Holidays

[The Gaffer]

Aren't they great?

The only bad things about them are:
1) there aren't enough compared with work days. the proportions should be exactly reversed, and
2) when they're over.

Since I'm off on one, to Scotland for a week, here's a thread for saying where you're going, for how long and what it was like (after you've got back, of course, unless you have some sort of spooky power.)

(if you reckon you do have spooky powers, this thread would be the ideal place to test it out)

So, anyway, i'm off to a rented house in the Scottish borders, for a week with the entire clan of in-laws.

My spooky prediction
Should be mostly good, though some sticky moments are inevitable, along with copious escapism-fuelled boozing and occasional deep breaths. Like when you're trying to cook a meal and your brother and sister-in-law just barge in and take over. So, not throwing crockery at each other or actual fighting (like some families I've known), more like slightly unusual concepts of appropriateness on the behaviour front.

Highlights should be a couple of visits to see old friends in Edinburgh and having the boy's birthday party while while we're up there.

Anyhoo, see you later if I'm still sane.

[jerseydevil]

Sadly I guess no one else is going anywhere. But I hope you have a good time. I don't have any family around me - so I will be just spending it by myself. My father is going to my sisters in Tennessee.

[hectorberlioz]

Hmm...sad to say I usually miss the holidays...though I intend on giving Lizra a valentines e-card next time

[Sister Golden Hair]

Holidays? Just another day.

[Insidious Rex]

Scottland! Sounds nice. Enjoy it. And dont forget money's like the muck midden, it deas nae guid till it be spreed! So donna be short with the nickles. Come back broke, happy and hung over.

[The Gaffer]

Had a grand time, thank you very much. Mony mickles were made into a muckle, and lang did wur lum reek.

Did some walking, climbing, loads of eating (Borders lamb - mmmm!) and hunnerts o drinkin. God, my in-laws can pack it away. Now off to detox for a week.

Predictions were mostly accurate, though I did manage a couple of days with the Gamgee side of the family. We visited New Lanark, an early 18th Century social experiment-cum-industrial complex set up by Robert Owen:

I know that society may be formed so as to exist without crime, without poverty, with health greatly improved, with little, if any misery, and with intelligence and happiness increased a hundredfold; and no obstacle whatsoever intervenes at this moment except ignorance to prevent such a state of society from becoming universal

Twas very interesting, even if this message isn't

[Fat middle]

Originally posted by The Gaffer
Had a grand time, thank you very much. Mony mickles were made into a muckle, and lang did wur lum reek.

Did some walking, climbing, loads of eating (Borders lamb - mmmm!) and hunnerts o drinkin. God, my in-laws can pack it away. Now off to detox for a week.

Predictions were mostly accurate, though I did manage a couple of days with the Gamgee side of the family. We visited New Lanark, an early 18th Century social experiment-cum-industrial complex set up by Robert Owen:

Twas very interesting, even if this message isn't

Hehe, this morning I was teaching different organizational theories (Taylor, Fayol, Weber...) when a pupil asked me if I had heard about Michael Owens I replied that, of course I knew that Michael Owens was an excellent forward of Liverpool... but that he was probably referring to Robert Owen and the New Lamark's experiment

It's curious, because I hadn't thought about Owens (Robert) in long long years, and today I "met" him twice

[Rían]

Welcome back, Gaffer! Good idea for a thread - I usually try to post in my favorite threads when I'm going to be gone for a bit, so people don't think I'm ignoring them.

In the same house as the in-laws, eh? How many? I like my in-laws, but not in the same house for more than 5 days .... How many rooms in the house?

How's your wife and the expection addition, btw? Have you managed to stay off smoking?

We're having a major vacation to Ecuador in December with all of my husband's side of the family for 2 WEEKS! There'll be 22 of us. (They lived in Ecuador for 8 years and want to go back as a family.) I'm a bit nervous about it ...

[Khamûl]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you do mean 'holidays' meaning 'vacations' in American English, right? Not 'holidays' like Memorial Day or Labor Day or The 4th of July...

[Lizra]

Originally posted by hectorberlioz
Hmm...sad to say I usually miss the holidays...though I intend on giving Lizra a valentines e-card next time

All right!! (makes a note on her 2005 calendar ) Something to look forward to!

We went to Chicago last week for a little vacation. We stayed at the beautiful "Hotel Inter-Continental" 505 Michigan Ave. All that concrete and *!! SHOPPING !!* was a nice change of pace!

[Mercutio]

oooooo I just went to Disney World (Florida)! Wow- I was never there before. That was so much fun and more fun and even more fun!
My legs are sore because my friend and I went to every possible thing and really crammed stuff in from about 8 in the morning to 11 or 12 at night! And we walked really really fast to get everywhere.

I hate our consumeristic society though.

[Lizra]

Haha! You hate it....but it was sooo much fun! Forked tongue!

[The Gaffer]

Originally posted by RÃ*an
Welcome back, Gaffer! Good idea for a thread - I usually try to post in my favorite threads when I'm going to be gone for a bit, so people don't think I'm ignoring them.

Yeah, that's the plan. Pre- and post-reports would be fun.

Originally posted by RÃ*an
In the same house as the in-laws, eh? How many? I like my in-laws, but not in the same house for more than 5 days .... How many rooms in the house?

Fortunately, it was a massive, totally stunning Georgian house, with 8 bedrooms and 4 public rooms, and we had the car so could escape periodically. The greatest trial was the brother-in-law who nearly drove me up the wall, but apart from that it was OK.

Originally posted by RÃ*an
How's your wife and the expection addition, btw? Have you managed to stay off smoking?

Very well, thanks for asking! The Gammer loves being pregnant and looks totally stunning. We had a bit of a scare around antenatal testing, but all's well and we know it's a boy! Tabs are remaining a thing of the past, though I have been sorely tempted at times.

Originally posted by RÃ*an
We're having a major vacation to Ecuador in December with all of my husband's side of the family for 2 WEEKS! There'll be 22 of us. (They lived in Ecuador for 8 years and want to go back as a family.) I'm a bit nervous about it ...

TOTALLY JEALOUS! We nearly booked a trip there a month ago, but found out that you're not advised to get the jags if you're pregnant. Still, we're going to NY instead, so I suppose I'll have to put up with second best...

(* waits for patriotic intervention from JD *)

Are you going to the Galapagos??

[The Gaffer]

OK, just to make you all puke, the Gammer and I are off on YET ANOTHER holiday, this time to New York!

We're spending the weekend in the Hamptons then 5 days in NYC.

Any suggestions for "must-see/must-do" or "avoid like the plague" items?

[Insidious Rex]

Go to the Carnegie Deli and get your gentile ass a big fat rubin. And a knish the size of a frisbee. Perhaps take home a couple cheesecakes. Its on 7th Ave. I think. Then hit china town and little italy of course and eat until you cant feel your fingers anymore.

[Rían]

Originally posted by The Gaffer
Very well, thanks for asking!

Happy to hear that!

TOTALLY JEALOUS! We nearly booked a trip there a month ago, but found out that you're not advised to get the jags if you're pregnant. Still, we're going to NY instead, so I suppose I'll have to put up with second best... Are you going to the Galapagos??

What's the jags?

I doubt we're going to the Gal. It's a trip down memory lane for hubby's side of the family - "and here's where the drunken Indian chased me with the machete", "and here's where I got tear-gassed", "and here's where the tanks rolled down the street", "and here's where Dad made me cross the river with a rope around my waist to see if it was too deep for the jeep" ... and so on ....

Oh, NY! I've never been there, and unfortunately you're too far away for me to meet you I'm on the other coast. I'm sure JD would be your best resource for things to do. Be sure to get AWAY from the big cities, tho - in America, the big cities aren't as attractive as those in Europe, IMHO. But we have loads of beautiful countryside.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by The Gaffer
Still, we're going to NY instead, so I suppose I'll have to put up with second best...

(* waits for patriotic intervention from JD *)

I don't really care. I was going to give you some recommendations - but I'm sure there are plenty of other people who you would must rather hear recommendations from. Hope you have a good time.

[Valandil]

Originally posted by Lizra
All right!! (makes a note on her 2005 calendar ) Something to look forward to!

We went to Chicago last week for a little vacation. We stayed at the beautiful "Hotel Inter-Continental" 505 Michigan Ave. All that concrete and *!! SHOPPING !!* was a nice change of pace!

Ooooo! That IS a nice hotel! (I talk about taking my wife down for a weekend sometime - and staying THERE!) I worked at a place at 625 for a couple years. We used to go sketch in all their different lobbies and stairways and everything... each one is so different - and SO NICE! I swam in the pool once too - a guy at work had a health club membership and took me as a guest for a lunchtime workout once... but I couldn't spring the big bucks for a membership myself.

[Lizra]

What a gorgeous pool! They said it was Johnny Weismueller's (sp) favorite, back in the day. The building used to be a Masonic temple of some sort, very gorgeous. Hubby took some nice pics of me lounging at the pool! Next time we go, I'll spring the extra $30 for the larger room in the historic tower, with the great veiw. If only we didn't have to drive on the Chicago Skyway! I hate heights!

[Andúril]

Ugghh.

Took today off. Was sooo bored. Washed my car. Read a few chapters of the Silmarillion. Listened to deep house. Fell asleep while listening to deep house. Woke up and continued reading Silmarillion while listening to deep house. Cleaned the rest of my car while listening to white label trance.

At least I got some sleep.

And tomorrow is a public holiday, but I can't wait, since I'll be at the track the whole day.

But I'm taking Wednesday off as well. I need the sleep.