We danced and sang as the music played in any boomtown

As you are probably aware today is Halloween. Our excellent local farm shop has a lantern lighting thing tonight and tomorrow so we went along. There are a lot of Jamaicans working there and there is a definite, erm, how shall we put this - red, gold and green vibe going on with these pumpkins.

Its probably about as far as you could get from Caribbean weather though - its starting to get cold.

Looked like there was 10,000 people standin' round the buryin' ground

Well tonight's location is a little less like being in an episode of the Sopranos. We are now in Rochester, NY (apparently actually Henrietta - a bit like saying you are in London but actually in New Southgate). And a lovely drive we had to get here too.


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Came up through a bit of the Appalachians (but not the really wild and woolly bit of it though). Very impressive. Yet more fall colours - will it never end? Had a bit of a diversion round one of the Finger Lakes which was all very perhriddy.

We have just been out for that quintessentially of English dinners, a curry. If you ever find yourself in Rochester (well, Henrietta) I can thoroughly recommend the Haveli - best parathas outside India (its something that Indian restaurants in the UK don't seem to be able to do).

There is one thing that we are going to have sort out with all this driving - music. The radio can be good, I mean how can you go wrong with a classic rock station (ok, many ways. If I hear Ho-bloody-tel-arseing-Cali-sodding-fornia one more time, I won't be responsible for my actions). But the problem with the radio is that its all local so you get something for 40 or 50 miles then you have to find a new station. We could either a) get a Sirius HD radio for the car. Upside, good stations (a station that just plays 24 hour a day Broooce- whats not to like? And who wouldn't want Neil Diamond radio? No seriously there are good stations) and its  nationwide. Downside - you have to subscribe. Or b) just sort the ipod out for the car.

But you're one in a million, you've got that shotgun shine

We are currently in North Caldwell, NJ. Giselle has come here for a meeting and I have just tagged along for a ride. It feels like an extension of our viewing for the last week (Series Four, episode four as you ask).

I have just eaten gabagool as a starter in a restaurant that wasn't a million miles from Vesuvio, served by a waitress who was a cross between Carmela and Adrianna. The following is I swear a real conversation that we overheard from an adjacent table.

"You know he was Joe Pesci's bodyguard?"

"No but did you known he was in the Soprano's?"

I was going to go to the Fountains of Wayne (the garden ornaments store where the cop works who loses his overtime for those of you not as trainspottery as me) tomorrow morning whilst G is at work but apparently it closed last  year - why do these things always close or get knocked down before I get to them?

I said do you speak-a my language

I always thought it was a fiction that Americans went round telling the English that they "loved your accent". It seems that it isn't. We went to get an E-Z pass on Friday . We walked into the office and Giselle said "we would like to get an E-Z pass please" and instantly the woman behind the counter said "oh I love your accent, just keep talking".

Er okay, so about this E-Z pass, how do you top it up?

"oh isn't that wonderful "top it up" (said in an English accent about as near as you can get to Dick van Dyke in Mary Poppins ).

So  chip in "So if you don't top things up what do you do?"

"Oh you too, just keep talking to me"

Right I shall read out the E-Z pass application form to you then. (Apparently they replenish an E-Z pass, personally I would have said that you replenish shelves but there you go).

What I don't understand is why Americans don't seem to be able distinguish the English accent from the Australian accent. More than once I have been asked if I am Australian. I think that all my Australian friends would agree that we don't have similar accents at all but the average American seems to think so.

And another thing, why does the whole of America seem to think that English has two accents - the aforementioned Dick van Dyke cockernee and Toff, and thats it.

I came in here for that special offer, guaranteed personality

You would have thought that given that the supermarket was an American invention, it would be a familiar place. Its not though. American supermarkets of course do sell food in the same way as Sainsbury's et al do but in a lot of ways though thats it. I have become so used to going into a supermarket and being able to buy almost anything, its a bit of a shock to find that you can't buy everything that you want - TV's, ipods, clothes, barbeques - all in one shop. Its actually a good thing that supermarkets don't seem to be as all consuming as they are in the UK. The only that appears to be like a UK supermarket is Walmart and thats hardly a surprise given they own Asda - you can even buy George clothes in there.

And once you are in the supermarket, the food can be a bit odd. Fruit and vegetables look like that have come from a Disney prop maker - I have never seen such red and shiny apples. But thats OK because around here there are a lot of farms which have their own shops or as they call them farm stands (but they are really shops and not stands). The best one we have found is this one. And it is fantastic. Only problem with it is that you do end up buying things that you wouldn't otherwise think that you need but the fruit and veg are amazing. And who knew that you get 90 varieties of tomato in one place?

The other great thing that we have found is a butcher. This is a good thing as the one that that America can't do is bacon. The nonsense that they pass off as bacon is a travesty, streaky bacon has its place but its not on the breakfast plate. So after being recommended a good butcher I went and had a word with him to see if he could get me any real bacon. He tried but couldn't so being the good egg that he is he has decided to make his own real bacon (which rather oddly that they call Irish bacon here). So I await the results with some salivation.

And whilst on a food tip, I have bought one of these

It truly is the greatest kitchen gadget I have ever possessed. A strawberry huller. You know you want one.

Just a small town girl livin' in a lonely world

Pig meet shit. I have just purchased a 30 disc, 86 episode box set of the complete Sopranos. Thats this weekend sorted out then.....

There's no pill I can recommend where the side effects aren't guaranteed to send you round the bend

I have just had my first encounter with the American health care system. The basic gist I get from it is - people in the UK, please don't ever moan about the NHS any more and people in America, get yourself an NHS.

I went to the dentist with an abscess. And what a palaver. Unless you are shelling out the cash upfront, the dentist has to talk to your insurance company to see what they will and won't pay for. Thankfully our insurance paid for my treatment but please, what sort of way is that to provide health care for people?

Then it was down to the pharmacy - the cost of three prescriptions? Nearly 90 dollars! It puts £7.20 per prescription item into perspective. I shall never complain about prescription costs ever again.

Little girl with the long blond hair, come win your daddy one of them stuffed bears

Today's day out was pure Americana (again). It was Deerfield Country Fair and oh what a laugh. The first thing that we went to was the Pig Scramble (best not to ask)

A bit of a more normal attraction after that - a Jug Band

And finally - the Demolition Derby, what a fantastic sport

Bit disappointed that I couldn't find a corn dog though.

The falling leaves drift by the window

Well what a busy weekend. Lets start with yesterday.

We went up to the White Mountains yesterday to see the Fall Colours (or should that be colors?). First of all we went for breakfast here in Manchester. It is a fine diner and can you beat steak and eggs for breakfast? It was then a long drive up the 3 to Lincoln and along the Kancamagus Highway . The fall colours are beautiful

but the thing is y'know - you can have a bit too much of it. I would imagine that if from round here you could get a bit blasé about it. Mile after mile of leaves changing colour year after year as lovely and picturesque as it is does become, well boring.

We then went up the Mount Washington Auto Road. In someways, it has to be the most pointless mountain road that I have every been on. Usually a mountain road goes from one side of the mountain to the other. This one however goes to the top and then you have to drive down the same way.  But I have to say that it was worth doing. The top of Mount Washington is where the highest ever wind speed has been recorded (231 mph for those who care about these things) and the weather station is strapped down by enormous chains. And it was bloody cold, 29 degrees (that minus 3 in real money)

I would imagine that its this cold up there even in the height of summer. Thankfully it was a clear day, a pretty amazing view. All in all a good day out.

White on white translucent black capes back on the rack

We have visitors at the moment - Ed & Evelyn are here for a week and a week and a half respectively. Had a bit of heavy session last night (along with all sorts of larks and games) so were all a little fragile this morning.  But after a hearty Denny's breakfast




we went here. Bloody amazing place. I want to live there.