sundae, Sundae, SUNDAE!

SUNDAE!



I awoke early, bathed and packed up the last remnants of my belongings. After a quick double check, I rode the lift down to the lobby and checked out. I had to be at the airport for about 1, so I figured I'd catch the tube around 11ish as I was told it would take about an hour to get to Heathrow.

Ahh, comedy

I checked out and put my bags into holding while I took a final look around the neighborhood. I was sad to see that since it was Sunday, nothing opened until 12 in the Brunswick center. And that meant Waitrose. This was distressing because I wouldn't get the extra biscuits, Bisto and decaf tea I was hoping to get. Ah well. Instead, I went to the local corner store. In this place, I bought this. Yes, it's a real product. And yes I bought it for comedic reasons.

About twenty minutes later, I retrieved my bags and walked around the corner to the tube station. One train was all I needed to get to Heathrow. I was excited and felt like a local! Woot!

Counter Weight

I had my headphones in, my bags between my knees and a good seat on the tube. Granted, it was a long ride. A little over an hour, but I was entertained by the young woman seated opposite me. She spent the time applying make up. It was certainly a feat. I don't know know how she did it. She must have used her hand as a counter-weight. Not only did she apply the make up once, but being unsatisfied with her ranking on hootchi scale, she re-applied everything in a darker shade. She really looked better with less on. I don't know how she didn't notice I was transfixed watching her, but I suppose messing with your face in a moving vehicle takes quite a lot of concentration. And talent.

My Ameribag Healthy Back Bag. I likey!

I checked in and got my boarding pass. I put my now full of crap 2 bags into the belly. I was flying Premium so I didn't have to pay anything for baggage fee. I had nothing but my coat and my backpack to keep me company.



I get to security and pull out my Nexus
and put it in the bin. They tell me I don't have to take my boots off so I don't. I go through the metal detector and of course, since my boots have metal on them, it sets it off. I then have to remove my boots and get patted down. All in all not a painful process as this was Heathrow and not LAX. Had it been LAX it probably would have taken upwards of an hour.

I got this

I got through Security and I heard a very sweet sound. I sound I hadn't heard in a good while. It was intoxicating, this sound. It was... the siren song of the Duty Free Store!
I tried to resist. But I couldn't. My resolve had been used up. Christmas was a few days away. Did I have enough presents? Have I spent enough money? I don't know! Whatever to do? Before you ask, yes I went in and bought Traveler's Special Scotch. Why? No idea. I blame subliminal advertising left over from the 70's.


Since I had last visited Heathrow on a return journey, I found out about another lounge and not just the VA guest list. This lounge is called the No 1 Traveler's lounge. It's only a fraction of the cost of the VA one, so I tried it out.

Not bad at all. It only cost 20 pound to get in, you get a free champers cocktail (seriously guys, champagne is not that big a deal!) free snacks and a free selection from the hot bar. They also have bedrooms and showers if you need it. 

There was a buffet of hot soup, cheese, fruits soft drinks, crackers coffee and tea. For starters, I got a bowl of tomato veggie soup with a cracker and some kind of cheese. I'm guessing it's English Stilton. Or something else just as blue.

I added to that a salad and potato salad. I washed it down with my mimosa which is called a Buck's Fizz over there.

Although I was stuffed, I wanted to try everything I could. So I ordered from the Hot Deli Menu. You're allowed one free choice. I was in London still, so I went with the most obvious choice. Fish N Chips.

What you see behind there is a white wine mixed with Sprite Zero. DON'T JUDGE ME!

By this time I had a nice little tummy ache and a buzz going. It was time to board anyway, so off I went to be what's known as 'gate lice' to await the call of my row to board.

Here are some more pix of No 1 Traveler if you're interested.

I boarded the plane. My seat was on the aisle of the middle row. Up until about 10 minutes before take off, I had no seat partner, but of course that didn't last. I had to get up and let the guy in.

The flight attendant came around with the 'Welcome Beverage' which was, of course sparkling wine. Seriously? Yes. I down my bubbly, put on my snuggie, buckle up and...

Why, why, why ,WHY, WHYYYYYY???!!!!! If you're interested in hearing me pontificate on why children should not be allowed on planes, drop me an email and I'll send you an .mp3. For now, I'll move on.

Not too long after take off was dinner. I chose the Chicken Tarragon. It came with a salad that I didn't eat. I'm pretty

sure I'll never eat an airline salad again. This is because of some of the homework we had. Truth or fiction, it doesn't matter. I can't do airline salads for a while. The pastry that was with it also had that 'play dough' flavor. Maybe it's an English thing.

I

I also got a Virgin Atlantic cocktail.

I should have taken the other half of pain killer and drifted into a nice snooze. But did I? No. I actually forgot about that. I ended up suffering through brat-tantrums, the guy next to me trying to climb over me and flight attendants skipping me for snacks. I didn't actually want the snack, I was just feeling left out. :(     Note to self: the next time you're ignored by a flight attendant and not given a snack, TAKE IT AS A SIGN!

I couldn't take a pic of it since my phone had died, but it was supposed to be a pizza. Next to a Nutri-system pizza, this was the most godawful thing I've tried. It was like a pseudo flavored wood with pretend cheese on top. Why would I do this to myself??? It was TURRIBLE!

Charles knows what's up.

About two hours before landing, amidst the screaming brats, it was tea time. I gave my cup cake to the dude next to me. I just couldn't do it. I also couldn't bring it through customs, so better someone eat it. I had coffee to go with that.

We landed at LAX without incident. I proceeded through immigration. The same people that checked me through last time checked me through this time. I had nothing to declare so I went through nice and easy.

Our luggage was at carousel 5. If I didn't know better, I would have sworn that they hired one little old man on a tricycle carrying one bag at a time back and forth from the plane. It was odd and took a really long time. I was almost a little worried. I did see one bag come down the thingy and get destroyed.

Eventually my bags arrived. I snatched them up and ran for the exit. 

I called my mom on the ride home and told her about the rat. Oh what fun that was!

When I got to my residence, this was waiting for me:

And all was right with the world.

S.A.T.U.R.D.A.Y.

Sadiddy!



I awoke early Saturday, but chose not to have breakfast. I decided instead to have some biscuits or muesli. I dug into my bag and pulled out the muesli. The bag was a little shredded.

I wasn't certain that the bag wasn't just torn, but even though it was in a sealed zip-loc bag, I didn't want to take the chance. I kept thinking of this:

I tossed the meusli forthwith and had a biscuit instead. I'm happy to announce that my kettle worked nicely. As did my various chargers. I spent the few extra quid for an hour of internet and informed Thomas (of Heather and Thomas fame a.k.a. the World's Most Perfect Couple), that I had changed residences and was no longer at our original meeting place. Previously we arranged to meet for 11.

A few minutes later, I got a response that they would indeed meet me at the HI for 11.

I spent the morning lounging in bed and watching Murder She Wrote on TVI.


I got dressed and went to the lobby to meet Heather and Thomas. They insisted on taking me to lunch because I had to spend so much extra money on new accommodations. See what I mean by perfect???

I was ready to walk, and so were they, so we walked. I wasn't really sure where I was or where I was going, but I enjoyed the brisk air and being led around not having to pay attention to where I was.

We went back to Tibbits. This time I took a pic of what I had.

Here we have two falafel, two eggplant dishes, some soba noodles, a whole wheat roll, hummus and some type of  'traditional' cheesecake. I'm not sure what that was or what it meant, but it had a pleasant 'play dough' flavor.  And yes, the delicious Ginger Lemon Fizz! The three of us chatted and ate. It was wonderful!
After we'd had our fill and digested for a bit, we decided to take in the sights of the city.


We were walking along looking at this and that when they took me past a new landmark. See if you can figure out what it is.

Give up?  That's the new 221B Baker Street next to Speedy's Deli in Sherlock. Yup, the actual set used for the external shots. And of course across the street is the building that exploded from a 'gas leak' wink, wink.  I don't know why this particular place was chosen as the set except that it's a small, quiet street? No idea. Maybe I'll learn one day. I also saw this dragon on the side of a building.

Santas

As we were walking past the British Museum, we saw a curious sight. 

Santas

AND MORE SANTAS!

It made me laugh and creeped me out a little. It also brought to mind the episode of The Tick - The Tick Loves Santa.

SPOON!

I have since learned that this gathering is called Santa-Con and is held every year. Presumably the last day of Uni exams. 

By this time, the temperature was dropping and it was time for a walking break and just a place to relax while the sun goes down and the lights come on. We ended up at a Cafe Nero where H and T had soy hot chocolates and I had a 'real' (?) one. We stayed here watching the locals and snacking on chocolate covered coffee beans until it was dark enough to see the lights.

To say the Brits like Christmas is like saying NOLA likes Saint's games. They just don't enjoy it, they LIVE it. Merry Christmas was everywhere. Even people who were obviously not of the Christian faith were spouting Merry Christmas. It was a odd and refreshing change from Happy Holidays or Happy Christmahannukwanzika. And they were really, really happy.

We walked past Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Street, Fortnum Street and Covent Garden. Christmas Everywhere!


We even took out life in our hands and walked passed Hamley's, the FAO Swartz of London. That was terrifying!

And there were lights!

 Everywhere lights!

 Lights! And more lights!

And more random Santas. The pub crawl led them to the Cathedral where we watched a Paddy Wagon pull up and get a few. This is a very racist statement. I know. But I can say it because I am of (as of yet undocumented)  Irish descent.

Paddy wagon going to get the unruly Santas

It was creeping into evening and Mrs. H was feeling slightly under the weather. She works with germ laden munchkins in her every day life and she had been fighting back a cold. As the temperature was dropping, I insisted on having them walk me back to my hotel and go home and get into bed. We did make one stop at a book store for a bathroom break where I picked up a copy of a Flavia de Luce book for Mrs. H's birthday the day before. After that, we said good bye and they went home.

Might not have been this one, I remember the book store didn't have'
 the first one in the series. Great read!

I completed this very nice day with a nice hot shower and more local tv flavor. I had to get up and get to a plane the next day. So it was all about charging stuff and packing. Eventually I fell asleep. After I watched the final episode of Misfits.

This is the original cast, they've been through about
100 versions since then/

Fry Day!

It's FRY DAY!


The human body is a strange and amazing thing. Sometimes it can be annoying too. There I was, curled up in a comfortable bed, room temperature set to my specifications, all alone... and then...

                                          2AM!!!!

For absolutely not reason whatsoever, my body accustomed to being awakened at this ungodly hour decided to continue the tradition. WHHHHYYYYY???????

At least I was able to turn over and try to go back to sleep.

I got up at 7, got dressed and headed downstairs. There was an option of a breakfast buffet for 11 pounds. I figured I'd deserved it. YOLO BABY!

Oh blessed fruit plate! Oh blessed full English Breakfast! How my taste buds doth devour you! Ah... tasty tea and actual coffee. What a treat! I ate until I couldn't, which isn't very much. I did sneak a piece of toast and a slab of ham for a 1/2 sandwich and a small apple as a snack for later. But for now, I was high on vitamins and protein. And weird triangle potato thing that seems to show up everywhere on this side of the world.



I still had a little while before my class, so I stopped at reception to ask where I may purchase a new power adapter, and oh, by the way, the kettle in my room may not be working. NO, I didn't mention that I may have been the one that blew the fuse. And they have me on record as I called down for a power adapter the night before when mine exploded. Not a problem. Right across the street is a store called Robert Dyas in the Brunswick Center. They sell kitchen supplies and small appliances and such. They also open at 9! I thanked the lady profusely and walked across the way to the store.

I looked around the shop at all the interesting things. Kettles of all sizes, soup makers, blenders, things like that. I found my way to the back where they had a circular display rack of random things. Here, they had the adapters. Since they didn't have a super-duper nifty duel USB and power charger in one, I had to be satisfied with 2 adapters that do the same thing. I settled. I purchased one regular and one USB. 

This time they were white. I still haven't worked up the nerve to try out the other one to see if irreparable harm has been done.

I put the purchases in my bag and went to school.

I was able to plug in in a small kitchenette to the side of the class room. That was a good thing since my phone was very dead.

Nothing of much note happened the last day of class. I spoke with the students and the instructors. Then when the class was over, we went to a pub called The Marlboro. It was louder than the other and more crowded. I still don't understand this British tradition of hitting up the 'local' once or twice a week, but that's ok.

 I had a glass of white wine. The other students and I yelled over the loud music and loud patrons for an hour or so, comparing the US to the UK and other countries in Europe and the Pacific Rim, (no I can't explain Honey Boo Boo, yes there are people like that, please don't judge me). After which we got bored and headed home in our own directions with promises to keep in touch. To this day, I'm the only one who has actually done that, but truth be told, I didn't put much stock in it.

I went to the hotel for a hot shower and an early night. I had a big day on Saturday.