The Last McDonald's American Holiday

It's been the Easter holidays for the past two weeks and I took my son to the cinema a couple of times. Last week we saw The Last Mimzy and yesterday we went to see Mr Bean's Holiday. My son wanted to see Mr Bean last week, but I persuaded him against it as I didn't really fancy it much. However, I have to say that I did enjoy it when we watched it yesterday. The Last Mimzy was good, but nothing extraordinary. It started off reminding me of Gremlins, then became more and more like ET as it went on.

Anyway, the first time we went to McDonald's after the film and the second time we went before. This is the third or fourth time I have been to McDonald's since I NOTICED SOMETHING. The kids noticed it, too. Quite simply, the size of the various burgers has decreased, as has the size of the drink cups. The prices, however, haven't decreased. In fact, they appear to have increased. Even before this change our portions were much smaller than the American ones (as I recall, our small doesn't exist there and our large is their medium or small or something - I think they have two sizes bigger than our maximum).

Not that I want American sizes here, it's all I can do to manage our largest, but I do wonder why Americans eat so much more than we do. It's not as if they're built any differently. Do they feel they're missing out if something isn't BIG? I remember a friend of mine going to America once and coming back saying "Oh my god, one portion in a restaurant is equivalent to what I eat in a week". She was obviously exaggerating slightly, but she wasn't far wrong. I've heard similar from other people, too.

Most restaurant portions here are way too large for me. Ideally, I would eat a child's portion, that's usually about right for me. If I went to an American restaurant I'd probably be sick at the very sight of what they would place in front of me. I suspect that even a toddler's portion would be too big.

I've never understood why restaurants don't offer smaller portions for smaller people - let's face it, there is no way a woman weighing 7 stone can eat the same size portion as a man weighing twice that size, yet there is no difference in the amounts they are given. This makes no sense to me, but I suppose it's all down to money, as they'd be expected to charge less for the smaller size. Nevertheless, if anyone ever has the common sense to start a restaurant chain like this, I think they'd make a fortune.

Just realised it's Friday the 13th today. Not that it bothers me, it's supposed to be lucky for us Scorpios. I shall live in hope of someone reaching 30 pages before midnight (don't try to work it out, you won't be able to, unless you're the person writing 'em).

Google Mood Ring (Grey): Anxious, ill at ease, strained.

Goolies and Ghoulies

Amazingly, I have found a blog written by someone called Christine who just happens to be an ex-Goolie like myself. For those of you who don't know, an ex-Goolie is someone who originated in the town of Goole. It's now located in East Yorkshire, but it's also been in North Humberside and the West Riding. The town is clearly as confused about its identity as those living in it or in any way associated with it (which, of course, includes me).

I wasn't just pleased about finding this ex-Goolie's site because she's an ex-Goolie (an ex-Goolie, incidentally, who reminds me very much of my Auntie Audrey - who, strangely enough, has a daughter called Christine), but also because, although we were at the same school at the same time, I started three years after she did which means (wait for it) ... SHE'S OLDER THAN ME. You can't imagine how musical that is to the ears of a woman of 'a certain age' like myself. It probably sounds somewhat discordant to poor Christine, but maybe she will be lucky and find the blog of an ex-Goolie who is three years older than her. I do hope so, because even after such a short acquaintance, I already think of Christine as my Goolish Blogging Sister.

There's a very funny website all about Goole called Goole-on-the-Web (oddly enough). It's been there for years and never seems to alter very much (rather like Goole really), but I'm sure someone must be updating it or it wouldn't still be there (not sure that applies to Goole, though). The site is probably only funny to those who know Goole, although I sent an American friend of mine there once and he thought it was funny, too. Then again, he's not a typical American because he understands sarcasm and irony (sort of). He can even use it sometimes and that is no mean feat.

I'm not going to say anything about the town of Goole or its inhabitants, because those who know the place will know all there is to know and those who don't know the place just wouldn't understand. Suffice it to say, the fact that "goolies" and "ghoulies" sound exactly the same means a great deal.

As I said, it's amazing that after only a few days of checking-out blogs I come across one from a fellow ex-Goolie. All other fellow ex-Goolies will understand just how amazing this. There can't be many of us about. In fact, it's quite possible that Christine and I are the only ones. Now, there's a ghoulish thought.

STOP PRESS!!!
It appears Christine and I are not the only blogging ex-Goolies. We are not a duo after all, we are a trio!!! There is another one by the name of Gavin Bryars. The name sounds vaguely familiar, but I am probably thinking of a friend of my mother's with the same surname. As for Christine's comment on this entry with regard to the "Burtons Girls", I have to say that my Auntie Kathleen used to work at Burton's. She definitely wasn't a "Burtons Girl", but she had to call herself "Kath" in order to appear to be one, otherwise she may have been rumbled.