Tuesday, September 20, 2011

redrum*

Even for a nomad, we’re feeling extremely unsettled right now. If I lapse in posts, this is the reason. We’ve never had so many unknowns, changes and upheavals in one round before and it is taking a toll on my patience.


First we were told we HAD to get an apartment in London, no easy feat when you have to secure 6 of them. Then the schedule changed sending some people to other locations, then sending us all to Ireland for 4 weeks, then only 3 weeks for us, and finally only 2 weeks. Because of all the changes in timing it was impossible to secure an apartment and we were finally told we could stay in a hotel. Thanks to the very last minute change, our hotel didn’t have room for us last week. So, we had to stay at a different hotel, move our luggage over on Friday and then check-in to the new place when we returned from Munich.


When we finally arrived at midnight, to what is supposed to be our “home” for the next 5 weeks, we are less than impressed. Our room is a nightmare, literally. We were “upgraded” to a suite. Yay! Except wait, this suite hasn’t been upgraded…ever. It’s like a chopped up, creepy old apartment with little rooms connected to a heinous bathroom that even if a tidal wave of bleach washed over it, it would still look and feel dirty. We’re on the first floor and facing a very busy street so loud doesn’t begin to describe our nights. The whole floor is actually creepy. I’m not kidding when I say when I walk down the hall I’m waiting for blood to come spilling out of the elevator or these two to come walking towards me…


shining_twinsMelissa, come and play with us…forever and ever and ever.


So, we wake up Monday morning with the mission of finding an apartment…again. London is insanely busy in October and because of the “deal” this hotel gave us, our budget is extremely low. I spend hours scouring the web and begging apartment people to help us find a place. If this is the hotel’s upgraded suite, we want out of here and pronto…at least before I start looking for a ax…or a big wheel, I didn’t want to see what character I was going to turn out to be.


Then Jules comes home and tells me the other girls can’t believe our stories about our room. Their rooms are nice. Mmmhmm, sure. Except, we go to look at them and they are. They are normal hotel rooms with normal bathrooms, even have a pullout sofa (which we need for our friends coming to visit) and no sign of the twins or blood spilling elevators on their halls.


As soon as some people check out this afternoon, I’m going up to look at a room the front desk guy assures us is on par with what the rest of the team received. Wish me luck because at any moment I could seriously start talking to my index finger, Tony.





*If you have not read the novel or seen the movie, The Shining- this post will not make a lot of sense to you. AND you should totally see that movie- it’s a classic!

the daily(ish)

First off, sorry for the blur, the Tower of London doesn’t have the greatest indoor lighting…

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I told you monkeys should be avoided!  The Tower used to have a menagerie of exotic animals that the public could come and see.  They obviously had no clue how to take care of the animals properly, hence an open room with wild monkeys running around.  They once had a polar bear they tied to a rope to let it fish in the Thames and an ostrich they killed feeding it nails and scraps of metal because that is what they thought the giant bird liked to eat. Zoos have come a long way.

Monday, September 19, 2011

the daily(ish)

I suppose I shouldn’t complain about the 900 pages of Ulysses…

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Actually, this was a ledger book from the late 15th century at the Tower of London.  I bet it smelled great. 

Saturday, September 17, 2011

the daily(ish)

The world’s smallest body armor…

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How cute is that?  The sign said they originally thought it was made for a son of one of the queens who was a little person, but it is now believed to have been made for a 1 year old prince. Not that I think that a 1 year old should be riding off to battle or whatever, but come on- it’s cute.

Friday, September 16, 2011

the daily(ish)

Someone had a new flapping mustache added…

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I also heart funny graffiti.  

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

the daily(ish)

I’ve been to Italy a couple of times and don’t recall any “traditional ice creams” named “Hobbly Nobbly” or “Fizz”…

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Look at his face- he knows he’s busted. 

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

the daily(ish)

I loved seeing these markers as I walked around Dublin…

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and they inspired me to finally get around to reading Joyce’s Ulysses.  I’m just a few pages in thus far and I can already see this is going to be a labor of love…or maybe just a labor. 

Monday, September 12, 2011

Movin’ on up…er…over

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Seems the Wife was correct in thinking they only needed 2 weeks in Dublin for the job, so we were moved to London a week earlier.  We arrived Saturday morning and after a small incident where our cabbie dropped us and all our bags 4 blocks from the hotel* we were happy to be here.

We had a lot of difficulty finding a hotel in London for this week because it seems a week of a million events in the city.  We’re staying in a truly obnoxious part of town, Leicester Square.  The only good thing is that it’s really central.  We walked down to Buckingham Palace on Saturday…

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and met up with our Londoner friends for dinner later that night.  Did I tell you how excited I am to live somewhere with friends?!?  Yay!!

We spent ALL day yesterday at the Tower of London.  Alllllllll day. 

It was a gorgeous day and we loved it, although our feet did not…

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Okay, there is one other good part about our hotel’s location; we’re right by Chinatown. After making our way back from the Tower, we only had to take our barking dogs just a few feet to some really good Korean BBQ before falling into bed.  We haven’t been in Europe in a while and we’ve got to get back into Europe touring shape! 

I was a bit sad to miss the Blarney stone yet again, but that and our lovely Irish friend are just reasons to go back.  I truly love Dublin, but I’m really excited to be here a bit early.  London is just, it’s London.  There are a million and three things to do here and I plan on taking full advantage of our little stint here.  It isn’t often that I’m so spoilt for choice on how to spend my days. 

Pics from the weekend…

*According to the bellman who helped us, the hotel offers a shuttle service so the black taxis are angry with them.  Per this bellman, “this is a new low and means war'’!

the daily(ish)

Tiniest jug of milk ever…

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held by best wife ever.

As I sit here drinking my black coffee, I wish I would have bought the little thing.  It’s not often I find milk that could actually fit inside the mini bar fridge.