Images of Malta . . .

Malta’s buses…

Images of Malta’s many markets….

Maltese food- pasta, fish, pastizzi’s, figolli, fresh fruit and veg – definately a highlight of a trip to Malta is the food options…yum, yum…

Reunited in Malta

Well after seems like the longest month ever Michael and I and Callum have met up again in Malta. Callum and I have been on the road for a month with my mum. We’ve been busy finding a place to live, opening up a bank account, getting started in my new job as well as spending a week holiday in a remote village in Scotland. We have had some of the most stressfull times and memorable times in the past month and now Michael is here and we are on holiday. I’ve started a new job and we will all be moving into a great new house that we’ve rented in Scotland the weekend we arrive back. Callum and I will be flying right up and Michael will follow after he buys a car in Glasgow.

It is hard to live out of your suitcase for a month with a baby when you are not really on holiday and not really at home yet. Callum has been on more planes and slept in so many different places and I have to say he has transitioned better than me! For all of my friends and family back home I miss you terribly some times but I’m also very excited about our new adventure. I’m not going to add much more right now, but post some pics of our last month below as sometimes things are better said with pics. More will follow on Malta soon! Thanks everyone as well for the well wishes and hope you are all doing well. I also have to send out a big thanks to my Scottish relatives who have made this transition so much easier and have been unbelievably helpful. Michael and I are trying to think of a good way to repay you.

Building a better…..poker table!

When my friend Jason heard that I was going to be staying with my mum until I leave for Scotland, he decided that this would be perfect opportunity to use her garage (which my dad had built to house his ‘59 Bonneville) to build the poker table of his dreams. For those who don’t know Jason, he’s an “ideas” man. Skeptically, I said sure, let’s do it!

Sure enough, he showed up one morning with two huge pieces of plywood, significant lengths of dark green felt, vinyl, foam, and a brand new jigsaw. We started by making the necessary cuts and quickly realized that “hey, this thing may actually work!”

Day two of the project (after the initial cuts were made) we had a camera on hand to document our progress (and to provide evidence to all those naysayers).

There are three pieces to the table: the playing surface, the racetrack, and the rail.

Here we see Jason sanding down the rail piece.

Gluing the foam to the rail (don’t ask about this part)

Preparing the playing surface.

Stretching out the felt and stapling to the playing surface.

Time for a quick hand (Jason was cheating)

After some delicate sanding, we got the playing surface to fit in the racetrack.

As you can see, the table will be big enough to comfortably sit 10 players.

After admiring our handiwork, it was time to get back to it. Next step: stain the racetrack with a lovely cherry finish.

And since we had to wait for the stain to dry (and we ran out of foam before we could finish the rail) – it was time to call it a day.