And a good evening to you from across the Pond after a very busy but GREAT day in the Smoke. Dudes, we worked our tails off today, but the dinner conversations were hilarious. The three key takeaways for me from dinner were:
1. Going forward, some of my colleagues would like to be referred to by their “nicknames” vs. their actual names. This is probably because a) some of them like anonymity on the internet and b) I have been known to occasionally threaten to burn people’s houses down if they don’t cooperate with a request in the office, so being labeled as a "known associate" is probably something of a CLM to most folks (CLM=career limiting move).
2. I now know what a “tramp stamp” is.
3. There is NO city in Switzerland promounced "BASEL." I mean seriously - why bother putting the "s" in if you're not going to use it?
After a long day in the office, part of the team headed down to the Cat and Canary (or the C & C as well call it – EVERYBODY DANCE NOW), where we were treated to flat beer, brisk weather, and lively conversation. Seriously, with the passing of the autumnal equinox, the weather and the sunlight are fading fast in the mother country. It was totally dark at 7:20…that will be 5:20 in a month and 4:20 by the end of the year. But hey – that’s why they invented pubs…
Before I go any further, I should apologize to all the faithful for not blogging last night. While I know that some of you aren’t terribly broken up about it, others of you, like Tom Price, will need months of therapy to recover. I think the quote for the day from T-Rowe was “Committed to daily blogging my ASS!” Sorry dude – go cry on your pillow in your polka dot jersey, you sorry “king of the hill.”
In case anyone wants the recap, last night was great as well. We hit La Figa for dinner, where Jenny and I both had the Mushroom Ravioli (shocking, I know). Jenny rolled in late due to “Body Combat,” the UK equivalent of “Athletic Conditioning” (or “Crazy Class” as Mindy and Verona would call it). After that, we had drinks at “The Narrow,” a Gordon Ramsey restaurant that overlooks the river Thames. It was a great night, capped off by the "battle royale" between man and plexiglass...that's all I'm sayin'...
So dinner tonight was
at SriNam, a great Thai joint in the wharf. We got a table for 15, and we instantly raise the decibel level in the joint by a magnitude of 3 billion. However, the Singapore glass noodles were tasty, the Kirin was cold, and the apps (namely the “golden bags” and the “fish flavored air”) were excellent. And since none of these folks have forbidden use of their names, allow me to introduce a few folks (starting on the left):
1. Liz - you know this gal - after all, she's got that Boom-Boom-Pow...
2. Christine (in the back) - she is World Wide Weber, but I think of her as the original stalker who wasted NO TIME hunting me down on the day I didn't blog in Spain last week.
3. Lori Henkel - who's six year old son is always poised to show off his "firepower" before welcoming folks to the "gun show."
4. Kristin Wooten - K-Dub - my favorite Fighting Christian/Phoenix of Elon College/University, soon to be tearing up Paris on vacation.
And then we have our technology clan (from left):
1. Ian H - I'm pretty sure he actually works for Mi-6 but is just hanging with us until his next assignment.
2. Jill Hewitt - "Sticky Fingers" due to a recent incident involving a laptop, a handbag, and a train station in North London.
3. Matt Miller - "King Donkey" - and yes, Marnie, that's water he's sipping on...
4. Scott Dix - "The Professor" - this is a man who will NEVER be caught in the office without a bow tie. In fact, if I ever see a full windsor on that guy, I'm going to freak out.
5. Scott McElroy - "The Pugelist" - known to go toe to toe for 12 rounds with whatever inanimate object lies in his path...
Seriously - now is a good time to tell all my readers that this cast of characters is an absolute pleasure to work with and a GREAT group of people. I am truly blessed to count these cats as both co-workers and friends.
Okay, sorry so short, but I have to be back in the office in 8.5 hours, and I need my beauty sleep.
That’s all the news that’s fit to print. Chat tomorrow!
Love,
Sam and Jenny
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