(Word to the wise: this entry is not suitable for those with a slow internet connection!)
We woke up at an ungodly hour. The Homecoming parade in Aberdeen, called “Gypsy Days”, was starting at 8am, so after a breakfast of sausage biscuits (note: not cookies) we headed down. I was particularly trigger-happy with the camera, so here’s a small selection of photos:
And of course… SHRINERS!!
Fantastic. Each float throws out masses of sweets too, but the kids tend to get in first and pick it up off the street. One particular kid in front of us had a huge bag full – I don’t think I’ve eaten that many sweets in my whole life. Never mind, the dentists in Aberdeen will be rubbing their hands together at the money they stand to make… which they undoubtedly will.
Next up, Steph and her mother (Jo, in case I refer to her again in this blog, and I will) went off to leave me and her dad (Mark) to some “man time.” Whilst I wasn’t too daunted by the prospect of being left alone with my girlfriend’s father, I would like to point out that he took me to workshop… full of wrenches, drills, screwdrivers, power tools, and large machinery. Turns out, we had an assignment – namely, the speakers in Steph’s car. The front right speaker worked intermittently, so I had to fix it whilst Mark changed the oil in the car:
The oil change didn’t take that much time, so before long we were both working on the speakers (as you can see, the inner door panel is removed) and worked out that the front right speaker was knackered. A quick trip to Wal-Mart to get some new ones was made, and we came back and fitted them. Never has a car stereo sounded so magnificent. On the trip, we passed this house…
…yeah, Americans take Hallowe’en very seriously. This was over three weeks before Aberdeen. Also, we saw this fine specimen of a vehicle in the Wal-Mart car park:
We had another project to work on, which was a bookshelf/end table made from an old cable spool. Steph had seen it on Pinterest, and Jo had picked up on it. There’s a lot of old cable spools lying around the workshop (Mark works for a construction company) so he build it, and wanted me to help him finish it. I don’t have a picture of it, but this is the original:
Mark had done a great job, so all that was left for us to do by the time I was involved was to fit the wheels and stain it. Oh, and we signed it with the year, of course.
After a dinner of potato soup and chili (thanks, Jo!) we went to Lager’s Inn in Aberdeen to commence drinking. Steph had arranged for all her Aberdeen friends to come, and we ended up having a great night. I don’t remember much of the end of it, in any case. Thanks to Mark though for picking us up and taking me through the McDonald’s drive-thru; I needed that McMuffin.
There are two specific things I loved about Lager’s, and this is how I’ll close the blog:
1) Complimentary peanuts, which are still in the shell. Patrons simply eat the peanuts and throw the shells on the floor. By the end of the night, the floor is covered in peanut shells and dust. Not only is it incredibly satisfying to drink beer and throw your peanut shells on the floor, it apparently makes it easier for them to clean up at the end of the night – the shells soak up all the beer, sweat, vomit, urine etc. so that they just have to sweep up.
2) This 32oz (2 US pints; 1.7 UK pints) mug of beer cost me $6. They had offers on the swill lager (Coors Light, Bud Lite etc.) which made them $3.50. Plus, they bring them to your table. INSANE.
*glug glug glug*
The Adventures of a Welshman in America 