ma travels

Heho!!!

Well, no a lot has happened since I last posted.... I started job three a few weeks ago! Had a braw christmas and new year. Saw my ma n pa, they spent a few days with us. Erm, think thats about it....

Ok, going to vent some anger... some of you may or may not know, I have a flat in Edinburgh that Ive been renting out over my travels and have kept it on since coming back. Its great owning property, knowing there is capital there for future years, but just a wee bit of advice... be careful if you use an agent to rent it through. I have been with my current agent and I am SOOOO not impressed. I'm paying them for basically taking on the stress of 'being landlord' and I feel I'm paying them for absolutely nothing! They haven't heard of the very new concept called CUSTOMER SERVICE! All things that have happened so far are small, but when you add them up, MAN its annoying.... one example... you may find it interesting (or not!) Whilst I was away, I told them over the phone and in writing that I was NON CONTACTABLE so they had to go through my contact (and very good friend - Helen you know who you are, and you're fab) for ANY correspondence. But no, they WROTE to me six months into my travels highlighting the fact that they had be attempting without success to get in touch with me! LOOK AT THE CHUFFIN FILE!!!! ITS SAYS I WISNAE HERE!!!!!! Grrrr, ok, as one issue no biggy, but so many other small things! But thats for another time.

Anyhoo, I plan to write more about this, just to air my sheer frustration.

I hope everyone is doing well. I promise (I ken, same old!)to post pics soon, STILL haven't got my arse in gear to sort them, get depressed everytime I look at them. Oh, incidentally, one year ago tomorrow (10 Feb) I arrived in Australia! (Thats also my ma's birthday, and being a really bad daughter was in Autralia for her 60th!) Sorry mum.... I LOVE YOU XXXXX

Anyways, Ill away the noo.

Jo X

Hey there,

Just a brief wee entry at the mo, as most of you know, we are home. Actually arrived back just over two months ago! Just been SO buy so never really had a chance to update.

From Montreal, we arrived in Boston. We had an apartment there, it was braw. Whale watching was the highlight there, that was amazing!

From Boston, we got to NY. My god! Its a busy place! Our last night there we spent at the HBO comedy night, that was good.

We had one day in Dublin before we got home. Back to the lovely scottish weather!

We've been busy we things since arriving home. New flat, new jobs... man, it sucks being back! Dont like this responsibility thing!

Anyhoo, once I get pics sorted, I will post a few on.

I hope everyone is well.

Cheery the noo.

Jo X

Hello,

Finally some more pics. And aren't you lucky, lucky people, another entry too!

We haven't really done much whilst we've been in Montreal. Just taking it easy for Derek's back. We've been to the 'west' of the city which is more 'english' speaking and found quite a cool pub (by cool, I mean their menu was in french but also english). We also visited the Olympic Village yesterday across to the east of the city. Looks like a bit of a concrete ghost town!

You'll be pleased to know that we've mastered the 'huh?' look when some one speaks french to us. Fortunately, we've only come across a few who don't speak english! I have learnt a few words in French though.... now, as I type though, cant remember a damn one!

Thats really all we've managed here I'm afraid, to be honest, there isn't a huge amount to do here, but its a cool town. Loads of fab little shops. Oh, we spent Sunday afternoon in one of the local pubs and we were chatting to a guy whose grandfather was from Glasgow. So because we were Scottish, he bought us a drink. Then a cool OAP (didnt know english at all, but the barmaid translated) thought we were a cute couple. (Derek and I, no the French/Canadian/Glaswegian!) I was wondering if she'd forgotten her specs and/or medication, anyway more drinks were bought!

Anyway, we're off to Boston tomorrow. Looking forward to it.

I hope y'all keeping well. Let me know how you're doin! Be grand to hear from you all...

Take care the noo.

Jo x

Hiya from sunny Montreal! (btw the title is the limit of my french!)

Sorry its been so long in updating. We did CN tower and Niagara Falls whilst we were in Toronto (we have pics, need to get them sorted for posting) and we are now in 'predominantly' (spelling?) french speaking Montreal.

We have a week here before moving onto Boston. Hopefully get another post on before we leave.

Dereks back is slowly getting better. We think we're done the right thing by resting as much as possible.

Hope youre all braw.

Jo X

Hello all

I am assuming that you have seen my pics. Any comments (relating to blog entries and pics, cheers. Not really capable on commenting on uk politics or anything else of that manner ) are always welcome. No matter how sarcastic! (I think you know who I mean HELEN! )

We are still in Toronto. Dereks back has taken a turn for the worse and he's really been floored with it. I promise I didnt do anything to him! So we're really just taking things easy in the hope that rest will help his back.

We hope to see Niagra Falls and do CN tower. We have another week here, so we'll hopefully do them.

Anyhoo, Ill away the noo and see how Derek is doing.

I hope everyone is keeping well.

Miss yous all.

Cheery oot.

Jo X

Hello

Some of you may remember a long long time ago, I did a 15000ft skydive in New Zealand and that I had some photos taken but unfortunately they got mixed up and in the end I just got the company to send them home. There, they were received by Helen, my very kind, generous and fantastic friend (hey there Helen, how you doin'? ) who emailed them back to me. I have finally managed to get some onto my iPod and now onto my blog for you to see...

Incidentally, we think we've worked out, based on the info. we have that during my freefall, I 'fell' two miles in one minute! I WANNA GO AGAIN!

So please enjoy. (oh, I think if you drag your mouse over the pics you get a wee description... the second and third ones though haven't got their full desc. 'I'M DEAD' and 'Okay, this ain't so bad' are missing.)

Cheery

Jo X

All the pics are fairly obvious...

The administratin building is on Alcatraz. You can see the addition the Indians made on the 'flag' when they claimed the island back in the 60's.

A little penguin from San Francisco Academy of Science

A little (ok not so little) skull from SF Academy of Science

Finally Seattle skyline from the Needle.

Hope you like.

Bye bye....

Jo X

Think it was a site thing but my pics are now back on!

I'm afraid lacking internet time, so just a brief rundown to what we've been up to since Seattle...

We visited Science Fiction Museum and Experience Music Project thet day before we left Seattle. Science Fiction was very cool and saw some stuff from years ago! The Music one was ok. Derek had a braw time 'performing' on the drums and guitar I just watched Im afraid. As many of you know, co-ordination is not a strong point of mine!

From Seattle we headed north to Canada. We had booked the train as we enjoyed the experience the last time, but when we arrived at the station we discovered the train and become a bus! If we'd known that we'd have saved $14 and booked Greyhound! Never mind, we got through customs fine. Well except this one English guy. He had his bags searched! But was back on the bus after about 20 minutes.

We arrived in Vancouver and our hostel is right across the road from the station! Sweet!!

The weather is A LoT warmer here than we ever expected (about 28 degrees). On par with Australia!.

We haven't done very much apart from walking around and getting to know a little of Downtown Vancouver. Derek's back is playing up again so we're away to see a therapist to see if that'll help.

from here, we head to Toronto. Looking forward to it but been told its even more humid than here!!!!! This is Canada! It should be cold!!!!!

Anyhoo, I think thats as up to date as poss the now.

I hope everyone is well. Hope you liked the pics.

Take care.

Jo X

Not sure whats happened to my latest pics.

Will try and get it fixed asap.

Jo X

I forgot to post notes to the pics so you know where they are....

The snowy one is Franz Josef. Just one of many pics of my Glacier Hike.. It was a braw day

The dark one is from our Maori Experience. The women are performing their dance. Not long after they get the audience to participate! I lack so much co-ordination!

The next one is also a Maori experience. This was when we were greeted by the leader. I swear we could see him clearly but this is how the photo came out. SPOOKY!!

Next to that is Im afraid to say our only photo from Las Vegas. It was the hotel we were staying in and that was our view from the balcony. The Sahara hotel.

Next: A BIG lion! Grrrrr. It was in San Francisco zoo. It was lying down just before I took this pic, got up had a look around at 'lunch' and then lay back down, so I feel quite proud of this pic.

Finally, the Golden Gate Bridge. This is just one of many from our Bay cruise. It was a really good trip.

I know its been a while since I updated with a proper log entry. Ill get this done asap.

I hope everyone is well.

Jo X