Gross

All this fish, baking in the sun grosses me out! The UK is old school and puts raw food like this on ice rather than in refrigerated places. And, even though it is cold outside, it can be quite warm sitting in the sun behind a window...I don't think I will be buying fish from this place any time soon!

Paranoia

I think I'm paranoid...hey, I think that's a song...okay, I can't lie, that song has been stuck in my head for the last two days. But besides the song, I am having a bout of paranoia.

First, yesterday a lady got on the bus with me and then got off with me by my work. That is a very large distance with many bus stops in between, but it could have been a coincidence. Then, on my way home, the same thing happened, but with a different person. Weird? I think so.

Whenever Ian is out of town, darkness seems to scare me the way it did as a child. I constantly check to make sure the front door is locked...probably did it at least five times last night. Evey noise makes me stop and think of every place to hide...seriously, paranoid!

Then, last night, I had a nightmare. I won't go into the details, but I woke up half screaming. That has never happened before! When I woke up, my heart was racing and my shoulder area hurt (which is where I was being attacked in my dream). What's interesting about this nightmare is that supposedly cheese gives you crazy dreams...I ate a cheese quesadilla before I went to bed...

Paranoid? I think so!

Interesting Inventions

Hygienically Wrapped Toothpick
Location: Yu Chinese Restaurant, Aberdeen, Scotland

Honestly, I don't even know how this has a market! You can already buy individually wrapped toothpicks if you have a problem getting one out of a container. And, what makes it hygienically wrapped? And, why is the toothpick oddly shaped? And (don't worry, this is the last "and"), why does the company have a fork as the logo for the hygienically wrapped toothpick?!?

Dairy Stix (milk in a bag)
Location: On a train somewhere in the middle of Scotland

Though this isn't the craziest invention ever, it is interesting. I don't quite know the reason for it; possibly because it saves packaging. Who really knows though? My only beef about it is if you don't get all the milk out, then set the packaging on the table, the excess milk comes out onto the table...call it an invention error.

Starbucks VIA (their new instant coffee)
Location: Starbucks, Edinburgh, Scotland

Though I never would have put "Starbucks" and "instant coffee" in the same sentence, I totally know why they went down that path. This gives Starbucks a chance to break into a different coffee market; expand into hotel rooms, trains and more. It will be interesting to see how it goes. Now for my review of the new instant coffee...I tried both the Colombia and the Italian Roast. I personally liked the Italian Roast better, but that is due to my taste in coffee. I am not big on acidity in my coffee, and instant or not Colombia has it. I don't think this will replace freshly grounded coffee in my french press any time soon, but it is a good alternative when on the run...and for people like my parents who don't mess with making coffee!

What I Learned in Aberdeen

Ian is working up in Aberdeen this week and I decided to take the train up to visit him. The following are some of this things I have learned while up here:

1. Aberdeen is definitely NOT a tourist attraction. Sure, its the third largest city in Scotland, but that is about where the interesting stuff ends. Trust me, I tried to find something to catch my attention!
2. Hotels have "ironing rooms". Ian thought it was something for the housekeeping, but we soon discovered that it is actually where you are supposed to iron your clothes. And for having its own room, you would think they could at least have sprung for a full sized ironing board! Oh, and steam irons aren't allowed. Supposedly they set off the fire alarm...I don't believe that.

3. "Normal" showers do exist in the UK! Everywhere I have been, including my own house, has pump showers that you have to turn on and off. And these showers don't have great water pressure. When I got in the shower at the hotel today, I got into a normal shower with great water pressure. I am jealous!
4. I think I have discovered why the Scottish loathe basketball so much. It is possibly because they are trying to play it on grass!

5. KFC, which is all the rage over here, charges for ketchup. 10p a pack. What's up with that?!?

A Lost Childhood

Last night, I was waiting for the bus and these two little boys (maybe about 10 years old) came up to me and asked me for a light?!? Say what!?! They even had a cigarette with them! There are so many things wrong with this situation. It was 9:30pm, where were their parents? Where did they get a cigarette? And, why did they think any respectable adult would give them a "light"?

These smoking little 10 year olds ended up sitting by me on the bus, where I got a front row seat to their lives. Here is part of the conversation:

boy 1: Want to spend the night tonight?
boy 2: Yeah.
boy 1: Do you think your Mum will say yes?
boy 2: She's drunk by now so she'll say yes to anything.

silence.

boy 2: Does your mom want to say hi and hug you a lot when she is drunk?
boy 1: My mom is a f*****g b***h when she is drunk.

silence.

Next up, a conversation about the best ways to steal food. WHAT?!? Honestly, my heart broke for these boys. They should be enjoying life, riding bikes, playing video games and more, not stealing food, smoking and talking about their drunk mothers. Every time I think of last night, I feel sad. No kid should have a childhood like that.

What is Love?

If I judged love basted on store windows and advertisements, I would think love has something to do with chocolate, flowers and lingerie. Valentines day has always been a funny day to me. Why do couples need a day to celebrate their love? They already have their anniversary, and that's something to celebrate given that it's a milestone each year. But a day to celebrate love, I just don't get it. And why all the expense? Honestly, who really wants chocolate for Valentines day or really any day? Okay, I am sure there are some of you out there that would appreciate it, but it does seem rather impersonal and unexciting. And really, what does chocolate have to do with love anyway?

In my relationship, love is celebrated everyday. We constantly tell each other I love you, do nice things and take time for the other person. So why some couples need a special day for this, I don't understand. Maybe the day should be a time for couples to reflect and figure out how to be loving toward each other every other day in the year!

But, back to my original question - what is love? The dictionary has many definitions of love. All of them have something to do with passion, affection and attachment. When you think about it, love is extremely hard to define in words. And not only is it a feeling, but it is action as well. And most times, it is the actions that define love. It is putting someone else before ourselves. It is helping each other along in this thing we call life. It is enjoying each other's company. It is the nice, selfless things we do for each other. And most importantly, it is every day, not just to be done (or shown) on the special days of the year.

Awww...

Seriously, every time I see this picture it tugs at my heart. This is a picture of a koala bear, Sam, getting some relief from the fires in Australia. Sam was rescued and treated for burnt paws. Poor little Sam, but I am glad he got some help.