The title is Gaidhlig (Scottish Gaelic) for "long time no see"... I think :)
I think John has adjusted to being the stay-at-home-dad, and now realizes however frustrating a job is, it is nice to get out of the house and interact with adults every day. However, his knee has been giving him trouble [insert old man joke here :) ] and we're scheduling an MRI to see if he'll need surgery or just physical therapy. Hopefully this will be resolved in plenty of time before our Scotland trip in May, lots of walking...up and down hill...horseback riding...etc.
I'm almost done with the first draft of "Blood Song." I know, I know...I keep saying that. But really, I am. I'm working four 12 hour shifts per week, and still having some mommy guilt about getting plenty of sleep. I lie down and think of all the things I should be doing instead of sleeping. Frustrating to say the least. SO...I'm trying to meet my goal of 1000 words per day. That includes new scenes as well as rewrites and edits.
In the spirit of our Scotland trip, I've been trying my hand--er, tastebuds at Whisky. Scottish single malt, neat preferably. I was surprised to find that I love it. Not sure why I was surprised, given the long line of "Scotch drinkers" I come from. My friend/coworker/fellow Outlander addict, Erin, and her husband are going on the trip as well. I'm excited that they'll be driving up later next week for a Whisky tasting. I doubt John will do any tasting, but he can enjoy the appetizers and company.
Dagan is moving right along in the 2nd grade. We're trying out a few new meds to help him stay on task, fingers crossed! Biggest steps recently- he learned to tie his shoes and swallow pills. The latter is a huge deal considering the boy gags from using "thin strips."
Ian is officially potty trained!!! Not much else I can say to top that :) One quick story though, I can't help it.... Bronwen was trying to wear her beloved pink blanket as a Jedi cape, but Ian kept pulling it off from behind her. She'd yell and cry at him each time. On his third or fourth attempt, I slapped my knee and scolded him "Ian, don't do that. It's not nice!" To which his reply was "It's not nice, but it's funny." A boy after my own heart. No denying his parentage.
Bronwen is a hellcat. She's harder to keep up with than both the boys, combined. Her newest habit is to remove all clothing and streak through the house yelling, "I'm naked." Naked pronounced the Southern way, neh-ked. Her other phrase is "Go Away" combined with angry finger pointing.
And next to last on the agenda is our family To Do list. Well, really it's more of a John & Aven list :)
1. Feb. 19th We Were Promised Jetpacks concert @ The End, see previous blog "I Heart Scotland"
2. Feb. 24th Scottish Whisky Tasting...yum!
3. Mid-April, possibly Auburn trip for the famous/infamous April Party
4. April 23rd David Sedaris @ Ryman Auditorium
5. May 14-25th Scotland trip w/ layover in Amsterdam
6. June 3rd James Taylor w/ Carol King concert in ATL
7. June 10-13 BONNAROO
Now for my latest epiphany. I went to the wholesale liquor store next to Costco, where I buy all my wine and Whisky, to replenish my dwindling supply. I picked up a bottle of Macallan 12 and Glenmorangie 10 since these were down to the last quarter bottle or so, and they were out of the Lagavulin 16 :( My cashier that day was a man in his late 50's early 60's I'd guess, and apparently not a whisky drinker.
"Two bottles of Scotch?" He asked, a little surprised.
"Yeah, my supply is getting low." I replied.
"Oh, you're the Scotch drinker?" He seemed to doubt that a woman my age (29 if you must know) would drink the stuff.
"Yep, my husband won't touch the stuff." I said.
Our conversation went on with him asking if I actually liked it, and I said yes I actually do. He asked which kinds, blah, blah, blah... I was nearly back to the van before I realized he hadn't asked to see my ID. I always get carded when I buy beer or wine. And then it struck me that anyone who drinks single malt whisky is bound to be over 21 years old. Any person underage is gonna go for the cheapest drunk they can get, preferably something they can mix with soda or fruit juice in order to not taste the alcohol. Oh well, I'm telling myself that's the reason he didn't card me. I choose not to believe it's because I actually look old enough, despite the recent discovery of wrinkles around my eyes.
Mar sin leibh an-drasta....
(goodbye for now)
"Always carry a flagon of whisky in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake." W.C. Fields
6 comments:
I very might keel over from a sip of whisky. Not much of a drinker--unless 1-2 Killian's 3-4 times a year constitutes "a drinker"
I imagine you're getting awfully excited about Scotland!
The thin strip comment made me laugh. Nice post!
Loved the quote at the end. Scott wants a snake to carry with him at all times :)
Tara- I love Killian's Irish Red. My favorite beer. I had a Spanish Mustang that would drink it years ago.
Cara-you're probably the only person reading this who will understand that part, lol.
Erin- I was thinking of getting a snake too ;) See you wednesday!
First of all, Bronwen is going to rule the roost! She is hilarious. Second of all, we've got just the place to take you for special Whisky when you're over here in Scotland. And, try to get a GLASS flask for your Whisky. They are usually 'insulated' in a stiff leather case, stitched to fin the bottle. You can sometimes find them at antique or collectables shops and fayres. Whisky is not good to put into metal for any length of time as it distorts the taste. Great Blog! Sam
Samantha- I'd wondered about metal vs. glass flasks. John has a flask, but it's metal (a groomsman gift, but it's never been used since he doesn't drink liquor). I'll keep my eyes peeled for a glass one.
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