the Premier Inn at Gatwick before as there are 2, and one is off-site.

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I'm very glad R.C. never showed me the bill for that taxi, because

Most of the time I love our little corner of BF Nowhere, but before I married R.C. I lived across the street from a bus stop. And the end of the line? - the airport!

Whereas here - well, this morning they wouldn't deliver my groceries because up our lane the road was blocked by the Calor gas lorry (filling up my neighbour's tank). And in the house all we've got to eat is fifteen tins of Heinz soup (ack! R.C. buys it when I'm away), a bag of popcorn - and a bucket of windfall apples...


SOMEONE must buy the Ryanbus raffle tickets, surely. I don't imagine them sticking with ANYTHING unprofitable...


Poor you at JFK. That is NOT my favourite airport, though we were lucky when we flew through there on our August trip to America. Most of the officers were positively jolly. And how grateful am I that Poot being under 12 meant neither of us had to be body-scanned...

[Cazzius]

Originally Posted by GopherLass

I'm very glad R.C. never showed me the bill for that taxi, because

Most of the time I love our little corner of BF Nowhere, but before I married R.C. I lived across the street from a bus stop. And the end of the line? - the airport!

Whereas here - well, this morning they wouldn't deliver my groceries because up our lane the road was blocked by the Calor gas lorry (filling up my neighbour's tank). And in the house all we've got to eat is fifteen tins of Heinz soup (ack! R.C. buys it when I'm away), a bag of popcorn - and a bucket of windfall apples...


SOMEONE must buy the Ryanbus raffle tickets, surely. I don't imagine them sticking with ANYTHING unprofitable...


Poor you at JFK. That is NOT my favourite airport, though we were lucky when we flew through there on our August trip to America. Most of the officers were positively jolly. And how grateful am I that Poot being under 12 meant neither of us had to be body-scanned...

See more...

My parents used to live up an unmade lane with a ditch on one side, I used to have taxi drivers drop me at the bottom as I didn't want to have to make them deal with it!
I'm sure you were able to whip up something good with what you had.

I do quite like Heinz soup, but really only mulligatawny, oxtail or tomato. RC must really like it to stock up with 15 tins!

I'm going to keep an eye out for anyone buying those raffle tickets next time we fly RyanAir.

I always have to have a body scan due to the metal in my hip. It doesn't even bother me now - it's the attitude of the staff that gets t me. I know it must be a dull/repetitive job but there's no need to be so rude/grumpy when people don't know your particular system.