My Holiday of a Lifetime
I set off from Manchester Airport on 28th July.  My brother kindly took me there.  I flew from Manchester to Paris where I had a 2 hour wait until flying to San Francisco.  I was fortunate to sit beside a lovely lady and her 19 yr. old daughter who were from Dublin, not the Irish one!  They saw me looking at photographs of Laurie and her family lots of times as I got more and more excited.  We even exchanged addresses and email addresses.

The moment of meeting is definitely imprinted on my memory!  I had a long wait in customs.  I spotted Laurie out of the corner of my eye.  She was behind a barrier and all I could think of was how quickly could I find the end of the barrier and get round to her.  I started to move when I heard this shout ..'Bossy Boots!!'  It was Laurie insisting that the first hug was across the barrier!!!  It was a magic moment so I am allowing you to share a little of it with the following pictures!!

I was very excited on my first day just going round USA shops.  We visited Safeways, which we did quite frequently!  I enjoyed seeing new products and pointing various foods before buying them,  I had decided to follow the USA programme for the holiday.  I love ice cream and soon discovered fudgsicles, frozen yoghurt and Starbucks coffee cream bars (I can't remember their correct name!).  There were even lots of different flavoured yoghurts which are not available in the UK. 

We had trips to San Francisco where I was impressed to see beds full of ice plants at the side of the road.  I have a few in my garden but as the sun has not shone very much this year they have not opened their flowers very often!  We went to Cliff House where I saw my first Californian sea lions and brown pelicans.  I love cormorants and was delighted to see lots of those too.

I was telling my friend Delia how excited I was about the birds etc.  I had already arranged to attend her WW meeting with her on my first Saturday in the USA.  Delia then offered to take me out for the day to Ano Nuevo State Reserve.  I was made a big fuss of by Debbie her leader and her fellow class members, Debbie remembered Delia showing the class my newspaper articles.  I was awarded with bravo stars too! Here is a picture of my very good friend who hopes to visit me in two years time.  (That comment is just to make sure that she and her husband don't forget that I am expecting them!!)

It was the first of the really warm days and following nagging from Laurie and Delia I made sure that I was well covered with sun tan lotion!  We had a lovely lunch together in Half Moon Bay before going to the reserve.  I loved that visit!!  I saw elephant seals which were just coming to the end of their moulting season before going out to sea.  I couldn't believe how close I was allowed to stand to them!!!  We were within 25 feet of them!!  I haven't got fancy lenses for my camera but these are a couple of my pictures of the seals.
When I arrived home from that trip my friend Star and her daughter, Hearts, had already arrived at Laurie's apartment.  They stayed a week with us.  We had lots of visits out.  We went to San Francisco zoo one day and then spent another day in San Francisco when Hearts and I were very excited at driving down Lombard Street, the crookedest street in the world..  I was glad that I didn't have hills like that to drive on where I live!!  As I like wildlife I enjoyed seeing the sea lions at Pier 39 and here is my picture of them.
Thursday had been very quiet so that evening we played Miniature Golf, which we call Crazy Golf in the UK.  The following picture shows Hearts when we had almost finished playing.  Hearts proved to be very talented at the game despite never having played before.  She beat us all hands down!! As you can see she is a Spice Girls fan!
On Star and Hearts last full day we went to the Great American Theme Park!  Oh I remember that Theme Park visit well!!!!!  Most of us went on the log ride and got soaked.  Laurie has had operations on her knees and so was very restricted in what she was able to do.  She laughed at us all arriving back wet but her daughters felt that I should have been even wetter!!!  They made sure that Hearts went to Splat City where she got absolutely soaked but then so did they!  Laurie persuaded me to go on the roller coaster.  It was called The Grizzly.
 Please bear in mind that when you are huge you do not even attempt to go on rides in case the safety rails will not fasten.  I cannot remember the last time I went on a ride, must be at least 15 years ago.  It was pointed out that Hearts, 10 yrs old, needed me to go on with her as she had nobody to sit with.  Well I was quite happy to go!  Did I enjoy that ride?  NO!!!!! It was a wooden roller coaster.  I was scared on the ups and downs but that was nothing to how I felt as it threw me round the corners.  I not only felt as if I would fall out but felt as if my head was about to drop off too!  The noise and the vibrations made the ride even worse.  I was shaky for the rest of the visit!! Funny ..Hearts and Laurie's daughters enjoyed it!  Perhaps it is my age!!

In fact later on we all queued (I now know that isn't a term used in the US so 'waiting in line'!!!)  for ages to go on the James Bond ride which was only a simulated ride.  I still felt queasy and the longer I queued the more I felt I did not want to go on this ride!!  I was planning in my head how I would climb the barrier when I got nearer the entrance.  I then felt silly as everyone else was going in so decided to chance it.  When we got in Laurie, who sometimes suffers from panic attacks, told me she had to get out.  You should have seen the relief on my face as now I felt I could justify going out!  We got through the exit and turned round to see that Star had followed us out too!!!!  What chickens we were!  I am sure I would have enjoyed the ride if I had not had that experience on The Grizzly first!!!
 
It was a very sad day when Star and Hearts had to leave.  We panicked as we had promised friends that we would take pictures of the three of us together and we did not even have one together!  So when Star was packed we started clicking!!  Here is one of us for you to see!!!

We all enjoyed taking pictures of Hearts and she seemed to like being photographed too!!!  So I thought I would include another one of her for you to see!
We had a brilliant day out in Yosemite National Park.  It took us hours to get there and we did not see very much but it was well worth the trip. I was very keen to go again but did not say anything!  Just imagine my excitement when Laurie's eldest daughter said that she and her boyfriend were upset that we had not seen more and asked would we like to visit again but this time with them!!  Yosemite was where they first met and they knew their way round the park very well.  We certainly saw lots more sights than on our previous visit.  It was a very long day but I loved every minute of it!!

This next picture was taken when the sun was going down.  Now how come they always look good in photos and Laurie and I had so much trouble!!!  Anyway thanks should go to our guides who showed us a really good time at Yosemite!!

We saw a bear when we went to Yosemite!!!  Okay, so we did not see any live bears!! Do you know that you cannot even leave an empty coke can in your car because the bears will smell it and break into the car to try and get it!!!  There were signs all around the place warning about what us not to leave anything in the car!  Here is the bear which caused us so much interest!!
On my last Sunday we visited San Francisco and spent time at the Golden Gate Bridge and the Palace of Fine Arts. We took photos of Laurie and me together but we found that one of us was always pulling a face or just did not look good!!!!  Well this one isn't too bad so I will let you see it!!!
 At the end of the day in San Francisco we visited a restaurant where sourdough bread was put on the table and the basket refilled as we ate it. I was really hungry and dread to think how much I actually ate!!!  Well sourdough is seemingly a speciality of San Francisco so I was only taking advantage of the given opportunity!! Fresh crusty bread has always been one of my weaknesses!!!

On the day before we left we visited Monterey and went on the 17 mile scenic drive.  I had a wonderful time.  I loved the aquarium.  There is never enough time to do a place like that justice.  I was very excited to see sea otters!!!  We had a meal out and I was really relaxed by now and trying new things!  I had my very first clam chowder.  Points were not an issue and I thoroughly enjoyed it!!  I followed it with a crab salad sandwich made with sourdough bread!!  The scenic drive was wonderful too!!  I couldn't believe my luck when nearly every time we stopped I could see wild sea otters.  I had my binoculars so could see them clearly even though I could not get a photograph of them.

Laurie and I had a few spells of shopping together.  This included buying me my first pair of denim shorts, 2 pairs and my first ever Levi jeans.  They were USA size 12 and I was very excited as I didn't expect them to fit!! We spent all our time finding things for me and as you know by now I love lots of attention!!!

I haven't managed to mention all the places we visited.  We did go all over the place and there are still lots of places I would like to see!!  Oh I  nearly forgot to tell you!!  I experienced an earthquake!!  Well I must confess that I had no idea what it was!!  I felt it but never gave it a thought.  Laurie yelled at me to move as we sat together on the couch but she soon realized that it had been and gone. So we just relaxed again and listened to them talk about it on the telly!! (sorry television!!)

Now I haven't mentioned WW in any of this bar the visit with Delia.  Well that was certainly another of the highlights!!  I weighed in on the first Tuesday with the leader called Bobby Jo.  I had set a goal, on Laurie's request, for my visit.  It was for 145 lbs.  I had already arranged with Fiona that I would not fix my final goal until I reached that weight, 10 stone 5 lbs.  I was very surprised to find that I made it on that first weigh in!  Bobby Jo awarded me a silver pin and gave me the gold one for when I finished maintenance!!

 I was also given the full US programme too!  The following Tuesday was our first visit to Yosemite so I weighed in on the Thursday instead.  Fortunately it was Bobby Jo again!  I arrived to discover that she had her camera!!  It seemed that she had been so excited when I left the previous week that she phoned her manager and talked to Wendy the PR manager.  She was instructed to catch me on film when I next appeared ..which she did!  Next thing I knew I was asked to attend another of Bobby Jo's meetings that evening.  Laurie was advised that we should get dressed up.  We did!  We arrived to find balloons, food and drink and managers at the meeting!!  I was awarded with a certificate, a beautiful bouquet of long stemmed red roses and a card signed by all the class.
The above picture shows me with Wendy (the PR manager), Laurie, a poster of Sarah Ferguson, Bobby Jo and Lorraine (the area manager).  They were all extremely excited for me and very kind and generous too!!
 

 At each meeting I attended I was asked to stand up and speak!!  I talk too much but I did warn the leaders first!!!  I enjoyed all the fuss and the attention.

Laurie loved the way I grabbed my UK calculator and talked to the class about how our point systems differ.  (I was having trouble with my nose which is why I am also clutching a packet of paper tissues!!)
 

Was the celebrating all finished?  No!!  I was then asked by Lorraine to attend the following night's leaders meeting where they again asked me to talk to the group!  Being nervous I found myself only talking to one side of the room, silly as I did not realize what I had done until I sat down and I had done exactly the same thing the previous night!!  Still everyone seemed happy with what I said.  I am now being told again that I will make a good WW leader, and yes I am considering the possibility of it.  I just need to work out if I could manage that and my full time teaching job!  All in all I visited 4 different WW centres.  I talked at 5 different meetings and attended 6.  I thoroughly enjoyed the experiences!!  I would like to say a very big Thank You to all the WW staff and class members I met for making my visit so memorable.  I am delighted to say that Bobby Jo and I now send emails to each other regularly.

Freddie is one of my best and kindest supporters and loves to tease me.  I am delighted to be able to catch him on film!!!  He joins me and my friends in chat each week!!! I shall also remember wandering round with coffee for a long time to come.  Here in the UK we do not have lots of coffee shops and certainly would not wander round with coffee.  ..Now Laurie there is an excuse for you to come to the UK ..open up lots of coffee shops like our favourite haunt Starbucks!

My holiday finished on 19th August.  Laurie and I, being very alike and doing things at the last minute, spent the last morning getting photos taken of us together and then developed before I left that afternoon! I had to be at the airport by 4.30 pm.   There was a long queue for checking in and an hour later, when we had moved only a couple of feet, we learned that the computers were down.  By the time I got to security and said my goodbyes the passengers had started boarding.  Those goodbyes were very difficult ..and neither of us wanted them recording!  I arrived back late in the afternoon on 20th August to rain!! Lindsey fetched me from the airport and then she and John helped me unwind.  It took me days to recover from the jet lag but more so because I missed Laurie so much!!

 I had such a very special time and I owe the whole family such a lot but especially Laurie!!!  THANKS SO MUCH LAURIE!!!!!  :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) Now ..when can I stay again and when are you coming here?

Now this page wouldn't be complete without showing some more friends I made!!

This 'friend' takes after me!!  She loves spending money and also enjoyed fudgsicles, popsicles and animal crackers!!
Lulu spent some nights with me but she hurt when she played Max's game of catch Steph's toes!!!  She had great fun popping the balloons I was given by Weight Watchers.  I just wish I had caught her on video!!  In the above picture you can see her in a favourite home.  I brought back the bag back from the zoo and Lulu claimed it as her own. There was no way she was prepared to share it either!!
Now I had trouble deciding which picture of Mini to show.  I chose this one as it was another home which Lulu had claimed but here as you can see Mini managed to get a turn for once!!  Mini was very scared of me when I first arrived but after the three weeks she had just about made friends with me.  I hope she remembers me straight away next time as I didn't like her having to hide all the time just because of me!!!

I couldn't resist showing you another picture of Laurie and me at Las Pulgas Water Temple on my final morning having great fun posing as we used up the films in our cameras!

 
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