This is EXACTLY why I'm glad that Transition is over...

Family,

And a good evening to you from across the Pond after another GREAT DAY in the Mother Country! Okay, so first off - ANNOUNCEMENT - There will be NO BLOG until Monday evening, and even then it WILL NOT be about Croatia (I know, I know...WEAK). Why, you ask? Because tomorrow evening the Taylors are leavin' on a jet plane to...wait for it...wait for it...Budapest, Hungary, baby!!!! Oh yeah! Bring on the Goulash and kings that used to hunt and kill Dracula!

Secondly, apologies for no blog last night. However, that plays into the title of tonight's blog. You see, just like the did during the good ole' Transition era, the Americans are back in town. Granted, there are folks from Singapore, India, and the UK in the mix as well, but the last 2 days have felt VERY MUCH like an Integration session with Transition. Now granted, I've still made it to the gym every day this week (and 8 days in a row, for the record!), logging 27km in 45 minutes on Tuesday and logging 4 miles outside today (in perhaps the STRONGEST HEADWIND I'VE EVER RUN AGAINST). However, no among of gym time can make up for a typical Transition descent onto London restaurants. Consequently, I feel fat as a damn bear...

Tuesday night we had dinner reservations at a swish joint in Canary Wharf (despite the fact that its location is above the 6th floor of a Waitrose - that's a big UK grocery store chain) called Plateau. This place was posh puma, featuring a private elevator to the restaurant and a private room for our shindig (one wall was their wine rack, and it was UBER IMPRESSIVE). There were 14 of us, and so we tucked into some GUUUUUUUUUUUUD grub (and wine for that matter). I went with a goat's cheese and pesto tomato salad, followed by a parsley and barley mushroom risotto (it was an odd shade of green, but I made peace with that), and then coconut creme brulee for dessert (I even went with a decaf coffee to cap the evening). It was all SO DELISH.

We then ended the evening at...well, do I really need to say it? THE CANARY, BABY!!!! There a group of 6 (Wild Card, the Welshman, Oxford, SC, OSC, and Sammy) had a night cap and chatted the evening away until almost 11. Finally, I announced that it was 45 minutes home and that I had a wife (patiently) waiting for me. It's a sign that I'm getting old, as back during Transition days I would have stayed out until later. However, this time I just needed my sleep.

Today was FILLED with food, including SQUARE PIE FOR LUNCH - steak and cheese of course! Dinner was LATE, but after a quick pint at the Canary (Lord - I opted for a Guinness - I thought you'd be proud), we rolled over to Srinam, where the love of Hitman's life showed us to our table (but then snubbed us because he wasn't there to whisper sweet nothings into his...or her ear). Dude - shim says hello...and call shim. We ate a TON, and finally had to pack it in about 10:30, as I had to get home and post a blog for the faithful!

So now it's 11:40, and this guy's gotta hit the bed because, well, he still hasn't packed and has to do that tomorrow. Vacation is here - again...

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Chat on Monday!

Love,

Sam and Jenny