A licensed driver

A few days into summer Darcy started a driver's education class. Because of her IB studies she is not able to take the class during the school year. Madison never got her permit in time to take the summer session each year, but Darcy had her permit as soon as she turned fifteen. She signed up for the class the first hour the class opened.

The program was held at another high school about twenty minutes away. She was in the class with two friends and arranged a car pool. There were over forty kids in the class and five cars. They drove in the parking lot around and around. "It is so boring," she told us. There were two instructors, one from our school and one from the school where the class was taught. One instructor was in charge of the parking lot driving and the other instructor would take out two students on the road. When students weren't driving they sat on the bleachers in the Florida sun and heat. It made for a very long day. Darcy would come home each day drenched in sweat and hop in the pool or in the shower. Then she would gripe about how "stupid" the class was and how she wasn't getting anything out of it.

The teacher, from the other school, would sit in the parking lot under an umbrella and read the newspaper. The students, three to a car, would drive and practice the day's maneuvers through the parking lot. The students on the bleachers would play cards, read, or talk. The stories she told made me shake my head because it seemed no one was paying attention to the students in the car. At one point while a student was driving she ran up the sidewalk and into a pole, "slowly" Darcy told us, and almost on to the tennis courts. The students all gasped, but the teacher reading the newspaper apparently never saw. His back was turned and so assessing there was no damage the student backed the car off of the sidewalk and continued on as if nothing had happened.

The class was twelve days, but if students passed in ten days then they were home free. Darcy had no trouble. She had practice with my friend SueG. She drove with us. She took the sheriff's defensive driving school. She drove circles around most of the kids when out on the road. Her instructor, from our school, was pretty impressed by her skills and she passed the day before we left for the United Kingdom. As soon as the class ended we were at the DMV.

God help me, but my daughter is a licensed driver.

I don't remember my parents or my neighbors being concerned about us kids driving. I remember the first time I drove by myself. I was way more frightened then my parents seemed to be. They let me take off in the car to go, I think, to the movies. I remember being really scared driving home in the dark. After that I only remember my mother being worried about my brother because his girlfriend (now his wife) lived way out in the country about thirty minutes away. I certainly know that she wasn't concerned about Madison driving as she kept pushing her to get her license. (She still doesn't have that.)

Today's driving is WAY worse then it was in my day. We have texting. We have phones. Our county doesn't even require classes! I'm a wreck every time Darcy leaves in the car. I didn't have to worry about it much because we left before she could drive by herself. The day after we got back she was hounding her day to get insurance and once that happened she was off. I insisted we sit down with her and have a conversation about rules. My husband was very nonchalant during the conversation and he and Darcy were doing way too much smiling and giggling as I talked. I started crying. "This is serious business," I told them. For heaven's sake, my husband did not let other adults drive Madison in a car until she was about seven years old. If friends invited her places, Tom drove her or accompanied her. I thought I was going to have way more back up about her driving.

We I told her she couldn't drive other kids until she had some experience under her belt. She heard one month. My SIL talked me into breaking that rule when they arrived because she was hoping that seeing Darcy driving would spur her daughter into taking her test. So Darcy and Gabby and Madison drove to play laser tag and drove to get Starbucks and drove to do anything that my SIL could talk me into. The girls reported back that Darcy was a good driver.

I'm trying to let go. I'm trying not to freak. Darcy meanwhile reminds me that she can drive to the store to get "whatever you need". She is being respectful of my concerns. I just hope that the other drivers are paying attention. I'm also hoping she isn't some day going to ask to take flying license so she can get her pilot's license.

Does the queen even eat BLTs?

BLT night was a treat at my house. At least that's the way I remember it. I loved BLT night. We had the sandwiches, fresh Indiana corn on the cob, and homemade iced sweet tea. The only downside to that night was the rule that my brother and I had to eat one slice of tomato either on a sandwich or on our plate. My brother and I did not care for tomatoes. I always ate my tomato on my first sandwich so that I could enjoy my BL sandwich last.

I have such fond, vivid memories of the teapot steeping the bags of tea, my mother sweating over sizzling bacon on the stove, and my job (among others) of getting out the white bread to put on the table with the toaster. Back in my day everything was done properly. We didn't just put the loaf of bread on the table. We put slices on a plate that went on the table. On BLT night I counted out the slices; two for one sandwich a piece. We ate one pound of bacon between the four of us and each slice was counted out so that we usually ended up with one and a half sandwiches each. Some of us liked our bread toasted and some of us did not. Because of that we left the extra bread slices in the plastic bread bag so that they would stay fresh and "squishy" as my brother and I said.

When we got back from the UK my friend Sharon had left us a pound of bacon and a loaf of bread. I bought the rest of the ingredients and we had BLT night. Dinner at my house is not very proper. About a year ago we quit eating at the dinner table. Tom was never home in time, the girls were off at various activities, and we rarely were all together. I got in the habit of eating on the couch in front of the television. Eventually the girls joined me there. On the weekends we all do better, but during the week we serve in the kitchen and eat in the dining room. Depending on what we are having I either leave food in the pans or put them in a bowl on the counter.

That night I must have still been in vacation mode where we had eaten together properly, and so I had the bacon on a plate, the tomato sliced up on a plate with the torn lettuce, the corn in the pot, and the tea in a pitcher. I got out a plate and put six slices of bread on it; four for the girls and two for me. Tom was not home yet from work and so I didn't put any out for him. I assembled my plate and sat down. Madison appeared first when called to dinner.

Madison: "Is this all of the bread?"
Me: "No. We have a whole loaf."
Madison: "Whose plate is this?"
Me: "Nobody's. That's the bread plate. Two pieces for you and two pieces for Darcy."
Madison: "Is there only enough bread for one sandwich?"
Me: "No. There's a whole loaf of bread. I left the rest in there to keep it fresh."
Madison: "I was going to make both of my sandwiches now."
Me: "Then get more bread."
Madison: "Why didn't you just put out the loaf of bread for us to get it? Why would you dirty a plate?"
Me: "Because this is the posh way of doing things."
Madison: "Well that's stupid."

She assembled her plate and sat down. Darcy then wandered in to make her plate.

Darcy: "Is this all of the bread?"
Madison: (giggling) "See!"
Me: "No. There is a whole loaf of bread."
Darcy: "Why are there only two pieces of bread on this plate? Am I only allowed two pieces of bread?"
Me: "Oh, my god! No. You can have as many pieces as you want. Just leave some bacon for your dad."
Darcy: "Is there any bread for Dad?"
Madison: "I told you. It's weird the way you did that."
Me: "I wanted to just put out what we are using now. That way the bread is fresh for the next sandwich."
Darcy: "But why didn't you just put out the loaf of bread for us to get our bread out of in the first place?"
Madison: (laughing) See. I told you. That would have made more sense."
Me: "Because that is the proper way."
Madison: "Proper way? For whom?"
Me: "For us. Would you put the loaf of bread out if you were serving the queen?"
Darcy: "We aren't exactly proper people, you know."
Madison: "And the queen isn't here for dinner."
Darcy: "And aren't we just getting out the loaf of bread when we get the bread for the second sandwich anyway?"
Madison: "It really doesn't make any sense. You are always trying to do "posh things" and they don't make sense."
Me: "Then make your own damn dinner. I don't care."
Madison: "Well, now you're just getting angry."
Me: "Yes. Because I'm trying to eat and you're giving me indigestion. That's the way my mother did it when I was a kid and that's the way I did it tonight. Okay?"
Madison: "It's just weird."
Darcy: "It's stupid."

She assembled her sandwich. We all ate sitting on the couch watching television. About halfway through our sandwiches, Tom came home. Normally he comes homes and cleans the pool and takes the dog outside to play or other things. He never eats right away. His dinner time is usually after nine o'clock after everything is cleaned up and in the refrigerator. Not tonight.

Tom: "I smell bacon. Yum. Did you leave me any?"
Me: "Yes, it is all sitting out there. Are you going to eat now?"
Tom: "I am. I'm starving. I didn't get lunch."

He went into the kitchen, the dog trailing behind. We could hear him talking to the dog and opening and closing cabinets and drawers as he got a plate and silverware.

Tom: "Wow. Tomatoes. Did you guys eat tomatoes?"
Me: (lying) Yes, we each ate a slice on our sandwiches."
Tom: "You're lying. Do we not have any bread?"
Madison and Darcy burst out laughing hysterically.
Me: "Yes, we have bread. It's in the bread box."
Tom: "Well, why isn't it out here with the rest of the stuff."
Madison: "Because Mom was being posh and putting it out on a plate."
Tom: "Well you can just set the loaf out here with the rest of the food and we can help ourselves."

More laughter ensued. I got up to leave the room before I burst out laughing too. I looked up at my mom's ashes where she overlooks our room.

Me: "They will never be invited to meet the queen I'm afraid. I'm sorry. At least you can rest easy knowing I will be properly prepared."
Madison: "Yes, but Grandma knows we already met the queen."
Darcy: "And I bet the queen doesn't even eat BLT sandwiches."

Hotel & UK Wrap Up

For fun we rated our hotels after each stay on a scale from 1-5 with 5 being the best. We had some argument on the scale with some wanting a 1-10 scale and some wanting a grading system. In the end we kept this one and added some likes and dislikes. I averaged out our scores to get a totel. I also went last and gave some extra comments when necessary (in italics)

Ashling Hotel - Dublin, Ireland - 1 night

Beds - We had two double beds and three twins

Average Score: 4

We agreed the score might have been skewed as we were all just exhausted from being up over twenty-four hours. 

Rooms - Two rooms; one with a double and single bed and the other a suite with one room with the a double and the other with two twin beds.

Average Score: 3.8
Lowest rating: Darcy with a 3

Breakfast - Breakfast was always included with our room whether at a B&B or a hotel

Average Score: 3.6

Staff - 

Average Score: 3.5
Highest rating: Tom with a 5
No rating: Cara who felt she had no dealings with any staff

View from bedroom window - Overlooked Dublin

Average Score: 3
No rating: Tom and Darcy who never bothered to look out the window

Likes

Darcy - n/a 

Maddy - n/a

Tom - It was easy to check in

Mary Anne - The location

Cara - I got a great nights sleep

Dislikes

Darcy - n/a - I really was too tired to notice anything

Maddy - The weird lemon smell in the hallway

Tom - The magnetic fire door between the lift and rooms, the smell in the hallway

Mary Anne - The tight car garage

Cara - Having to have the room key to turn on the lights, the car garage
Although in hindsight (as we discovered much later) having a car garage was a treat that we should have appreciated.

The Killarney House - Blarney, Ireland - 1 night

Beds - We had two King beds and one double

Average Score: 3.4
Highest rating: Mary Anne with a 5
Lowest rating: Madison with a 2

Rooms - Two rooms, one with two King beds, a balcony, and one with a double bed 

Average Score: 4.8
The rooms received a 4.5 or 5 from us. It was quite the estate on a huge piece of land and was decorated in what I considered very old style English decor. Mary Anne's room was beautiful, and not just because it was purple. It was simple. Our room was a little overboard I thought with the red velvet-like heavy decor. But everything in the place was quite nice.

Hotels

Breakfast

Average Score: 4.2
Highest rating: Mary Anne with a 5
Lowest rating: Madison with a 3.5
I liked this breakfast for the view of the grounds and the decorations as well as the fresh fruit. The peaches were amazing! The eggs were fresh and she kept the coffee coming. Not sure why Madison wasn't as satisfied as the rest of us.

Staff

Average Score: 4.2
Highest rating: Mary Anne with a 5
Lowest rating: Maddy with a 3.5
Both ladies are consistent!

View from bedroom window - Overlooked the back property and woods

Average Score: 5

Likes

Darcy - The balcony, the dog, and the hammock

Maddy - The decor, the bedroom, and the grounds

Tom - The estate and the dog

Mary Anne - The decor, the dog, and the location

Cara - The view from my room off of the balcony

Dislikes

Darcy - Carrying the luggage up those stairs

Maddy - The bathroom window right on the balcony

Tom - Didn't dislike a thing

Mary Anne - Me neither

Cara - The pillow, the heavy drapes over the windows, and the bedroom decor

Rossarney House B&;B - Killarney, Ireland - 2 nights

Beds - Two doubles and two twins 

Average: 3.6
Highest rating: Mary Anne with a 5
Lowest rating: Cara with a 2
The twin bed I had was too hard. The other beds were not as hard. By the second night I was use to it (and would find that a lot of my beds were hard). The one Tom had was way softer. He wouldn't change. 

Rooms - Two rooms; one with a double and two twins, one with a double 

Average Score: 4.32
Highest rating: Mary Anne with a 5
The room and arrangement for the two twins and a double was tight with the four of us in there, but we only slept there. If we had extra time we went down to the lounge. Triona told us that in the beginning, and when she spoke people listened. 

Breakfast

Average Score: 4.1
Highest rating: Cara with a 5

We got to choose nightly from three menus and pancakes were one of them. Since the breakfasts up to this point had all been the same with eggs and bacon (not the bacon we are used to, but huge slabs of fatty ham) the pancakes were different. They were so delicious; thin and like Swedish pancakes. I had them both mornings and they came with a fruit bowl that even had grapes. Mary Anne got them the second morning and agreed with me.

Staff

Average Score: 5+

We loved Triona and her husband. If you couldn't tell. The woman was incredible!

View from bedroom window - Overlooked the front of the street

Average Score: 3.2
Lowest rating: Madison with a 1
The view really wasn't anything but the street that all the B&B's sat on. Across the street was a house that was being working on with lots of construction that started in the morning, but that was done by tea time. It is going to be a home for people with down syndrome. 

Likes

Darcy - Triona and her accent

Maddy - Felt very welcome, loved the lounge where I could drink tea

Tom - Staff, location, having someone tell us what to do and see, felt like home

Mary Anne - Conversations with Triona

Cara - William and Triona, the lounge, the tea set up in the dining room

Dislikes

Darcy - Small bathroom

Maddy - Liked it all

Tom - No dislikes

Mary Anne - Nothing

Cara - Small shower, conserving of water - made me nervous when I used water or flushed

Nellie Dees B&B - Ireland - 1 night

Beds - Two doubles and one twin

Average Score: 3.4
Highest score: Cara with a 5
Lowest score: Mary Anne with a 2

Rooms - Two rooms; one with a double and one with a double and a twin 

Average Score: 3.8
Highest score: Cara with a 5
Mary Anne and the girls bunked together so their room was tighter. Our room was simply perfect from the decor and wooden floor to the bed with decent pillows. The bathroom was large and the shower was modern with tons of hot running water. Tom went out after dinner to walk around so by the time he took a shower he had no hot water after all the guests used it, but he had it in the morning.

Breakfast

Average Score: 3.6
The eggs were powdered and inedible and the bacon too fatty. The porridge, something new that we hadn't had, was delicious! Tom, Mary Anne, and I ordered that and Tom and I found it delightful. Mary Anne didn't care for it as she thought it too runny. After eating the porridge, however, I was full and eggs and bacon and all the other food these Europeans eat in the morning is crazy and way too much!

Staff

Average score: 2.5
The girls and Mary Anne wanted to break down the scoring between the husband and the wife because they were so vastly different, but Tom and I just scored them together as we have done with all of the staff because there were always people we liked and didn't like.
Darcy - I give female a 0 and the male a 3

Maddy - I give the man a 3.5 and his wife a 0

Mary Anne - Wife a 0, husband 3

A very odd experience with the hosts. Madison explains below.

View from bedroom window - Overlooked the back yard and front yard

Average score: 3
Only voter: Cara

How people didn't look out the window was always a mystery to me. 

Likes

Darcy - Nothing

Maddy - It was clean, the views were pretty

Tom - Pretty view from breakfast room

Mary Anne - Nice size rooms, good shower

Cara - Clean, great shower, beautiful wood floors and decor

Dislikes

Darcy - The lady seemed mean

Maddy - That poor man is being held hostage. He wants to run a B&B and she won't let him live his dream.

Tom - Small town

Mary Anne - The woman

Cara - Yes, the female host ruined this one. She acted like a disgruntled employee. I get the whole having a bad day, but when running a place like this you have to suck it up and pretend. She seemed very uninterested in the whole process.

Woodside B&B - Mullingar, Ireland - 1 night

Beds - Two doubles and a twin

Average Score: 4.8

Rooms - Two rooms, one with a double and one with double and a twin

Average Score: 4.4

Breakfast - Didn't eat as we had to leave for airport

Darcy - Best yogurt on the whole trip

Maddy - I didn't eat, but want to give her a 5 for getting up and offering to cook

Tom - Both she and her husband got up. 

Mary Anne - 5 I had a banana and coffee

Cara - It was sweet of them. Very nice couple. 

Staff

Average Score: 5

View from bedroom window - Overlooked front and back yards 

Average score: 4.5
Not rating: Darcy and Madison who didn't look outside their window

Likes

Darcy - The yogurt

Maddy - The lady

Tom - The staff

Mary Anne - She was a very Irish woman

Cara - Beautiful estate and home, good bathroom

Dislikes

Darcy - Nothing

Maddy - No

Tom - No

Mary Anne - Nothing

Cara - Me too. Nothing. 

Carmelite Hotel - Aberdeen, Scotland - 2 nights

Beds - Two doubles and one twin

Average Score: 2.6
Lowest Score: Cara with a 1
My bed had a dip in the middle of the mattress (and mattress is an iffy word to use for it) so when I was lying in it it was like I was tilted. Worst bed of the trip. Tom's was not like that. 

Rooms - Three rooms, one specialized room with double, one with 2 twins, one twin 

Average Score: 4.2
Highest rating: Darcy with a 5

The room set up here was odd. Tom and I were clear across the hotel from the other two rooms. Madison and Darcy were given a room called the dressing room which was huge with a sofa and a game table and a desk. They had another room for dressing with a powder table. Their bathroom was quite large and they had a huge closet. Tom and I were above and across from a bar so it was a party until 2:00 am. although they did provide ear plugs.

Breakfast

Average Score: 3.7
Lowest rating: Cara with a 3.5
I think by this time we were just tired of the same thing. This place did have a better selection of pastries that were fresher and we had cute little jars of jelly on our table. Mary Anne decided she needed these for her house so a few might have made it home with her.

Staff

Average Score: 2.8
Lowest rating: Cara with a 2
First of all the place was odd in that guests entered through the dining room which was always busy. The reception lady seemed more interested in the dining room than the hotel. The serving staff in the evening when we had guests and wanted desserts and drinks were terrible. We only saw her once and then we had to track her down. Mary Anne and Tom had to go look for her when it came time to sign the bill too. In the morning they were never sure if our breakfast was included and they had to check before we could continue.

View from bedroom window - Overlooked front of building 

Average Score: 3.25
We were all over the place with this one with Darcy not scoring because she didn't look out the window. I give it the highest rating with a 4 because I thought the building across from us was interesting architecturally.  

Likes

Darcy - The room. it was big and comfy

Maddy - The design, the Jenga games everywhere

Tom - Lots of gadgets for an old hotel, modern decor

Mary Anne - Location

Cara - The separate toilet and shower rooms

Dislikes

Darcy - The bed. I could feel the springs. It was like a pullout sofa

Maddy - Bed with its springs. I didn't sleep well. 

Tom - The parking issues and its access to the hotel

Mary Anne - The parking situation and having to wait forever for the car.

Cara - The lousy wifi, the Saturday night loudness, the stairs, and the waitresses

Best Western Palace - Inverness, Scotland - 3 nights

Beds - Two kings and a twin

Average Score: 4.3
Lowest rating: Cara with a 3.5
Highest rating: Madison and Mary Anne with 5's

Rooms - Three rooms, two kings, one twin

Average Score: 4.2
Highest rating: Mary Anne with a 5
The girls had the middle room with three large windows and the best view and a great breeze. It was wasted on them. Mary Anne had a little balcony that was nice. 

Breakfast

Average Score: 2.75
No rating: Madison who never woke up in time to get breakfast

Staff

Average Score: 3.8
Lowest rating: Tom with a 3

View from bedroom window - Overlooked the Loch Ness and Inverness Castle

Average Score: 4.7
The view was incredible. I don't know what these people wanted. We had the Loch running directly outside our window

and the castle straight up from us on the hill. 

The city was to our left 

and two churches and beautiful architecture were on our right. 

The girls had all three views from their three windows. All the windows were floor to ceiling. Just lovely. I rated it a 5+ and Mary Anne gave it a 5. Jeez, the other three? I think they all need glasses.

Likes

Darcy - The chairs by the window and the wifi

Maddy - The bed and the wifi

Tom - Location and view

Mary Anne - The entertainment that first night when Cara and I sang with the Canadians and the mountains.

Cara - The location, the view, the wifi, the shower, the ice, the different entertainment in the evenings, and the working warming towel rack. 

Dislikes

Darcy - No bathtub. Oh, and the bees that flew in our windows. 

Maddy - They didn't replace our conditioner. 

Tom - No shower curtain and the whole bathroom arrangement. 

Mary Anne - I have nothing.  

Cara - The wait staff head honcho who acted like we were at the queen's castle. I didn't like how they pulled plates out from under us and started setting up for dinner while we were still eating breakfast. 

Bonham Hotel Edinburgh - Edinburgh, Scotland - 1 night

Beds - Three doubles

Average Score: 3

Rooms - Three rooms, three doubles

Average Score: 3

Breakfast

Average Score: 4
We liked this breakfast because it had new menu items. I had french toast.

Staff 

Average Score: 4
I scored high because the guy with the hairdryer was funny. (And nice after I set off the fire alarm).

View from bedroom window  

Average Score: 3

Likes

Darcy - The wifi, the beds.

Maddy - The fizzy water in the room.

Tom - The pillow was good. The room was nice.

Mary Anne - I liked it all.

Cara -  The bed and the covers. The view from the window. And we had a refrigerator. We couldn't eat the things out of it, but I could store my water bottle for cold water.

Dislikes

Darcy - The pillows

Maddy - The shower leaked.

Tom - We were missing a hairdryer. The bed.

Mary Anne - The location. I thought we would be farther into the center of the city. Oh, and the loud alarm that Cara set off.

Cara - The window treatment set up. The hair dryer issue. The layout was a bit odd too, but the hotel was once a hospital and then a dorm for girls so I suppose that can't be helped. I liked the purple in our room too.

Macdonald Old England Hotel &Spa - Windermere, England - 3 nights

Beds - Three doubles

Average Score: 3.4

Rooms - Three rooms, three doubles

Average Score: 3.6

Breakfast

Average Score: 4.2

Staff

Average Score: 4.24
Highest rating: Mary Anne with a 5 and Darcy with a 4.7

View from bedroom window - Overlooked the church bell tower and buildings next door

Average Score: 1.6

Likes

Darcy - I liked the lounge and the guys working in there. They were really funny, sweet, and cute. I liked the location too.

Maddy - It was friendly

Tom - I liked the view of the lake and easy access to town.

Mary Anne - I liked everything.

Cara - I liked that they had ice. I also enjoyed the big lounge with the great lake view. Oh, and I liked the slippers they gave us.

Dislikes

Darcy - The tiny bed, the small room, and the paper thin pillows

Maddy - The dress code

Tom - The parking and the dress code

Mary Anne - The location was too touristy

Cara - The small elevator

Cambridge, England - 2 nights

Beds - Two kings, double

Average Score: 3

Rooms - Three rooms, two kings, one double

Average Score: 2

Lowest Rating: Darcy with a 1

Breakfast

Average Score: 2.6
Worst Rating: Madison with a 1
The breakfast was the same old stuff, but the eggs were real and delicious and the toast was self serve so it was hot. That made me mark higher. The cold stuff was ick.

Staff

Average Score: 2.14
Worst Rating: Mary Anne with a 0.

View from bedroom window - The parking lot

Average Score: 1

Likes

Darcy - I liked the concept of the bathtub.

Maddy - The sheets on the bed

Tom - Nothing. The food service was unorganized. The bathroom was dirty. The location was terrible. The pool was closed. The hair dryer was crappy. Well, they had a good park. I'll give them that I guess.

Mary Anne - Not much

Cara -  My dinner was good. And they served real eggs for breakfast.

Dislikes

Darcy - The freezing cold room. The fake try-to-be-posh hotel. The tiny bed.

Maddy - The cold and then burning shower.

Tom - The broken shower head.

Mary Anne - The handicap room they put me in. The terrible handicap bathroom with its weird rails and the shower curtain issue. The service was not good either.

Cara - The location. The cold room. The small shower. The dirty room. And the crappy hair dryer.

Macdonald Windsor Holtel - Windsor, England - 2 nights

Beds - First night: Two kings, two twins (and a cot that was never used) Second night: Three kings

Average Score: 3

Rooms - Three rooms, (see above) 

Average Score: 3

We only had two rooms so we had to pay for the extra room. Then Tom and I had to move from our twin bed room to another room the second night. We really only slept there. I bet we were only in that hotel a total of 12 hours in two days.

Breakfast

Average Score: 2.7
We only ate breakfast there the first morning because we left too early the next morning. But the reservation lady offered to pack us boxes to take with us, but we didn't do that. The reservation guy on duty the morning had someone get us coffee to go.

Staff

Average Score: 3
We had the whole reservation issue (which later turned out to be the travel agency's fault). The staff was nice enough and did their best to work with us, but I was tired of hearing everyone say that we only had two of this and two of that. They really had our entire reservation screwed up from the beginning because first they couldn't find the reservation and then we only had two rooms. When we paid for the third room that room got put down with one of our other rooms, but the second room that we actually had via the reservation somehow never made it on any form. So when we went to breakfast they were all screwed up too. It was craziness for our last nights.

View from bedroom window - None of us looked out the window because of the mishap and lateness. I do know the windows did not open unless we called down to the desk and requested it and then someone had to come up and open them for us. We had a thermostat in our room. First time for that.

Average Score: N/A

Likes

Darcy - The bed was big and the room was nice.

Maddy - I liked the layout. I thought it was pretty and modern. I liked the coffee pot too, but I was afraid to use it because I thought they would charge me for using it.

Tom - We got a better room the second time around.

Mary Anne - I had a normal shower.

Cara - The rooms were awesome. I wish we had spent some time in them and in the city. The location was top notch. The parking was easy. It will certainly be a place I go back to when I go back to England.

Dislikes

Darcy - How long it took to get our rooms.

Maddy - All of the drama to get into our bed.

Tom - The reservation problem. The room that first night with the leaking shower. The running up and down to handle things. The moving from one room to another. 

Mary Anne - Having to get up early to go to the airport. The reservation mess.

Cara - The reservation mishap. The small amount of time spent in Windsor.

Wrapping it all up (I mean it this time)

What was the first thing you ate that you had craved? 

Darcy - Ranch Dressing. I ate Arby's chicken fingers with ranch dressing. I also had a fountain Dr. Pepper soda. And then I ate a BELT sandwich from Maggie Mae's.

Maddy - Firehouse Sub Sandwich

Tom - Scrambled eggs and bacon.

Grandma - I ate a good salad that I made. I chopped vegetables. I was so hungry and I couldn't get my fill. I ate plums, bananas, a rotisserie chicken, sandwiches, potato salad, corn, ice cream, fudge, and coffee. Then I ate some more fudge. I put on three pounds just in that day.

Cara - Cheetos. Oh, my gosh, they tasted so good. Then I ate my Firehouse sub.

Did you learn anything new about each other?

Darcy: -I learned Grandma likes her phone a lot. She likes jewelry. She doesn't like to take responsibility for her love of shopping and chocolate. And she knows a lot of people.

Maddy - I thought that I was going to learn so many new things about Grandma because I remember Mark and Teddy saying they learned so much when they traveled with her, but then I realized while we were traveling that I already knew Grandma. And that was kind of neat too. I learned too that Dad needs to work on his driving more. Oh, and that Grandma doesn't like to be told what to do...especially by Dad.

Tom - That my mom is a great walker. That the girls are very independent and can handle themselves in most situations that doesn't require supervision.

Grandma - I saw Tom as a father working and dealing with his children. Before I just saw him as my son. Now I see him as a father. I saw a difference between Maddy and Darcy. I saw how loving they are with each other. Maddy eats everything. Darcy is more picky, but she loves and eats lots of ice cream and hamburgers. Maddy is very cautious about spending where Darcy is like me. Spend it all!! I never had to argue with Tom before. Oh, and you people don't get up as early as I do.

Cara - I learned about Grandma as a young girl and that gave me incite as to the woman she is today. I learned that she is adventurous, strong willed, and ready for anything; except for the things she doesn't like or want to do. I learned that she likes to point her finger when she talks. I learned that I can relax and let my kids fly. They've got this grown up stuff down pretty well.

Which country was your absolute favorite?

Darcy - Scotland, but Ireland is one behind it.

Maddy - Ireland's scenery was so beautiful, but England meant more to me personally.

Tom - Scotland

Mary Anne - Scotland. Ireland was beautiful, but smaller. I'm not sure why I liked Scotland more actually, but I did.

Cara - Ireland

What did you find most interesting out of the trip?

Darcy -

Maddy - Staying the the bed and breakfast places.

Tom - That people can actually drive on the left side of the road. And that they use the metric system.

Mary Anne - Tom's handling of the car was the most interesting.

Cara - How relaxed everyone seemed to be that lived in Ireland and Scotland.

Different foods we tried: Boar, Haggis, White and Black pudding, Marmite, whisky, black currant spread, different berries, brown sauce, mushy peas, Irn Bru, varieties of candies, porridge, ginger spread, lemon curd, Haggis Crisps

English Words that were different from the US: Crisps (potato chips), Chips (french fries), Biscuits (cookies), Lift (elevator), Football (soccer), Fizzy (carbonated beverage), Still (water that wasn't carbonated)

Other English words we encountered and used: Whiffy (smelly), Arse (ass), Bloody (curse word), Bugger (different meanings), Wanker (idot, jerk), Nutter (crazy person), Car Park (parking lot), Brilliant (awesome, great), Cash Machine (ATM), Cuppa (tea), Feck (fuck), Jacket Potato (baked potato), Pasty (filled pastry in a bakery), Toastie (a heated sandwich)

Thank You, Thank You!

While I have written handwritten ones I want to also write a little thank you to those people who made our UK trip possible.

First of all, to my good friend Sharon and her boys. They left their home, and their dad, and their stuffed animal and toys to spend three weeks in our house taking care of it and our dog. They walked him, played with him, fed him, pooped him, and loved him with all of their hearts. Sharon also gave us updates via text so that we knew all was well and that Elliot was still alive and kicking.

When we got home my house was clean and spotless. We had breakfast rolls waiting and fresh milk in the refrigerator. We had a pie, wine, and flowers on the table. We also had a sweet note from the boys and welcome home posters!

We can not thank them enough for all that they did. It meant the world to us that they would do this for us. Knowing that our home was lived in and our E taken care of it by people who loved him made our trip a much more relaxing one. Thank you Sharon! Thank you Ben! Thank you Henry! And thank you John! Much love to all of you!!

Secondly, a GIGANTIC thank you to my mother-in-law Grandma Mary Anne who took us on this lifetime adventure. She offered Madison a family trip for graduation and she put it all together and made it happen. She put up with all of us for three weeks. She shared rooms with my kids. She hiked miles. She got along with all of us.

I asked everyone this question when we returned from our trip: "What, if anything, did you learn or discover about anyone in the three weeks we were together." I learned that my mother-in-law was not only young and spry at the age of almost 85, but that she has lived an interesting life prior to marriage and motherhood. I enjoyed hearing about her UK trip sixty years ago and seeing her amazement and enjoyment in the changes and the remembrance. I heard stories of her for the first time that had me seeing the girl she must have been; a girl I never would have imagined had I not taken this trip with her. The adventures she had as a young girl out of school hitchhiking across the country and flying to countries around the world gave me more insight into who she is today. I saw the fun, sly side of her, and she made me laugh more times than I can count. I always knew her to be regal, generous, and strong, but on this trip I learned more about who she is inside as well as outside.

Thank you Grandma. Thank you Mary Anne for the most wonderful trip of my life. I will always remember this experience. You gave me a chance to mark things off of my bucket list, and you gave me confidence to march out now on my own. Watching you now and hearing of your experiences sixty years ago makes me feel like I too can go forth to discover my own adventures. Thank you for that. Thank you too for a trip with my girls and my husband. Sharing these travels with them was even more special, and it wouldn't have been possible without you and your generosity. We love you to the moon and back!

Lastly, a thank you to my husband. While I use him quite a bit for entertainment on this blog (and in life) I am always grateful for him. Thank you Tom for driving us around three countries and putting up with four women. Thank you for taking the criticism of your driving, for ignoring our whining, for carrying our passports, and for getting us everything we needed at any time. As Maria sang in the Sound of Music, "For here you are standing there loving me, whether or not you should. For somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good." xxoo