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Day 3,The Gathering Day 2

A picture of the Gathering from near the top of Arthur's Seat...


OK I am getting confused as I cant remember what day I did what...its that CRS(Can't Remember s&^%)creeping up on me again. Anyways...the first day at the Gathering was wonderfully sunny and so very crowded.But day 2 of the Gathering was chilly and very wet.No problem as I came prepared with raincoat and umbrella but someone should of told me to bring some boots cause it was very muddy but that was OK.We listened to pipers warm up....




And then we found this piper having some fun with his pipes...


Since it was so crowded the only real way to watch the games was from this huge,did I say HUGE? TV screen.It wasn't the same as being in the stands but like I said it was very crowded...


Now the Gathering was held at the base of Arthur's Seat which is in fact a 'hill' as they say and what I call a 'mountain'.When does a hill cease to be a hill and become a mountain? When you're walking up the blasted thing that's when!!! 'Ah,come on Carol you can climb it I know you can' If I heard that once,well ya know how it goes,tell me 'no don't' and I have to do it even if it kills me in the process.Now this 'hill' is only 823.5 ft high...ppfftttt 'just a wee bump' as one person told me on the way up the blasted thing.A 'wee bump' my arse... But I did it so take that boys of mine!!! See here's a picture of David standing near the top....just a little more dear...there ya go...one more step...perfect!


And to prove I was really there....


OK now to just give you an idea of just how high up we were see those little dots down there on the thin gray looking strip which is the sidewalk? Those are people,not little people but full grown people....and we weren't even up to the top!



And a view of the ocean and Edinburgh...





Another picture of that blasted 'wee bump'


Here's some heather for ya to look at...



And a thistle flower...




And these are the 'full fledged nuts' who decided it would be 'great fun' to RUN up that 'wee bump'...



After that fun filled trek up that damnable 'wee bump' we left the Gathering and started up the Royal Mile.Have I mentioned that Scotland is all up hill? Not a flat spot anywhere...except those spots that I sank into while following two specific males in my traveling group...But that story will come later.Nite ya'll...

Day 2....Part 2

Okey Dokey ...we're back from dinner so here's the rest of the story... We stayed at the Gathering for a few hours then decided to go get some dinner and spend the rest of the night on the Royal Mile before the big Clan Parade.I think all of Edinburgh is up hill,absolutely NOTHING goes down hill.I swear its ALL up hill even when it looks flat its up hill.Ok enough complaining...by the time we walked up the Royal Mile and went into every shop,well it felt like every shop anyway,I was pooped.By this time we are at the top of the Royal Mile the parade had started.So we found a spot up near the castle and waited for the first of the parade....and waited....and waited...and waited some more.But while we waited I found another kilted speciman for my daughter. this one is a starving artist kinda guy....



Now here comes the first of the parade....



And some more kilted marching by...




Then came ALBA (Scotland) with a William Wallace kinda guy leading the pack.



Now after about 45 minutes or so we start getting bored as the Wallace clan is surely going to be at the end of the parade if not 'the' end and they were still only on the clans starting with 'M' and well....isnt that just about everyone in Scotland? So we decided to start making our way slowly up to the castle to our reserved seats for the 'big' show.So there we were walking up the sidewalk to stay out of the parade and weaving in and out of the crowds and we come up to a gate blocking the sidewalk.I politely ask these two little old ladies if they would 'excuse me and let me pass so I can get to the other side'.Well you'd of thought I was commiting a major sin or sometihng when I did as they both looked at me and one of them says 'And where is it you want to be going and how many are ya?' I replied 'Just me and my husband,we would like to go up to our reserved seats for the show'.I should of taken her picture,the look on her face was pricless.I dont know what she thought I was wanted but she sure didnt want me to go past her and her friend.It was like they were guarding the sidewalk or something.I finially decide that I was going to have to be gutsy and just push my through when she gave me a digusted look and mumbled something and let me go on,it was close there for awhile as I thought I was going to have to go nose to nose with a little bitty old lady.

Now once inside sitting in our seats I found I was being paid homage too by some kilted fellows....a couple of them had a difficult time finding me...maybe they had too much beer or something...



But this guy just kept bowing.....



Then they had William Wallace(again I think it was)



He started fighting something and then the trees swallowed up him and spit him up and out and they carried him away....



Now after the trees doing their thing they lost me. But it went on for several minutes then the bagpipes came marching out...that was the best part...wish I knew how to put up a video cause it was really neat...



That was it for day 2 and since I didnt always have excess to the internet the dates and the day we did them are not going to match.Just so you know....I'll get to day three as soon as I can.I just hope I can remember everything cause I know our wonderful guide Alistair is gonna test me on all this....I just know it and I already failed once.Too much was seen and my brain is still on info over load...

Day 2....The Gathering part 1

OK ...day 2...what did we do? Oh yeah the Gathering.It was a beautiful day and so very crowded! Good grief....I think I heard every language imaginable. we met up with a woman Nadine who I met through one of Diana Gabaldon yahoo groups and sat with during Diana's speach/talk.Diana blows me away everytime I hear her speak.She read a couple of exerpts from her book Echo of the Bone but nothing I havent heard before.I cant wait for the next book.She didnt drop any news about what else is in the book or anything about new about movie deals and we all forgot to ask about the graphic novel too! Too much was going on at the time and did I mention it was very crowded.



After the talk we went and found Alistair of Clans and Castles Tours.Alistair regonized me from my picture off his blog and facebook.I wasnt expecting him to know who I was but he did.We walked around and I swear I really did try to find young kilted guys but all there was were older and older men in kilts. Not that they looked bad its just I was hoping for more of a younger group...Sorry guys....



Prince Charles was there too by the way and maybe one of the reasons it was so crowded and no I did not see/meet him nor did I really want too meet him rather he was kilted or not.

Then while we were looking around we bought some lunch called 'pasties' and no not the Gypsy Rose Lee twirly kind that are glued to your nipples either...I know ya'll were thinking that....but the kind with beef and gravy inside a pastry.It was very hot and not too bad.Then we continued on with the kilt hunt (David was not so very helpful in this venture either)But we found what should NOT be in a kilt.....



See that guys face? It just proves that the front really was worse then the back!

Now this is for my daughter Katlyn,just for her .....



And this old man? well what was he thinking?



Here are some kilted....


And this is one very special guy....


And when he caught me taking his picture he decided to sing to me....Oh joys of joys..




More to follow but now its time to go meet up with our guide for dinner....

Day 1....or is it Night 1?

Flying over Amsterdam...


Ok I really have not gone MIA ....just having not so great Internet.We made it here to Edinburgh but boy did it take forever! We flew from Detroit to Amsterdam(thanks to David I am hooked on flying business/first class and it will never happen again) then on to London where we sat on the plane strapped to our seats for 2 1/2 hours and not moving cause it was raining.Then we finally make to Edinburgh. Where of course it was still raining,but that was expected so no big surprise.The surprise was when we get into the taxi and neither one of us could pronounce the name of the hotel and we just sat there looking at each other waiting to see who would attempt to say it and look like an idiot first....I kept my mouth shut. Here is the hotel....



Since it is now 12 midnight and we have to get up early in the morning to go to Culloden Battlefield I will finish up tomorrow night....I hope....but dont give up on me yet.....

D-Day and wasting time....

So here we sit...Mom,Jacob and Katlyn playing the card game Hand and Foot.And for those of you who dont know about this game its very addictive and the goal of the game is to see who can beat Gramma.I think she cheats....trick cards or something.
David has all the suitcases in the carexcept my laptop and now we just sit and wait....and wait....and wait for another 2 hours and we'll be off.Jacob is annoying Gramma,Katlyn is sulking cause she wants to go with me and the two little girls haven't got a clue about space and time.They think we are going to leave without kissing them goodbye even if we are just going to the bathroom and we tell them so.They are following us everywhere afraid we'll sneak off.I on the other hand am a nervous wreck as flying is not my favorite thing in life to do but because I want to get to where I wanna be before I die of old age I take my 'I'm happy and right now I don't care where I am or where I am going ' pills and move on.Now Jacob is making plans for the money he thinks he will get if the plane crashes with us on it....That's love for ya.I am beginning to wonder if he has some really high expectations he hasn't mentioned before.But that's OK because I took my happy pill and all is right with the world...at least my world anyway....Now it seems I need to help find the DVD remote or the little girls will start having spasms from lack of princess movies.Jacob is thrilled its lost...and will continue to be until he wants to watch one of his blow 'em up and gut 'em with big guns movies. Oh well....I don't care who watches what as I'm so excited!!! So now that song is so stuck in my head (beats the Barney theme song)....I am off to make sure I packed everything but the proverbial

1 Day Left...

Ok today Katlyn helped me...well actually she did the packing and I laid on the bed dying from the worlds worst headache,it hurt just to move...I love ya Kat! Anyways...we spent all afternoon matching outfits over and over then putting them into those space bags(those bags are great!) We arranged and rearranged to get everything in the silly suitcase and then we had the girls sit on them to help zip them up! WOOHOO!! We did it!!! I call David to tell him I was all packed and he says...

David:'Did you have enough room in those two black bags?'
Me:'What do you mean two black bags?I thought I could only take the one large bag?
David: 'No dear you get the large bag and a small bag and I get the other two smaller bags'
Me: 'WHAT?!?! Katlyn and I spent all afternoon cramming my clothes into that large bag!!! What do you mean I get two bags?????'
David: 'Dear, you werent listening to me....'
Me: 'Dont even go there....''
David:'Ok then...maybe you were distracted when I said we could each have two bags...'
Me:'Ya think?'
David: 'You OK?'
Me: 'No my head just exploded'

Have I mentioned before how much I HATE packing? Well I do and I thought I was all done!!! Now I have to do it all over again....GADS....I need a drink.....

2 Days left and look what I've got packed...

I think I need just a tad more in the way of clothes don't you? I stood in my closet and stared at the stuff hanging up and stare was all I could do.I hate packing....really I do.I looked at those clothes and I thought 'I think I am over thinking this process.It's not like its rocket science,its packing a suitcase for crying out loud!' So after 30 minutes I gave up and went back downstairs to cook dinner.I do better under pressure anyway.Besides do I really need clothes? David says 'pack so we don't have to worry about doing laundry'.WHAT!?! We're talking two weeks here!That's 14 pairs of underwear,14 pairs of socks!!That's what? 28 pieces of clothing already and I don't even have my pants,shirts,sweater,raincoat or toothbrush and lets not forget my curling iron,cant leave home without that! He is insane...plain and simple! He says "I plan on taking just 7 pairs of underwear and just turning them inside out to get one more day or wear outta them" I had to explain to him that he wasn't going on a Boy Scout camping trip where that's the thing to do and IF he planned on sitting next to me at anytime after the first 7 days he had another thing coming!
So I have one carry-on bag and one large suitcase to pack up and he has the two smaller suitcases.We are suppose to leave the house by 1pm and he is waiting until after breakfast to pack Thursday morning!? I wish I could pack like that.Maybe it's because I am so used to packing for all the kids and then me and planning for spilled drinks,dribbled bits of lunch,extra panties for potty mishaps....wait I still have to do that! Just because 'he' is older doesn't mean I don't have to pack extra....just in case....Love ya Dear....

3 more days to go...

Yeah,right like I am going to let these two sneak into my suitcase...This is a 'kid'-less vacation girls.One that I have waited to go on for years.Now it is here and these two are trying to go along.....nuh-uh...no way...not a chance...when piglets fly....I still have my fingers crossed so no one gets sick or hurt...hear that Kat? No one is allowed to get sick.I got my new clothes all ironed and ready to sit in the suitcase so they can become all wrinkled again.I got my raincoat,umbrella,an extra pair of shoes in case one pair gets soggy,my extra socks which every good traveler knows to pack and of course some chocolate for me and Skittles for David.I cant forget about him because without him this trip wouldn't be possible....and besides who would carry all my suitcases? He's gotta go with me....he did pay for the tickets....I promise to be good dear....at least once a day anyway.....Ohhhh... get your minds outta the gutter you LAMBettes,you know who you are....I was referring to not making fun of him wearing the camera around his neck like a tourist....its so embarrassing....
Feel free to post back to me guys....I plan on having a blast and if David plays the party pooper...well....he can sit and watch....is that the gutter I see LAMBettes?.....He can watch me kilt watch and making nice with the natives and staying up past 10pm...I can stay up past 10 I know I can...I know I can....now back to the mom thing and getting certain girls outta my suitcase and into their beds...