November 28th 2007

NOTE: This should have gone up earlier, but blogger was misbehaving. Bad blogger. Meh...

We awoke as normal at 8am.

This is a lie. Tracy woke up at 8am in a complete break with normality in order to wish her dad a happy 68th birthday. I rolled over and went back to sleep.

I am told that the house was all abuzz with the news that Lauren's labour had started and surely we would be celebrating two birthdays today rather than just the usual one. I was made party to the wonderful news when I rose at a slightly later hour. On a day of recording facts, the record remains unsure on when this actually was.

Pretty much the whole rest of the day was spent in anticipation of more news which was notable in its absence. We went out for lunch with Tracy's dad to celebrate his birthday with Heidi - one of his newer employees. We kept ourselves busy by running errands. We kept checking phones to make sure they were switched on.

The news finally came while all four of us present were sitting around playing cards. The phone rang at about 9:30 our time and we all figured it would be news of some kind. We were all on tenderhooks as Bart gave us the details. He sounded like he hadn't slept in a week - he'll be able to give us a demonstration of what that really does sound like in about a fortnight I suspect, but anyway...

Kirsten Marie was born on the 28th of November weighing 7lbs 6oz. The birth itself was a traumatic affair, involving a prolapsed cord, an emergency c-section and a lot of stress and worry (of which we were all blissfully unaware at the time). A prolapsed umbilical cord is a very serious birth problem and can have serious consequences if a c-section is not done immediately. The mortality rate in a first world hospital (I have found out subsequently) is a sobering 10-17%. Luckily they were in an excellent hospital and everyone did their jobs properly which meant that everything turned out well and we can now breathe a significant sigh of relief.

This was cause for celebration and in addition to champagne, I also managed to wet the baby's head with a whisky miniature left over from Bart and Lauren's wedding!


Needless to say everyone's very happy and relieved and we can't wait to get up there and see her.

Happy birthday Malcolm Thompson - and Kirsten Marie Thompson

Hello all.

Just a quick update to say that Kirsten Marie Thompson was born today - the same day as Tracy's dad celebrated his 68th birthday!

New mother, new baby and new grandfather are all doing well.

More details tomorrow - when new father Bart manages to get some sleep.

San Antonio, Austin and Houston

To those people who don't know anything about San Antonio: "Remember the Alamo!".


That's right - the famous battle for Texan independence occurred in what's now central San Antonio - at the Alamo mission. For those who don't know about Davy Crockett and his contemporaries, see Wiki.

We've been to San Antonio many times before (Trace even went to university here) so we've done all the touristy stuff that we need to do, so we got straight down to business: settling down into our free accommodation. Tracy's brother Ross found a friend of his who had some floor space, so we stretched out there. Amtrak was very late (for a change) so we only made it in at 2am. No problems falling asleep.

The next day we left for Texas's state capital, Austin. There were two people we wanted to meet up with in Austin - first of all Janet from our trip to Tasmania and secondly, Tracy's friend from college, Kristi. We always said we'd drop by and see Janet when we got back to the USA and now we found ourselves in her neck of the woods so we dropped by for a visit. It was really nice to reminisce about being back in Tassie. She was just about to jet off to San Diego and was telling us about her plans to visit Asia.

Last time we saw Kristi was 1,000,000 years ago, so we had a lot to catch up on. Kristi is now married to John and has two pet cats and a couple of dogs too. Naturally we had a pretty good time. We spent a while talking about what we've all been up to and they were (at least pretended to be) interested in our photos. Little Red Bean was so cute it was an effort not to take him with us.


We had a couple more days in San Antonio to kill before heading back to Houston for Thanksgiving so we occupied ourselves by watching movies and going bowling both of which were great fun.

Tracy had one more friend to catch up with: Nicole. I wasn't there so don't know everything that went on (I'm not sure I want to...) but I believe that the Riverwalk was walked and snacks were eaten. I'm pretty sure that conversation was had and suchlike, but I'm afraid I can't confirm or deny those rumours.

Anyway, we're now in Houston - about to enjoy what is sure to be a huge Thanksgiving day meal. Just a couple of things before I leave you:

1. No news on Bart & Lauren's baby.
2. Congrats to Liz & James!
3. Happy Thanksgiving! Be thankful or else...

Quickie update

Just a quick note: I've added some more piccies for general consumption. Expect an update from Houston soon.

That is all.

St Louis, MO

So our run of sponging free accommodation off our long lost friends finally ran its course when we hit St Louis. We were finally obliged to pay for accommodation. Luckily we had a voucher for a free night's stay so we only had to pay for one of the two nights that we spent here.

Anyway, we arrived at 8pm - which is quite respectable for us - and quickly found our way to the Metro which whisked us away to the airport and the awaiting car rental companies. Despite doing everything in their power to dissuade us from embarking in one of their vehicles (including "accidentally" spelling Tracy's name wrong) we finally managed to hire a car. We were surprised to find that the smallest vehicle they could offer us was a SUV - a sign of the times perhaps - but at least they seemed to give us compact car rates.

So Trace hit the streets in an SUV for the fist time. Luckily (or perhaps, surprisingly) chaos did not ensue and we reached the hotel with little or no incident. Despite being a budget style hotel, the room was surprisingly luxurious and we spent a restful night there.

In the morning - yes, we did manage to get up before noon - we re-boarded the battle-bus and headed off to see what we could find. One of the things we did find was an IHOP (International House of Pancakes - for the uninitiated) which always goes down well! We also stopped by a sculpture park and spent and hour or so meandering through the acres of weird, wonderful and occasionally just plain strange art installations.

Next stop was the barracks. We had to stop a few times to find it, but eventually we found our way to the grave of Mr & Mrs E. Shepard. Section RR, number 494. The area looks nice in the red and orange foliage of a Missouri autumn. We weren't sure if we would be able to leave any flowers or anything - so we didn't bring anything, but if we had left any floral tribute I'm pretty sure that before long it would have been munched upon by the herds of deer who seem to roam the grounds with impugnity.

Next stop, Waterloo and a meet-up with the Hudgens side of the Shepard side of the Thompson side of our family. We met up with Ron, Judy, Chris, Susie and her kids. We all had a great time catching up - although the highlight of my evening has to be beating a 10 year-old girl in both a staring contest and the quiet game! I rule! 8-)

Today we have been roaming around St Louis like tourists. We've been to the St Louis gateway arch and the Cathedral Basilica of St Louis. We're just on our way to Forest Park - but have been snagged by free internet!

Anyway, more will follow - probably from San Antonio, but for now, adios!

Salem, Ohio

From Washington DC, we got a train to Alliance, Ohio. We arrived at 2am and were soon picked up by Mark. We were there to see Trace's friend Beth (whom she met in 1995 when they both studied abroad in Scotland), her husband Mark and their three kids. We hadn't seen each other since 1998, and we hadn't met their kids: 5-year-old Cait, 3-year-old Aidan and 1-year-old Lia. So the visit was well overdue!

Mark took us to their home in Salem, Ohio. We got to stay there for three days, and we had the best time. Beth is a teacher, and we got to go along with her one afternoon to help tutor some of her 4th graders in math as well as talk to them about wildlife in Australia. It was such fun! We hung out a lot with the three kids, who are so cute. We had a ball. Sunday was Veterans Day, and Mark preached a very moving service at his Methodist Church. We were happy to be there for that and to see him at work! Afterwards, Chris was delighted to go with him and some kids to a Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburg Steelers football game. The horrible Steelers won, but Chris had a great time nonetheless (and shocked Trace by coming home with a souvenir Steelers towel -- boooooooooo!).

One night we all went bowling, which was great fun. It confirmed that Trace is much better at bowling on the Wii than in real life!!! Beth won by a landslide, and we had a lovely dinner afterwards. Another night we went along to a dinner party for Beth's mom. We had a great time there as well.

We were sad to leave them. Thanks for everything, you guys!!! Hopefully it won't take another nine years for us to meet up again...

Smithsonian City

So from Allentown, Pennsylvania we got a bus to Philadelphia and then the train to Washington DC. DC rocked!!! I'd been there before when I was a child, and Chris had never been there. We were both pretty excited about getting there.

For three and a half days, we walked ourselves silly among the many monuments and museums DC has. The memorials for War World II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War were especially moving. The FDR memorial was unexpectedly moving; it contains several anti-war and pro-equality quotes he made which people would do well to take to heart. As for museums, the Air and Space museum was an unexpected treat; we could have spent lots more time there. We could have also spent more time in the National Archives and the National Gallery of Art. I was thrilled to visit the Smithsonian Natural History museum with its Hope Diamond and excellent dinosaur reconstructions.

One thing we were determined to do was see some Congressional stuff happening. We've observed parliament sessions in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. So we'll try to do the same in each country we visit whenever possible. We had to get tickets for the Senate and House of Representatives, but it was easy to get them from the secretaries of a Texan Senator and Representative. (Seemed quite pointless to make us get tickets when the secretaries didn't even ask us our names; they hand them out to anyone who asks.) We were to visit the Senate first and approached with much excitement; the government sessions we'd observed in other countries had been full of people arguing and booing and cheering. We were much surprised to find about three senators in the Senate chamber. BORING!!! We didn't stay long. We went to the House of Representatives instead and saw about 25 Reps, which was better but still a very small percentage of the full number. We happened to be seated next to a few people with t-shirts on saying "Impeach Chaney!" They informed us that there'd be a vote on the very issue that day, but they didn't know when it would happen. It was all pretty boring at that point, so we left and decided to return later on.

When we returned that afternoon, we were told it'd be a while before the House voted on anything, so we went to the Senate first. It was still dull as anything. We waited for a wee while in case anything exciting would happen, but nothing did. So we went to the House again. It was in chaos! Nearly every Rep was there, and they'd just taken a vote on a resolution. We asked about all the chaos, and we were told that it was now time for Reps to change their votes. In the space of about 15 minutes, the vote went from an overwhelming Aye to an overwhelming Nay. There were then two more voting sessions related to the first vote, but no one could tell us what on earth they were voting about. Iff happened to spot those anti-Chaney observers still in the gallery, so he went over to speak to them. It turned out it was indeed the motion to impeach Chaney that they'd been voting on and changing their votes and re-voting. In the end, they didn't agree to impeach Chaney, but those people in the gallery seemed optimistic that the process had begun and would end in their favour soon. We shall see!

One of the highlights of our time in DC was food-oriented. We went to a place called Zed's Ethiopian Cuisine, and it was gorgeous. We chose a couple veggie options, and it was served on a big slice of thin, spongy bread. We were given a bunch more of the spongy bread to eat the food with (rather than utensils). We ate it all up and had to waddle back to our hotel afterwards. It hurt but was so worth it!

I should note that all the museums and monuments we visited are free. I was so impressed with that. Thanks, DC...we'll be back someday!

Chez Butlers

OK - so it's late and I should really be asleep so we can get up for the bus tomorrow (8:30 - EEK!) but here's a quick post from Allentown, PA.

We got the train to Philly and were picked up by uncle Chris Butler with a boot (or trunk - the rear compartment of the car let's say) full of wine. Good man!

We spent four days here in total and in that time we got to go out to a marching band concert, a high school football game, Alice's school play and (perhaps most importantly?) curry. Uncle Chris also took me to the local beer emporium called "Beer Heaven" where we found some St Peter's Ale - the beer we had at Nick's wedding. Rather nice it is too!


It's a shame that we can't stay longer, but we've booked a stay in DC and they won't give us our money back if we cancel... Dig, Chris, Wills and Alice have made us feel very welcome here and we really must add them to our "pay them back when we get a chance" list. It's been great to spend a few days kicking back and being thoroughly lazy - especially after the whirlwind of activity that was Boston.

Anyway, must get to bed - we're up in 7 hours - but a quick, but nonetheless heartfelt online thanks to the - especially Bart the dog who had to share his room with us! We don't mind his snoring if he doesn't mind ours.

Boston and Vermont

So Iff left off with us arriving in Boston to stay with Jen. We had a great time hanging out with her and really appreciate her hospitality. Thanks, Jen!

When we planned our wee tour of the US, we figured five days in Boston would be plenty. The time flew by, though! Our first full day there we mostly caught up on sleep and email, although we did fit in a few hours of walking around the city. It's a great place to wander around; it's so pedestrian-friendly and full of cafes, little shops, squares and parks. There were so many people walking their dogs, so we got in plenty of dog stalking.

The second day we were more touristy, walking along the Freedom Trail to see the historical sites (and managing not to buy donuts from the Dunkin Donuts store on very corner). That night we met up with my old friend Jill and her partner Neal. We hadn't seen Jill since 1998, so it was great to catch up (and stuff our faces with pizza).

Our third day was spent with Lisa, a Bostonian we met in Australia. She took us to Salem, the site of the infamous 17th century witch trials and a safe community for many Wiccans now. Because it was only a few days before Halloween, there was a lot going on. All good fun. We went to the Witch Trial Museum for a rather funny, hoaky exhibit summarizing the trial proceedings and events surrounding them; the hoakiness is actually a shame because the events themselves are no laughing matter. It did end with an exhibit on witches (ancient to modern) which thankfully wasn't so hoaky. The whole thing made me want to read further about it all, which I intend to do. After Salem, Lisa took us along the coast through Gloucester and Rockport. Such lovely scenery. It was quite cold, but we saw some people kite surfing...mental! That night, we watched the third game of the World Series. Lisa is a Red Sox fanatic, so it was great fun to experience this with her. We watched the beginning of the game at a nearby pub, joined by Jen and one of Lisa's friends. When it got too crowded (and difficult to see the tv screen), we all went to Lisa's apartment and joined her flatmate and another friend. The Red Sox were in no danger of losing it seemed, and we all wound up talking about politics more than baseball. The highlight for me was eating some of the chocolate cookies Lisa's flatmate had made. Heaven!

The fourth day we got up bright and early to catch a bus to Burlington, Vermont. My cousin Sid and his family live in Vergennes, Vermont, and we'd never been to see them there. So luckily it worked out to visit them now. We got to meet his wife Janice and two youngest sons Tim and Keegan as well as their two dogs. We had such a great time with them! They showed us around Burlington and then took us on a lovely hike near their home. At the top of Buck Mountain, we saw the most beautiful views. They fed us the most gorgeous homemade food, and we had a blast playing sports games on their Wii. It was a lovely time that I was sad to see end.

The fifth day we'd intended to spend 12 hours on the train in transit back to Boston. When we heard an announcement on the train that it was going to arrive hours late, we got out at White River Junction, Vermont to get a bus back instead. It wasn't free, but it took about 10 hours off our travel time! Strange. So we got back to Boston earlier than expected and got to walk around the city a bit more on our last night there. We also got to see Jen for longer than expected that night, so we were really happy we got the bus.

The next morning we were up bright and early to catch the train to Philadelphia. Our next post will be about that!