Hogmanay

It's just hit me, about 16 days too late, that it's now 2011. Don't get me wrong, we brought in the New Year  with a bang - on a bridge in downtown Edinburgh with fireworks going off on all sides and copious amounts of champagne. But for some reason it's taken a bit to sink in.

Looking classy to bring in the new year.

Fireworks! It looks like people are looking the wrong way - but there were more on that side =)

Even Sawyer was looking classy! 

Eve and Eilidh wanted to be able to see better... possibly at the expense of Sawyer and Rachel

It was my first Hogmanay celebration, complete with the entire crowd bursting into "Auld Lang Syne" at midnight - of which most people never knew, had forgotten, or were way too drunk to remember more than the first verse or so, so most just sang that one over and over. I decided to look up the lyrics later and have posted below. It was written by acclaimed Scottish poet Robert (Rabbie) Burns. Oddly the words can be exchanged for those of "America the Beautiful" and it still works out (like the ABCs and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star).

Auld Lang Syne

Chorus.
And for auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne,
1.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o' auld lang syne.
2.
And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp!
And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
3.
We twa hae run about the braes
And pu'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin auld lang syne.
4.
We twa hae paidl'd i' the burn,
Frae mornin' sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin auld lang syne.
5.
And there's a hand, my trusty fiere!
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right guid willy waught, 

For auld lang syne. 

			Happy New Year Everyone!

Christmas in the Canaries!

After a whirlwind holiday season I finally have time to update. From saying goodbye to a lot of my American friends who were only here for a semester, Christmas dinner with Sciennes and Co., and my brother's visit for 2 weeks over the Holidays: it's been a blast!

Last night out with the American crew. 

Also thanks to Sciennes for letting me tag along to Christmas (and in general). 

Johnny giving a toast - I think he really just said he'd miss Julian. 

I don't know how everyone else decides where to vacation, but I googled "warmest places in Europe in December" and guess what popped up: The Canary Islands. Had I heard of the Canaries? Yes. Did I know anything about them: Not so much. A few google searches later and I knew they were Spanish islands off the coast of Africa and have average temperatures of 70 F in December - SOLD.

Sawyer and I chilling on the beach. 

Our Sea Monster "Wall" 

He fit in well. 

Our Tenerife "Snow" man

The second Elvis impersonator of Christmas night. What is it was Christmas and Elvis?

It was really really beautiful. 

 It was so great to have Sawyer here for Christmas, and to be able to escape the freezing world that is Scotland in the winter and head to the Canaries for a bit of R&R and beach time. By far the warmest Christmas I've ever had.