It occurred to me that some of you are thinking how nice it would be to have a coach to partner with you on your fertility journey.  Being there for you through the rollercoaster of emotions, hormones, and results!   You are truly giving a gift to yourself and the process by taking that step.   Who knows, it could even affect your results!  Why? because you'll feel calmer (and possibly retain your sanity), more prepared, more informed, and supported!   If you are even thinking about it, just a tinsey insey bit, then I challenge you to get in touch to see if it is indeed the right step to take in YOUR journey.   I am available on Skype, and time zone is not a problem (we'll make a plan) !   Our initial chat is a free consultation!  You have nothing to lose, and possibly a lot to gain.   It is my passion to partner with women like you, who so often feel- overwhelmed by options, don't know their options, a little lost or confused or isolated or stressed -going through this process.  I have been there!  What I really want for you is to have the family you have always dreamed of.   Call or email me.  Go on, I dare you. (see my contact page)  We'll sit down for a virtual cup of tea and a chat.

Cheekily but lovingly yours,

Coach Louise Crooks

PS  If you mention this blog post,  I will gift you 50% off the 1st 2 sessions if you decide you would like to give it try!

Quite frankly the hotel was underwhelming, not well kept up and overpriced. Our family rooms which were meant to cater for a family of four including a baby didn't even have a bath or a fridge and hadn't seen a lick of paint in years. I wouldn't recommend it.

The trip had some highlights though, I was able to take my kids to see their great grandparents, the first time the g-g-parents have seen the baby. I also took them to see my parents, various yappy dogs/puppies and my wonderful sister and her great family. So there was much playing, silliness and general catching up. I don't travel to Swansea very often so I was surprised by the lack of comments on the evil genius beard I sport these days, but not surprised on the various comments about my growing belly!

We visiting Oakwood Theme Park on one of our days which I remember from when I went as a kid.
Back then the best ride was the waterfall! However Oakwood as since grown up to be a proper theme park with some great rides :D The indoor play area was my son's favourite part of the place I think! He ran around there for hours having great fun :D We went on a really wet day, but had a great time despite being totally soaked - even though we avoided the wet rides!	[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="145" caption="Waterfall"][/caption]
There's a new rollercoaster called Speed which has a vertical lift to immediate vertical drop, loop, over-banked turn and barrel roll which made my brain feel like it was going to dribble out of my ears like porridge. 7/10 which would be higher if I'd managed to find a more comfortable head position - it really did hurt my head! This ride has the steepest drop in the UK and is the tallest of its type in the world.	[caption id="attachment_180" align="alignnone" width="231" caption="Speed"][/caption]
We also went on the world famous Megafobia which often features on lists of the worlds best rollercoaster - it's a brilliant wooden coaster with really tries to lift you out of your seat 9/10 :D It has a 55 degree drop, and it's also a fast ride. A CCI (Custom Coasters International) built ride, Megafobia has celebrated its 11th year of existence and has been voted one of the best wooden roller coasters in the world[1]. If you dismantled Megafobia and laid planks of wood end to end, it would reach from Oakwood Theme Park to London and back again!	[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="218" caption="Megafobia"][/caption]
Vertigo. This involves being winched up to the same height as the big arch and then pulling a rip cord! You free-fall for moment before the cable gets you and you start swinging to a massive height at great speeds. Not the light hearted but it's an incredible experience and it feels like you're flying. 10/10 from me, even when it's raining! Height: 164 ft (50m) Speed: 80mph (128kph) Acceleration: 3g (30 m/s²) Apparently there's one that's 300ft high in Florida 8O	[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="208" caption="Vertigo"][/caption]

As another part of our trip we went to the Swansea Lesiure Centre - since I was last there as a kid it's been completely rebuilt and is now cunningly dubbed lc2! It's got some great slides, a lazy river, bubble pool and large wave pool. Some really goot kiddie and baby pools with interactive features that are a lot of fun. We all had a great time, and I especially enjoyed the Masterblaster, a roller-coaster style ride which blasts riders uphill on jetted water - then lets gravity do the rest! It's a great improvement on the pool I remember as a kid and I thoroughly recommend it if you're even in the area. It's also got a Surf Rider, which is the world’s first indoor deep water surfing ride but I didn't get to go on that :(

There is a four-storey children’s Playzone incorporating interactive audio visual elements using projectors, latest computer hardware and bespoke software packages, together with a sensory room for children with special needs, which is another world first. We had a great time there, all the way from me to my 10 month old :D

2 sodas & 2 pretzels : $14.00

2 5oz dipping dots: $10.00

2 freaking monkeys: $10.00

Kids saying it was better than Disney World: Priceless.

We went to Carowinds this past Monday. We would be Tracy, Nathan, Brandon & I.  I took a day off work and Tracy got mom to watch Collin.  To say we had a BLAST would be an understatement.  The park was open 10-6 and we were there from 9:45-6:15 and boy did we get our monies worth! First ride up was the Kaleidoscope aka The Scrambler.  It was Tra & me and the B&Na, total giggle fest.  Next up was the Ricochet (looks like the game Mousetrap) and I swear that ride scares the complete crap out of me.  Nathan said it was his favorite ride because his mother screamed so much.  The boys rode it 3 times; I passed after the first one.  It was Brandon's first rollercoaster ever and he loved it. I was expecting him not to be into it but he gave it a shot and had a heck of a time and he only had one requirement for any of the rides, that they didn't go upside down.  The lines were almost non existent until about 2pm.  We rode the Carolina Goldrush about 5 times and that is a real rollercoaster, not the one in kiddy land. The Bumper Car were also a big hit.  Brandon rode them a couple times while Nathan and Tracy rode Thunder Road. Brandon was not having any of that.  When they got finished they came on over and Na got on the cars.  When he got in he took that strap that you put your arms through and put it around his neck.  Ummmm, wrong. Thank goodness there are people actually going around checking each car.  Would have been like a dog running on a short leash.  We laughed so hard about that we were about to cry. After there we rode Afterburn which is a coaster that hangs from the track and goes upside down. This is my favorite coaster of all time.  B of course didn't want to ride so he stood on the exit ramp. It was awesome!  Around 2 we decided we would eat lunch and afterwards we would hit the water rides.  I so didn't want to walk around all day wet, hello chaffing.  So on our way out to the car (yes we packed a cooler, so) we needed a rest and sat down to watch a water ride that the kids wanted to get on later called the Ruggrats Super Saturator.  The entrance to the ride says "You WILL get wet and possibly SOAKED".  The ride hangs down under the rails and has 4 seats to a car, 2 facing forward and 2 facing back.  Around the perimeter of the ride are water guns and buttons for spectators to shoot and to press to send up water bombs.  So we are under a tree watching all of this saying how fun it's going to be and what not, cause it is REALLY hot outside, when I realize that people are staring at us. Ummm whatever, but it was weird.  I figured out why.  The carts on the track have one lever for each seat and that person has control of the lever and when pulled 5 gallons of water fall from the sky. Guess who was under that? That's right. So I guess I should have read the sign that said "Wet Zone".  We were so shocked and everyone around there was cracking their side.  I guess they knew what was about to happen and the fact that we had no idea made it even funnier for them. I have to agree though, it WAS funny.  So we went to the car and ate and came back in for that ride. It was awesome and while in line got about 8 more dumps from the sky on us.  Rode the other standard water rides like the Rapids thing and the Whitewater Falls where that huge wall of water soaks everyone within 15 feet of the ride.  Near the very end Tracy let Na play a game to "win" a stuffed animal, it was a monkey.  Of course B had to have one too so he "won" one also. I say "won" because it was guaranteed to win. It was so funny to see them hitting the dumbbell as hard as they could to ring the bell thinking they had to win the prize.  They were all strutting around big and bad like when basically I just paid $5 for a stuffed animal.  The rest of the evening was filled with "Watch my monkey do this" "Watch my monkey do that".  Ummm tired of the da*mn monkeys now.  :) We stopped at McDonalds on the way home and according to the boys it made the day PERFECT.  Now that is what I'm talkin' bout! 

Maar hoe hard ik ook mag roepen, ik kan nooit neerschrijven wat voor een ongeloofelijke dag het was!
We hadden "chance" met het weer.... een 2-tal regenbuien (in het begin en op het einde...) en dat zorgde ervoor dat er niet te veel volk was...

Op het grootste deel van de attracties moesten we dan ook niet wachten, en als we moesten wachten duurde het niet langer dan een half uur.

En ik ben met Sita eens op "Dongo" (de kevertjes zijn beter bekend...) en de rolschaatsen geweest (beide snelle rollercoasters dus)...
Ik had verwacht dat ze haar maar stoer voordeed, dat ze wel zou wenen van angst als het zover was...
Maar nee, als ik vertelde dat dit leuk is, dat ze moeten roepen als ze bang of kietels heeft was alle schrik verdwenen... She did want to go again and again and again and again and again... and again.

Echt, ik trots op m'n zusje van nog maar bijna 3 dat ze zulke dingen zonder angst aandurft...

Jammer genoeg werkte de "Supersplash" niet meer wegens een klein mechanisch deffect na een 20-tal minuten wachten, en werd de boel nog een beetje later gesloten...
Ontzettend jammer, maar ik vind het super dat Plopsaland er alles aan deed om het volk er toch nog op te krijgen, binnen de 5 minuten na het ontdekken was er een technisch team terplaatste...
Enig minpunte (want die zijn er altijd), ze hadden het iets duidelijker mogen maken wat er juist aan de hand was... of toch minstens iets sneller...

Nuja, het was een zeer fijne dag, en ik ben dan ook meer dan voldaan en doodmoe...

Foto's zullen overigens zeker nog volgen ;)

RollerCoaster is a new night at the Woodside Social club, which is in the heart of Glasgows west end. We aim to bring the finest music to pleasure you ears!!

bands you are likely to hear are

Indeed, today, life is good. I think I'm just going to go with the flo.

I asked myself this, when I changed the heading to this blog.....   I think its the journey and outcome of a string of experiences, that can be joyful.  Even if there might not a 'biological' baby at the end of it...   Just knowing where you are headed with certainty can bring joy!   On an uncertain journey such as this,  where emotions peak and trough continuously,  the path of creation can be a joyous one!  Managing the pain and suffering that the experiences can bring, bring forth a different you, one with more compassion, understanding, and wisdom, as well as hope, faith, and peace.  Of course it does depend on how you view this journey, and what you intend to get out of it, besides the obvious.  As a coach, I am able to soften the corners when you get to the hairpin bends in the road.    I am the collaborator, the mother, the mentor, the assistant architect, the catalyst, the guide - someone you can depend on to be there, and to be what you need me to be.  That can create a joyful journey through the maze of deliberation, and waiting.   Yet, as I say this, I know fully well, the emotional upheaval this journey brings...I know some of the pitfalls, and I know I can shine a light on some of those and catch them at the pass.   My journey is ongoing.... my thoughts are on the possibility of donor egg, but hope is still alive,  my flame is still burning,  I am not ready to concede.  What will be will be.

philosophically,

Coach Louise

spiral

Originally uploaded by maddie persent

wipeout at pleasurewood hills

wipeout

Originally uploaded by maddie persent

pleasurwood hills

Given the events of the past 12 months I guess I can say I have come out reasonably unscathed. I have a place to live, I have a car and a job (2 actually…) and I have someone who loves me. Life could be worse.  

If I had graphed the highs and lows of the past year there would be a massive sway to the low side which gets me thinking, why? When will this end and the positives start being positives again?

Let’s take the last month for example. Bree and I found out we were pregnant. Initially bad news but that was it short lived and we were soon full of enthusiasm, happiness and optimism for the future. Two weeks later we were sitting in the maternity ward of the hospital (I’ll bitch about that another day!) The Dr had just given us the bad news that Bree was having a miscarriage and Bree was beginning to be prep’d for her surgery the next day.

In the space of two hours we went from a massive high to the pit of emptiness and were left sitting in a maternity ward searching for answers as to why. It has been a slow process for Bree and I to back up from this last event, We are both still pretty cut up and confused but life is coming back together with each passing day and we are looking to the future again.

We are looking through tainted eyes and being very weary of the future given our recent history of bad luck. Surely there has to be a turning of the tides and some decent good luck will be coming our way. As far as I can tell I haven’t upset old mate KARMA too much and from what I can see I haven’t brought on to much of this luck myself.  

I’ve never been a great fan of luck and never really thought much of it. I believe in Karma and doing the righty and that has served me well so far.

Maybe its time for me to take a more structured approach to get things back on track? I have always tried to plan a few steps ahead and been cautious and protective so I wouldn’t fall flat on my ass. Over the past 12 months this planning hasn’t exactly been spot on and in many cases it has been plain missing. The cautious track was working for me so perhaps I should sway back that way? But life wasn’t fun then. There were no un-foreseen challenges, no up’s and down’s just life day by day.   

As I started saying at the top of this post I have been reflecting on the past year. I have attempted a lot of things I didn’t think I would ever try, I have achieved a number of things that have been on life’s To-Do list and I’ve had some great times doing it.

Is it worth giving up those high’s to protect myself from the lows?

I have come out a lot stronger, a lot wiser and a lot more focused and determined having pushed through this last year. Admittedly I’m not focused or determined on doing any one thing at the moment that plan is still in the making. My strength is growing and this time when it all clicks together its going to work and its going to work well!  

I’ve learnt from the bad times and the mistakes and some time in the next few months life will steer itself back on track and the rollercoaster may actually be an enjoyable ride.

Bye for now

Cheers

Steve

After work today went down to Yokohama to take a few photos for stock and basically get out using my camera on some projects. The heat makes everything an effort however and I couldn`t quite get the people shots I wanted, but Yokohama is a good city to spend time in: spectacular and fun. there are skyscapers, rollercoasters and big wheels and though areas are modern and clean, other areas are old and interesting.

All cities should be like Yokohama.

Damon

Today her school's brass band participated in the annual 東京都中学校吹奏楽コンクール (Metropolitan Tokyo Junior High School Brass Band Competition).

She did excellent!

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After that, we went to 東京ドームシティ (Tokyo Dome City).

It's an amusement park and shopping center next to the Tokyo Dome (which is the home to the Tokyo Giants baseball team. And many concerts and events are held here, too) and the very tall "Tokyo Dome Hotel".

Here's a short video of the area behind the Tokyo Dome:

And here's another short video I took while looking out a window in the shopping center:

When I walked past the Kentucky Fried Chicken there, I noticed the Col. Sanders statue out front.

"KFC" (or 「ケンタッキー」 ("Kentucky") as it's known here) in Japan usually have a near life-size statue of Col. Sanders out front. He is often dressed to fit the current season.

Here's a picture of him from last X-mas:

And here he is today (he's wearing a Japanese 半被 (Happi coat)...which is a common sight at Japanese summer festivals):

Tokyo Dome City has a few food courts. At lunchtime, we went to the smallest one and ate at an excellent bread shop.

Here's a short view of that food court:

The "McDonalds" that you can see in that video gets pretty crowded. So they have something I've never seen before...for customers who want their food for "Take out" can go through the "Walk Thru Gate" (as opposed to a "Drive Thru"). I was also surprised that the sign for it was written in English:

There's a wild roller-coaster ride at the Tokyo Dome City that goes through a building.

Here's a video of it:

In alot of restaurants in Japan, there's a display out from that shows realistic, plastic models of the menu items.

++++++++++++++++++

Yesterday it stormed real hard and there was flash flooding.

Parts of the Tokyo sewage system became flooding and six workers were sent to repair it.

The current was so strong that they got washed away. One man escaped to safety, but two men have been confirmed dead.

The other three are missing, as of today, and feared dead.

When we left Tokyo Dome City today, we walked past 神田川 (Kanda River) on the way to the train station. As we did, we saw the Tokyo Fire Department and Police divers searching the river for the three missing men.

It'd be a miracle...but I hope they find them alive.

++++++++++++++++++

Japan has vending machines that sell nearly anything!

From vending machines here, you can get rice, beer, cigarettes, flowers, eggs, candy, cola, tea, coffee (hot or cold), magazines, newspapers, stamps, condoms, underwear, telephone cards, train tickets, bread, etc, etc...

Here's an 傘の自動販売機 (umbrella vending machine):

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Today my 「SUICA 定期券」 (I.C. monthly train pass) expired, so I had to get a new one.

When I first came to Japan, the train lines sold 磁気定期券 (Magnetic monthly train passes).

This pass would be inserted into the ticket gate like a regular ticket (and it would come out the other side). The customer would pay for either a one-month, three-month, or a six-month pass between any two stations. Then it could be used between those stations as many times as the owner of the pass wished...until the expiration date (at which it had to be renewed). The three and six month passes offered a greater discount.

If the pass owner went past either of the two stations on the pass, he would pay the fare difference in cash.

But a few years ago, Japan introduced a new Intregrated Circuit (I.C.) card (some countries call it a "smart card").

The one's issued by the main train line are green and called "SUICA". Other train lines, subway lines, and bus companies all use the pink "PASMO" card.

The two are interchangeable...meaning either card can be used to pay for JR train lines, other train lines, subways, buses, as well as some vending machines and shops and restaurants near train and subway stations.

The SUICA card:

This card can be charged at station machines and used by swiping it at the train or store or vending machine sensors.

It doesn't even need to be removed from your wallet.

But it can also be used, as I do, as a 「SUICA 定期券」 (I.C. monthly train pass). In the same way as the magnetic train pass that I mentioned above, this card can have a 1, 3 or 6 month pass between two stations.

What makes it better is that it can be quickly swiped as you enter the station and if you go past either of the two stations...it takes the fare balance from the funds that the card owner charged it with.

The 「SUICA 定期券」 (I.C. monthly train pass):

It's called "Suica" for a few reasons...スイ ("Sui") is kinda like "swish" in English. A swiping sound. And カ (ka (or "ca")) can be easily seen by Japanese as an obvious abbreviation for カード (card). Also, スイカ (Suika) means "watermelon" in Japanese...and the design on the card is train tracks in a circular pattern on a green background. It looks like a watermelon logo.

On the card, the name "Suica" is written with the "ic" a different color...because it's an "IC" card.

Get it?

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At the subway station, I saw this advertisement for the 「東京マラソン２００９」 (Tokyo Marathon 2009):

It reminded me of "SF Runner", so I took a picture of it so he could see it.

Hamburger Dom, originally uploaded by Paul Wenk. ]]> http://expatrollercoaster.wordpress.com/?p=52 Fri, 01 Aug 2008 08:46:04 +0000 Jo Parfitt http://expatrollercoaster.wordpress.com/?p=52 If you want some inspiration to keep you writing from the Expat Rollercoaster, make sure you don't miss my monthly column at the Telegraph. My latest one was about being inspired by travel and how to write an effective journal. You can find it here.

In front of the two observers was the other vehicle, sitting fully loaded in the now deserted roller coaster station. Its occupants moaned and strained to reach the two as they strode around the vehicle.

“You think with the power back on this thing will still run?” Said one as he reached the control station and started to punch buttons.

With a hiss of compressed steam the vehicle slid out of the station and up the climb ramp.

The two watched as the vehicle crested and began to thunder down the track, zombie arms flailing, heading for a collision with the still stationary other vehicle.

“Dude, that’s so wrong”

Not one bit of it. River rapids and log flumes and maybe the odd ghost train but that's about it. For fucks sake I became twitchy, nervous and very pale when we boarded the cable car at Alton Towers to take us to another location. Something that falls more under the category of 'public transport' than it does 'amusement park ride'. I was OK during the first 30ft or so, but once it goes over that valley with a drop that, to me, may as well be 7,000,000 miles my instincts kicked in: 'Holy fuck! If this thing breaks we are going to die. Do you understand? We will not survive a fall from this height.'

Strangely enough, no one around me seemed to appreciate the seriousness of the situation. Don't you see? Our entire lifeline was being held in the care of a fucking cable. Something that gets tied to trees and climbed upon by kids on its day off.

So no, rollercoasters are bottom of my list of things to do before I die. Actually, I think I may have even scribbled it out violently.

What can I say? I'm a wuss. A big, sweaty, gooey wuss who enjoys level ground at a minimal height above sea level. And I'm OK with that. I've had people tease me in the past, some of it malicious, some of it good-humoured. All of it involving pointing and laughing. But one thing I don't understand is how riding on a rollercoaster all of a sudden becomes warranted of some sort of bravery award. I've read and heard people say things like "God, even my little brother went on the Uber Hitler Instant Death & Blood ride, and he's still a gestating foetus in mother/sister's womb."

Why am I supposed to be impressed with that? Let's examine it shall we:

The ride is attached to a track. You're strapped in. You're buckled in. Attendants go around and make sure everyone is in safely and securely. The ride has an emergency stop button for - believe it or not - emergencies. And you're holding onto the handles tight until your fingertips turn red and your knuckles turn white and numb. Essentially; all the elements of danger that one associates with courage have been accounted for and given a health and safety overhaul.

What I'd like to see is a rollercoaster that completely removes all the above elements. I want to see something that looks not entirely dissimilar to the mine cart levels in Donkey Dong Country. With rockets attached. And no crash helmet. OK maybe a crash helmet. But it's filled with cat vomit.

Now who's chicken shit? The answer is still me of course.