Tres dias in Mad City...

Family,

And a good evening to you from across the Pond after a GREAT DAY in the Mother Country. Okay, when I last left you, brother Tavares and I, fresh off a Katrina Mills sighting and draining the final swig of our prestigious McDonald's beers, were about to board a plane to Madrid. THAT, dear family, is where we resume the tale this evening.

Day 1: Magister - a slice of home (brew) in Madrid

So the flight from Lisbon was fine, with the one exception that it was on DONKEY AIR. That's right - anyone ever heard of Air Europa? Yeah - me neither. Luckily I was so damn tired from the 57 miles we walked against 400 mph wind that I was able to sleep like a ROCK. However, I did wake up in time to see some gorgeous Spanish peaks covered in snow - it was a neat scene.

Once on the ground, we caught a cab to the Westin, where we dropped our gear and checked in. I am officially a "Starwood Preferred Guest" now (those of you working at the Bank are now laughing; if you don't work at the bank, then just keep telling yourself that I am VERY important and sophisticated), and so I was treated to a slightly upgraded room. I know that this place is old, but it is Old World Europe money, and it was SWEET.

At 7, brother Ray and I rolled into Plaza Santa Ana, where we hit up my FAVORITE spot in Mad City - Magister. This joint, one of the few that actually brews its own beer, was a STAPLE for JT and I when we lived here (and a frequent haunt when I return). I like it for a) the Rubia beer (a SOLID blond), b) the old bartender who hates me and ALWAYS shoo's me away (but is HILARIOUS whilst doing so - Dinger - he's like the Farouk or Gunther of Spain), and c) the MOUNDS of food you can get. I mean check out this bountiful feast of potatoes and...well, fat.

Around 9, feeling exhausted and potentially sick, we retired early. RT actually hit the gym and watched the gold medal hockey match, but I was OUT COLD. Hats off to both teams, and congrats to Team Maple Leaf for a hard earned victory - watch your asses in 2014. :-)

Day 2: Dinner at the oldest joint in the world

So day 2 started out with a bang. Why, you ask? Well, for starters, I got my lazy ass out of bed and did 35 on the bike. Whilst it wasn't a ton of exercise, it set the ton for my 8 AM rendevous with destiny. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, after being shunned the previous 3 trips to Madrid, THE WESTIN DESAYUNO (that would be brekkie) WAS INCLUDED!!!! Let me tell you that, once you've had it, nothing you ever read in your LIFE will mean more to you than the phrase "desayuno esta incluido." Conscious of this, I trotted down at 7:50 AM, where I spent the next 40 MINUTES shoveling down piles of jamon, salmon, fresh fruit, donuts, coffee, and juice. Yes, I did have 4 plates in front of me at any given time. Yes, I am sure that I disgusted EVERYONE around me. Yes, I spent more time eating than I spent exercising. And Yes - I have NO regrets. And SPOILER ALERT - I was rinse-repeat on that for the next 2 days.

So the work day was good, working through cutover task lists, data conversion plans, disaster recovery and mitigation scenarios (all in 2 languages). I'm sure I've mentioned it, but the office in Madrid is AWESOME. It's a 50 story tower right in the heart of the city, and you can actually look down INTO REAL MADRID STADIUM. Yeah, it's pretty wicked.

The highlights of the evening, however, were two fold. First, Ray and I met our buddy Rui (another Portuguese fella, Rui is our Supply Chain guru) for a couple of drinks in the mall atrium just beside Torre Picasso. We had a pair of Mahou's (the second best beer in Spain after Cruzcampo, which is the TRUTH), and we had a great time chatting and finally getting to relax a little outside the office.

Next up, Taylor's internal (or lack thereof) GPS struck again. Ray and I left Rui and boarded the Madrid Metro (which I do know very well, for the record), getting off at Sol. The destination (for which we were already 15 minutes late) was Casa Botin, currently in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "oldest restaurant in the world," having served food on the same site since 1275. Incidentally, this restaurant was the site of the infamous "acute cardio-pulmonary disease" phone call in 2007, from which I STILL haven't full recovered.

Well, when Ray asked if we should book a cab, I said, "No way, dude - I know EXACTLY where this place is." And the truth was that I did know...I just didn't know how to get to the staircase that led to it. Consequently,we burned another 15 minutes lost before Ray saved us with his BlackBerry. Thank GOODNESS for modern technology (well, except Matt Miller, of course).

Dinner at this joint was AWESOME! We descended into the cellars of the restaurant, where we were treated to some GREAT wine, delicious beef, and (wait for it...) serrano ham. It was a great night of relaxing, and I was even able to capture a picture of Equipo Espana! It was a nice night for a walk, so we strolled the 20 minutes home, even capturing a photo of the Tio Pepe sign in Sol (the construction from 4 years ago is FINALLY done).

Day 3: A stroll down memory lane

So the work day was another great one, complete with the feather in my cap of attending a 2 hour meeting completely in Spanish. And whilst my brain was about to EXPLODE once it was over, I was definitely proud that I had left not only contributing but actually understanding exactly what the hell was going on.

To celebrate, I took Ray and Nancy (another teammate) for a drive down memory lane. There, at 140 Ayala, near the Manuel Bercerra metro stop, was another famous and consistent haunt for Team Taylor during our 2 month stint in Mad City in '07 - Cafe Tehran. And yes, Jen Webb - we saw the door to your apartment complex - talk about some memories!

Cafe Tehran was JUST AS GOOD as I remembered. And to boot, they had THE MOST coveted bottled beer in Spain (and the ONLY place I've ever found it) - San Miguel 1516. This stuff is just plain liquid gold - AMAZING! Throw in dinner and a nice glass of Syrah for desert (as well as Persian ice cream - interesting...), and you've got a recipe for a GREAT night in Spain.

Day 4: Back to Wife Muffin!

So the work day was a good one, and Carolina and I caught a taxi around 2:30 for the airport. It was a WET day, and we were delayed about an hour getting out the door. However, that gave me time to FINALLY finish "The Alienist," a 500 page hardback that I've been lugging around for about 3 weeks. T-bone - you were the man who recommended this to me, and it did NOT disappoint. That being said, it was pretty twisted, and I'm glad to be well clear of it.

We flew into London City Airport (LCY), and I am now a HUGE FAN of this airport. I was touch down to my door step in 75 MINUTES, which is TRULY AMAZING in London. Best of all, I finally got to kiss and hug my BABY PIE! JT had hit the pool, so luckily I was able to crush most of the blog before she got home. I was exhausted, but I (FINALLY) had an AFD and a salad before passing out around 11.

Today has been another GREAT day. For starters, I am offically OUT OF THE BOOT! That's right - I am FINALLY back to normal shoes and feeling no pain (knock on wood). I biked tonight, and I'm giving it another 2 weeks on the bike before I hit the treadmill for a 5-10 minute jog. However, things are looking up!

Tonight was an hour on the bike, a salad for dinner, and my second AFD in a row. However, I am harboring no illusions about AFD's - it's time for the mandatory Friday meeting at the Cat & Canary with Steve and Brother Morgan!

Also, two more classic moments to share:

1. I'm sitting at my desk today working away when I get a tap on my shoulder. I turn around, and who is standing there? Fizzy, Hitman, Notorious - brace yourselves, as I was in the presence of THE POSH PUMA HIMSELF - Cyrus David. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, Pop is Life, and it's time to RISE UP! again in the Mother Country. If you haven't figured out any of these references yet, fret not - as a character of EPIC proportions is about to enter the blog.

2. On my way home tonight, I enter the Canary Wharf station (there's a huge down escalator) and notice 3 cops standing at the foot of the stairs. For whatever reason, they stop me and ask to search my bag. When I say fine, they start asking me a series of questions about my bag, my time in the UK, and about me. Why have I been stopped, you ask? Because apparently I was part of a RANDOM SEARCH allowed by the ANTI-TERRORISM ACT OF 2000. And hey, I'm not trying to be a hater, but here's my question to the cops: when you saw the shirt, the hair that looked like Weird Al Yankovic, and the wrinkled khaki's with the tennis shoes, did you really think Al Queda would look THAT obvious? Rice - did you tell them I'm a communist and needed a good thrashing?

And speaking of, it's time to finish "The Afghan" and call it a night. Dean - this book COOKS. DEFINITELY a worthwhile read.

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

Love,

Sam and Jenny

Livin' the dream in Lisboa!

Family,


And a great evening to you from across the Pond - I'm back in the Mother Country! Okay, so first off - HOW CUTE is my wife? Surprise blogging in my stead? WICKED! Price - I do NOT want to hear about subscription cancellations any more. With surprise commentary like that, how can you not be a fan for life? This has more cliff hangers than a season of Alias!


Okay, so my apologies for being off the grid the last 5 days. The cost of an hour's time at the Westin Palace was something like 13 Euros, and I was NOT about to drop that kind of cheddar (especially when I couldn't even load pictures!). That being said, I'm back now, so let's recap the lad's weekend in Lisboa!


Day 1: Dance, Dance Revolution


So Ray and I left the office around 4:15 or so on Friday, giving us 3 hours to get to Heathrow. Now as some of you know, I tend to have some problems with directions (insert Chuck shaking his head and Jenny rolling her eyes here). However, en route to Heathrow, I reached a new low - I GOT LOST ON MY OWN TUBE LINE - THAT'S RIGHT - the one I take HOME from work EVERY DAY. Honestly, I have no words. Let's just say I looked like the chief herder at a Turkish Goat Rodeo after that.



That being said, we made it to the airport in plenty of time, only to board the plane and find it delayed by an hour (we were on a flying pencil - Wild Wallaby - that was for you) due to high winds. The end result was that we rolled into Lisbon (my first ever trip to Portugal) around 11 PM, checking into the hotel around midnight.


Speaking of the hotel, it should be noted that I'm pretty much a Motel 6 guy (that's right - Tom Bodette leaves the light on for me). Ray "Old School Cool", however, had something a little nicer in mind...


In all seriousness, the funniest part was the awkward moment at check-in when the guy didn't know whether or not we were gay and didn't know a) how many rooms we needed or b) how many beds we needed. When we said 2, he started breathing easier. Machismo is ALIVE AND WELL in the land of the Discoverers, baby. I mean, given my accent AND the fact I had a wedding band, shouldn't it have been obvious? And if that wasn't enough - I was wearing flannnel plaid, for crying out loud (as I did again today - you can't hide sexy...).



So at 12:30, we decided that we needed to see a bit of the city. Ten minutes later, we were walking in the rain down the main drag, fully expecting bars to jump out at us from every corner. However, we instead walked about 2 miles (all downhill, mind you) until we found the ONLY place open - a bar called "Young Liberty."



So we roll into this joint desperate for a Sagres (pronounced Sajuh), and as we roll up to the bar, we notice that ONLY DUDES are present, at least one of which is running his fingers through another's hair. And in that moment, Ray and I realize the truth...we're in a gay bar. AWESOME.


All the same, it does trend co-ed as the live music starts, so we are hopeful that we won't get hit on. Friday and Saturday's happen to be "Live International Music Nights" at Young Liberty, and this evening's feature was "American" (who saw that coming). Yazz - we were treated to not one, but TWO Elvis songs, and we got a smattering of other stuff as well. However, just when we were debating the whole "second beer" dilemma, the dude breaks out with "Easy Like Sunday Morning." Really? REALLY? IT'S A FRIDAY NIGHT - THAT IS THE BEST YOU'VE GOT?


So we bounced back toward the hotel, aware that it was 1:30 and we had a 2 mile climb uphill. However, on the walk back, some techno made us pause. And whilst there was no David Guetta, I am happy to report that RT and Taylor had a HILARIOUS hour at...wait for it...wait for it...THE HARD ROCK CAFE - LISBON.



Okay, so don't be a hater. This place was RAMMED, and the dancing was...well, AMAZING. Seriously, the highlights from the dance floor:


1. Old Man River (who seriously had to have been 106) was on the dance floor with his bird (of about 50).


2. This gal we called "Jumper," who just literally JUMPED for an hour straight on the stage.


3. A dude in a "CCCP" shirt who was STRAIGHT out of a Vanilla Ice Video.


4. This German dude in a shirt tight enough to stop bleeding dancing with flexed muscles for A SOLID HOUR.

I did get some brief video - Lady Gaga style...



We passed out around 3 AM, but that didn't stop my normal ritual of going to the bathroom every hour. Problem was that I couldn't find the damn light for the bathroom. Not wanting to wake up Ray, I grabbed my alarm clock and used the snooze light to ensure I didn't miss the bowl - yes, I am one CLASSY dude.


Day 2: In the footsteps of the Discoverers...and a hurricane


So we got up around 9:30 and were out the door an hour later in search of brekkie. After checking out some of the monuments along the main drag (there are stairs at the monuments, but no way to get TO the monuments, meaning you have to play Frogger in a roundabout the size of China), Ray and I hit the first of my must do's in Lisbon - a pastry breakfast. I mean, just look at the custard I had - nothing shy of 4 sticks of butter in that puppy.


Also, just so you know, it was WINDY AS HELL in Lisbon. Apparently there was some freak storm across all of Western Europe, and we got bloody PUMMELED. Just check out my hair in the upcoming pictures (I know, muffin - haffa cut this weekend).


So we walked down to the water, checking out the mosaic sidewalks everywhere we went. It is worth noting that EVERY SIDEWALK is hand painted and artisan tile - it is AWESOME. Ray and I have put estimates at 16,500,000 pieces of tile - call it a rough guess.


Once on the water, we turned for what we expected to be a quick jaunt to my one true "to do" - the Prince Henry the Navigator Memorial (Henry is, incidentally, where I got Ray's nickname, "The Navigator," from). The guick jaunt actually ended up somewhere around 5 miles or so, but the good news was that we burned off that custard! Seriously - it was a great walk along the water, seeing the bridges over the reiver Tej and seeing the Christ statue on the other side (mirror of the one in Rio - that thing is HUGE).


We hit the Navigator statue around 1 or so, and I must confess that it DID NOT disappoint. I mean, we are talking HUGE figures in the stone, and it was REALLY cool to see it in the stormy weather. That is until I decided to get by the seawall for a photo...


So I am about 4 feet from the seawall when a bloody TIDAL WAVE washes over, DOUSING my pants. Now had this been summer, I would have laughed. But since it was February with 90 MPH winds, I was less than pleased. However, I knew that lunch wasn't far off, so it didn't kill my spirits!


We then walked over to the remains of the old fortress for the harbor, now only a tower. As you can see from the picture, the walkway to get out there was treacherous because of the waves, and the tourists were basically trapped in there until it subsided!


After that, it was time for some lunch, and when in Portugal, that lunch is ONE THING: Bife com ovo (steak and egg). Dude, you talk about TASTY - check out Ray Ray tuckin' into this meal. Wash it down with a Sagres, and you have a healthy, 14,000 calorie lunch.



After that, we wandered around the city a bit more (translation - LOST AS HELL) until we made our way back down to the bridge. I mean, I'm not sayin' we were in the ghetto - I'm just sayin' that we probably looked a WEE bit out of place in the district we were in (My BRIGHT yellow Arizona State shirt probably didn't help).


Ready to warm up a bit, we scoured the city again looking for pubs. However, the only one we found was an Irish Pub down by the water. However, considering it had Six Nations, good beer, snacks, Premier League footy, AND a view of the Christ Statue, we couldn't argue. And so, just a scant 2 hours after lunch, we were eating cheese and Portuguese sausage - YES - CHUBBBBBBY BUNNNYYYY!!!! But it was worth it to watch Ray cooking that thing AT THE TABLE.



We then caught a cab back into town, where we wanted one more brew before dinner (that's right -time for food again). I hadn't tried Superbock (the other big Portuguese beer), but we couldn't find a bar anywhere. So where did we end up trying it? At an ICE CREAM AND PASTRY SHOP. Yes...sitting beside a 4 year old who's eating gelatto whilst sipping my half pint...awkward.


Dinner, however, was NOT awkward. It was SPECTACULAR. I had heard that Portuguese seafood is amazing, and I can now say that I concur 100%. Ray and I hit a fish joint, where I got some of THE BEST grouper that I've EVER had. Add in some Green Wine (famous in Portugal), and you have a recipe for a GREAT night. But to top it off, we were also treated to a free concert! The restaurant had a Fardo duo and a singer, and they performed 2 sets - talk about SO COOL. It was an absolute blast.


45 minutes later, we passed out to the sound of Curling on the TV - broadcast in German.


Day 3: Lady Gaga fan club reunited


So it was TOUGH to get out of bed on Sunday. I mean we were SERIOUSLY struggling. However, we did get up in time to walk down for another breakfast in the main square.


En route I was all excited, because I'd woken up to the sounds of a big protest walking down to the main square. Upon arrival (and poised for my pulitzer winning photos), I saw a bunch of dudes just gathered smoking and some children playing. Really? REALLY? NO WONDER you're not getting what you want from protests and strikes - WHERE'S THE ACTION!?!?!?


As for brekkie, I of course opted for ANOTHER custard (this one was thicker and richer than the OTHER one - Paula Dean would have been SO proud), but I was also intrigued by what I assumed to be a sausage pastry. Upon further review, purchase, and consumption, however, I can now report that it was nothing more than a cold hot dog in stale bread. Oh well, I can't say enough about the coffee - DELICIOUS.


After that, we walked over to the Cathedral, which was very cool. A service was in progress, and the music was VERY neat to hear. It was late by then, however, and we needed to head back. Consequently, we made the journey back to the Four Seasons and to the airport. This is where the two highlights of the day occurred.


The first was culinary. So Jenny and I have a rule - you can ONLY eat fast food when traveling. And whilst it's normally reserved for driving trips, the absence of a car has resulted in a LONG gap between sessions with McDonald's fries. Seeing the Golden Arches in the airport, I was determined to rectify this situation.


However, when I ordered my "McRoyal" (with Cheese - Vincent Vega style - AND BACON), I noticed that a drink was included. And what was one of the options? BEER. THAT'S RIGHT - I FINALLY had a beer at a McDonald's - and in a branded glass no less! Seriously, I have ALWAYS wanted to do that!


The second was just CRAZY and requires back story. So you all remember Kat (the Australian Assassin) whom I work with. Last weekend was Kat's birthday, and she'd mentioned earlier in the week that her husband was taking her on a surprise trip for the weekend (all we knew was that she needed her passport). We had taken bets in the office, and I had made the joke "Well, if I see you in Lisbon, we'll have a beer."


Just as I'm tucking into my food, who walks up to the McDonald's line? That's right - KATRINA MILLS. So Ray and I yelled at her for the shock value - AMAZING.


We then hopped our flight for Madrid, where we kicked off 3 days in Mad City. THAT, however, is a blog for tomorrow night. :-)

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. My muffin puffin just walked in the door, so it's time to catch up with my BABY PIE! Even if she DID watch Seinfeld in my absence...traitor...

Chat tomorrow!

Love,

(a reunited) Sam and Jenny

Sam Will Return Wed Night!

Hello all. I spoke with Sam tonight and he sends his deepest apologies but he will return to the blog on Wed night once he's back in London. Unfortunately I don't have anything exciting to report for tonight other than a workout, some work at home and an AFD!!!!!!

Goodnight!
Jenny

Surprise Blog from Wife Muffin!!!

Hello Family & Friends! In the words of Sam Taylor...I got a "wild hair" and decided to blog about my weekend in London while Sam and Ray were out gallivanting around Portugal. My weekend was very good but not as exciting as whatever Sam will prob write about, so you have been warned. :)

Friday night consisted of skyping with my parents and in bed early because I wasn't feeling so hot. Woke up Saturday about 9am and met my friend Yasna at Victoria station for our big day out to Leeds castle! We caught the 11am train and in about an hour we turned up at Bearsted in virtually the middle of nowhere. The shuttle to the castle only ran every hour so instead of waiting 40 min for the next one, we had to catch a taxi. That's fine, a bit odd only once an hour but that's cool. What wasn't cool however, was when we asked the driver when the last shuttle runs back and he replies 10 til 3, even though the castle closes at 4. Hmmmm, that doesn't make much sense. Not too tourist friendly out here. But regardless, we ended up having a great day exploring the beautiful grounds and the main tower, which for you US folks was a bit like the Biltmore house where you got to see various rooms as they may have looked back in the day. There honestly wasn't too much to the castle tour and the highlight of the day was probably the bird sanctuary, the maze and the tea & scones, not necessarily in that order. :) Anyone in the UK who hasn't been to Leeds Castle, let me just save you the trouble and tell you you're not missing all too much! Haha! After we covered everything, a very nice couple ended up offering us a ride to the station which was super cool. We check train times and then got a quick pint and late lunch at a nearby pub. Superb!

Back at Yasna's in Balham we picked up some munchies and settled in to a night filled with...wait for it...wait for it...SEINFELD!!!!!!!! That's right, we prob watched about 5 hrs worth of episodes from season 4-6 including The Puffy Shirt, The Mango, Christmas Card (although it's not called that), The Soup Nazi and The Junior Mint to name a few. (Sam is cringing right now whenever reading this I am sure.) It was fabulous!

Today we lounged around her flat and started to plan our Slovenia trip at the end of March. After hours of research with American Idol on in the background, we didn't book anything BUT feel like we have a good plan. We need to find out about International Drivers Licenses tomorrow before finalizing our mode of transport and hence accommodation. So we are getting there!

Right now I am back at home doing laundry and will probably get to bed early again because still not feeling 100%. The US-CDN gold medal match starts at 8:15 here so will probably watch some of that before calling it a night.

It was a very fun weekend but way too short as always. Since Sam isn't here in person this is for you babe..."I don't wanna go to work tomorrow!!!" in my best whiny voice. LOL! Hope you and Ray are having a great time. Miss you and love you! Yazz - BRING ON SLOVENIA!!!!!!! Had a great weekend! Thanks for having me and hopefully I don't get you sick!

Goodnight!
Jenny (aka Wife Muffin)

And so we honor our faithful, fallen comrades...

Family,

And a good evening to you from across the Pond after another GREAT DAY in the Mother Country. But again, it seems I need to catch you up on Wednesday night's activities.

So Wednesday was a GREAT DAY in the office, but I didn't get out of there until around 8 PM or so. However, making the most of having my fellow colonists in country, I rolled over to London Bridge around 8:30 to a pub called the Wheatsheaf.

This place was great (minus the "certain to be 100% death for anyone wearing a boot who tries to traverse the stairs in the rain" entryway, of course - you basically entered at a midget entrance and had to descend into a basement), and it was a GREAT night with Duncan (the Bristol Pistol), Andrew Harwood (the Guv'nah), Mark Goodyer (Lord), Jill Hewitt (the Pony), Ray (the Navigator), and Muffin Puffin. We caught a great footy match (Inter-Milan dropped Chelsea 2-1 in a thrilling fixture), had some good pints (I am TOTALLY a fan of Guinness now), and had a great time catching up with the work crew from out old haunt of Chester and from Carrick (little town in Ireland with a big bank population).

The problem was that Muffin Puffin and I didn't eat ANYTHING the entire night, with the result of us arriving back at the flat at midnight starving and desperate for calories. In a rush to drop my bags and get into the chips, I turned on two lights (hallway and living room) at the same time. The result was a blown fuse and a PITCH BLACK apartment. All I could think was: "This is sub-optimal."

So I walk down to the front desk, where the guy comes up and opens the breaker (let me go ahead and tell you - it looks NOTHING like a US breaker box). When he opens it, we see 14,576 different switches, which of course makes me panic (especially since this guy is asleep at the front desk EVERY DAY when I walk past in the morning - this cat and electronics? SCARY). However, he grabs a MASSIVE ASS RED SWITCH that I didn't even think to try before. The words on it? MAIN SWITCH. Yeah, I could already see this coming...

Five seconds later, power is restored, and "sleeper boy" has firmly concluded that I am a DONKEY of galcian proportions. However, with power intact, I was happy, and my wife set to preparing us a FABULOUS FEAST. What were the contents, do you ask? Some Liz Mirza left over cheese and peanuts, baby! Oh, yeah! I know what healthy is!!!!

14,000 calories and ZERO nutritional benefit later, we were asleep. However, I did get up at 6:30 (after a 1:30 bed time - no fear of zombies last night!) to head in and make the 4th straight day at the gym. TP - whilst there, I watched the "Tour of Oman" whilst on the bike. Dude, I gotta ask - WTH would ANYONE put on some spandex, shave their legs, and then proceed to ride something like 500 miles through nothing but rocks and a sandpit for the better part of a month in 189 degree heat? All the same, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna win the Tour de France next year - I'm thinking I will ask "Team P-Town" to be my sponsor. After all, I know that you've got some SERIOUS connections...

Today was great, with only one classic moment. I'm waiting for the elevator to come, and when it arrives, it opens to find a guy and girl MAKING OUT AS IF THEIR LIVES DEPENDED ON IT. I step into the elevator, and ONLY THEN do they realize there's someone else present. Instantly they separate and act as if NOTHING happened (JOKE). I turn my back to them, hoping to just get down the 9 floors without them trying to copulate in my presence. Therefore, imagine my surprise when the girl says, "So what are you and the missus doing this weekend?" Hoping I misheard, I try to think of a Lady Gaga song, but alas, it's too late. The guy responds, "Oh, she and I are going away for the weekend to Yorkshire." Really? REALLY? Not only are you MAKING OUT in our shade ball elevator, but you're ALSO cheating on your wife? Quality donkey...

The evening found us at the Porterhouse for a pair of Reds before heading to dinner at a GREAT Italian spot (courtesy of the X-Factor - Cody Schwob-Nelson), where I had my normal 24,000 calories, this time in the form of some red wine (good for the heart!) and lasagna. After that, it was a farewell to the peeps and a walk home.

And now that I am home, I feel that I must pay homage to two friends that will offically retire after a lifetime of service this evening. First, my Banana Republic shirt, dating back to June of 2002 (down in Hilton Head for Jason Stansell's wedding), has officially seen it's last wear. There's a hole in the elbow that I can no longer tolerate, and so it's time to part ways. Brother - you've been a trooper - here's hoping that someone can patch you up and reuse you.

Second is my pair of bass shoes, staples of my work attire for over a year. However, with the boot and with the incessant walking in London, they are no longer fit for purpose. You cats were AWESOME, and you will be missed. However, in an effort to prevent ANOTHER stress fracture, I feel it's time to give you some rest.

NOTE TO ALL READERS: There will be no blog until Sunday, because Sam and Ray "I'm Dinger's favorite character" Tavares are off for a lad's weekend in Lisbon, Portugal - YEAH, BABY!!! But fret not -lots of GREAT pictures to come.

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

Love,

Sam and Jenny

Nothin' like some "Chinese frilly prawn balls" to make your life complete...

Family,

And a good evening to you from across the Pond after another GREAT DAY in the Mother Country. Let me tell you (and I know I speak for Andy McGuire when I say this) - there is NOTHING (and I do mean NOTHING) more exciting than spending your evening (meaning 5-7 PM local time) working through a cutover task list. TALK ABOUT EXCITEMENT!!! Who needs to meet the Dahli Lama to receive higher consciousness - I have data conversion activities to show me the light...

So it was another GREAT day in the Smoke (and I mean smoke, as it's been nothing but rain and fog for the last two days - honestly, I don't know how folks do it year over year). The last two days have been part of a "mini" Integration session with some folks from work, and it's been very productive so far.

Last night, with my culinary and gastronomic reputation at stake, I lead a small contingent up 9 stops on the Julilee Line to Baker Street, where I introduced them to the GREATEST curry house in the UK - The Rajdoot, baby!!!! Oh, yeah! Fizzy - Kare Kare is definitely #2, as I think it has surpassed Spices. However, the "Doot" remains the king.

The meal was great, but more frightening is the fact that Vindaloo is no longer "hot" to me. That's right, boys and girls - Taylor is going for a Phall next time. If you never hear from me again, it's been a hell of a ride.

It should also be noted that we started the evening at (where else) the Cat & Canary. Honestly, that made 4 straight work nights that I'd frequented the Wharf's finest pub, and I'm glad I didn't end up there tonight.

I was up at 6:15 AM both mornings to work out, logging 57 and 45 minutes on the bike each of the last 2 mornings. Here's hoping tomorrow can be a repeat. I'm back in the boot, as the foot is quite tender at the moment, but so far I'm cycling without pain.

Dinner tonight was GREAT. We hit up "Royal China" in the Wharf, and it did NOT disappoint. I mean, hey, when you get a) crispy duck and b) frilly prawn balls for dinner, how can life be bad? Now if they'd just had the chilled monkey brains...

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

Love,

Sam and Jenny

Year 4707 - Welcome to the year of the Tiger...

Family,

And a good evening to you from across the Pond after another GREAT DAY and FANTASTIC WEEKEND in the Mother Country. As I sit here taking down some sweet chili potato chips (mom - you are going to LOVE all the flavors of chips in this country), I can't believe how much fun this weekend has been.

It should be noted (and you might have seen in the photos) that I walked around ALL WEEKEND WITHOUT THE BOOT! And whilst my foot is still a bit tender, that is a GREAT sign. I'll be back in the gym on the bike tomorrow morning, so we'll see how it feels. I made it to the gym 6 times last week, so I'm hoping for a repeat performance (needed since I've got a trip planned this weekend and then 3 days in Mad City next week).

Also, I had a TERRIBLE night's sleep last night. I have no lie to tell - I have a mortal fear of zombies. Don't ask me to explain it, but suffice it to say that seeing movie posters for "The Crazies" all over the Tube is NOT helping my sleeping habits. Now I'm not sure if it was from being a) too tired or b) fearing that I was going to be stabbed repeatedly by a pitchfork in my sleep, but I could NOT get to sleep last night. In fact, I laid in bed FOUR HOURS until I finally passed out around 3 AM. We woke up around 10, and I was refreshed enough but DEFINITELY craving some more ZZZZZ's. That being said, I do expect to pass out tonight.

JT made us a great brekkie before we rolled down to Chinatown for the Chinese New Years celebrations. This is (apparently) the largest CNY festival outside of China, and it was a good day. There were tons of lanterns about, lots of musical performances, plenty of those damn popping fireworks (kids were throwing them at my feet ALL DAY - they are lucky I was TOTALLY out of kerosene and didn't have the energy to follow them home), and even some dancing dragons (IMPOSSIBLE to see, but the cymbol clanging - all by white guys - was impossible to miss).

We started in Chinatown before wandering down to Trafalgar Square, where the heart of the action was. I must say that it was a neat festival - there was tons of singing and dancing, and it was quite the crowd on hand. We spent about 45 minutes watching the performances before heading back to Piccadilly to meet Beth Silverstein, a new expat and friend of a friend on the project.

The craziest part? I knew Beth in college. True, I cannot remember what class we had together, but I KNOW that I knew her. It was a surreal moment - talk about a small world! We wandered through Shaftsbury and back into Chinatown before circling back down to Trafalgar Square to watch some of the performances.

However, instead of performances, we were treated to a pair of TERRIBLE mc's who just WOULD NOT stop talking. Instead, they insisted on us doing the "Mexican wave." What is the Mexican wave, you ask? Well, it's basically the same as the "United States wave," except that instead of forming a "wave" (you know, I like you would EXPECT TO DO), you simply wave at the stage when your section is pointed to. Seriously? SERIOUSLY? WHY IS THIS THE MEXICAN WAVE? IS THIS WHAT SANTA ANNA DID TO DAVY CROCKETT AT THE ALAMO? Utter donkeys...

So after 15 minutes of "Mexican waving," (which I'm pretty sure is NOT a past time of drug lords and the border patrol) we rolled over to Covent Garden for beer and a 4 PM lunch at the Porterhouse. There we introduced Beth to some delicious brewskis, had some Cambembert cheese as a starter, and then sucked down some tasty dishes (I went with a skillet of eggs, cheese, potatoes, hash browns, peppers, sausage, ham, and bacon - CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUBBBBBBBBYYYYYYYYYYYYY BUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!! SO GUUUUUUUUD!

After that, we walked home, and we're now gearing up for 2 hours of Olympics coverage, including the men's downhill and the ski cross finals. All in all, it has been a GREAT weekend, and we now have another friend to add to the mix. Yazz - you missed a great day out!

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. North American crew - save travels across the Pond. Chat tomorrow!

Love,

Sam and Jenny