Doggie Biscuits

Peanut Butter, Banana and Parsley dog biscuits

Yes really, I am turning into one of those dog owners already! I think my time in Indianapolis has influenced me more than I thought.

Having recently rescued a puppy (her name is Jaffa) from the Manchester Dogs Home (who do amazing work).

All I have to remember to do is let Luke know the biscuits are not for him!

I decided to make some treats for her.

Here is the recipe from the Wholefoods website. The reviews from her are a bit mixed but we shall see. I think she may have more of a savoury tooth (typical).

Ingredients:

• 1 banana, peeled
• 1 cup oat flour
• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup dried parsley (for breath freshener, apparently it is like the doggie chewing gum)
• 3 tablespoons peanut butter (organic/ natural)
• 1 egg, beaten

Method:

Preheat oven to 300°F. Put banana in a large bowl and use a spoon or potato masher to mash it thoroughly. Add oat flour, oats, parsley, peanut butter and egg and stir well to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Roll mixture into 24 balls, using about 1 tablespoon dough for each; transfer to a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet as done. Use the back of a spoon or the heel of your hand to press each ball into a (1 1/2- to 2-inch) coin. Bake until firm and deep golden brown on the bottom, 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside to let cool completely.

Storage note: It’s best to store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Or, freeze them to give to your pal later; just be sure to thaw the treats befor handing them out.

 

Bootcamp, Time To Grow Up and Christmas Baking

I have finally recovered after making my first christmas cake, on  Stir-up Sunday, which actually looks rather good. It’s all very surprising. I shall just have to wait for the feedback from the taste-testers on Christmas day and then I will know if I have been triumphant or defeated by a mountain of dried fruit and a flurry of flour. For now I shall just have to ’feed’ my lovely little Christmas cake every week on a diet of sweet almondy amaretto. What a diet!. This will be a mission in itself as it will require me to remove the cake, extremely carefully, from its secret red box.  I just hope I don’t drop it or completely drench it in liqueur. I fear that before Christmas it will end up either being a pile of crumbs on the floor or a major fire hazard that will threaten to ignite into a ball of fire at anytime.

I have been having an interesting week so far filled with walks and work. I have decided to delve deeply into the murky world of graduate schemes, yet again, in the vain hope I shall secure myself a ‘grown-up’ job. I think it is time as I am almost twenty-four now. It is about time that I bravely branch out into the corporate world, if I can ever pass the endless amounts of online tests and assessment questions. As I haven’t done maths since GCSE I think I may have to re-aquaint myself with my hidden numerate side. For now I am really enjoying exploring how a small business works. However, I don’t think I can say the same for my boss as I continually mind-boggle him with my endless questions and ideas which I think are ‘original’ but have almost always been thought of before. Therefore, I usually leave my boss sitting agog or rolling his eyes. Me thinks I will have to tone down my endless wittering for the sake of their sanity! (and for my job!). However, I think I managed to placate him with some home-made scones during my lunch break. Just about.

I have also been going to the gym in the evenings and last night was no exception although, in hindsight, maybe it should have been. I was disappointed last week that I didn’t find the class as challenging as I wanted to, apart from the penguin antics. Well bring back the penguin antics I say as I realised I was in trouble when the instructor informed us today was bootcamp day. The aim of the class? make us work out untill we feel sick. Alarm bells rang in my head and I was panicked to see that there was no emergency dustbin in the room. Yet the class was rather enjoyable and there was only one minor collision with another lady as we bolted across the room repeatedly. Co-ordination has never been my stong point.

I enjoyed this class because it reminded me a bit of bootcamp in  Indianapolis, minus Todd shouting orders at us. I still think that the Indy bootcamp was the best thing I have done as the classes were challenging and interesting and all of the people were so lovely. I did think about incorporating some of their spirit into the class but as no-one else was whooping or cheering when it got difficult I restrained myself. I had to really bite my tongue when a lady next to me paused for a break as I didn’t think a cheer of  ’You’ve almost made it’ or ‘keep going girl’ would have gone down so well in this decidedly British exercise class. When the class did get hard I had a quick word of encouragement with myself as no-one else was  going to do this. I told myself I am the girl who ran up memorials numerous times, jumped up boulders, did judo press-ups in a military park and crawled up a steep river bank backwards. Therefore, I could cope with this class. Sounds quite something doesn’t it? and my pep talk did work for a few minutes. Then we were instructed to do the inevitably evil Burpees and I almost fell over.  

I retreated back home and began exploring the endless possibilities of what cupcakes to make for Christmas and I am glad I have started looking now as there are far too many I want to make. Unless Santa is feeling particularly hungry on the 24th then I need to get baking now otherwise we will end up with a mountain of cupcakes and I don’t think my family will appreciate me force feeding them these after a Christmas dinner. Although that all depends on who is making the Christmas dinner. I am not saying which parent is better but one definitely is so maybe I will make some extra cakes just in case! On the other hand, now I have written this I may have to eat the cakes myself as I think I have just drastically reduced my chances of being given any Christmas dinner!

 

Walks, Fireworks and Crafts

Since I have been back I have spent the majority of time in John Lewis for various reasons but mainly catching up with people. I did spend most of my time trying to find my way around as the store has completely changed since I have last been home. However, I was pleased to see that it is confusing other regular shoppers as the same people were looping me while we were both looking for the same section. It turned into a bit of a comical, impromptu treasure hunt to see where the christmas section had been moved too. For once I was pleased that I was not the odd one out because I didn’t know where I was going! I have then spent the rest of the time taking the dog for her walks, which she eagerly prepares for by running around in continuous circles at the front door untill you take her out. These walks also included a jaunt through Wilmslow Park, where Poppy either went perilously close to muddy puddles or ran behind our legs if another dog dared to approach her. I’m afraid ‘guard dog‘ is not a phrase that can be readily applied to this dog. Ferocious she is definitely not. This became even more apparent when fireworks were going off all weekend which led to Poppy hiding underneath people’s legs and eventually underneath one of my jumpers. Even Catherine Wheels made her jump. I’m just glad she hadn’t been in Indy during the 4th July! She would have probably leapt from the balcony!

I have also had a chance to cook a bit and this included making an anniversary meal for my parents who have been together for rather a long time now which is an amazement achievement. I’m not quite sure if Luke will be able to put up with me for over thirty years! or if he does it will be because of some strategically placed ear plugs. However, if we do I may replicate the meal I made (please see my ‘making..’ page). It did turn out much better than I thought. I was a bit experimental with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a dash of cumin here and there but it came together nicely. I think my parents will think they have a live in slave temporarily now! So I have made my room a little untidy just so they know I am not. Although at the moment the only person that it is affecting is me so it appears to be a ‘cut your nose off to spite your face’ dilemma.

I then continued my endless job hunt with endless job websites. I did find a very enticing job of becoming a lead explorer taking a group of children across a desert. There was just one snag with this fantastic job. You needed previous desert experience. Now I don’t think my time making a  few misshapen sandcastle would count and  I wont get any relevant experience in Cheshire unless I go to the local playground. I could try very hard to use my imagination to turn the sand box into a version of  the Sahara Desert. I believe I could achieve this but I suspect my potential employers would not agree that this was sufficient or quite the experience they had in mind.  By the end of one day I needed a break away from the computer and curled up to watch Kirsty Alsop’s new programme about crafts. Coincidently the episode was about sewing cushions and there were some cushion-makers who were doing things I had never thought could be done, like making cushions out of lama hair and strategically placing rabbits onto the cushions. That will have to be my next projects. I was quite contented for an hour sewing my own cushions whilst being inspired by the programme. That was untill I stabbed myself with the needle and had to give in.

I then discovered that one of the joys of being back in the UK is definitely being able to watch some decent tele without the ridiculous adverts every five minutes, usually informing you of a fantastic new medicine before then letting you know it could potentially kill you.  I was able to peacefully watch the English Strictly Come Dancing and Downton Abbey. As well as watching some very cute penguins on the amazing Frozen Planet. They were all so lovely. I especially like the fact that it is the males who make the nests and look over the eggs whilst the females get to go into the sea and find the food. I think we should try to implement this into our society? Although I am not very good at fishing, let alone fishing without a net, and avoiding huge whales which made me want to  shout at the tele to instruct the penguins on how they could escape. It was more tense than Jaws!  Maybe we could modify it to a quick stop off at the shops every so often instead.

Meanwhile Luke remains in Indianapolis and if this wasn’t bad enough he spent the weekend going for runs in Eagle Creek Park, drinks in Broad Ripple, and nipping into Yogulatte! Although I may get my own back and try out the new frozen yogurt place near where I live now. Yet just to rub salt into my small cut after leaving the states Luke has gone and retrieved a new car which just happens to be a Mustang. I’m a tad disappointed, if I have to be honest. My only consolation is that it is white and will need cleaning. All the time. Constantly.

 

Au Revoir Hoosiers

So I began counting down the hours untill my departure from the US and what better way to do this than to revisit my favourite place and drag my mum along with me. This place was of course the library. I thought I would reward my mum for helping me spring clean the flat as I don’t really trust Luke to clean it properly once I have left. Men, in general, seem to have the absurd idea that cleaning incorporates a quick hover and maybe a wipe down of the surfaces if you are lucky. This implies that they think the dusting, mopping, cleaning the toilet and the oven are all conducted by the magic house elves. I wish!

We arrived at the library as it was going dark and it was beautifully lit up. I thought my mum would never want to leave the child’s section, especially when I popped her into an egg for a sit down. We then rented some scary themed DVDs for our ‘Halloween‘ night and I took mum to the sixth floor of the library, to see the view of the skyline, before leaving this place for the last time. It is not nice saying goodbye to things but luckily we had been to the Flying Cupcake Bakery before so I was hoping that a cupcake would soften the blow.

We then arrived back to the flat to find that my sister had decorated the table in Halloween style and was playing a Halloween soundtrack (0) .

My favourite being the Werewolves of London which always conjures up images of my dad bopping away to it. However my sister did not see why this was a scary song. Well she lives in London so maybe she has seen some Werewolves?

We then tucked into a bowl of chilli whilst being watched by our friendly ghost companions.

Afterwards we settled down to watch our scary films. However, no-one else appreciated the Jeckyll and Hyde movie I had rented. They seemed to miss the artistic quality of watching a black and white silent movie with words in bubbles popping up. Oh well, I did try. It was then time to re-weigh the suitcases and have our final sleep in Indianapolis.

After a restless sleep it was up early and time to load up the car. Luke was very, very happy that he had changed the car as we just about squeezed all six suitcases and various bags into the boot. With the car sufficiently weighed down it was straight onto the highway to Chicago. There was a slight blip when we had a police escort

so we took a detour into what looked like the set of a wild west movie. I kept expecting to see some tumbleweed but after crossing a few train tracks we were back onto the open road.

After a quick Subway we made it to the airport and struggled to get all of bags to the check out desk. I was praying that the bags were the right weight and the hole in one of mine did not get any bigger. We began to get worried as the airport lady tutted at the couple in front informing them they were a stone over weight on each of their suitcases and that it would cost an extra one-hundred and thirty dollars! I gulped as we approached the desk, especially as she informed us they could be no more than twenty-one kilograms when we were sure it was twenty-three however I thought it was best not to argue. The first suitcase went on and was a pound overweight. She let us off on this one but informed us that none of the others could be the slightest overweight. She was slightly scary, and a bit of a ball-breaker, and Luke and I nervously placed the other suitcases on. I couldn’t believe my luck. Two were forty-nine pounds when the limit was fifty! I’m glad I took some extra shoes out before we entered the airport. I just had to suffer one more ticking off about the hole in my suitcase and we had made it through checking in.

It was then a teary goodbye to Luke. I’m glad I didn’t wear mascara and I felt a bit pathetic as it is only five weeks apart. Maybe I had an allergy? However, I picked myself up and blew my nose and approached security with a somewhat of a fake bravado. I made it through for the first time ever without setting the beep off. However I did cause a jam in the x-ray scanner. Whoops! I then had to wait for Sarah and mum who were being asked to remove candles from their bags before putting them back in. I had warned them so I was fairly smug.

 

He Is Not Staying!!

I have to be honest here and admit to doing something I inherently dislike. Lying to my Mother. I also had to lie to my sister which I don’t like doing.  Yet, sometimes, it doesn’t quite seem as bad as lying to my mum. In my defence it was a nice lie and one I can not believe they actually believed. I told them that it was a legal requirement for everyone in Indiana to keep an overnight bag in their car at all times in case of a tornado. My sister was puzzled as to why she would need a pair of knickers and a toothbrush in the event of a tornado and why a police officer would tell her off for not having these items. Nevertheless they appeared to believe it. I had told them this lie because I had booked an overnight stay in Nashville (IN) as their surprise early Christmas present.  However, I had to let them know at breakfast on Thursday Morning as I remembered that the room had a whirlpool in it. I thought that I would be pushing my luck if I told them it was also the legal requirement to carry a swimming costume wherever you went in case of a tornado. Although maybe I could have gotten away with it? Lied and said it was something to do with having to shelter in a bath?

So, after  taking my sister on a run around Indianapolis in the freezing rain and wind because I am so nice!, we had good breakfast of scones and the remains of my pumpkin bread and it was here I unvieled the surprise, over a mouthfull of scone. I left my mum researching Brown County and took my sister to the local supermarket to have a look around and to collect some goodies for lunch.

With soup and salad secured we had a bit more of a relaxed afternoon of reading and napping before our taxi driver (also known as Luke) returned from work to whisk us away to Nashville.  We had time to pack our bags before setting off on the hour drive to Nashville through beautiful countryside, gorgeously golden leafy trees and thankfully no tornadoes as I had been worried that I had just tempted fate. We then arrived in the quaint village, which felt like being on a film set of an American movie. We went to check in at the hotel and had a funny moment with the receptionist as we were all insisting that Luke was not staying. She was even informing Luke he wasn’t staying by the end of our conversation. Poor Luke! No, tonight he was just the driver although he did get a delicious dinner out of it. Before this dinner we located our suite. Yes, a suite! Turns out our ‘room’ was a living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom containing two magnificently grand sleigh beds.

It was perfect! It was almost a hardship to leave the room to go to dinner in the hotel’s restaurant. Untill they brought out the salad and a box of crackers, which were extremely addictive.

Followed by a steak and brown sugar glazed sweet potato.

Then, funnily enough, it was no hardship at all.

We said a quick goodbye to luke as it was straight back to the suite for drinks in the whirlpool followed by a few hours watching Hocus Pocus before retreating to the most comfy sleigh beds imaginable. It was extremely hard to get out of bed in the morning but luckily mum was on hand to kickstart us with a mug of super strong coffee from our little kitchen. We then waited as long as possible before leaving the room for a buffet breakfast of biscuits, gravy, pancakes, cakes, scrambled eggs, porridge and crispy bacon.

We then left one suitcase with reception and began our mystical tour of Nashville. There were lots of little boutiques everywhere but in the beginning all mum was interested in was getting photographs of American cars for my dad!

However, the lure of the fudge, popcorn, craft and candle shops proved to much of a distraction. We managed to buy lots of these things except candles. We indulged in various flavours of popcorn including peanut butter and jam, honey mustard and strawberry. It was here that we got to watch them making fudge and caramel apples. We tried to grab a caramel apple later on but there was none to be had anywhere! We were very disappointed. I guess that is always why you should get something you want when you see it!

Then we got some nice fudge to eat whilst sitting in the sunshine in a little square outside of the winery.

It was a perfect fall day and I couldn’t have asked for a nicer day or better company.

We all loved looking around the shops and the window displays. Although we had a few bags and I was worried I would break something! Luckily I think the only damage I did was knocking a plug out of its socket causing the window display’s fairy lights to cease shining.

We even got to find a scrapbook shop although the whole process of making one is very perplexing to me and something I will get a chance to try and figure out due to a lovely early christmas present form my sister. There was also a very interesting dog bakery (of course!) and they even sold cigars for dogs! As long as they were over eight weeks old.

However my favourite were the doggie gingerbread men. They looked so good that even I was tempted by one!

Don’t worry I resisted both, just about, but I almost couldn’t resist leaving my mum in one of the rocking chairs on a fantastic trinket stores porch or possibly on this bench with my sister

but I thought people may miss them so I retrieved them before moving onto look at some other fantastic places.

I was incredibly tempted to leave my mum here, as it was a teacher’s boarding house but she was saved by a cinnamon ice cream.

We were then scooped up by Luke and driven back through the scenic part of Brown County. After meandering back through what must be the only hilly part of Indiana that I have seen so far i began to make a fish pie for dinner and we snuggled down to watch Jane Eyre. We also, finally , got to have our caramel apples on a stick after Luke thoughtfully brought some back with him. Although we repaid him by making him watch Jane Eyre. Maybe that wasn’t entirely fair on him.

 

LuAnSa Head Up The Magnificent Mile

I managed to bundle AnSa onto the El and we made it to the Magnificent Mile. I also managed to ignore the feeling that I looked like a cross between Peter Pan and Robin Hood after my sister had ‘dressed me’ in her green jeans. The latter was hard to ignore. I kept feeling like I should be flying through the buildings are drawing a bow and arrow. Luckily I did neither.

Here we enjoyed treats from Hershey and Ghiradelli as well as exploring the shops.

A trendy cardigan was purchased from H&M and not by my sister or myself, lots of chocolate presents were brought and we enjoyed the architecture of Chicago before picking up a fantastic Italian style lunch from a deli nestled underneath the Hancock Observatory. It was then off to the magical bean to see this famous sculpture and take a minute to just enjoy the beautiful buildings surrounding the Millennium Park. It began to get more windy and cold so we retreated back to the hostel. We bolted down in the hostel for a few hours before we each felt brave enough, and slightly more awake enough, to venture to the shops in Lincoln Park. We managed to escape the clutches of any scary figures as we scuttled past various houses adorned with Halloween paraphernalia.

We retrieved a huge pile of nibbles and a DVD from the supermarket and made up a mock sofa in the hostel.

It was very comfy and we had a really nice,cosy girls night before going to sleep. Luckily, for my sister’s sake, no alarms were to be heard until the next morning.

After an uninterrupted sleep we enjoyed a great breakfast again. I can tell I am going to have to pull out all my hosting charms when they return with me to Indy to keep them in the current state to which they are accustomed too! However, we did have to wait for milk for a bit and then the poor man who reinstalled the milk carton managed to spill it al over the floor. Everyone then waited to see if somebody else would be brave enough to retrieve some milk and as soon as I saw the first person take the initiative and go up to the pump I followed suit. We were checked out by a very friendly and helpful member of staff before we headed back into the city to Magnificent Mile. The weather had really taken a turn for the worse so we sheltered in Starbucks and made life plans before swiftly retreating back to Lincoln Park. Our swiftness was diminished somewhat when we were unable to follow my sister onto the platform as we did not have enough money on our cards. We then abandoned her in search of a place to top up our cards. We then finally made it back to my sister and headed to The Bourgeoise Pig for a warming bowl of soup and some Hummus.

We then braved the wild outdoors once more to pick up a bag filled with wonderful meatloaf cupcakes for our train journey back. We ordered a taxi early due to the hostels advice because the rain can cause delays. We arrived at the train station early and settled down with some books. It was then all aboard the Amtrak for the Hoosier State. Once onboard we head a feast fit for a Queen in the form of a turkey meatloaf topped with stuffing and cranberry sauce;

An Asian inspired chicken meatloaf topped with noodles and plum sauce;

and a salmon meatloaf topped with garlic mash.

We all tried a bit of each others, well I almost missed out on the turkey one as it leapt of my fork whilst I was transferring it over and my heart skipped a beat as it landed on the floor of the train. After smearing cranberry sauce over my travel pillow. I quickly applied the twenty-second rule and retrieved the fallen meatloaf and deftly popped it back into my box. It was then all quiet on the Amtrak front as we munched, with a significant amount of satisfaction, on an array of flavours that were just too good to not to savour every morsel. I definitely did not drop any more on the floor! This fantastic feast almost took the edge of having to stop repeatedly for huge freight trains, which caused us to be delayed yet again.

It was then a bone shakingly bumpy ride back to Indianapolis and we were continually delayed. It ended up with us being the last ones on our carriage and it all began to feel a bit eerie. It then turned into an atmosphere of frustration as we were sat just five minutes away from our final destination but could not go any further due to signal failure. Luckily, even though we were an hour late, we were able to disembark in Indianapolis and met up with our beloved driver once more who had again been sat waiting patiently for us! I then showed off the flat to AnSa and made them follow the customary procedures of induction into the LuLu’s world and this of course included a tour of the balcony. Even if it was raining heavily and their were howling winds whipping around the building.

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Finding The AnSa

We had another driving error after Luke very cleverly drove us into the Avis car park instead of into the terminal five car park at Chicago airport. I think he secretly wanted to revisit his car ‘sweet-shop’ but he insists he didn’t. We were a bit perplexed when we found ourselves on a one way street with nowhere to go apart from into a spot for returning cars. We certainly did not want to do that! However, we then found out a way of procuring an Avis car without any authorisation as we nervously pulled up to the security booth and frantically tried to think of a way to explain our current predicament. We began to tell our story but as soon as he heard we were there by accident and we wanted to keep our rented car, which was from Indianapolis, he waved us through. Even though we had shown no documents to prove that we hadn’t just sneaked into that car park and were trying to steal a car.

After that dilemma we managed to get parked up and waited in the terminal for the AnSa to arrive. I waited patiently, almost, as herds of people came bounding through the doors into loved ones arms or the less loved presence of their taxi drivers.

Then I spotted a short, hobbit like person accompanied by a mildly taller person appear through the doors. Finally, the AnSa had arrived in the form of my mother and sister (Annette and Sarah, AKA AnSa). It was an exciting reunion as I was informed that Luke and I looked American and I let AnSa know they still looked decidedly British. It was then time to return to the car, chatting along the way, and we drove back to the hostel. It was here that Luke waited ever so patiently as we tried to organise our room, suitcases, various outfits and sneaked in a quick drink.

He was still sitting in the lobby as we returned half an hour later (He is so good, or well-trained). It was then deep pan pizza time. We stopped at Pizzeria Uno.

Well you can’t come to Chicago and not try one! So we thought why not try two. Then we thought why not try them with some calamari, salad and garlic bread thrown in.

This was a tad over indulgent, which we realised when we saw the enormity of the task that lay ahead as the friendly waitress struggled to place the mammoth pie before us. It was a mixture of the gooiest cheese and tomato sauce which was complimented beautiful by a textured crust. It was almost like a pizza version of a Quiche and although it was a struggle to finish the last few mouthfuls it was definitely worth it!. We even found a smidgen of room to sit outside The Bourgeoise Pig and enjoy a warming Hot Chocolate later on before hitting the hostel.

After we had said goodbye to our driver for the trip, also known as Luke, we walked back to the hostel. Here we had a quick drink and went to bed. I was then awoken to a strange noise and this now appears to be a recurring event whenever I stay in this hostel. From the depths of my sister’s bag there was something ringing. It turned out to be her alarm. If this had gone off in England it would have been perfectly fine, maybe even welcomed, but it was nowhere near morning in Chicago. My sister eventually opened her eyes, stretched and very comically announced ‘Morning, man I feel good’ in her best fake American accent. To which I brusquely replied that we had only been asleep for a few hours and it was not morning. It was in fact half eleven in the evening and her alarm had woken us all up! It was then a stop-start evening with each one of us taking it in turns to wake up everyone else every so often. Thankfully the clock finally displayed six am. I vaulted out of bed, which is no mean feat from the bottom of a bunk bed,and we went in search of a much-needed coffee. Plus a few bagels and quite possibly an injection of peanut butter. It was then off to explore the wonders of the windy city.

 

Autumn Leaves As Lu Prepares To Leave

After my mammoth baking session I was able to emerge victorious with a batch of fifty-eight misshapen, but thankfully tasty, scones. I think I would have been a floury mess if they hadn’t turned out so well! It was then off to Luke’s favourite place called Avis. It is like a sweet shop for car lovers and Luke certainly has been taking full advantage of the pix n’ mix option!. You go in and give back the old car and then wander around to choose your new cars. Well, not everyone does but Luke always wants to make sure the car is right. The cars are all open so you can see if they suit your expectations of comfiness and the keys are even left in the ignition! However, I wouldn’t suggest driving one away. I was tempted to but it is best to wait untill you are authorised. That is unless you want to face a scary barrier and an even more frighteningly scary little, older lady who is always in the security box.

We headed back to Riley in our eight seater feeling like we should have a large brood in the back. Oh well, I nearly gave Luke a heart attack when I mentioned one day. Bearing in mind it has enough room for six more people. Actually, that comment surprised me as well. I think I have been playing ‘housewife’ too long so it was a good thing that I had my last day of doing this on friday. I have felt, at times, like I am a mixture of housewife and lady-who-lunches as I spend a lot of time in the gym, cleaning, baking, going shopping and out for coffee. I will soon get a huge shock when I return to reality, but it is one I am looking forward to. However, what I am not looking forward to is trying to get my suitcases home. Each one requires me to sit on them before they will close and I still have things I need to pack. I may have to resort to drastic measures, like stealing my mum or sisters luggage allowance. That may be a little mean?

We decided to have a lovely last weekend as the LuLu’s before each Lu went their different ways and became separated by an ocean but I’m positive that Luke will at least be able to eat as I have frozen the majority of scones for him. This weekend included having our final trip to the cinema and we watched Clooney’s new political thriller which makes you lose faith in the whole system but it is enjoyable. I then , finally, got my hair cut. I asked to get rid of the dead bits and it turns out the majority was dead as I now have very short hair! Oh well, less maintenance which suits me fine. I found Luke sat right at the back of the car working, which I thought may have looked a little odd. Once I had coaxed him back to the front of the car we decided to go on a drive that led us to Monroe State Forest. We nearly didn’t make it as I almost fatally wounded one of us when I opened a bottle I had filled with Diet Coke. The lid exploded off with a huge pop never to be seen again. I’m just glad that I didn’t smash one of the windows or my nose. We sat in silence for a minute to reflect on the accident we had just narrowly missed. After that shock we cautiously made our way to the forest. It was breathtaking with all the gold and red leaves.

We stopped and had a homemade scone by a smooth, crystal lake. Well it was smooth untill Luke began launching fruit into it. I decided we should make a swift departure before He there something else in just so he could see the ripples. I imagine that I would make a huge ripple so I thought it was safer to head back before he decided to launch me in as well.

I then made some progress on making a Moroccan meal for the LuLu’s last meal alone in Indy. This consisted of oddly shaped falafel followed by equally odd meatballs nestled amongst some couscous.

It was actually rather nice and I loved the contrast of the cinnamon and curry powder. It was a sort of homage to the meal we had at the Saffron Cafe (Please see- meatballs). I then spent the rest of the evening cajoling Luke into packing because we are going to Chicago tomorrow. I don’t know why but I am always packed at least a week in advance whereas Luke manages to pack a night, or on one occasion a few hours, before travelling anywhere. Maybe it is a male/female difference? or im too organised, luke is not and my bossiness is falling on deaf ears. In a few weeks I shall have to stick post-it notes around the flat to maintain the appropriate level of nagging whilst I’m not there.

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Time To Say Goodbye. Almost

It is with a slightly weighed down heart that I am beginning to prepare for my last few weeks in Indianapolis. Part of me is incredibly excited to get home and see everyone but I feel like I have just got settled and into a routine here albeit a somewhat ad hoc one. However, I now know I do not have to worry about Luke as he has found himself a hobby. He is trying to collect quarters. Quarters you may ask? but these are not just any quarters. These are the ones that have a different state on the back of them. This means that the first question he asks me when he comes in is if I have any new quarters for him. So, when he gets lonely (if he gets lonely) or misses the nagging he has the vending machines to go and visit. He seems to find endless amusement by changing notes and coins over and over again to see if he can get more of the quarters he needs. He might start to raise people’s suspicions though if he spends too long there. They will think he is trying to steal their contents!

I began to enjoy my last week having assured myself that Luke will be fine and he has the vending machines to have a chat. There was a slight glitch when the fire alarm going off. Whilst I was on the cross-trainer. Luckily it was a false alarm but it was slightly annoying or provided a nice breather, i’m not sure. I was then able to spend a few hours, with no disturbances, packing my suitcases up and I am beginning to realise I have a new dilemma. I seem to have acquired quite a few things since living here. That was not meant to happen! Not to mention my lovely shopping cart?! Unless I can disguise it as a carry-on bag? Or I may hide my sister in it and use her ticket for my cart as they are coming over next week. Surely she won’t mind. I’ll just have to make sure there in no spilt beer in there first and it will be all nice and cosy. All I have to do is sneakily wheel her on.

I was pleased that I manged to get my packing sorted as I was able to tootle along and say farewell to the market. I was excited to go and see what goodies were available and in season. I was all ready and thought I would grab a quick drink before heading out. Error. My flat now smells of soy sauce and it has done for a few hours. I was horrified to watch, in slow motion of course, as a bottle of the dark substance leapt from the fridge door rail and shattered all over the kitchen floor. I have yet to reach the puddle of soy sauce that I know is just floating around underneath the fridge. Yet, that wasn’t enough to deter me from the market it just delayed me. So after a speedy mop-up operation I went along to the market with a slight soy sauce smell clinging to me. Pleasant, maybe I shall produce my own perfume. I don’t think I anyone noticed?

Regardlessly I managed to grab a surprise present for someone from a lovely local farmer lady. I then returned to my smelly flat and lit as many candles as possible. I think I may even have to use a Yankee for this as a last resort. Oh well, I soon forgot about the smell as I indulged by making a fresh pot of coffee. My coffee machine is something I will find very, very hard to part with. Gosh, I am now going to have to actually pour hot water over coffee granules or, heaven forbid, make a cafetière! I then watched The Little Women. I have decided to make today slightly girlie, well as much as I can withstand, as Luke is away for the night. I then got sucked into watching an episode, or it might have been a couple, by accident of the real housewives series. It is far too addictive. I never liked Big Brother but this makes it ridiculously compulsive watching. I decided , after the third of fourth episode, to be a bit more mature and watch something educational. An American made documentary about the commoner who married Prince William, and her rear of the year sister. It is highly amusing how the Americans are portraying it. They adore them and it is very syrupy, slightly sycophantic and somewhat inaccurate.

 

Burlesque, Limos And Bringing The Pumpkins To Life

After a day finishing my secret sewing mission I was invited out for one quick drink with Luke and his colleagues. Well, you know when you are invited out for one quick drink that there is the distinct possibility it will be neither quick or just the one. As it turns out this is exactly what happened. So, quite a few drinks later we were still sat in the beer garden listening to some live music surrounded by a sea of red t-shirts due to a local Lilly fundraising day. Then after we all decided that enough drinks had been finished, especially on a work night, we escaped back home.

I felt very glad I did not have to go out to work on Friday and instead began the long process of beginning to pack all my belongings so I will be ready to leave Indianapolis in a few weeks.  It was a fairly sad process so I cheered myself up by a trip to Yogulatte with Luke and we sat on the wall, swinging our legs and just enjoying the beautiful colours of the autumn leaves.

Then we indulged even more with a cupcake from the Sweet Tooth Bakery. It was deliciously greedy of us.

We were then all set for a night in watching The Mentalist but we were lured away by something far more exciting. There was a food truckfestival below our balcony with an assotment of vans and delicacies.

However, what was more interesting was  when we saw a sign for the Angel Burlesque show so we thought why not? It was something new so we tootled along and got tickets. We then descended into the depths of the Murat Theatre and were led through an entrance coverded in a white drape and were seted at a candel lit table.

It was in a room which reminded me of the cabaret and it began to become full. The show was was a lot more funny than I though it would be. The women were so confident and had come up with some original sets, such as a mime artist and a ‘Where’s Wally?’ performance (or ‘Where’s Waldo’ as the Americans call it).

Now that is something I never quite pictured Wally doing.

After that new experience we decided to add personalities to our pumpkins

before heading to some more familiar territory on Saturday with a trip to the mall to get Luke’s early birthday present. We had to drive through the protests that have spilled over from New York to head to the mall for the present. With that purchased and a few more intended items, we did our customary walk around the food court to nibble on some samples before heading for a huge dinner at the Three Sisters Cafe. We sat out on the porch and enjoyed some huge sandwiches and various potatoes. I was then very glad that we had such a big dinner as we decided to go for some drinks with the other grads. This once again led to many more drinks and we ended up in The Wild Beaver with far too many shots

It was here that we met a group of Americansand were randomly invited to join them on their night out. This meant getting a limo, yes a real limo with alcohol supplied and everything, to another bar around the corner.

Yes this felt very lazy to me but we got to be lazy in style! The girls were lovely and it was a really enjoyable night out, although we found it difficult to explain why we didn’t get limos on our nights out in the UK. We explained that we walked or got taxis but they wondered if this was because we were poor? I couldn’t imagine having a limo on hire to take us to various bars every time we went out. Maybe I should try this next time I have a night out in the UK?

Unfortunately, I realised just how much we had drunk the next day and we spent all day on the sofa. Well I did. I sort of sent Luke out on errands for me which included picking up a huge Subway. Not just any Subway but a footlong. My hangover required it and it was just the cure for any hangover.

I then formerly added our two new members to the LuLu’s by lsetting them on fire. Don’t worry, this isn’t how I treat all newcomers. It was only the pumpkins!