A brilliant day!

 

Start of the bike trail


Had such a fabulous day yesterday - it deserves its own post! It was a gloriously sunny day and a full fat 21 degrees. Finally I broke out my "new bike" and went on a a bit of an exploring mission - verily a ten-mile ride: The sunshine ride.  My pics probably don't tell a thousand words, so you'll have to make do with 100 (ish)!  This was my second visit to the lake; the first a few weeks ago was snowy, rainy and brrrrrrrrrrrrrr-ing cold! What a fabulous difference - although the water is still very high it was absolutely glorious as the sun skittered across the lake.  There was practically no-one around, so the (t)rusty steed features in the photos, as I was the photographer! 

The Bike Bpath!



Further along, I came upon the disused railway line - it used to run into Burlington but was stopped several years ago. Why then would there still be rolling stock here? How very untidy!

Spotted lots of wildlife, heaps of squirrels and even BABY squirrels - which I've never seen in the UK. Very sweet stripey coats they have. And yes, before you all comment like mad - I do now realise they were chipmunks :O)

Note the piles and piles of driftwood that's been washed up on the lake shore. Halfway along my ride I had to re-route as the bike path was completely underwater - it really is a lakeSIDE ride at the moment! 



Didn't see the beach (although I may have aquaplaned across it), guess I have to wait for the waters to recede a little. Not much traffic on the lake either - the Ro-Ro (Roll on - Roll off ferry) was more of a Flo-Flo!

Finally rewarded myself (diet going well then!) with an icecream - and spotted a Dasani vending machine! Remember the fiasco when it launched in the UK a few years ago? £1.50 for a bottle of Sidcup tap water anyone??? Not Coca Cola's finest hour!  Can't decide/remember if the story that Dasani was originally marketed in the UK with the tag line "Can't live without spunk" is true - surely NOT?

A quick trip through "Brixton" - actually a very multicultural area called "North End" and home to rest my - obviously by now tiny - backside!

And...just as we thought the weather was turning, today we have MASSIVE rain storms and - quelle excitement - my first "tornado watch" tonight!

(A tornado watch is in effect for the northern two thirds of Vermont until 8 p.m. today. The watch means atmospheric conditions are ripe for the possibility of tornadoes.) 

Leaving you with a couple more signs I spotted yesterday - the first of which super simple and self-explanatory, the second seems to be a statement of the bleedin' obvious and the third completely flummoxes me... how else would you stop a couple of speeding tons of metal?



I taut I taw a puddy tat a creepin' up on me (not)

So on the cat thing...

H has me travelling down the road of conspiracy theories, or at least conspiracy cooking. I've had some fabulous meat loaf, several times.

What meat IS that, anyway?

Paws for thought!

,,,>^..^<,,,

Week 4: 5 - 16 May 2011

In the beginning there was snow.

Then came the rain, rain and more rain.

The end.

Lake Champlain, Burlington

Apparently it's been the harshest winter on record and now it's the coolest, wettest spring on record (since 01 March, over 15 inches, the lake is 2.5 feet over flood level).  

Weather for Burlington, VT, USA

9°C | °F Mon Tue Wed Thu Current: Fog Wind: NW at 8 mph Humidity: 99% 12°C | 7°C 17°C | 12°C 19°C | 13°C 21°C | 13°C

So, life may be a beach - and indeed there IS one - but I don't get to lie on it. Yet...

To be scrupulously honest (I do hate spoiling a good story with the truth!) we did enjoy 4 or 5 days of sunny, dry weather last week. Luckily that co-incided with the charity plant sale we held to raise cash. A delightful local retired couple, who have been involved with Dismas for a long time in a number of capacities, "host" the four-day event every year in their own garden a couple of miles from here. It takes massive efforts over several weeks to receive donated plants and co-ordinate/re-pot all the plants for sale. M & R manage the logistics and get stuck in themselves and are supported by as many volunteers from the local community and Dismas residents as they can muster up. The sale raised $5K, which was pretty good going, considering on two days it was raining cats and dogs.

Speaking of cats - I'm missing my "purrs and furrs"! I have not seen one solitary feline in my month here. It's most bizarre - there are lots and lots of gorgeous, well behaved dogs who sprint past our house daily (lots of peeps cycle their dogs on a "walk"), but not a single cat has crossed my path. I'm delighted to learn that Oscar and Pushkin have very happily "migrated" to their temporary home next door, where D & S are spoiling them rotten - viz Oscar chilling (after a hard night's mousing) on the best seat in the house, no doubt!

I've been watching some local TV, it's so interesting - and indicative that there is only so much programming to be scheduled - that the schedules highlight when a programme is new, rather a repeat.  

• 
  67 COMEDY
• The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

  (TV14)
• The Colbert Report

  (TV14)
• Workaholics

  (TV14)
• Futurama

  (TV14)
• Futurama

  (TV14)
• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

  (TVMA)

So happy I worked that out - I was beginning to think I was going slightly mad, or at least had woken up in my own personal "Groundhog experience".

 

Spotted some interesting signs while out and about, so much more direct than in the UK! "YIELD" for "Give way" still makes me smile, I always expect an 18th century heroine to swoon into the junction. I was also happy to see my old friend "Mr Ped Xing" who D and I were fascinated by when we first met him in Hawaii on our "Round the World" extravaganza. He stands of course for "Pedestrian crossing".



WHY? Why not 8 or 10, or 9.5 feet???



Groovy man!





A crossing for pregnant peeps only?



Today was a member of staff's birthday, so time to tackle a cake - yes, that old faithful, chocolate and (no) Guinness. My recipe called for (among other things): self-raising flour, double cream, gr and mls. What I had to work with was "all-purpose flour", "heavy cream", "sticks" (of butter) oz and cups. Which was quite interesting (for which read "challenging") and all I can say is - thank God for Google! And the cake turned out OK :O) Top Tip: coffee works well as a substitute ingredient.

The dinner was actually a "birthday breakfast" - so I had my first HUMUNGOUS blueberry pancake (delish), served with Vermont home-grown maple syrup. Actually, there's a maple tree in the back garden - but peeps looked at me strangely when I suggested tapping it! After dinner the house played a game of Taboo! - all very domestic and a relatively rare evening group activity, fun! 

I leave you in eternal gratitude that I have managed to post this with only one laptop crash.  Unfortunately my notebook has an inherent fault which has only just come to light, which causes the screen to go  - and stay - entirely blank, the only fix is to re-boot. Quite frustrating - harrumph. Think I'll put that in the "too difficult" box for now!

That's it for now folks!



Weeks 2 and 3: 25 April - 04 May 2011

Am officially an alcohol free-zone! Three weeks dry and not counting. BUT, boy I could have downed a few today. Here I am in the land of milk and honey cookies, or rather hi-techery - and already I'm on my second mob and my laptop is teetering on the brink of implosion (as, actually am I - thanks to it!). Watch that space then!
 


Not such a good idea?


Looks like in the short-term I'll be lurking in the library again - some arcane rule means that only peeps who declare an intended residency of six months or more are allowed to join - five months just doesn't cut it. Which means I have learned to speak with a faux US accent and make friends with the other library itinerants, all the while with an eye on a vacant PC spot in which to shimmy when "Frau Braun" isn't looking. Interesting peeps in the library, students, scholars and housewives and people with a lot of luggage. Or that's what I thought at first. In fact it IS people with a lot of luggage, snail mode - they carry their worldly belongings everywhere they go. The library is a haven of warmth and calm (unmolested by police or those intent on nefarious activities), but I have to say they are a little "fragrant"!

The weeks sandwiched two hectic and complementary weekends at the house. The first was a "spring cleaning" weekend; lots of brute force and ignorance in hoiking fridge/freezers the size of walruses out of corners and a bit of slapdashery wall-washing and carpet shampooing. The second weekend saw an influx of Comcast employees who adopted our home as one of their projects in their equivalent of the "One Day Challenge" (the company I used to work for had one day each year when all employees would volunteer/raise funds for charity). Comcast calls it "Comcast Cares Day" - I like that.

About 50 employees turned up at the crack of sparrows and split into two teams. The first stayed at the house and painted fences, garages, kitchens and bathrooms. The second team went around the corner to help prepare for a plant sale next weekend - I was scooped up with them and spent a frenetic hour writing hundreds of labels for plants. All went swimmingly until the main gardener chap came over and asked what a "Bee Bomb" plant was (x 100 labels). Hhmm - you try saying "Bee Balm" in a US accent and see how it sounds to your "English trained ear". Anyway... I like my name better :O)

Of course all activity over the last couple of weeks was interspersed with contacts, touch points and conversations too numerous to recall au sujet du MARRIAGE! We have had wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor, non stop coverage and a week on the whole wedding is STILL being aired in full. Naturally, I AM the world authority on Wills and Kate - at least in my little world. It was very reminiscent of when I was in Austin, TX and I had HUNDREDS of condolences offered to me on Diana's death, culminating in some kind soul pinning a black ribbon on my front door - bit gruesome that. So back to last Friday. It was probably a mistake to venture out and speak - or at least do so without my "library accent". Questions I was asked "Does William have a surname?", "Do you know Kate?", "Did you attend Diana and Charles' wedding?" and (my personal favourite) "Will Fergie become queen?" (Don't ask).

The other big talking point of course is the demise of Osama Bin Laden. At dinner one evening, one of my hosts, K (a well-travelled woman who has also lived overseas) described how shocked she was the first time she realised that Americans and the US as a society aren't perhaps universally held in quite the highest esteem in other parts of the world as that in which they hold themselves. K posited that the "dancing in Times Square in celebration of OBL's death", maybe wasn't a behaviour that would necessarily be looked upon favourably by the rest of the Western world. K approached it from a "Noblesse oblige" standpoint, but no, nothing doing... the celebrations were very well received in this house.

As you can see above - have acquired wheels - another bargain - courtesy of a local non-profit organisation of which there really area surprising amount. $25 for bike, lock and helmet. Hurrah! AND this week FINALLY someone turned up the thermometer - we're now at low to mid 60s. Double hurrah!. Oh, but someone left the tap on - cue major floodage. Burlington lies on Lake Champlain, the flood level of which is 100feet, currently it's at 104, wet, wet, wet indeed!

Strange fact-ette of the week: How big is a can of Diet Coke? 330ml, I hear you cry. But no, not in the US - here the standard can size is 355ml. How WEIRD is that? We globalise on complex issues such as software, Air Traffic Control and even war. But we don't use the same can size?

I leave you reassured that I am using my time well and am engaging in a continuing education program, albeit low-key and economical. So far have learned where all the states of the US are - by completing a puzzle designed for 7-13 year olds. Much entertainment among the housemates as I struggled to place Maryland and Maine, Ohio and Oklahoma (don't laugh - you try it :O)

TTFN

Week 1: 14- 24 April 2011

Hello Peeps!

So here it is...launched by global demand...
(OK, OK, just a couple of you mentioned it :)... the Bianca Log - aka BLOG!


You will have to be forgiving as it's quite possible my burblings will turn out to be something only a mother could love. And as you all know...


So Mr Bryson has nothing to fear! I will attempt to contain my chronic "anal retentive" tendencies and limit myself to one judicious edit per post, meaning there is a slight chance I might publish reasonably frequently and in a somewhat timely fashion. I welcome your comments, notes or heckles!


So here I am holed up in my tiny garret - albeit I am definitely not starving! Oh and for the record I have been allocated a very sweet little single bedroom, not a miserable little attic. All the usual home comforts, although I can't believe there isn't a Diet Coke fountain in my bedroom - is this Uhmerica, or what?


As some of you know, initially, I faced some "communications challenges", so I am very grateful to my hosts that they have helped me find a work-around.


My first week in the land of Stars and Stripes has been interesting, intriguing, entertaining and enlightening in equal parts.


You may recall that I treated myself to a "Club Class" flight from London to Montreal - and it was well worth the whopping £320. If only for the free ear-buds, socks and movies - you know I'm a sucker for a bargain! I landed at Montreal-Trudeau airport early in the morning and caught the downtown shuttle bus (appropriately named the "747" service).


Thus began my day of entertainment at the Montreal Greyhound bus station. Trust me - bus stations offer endless insight to human nature and if you're at all interested in the psychology of the human being, park yourself in a bus station - although I grant you downtown Slough bus station could probably never rise to this challenge!


Despite the fact that I had been eating since early doors (who CAN resist airline food presented so tastefully before one at regular intervals - remember dahlings, I was travelling CLUB - therefore I was one of the "trusted" ones with proper cutlery!  As soon as I spied an American-type (this being Canada) hamburger joint, I turned into one of Pavlov's dogs . The first challenge was that it felt like being in France. French spoken, written and eaten - "Croque 'Amburger" anyone? No sooner had I wrestled two suitcases, handluggage, laptop bag, burger and fries and Coke (Diet, obviously!) to a crowded bench, I was "set upon" by a Scottish documentary film maker who had overheard my dulcet tones at the till. Subject of the day? People's views on the Canadian government's "Nanny approach" to ensuring that the French language stays alive and is taught/used as the first language. Dear reader, you will not be surprised to learn we talked for over an hour. Coming soon to a deadly dull German Government paper near you, the slightly less than deadly dull views of BNL!


This was followed by several hours mooching around the bus station, most of which spent trying to find a loo into which I - and all my luggage - could fit at the same time. Eventually, I escaped the clutches of an over-amorous Romanian security guard (a rather unfortunate incident that we'll skate over at this point!) and boarded the "great Grey Dog" (AKA Greyhound bus) for the two hour bus ride to Burlington, Vermont. 45 minutes is allowed for the border formalities and I have to tell you, out of 25 people on the bus... 40 minutes were devoted to little old me! US border guards really couldn't get their heads around anyone wanting to actually come to USA as totally unpaid volunteer. After speaking to three different officers, I think I landed in the "too difficult" box and was reluctantly waved through.


Finally, around 1800 I land in Burlington which is a sweet little town (population 40K), would probably drive you nuts if you lived here permanently, but I find it quite a gentle pace of life. I love that the house is within ten minutes walk of the "town centre", which includes a bus station and an excellent library as well as a small shopping mall. 10 minutes further walk is the massive Lake Champlain. I walked down to it yesterday - it's looking a little unloved and "out of season" at the moment, but probably only needs the application of a little sunshine to be a lovely place to be. At the lake is the start of a four mile lake-side bike trail, which really does look fantastic (obviously I see myself as the next Lancette Armstrong :O).  On the downside - the winter weather is so harsh that the pavements are all broken up and higgledy piggledy, and yes - you've guessed it - Day 1, I went right royally A over T, nicely twisting my foot. Not a good look! Recovering nicely (it would have to be the "bunion" foot!) with nightly application of strapped-on-ice-pack. Equally not a good look, and hopefully none of my house mates have noticed me sneaking the frozen peas back into the freezer!
 

Ben and Jerry's in the snow

Me in the snow!

The weather is...COLD!!!!!!!! Apparently it's been a hell of a winter up here, I walked by someone's drive the other day - they still have a SNOW person! It's been below freezing at night, it IS warming up a little in the day, but all this week it's been upper 30s/low 40s (5-10?? in real money) - not exactly sunbathing weather! Daffs looking a bit pale and tulips are not even out here! Kicking myself I didn't bring a wintry coat, but then again it should warm up pretty soon and I certainly won't need it when I go down to Austin in Sept (where it's already in the 80s!)

My "summer" home

So, to the house. It's a really lovely old "New England" typical clap-board house, literally made of wood. It's small by our expected US standards, but quite large by UK standards. Downstairs a kitchen, dining room, living room and bathroom as well as what would be a study, but which is used as a bedroom for two. Upstairs is another bathroom (the showers are FANTASTIC, of course) and five bedrooms. 3 twins and 2 singles (one of which mine).


There are approximately 10 of us in the house, split 7/3 men/women. Of course we have some houserules, which basically amount to common courtesy. As you would expect in a shared household there is a "chores roster" and those who "step up" and those who gently meander by.  Situation

Everyone shares two to a room, except me and one of the chaps who are lucky to have single rooms. Everyone works, so the house is relatively quiet by day (those who work at night are sleeping). The place livens up at dinner time, but pretty much by 2200 everyone's in their room watching TV or asleep and by midnight - the place is like a graveyard!


However, we're surrounded by houses rented out to Uni students (of the 40K population, 20 K are Uni students) - and boy, do they like to partay!!! A hint of sunshine and the girls are all hanging out of the windows and/or prostrating themselves on the flat roofs to catch a few rays. The boys tend to be quiet during the day but then give us a "little show" at night by dropping their pants and peeing over the edge of the balcony.  Bless!


I've made a couple of forays abroad... Day 2 one of my housemates kindly walked me a mile or so away to a charity shop. A great source of bargains - the $4 hairdryer which doesn't switch off, the $3 bedside lamp which uses obsolete bulbs and no shade will fit it and the "new handbag" of which the seam split all the way along it on first use. LOL - got to love a "bargain". Having helped me pick these treasures, my housemate rushed off to a meeting and distractedly waved me in the direction of home. Hmmm, that's a mile away with no obvious markers like pubs on street corners. Still, it was an interesting introduction to the back streets of Burlington!

OBVIOUSLY I've made a trip to Walmart (to buy my own "untouched by human hands" pillows and towels), a 30 minute / $1 bus ride away.


Burlington is a very "green" town by US standards. It has a large student pop (20K of the 40K pop are students), so there's lots of busses (so unlike most US cities) and most people use them - if they're not on their bikes! And very cleverly - the busses have bike racks on the front!


It's amazing how rich this country (and UK, actually) is. A housemate kindly showed me to a "food bank" - which sounds awful, but is actually very good. It's a medium size shop about 10 minutes walk. It receives daily deliveries from all the local supermarkets/food shops etc. It's open to anyone on a low income - you just walk in and help yourself. So this morning, I picked up two lovely crusty loaves of bread, a packet of bagels and a ten pack of freshly baked cinnamon rolls, all with an "eat by date" of today. It's exactly the same food as if last night I had bought the same items for about $10 last night in a supermarche - to eat today. And it's such a wealthy country, even the foodbank throws food away!


At the house every weekday evening a volunteer(s) cooks dinner for us all and eats with us. Quite interesting because you get all sorts of food - home cooked, usually delicious, a main and pudding. Plus you get to meet a different person every day. However - EVERYONE puts on WEIGHT in the house :O((( LUCKY I'm having to do so much walking then.


I am much enjoying all the different sights and sounds...some more than others. The pedestrian road crossings "cheep" at you like a little yellow fluffy Easter chick, of course I spent the whole of last week being so impressed... ONLY in Uhmerica would they sync the road crossings with the time of year... but no, turns out the cheep is permanent - very sweet though!


Of sounds...Americans - I forgot - are, thinking, articulate, loquacious, but OMG are they LOUD! It's almost as if they're born with an inbuilt volume knob set permanently to "multi-max". Still, for the aging among us, there's never a need to miss out any conversation... just don't blame me if I shout at you when next we meet.


A bean totty!


PS Remember if you want to comment below on anything I've BLOGged about - please do!