Well she did sing I want mussels and blow me did she get some! I decided to try the restaurants at their own game, procured some live mussels, checked, prepp’d and scrubbed em, then cooked em in half a bottle of Pinot Grigio, butter, garlic, thyme and rosemary.
The proof is now in Mrs Fogg’s belly. Scrumptious.
Next time you are over we will do you some Foggy Moulles.
P.S, Anyone up for the Pleides BBQ 9/10/11 August?
Our new neighbours have arrived today. My first experience was the Mancunian conversations held by the removals company men. How many expletives can you get in one sentence?? By the sounds of it, not a happy place to work.
On then to meeting the newbies. Cue BMW man who drives up as I am sat reading in the lounge with windows open. I hear a car reverse, park and gravel crunching. Surely he hasn’t just parked on our drive??
Yup! Doorbell goes and Mr Magoo introduces himself telling me that he’s parked on my drive because he cannot get past the removal truck. Oh and this is Slobby the daft dog rolling all over your lawn. I hear you liked the house so much you bought this one, hmm a key selling point from our previous landlord then. Hmm. While I am friendly to most I cannot quite believe that our new neighbour a) thought it was ok to park up first then tell me he’s done it while b) introducing new dog who is slobbering happily all over the grass.
So I’m afraid I politely told him that every other car has managed to get past said truck and to go park in front of the graveyard. And no it was not ok to roll up onto my drive and park on my gravel and paving slab. Oh and I also gently asked him to get rid of Slobby too who wanted to come say hello to a woman balanced on crutches!
Did I sound grumpy? Perhaps a little. I’d never ever park on someone else’s drive unless I had actually asked first or they had offered. Dam cheek if you ask me.
I was going to go round later and say welcome, perhaps not now, I think I did the welcome bit already to Mr Magoo.
Grr. Mr Fogg is clearly having influence over me!
So the UK doctor seemed to find it amusing that we turned up to see her on Monday with me in a brace and with crutches. Joy. I’m not laughing with her. She is kindly organising physio.
Anyway, the foot swelling is continuing to reduce slowly and increased painkillers are starting to take effect. If nothing else I sleep to at least 11.30 daily. However the foot benefits from bring elevated and looks far far better each morning until I start to move a bit when the swelling and the bruising comes up again.
However, I am starting to hate the crutches. Unwieldy things, they get in the way of everything. Simple things are impossible. Making a drink – you can make it but have to stand where you are to drink it because you cannot carry anything. Going to the bathroom requires a degree in acrobatics, and showering, well forget that one for now. In fact carrying anything is not possible unless you place it in a carrier bag (which swings and unbalances you) or stick it in a rucksack. I’m on the latter since yesterday when I managed to fall big style in the kitchen. A combination of wearing a sock on my good foot for warmth, a cardigan and a slight imbalance had me getting the crutches caught in the cardigan, my good foot slipping and wham, fell full tilt sideways on the bad side like a scene from a bad cartoon. Still, I kept my foot from damage (twit that I am) by landing my full body on the floor and head on the radiator. Ouch!
Mr Fogg, on arrival home looked bemused at my now bent left crutch. I think I landed on that too. Oh dear, hope the crutch stays intact else I’ll have to resort to crawling, mind that may end up safer.
So, the plan is to try to get my foot load bearing ASAP so I can start to get back on my feet ( very appropriate eh?), reduce the drugs and do physio. Simple. Now for another sleep..
Well blow me looks like you’ve had a bit of sunshine in the UK and whilst it hasn’t been the blistering 111F of Vegas, it is always nice to see.
A lovely warm welcome back by Stu & Jen and a chance to crash after 28 hours awake.
So the R66 may be over for now, but we’ll see where our next journey takes us to.
Hot off the press. Latest foot pictures shows reduced swelling but bruising now coming out (black toes anyone), and of course the important Flight Sock.
Such a sexy image eh?
The current wheelchair is large enough for two. Only in the US!
After a surprisingly smooth exit from the Wyn (fantastic hotel, we’re coming back), an even smoother breeze through Airport security because of the wheelchair (although I was questioned because I was sweating after coming from 104 F to aircon carrying 3 bags and 2 helmets, so yeh normally I WOULDN’T BE SWEATING!!!!) and Mrs Fogg was swabbed everywhere (do we look like crims or what).
So here is our R66 tally:
– Motorcycle number one 0 miles
– 2 free caps and t-shirts
– Motorcycle number two 793 miles
– Hire Car one 188 miles
– Hire Car two 1458 miles
– 13 hotels
– 6 mile hike in the canyon
– £110 in mobile calls
– 7 foot X-rays
– 2 crutches
– 5 wheelchairs
– 2 Bubba Gumps
– 8 states
– 3 Time Zones
– 111 F in Vegas
– 1 severe hailstorm in Oklahoma
– 1 narrowly missed tornado (phew)
– 1 complete soaking
– 2 Springfields
– 1 crap Vegas show
– 1 very elegant flight sock
– 1 haircut
– 1 eyebrow wax
And we have lost count of the burger bars, veggies here we come.
Las Vegas is one of those places you either love or loathe. The first time we came in 2005, we hated it, but it does grow on you. There are people from all walks of life and the poverty here is very evident unless you are a tourist or the so called “elite”. I can only imagine anything is possible here for the right price.
Most come here to gamble, a lot of Americans appear to come here since it has all of Europe you could need (fake Paris, fake Venice, fake castle, etc). The casinos make it tricky to find your way out, entice you to the table and provide free food and booze until you are all spent up. Having a womble round some tables are minimum $50 bets (really £35 for the role of a dice or turn of the roulette wheel) and you can only imagine a salary being blown in an hour or less.
Card flickers line the streets handing out cards with “girlfriend” for the evening (all legal immigrants of course). People dressed as Mickey Mouse, Spider-Man (although I ain’t never seen a pot bellied one before), transformers, etc, all to entice you back into the casinos to spend what you have left and guys offering parties at strip clubs. 24/7 beggars line the sidewalks offering bottled water for $1 and one guy was even offering you the opportunity to “kick him in the nuts for 10 bucks”.
This place has it all, opulence, glitz, glamour, sleaze, poverty and depravity. Love it or Loathe it, you have to see it to believe it and draw your own conclusions. We just love to come and watch everyone else.
And finally, it has been so easy to concoct different scenarios for Mrs Fogg’s injury, since our cousins are a little gullible, “how’d you hurt your foot honey”, responses included:
– This is what happens if you don’t pay your hotel bill
– Foot got caught in the hotel lift and snapped it
– trapeze artist who slipped
And all were swallowed, hook, line, sinker and copy of angling times.
Chorlton on the move
Ah when in Vegas find another Bubba, a suitable way to finish the trip in the same eating style as we started in Chicago. so now we’ve been to a Bubba’s in Hong Kong, Tokyo (Potato Face, eh Jenny), Orlando, Chicago and Vegas. Just gotta find a few more, especially with the tasty CoronaRita beverage.
To round off the evening and trip we went to see the Criss Angel “Believe” magic show, which unfortunately was pants, no shocks, just the guy disappearing under the stage from a cape and reappearing elsewhere (come back Paul Daniels all is forgiven).
After a meander back to the Wyn, we’re all packed and ready to fly home.
Leaving Las Vegas from here.
Brilliant. A sign just for Mr Fogg.
Even better, just spotted the Cheesecake Factory. If you’ve never heard of this place imagine a heaven built out of all the different flavour cheesecakes.
Must dash- got a cheesecake to go devour
To paraphrase our US Cousins, Oh My God! For £90 a night (through Hotels.com and £30 to come back through Quidco) this is the Wyn Hotel and it is magnificent. After arriving at 5pm in blistering 111F, the air conditioned room was a blessed respite.
Valet parking, everything you want/need and an amazing view oh just look at that bathroom.
And to make you feel like you are here a couple of wee videos
