Rainhats & Carbombs

Still raining here alas. But just like in Oregon, we aren't letting it slow us down. First off, Kyle, back to your questions on the cottage (here is another photo). It is roughly about 400 years old. Made with crazy, wiggly beams all over the place, gathered up from the surrounding lot all those years ago during construction. I can't figure out how you make a house out of windy wood, a roof out of straw, and walls made out of horsehair and lime plaster survive in the pouring rain for four centuries. We can't even get our houses to last 50 years without major maintenance. Hmm...



Well, it's not all that easy I suppose. My mom and Lance have undergone a pretty dramatic restoration of portions of the house already. Below is the master bath, completely done by them. The space before was just 4 centuries of dirt and spider carcasses they said. Now it's pretty cool. But watch your head.



We went swimming yesterday, as promised to the girls, for hours at this place with a cool section of pool that just pushed you around and around in a circle. No swimming required. ;) Very relaxing, except that Elena had a death grip on my neck the whole time.



Played on a Swedish playground afterwards. Weird equipment. This one wound up a seat on a pole that you could then sit on and spin down. Sit and spin. Swedish style.



Lori and I rode the bus into Aylesbury last night for the big Friday night out. Little old village not far from my mom's place. We barcrawled the town, and mingled in crowds ranging from beer bellied soccer hooligans to punky Brit kids wearing bling and super super mini skirts, to toothless guys in nice suits...not sure what that was about. Great time, but the music being played and enjoyed almost killed us.... Shania Twain, Michael Jackson, Nellie...we didn't get it.

Rode the bus back home and heard a bunch of yelling from the pub across the street (the Bell), so we went over there. Karaoke party. Very drunk people singing equally horrific music.... "Can you feel the love tonight?", "I got you babe", "We are family".... yipes. Sucked back some warm cask pints of the Old Spotted Hen and wandered home. Need to take my bath now. More later... ;)