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For the first time this holiday I was woken up by my daughter. I got to sleep until about 7am, after a run of 5am and 3am starts, which means that I have maybe adapted to the time difference. I felt hungover all day, even though I haven't had a drink for almost 80 days now, but I think that might just be the effect of the American diet. It feels like everything we eat is packed with sugar and salt and it's very hard to eat healthily (especially given we can't make our own food - beyond using the hotel room microwave). I had got into quite a healthy diet before the holiday and now my body is complaining and my head is aching. I just hope I can get back to the UK before my internal organs are irretrievably damaged.
It was a quiet day today, but I had fun hanging out with my contrary daughter, who is sometimes independent to the point of shunning me, but then sometimes something clicks and we laugh together for ages. She is starting to speak. She can say “shoesâ€. Of course she can, because she's a woman, right fellas? (is this thing on). I thought she said “bottom†the other day so am trying to get her to say that again. I spent most of my childhood repeating the mantra “wee wee, poo poo, bottom†on a continuous loop, much to the disapproval of my parents. I thought it was hilarious every time and their disdain of course made it funnier. And I was right. It is funny. And I hope my daughter will be saying that and nothing else for the next 14 years. And then make a living out of saying essentially that for the rest of her life.
We went for lunch with one of Catie's aunty's friends, who had kindly agreed to make us a Thanksgiving dinner and had lots of gifts for Phoebe. We were somewhat trepidatious about it all though as we knew this lady was a Trump supporter and indeed had four of his placards up in her front lawn. I hoped it wouldn't descend into a huge political argument with one of the wild-eyed loons I'd seen at the rallies. But she was a pretty regular person, angry with Hilary Clinton over the Benghazi incident. And in many ways that was a bit scarier. If her vote helps to turn Europe into a nuclear wasteland, at least I will be able to remember the time she fed me and gave my daughter some neon crayons.
Clearly a lot of regular people support Trump here. I hope there won't be enough to put him into the White House. Surely there won't be. Though, come on, you know it would be entertaining. Up to the point we were all killed. And maybe we're heading that way anyway, so let's go out with some light entertainment wrapped around a bit rock of prejudice and lunacy.
I am certainly seeing things in America that you would not get on a package holiday.
