Holiday tally so far...

The Dee awards brought to you by ... Dee.

Best cheesecake: Boston. In the market with Jen. Andreas baked vanilla cheesecake was the best I have ever tasted, and that is saying something. I wish I had got a whole slice for myself now.

Most useful item: The magic umbrella. Whenever I carried it with me, it refused to rain. If I left it at home, it bucketed down.

Most astonishing sight for an Australian: Seeing pasty English people swimming in winter in a lake in Hyde Park. I think I am still traumatised.

Biggest disappointment: The lack of actual English people in London. Seriously. We will not speak of this again. Also, the absolute and horrible changes in the land of my birth. Sigh. The place is almost unrecognisable yet I still love it. Was seriously homesick for London after I left.

Strangest building: The Atomium in Brussels. It's made of balls, people. Balls.

Best day out: Camden Town with Em. Just brilliant. I love Camden.

Most enchanting critter: The marmot. Roderick the marmot to be precise. He lives at the end of Chance's road and is so cute. I love marmots (but I couldn't eat a whole one).

I also liked the teeny weeny umbrella jellyfish at the New England Aquarium.

Thing I forgot to tell you: I had my right ear pierced in Belgium. On the little flappy bit not the lobe or the top. Ow.

Most emotionally complex experience: Visiting my childhood neighbourhood and seeing the house I lived in. Also, seeing Lake Michigan, full of fresh water. Still can't get over that.

Most unpleasant airport: Chicago. No question.

Nicest airport: Tie Between Denver and Vancouver.

Most unpleasant airline: American Airlines: Staff, planes, baggage handling (they lost my bag at one point) all up to poop.

Most charming men: Definitely Canada. OMG

Place where I have offended the most people: It has to be Canada doesn't it? I get the most disapproving looks by jaywalking across intersections which I, of course, NEVER do on purpose. *grin*

Most hilarious sound: Skaila's voice when I told her I was at the airport. She thought I was arriving the next day.

Most hair raising experience: Tie between the drive from Heathrow to Watford in Nikki's car (23 hours of utter safety in a plane and I am now going to die on this English motorway) and experiencing being in a car driven on the right hand side of the road for the first time (Brussels). I had my hands over my eyes most of the journey. The taxi driver thought it was funny. Oh ha ha.

Best food: Don't make me choose. Oh OK it has to be the clam chowder at Point No Point, Vancouver Island. And of course there is the grilled salmon at Fish on Fifth. Did I mention the deep fried Mars Bars??? Definitely not for the faint hearted. In fact, a nifty way TO HAVE a heart attack... yet, strangely delicious (gazes off into the distance).
Not forgetting the salmon and shrimp (shrimp, LOL) melt at the place next door to Em's work.

Biggest suspicion: That Canadians practise being polite in the mirror before leaving the house in the morning.

Best girlie day out: The beauty salon and lunch day with Joan in North Carolina.

Most strenuous day: Aspen and Hanging Lake trail with Chance. Lack of oxygen is a startling thing.

Australian thing most missed: The stars and the sound of magpies warbling in the morning on next door's roof.

Stupidest thing done by a grown woman: Getting drunk (Nikki made me do it) and lost in Brixton after midnight. Was hilarious though.

Best celebrity sighting: ALAN RICKMAN. (Fans self) I would have loved a picture of my face. Totally gobsmacked would be an apt description. In fact I wish someone had smacked my gob. I might have actually said something. No, wait. That might not have been a good idea...

Weirdest thing sighted: A huge carved chicken sitting on a swing that is hanging from the back neighbour's wooden deck here in Sidney. Here is the proof:


Most expensive indulgence: $45 Australian dollars to get my eyebrows waxed. You guessed it - London.

Thing I am most ashamed of doing: Buying things in Walmart. Doh. Idealogically unsound people. I feel tainted.

Funniest email received while on holiday: From number one son - 'Hi Mum. Am in Toronto. Balls frozen. Love T.' (Son was on tour with band)
Creepiest thought: 'I have to go back to work. Can I do that? Who have I become in the last few months? What does my life mean now?' Relax, that is as deep as I am going to get.

Absolutely the best experience ever: Seeing our Dan on stage in Equus and meeting him and his lovely dad. I mean, how cool is that? Totally and utterly the best night of this holiday.

Check back for more additions. I will post them as I remember or as events occur.