Meet the Tavares clan...

Family,

And a good evening to you from across the Pond. Today was another GREAT DAY in the Mother Country. Honestly, I love my job, and so I am shocked when I look up and it’s 6 PM.
And while today was great, it certainly did not start out that way.

It all began with the Machiato…so here’s the deal – I’ve given up coffee. It’s not because I’m a cheap b…well, okay, maybe it is. But I also realized that I was buying it in the states and only finishing about 1/3 of it. So now it’s my Friday treat.

Well today I went to get a coffee from the canteen, and I selected a Machiato. I say this fully expecting to get the “Starbucks Treatment.” What I got instead, however, was something slightly different.

Barista (using the term VERY loosely): “Do you want that in a big cup or a small?”

Uneducated Redneck: “I ordered a large.”

Barista: “Yes, but some prefer it in a small cup.”

Uneducated Redneck: “No, no – a large cup please.”

Uneducated Redneck inside Sam’s head: “Dude – something is wrong. This is NOT how it happens at starbucks. Abort NOW.”

Barista then pours a SHOT of espresso into a “large” cup, followed by…wait for it…wait for it…some foam. Not even the milk…just foam. Barista then hands it to uneducated redneck, a grim smile on her face. Uneducated redneck takes the cup politely, thinking about all the ways he wants to burn her house down.

Bottom line – DO NOT ORDER A MACHIATO IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. It’s like asking for a burger, only to be given some gristle. Yeah…I was NOT happy. Luckily, my beautiful muffin puffin bought me a latte and made up for it (which I promptly knocked over and spilled on my desk – details, details…).

After work, I had 2 pints of Peroni (which I’m now a big fan of) at the Slug and Lettuce (that’s right – the SLUG AND LETTUCE) before heading to Gourmet Burger Kitchen with the Tavares clan and sister Mirza.

Key side note here: I have a theory that you can put ANY two words together and have a pub name in England. Let’s try a few real examples:
1. The Cat and Canary
2. The Lamb and Flag
3. The Green Man and Frenchhorn
4. The Bear and Staff
5. The Waggon and Horses
6. The Goddess and Puma (soon to open, Cyrus David proprietor)
7. The Donkey and Doorknob (soon to be a world reknown brand, Sam Taylor, CEO)

After drinks, it was dinner at Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK). I’ve talked about this place before, however to night we tried the Blue Cheese Burger (medium rare). Yeah, it was pretty much OFF THE CHAIN. And, more importantly, we got to spend time with the Tavares clan.

For those that don’t know, Ray is my partner in crime at work, and he’s great. Also, his entire family is spectacular. See the photo – Justin is the wee one, and he’s a Frat House Tank in the making. Jackie and RJ are both Green Belts, which means they can both kill me with their thumb. And his lovely wife Lisa is great. All in all, this is a wonderful family.

Now we’re back at the house, and I’m about to tuck into Twilight. I’m sixty pages in, and despite some folks telling me I wouldn’t like it, I am pleasantly surprised so far.

Okay, that’s all the news that’s fit to print (kudos to Christine Weber for calling me out on this today on a call). Chat soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny