Happy Little Shoppers

I woke early and then Manda tapped on the door to make sure I was up, today I am collecting the Little Prince's and we are going shopping, we also have an extra little shopper today in the form of Olly, we will be accompanying us to Union square until such times as his Daddy collects him.

Olly and I dropped Manda at worked and then we headed over for the girls, I sung all the way to entertain said toddler, who I must say was rather taken with my singing and actions to wheels on the bus, when I couldn't remember who was on the bus I just made up the words and the appropriate actions, go figure.

The girls were ready and we all travelled to Aberdeen, the Prince's telling me all the news from their neck of the woods, and Olly sleeping all the way through it, he only woke once the Prince's had run out of tales and I had run out of road, and we had arrived at the car park.  Daddy called and Olly was whisked away before we had time to bore the poor lad with the shops, so we headed for Starbucks first then sorted a few things in Apple before clothes shopping was begun, the Prince's went one way I went the other and we met again at Holister, I know it was Holister because although I couldn't see due to lack of light, there is no mistaking the smell when you trip up the steps and into the shop, I really don't get why they keep it so dark, is it perhaps they don't want you to see the shockingly expensive price tags, or maybe they are trying to hind tacky clothing made in sizes only a small child could wear, either way they need to switch up the dimmer and cut back on the smellies.

Lunch was taken at Prezzo, mine and Yabbas favourite place, and due to the free wifi we even had a chance to facetime with the Beloved.  Once lunch was finished it was back to the shops and bing bang bosh we were shopped out and ready for home at 3pm.  The Little Prince's were dropped in Turriff to their Mummy and I drove home to find Little Olly playing in the living room, he doesn't seem traumatised at all after my singing this morning, hooray.

Tonight we are off to Louise and Sam's wedding and I'm so looking forward to it, this is why I'm home, to celebrate with the Clark's and The Terrell's bring it on peeps, lets get this party started hahaha x

Water Baby

Olly in his big boy PJ's

So today was an early start to get to my first fly cup with Isobel, that was after having some morning time with Olly and Manda, then off to Longmanhill I went.  The Donald family are all doing great and it was lovely to catch up with Mother and Daughter before heading back to Turriff for round two, I caught up with the Happy couple whose wedding I'm home for, just a fluke again as they were out looking for ribbon for the wedding tomorrow, so I had a quick chat and catch up, I was introduced to mini Nico and given the low down on who was collecting who and from which airports, busy, busy time at the Clark house me thinks.

I had my next fly cup with Sandra, Lynne and Helen and we caught up on all that had been happening in their worlds, this included fractures, families and caravans.... I love a good catch up you can't beat it, especially when your amongst friends who are like minded and on your wave length, which really is a bizarre wave length to be on, but I like it.

My afternoon was spent watching Olly and Manda at the pool, Olly was doing his best olympic swimming and jumping and I personally would have given him two gold medals, one for technical merit and one for the big smiley face. I managed to catch up with a few more friends who happened to be at the pool whilst I was there, so all in all today has been a very busy, but great day for catching up with friends.

Supper was a rather spicy affair, I have now had three curries since returning to the homelands, you cant beat a little spice on a winters eve to warm the cockles, oh and the good company of course.

Is it Fly Cup Time

Thursday 27th September 

As we all know anytime is fly cup time, but you can have too much of a good thing and I think I am getting very close to that time, I'm cappuccino'd out, my scones have scone and my muffin top is overflowing. NO MORE FLY CUPS!!!! shouts my belly the trouble is my brain is not listening, and the mouth opens and the hands just shovel in the grub............ you can lead a horse to water but don't feed it my bloody cake or there will be trouble.

So today I was visiting my beautiful Amelia and her lovely Mother the Demonic one, we had a trip to the hospital for a kidney scan and then a late lunch at a local pub grub bistro, a full English in the afternoon you can't beat it.

The lovely rental car I am now travelling around in took us from A to B in double quick time, who would have thought a Fiat 500 would be so nippy, ok it is only half a car, but the half I got goes quite fast for a Fiat. I have even managed to set the phone up to the stereo system so I'm able to speak and drive at the same time, well that is if someone phones me of course.

My evening was spent in the Local Indian establishment with some cracking ladies from an age when I used to torture people for a living.  The restaurant was busy and I even managed to chat with some other friends who were also dining out at the Indian, from Carol Carl to Jackie Sopel and Shelley, Kirsteen and Susan, it was so nice to see everyone especially as I have so many lovely memories of most of the girls not least of all Kirsteen who used to come to my classes in Banff,  which were the very first classes I started teaching.  The girls I was dining with now get tortured by other teachers and we chatted about classes, and work, theirs not mine obviously and horses and films, its amazing how a group of ladies can chat about almost any subject given enough prompting.

Two funny things happened today, firstly Amelia smiled brightly at a gentleman walking past and said 'It's Garry' and I have to say he did look rather like my husband, and secondly the gentleman in the X-ray department asked Amelia if she was behaving as he could see through walls, her face was a picture, and I think she is still trying to work out if he was telling the truth or not.......

Are we there yet

So thats me back in the UK for a few days, unfortunately there is not enough hours in the day for the amount of people I want to catch up with, having shortened my stay because of the move I am now playing in hug and out, and if I'm real lucky I get a coffee too.

Having left home on 25th at 12.30am to arrive at Tel Aviv airport in time for a 4.30 flight I was feeling quite wrecked walking around the Duty free, which is my excuse for the carry on bag with lights on its wheels.  I know had I been 100% awake I would have realised the cheapness of the bag was due to the tackyness of the wheels, although as I wrote to my cousin Debbie I bring a smile to peoples faces as I walk past with my lights flashing, or they could just be smirking looking at the simpleton with her groovy bag....

Arriving at Amsterdam airport with my flashing bag I decided to grab a cooked breakfast at one of the many airport eateries, bad choice the brekkie was yucky and I am now on a mission to get a better cooked breakfast before I leave. I walked around and around trying to log into the free wifi which was proving very difficult, then I decided enough was enough I was grouchy and tired and needed a snooze so I found a comfy recliner and snoozed away a few hours of my long lay over, it didn't help my mood but it passed a few hours, eventually I was on the last leg of my journey to Scotland, again I just slept through the flight its the only way to travel, and then I was collecting the car and on my way to my first visit of the trip.

Lesley opened the door and welcomed me in, I had a lovely evening chatting, eating curry, and trying to sort out my new orange sim card which I had to cut to micro size as when I bought it I had forgotten about the size issue with the phone. Luckily for me it works and I now have a UK sim card once again.

We've been in our new home a week

Well thats us been in Herzliya apartment for a week now, and already it just feels like home, well our Israeli home that is, today I'm having the usual frustrations with HOT tv men.

Since my last blog we have achieved a great deal and not least in the moving and storing of our belongings, today the last of our big furniture is being transported from Haifa to Herzliya and then that will be us done.  The Hot man finished early so I get to go back to the Haifa apartment one more time and to see the Landlords, oh lucky me more moving boxes.

Yesterday we took ourselves off on a bike ride, we decided to cycle to Jaffa The Old City on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, 30km later and My Beloved was complaining about his backside, he should have seen it from my angle, cotton shorts and a sweaty bum, offt most unattractive..... Anyway apart from nearly killing him because I tried to look over my right shoulder, completely forgetting my restricted movement that side, I then proceeded to clatter into My Beloved's handlebars and pinch his skin on his right hand, and in the process throw myself off the bike, luckily I managed to stay upright this time.  I appear to have an issue going on with the bike just now, to the amusement of My Beloved I have to say, I have no problem on a straight line or even going around bends, if taken slowly, the problem I have is with restricted space, if I have to get through a narrow area, either because of posts, walls or pedestrians I appear to develop Epileptic tendencies, and this in turn makes my wheel wobble, and I have terrible trouble remaining on the bike, or worse still not killing someone....... Although I have to say even My Beloved was impressed yesterday when a Vespa thing came straight towards me on the cycle path, I stood my ground and didn't wobble once, he had to move, he should not have been on the path anyway or anywhere near the pedestrian area along the beach.

We have now used the gym and the pool in our complex, both of which were empty and it was like we owned them ourselves, haha luckily we don't so no cleaning no upkeep on our behalf, the gardener comes to the complex regularly and sorts the greenery, so once again I have no upkeep, I'm quite liking this lady of leisure housewife malarky, well apart from the stack of ironing I have to do since we received the new washer and drier on Thursday, and that is with me being very clever with the clothing I was wearing.

I also realised this week that the wedding I am going to is not actually on the Friday but the Saturday, I only realised this when I was reading the facebook comments of my friend, jeeez I have no idea where I got the Friday from but thankfully all is ok and back on track, just think I could have been at the function 24hours in advance and on my own.........

If it's not broke don't fix it

Why oh why did I have to investigate the wifi, we have for some reason two wifi networks available to us in the house, both unsecured I have to say, so no banking online for us for a while.  Anyway where was I, oh yes the two wifi's, I decided as I was unpacking more boxes from Haifa that I would try and set up the phone line as we had asked for the Hot gold package to be added to the apartment, so in my infinite wisdom I unplugged the network and attempted to set up the phone, all I managed to do was knock off one of the wifi's networks and therefore knacker the upstairs wifi, the downstairs wifi being a different network is fine, I would not like to let an electrician or anyone with any kind of electrical training into the house just now because the mass of cables that run from the network box to the second network box to the booster router thingy is quite frightening, and thats just he ones upstairs, downstairs isn't any better and the mass of leads coming and going to the TV reminds me of some giant bug tentacles trailing up the wall.  So needless to say we have mailed poor Ido to tell him we need the Hot sorting and the wifi secured and working both upstairs and down, I bet he thought he would not be seeing us again for quite a while.....

Last night was our last trip to Haifa for our belongings, we are now waiting for a date for the removals men to pick the large items up and that will be us then be fully moved from Haifa to Herzliya Pituach.  The old apartment is looking so sad and empty without all our belongings, but its ok the the new apartment looks great, and I can always console myself in the pool, and if I fart and make bubbles then I will have it all to myself, not that I have seen anyone in it yet, but living so close to the beach what would you expect.

The down side to living so close to the beach is the parking, we are sooo lucky we have two underground parking spots because if the sun is out the street is full of people heading to the beach. Yesterday when My Beloved arrived home from work he informed me the streets from the office to home were heaving with cars, and they were parked everywhere, I have since decided Israel really is just one big car park, from the motorways, where the traffic is nose to tail and not free flowing, to the beaches where the residents can't get in their drives for cars parked on pavements and half way across an entrance, to the ghost like empty car parks where the Israelis refuse to pay to park. I have even seen and heard about people parking in underground parking belonging to apartments if the automatic gate is up, and if your a biker well they just drive around the barriers and leave their bikes where they feel best suits them.

The Little Prince's have been given a tour on Facetime of the new house and are both delighted with their rooms and the pool obviously, thank god it's heated because I know they will be in it when they arrive at Christmas.  Lou Lou will get to use it in October as she will be our next visitor and her visit can't come quick enough, GIRL TIMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

And so begins a New Chapter

Friday arrived and I packed up our bags and left them with the bell boy, I headed to the office which is where the supermarket was and obviously the car, it took me ages in the shop today, mainly because with the New Year fast approaching I had to stock up on everything I thought we might need as the shops will be closed.  I eventually loaded everything into the car, headed for the Natural food store and purchased cheese for the freezer and then met My Beloved, we drove back to the house unpacked the food and then headed home to Haifa to start shunting stuff back and forth to the new place.

Two trips later and we were eventually finished for the day, to say we were tired was an understatement. And then it started again the next day, we headed back to Haifa and stacked the car again, there was boxes on basins and cutlery in tupperware, but we managed to get everything to Herzliya without damages.  We decided we just couldn't face a second trip to Haifa so we just started unpacking and organising the house instead.  The place is looking great and we are adjusting paintings and canvases to suit our mood.  The washing machine wont be plumbed in until Thursday so I managed to get a couple of loads done whilst we were in Haifa, and just bought them back up the road to dry, so I guess I will still be hand washing for a while at least.

Having woken in our new bed, I was so weary not least of all because it is a queen sized bed and I'm used to a double, when your Beloved brings you tea you don't expect to have to climb your way to the top of the bed to drink it, I needed a rest afterwards and to re-orientate myself.  

Sunday arrived and My Beloved was off to work so when I finished cleaning and scrubbing I headed to the office collected the car and drove through to Haifa once more, I sorted the house into rooms, organised what furniture needs moving by the relocation guys and loaded the car once more.  My Beloved met me at the office and we squeezed him into the car and headed home to unpack once more, I have to say My Beloved was mighty impressed with the amount of stuff I had in the car, and the packing!!!!! As I told him I used to do a lot of jigsaws as a child....

For some strange reason we can't find the toothbrush charger which is quite ironic as we have two, I know they are in the house somewhere, and possibly still in the suitcase I used at the hotel, but we may have to use regular toothbrushes until I come across them some time in the future.

We took ourselves out for a bike ride last night, it was really eerie cycling along the prom and too the marina, there was hardly anyone about, and all the bars and restaurants were closed for the New Year, well except Cup O Joe's, so we stopped for coffee and a seat. The waiter informs us they are open tomorrow too so at least we can pop out for refreshments if we fancy it.  Our evening was spent trying to figure out the satellite TV, don't get me wrong it works, but we appear to have two boxes too many, and when you pull the plug on what we thought was the internet you don't lose signal, and one of the boxes appears to be a satellite system for French TV, offft that would be ok if you understood French, thankfully the Hot TV works but the remote doesn't, it seems we need linking......................

This morning I received a Viber call from very good friend of ours telling us their great news, they got married, I love good news in the morning CONGRATULATIONS you guys, you know who you are 

Today's the Day

So today at 4pm we will be handed our lovely new keys for our lovely new home, hopefully I won't lose these keys like I have the last set, very irritating because although I constantly have trouble finding things I have hidden away safely I very, very rarely lose something forever.  I have considered taking Eldest Prince's metal detector to the beach where I have a feeling that when I pulled out the beach towel I managed to fling the keys, but maybe that would just look wrong, especially as that section of the beach in Tel Aviv is quite small and I would panic the bathers.

Yesterday was a kind of a nothing day, I puddled around on the beach for a while before taking myself off on my bike for the afternoon, I didn't actually achieve anything yesterday, well apart from covering a couple of kilometers that is.

My Beloved finished work early and again we didn't actually achieve anything, being in limbo leads to very frustrated people.  Although we did purchase a shiny new bike for My Beloved, and at half the price of mine which really irked.  So now My Beloved has no excuse not to get fit, and he will be cycling to work once we are fully moved in and we have purchased the compulsory headgear.

Im am so looking forward to being settled again, living out of hotels and suitcases just isn't much fun, I looking forward to walking around the house with as much or as little clothing as I want, and laying over the furniture in an unladylike manner as is my want.  Sharing a business lounge with strangers means that you have to be prim and proper at all times, and its bloody hard work......

I Think we are getting the keys on Thursday

But to tell you the truth everything is getting a little bit muddy just now, after a traumatic meeting with the Landlady Florette and the Lawyer Jacob I was almost ready for sedating, I couldn't understand the hour long interrogation, because that's what it felt like, and apart from obviously wanting to meet us, we then had nothing to say as that was Ido's job, who had come home from the Army especially for the meeting, Oy Vey..... that meeting was last Thursday night and my stomach still twitches at the thought of it.

Any way on to more pleasant things, the keys - it looks like we will be getting them on Thursday, it was going to be Friday as Florette want's to deep clean the place before we move in this includes the soft furnishings, but the gentleman that will be cleaning the suite can't manage until next Wednesday as Sunday is the start of the Jewish New Year, and this will not finish until Wednesday morning, so we get the keys Thursday and can start moving our clothes and essentials in prior to my trip back to the UK, the larger items will have to wait until such times as we can organise removals and the like.  My Beloved has assured me that this is nothing to worry about, and I have no choice but to believe him...... so it will be a slow transition into the new house/apartment/duplex thing, but at least once the furniture arrives and we say our last goodbyes to our wonderful Landlords Nelly and Itzhak we wont have to keep travelling that Haifa road on a Friday night just to return at stupid o'clock on the Sunday. 

On Shabbat when we were home we were speaking to the gentleman in the apartment above us, and he said he is very angry we are leaving, what he actually meant was he is upset we are leaving, as is Nelly and Ruthie, and as am I.  It's nice to feel welcomed in a new country and our lovely neighbours have done just that, keeping tabs on us when My Beloved had his operation, to watering the garden when we have been on Holiday and recently back and forth to Herzliya, and even buying special beer for My Beloved as Nelly was devastated she had bought the wrong one last time we visited.

Today I managed to lose my house keys, luckily for me for some inexplicable reason the bike keys were still in my bag, thank god because I had cycled to Tel Aviv and would have had to leave the bike there had I not found them, luckily for me I gave My Beloved a spare key just in case something like this did happen, but that wouldn't have been much consolation as he was going to be in meetings part of the day, oh yeah and I was in Tel Aviv and he was in Herzliya, so anyway I found my bike keys stuffed in the bottom of my bag, but no house keys, so I could do no more than cycle back to Herzliya in the vain hope that I had dropped them in the hotel, I followed the same route but no keys were to be found.  I once again followed the dirt track along the coast on my bike, almost falling off once more when I hit a patch of sand, have you ever tried cycling in sand, there is either a knack to it or special wheels, I have neither and my back wheel kept spinning out to the side and trying to throw me off, this wouldn't have been to bad had the passing cars on the dirt track no been going at such a speed as to create clouds of sand billowing into the air thus covering me in the haze and making me near impossible to see for traffic coming the other way, you see wacky racers. I like to think of myself as Penelope Pitstop only she had a much sleeker vehicle than I and she looked as good at the end of her race as she did at the start, I on the other hand look like I have been dragged through a hedge and need hosing down.....

Fingers Crossed for another apartment

Well I have cycled all over Herzliya looking for signs saying rentals, which as you know is quite difficult as I have no idea what rental looks like in Hebrew, but it looks like Linoy has found us an apartment/duplex, eee we are becoming so American, if all goes according to plan we can move in 12th September, which doesn't actually give me much time to pack.

The apart/plex is in Herzliya Pituach and two minute walk from the beach, there is a gym for the adults, and a pool in the complex which I know the Little Princes will enjoy. It is on the ground floor which means a garden, and although small its completely managable for these little green pinkies.

After all the trouble we had with the last place we wanted I am a touch weary about actually getting excited, but I can tell you having lived out of a suitcase since the beginning of July I really am needing my own front door again.  We will be very sorry to leave Haifa and our lovely apartment, but needs must. Anyway tomorrow we are having a meeting with the landlord, an American lady apparently, I hope she will be as nice as our current landlords because they are amazing, we spoke with Nelly today and she has told us we must visit when we move out, I really am sad to be leaving.

Tonight we popped into Ikea on the way back from Haifa, My Beloved had a meeting through there today and I had gone back to get some washing done, and to begin the arduous task of packing our belongings.  I have managed to sort the food cupboards and pack them into boxes, but until I get some wrapping paper I can't do much else. Ikea has some great storage ideas, and also some lovely rugs but the only things I did buy were more plastic coat hangers and some of the blue Ikea bags, this will help with the move as they are huge and will take the bedding and towels.

The rib is still irritating the hell out of me, mainly when I try and sleep, who would have thought something so trivial could be so limiting.  My Beloved informs me it should be better in a month, I nearly slapped him for his long term optimism but that would have hurt my rib

The House fell through

The house fell through last week which as you can imagine was a touch disappointing, so we are back to hunting again, this is becoming a touch like torture now, and cap that with the cracked rib I received when throwing myself over the handle bars of my lovely new bike and you can see how the mood is going downhill.

I didn't actually realise the rib was so bad, although the fact that I couldn't sleep on my back or I could but I couldn't breath and sleep at the same time should have given it away, but having taken myself on the beach track to Tel Aviv yesterday, over the bumpy road I have since discovered it is cracked and now am unable to breath deeply, sneeze or lay on my right side at all. The trouble is the pain catches underneath my boob, and I'm not talking on the ribby bit, I'm talking right under the fleshy booby bit on the rib, and it really is unattractive to sneeze and hold your boob when your in company........ and just a little bit wrong.

Ido is still in the army and we now have his beautiful sister Linoy on the case, she and I are getting on great, thank goodness as I seem to spend more time with her than I do my Husband. Today I am being collected at 2.45 for two more viewings, Herzliya is a seriously expensive place to rent housing, apparently more expensive than Tel Aviv.

Friday I had to pop home to Haifa to collect more clothes as we are still having to stay in the Dan Accadia until we find a house, so now we travel home on Friday and return on Sunday. My lovely new bike gives me great pleasure especially when its hot and at least the wind rushing past creates a slight breeze, although it is better to keep moving, because once you stop the sweat runs down everywhere, offft not nice, at least with speed it whips behind me. 

We have actually found another house we like, and we are waiting for its owner who happens to be a pilot for El Al to return and let us know the rental price, its bound to be waaaaay too expensive, but lets wait and see.

The weekend past we didn't actually make it home to Haifa due mainly to El Presidentie being in country, all the Shlummer's had to take a trip to Jerusalem, now this was actually great as we were taken by coach and escorted by a fantastic guide all over the city of Jerusalem, this included the sight of the crucifixion, the tomb of Jesus and the actual sight he was anointed after his crucifixion.  It was a very deeply moving experience, and having spoken with one of our motley crew this was the third time he has been in Jerusalem, and each time he has been shown something completely different.  We meandered through the narrow streets, looking at all the goods for sale, sweets, spices, leather goods and clothing, all hanging on the fronts of the little shops, I was very tempted to buy a new handbag but thought I would get crucified should I even mention the idea.

map of the city 

Our feet were throbbing by the time we found ourselves back on the coach and homeward bound, so at night we took ourselves to the beach and walked at the waters edge bathing those puppies, eeee it was lush!!!!