Chanukah...Hanukkah...Latkes!

Steps to the perfect Chanukah Party:

#1

Making Latkes (and some mildly creepy faces):

downside: hot grease: HOT grease

upside: making deals with Jewish friends: Jews make mix, Gentiles fry. Divide and conquer Latkes. 

#2

Get together with large group of good friends to celebrate. 

downside: some of you get stuck at the "kids" table because there's not enough room

upside: spending a festive night with friends, eating latkes

#3

End up at the "kids" table: Practice excessive hand talking. 

downside: can quickly escalate, resulting in unintended violence. 

upside: who doesn't like excessive hand gestures?

#4

Get actual Jews to light the dime store menorah/ throw up gang signs

downside: you don't know what they're saying because you don't speak hebrew... or what W means... W for... Jewish? 

upside: that's what google is for

#5

Listen to Chanukah rap. 

downside: someone actually took the time to rewrite top 40 music and make these songs Chanukah themed

upside: someone actually took the time to rewrite top 40 music and make these songs Chanukah themed

#6

Play Dreidel

downside: feeling mildly uncomfortable about playing a gambling game aimed at young children

upside: chocolate coins (gelt) and pennies! 

Baron: Then and Now

Then

As some of you may remember I originally started this blog for a dog I found who was having a bit of a rough time. As my mom explains it (and for all those Harry Potter fans out there) he tried to apparate across the road and went and splinched himself. For everyone else: he made a run for it across a highway, had a close call with a car, and escaped almost unscathed with the exception of his hind leg, which was left fractured, broken, and unusable. When we found him he was looking pretty pitiful. At the time I didn't have the $700 for the operation to amputate his leg (the other option was to put him down), and that's where this blog came in. Thanks to some really amazing animal lovers I was able to raise more than half the money, and Baron (yes, my other dogs are called Duke and Duchess although proposed alternative names ranged from Legolas to Tripod) was able to have his operation. My next step to find a home for him however, completely dissolved, I was head over heels in love with this dog. Now I'm living in Scotland for a year, Baron is living with my mom and brother, and occasionally visiting Marc's farm to chase the chickens (and sometimes be chased in return) and run through the fields (yes, I did say run, for only having three legs that dog can FLY). Not only that but he's slowly getting the hang of skype (or maybe he's just jealous that the computer gets to sit on Mom's lap and he doesn't) either way I get regular updates and visuals to prove just how fluffy he's really gotten. 

So here's to Baron, living proof that looks can't always reveal potential, you really can't do it all without a little help from your friends, and a little love and care can go a long way. 

Now

Ireland: and how things tend to work out, if not always how you plan

Where to begin?

So my friend Jordan came to visit Scotland a few weeks ago. (She's currently living in a castle in the Netherlands: how cool is that/ how jealous am I?) So she was also on a quest to get to Ireland to buy a genuine claddagh ring, she just needed company, and I figured, I haven't been to Ireland, so why not?

Claddagh ring for those of you who don't know:

 it's a symbol of love, friendship, and loyalty. and if you're taken you wear it with the crown pointing towards your fingernail, if you're single you wear it the other way with the crown pointing towards your hand. 

So we booked cheap Ryanair flights, hostels in Galway and Dublin, and had our plan all set out (which for someone like me, who rarely plans anything, is pretty good). 

But of course what ever goes according to plans? The best laid plans of mice and men or whatnot. 

We missed our flight out of Edinburgh. And Ryanair wouldn't let us rebook for the next morning, or the next afternoon or evening for that matter. So did we give up? Stay in Scotland? Kiss all our plans of rings and redheads goodbye (along with a good amount of $$$ for our hostels and flights back)? Never! 

So we got up at 5:30 the next morning and got on a train to Wales:

Pretending to be awake... I think that's the farthest I got my eyes to open for the whole train trip, they were having none of it. 

Hey Wales Hey! 

After Wales we caught a Ferry across the Irish Sea to Dublin. Now, Ferry may bring to mind images of small boats, maybe with a few cars and a few passengers, and if you're lucky an indoor area to grab a bite to eat, a pint, and warm up. But in reality Ferries are HUGE. I'm talking like, cruise-liner sized. Complete with food court, cinema, shopping, and children's play area. Oh! And a bar that looked like it was right out of a classy 1920s movie scene. I felt like I should have been wearing a cocktail dress, not jeans and flannel. 

Anyways, we made it across with only mild sea dizziness, and plenty of Chips (Fries) and Cider (Not Apple). 

Ferry!

Chips and Cider

Dublin Port!

Anyways, we made it to Ireland... only to have to catch another train to Galway, where our hostel reservations for the night were. After a full day of traveling, the last thing you want to do is get on another form of transportation, but we did. And a bus, a tram, and another train later we made it to Galway! 

We also met a very nice man on the train, who had lived in Galway for his whole life, had just gotten lasik eye surgery (highly recommended), and gave us some really wonderful suggestions on what to see. He also told us stories about significant historical events: Why the King's Head Pub is called the King's Head, the distinction between Scottish whiskY and Irish whiskEY, and how the term "lynch" arose.

The King's Head

World's Smallest Claddagh Ring

Galway Farmer's Market!

Invisible Man Drummer and Pal: Why can't all street musicians be this cool?

Chilling out in Bar Temple =)

"This is Rugby Country"

Dublin!

Trinity

Famine Memorial.

Anyways, we spent a lovely if fast-paced 2 days in Ireland before catching our respective planes home. Thankfully this time all went as planned - although it is crazy when it takes you 14 hours to travel somewhere, and only 45 minutes to get home. 

To Anna Tutt, my favorite Lassie.

Dear Anna,

I promised that I would make a blog post dedicated just to you the first time I heard anyone use the term "Lassie" to describe someone. Well, that day has come.

You have the gentleman in this photo to thank. ^^^ (See I even got you a picture!) I believe the context had something to do with the number of "fit lassies" in the club that night. (Fit = Hot  Lassie = young unmarried woman). 

I miss you lots! Thought I'd throw this one in for old times sake.

Lots of Love, 

        <3 Claire

Amsterdam!

So, I'm so behind on blogging- but for anyone who still reads these here goes:

AMSTERDAM!!! (the short version)

Amsterdam was so amazing. I had no idea! It's a beautiful city, with so much to do and see!

Let's see. Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Rembrant House, Red Light District, PIC Tour, Flower Market, Canals, Oude Kerk, Dam Square, Rembrandtplein... and much more. 

Frites! Mine with Hot Sauce, Ariel with mustard, and Julian and Jordan with Fritessaus (aka Mayo)

FLOWER MARKET!

Just chilling on Rembrandt's doorstep- you know how it is =)

Posing in a "red-light" window at the Prostitute Information Center. They give an AMAZING tour of the Red Light District.

Now THIS is a pancake. 

Yes. Yes I do. 

All in all it was a great trip. I had no idea what a great city Amsterdam is. Thanks to Ariel, for making it happen, Jordan for her amazing tour-guide skills, and Julian for tagging along =) It was so much fun!

Scottish Highlands!

I went on a trip to the Scottish Highlands with my study abroad program. Complete with kilt-donned tour guide, Loch Ness, and live sheep-dog demonstration, although sadly lacking in furry cows and prehistoric lake monsters.

Starting the day off right with a visit to Dalwhinnie Scotch Whisky Distillery, what better way to start off your trip to the Scottish Highlands than with a glass of Scotch for breakfast?

Then it was on to the sheep dog demonstration:

Can you get your dogs to lay in a row like this, using only differently pitched and rhythmic whistles? I can barely get my dogs to sit.

The row of black dots are the dogs, and then another dog herded the sheep between each opening of dogs. 

Bucket'o'puppies... 

He brought all the puppies out in this bucket, they didn't seem to mind.

They were so little their eyes still hadn't opened! They just wanted to cuddle!

 ...Don't worry Mom, I know, no more dogs. 

Monument at Culloden Battlefield. The final battle in the war of Scottish succession. Basically not enough Highlanders vs better prepared English = massacre.

 England won, banned highland culture, killed a bunch of folks. 

Loch Ness/ Urquhart Castle.

Preparing our attack

I've got to give it to them, these people knew how to build a lake house. 

Posing with Nessie, we actually got him to smile, he's usually a bit camera shy =)

I TOLD you he was wearing a kilt. 

Glen Coe,

 one of the most beautiful places in Scotland, 

and the location of one of the most brutal and dishonorable massacres in history.

A few more pretty pictures.