It all started in 1983...

Actual date of this event: 2 February

There is a large group of Americans that live in Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom.
In the large group of Americans that live in Aberdeen, there is a large group that are young.
In the large group of Americans that live in Aberdeen that are young, there is a group who were born in 1982 or 1983.
In the large group of Americans that live in Aberdeen that are young and that were born in 1982 or 1983, there are four girls who were born within a month of each other.
Yep, I am one of those four girls! 

Me (Feb. 9), Kristin (Feb.1), Pam (Feb. 26), Jill (Jan. 21)

Okay, maybe I shouldn't be screaming for joy about turning 30, but it is such a huge coincidence that we are all in this together across the world from what we call home. Its a pretty special thing! And like I said above, there is about 8 or so of us that either celebrated their 30th last year or will celebrate their 30th this year. I think that is pretty cool! Ask me again in one week how I feel about this turning 30 thing. I think we're alone now... apparently, this is like the last birthday that matters.

Anyway, the four of us put together a big celebration. You see, in Scotland, when it's your birthday, you are supposed to host your own birthday party. Anyway, it was an obvious choice to host an 80's themed party. We all dressed up in our best 80's gear. We put together the best 80's playlist to jam. Had 80's movies rolling for visual pleasure. We had pizza, tie-dyed cupcakes, and "British" Jolly Rancher shots. We decorated with glow sticks, sunglasses, visors, brightly colored plates & utensils, and of course crazy straws.

We started the night at the Buisson home for the "dinner" party. Around 10pm, we headed out to Nox for a fun evening of dancing. Unfortunately, we hit a major speed bump along the way where one of the birthday girls was not allowed to enter the club. (speaking of which, Nox = rude bouncers & manager) We had tons of fun... can you tell?

Most photos are owned by Nary & Jillian

Most photos are owned by Nary & Jillian

I wont mention any names, but more than one person ended up on their butt that night for no apparent reason. Again, won't mention any names, but some people thought they were 20 year olds and realized very soon that 30 year olds can't party like that any more. Oooops!

RANDOM FACT:
Austria (1788) and Japan (1904) both declared war on Russia on February 9th. Source
I have a cousin who was born on the exact same day as me... he was recently ordained a priest.

-Debbie

Three Burns Suppers

Actual date of this event: 25 January & 1 February

Just like how the USA has many traditions and holidays to celebrate, so does the UK and Scotland. One of the unique holidays celebrated in Scotland is Robert Burns Day on January 25th. I was lucky enough to have three celebrations for Robbie this year!

Who is Robbie Burns? A Scotsman, a poet, a romanticist. He died at age 37, and was the father of 13 children. Yikes!

Whats the tradition? A supper which includes haggis (a savory pudding of sheep's heart, liver, lungs, and stomach), neeps (turnips), and tatties (potatoes). Click here to read about the tradition of the supper... but the three I attended were all different. The most important part of the tradition is the Address to a Haggis. Bagpipes are played while the Haggis is brought to the table on a plate. The Address to a Haggis is recited which includes stabbing the haggis with a knife.

Celebration One:
On Friday mornings, I usually attend the AWA activity group where we play the American version of Mahjong for a couple of hours. It is pretty much the only thing I do that gives me a good headache from thinking so much. Anyway, our host for the January 25th group, Vicki, prepared Haggis, Neeps, and Tatties for lunch. In the form of tacos, which was pretty tasty!

I broke my terrible losing streak that day and got two Mahjongs... meaning I won two of the four games I played that day. Yay me!!

Celebration Two:
Our friends, Nary & Gerald (or Nerald for quickness) hosted a Burns Supper for a our friends that were available on the evening of January 25th. Many of our friends were attending their own Burns Supper for work, so the Pena's were nice enough to put something together for the rest of us. Nary was not so comfortable with cooking the Haggis, so our friends from Wales, Tash & James, did all of the cooking. Tash made haggis, veggie haggis, neeps and tatties. We also had guacamole, because, well... guacamole is yummy! The haggis was a hit! It is a shame that it gets such a bad wrap.

Celebration Three:
Luke's company hosts a Burns Supper every year. This year, the supper was a week after Burns Day, on February 1st. This is always a formal event, where the men wear their kilts and the ladies wear a nice dress with a tartan item. Before the dinner, our friends, Diane & Phil, hosted a cocktail party before we all jumped in taxis to the Ardoe House for the event. 

Thank you, Nary and Jill, for sharing your pictures!

The company attempted to follow the traditions of a Burns Supper as much as possible with grace, the Address, poems, the food, and dancing. Our group got lucky and all got to sit at the same table which was name Haggis :-) We had four courses with lots of wine and champagne. Our table was in the back, by a door leading outside and by the bar. Like I said, we got lucky!

After we ate dinner and had serious food babies in our tummies, we began the ceilidh dancing (click here to learn how to say ceilidh). Many of the dances involve skipping and swinging your partner round and round. Luckily, the band explained each dance before beginning, so everyone could get into it. It was really really fun! My feet were killing me after a few songs, and it was super hot in the room. I enjoyed a seat at our table with the door open for quite a while toward the end as I rested. It even snowed while we were there which made the night even better!

I am so glad Luke and I got to be a part of Burns Day while living in Aberdeen. I was two seconds away from getting teary-eyed at one point because we will not be a part of this day again. I had to stop myself and say, "Nope! Don't start that!" It is an amazing experience to join in the traditions of other countries and cultures, and we are so thankful for the opportunity. This was a fun one... one that I will never forget!

RANDOM FACT:
The formal attire for wearing a kilt includes:
-jacket
-waistcoat
-shirt
-tie
-kilt (pleats in the back, high on the waist, knee length)
-kilt pin
-belt (if no waistcoat)
-sporran ("purse", chain going through the loops, hangs four finger widths below top of the kilt)
-knee high socks (slightly folded down)
-flashes (match kilt)
-Sgian Dubh (bladeless knife, tucked into the side of the right sock)
-shoes (pulled around and tied in the front of the ankle)

-Debbie-

Debbie's Ski Prep

Since I am already a pretty active person when it comes to exercise, I usually don't have to prepare too early for skiing. But a little extra exercise never hurts, so beginning a month in advance is quite all right. In the past, I have started this prep two weeks before hitting the slopes, and it all turned out perfectly.

Before I begin, I must say **I am in no way a professional skier. I am not an athletic trainer. I have had no formal training in skiing. If you get injured while doing any of these exercises, I will not take responsibility for any injury. You are responsible for any injury that may be caused if you choose to follow any of these exercises. These exercises are simply what my body can manage, and what my body needs for skiing.** I repeat, **I am in no way a professional skier. I am not an athletic trainer. I have had no formal training in skiing. If you get injured while doing any of these exercises, I will not take responsibility for any injury. You are responsible for any injury that may be caused if you choose to follow any of these exercises. These exercises are simply what my body can manage, and what my body needs for skiing.** Hopefully, everyone has got the point. Shall I say it one more time? No? Okay, lets move on...

When Luke and I ski, we aim to arrive at the lifts as soon as they open. We also try to stay all day until the lifts close. Throughout the day, we find ourselves going from top to bottom without any stopping which can be 20-30 minutes of constant movement. With that being said, many muscle groups are worked and begin to burn throughout the day, so I try to mimic that pain in a my workouts. Here is the routine I use to prepare myself for long days on the slopes:

1.) Jogging ending with 2 minutes of a much quicker pace - at least 30 minutes

2.) Wall sit - toes pointed forward, legs at a 90 degree angle - 1 minute

3.) Wall sit - toes pointed inward, legs at a 90 degree angle - 1 minute

4.) Squats - 3 sets of 20

5.) Lunges - forward - 3 sets of 15 on each leg

6.) Frog Jumps - squat all the way down, touch the floor, jump, reach for ceiling - 3 sets of 10 (these are killer!)

7.) Sumo Squats - 3 sets of 20 reps

7.) Single Leg Backward Lunges - 3 sets of 15 on each leg

8.) Mountain Climbers - 3 sets of 15 on each leg

9.) Resistance Band Adductors - 3 sets of 25 on each leg

10.) Resistance Band Glutes - 3 sets of 25 on each leg

11.) Calf Raises - 3 sets of 25 on each leg

12.) Push Ups - 3 sets of 15

13.) Seal Raises - lay on stomach with arms and legs stretched out, lift everything but tummy off the floor as high as possible - 3 sets of 25 (works the back and I call them seal raises because you look/feel like a seal)

14.) Elbow Plank - 1 minute

15.) Side Plank - each side 1 minute

16.) Stretching - extreme focus on all parts of the body that were just worked - usually takes about 15 minutes

I try to jog a least 5 times a week, and I do the exercises right after the jog. I am not a big fan of being sore, so I work my way up with the exercises. When I first begin the prep, I usually do just 1 set of each exercise for the first two or three days. Then, I do 2 sets for a few days. After about a week, I am doing exactly what it says above which leaves at least a week of majorly strengthening my body. I usually go through the routine doing one set of each with little to no rest between each exercise, then repeat that two more times, and leave the planks and stretching for the very end.

Like I said, my body can manage this routine, and it has helped me prepare for 6 straight days of skiing without any soreness. I am still exhausted at the end of each day, but it helps so much with waking up the next day and being ready to go again! I hope that these exercises may come in handy for your future skiing adventure, but remember, I am not responsible for any injury that may occur. Happy Muscling :-)

Don't like my ski prep? 

This is a great site: www.coreperformance.com/knowledge/workouts/prepare-for-winter-ski-season.html

RANDOM FACT:

I am in no way a professional skier. I am not an athletic trainer. I have had no formal training in skiing. If you get injured while doing any of these exercises, I will not take responsibility for any injury. You are responsible for any injury that may be caused if you choose to follow any of these exercises. These exercises are simply what my body can manage, and what my body needs for skiing.

-Debbie-