Thunder rolls

Is there anything quite so thrilling as watching the lightning strike and waiting for the thunder to roll? One thing I really missed from last time I was here in the states was the epic storms. When you're all tucked up inside and watching nature kick off, it just grabs you.

In a land where witches wear pink

What a whirlwind the last month has been! The final preparations for the big move kept me busy enough, but life since then has moved even faster!

On the 25th of July, I locked the front door of my wee flat for the final time, at least for a year. I flew to New York City, to spend a few short days with my pal, Effbit, and we crammed a fair amount into those days. However, my favorite moment had to be on the very first night. We took a walk in the evening, and wandered down to the east river ferry dock. We made there just in time, so that my first glimpse of Manhatten was filtered through a stunning sunset, that no camera could do justice to. At that moment, it finally dawned on me that I was really here, and really doing this. No tears for me, just sheer, unadulterated excitement.



Over the next days I took in Fifth Avenue, the Museum of Natural History, FAO Schwarz... And of course, Tiffany's. I loved spending time with my friend but all too soon it was over and I had to move on. Work was beckoning, so I hopped a train to Washington,DC for the next leg of my adventure.

After months of epic emails, and hours of skyping, I was finally going to meet my exchange partner! I arrived at the hotel first, and was very impressed with the huge room I was given, but I was too excited about meeting Rebecca to explore much at first. Luckily, I didn't have too long to wait before I heard the knock on my door.

I'm hoping that Reba will agree when I say we got on like a house on fire. We took every possible opportunity to escape the hotel and take in as many of the beautiful sights as we could and spend as much time together as we could.

Monday's destination was The Museum of American history, and amongst the other treasures, I was absolutely thrilled to see Dorothy's ruby slippers. Especially as Frank.L.Baums story became a recurring theme throughout our lectures.


It was a really interesting week meeting all the other Fulbrighters. We heard lots of interesting lecturers, and learnt a lot about the many different cultures represented. However, I was champing at the bit to get to my new home, and see my new school.

I'd heard a lot about southern hospitality, but nothing could have prepared me for the reality. The welcome I received was totally overwhelming and the sheer generosity of Rebecca's family and friends was heartwarming. I could not have been made to feel more at home, and I'm more convinced than ever that this year is going to be amazing.

I'm not naive, I know that culture shock will hit, and I know that there will be bad days, but I'm pretty sure that the people around me will support me through it.

I'm ready for school. Are you?

Strength lies in nights of peaceful slumbers

Well according to Julie Andrews it does! Sadly peaceful slumbers are not something I'm getting much of these days. With so much to be done before the big move ( just 65 days away now), I see lists and forms everywhere, including the back of my eyelids! Who knew there would be quite so much to do?

I'll be honest, the stressful nature of the last few weeks has put quite the crimp in my enthusiasm. Hopefully, by the end of next week, and the month, I'll have a visa, flights and my energy back to normal.

I'm really looking forward to telling my pupils and having them help me to learn more about where I'm going to be. It really is a big undertaking, and I'll be so so far away from my family and the things I know so well, but I just need to keep thinking about the new experiences I'll have out there.

Any advice folks? What should I expect from the deep south?

Emergency Paging Dr Beat.

This was meant to be my first ever post. Written in the hospital bed that started this whole ball rolling. It truly belongs in the Feb 2010 folder, so try to imagine it there if you can ;-)

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I’ll, be honest, I’ve heard of blogs, and understand the concept. I just didn’t think it would be something I would ever do. After all, I’m no writer, and with my terminal case of verbal diarrhoea you’re lucky if I make sense at all. However, this week I’ve found myself a reluctant resident in one of the NHS’s finest medical establishments and after listening to my tales of life chez l’hôpital, one of my guests suggested I have a stab at documenting life on the front line. Naturally, my first instinct was to laugh it off, but after 4 days here, I’ll try anything to relieve my boredom.

I arrived here on Monday morning bright and early. Admittedly, I’m not much of a morning person and don’t so much leap out of bed, as reluctantly peel away the duvet and drag my zombie-like body towards the bathroom for some cold water to kick start the day. Monday was no exception. I’ve not been sleeping well lately and hadn’t slept at all that night, so I was feeling particularly useless on my rise from the dead...sorry bed. I wandered into the bathroom, parked myself on the loo, with the day’s ‘to-do’ list scrolling through my head, and promptly blacked out. Not your Hollywood swoon with a graceful slide to the floor, but a cheek plastered to the wall and drooling down my chin job. So attractive! I came to a few minutes later and decided that just maybe, rather than driving myself to A+E, I should perhaps ask my neighbour to drive instead.

I’m amazingly lucky in my flat, in that I have fab neighbours on my floor. It’s a bit like being back in Dorms again, but more importantly, I like to think they’re good mates. So after a minute or two to wipe up the drool and make sure I was covered, if not decent, I banged on Charlie’s door. She looked just as awake as I felt, but didn’t hesitate to offer to drive me in, and we were suited and booted and on our way in to casualty in no time at all.

Now, I’m pretty cack-handed and have spent my fair share of time sampling the delights of various emergency departments, and so I wasn’t that worried about going in. After all, it was 8.30 on a Monday morning, how busy could it be? It wasn’t as if I had to contend with weekend drunks or sporting heroes. Judging from my years of experience, I reckoned we’d be in and out in about 2 hours or so. Perfect. Get them to check me over just in case, then crawl back into my bed and attempt to catch up on my missed sleep. It was the perfect plan...and like the best laid plans, destined to go awry.

It all started so well. The department was empty and I was seen by the triage nurse in less than 5 minutes. We settled down for the expected hour and half wait to see the docs. True to form, an hour and a half later I was called through to a cubicle. Thankfully, the lovely Charlie had stayed with me and was on hand to keep me entertained. See I’m not a good patient, I hate to wait for anything and have a tendency to forget or underplay my symptoms, and after calling me through , the rather scary doctor clutching the obligatory clipboard and sporting a 5 o’clock shadow, proceeded to disappear like the after eights at a party. There wasn’t hint nor hair of him for another hour, and just as I was settling in for my toddler in a tantrum scene, he finally reappeared. Man he was scary, he barked out questions like a drill sergeant on parade, and treated me like a specimen on a glass slide. He ordered some bloods and vanished yet again...for another bloody hour!

Thankfully, he was swiftly replaced by a very handsome young registrar, who made me go through the whole damn rigmarole again. Why do they bother taking a history and triage notes, if you’re going to have to go through it again and again? Still, I wasn’t so pleased to see him when he said that they were going to keep me in for observation. ‘Just 24 hours’ he promised. ‘Just let the cardiologist take a look then you can go home.’ I should bloody coco. I’m still here 5 days later!

Singing songs about the southlands

The last month has been a bit of a blur really. The Fulbright Commission made us wait until the last possible second before they put us out of our misery. They pushed back the announcement date a further week and when judgement day finally arrived they held out until 4pm before sending the email with our fate.

I was lucky, they had found me a match! When the email arrived, I was sitting in the waiting room at the dentist and I had to fight hard to resist the urge to demonstrate my victory dance to the other patients. My dentist was stunned at the change in me because usually I am an awful patient. She had never seen me so happy in her chair!

I've been paired with a lovely teacher from a school in Homewood, Alabama, where I will teach a 4th grade class. There are so many things to learn about the US education system and I'm going to have to adjust to having the same class of cherubs all day long. I've never been to Alabama and I'm so excited to learn more about my new home. I'll be there for the school year and I hope to travel some before I return to the UK the following year.

So what next? Well, I've been drowning under a small rainforest of paperwork for the last few weeks but I think I'm mostly up to date for now. Now I need to wait on some medical tests before visiting the US Embassy and sorting out my visa. My lovely partner and I are swapping long detailed emails, and skyping when we can, to get to know both each other and the job we will have to do. I'm taking this opportunity to gut and clear the tat from my flat before I go and I'm spending as much time as I can with my family and friends. 


I have no doubts that the year to come will be a hugely rewarding and fascintating experience and I'm very excited about 'The Big Move'. I have so many things to organise before I go that I've got lists for my lists and my penchant for buying stationary has paid off in spades. I'm begging friends for advice about living in the US, so if you've got any golden nuggets, leave me a comment below ;-) I'm off to make another list!


96 days and counting...The game is afoot!

This is your future calling....Hold please!

So it's been a long time since I posted...again. The half-term before christmas was really tough emotionally. I was working my ass off for school and well, the Mean Reds set in right after my last post and didn't lift til I went home to visit my family for Christmas. I was in a really bad place emotionally and I just wasn't sure how to move forward. Part of the reason for that is because my life has been on hold for a long time now. 

Around a year ago a colleague suggested that I might benefit from taking part in a teaching exchange. The more I thought about it, the more I realised that he was right. An exchange would give me the opportunity to experience life in a different country whilst retaining the security of my home and job here.

Being the go-getting gal I am, I immediately started researching the programmes which I was eligible for and after much searching I decided that the US/UK Fulbright Exchange was the one for me. I went and spoke to my boss and line manager, securing their support. I spoke to my family and friends for the same reason. Applications for the 2012/2013 cohort opened last September and my (endless) forms were submitted by the end of the second week. 

And thus the waiting game began. The wait until November to see if I made it through to the interview stage. 

Except they extended the deadline til January 9th. FML. Did I mention I have bugger all patience?

Luckily, I made it through to the interviews, which were at the end of January. I worked hard on the presentation they asked us to do, and found the perfect outfit. The big day came around pretty damn quick and I tootled off to London to give it my best shot.

After that I had to wait again. Only a week this time, to see whether I had made it to the shortlist. 

I did. 

So now I'm waiting for the last time. This time I'm waiting for a match. A teacher in the US who matches my skills/timetable, who would be suitable to swap with me. 

It's been four weeks since I heard I made the shortlist and those weeks have flown by. I wasn't bothered at all, as my life is busy and I knew that I wouldn't hear anything til March. However, the wording of their email was ambiguous. 

You will not hear from us again until March 2012. By Third week of March you will be notified whether or not it has been possible to find a US teacher to match you with.

Now to me, that means that I could hear from them any time between March 1st and March 21st. So I could know in 3 days...or 3 weeks. 

Patience has left the building people! I was fine during February, because I knew there was no way I would know until March. My mind could process that and live with it, but Holyshitsnacks people! I NEED a deadline! I need a finite point where this waiting game will end!

Right now I cannot look to the future. I cannot book theatre tickets or a holiday. For me, for now, life does not exist beyond the end of term in July. 

Pray for me people. I want this so badly, but right now, I just need to know either way, good or bad.

I need the wait to be over.

Yummy Yummy Yummy, I got love in my tummy!

So it's halfterm (finally) and since school seems to be locked up tight, preventing me from catching up on the endless marking, it's time to cook. I've been poring over the many various cooking blogs out there, picking and choosing and pinning (God, but I'm loveing Pinterest) so many recipes for the future. I've discovered the Pioneer Woman Cooks, and I'm a total convert.

I cannot duplicate Ree's fabulously witty repartee, but whilst skyping with my good pal Effbit, we decided it would be fun to document some of the lovely things I've been making. Naturally we didn't think of this before commencing the days goodies. Oh no, only smart organised women do that and whilst Effie is sharp as a tack, it's halfterm and I can barely remember my own name, let alone remember to take pictures of my cooking from the start. So you'll just have to make do with Blue Peter 'Here's one I made earlier' shots, and step by steps for the main attraction.

So what are these goodies you speak of, I hear you cry, well as I'm currently craving nothing but unhealthy crap, they are mostly chocolate related. Today's efforts were Mars bar Crispies (or death on a plate as my mamma calls them, though I note that it doesn't stop her from eating them), BBQ pizza (cos I can't afford Dominos right now) and Chocolate Orange Muffins. The pizza and crispies will be later blog posts (if anyone actually manages to follow the recipe in this one!) Therefore, without further ado I give you

Chocolate Orange Brownie Muffins

This was the only decently piped muffin in the end, admire it at your leisure.

I first came across this recipe at KnitCamp in 2010. A very kind fellow Raveller came to catch up with me there and brought me these to munch on while I travelled between Edinburgh and Stirling. The plain muffins she made were so delicious, even a few days later, that I had to ask for the recipe and when she gave it to me, I couldn't believe how simple and quick it was. Naturally, being me, I've mixed it up a little and obviously you can too.

So what do you need to make these delectable delights?

For the muffins:

150g butter

190g sugar (It doesn't matter what colour, I use a third each of light brown, dark brown & castor (superfine) sugar)

130g Orange flavour drinking chocolate (I plumped for Options-Low Calorie in outrageous orange, but hell, who am I kidding? These brownies are nowhere near healthy. Eat them at your peril I tell you!)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs (cold, so sticking in the fridge an hour or so before you want to use them)

2 tbsps ricotta cheese (optional, but it does make them extra yummy. Sadly, I had none left today)

80 g plain flour

For the frosting:

140g butter (room temp is best)

280g Icing (confectioners) sugar

1tbsp orange extract (or if like me you like cooking with booze, Grand Marnier)

a few drops of food colouring if you feel like it. Since it's Halloween, I'm going with orange ;-)

So good cooks make preparations, like placing their rack in the centre of the oven before pre-heating it to 225 centigrade (approx 435 Fahrenheit). Me, I turn the oven on, then hunt around for all the equipment I'll need, then have to use my oven mitts to move the rack back down from where I was grilling sausages the other day for my white hot mess o'pasta. nom nom nom!

Anyhoo, Preheat your oven to 225 and get out the following;

a microwaveable glass bowl,

a wooden spoon,

a sharp knife,

1/2 teaspoon measure,

a measuring jug,

a muffin tray,

Cupcake wrappers (I used silcone ones)

an ice-cream scoop (or a spoon if you like)

And so we get to the method, which like I said already, is unbelieveably simple.

cube the butter and place it into your glass bowl.

Place the sugars and drinking chocolate on top,

mmm Sandy Deliciousness

then microwave for about 30 seconds on high.

Please don't look at the mix I spilled when putting the bowl in!

You want to melt the butter and stir the contents together til totally combined. Don't panic if it looks curdled at this point. That's totally normal...apparently.

Don't panic Mr Mainwaring!

Now, return the bowl to the microwave and heat til it's hot. Not boiling, just hot. If the side of the bowl is unpleasantly warm to touch, then you're there. My 850 watt machine does this in just under a minute, but you'll want to adjust depending on how your baby works. Give the mix another good stir then leave the bowl to one side to cool down again

Now crack your eggs into the measuring jug, add the 1/2 tsp vanilla and beat them well.

Damn! With that belly I really shouldn't be making brownies.

Once the chocolate mix has cooled, add the eggs a wee bit at a time, beating well between additions and watch the mix go glossy. If you're going to add the ricotta, this is the time to do it folks.

Shiny shiny shiny

Add the flour and stir until there are no more streaks of flour visible. Now beat the whole mixture firmly for 40 strokes. You can do more if you like, but it's not necessary really.

Look at that snowstorm! And it's nothing compared to the blizzard of icing sugar I got all over the kitchen when making the frosting.

Put your cupcake wrappers into your muffin tray, then use your ice-cream scoop (or spoons if you like, I just find that the scoop helps me with portioning and is easier to use than spoons) to fill your cases. I got 9 muffins out of this mix.

Ooh, the timer caught an action shot. I flove action shots

Bake for 13-15 minutes in the centre of the oven. Once they're done, allow them to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then remove from the pan and wrappers and allow to cool thoroughly before frosting. I took this opportunity to eat my BBQ pizza and watch 'Don't tell the bride' (what was the man thinking!) and this week's 'Haven' whilst trying to fix my Frankie scarf (don't even bother asking about that hot mess).

Making the frosting couldn't be simpler. Beat all the frosting ingredients in a bowl til they are totally combined and are piping consistency. If you need to make it runnier, add a little milk, to make it thicker, add a little icing sugar. Shove this mix into whatever piping implement you prefer. I have a wee gun whojamaflip from the pampered chef (thanks mum!) which works a treat. Pipe your muffins however you prefer, then munch away to your heart's (if not your ass's) content.

Immediately after the flash went on this photo, I dropped the piping gun, sending orange frosting everywhere. Ask Effie, she laughed like a drain while I cleaned it all up again.

And there you have it people. Chocolate Orange Brownie Muffins. Gooey, sticky, sweet delights.

Don't look at the piping. I'd had several ciders by that point.

Happy Cooking people! Effbit, If I could get these to you, I totally would. Damn that ocean between us :-(

BTW- This was my first recipe/tutorial so feedback would be appreciated, as would pictures of your finished muffins ;-)