acorns

I found a acorn.

And we've been tormenting Kevin. (Sorry cat)

And missing the States.

That little chap is Connor, my cousin's almost-nephew. Together with his brother Nathan he had us running circles round him but his cuteness definitely warrants it. Going at a snail's pace with processing photos from the trip but they should be up soon for your nosying. Making acorns out of my lemons, acorns are much more sophisticated.

 By the way, someone get me this Oy with the poodles already poster for my birthday?

Hey y'all (I'm so American now)

I discontinued posting my adventures when we arrived at my cousins' in Massachusetts because, well, I was having far too much fun to be geeking out on the internet. We arrived quite late at night and then the very next day my cousin Iain proposed to his girlfriend before all our eyes AND there were rainbow cupcakes (very important detailing). Keri of course said yes (after coming out with "Are you s****ing me?!" despite all her efforts training herself not to do so when the moment came). Keri made the rainbow cupcakes (I've never seen someone implement a brief quite so literally), which were RIDICULOUSLY good. Photos to come.

My older cousin Heather (Iain's sister) also rang us with important news before we set off to the states around a month ago, letting us all know that (un)fortunately for us we'd have to come back to the states in 2014 as well for HER WEDDING. This was the first engagement we've had in our generation of the McLarens so we freaked out and screamed a lot and also contemplated how depressing but exciting it is that we're all growed up now. (We're turning not-21 in less than a month now, we're not really talking about it and now referring to all future birthdays as not-21st birthdays). Heather, Jason, Iain and Keri - I'm so freaking excited for you all. And for the open bars at your weddings. <3

I'm pining for Massachusetts now. Our week at the Zautners was filled with ice cream, movies, crafts, barbeques, cribbage, peanut butter flavour, little dogs, babies, hugs, dolphins (a lie, seemed to fit), beaches, yard games, basements and SO MANY DanGers. (Inside joke, I'm really sorry. It started here). We're back in the U.K. for now and the Dubai lot are off again soon. I'm part-time-job-searching and spending an embarrassing amount of time on the internet at the moment. Nice photos from my SLR are yet to be uploaded onto the lappy and processed but at the moment I'm shying away from the two fully-loaded SD cards which are going to take DECADES to trawl through.

I'm on a Gilmore Girls marathon until I find a job and coming up for air in between intensely watching back-to-back episodes I've stumbled on this BuzzFeed (click here) and this photo blog post (click here) which both really touched my heart. (You will judge me on that statement when you open the first link, but I have a deeply-rooted passion for the subject matter).

Please get in touch if you'd like to help fund me through the next couple months. Ha. (Crying inside).

Azkaban

Wasn't going to do an update so soon but there were quite a few photos from Azkaban today. Azkaban is great, if thoroughly recommend it. Although I did feel slightly on edge the whole time I was on the island and felt relieved when we touched down on the mainland..the place has strange vibes. There were only 14 escape attempts made in the 30 years it operated as a prison which I was surprised about, but some of the escape stories the park rangers told us were CRAYZEE. They involved creative use of spoons, rubber gloves and laundry items.  Each of us definitely stared out over the shark-infested waters wondering how we'd do it..

The watch tower.

The wall of the library.

Marks left from grenades thrown in by US Marines to stop a guards-taken-hostage situation. 

The visitation centre.

The kitchen, with outlines of the knives in the cupboard so guards could quickly tell if one was missing...AGGGGGHHHHHH

Lots of these dudes.

The water tower, now a fossil of the Indian occupation after the prison was closed.

A San Fran tram! They do exist!

And we camped out in Dad and Ali's room with a room service delivery for dinner because Ali's back ain't great at the moment. LOOK HOW MANY COLOUR JUICES. OMNOMNOM. 

Napa Valley vineyard tours tomorrow..#unaylad #drinking 

I know it's Alcatraz. Shhhh. 

I-101 North

So we spent our last night at Pismo at the 'Cracked Crab':

Crab crackin' tools.

Loving life 2K13.

And after three hours driving North we stopped for a cuppa in Carmel - it is absolutely beautiful. A bit like an American Ambleside. 

This was just..just..I don't even know.

And then we saw the beach..ohmahgah

We drove through ACRES of this:

And then we stopped at Santa Cruz for lunch, where Mairi decided she was going to abandon Plan A and become a surfer chick with a dog. We ate ENORMOUS salads at an eatery, and stared at the TWIN fresh-out-the-wombs who were hanging out there with their fam (if you're not in the select few in on this joke I'm not sure you want to know). 

We then gawked at real-life surfers for a bit, who also conveniently started half-stripping out of their wetsuits and coming up to the shore all golden and...wait this is totally inappropes for the public internet.

We're in San Francisco now and here for 3 nights. It seems a bit like New York (judging from a wild taxi ride from the car rental drop-off) and I quite like it. Didn't see any Princess Diaries landmarks en route to the hotel but might do on the way to ALCATRAZ tomorrow. 

We're coming to the end of our travelling around the West as we head back to Boston on Sunday but so far I can conclude that California is BEAUTIFUL. Excited for our return East though..apparently we have Donahue-flavour rainbow cupcakes waiting.. 

Mairi's making me watch a horrific zombie movie that I'm actually getting addicted to so I'm going to end it there..

p.s. thinking of you today Jenny, tough day and I wish I was there to support you guys. 

Pismo

We're saying at Pismo Beach for a quiet couple days before San Francisco. It's beautiful here, wide sandy beaches and lots of little tacky gift shops and diners. The Blackpool of California. Us girls spent the morning in the pool and then I read for a bit on the cliff side, not too shabby at all. Last night when we stopped in town to pick up some water we got chatting to the shopowner - a Syrian man who had only been in the U.S 4 months having fled from Syria as a United Nations refugee. He said he feels lucky to be set up on the beach like this but his family is still there. 

Anyhoo back in the room with the other McLastley girls having wandered to the pier for a HUGE bite to eat. I feel like my food baby is having a baby. THE FOOD HERE YOU GUYS, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU EAT IT AND YOU'RE STILL SO SKINNY. 

:(