Slovenia Part 1

Hello all! So as promised, here is a recap of Slovenia Part 1. It began on Wednesday at 5:30am for our 9:45 flight. Despite catching the 7am Gatwick Express and arriving over 2 hours before our flight, we found ourselves running to our gate as they announced that all passengers report to gate 103 as the flight to Ljubljana is ready to depart. Whoever heard of a flight leaving early?!? Certainly not in the States! But we made it, and after 2 hours in the air we landed in the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana and were greeted with a torrential downpour. Yes, the weather was not pleasant at first but did get better thank goodness. We checked into our hostel and were out the door about 3 to explore the cute, quaint and virtually deserted old town. Yasna had a bit of an issue getting money out of her 2 blocked accounts, but luckily we got that taken care of and then had our 1st burek of the trip. Imagine a flaky pastry made with about a block of butter filled with either a ricotta/cottage cheese type filling or minced meat. Yasna was very familiar with these because they are very popular around this region and her mom used to make them. But this was my 1st taste of the artery clogging decadent treats. And they were delicious!!!

The center of town was very cute and had about 5 bridges over the river in 1 spot. We walked up to the castle overlooking the city and had some great views. We took the "thrilling" funicular down and explored one of the gorgeous churches, then walked the length of the river before finding a cafe for a cold beverage or 2. I tried one of the local beers Union which was pretty good. We then found a dinner spot (after several attempts because everything had pretty much shut down by 9) and ended up at a great restaurant called Goldfish. I tried a traditional dish of turkey in a cream sauce and for dessert we split this ridiculous 10 layer cake which included cottage cheese, walnut, raisins and probably another pound of butter. We couldn't finish it. We decided to call it a night and head to bed because we were exhausted and it was still pouring and now lightning out. We had a very fun but wet 1st day!

We checked out Thursday morning and hit up the local markets where we got some fresh fruit and saw the 4 dragons that guard the city. We then took a bus up to Bled in the mountains about an hour north of Ljubljana. We checked into our Alp Pension and had a great room with huge bathroom and balcony! We headed into town and took a boat into the center of Lake Bled to the little picturesque island with a church on it. We had 30 minutes to walk around and explore and had some great views of the snow-covered mountains and castle perched on the edge of the cliff. Back into town we tried the famous Bled cream cake which was actually invented at the Park Hotel in Bled. Very good!

Dinner that night was included in our room and our 5 course meal was excellent. They served us a starter of little toasts with various toppings such as egg & anchovies (actually really good), soup, beef & dumplings, apple strudel and then schnapps. Yazz was a bit put off by the boiled meat that was used to make the soup ("a bit cheeky") but I thought it was fine for my unrefined pallet. :) We also shared a liter of red wine. :)

The night's main event was hitting up the Bled casino. We walked into town in the rain and wandered in hoping to find some lively, fun atmosphere. Now quick backstory on Yazz...she went to Vegas over Christmas last year and LOVED it! She's obsessed just like Sam and I, so we both had high hopes for this casino. But alas, we were a bit let down when we discovered it was silent like the grave and everyone playing roulette had paper surrounding them where they were keeping track of what had hit and looking for patterns, trying to beat the game I assume. We rolled up with our red wine and laughter and after about an hour or so were told by this rude German or Russian dude to "SHUT YOUR MOUTHS!" Which of course made us laugh even more. Did he really just say that? So after our 2nd glass of wine was gone we decided it was time to blow this joint, only down 10 euro so not bad. We found the only other life in town at the Bled Pub. We were happy to find some music and noise and then realized everyone in the joint was under the age of 20. Haha. Well, we had a few drinks and talked, then couldn't take the dj anymore so walked home in wait for it, wait for it...more rain. Yes, it's still raining. Back in our room we thought it would be a good idea to eat a whole bag of crisps (chips) before turning in. UGH! Got into bed about 3:30 after another wet but incredibly fun day in Bled. More to come tomorrow...

Co-eds and Coworkers until 3 AM, A Steeplechase Deathmatch, and a MUCH NEEDED night of sleep...

Family,

And a good afternoon to you from across the Pond on a BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY in the Mother Country. I am broadcasting to you live from the soundstage here in our living room, staring out the window at GORGEOUS sunshine and bright blue skies. And best of all - it's actually above 60 degrees out there! But I get ahead of myself - let's go back to Friday evening.

So Friday was a GREAT day. For starters, I ran 4 km's baby!!!!! Oh man, what an AMAZING feeling to FINALLY have your lungs give out in earnest before your foot. Now granted, that is just 2.4 miles, so it's a long, LONG way back to glory. However, as the weather turns and 5K season approaches, I feel MUCH better about making good on my personal commitment to run a race in this country before I head back to the colonies.

Also, lunch was a GREAT meal at Wahaca. I rocked some Pork Pibil tacos (tasty), a herring dish (less than optimal), and a black bean & two cheese quesadilla (which was WICKED AWESOME). The highlight of the meal was when Hitman asked me "Sam, what's the Pork Pibil main plate like?" I responded that it was a burrito. He says, "Well, it says it comes wrapped in a parcel - that doesn't sound like a burrito to me." I told him to trust me....

10 minutes later, the waiter comes out with a thin white bag and sets it on his plate. Basically, the parcel is a sack of pork, oil, and spices, which you then dump onto rice and beans. To say the least, he was NOT initially impressed. For the record, both he and K-Dub found their food quite good (it was a group of 8 of us), but the caption of the photo you see (taken by Brother Dan) was: Sean eats lunch from Diaper. Quality...

After work, we rolled over to Covent Garden, where we met AC & Jeebs as well as some work peeps at the Lamb & Flag. This little pub is one of the more famous in London, and we had a great evening drinking and catching up. JT got some rare and precious time talking to other girls, whilst I got to chat with Donkapotamus and the Ray "Old School Cool" Tavares. Since I hadn't really had a chance to chat with those donkeys all week, it was a good night out to catch up.

Muffin, AC, Jeebs, and I then rolled over to Manoram, where we had some GREAT Thai food. After that, however, as it was 11, there was a decision to be made. Knowing that I wouldn't see a lot of the donkey convention again, I said good night to perfect pumpkin and Team Brothernidies and rolled into Chinatown, where the work gang was finishing up some dinner. Whilst at the restaurant, I "appropriated" a glass that I really liked (half pint glasses for Tiger = EXTRA AWESOME). With the glass tucked safely into my shirt, we rolled to the featured event of the evening - the meat market late night dance club/bar called O'Neills.

So this joint is the largest of the O'Neills chain, and it's open until 3 AM. That is nice because you can stay out late (American style), and we were determined to make this night count. It was a GREAT night catching up, singing "U Can't Touch This" and "Bad Romance" until the we hours of the morning. However, I almost didn't get in when the bouncer noticed the weird protrusion in my chest.

Bouncer: "What's this?"

Sam: "It's a glass I took from the restaurant we just left." (I thought honesty and make accent would get me somewhere).

Bouncer: "You can't bring that in here."

Sam: "I can't bring a glass into a bar full of glasses?"

Bouncer: "It could be a weapon."

Sam: "Mate, I love this glass. I'm not gonna crack it over anyone's head."

The bouncer ponders this for a bit as though I am the only person to EVER attempt to smuggle a glass INTO a bar (and hey - maybe I am). Finally he let's me through, at which point I boogie the night away like one of the people on "So You Think You Can Dance?" that gets made fun of and dismissed in an early episode. I also did a few shots of tequila, including one from Brother Tavares who accepts the shot and then says, "Wait, I'm allergic," and hands it to me. RT - I just hope you aren't allergic to kerosene...

I got home at 3 AM, which was tough considering I got up just before 9 AM for a big Saturday with the gang. We left the house around 9:45, walking over to the British Museum and taking Team Brothernides on the "Sam Taylor Power Tour." Because John was a history major, we took a little more time and hit a few more rooms, which was a lot of fun for me as well because I got to spend a little time staring at artifacts and rooms I don't normally check out. We also made time for a photo with "Rameses." That's right, sports fans - there's always next year. :-)

We then rolled down to Borough Market, where we spent the next 2 hours DEVOURING food. As a collective, we took down a lamb & halloumi sandwich, Ubriaco (drunk cheese), LOADS of sausage, cheese, and oil samples, a double chorizo sandwich, a pork belly sandwich, olives filled with garlic, Raclette cheese over potatoes, mushroom truffle cheese, and other bits and bobs. Talk about FULL (peepy cheekies).

We then met up with J-Wade and Rebecca, at which point we rolled over to the Barrow Boy and Banker. This pub, an old bank (still with the same interior), was AWESOME. The girls hung out outside whilst the boys chilled in the pub, drinking Fuller's beers (I tried the Lancer IPA - QUALITY).

The highlight of the afternoon was the 4:15 Grand National. Okay, this is basically Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome on horseback. Picture a 20 minute, 4 mile steeplechase involving 30 fences of varying heights and 40 riders just knocking each other around and racing in an inward spiraling circle. It was AWESOME. I'd never heard of it until yesterday, but it's a BIG to-do here in the UK. Of the 40 riders, only 8 finished, and there were some NASTY tumbles as riders were thrown off their mounts and then the rest of the competition literally "rode roughshod" over the top of them. WOW.

After that we rolled into Leicester Squate, where we had a few drinks with J-Wade, Becca, and two of their Kiwi mates before they popped off to catch a show. We then rolled back home, where we got Thai takeout and watched the Master's until midnight. We said goodbye to AC and Jeebs, who had to get up at 5 AM and catch their 9:45 flight back to the Queen City. And now, here it is, at 2:49 PM, and JT and I are just settling down to our coffee.

We are gonna go for a walk in a bit and begin a rapid detox program. After all, we've got company coming on Thursday!!!

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. I would say "chat tomorrow," but you can expect another blog later today from Wife Muffin - stay tuned!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

A proper review of the week...

Family,

And a good evening to you from across the Pond after another GREAT DAY in the Mother Country. Okay, so as I said yesterday, it's been utter chaos this week. That being said, I'm committing some dedicated time this evening to assuage the anger of the masses, who have basically condemned me as dead to their literary universes. Given that, let's pick up on Monday.

Monday: Introducting Team Brothernides!!!

Okay, so after another GREAT day at work (including - wait for it...wait for it...NANDO'S BABY), I rolled home to find 2 wonderful surprises on my couch: visitors from the colonies...and MUFFIN PUFFIN!!!!!!! Safe and sound from her trip to Slovenia (which will be an installment to the blog this weekend), JT was all smiles (read - DIDN'T HAVE TO WORK FOR A 5 DAY STRETCH), as were our guests.

The guests in questions are Andrea and John (aka AC & Jeebs), our "24" wathcing buddies and good friends from the Queen City. Wanting to treat them like the royalty they are, we took them to a dining experience fit for a king. That's right, folks - we took down some more curry at the Rajdoot!

We got in bed at a decent hour that night, which was good because a) Jeebs didn't sleep on the plan, b) Puffin had been up since 3:30 to catch her flight, and c) I had only slept 4 hours due to withdrawals from Nite Nurse and the book I'd read the night before. I think my imagination is worse now than when I was 4...

Tuesday: Farewell Fiona!!!!

Tuesday was a GREAT day in the office. For starters, I was up at 6, at which point I rocked through 1 hour on the bike before hopping back onto the treadmill. The good news? I ran 2.5 kms with no pain! Man, WHAT a GREAT feeling. Dinger - your days are numbered. Enjoy your pretty little poster now, because Jimmy Shaker Day will soon be upon you.

The only twinge of sadness to the day was the departure of Sister Fiona and the official breakup of the "Outpost of Happiness." With testing at an end and a month of Australia in front of her, Fiona's contract was over. However, I did get a last photo of the "Accenture Angels" before she departed. Safe travels, gal!

Today was also humorous because Hitman (more of the red than blue persuasion) got his first true taste of "Obamacare." Having been sick for a week, he booked with a GP (a general practitioner - their equivalent of primary care) in the Wharf. Leaving work, he walked the mile of arctic tundra to visit the doctor, only to turn up and have them say, "Yeah, the doctor didn't show today. Sorry - guess we should have called you." Hey, at least they had the courtesy to apologize. But there is a happy ending - he did get drugs and is now fit as a fiddle - he just had to visit a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SITE to get treated.

In the evening, we met up with AC and Jeebs at the Bear and Staff (Timmy, of course) before rolling into Chinatown for dinner. And no, Hitman - we actually walked away from the usual spots and hit this great little Malaysian joint, where I ate some noodles soaked in soy. Yeah, I gotta admit - it looked like eating skinny small intestines and earthworms, but it was really guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuud. All in all, another great day.

Wednesday: And then, in a flash, it was here...

So I do find it funny that, after 16 months of preparation, a move to another country, countless hours on calls and making spreadsheets (with no formulas, mind you), this day will only be a "sub day" in a blog. I say that because yesterday was probably the second or third MOST IMPORTANT DAY on my entire project, as we actually WENT LIVE, BABY!!!! WE ARE GREEN, BABY, GREEN!!!!! Knock on WOOD that it stays that way, but I simply COULD NOT BE HAPPIER with the first 2 days. In addition, I also managed to run again, this time going 3 kms. This is significant, as it's the first time since October that I'd been able to run on consecutive days. What's that sound, Dinger? That's the sound of footsteps on the pavement, and they are about to BLOW past you. VINDICATED!!!

Dinner last night was in St. Christopher's place, where I had some type of "earthy, green and white noodle dish." It was good, but Jenny's was LIFE CHANGING. I had food envy, so I basically stole her plate whilst she was still eating and scarfed half of it down. We got home and crashed before midnight for the first time all week, which was niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.

Also, whilst many of you are "disgruntled" by my blog performance this week, one person truly did his part to get me back on the wagon. Kudos to Tom "Shavin' cream feels guuuuuuud on my calves" Price for his "Ghost Blog." Basically, in an effort to help me out, he offered to "blog in my place," guessing what my daily activities were. The verbatim writing (which, for the record, had me ROLLING) is below, with commentary from me denoted by (ST):

1. I rode the bike for 30 minutes trying in vain to be like Tom Price but my dunlop (ST - this would be my gut, because it "dun lopped over my pants") was blocking all sweat from dripping on to my Hairy & the Henderson legs. Pondered whether it’s ok that I’ve been wearing my yellow LiveStrong Oakley’s while riding inside on a stationary bicycle. Oh well, they go with my flannel-plaid lycra shorts. (ST - I actually WAS wearing my Livestrong gear - AMAZING).

2. GOOD NEWS: I ran for a mile today. BAD NEWS: I was chasing an ice cream truck.

3. Work was GREAT. We debated who would win a battle between Selwyn and the Donkey.

4. For lunch today, I had a cow, wrapped in a pie, smothered in gravy with a side of potatoes. Tom Price had a yogurt and a piece of cardboard.

5. It’s raining outside..shocking I know.

6. For dinner tonight I had 8 beers, 1 bottle of wine and some curry that was hot enough to set off a Geiger counter.

7. I read a 1000 pages of Dan Brown’s new book: Symbols of post-modern Gnostic. It’s interesting, he chose to publish it using Wingding.

Price - FULL MARKS. This was AWESOME.

Lastly, Happy Birthday to the Posh Puma and the Eagle Scout. I heard it was quite the adventure...

Thursday: D-Day plus 2 and still kickin...

Today was another great day - I used the elliptical, which I must confess - I JUST CAN'T DO. I had to crank the resistance to 9 just to stay on the thing, and even then I looked like a rabid donkey humping a doorknob. I think that will be my LAST elliptical experience, especially since I can run again tomorrow.

The workday was great - things are still good! Knock on wood that the trend continues.

Dinner tonight was, well...an adventure. So the gang was collectively in the flat at 8, and we rolled out about 15 minutes later, bound for Thai food. Tonight's destination was Busaba Thai, and in theory it was supposed to be "right off Oxford Street." However, as is often the case in this city, nothing is quite as easy as it seems.

For starters, we tried to come at it from the "back way." The only problem was...there was no back way. The "street" was really just a "half alley," and there was truly 1 way in. However, we only discovered this after walking to SCOTLAND.

Even worse, we arrived to find a line longer than the Great Wall of China. Consequently, we turned and walked all the way back to the flat, ready to hit the take-out place 5 minutes (the OTHER direction) from our house, only to find that it had closed TEN MINUTES before we arrived. So we then walked to the pub RIGHT BESIDE OUR HOUSE (I mean, we are talking THE SAME BLOCK) only to find they'd killed the lights in the kitchen FIVE MINUTES BEFORE.

The result was a) a frustrated wife, and b) a late dinner from Sainsbury's back at the flat. But hey, 20 GBP and some Sainsbury's wine later, we're all smiles. Check out the girls!

Also, Happy Birthday, Ash! Make it a good one at Floridita!

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print, and I'm hopefully now back in everyone's good graces. Chat tomorrow!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

I know...I know...forgive me- but...wait for it...wait for it..IT'S GO LIVE, BABY!!!

Family,

And a good evening to you from across the Pond after a GREAT day in the Mother Country. First off, my apologies to all of the faithful for such a long break from posting. However, in my defense, I came home on Monday to find a house full of Americans - two visitors, and...MY MUFFIN PUFFIN!!!!! But I get ahead of myself. Let's slide back to Sunday. Unfortunately, that's all you'll get tonight, but I'm hoping this will at least keep Price subscribed to the blog for another week.

Sunday: Back 2 Life....Back 2 Reality (However do you want me...however do you need me - with Harv dancing beside my boombox)

So when I last left you, it was early afternoon and I was fresh off 12 hours of sleep. To celebrate the fact that I was a) still alive and b) didn't feel like someone had slammed my face into a brick wall, I walked down to Ozer for some breakfast. And while it was still a GREAT meal, it was just not the same without my perfect pumpkin. I rocked up to the restaurant and proudly announced "just 1 for breakfast," where I was told a) go sit your ass in the corner, loser, and b) "I'm sorry, we are no longer serving breakfast. " Confused (cause I've eaten brekkie here about a hundred times, always LATER than the current time of noon), I pointed out that it said all day breakfast outside. The response from the waiter: "I am sorry, sir - we had a disaster...in the kitchen...with a sausage." Seriously, I have NO IDEA what that means, but I do NOT want to know.

All the same, they hooked me up with some Ozer style eggs (the quote was: "we can't give you breakfast...unless you want Ozer style eggs." Luckily, that's what I ALWAYS get). I will say that they also threw in a free cup of coffee and didn't rush me, so I was all smiles.

After brekkie, I went back to the flat for a couple of hours, where I continued devouring "Her Fearful Symmetry." At this point I'd passed the 200 page point, and I was still really into it. THAT - was about to change.

I left the flat around 3:15 and headed up to Regent's Park. It was a BEAUTIFUL day, and so I made the walk all the way to Primrose Hill (first time I've EVER seen the view on a clear day). The walk was just great - a chance to clear my head, get some fresh air, and prep for what I knew would be a VERY busy week. And the best part - there are FINALLY FLOWERS IN THE PARK AGAIN!!! And granted, there will be about 16,000 more freezes (which will mean my council tax at work will result in about a BILLION more potted plants), but hey, I am SO READY for color, that you won't hear a complaint here!

I ended up walking for about 2 hours, including getting lost in Camden and Chalk Farm. Actually, at one point, I was so lost that, when I saw the Morning Crescent tube stop, I didn't even know what direction I was walking in (pretty embarrassing, considering that the largest broadcast tower in the UK was always in sight...).

That evening I joined the donkey convention for dinner at Ayoush (a GREAT Egyptian joint), where we dined in "the grotto" and I ate like a king with Shogun, Moose, some of his mates, Dunphey, and Dorking. Yes, hitman - I AM a food whore.

I then went home and finished Her Fearful Symmetry around 12:30, where I can confirm that I was QUITE disappointed with the ending. 265 GREAT pages (including 2 of the best lines I've read in a long time) and 140 pages of utter disappointment.

Okay, sorry so short tonight, but it's after 11, and it's GO LIVE week. Given that, it will be fits and starts until Sunday, at which point I'll return to some semblance of normalcy (Price - not a word, damn it).

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Chat soon (hopefully)!

Love,

(A reunited - but we'll cover that tomorrow) Sam and Jenny

The day that wasn't...but at least I'm still alive...

Family,

And a god morning to you from across the Pond on this fine Sunday in the Mother Country. HAPPY EASTER!!!!! Fun fact for the day - the origin of the Easter bunny. Apparently the Easter Bunny traces its roots to 13th century, pre-Christian Germany. The Teutonic god of fertility and spring was called Eostra, and her symbol was the rabbit (because of the high reproduction rate). As Christianity assimilated the pagan faiths of Germany, some traditions continued in an effort to make the transition easier for the other faiths (this is the exact same way we adopted the Christmas tree). One of these was the Easter Bunny in spring, when little pagan-now-Christian children would make nests for the Easter bunny to lay eggs in as part of the Vernal Equinox. Eventually it was aligned with Easter and the nests became Easter baskets. And now, hundreds of years later, we are swapping cadbury chocolate and dyed eggs in our baskets. Funny, eh? And mom - sorry - I don't have any maple creams in my basket this year...

So yesterday was, well...AWFUL. I woke up and felt I'd been slapped in the face with a 2x4 (Tommy Boy style). Since Hitman felt the same way, the blame now rests squarely on Lynda Grimshaw, who I'm pretty sure tried to poison us both for making her work on Finance for the last 9 months. But don't worry, LG: we're still friends - even if you did put cyanide in our steaks...

Aside from getting to chat with mum for an hour (which was wonderful, to be sure), the day for me consisted of walking from the couch to the bed, sleeping as much as possible, eating a grand total of 2 bowls of cereal, and passing out with Nite Nurse (their Nyquil) about 9:30 PM. I woke up at 9:30 this morning feeling A MILLION TIMES BETTER, and I've already been able to walk around without thinking that I'm just going to collapse in the hallway.

So I think I'm gonna go out and actually get real food today, but that is after I do a bit of Ironing. Yes, yes, I know - I can only picture the look on Tom Price's face right now. Or Kevin Woest's for that matter, who simply calls me "wrinkle" when he sees me in the office. But alas, some of these khaki's look like they've crossed the Wadi Rum, so I need to at least try to iron them out a bit.

Also, I started Her Fearful Symmetry, and I REALLY like it so far. Muffin - I know that you said it ended weird, but the first 100 pages have been brilliantly done and are certainly worth the plunge.

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Chat either later today (if I do ANYTHING) or tomorrow!

Muffin Puffin and Yazz (Hissssssssssssssss) - enjoy your last day in Slovenia and and safe travels home!!!!!!!

Love,

(A more mobile) Sam and (somewhere in Caves north of Croatia) Jenny

Tenebrae - the service of shadows...

Family,

And a good morning to you from across the Pond after a GREAT Friday in the Mother Country. As I type this, I'm regrettably a bit sick and feel as though I'm swallowing razor blades. However, that's about 11 steps up from where I was yesterday, so I'm happy about that.

I had actually meant to post last night but just felt crummy, as I wanted to say a formal HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOMMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry we didn't get to chat much yesterday, mom - we'll make it up with Skype today.

So recapping yesterday's events: lunch was a pizza from Sainsbury's that should have fed about 13 people. I couldn't actually get all of it down, but the 80% I did take care of was guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuud. Plus I threw on some chorizo to "spice things up," so that didn't hurt.

Due to some connectivity issues (insert Hitman shaking his head here and saying, "Well, of course that's what happened...")I logged off around 4:40 and made a DEAD SPRINT to St. Paul's cathedral. As you all know, yesterday was good Friday, and that means it's Sammy's favorite church service all year - Tenebrae: the Service of Shadows.

A little background on this (I feel like Robert Langdon right now): Also known as the "Solemn Liturgy and Veneration of the Cross," this service is 100% music, save the occasional reading interspersed. It is done completely a capella, with different soloists intoning the notes - VERY haunting. The music tells the story of Jesus' arrest, sentence, and crucifixion, typically ending with the point at which he gives up his spirit. As the service progresses, the church grows darker and darker, until eventually all candles are extinguished and only the ambient lighting from the windows guides you out of the church (which you must leave in silence). In smaller churches, all artifcacts and holy relics are removed from the sanctuary in preparation for Jesus' resurrection on Sunday. Like I said - it's powerful stuff, and I did NOT want to miss it.

And it is with that backdrop that I present to you the image of a guy in jeans, flannel plaid, and the bomber jacket sprinting out of the tube and bowling over tourists to get a seat right at 5 PM for the start of the service. I'm pretty sure the German cats beside me did NOT know what to make of the sweaty, coughing, poorly dressed American dude sitting beside them, but in the spirit of fellowship, they let it ride.

The service was GREAT. It was the first time in a long time that I've taken an hour to really think about life, to pray, to reset myself, and to ponder all the mysteries that surround us. It was a really, really cool experience, and witnessing it at St. Paul's was truly special (Dad - you'll remember that we visited St. Paul's for the Good Friday Service in '07 as well - just not the Tenebrae service).

After the ceremony, I spent another 20 or so minutes there before rolling out and getting back onto High Holborn to meet some of the gang for drinks and dinner. On the walk, I was treated to blue skies, but MAN WAS IT FREEZING!!!! Between the HORRIBLE wind, 30 degree weather, and the fact that I had run part of the way to church (and my lungs actually gave out before my feet - whilst humbling, it's a good sign!), it's really no wonder why I think my throat has a crescent wrench stuck in it this morning. But on the walk I at least saw the new branding outside MLFC (or should I say BAMLFC). I am SUCH a dork...

The first spot on the Friday tour was a Sam Smith's house called the Princess Louise, where I managed a Taddy Porter before rolling over to this placed called Lingotto's - SOOOOOO GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUD (peppy cheekies). Seriously - this place was MONEY BALL 5000. I had the lamb shank, and it was fall-off-the-bone good. Good find, Hitman! But next time you'll actually have to join us. And yes, in case anyone is curious, those are FLAMING Sambuka shots - nothin' healthier than coffee beans, an open flame, a cracked glass, and something that tastes like kerosene. Also - apologies in advance of the images are a bit crooked. I have the old camera, which means I don't have a functioning viewfinder...

After that, we went to the very sophisticated chain (insert Brits with rolling eyes and American college students saying "YAY!!!!" here) called Wetherspoon's. Now this place gets the bad wrap as something of a meat market, but when you've got 18 taps, I refuse to believe it's all that bad. I ended the night with a Greene King and a Carlsberg before walking home in the frozen tundra.

I was definitely feeling rough, but a few cough drops, some Chloraseptic (taken from home), and some Night Nurse (please no jokes, fellas) have helped keep me vertical. That being said, I fear as though the planned pub crawl might not have my name on it today. I am TBD at best.

And in case anyone's scoring, we've had a few Jenny sightings - she's doing VERY well, having good weather (knock on wood), and living it up in Slovenia - I can't WAIT to see these photos and hear these stories...

Last thing - finished Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" this morning - solid 5th novel for Brother Dan. If you enjoyed the others, this one is definitely worth the plunge.

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

Love,

Sam and (most likely in caves in a wine region 1 hour north of Croatia) Jenny

And then magically, I was purple...

Family,

And a GREAT morning to you from across the Pond on this Good Friday in the Mother Country. I am working from home today, and so rather than try and hammer out the blog (no pun intended) last night, I thought it best to knock it out this morning before I commenced with work. Two days to catch you up on, so let's get crackin'.

Wednesday was a GREAT day in the office. I logged 70 minutes on the bike in the AM but didn't jog because I had some residual foot pain from the day before, which I am now blaming squarely on the black, cap toe shoes I own. Price - really, I think I can now blame you for my stress fracture, as those shoes were my ONE attempt to fit in with your "high fashion" society.

I am happy to report that Muffin Puffin landed safely and has had great weather so far (knock on wood!). And don't worry, C-Web - I know that there is a growing audience that is discontented with the lack of information on Mrs. Assignee 47. Fret not - she's already committed to a blog upon her return.

That night Bruce, Shogun, Dunphey, me, and Marta rolled over to Chancery Lane, where we ate and drank at this GREAT French joint called "The Bleeding Heart." Bitburger on draft! Riegel, you Bavarian snob - you have no idea what you're missing- Sie Mussen liebe alle biere!!!

I got in around 11 and crashed, waking on Thursday for another 70 minutes on the bike, which felt REALLY good. I'm off today because my gym is closed and I don't feel like it's a good idea to push the foot, but I honestly think the rest is a good thing.

Last night was GREAT. For starters, the work day had been wicked productive, and I was feeling really good about things. Only 1 business day left until Go Live! BRING IT, BABY!!!

Secondly, we had some drinks at the Music Factory after work (shocking, I know). Since it was the day before a holiday in the UK, the place was HEAVING, meaning we had to stand outside in an ARCTIC day under some less than fully functional heat lamps. The result was me rockin' my under armor beanie, gloves, my "German killing" bomber jacket for about 90 minutes whilst shivering the entire time. I honestly thought Marta, Kat, and Carolina weren't going to make it. Those are warm climate girls, and all of them were turning blue or purple. Cath - the beer jacket just wasn't cutting it.

From there we rolled to the featured event of the evening - dinner at Guacho's. Okay, so a little back story here (that I'm sure I've mentioned before). Steak in the UK is GRAY - no other way to describe it. Your only option for preparation is "cook the hell out of it until chewing chips away at your teeth." Hence the reason I never order steaks. Last night, however, we found a diamond in the rough.

Gaucho's (Argentinian for cowboy) serves only Argentine beef, and the cook it HOWEVER YOU WANT IT. The steak peddlar comes by your table to explain the cut, and then pick the size you want. Who's got to thumbs and ordered a 400 gram fillet? THIS GUY. And the preparation? Rare, baby...oh yes.

This steak was GREAT, as was the wine (Puma - once again, no such thing as a bad Malbec). I did learn a valuable lesson, however. Wine is better ingested than worn. That's right, opening the menu for dessert I realized that you had to flip it over for the list of treats. Well, when I did that, I sent a FULL GLASS OF RED WINE hurdling through time and space. The result was two fold:

1. I WAS COVERED IN WINE AND LOOKED LIKE I'D BEEN SHOT.

2. THE FLOOR AROUND ME LOOKED LIKE SOMEONE HAD BEEN STABBED.

I will go on record and say that the staff was GREAT about it, and they cleaned it up in a flash. I will also say that I was sober - that was only my second glass after a POUND OF MEAT OVER TWO HOURS. The good news is that I think both my shirt and slacks (my NICEST SUIT SLACKS) will survive once I hit the dry cleaner. The bad news is that my Hang Loose Hawaii t-shirt looks like I poured grape juice ALL OVER MY ABDOMEN (same for my boxers). But don't worry, muffin - I'm not throwing them away! They'll get worn again (insert eyes rolling here).

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

Love,

Sam and (somewhere near Lake Bled) Jenny