I am, officially, gainfully employed until the end of August. Yeehoo!
We are off to Italy at 5:30 am tomorrow morning! Here is our tentative itinerary (we actually wrote this for ourselves. Yes, we are huge dorks.):
ITALY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Itinerary
Day 1 Saturday: Drive to Montalcino via coast. Chill out in Montalcino and have dinner and soak in the hot tub, so Jim better remember to pack his swim suit.
Day 2 Sunday: Explore Montalcino and hike around. Pick olives. Go to a wine tasting.
Day 3 Monday: Northern trip—Siena, San Gimignano. San Gimingnano has a bunch of really tall Tuscan towers and wonderful wine. Siena is known for its awesome plaza and food and shopping. We want to buy some Italian shoes.
Day 4 Tuesday: ?????? Secret Surprise Day (involving Gelato)
Day 5 Wednesday: Eastern Trip— Castiglion Fiorentino, where Jim did his study abroad program, hike to Montecchio where there is an ancient castle, hike back, get in the car and go to Cortona. (eat more gelato?)
Day 6 Thursday: Montepulciano has the best wine ever and a friendly man in a wine shop.
Day 7: Friday: ????ANOTHER Secret Surprise Day!!!!!! (gelato AND bellinis!)
Day 8 Saturday: FIRENZE!!!!! (Duomo, Statue of David, Uffizi Gallery)
Day 9 Sunday: FIRENZE!!!! (soak in the Tuscan sun)
Day 10 Monday: Firenze and Lucca (and then, sadly, we go home)
Domani!!! (tomorrow!!!)
Monday, April 16, 2007
The moment of truth
Tomorrow I will find out whether or not I got a job. If I didn't, I will kind of be glad because that means that I can go home for as long as I want and bring Emma back with me. If I did....back to reality.
Jim is working really hard, but Saturday we leave for ITALIA! Don't be surprised if you don't hear from us for a while, as we'll be exploring Tuscany, visiting vineyards, taking hikes, and checking out the Duomo. Fabuloso!
Jim is working really hard, but Saturday we leave for ITALIA! Don't be surprised if you don't hear from us for a while, as we'll be exploring Tuscany, visiting vineyards, taking hikes, and checking out the Duomo. Fabuloso!
Spring weekend
Spring has definitely sprung here in London. We're even having a "heat wave!" That means that it's about as warm as it is in January in Texas--yesterday it was around 80, we think!
So, in honor of spring, here are a few spring pictures from out and about in London.
The tree in front of our house bloomed last week and yesterday we noticed that many of the trees along our road, suddenly have leaves again. We noted that we are not used to this phenomenon, having spent most of our lives in the South where most of the trees are evergreens of some sort.
This is Spike, our neighbor's cat who likes to come hang out. Don't be jealous, Emma and Chowder. He means nothing to us. Plus, as Jim pointed out, he has a dirty mouth.
On Saturday night, Jim booked us at a Jazz Club called 606. Getting there, as usual, was an adventure because of tube engineering and then a traffic jam once we got a cab. The club was in a basement and we had to ring the bell from above and be let in. Inside, we were squished at a tiny table between a pregnant woman and her husband and 6 chainsmokers. The jazz was great, but because we were "non-members" we had to pay a premium price and overall it wasn't really worth it. But still fun to get out and do something!
Sunday we decided to go for a picnic (along with everyone else in London) and headed to Hyde Park, which is like London's Central Park.
There were lots of people out and women were stripped down to their bikinis all around.
Jim was sporting his new man capris and his glasses..he looked very cute.
After our lunch, we headed to the Natural History Museum. On the way we saw some beautiful tulips.
With much excitement, Jim ascended into the Natural History Museum!
There seemed to be a lot of rocks in the Natural History Museum and after looking at about 6000 of them, we decided we would get down to the real reason we came: the dinosaurs! This is my best imitation of the dinosaur behind me:
One thing we have noticed about London is that as it gets warmer outside, it also gets warmer inside. We got a taste of what it will be like on the tube this summer and the museum was pretty stuffy, too. So we moved through the dinosaurs pretty quickly. T.Rex kind of scared Jim:
But he got along REALLY well with the stegasaurus:
Overall, it is my opinion that the Natural History Museum in Cleveland is superior to the Natural History Museum in London. It definitely has a better dinosaur exhibit. I'm also pretty sure that we missed about half the museum because we were eventually overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the children all around us and bailed early.
Finally,this is our dining room table...which is featured a lot in this last batch of pictures, so I thought I would share. During my unemployment, I planted the flowers in the background! (I'm still unemployed, by the way, but have a job interview today!)
Only five more days until we go to ITALY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, in honor of spring, here are a few spring pictures from out and about in London.
The tree in front of our house bloomed last week and yesterday we noticed that many of the trees along our road, suddenly have leaves again. We noted that we are not used to this phenomenon, having spent most of our lives in the South where most of the trees are evergreens of some sort.
This is Spike, our neighbor's cat who likes to come hang out. Don't be jealous, Emma and Chowder. He means nothing to us. Plus, as Jim pointed out, he has a dirty mouth.
On Saturday night, Jim booked us at a Jazz Club called 606. Getting there, as usual, was an adventure because of tube engineering and then a traffic jam once we got a cab. The club was in a basement and we had to ring the bell from above and be let in. Inside, we were squished at a tiny table between a pregnant woman and her husband and 6 chainsmokers. The jazz was great, but because we were "non-members" we had to pay a premium price and overall it wasn't really worth it. But still fun to get out and do something!
Sunday we decided to go for a picnic (along with everyone else in London) and headed to Hyde Park, which is like London's Central Park.
There were lots of people out and women were stripped down to their bikinis all around.
Jim was sporting his new man capris and his glasses..he looked very cute.
After our lunch, we headed to the Natural History Museum. On the way we saw some beautiful tulips.
With much excitement, Jim ascended into the Natural History Museum!
There seemed to be a lot of rocks in the Natural History Museum and after looking at about 6000 of them, we decided we would get down to the real reason we came: the dinosaurs! This is my best imitation of the dinosaur behind me:
One thing we have noticed about London is that as it gets warmer outside, it also gets warmer inside. We got a taste of what it will be like on the tube this summer and the museum was pretty stuffy, too. So we moved through the dinosaurs pretty quickly. T.Rex kind of scared Jim:
But he got along REALLY well with the stegasaurus:
Overall, it is my opinion that the Natural History Museum in Cleveland is superior to the Natural History Museum in London. It definitely has a better dinosaur exhibit. I'm also pretty sure that we missed about half the museum because we were eventually overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the children all around us and bailed early.
Finally,this is our dining room table...which is featured a lot in this last batch of pictures, so I thought I would share. During my unemployment, I planted the flowers in the background! (I'm still unemployed, by the way, but have a job interview today!)
Only five more days until we go to ITALY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, April 09, 2007
Easter Weekend
In England, Easter weekend is one of the biggest holiday times there is. The schools are out for two weeks and Friday before Easter and Monday after are bank holidays, so most businesses are closed. Including Jim's! So, we gathered Dan, who was feeling sad and lonely because Meg was on vacation in America, and we had many English adventures.
Our first adventure was the Cambridge/Oxford boat race, a "very English" event. The conclusion that we have come to after attending the Cambridge/Oxford boat race is that no one actually cares about the boat race and that it is just an opportunity to go out with your friends and families and get snockered throughout the day. We were amused to find that no one around us even knew what the team colors were and then, when the boats came by, we discovered that they were all wearing WHITE shirts...so we really had no clue who we were supposed to be cheering for. Some of Jim's colleagues also joined us for part of the time and the weather was beautiful. A good time was had by all. Here are some pictures of our cultural experiences.
The first thing we saw when we arrived at the first pub was a group of men wearing striped socks, short pants, top hats, bells on their feet, and some ribbons, hopping around like leprechauns to accordion music and smacking large sticks together. We thought this was pretty funny and came up with all kinds of theories for why men were dancing around in such a away. On Sunday, our friend Simon cleared it all up for us with a sigh, "They were Morris Dancing." The Scottish have their dance, the Irish do the jig, and the English...Morris Dance. Since Dan has such a great attitude about being part of our ever evolving blog, I made him pose in front of the Morris Dancers.
Jim and Dan were both thrilled to be pictured in front of the first pub. We got there so early that we had a great spot against the wall, from which to watch the boats go by. All around us were people dancing (the Morris Dancers), laughing and eating hamburgers and hot dogs and drinking Pimm's, which I haven't acquired a taste for, but which is part of the English package. It was a beautiful day!
Soon, Jim's colleagues showed up and we had a large group of Americans hanging out along the wall, vocalizing about how we don't really like Pimm's and how you couldn't find decent bacon anywhere. This is what always happens when you get a bunch of Americans together in London. Here are Jim's colleagues:
We relinquished our good spot on the wall, because after standing there for a few hours, we really wanted to sit down. Close to where we were, and, as it happens, right next to the world's smallest bar, there was a park. Everyone was picnicking and drinking and laughing and making merry (but no Morris Dancing) and queuing for the loo (which was actually a pretty funny experience. Through careful observation, I learned that if you jump the queue for the loo, you will suffer the consequences. I saw more than one person who jumped get directed by the crowd to a loo that was occupied--embarrassing both for the person who jumped and the person who forgot to lock the door. If they weren't being mislead, they had to suffer the wrath of 300 people who had to use the bathroom--verbal assaults abound!). We settled down in a patch of grass and started to get ready for the big race! Jim practiced his rowing:
and then promptly passed out (only joking...we staged this picture...but it does look kind of realistic):
Dan really did take a nap in the park, which impressed us:
I bet Dan that Jim would get Thai food at one of the stands on the way back from the bathroom and I won (a pound). then I got to take a picture of Jim eating--REVENGE!
The boat racers went by really fast and you can't see them very well in this picture, but this--about 5 seconds--is what we had been waiting for for FIVE HOURS! And we couldn't even tell who was winning! (Cambridge won, we found out later.)
It was worth the wait, though, and it was fun to be part of something so traditional. I really liked the crowds, too!
On Easter Sunday, we thought we were going to a pot luck, but that ended up not happening, so we threw together a picnic and went with Dan, Simon, and Kate to Hampstead Heath, where, along with a bunch of other people, we enjoyed the still fabulous weather, gorged ourselves on picnic food, played Frisbee, and strolled around the park. Jim and I were excited because we had saved some moldy bread to feed the ducks, but the duck feeding experience was pretty disappointing. The Hampstead Heath ducks are well fed, so they weren't interested in our moldy old bread. Even the Canada Geese weren't hungry, a phenomenon that I didn't think was possible--those things are notorious pigs!
After our failed duck feeding attempt, we made our way back towards Dan and Meg's house and stopped off at a fair that was set up at the South End of the Heath. Just like in America, the fair brings all kinds and the guys who were running "the rambler" (the British version of the Tilt A Whirl), largely had no teeth. Kate was very good at convincing Jim and me that getting on the Rambler was the thing that we needed to do and before we knew it, we were strapped in and ready to go. Dan, smartly, declined and he stayed behind to watch our bags, which were also being closely watched by a sketchball who was sitting on the Rambler's stairs. At first we didn't spin too much, but then Jim realized that if he shifted his weight to one side or the other, we could really start to spin. I was definitely feeling pretty nauseated after that ride, but it was fun.
One thing led to another and eventually we decided that BBQ was a good idea. Jim and Dan tracked down food and the grill-meisters went to work. Here are Jim and Kate, preparing for action:
Meg would have been proud because we used environmentally safe charcoals and this contraption, which reduces the need to use kerosene:
I didn't really help much, but I was happy and I played with the cat:
Playing with the cat (who was outside of the frame--he fetches!)...or possibly dancing to Oasis??
There was much celebrating when we finished cooking and realized that everything was delicious and not burned (a miracle, in my opinion..too many cooks in the kitchen, etc.)
Tomorrow Jim goes back to work and I go back to doing whatever I can think of while Jim is at work. It was a fun weekend!
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Backing up the blog
This morning I noticed that my earliest blogs from pre-London times are GONE! SO, that was all it took for me to back up our blog and I'll continue keeping it in word in case anyone wants a 3000 page account of our life in London :-)
Yesterday, on the tube, I had the pleasure of sitting next to a man who told his friend that all the immigrants should be gassed--specifically the n-words and the c-words. It's so lovely when you get to sit next to people like that!
Yesterday, on the tube, I had the pleasure of sitting next to a man who told his friend that all the immigrants should be gassed--specifically the n-words and the c-words. It's so lovely when you get to sit next to people like that!
Richmond!
On Sunday, as we were lounging around in our pajamas and contemplating the day ahead of us, Jim suggested that we take a picnic. We didn't want to go any place we had already been, so Jim got on the internet and did some research and we agreed to head down south to Richmond--one stop on the train past Kew Gardens (see previous blogs about Kew Gardens).
Of course, no adventure in or around London is complete unless we forget our A to Z, which has every street in London on it. SO, as usual, we left that behind and hopped on the Silverlink out of West Hampstead. If any of you are contemplating going to Kew Gardens or Richmond from West Hampstead, the Silverlink is the way to do it...especially on the weekend, when half the tubelines are down for "planned engineering." Even the Silverlink was partially down, but we have been lucky this weekend that none of the planned engineering affected us (for once. In addition to leaving our map behind every chance we get, we also are very good at forgetting to check the status of the tube/train, which is vital on the weekends).
The Silverlink took us to the last stop: Richmond! THen we hopped on a bus, which dropped us off right around the corner from Richmond Park. The park was developed by some King or Lord because he wanted to have deer to hunt. There is a wall all around it, which was originally meant to keep the deer in. Unfortunately, we didn't see any of the famous deer, but we saw a lot of other people!
Richmond Park has great trails running through it and looks a lot different than the other manicured parks within London (with the exception of Hampstead Heath, which also has a more natural feel). We hiked down a trail and set up our picnic under some trees. Bunnies were coming in and out of their dens all around us and we were very good friends with some ravens/crows by the end of our lunch.
Here is Jim getting ready to hike down the trail that eventually led to our picnic spot:
He was such a gentleman and let us use his jacket as a tablecloth, since we don't have enough blankets yet, to spare any for things like picnics:
I spent a lot of time trying to get this crow/raven to eat bread out of my hand. He would have done it if I had kept at it for a couple of more hours. He would circle from the back and hop and little closer and a little closer....but he always got scared at the last minute.
After our picnic, we walked up past one of the lodges, which was surrounded by daffodils and other flowers that we have on the farm in Louisiana. We crossed into a wooded area where we saw a green woodpecker! Some annoying kid scared it away, though.
Because the train station was actually very close to the park, we decided to walk back up Richmond Hill. The hill overlooked the Thames and down below people were walking on a trail that went along the Thames. There were also ice cream trucks everywhere. Jim enjoyed a cone and you can kind of see the river behind him. It was a really beautiful view.
Eventually we made it to the high street and down to an area next to the river, where people were sitting in the sun and enjoying an afternoon pint. It was during this span of time that we decided that British women take "hoochie" to a whole new level...London is Dallas times 10! We were quite the fuddy duddies in our cords and fleece jackets and pale non-orange complections and I think that half of the people out on the hill were actually on the prowl. But we were having a great time just feeding the ducks in fuddy duddy marital bliss. We didn't get a picture of him, but one of the geese was definitely Buster in goose form. He was begging for food, soulful eyes and all.
Here is the scene from the bank of the river (in the area where we were feeding the ducks and mingling with the locals)
When we decide we don't want to be so central, Richmond is definitely a place to consider. Next weekend, I think we are going to try to catch the Cambridge vs. Oxford boat races!
Of course, no adventure in or around London is complete unless we forget our A to Z, which has every street in London on it. SO, as usual, we left that behind and hopped on the Silverlink out of West Hampstead. If any of you are contemplating going to Kew Gardens or Richmond from West Hampstead, the Silverlink is the way to do it...especially on the weekend, when half the tubelines are down for "planned engineering." Even the Silverlink was partially down, but we have been lucky this weekend that none of the planned engineering affected us (for once. In addition to leaving our map behind every chance we get, we also are very good at forgetting to check the status of the tube/train, which is vital on the weekends).
The Silverlink took us to the last stop: Richmond! THen we hopped on a bus, which dropped us off right around the corner from Richmond Park. The park was developed by some King or Lord because he wanted to have deer to hunt. There is a wall all around it, which was originally meant to keep the deer in. Unfortunately, we didn't see any of the famous deer, but we saw a lot of other people!
Richmond Park has great trails running through it and looks a lot different than the other manicured parks within London (with the exception of Hampstead Heath, which also has a more natural feel). We hiked down a trail and set up our picnic under some trees. Bunnies were coming in and out of their dens all around us and we were very good friends with some ravens/crows by the end of our lunch.
Here is Jim getting ready to hike down the trail that eventually led to our picnic spot:
He was such a gentleman and let us use his jacket as a tablecloth, since we don't have enough blankets yet, to spare any for things like picnics:
I spent a lot of time trying to get this crow/raven to eat bread out of my hand. He would have done it if I had kept at it for a couple of more hours. He would circle from the back and hop and little closer and a little closer....but he always got scared at the last minute.
After our picnic, we walked up past one of the lodges, which was surrounded by daffodils and other flowers that we have on the farm in Louisiana. We crossed into a wooded area where we saw a green woodpecker! Some annoying kid scared it away, though.
Because the train station was actually very close to the park, we decided to walk back up Richmond Hill. The hill overlooked the Thames and down below people were walking on a trail that went along the Thames. There were also ice cream trucks everywhere. Jim enjoyed a cone and you can kind of see the river behind him. It was a really beautiful view.
Eventually we made it to the high street and down to an area next to the river, where people were sitting in the sun and enjoying an afternoon pint. It was during this span of time that we decided that British women take "hoochie" to a whole new level...London is Dallas times 10! We were quite the fuddy duddies in our cords and fleece jackets and pale non-orange complections and I think that half of the people out on the hill were actually on the prowl. But we were having a great time just feeding the ducks in fuddy duddy marital bliss. We didn't get a picture of him, but one of the geese was definitely Buster in goose form. He was begging for food, soulful eyes and all.
Here is the scene from the bank of the river (in the area where we were feeding the ducks and mingling with the locals)
When we decide we don't want to be so central, Richmond is definitely a place to consider. Next weekend, I think we are going to try to catch the Cambridge vs. Oxford boat races!
Our first football game and how we almost caused a riot (indirectly)
Today, thanks to free tickets from a guy Jim works with, we went to our first (and my last) London football game. It was definitely a cultural experience, but one that I would prefer not to repeat.
The game was between Fulham and Portsmouth and we were sitting on the Fulham side. In our typical fashion, we strolled into the stadium about ten minutes after kick off, found our seats, started to say hello to the people who gave us the tickets, but were quickly told by them to sit down and be quiet (they weren't mad or anything, but I guess we shouldn't have gotten there late). All around us were the Fulham fans--mostly middle aged, white men with their sons of various ages. The mood was vicious and, in our section, we were surrounded by yellers, who oscillated between screaming curse-filled insults at the players and the fans of the other teams, and singing curse-filled songs at the players and the other fans. Fathers and sons alike (even LITTLE sons) dropped the f bomb left and right and made racist comments and death wishes aimed at the Portsmouth players. There was no drinking going on and I was scared to talk (which is usually what I do at sporting events. I can't remember one game in the past where I actually paid attention). We were sitting so close together that whenever the guy behind me screamed, "Come on Boys!!!" the back of my sweater moved and I could feel his breath on my neck. Someone also had gas, which was making things even more unbearable. You would think that wouldn't be an issue in an open air stadium, but when you are packed in like sardines, it is.
Just before the half-time, an outburst erupted in the row before us. Doug, the man who gave us our tickets, was being screamed at by a VERY angry Fulham fan who kept saying "don't laugh (f-bomb). I'll get you (f-bomb) kicked out of here right now! You won't (f-bomb) be (f-bomb) here for the next half." He then raced off to get one of the many security people. It turns out that Doug is a Portsmouth fan and, I guess to reduce the riots, the fans are supposed to remain segregated--Fulham on one side and Portsmouth on the other. The Fulham man, as Doug put it, "Would rather eat his children than sit next to a fan from the opposing team," and was hell-bent on getting us kicked out of the game (although I don't think he really had factored Jim and me into the equation. We were staying very quiet.) A few minutes later, the security guard came over and told Doug that he wasn't allowed to be in the seats if he was a Portsmouth fan and then went off to talk to his supervisor about having us re-seated. I was shocked that someone can have a valid ticket and be told to leave because someone else was so much of a baby that he couldn't bear the idea of having "the enemy" sitting behind him. The supervisor never came, our host swore not to make a peep about Portsmouth, and when the angry man came back and found out that we were still there, he asked "WHY ARE YOU SITTING HERE!!!??" Doug explained that his boss had given him the tickets and the guy said, "YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE!!! HE SHOULD BE HERE NOT YOU!!!" Then he said, turning to all of the other fans and pointing at Doug, "THERE'S A PORTY HERE! RIGHT HERE!!!" You would have thought that we we were mass murderers or something, the way that he was reacting. Eventually his wife told him to be quiet and he was, but after that I felt so anxious about getting jumped or pushed down the stairs that I couldn't enjoy the game anymore and all I wanted was to get out of there. When the game finally ended and we could leave, I felt a huge sense of relief and realized that I haven't been that stressed in about three months.
So, football isn't for me, but Jim liked it and might write his opinion of the game. He's already looking for more tickets....
Here are some pictures from today:
We were very happy that even though the District Line was partially shut down for "planned engineering," the part that we needed to use was fully functioning.
While we were waiting for the tube, a huge group of people dressed in super hero costumes walked by. This isn't a great picture, but you get the idea. Later we saw some people dressed up like hippies. We haven't figured out whether or not there is another Halloween in London this weekend. Maybe they dress up for April Fools Day?
We followed the crowds through a park and into stadium. From the park, we could hear the screaming and singing from inside the stadium. Portsmouth, it turns out, had scored a goal during the first te minutes, which added to the anger that our ornery neighbor was feeling.
A Fulham player somehow jumped onto the shoulders of a Portmouth player, while kicking...and JIm caught it on film. Much to the dismay of the fans behind me, the Fulham player got charged with a foul.
And,the stadium, after the game. Did I mention that there was practically an entire police force outside of the stadium, in addition to the hundreds of security guards inside? If I were a criminal, I would definitely commit my crimes during the neighborhood football game because I can't imagine which police officers would be available. It was ridiculous!
Thank you Mom and Dad for making sure that I never had any interest in any sports besides tennis, a nice, peaceful game which only gets as violent as someone throwing a racket around and the occasional heated argument with the judges. I'm definitely going to Wimbledon.
The game was between Fulham and Portsmouth and we were sitting on the Fulham side. In our typical fashion, we strolled into the stadium about ten minutes after kick off, found our seats, started to say hello to the people who gave us the tickets, but were quickly told by them to sit down and be quiet (they weren't mad or anything, but I guess we shouldn't have gotten there late). All around us were the Fulham fans--mostly middle aged, white men with their sons of various ages. The mood was vicious and, in our section, we were surrounded by yellers, who oscillated between screaming curse-filled insults at the players and the fans of the other teams, and singing curse-filled songs at the players and the other fans. Fathers and sons alike (even LITTLE sons) dropped the f bomb left and right and made racist comments and death wishes aimed at the Portsmouth players. There was no drinking going on and I was scared to talk (which is usually what I do at sporting events. I can't remember one game in the past where I actually paid attention). We were sitting so close together that whenever the guy behind me screamed, "Come on Boys!!!" the back of my sweater moved and I could feel his breath on my neck. Someone also had gas, which was making things even more unbearable. You would think that wouldn't be an issue in an open air stadium, but when you are packed in like sardines, it is.
Just before the half-time, an outburst erupted in the row before us. Doug, the man who gave us our tickets, was being screamed at by a VERY angry Fulham fan who kept saying "don't laugh (f-bomb). I'll get you (f-bomb) kicked out of here right now! You won't (f-bomb) be (f-bomb) here for the next half." He then raced off to get one of the many security people. It turns out that Doug is a Portsmouth fan and, I guess to reduce the riots, the fans are supposed to remain segregated--Fulham on one side and Portsmouth on the other. The Fulham man, as Doug put it, "Would rather eat his children than sit next to a fan from the opposing team," and was hell-bent on getting us kicked out of the game (although I don't think he really had factored Jim and me into the equation. We were staying very quiet.) A few minutes later, the security guard came over and told Doug that he wasn't allowed to be in the seats if he was a Portsmouth fan and then went off to talk to his supervisor about having us re-seated. I was shocked that someone can have a valid ticket and be told to leave because someone else was so much of a baby that he couldn't bear the idea of having "the enemy" sitting behind him. The supervisor never came, our host swore not to make a peep about Portsmouth, and when the angry man came back and found out that we were still there, he asked "WHY ARE YOU SITTING HERE!!!??" Doug explained that his boss had given him the tickets and the guy said, "YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE!!! HE SHOULD BE HERE NOT YOU!!!" Then he said, turning to all of the other fans and pointing at Doug, "THERE'S A PORTY HERE! RIGHT HERE!!!" You would have thought that we we were mass murderers or something, the way that he was reacting. Eventually his wife told him to be quiet and he was, but after that I felt so anxious about getting jumped or pushed down the stairs that I couldn't enjoy the game anymore and all I wanted was to get out of there. When the game finally ended and we could leave, I felt a huge sense of relief and realized that I haven't been that stressed in about three months.
So, football isn't for me, but Jim liked it and might write his opinion of the game. He's already looking for more tickets....
Here are some pictures from today:
We were very happy that even though the District Line was partially shut down for "planned engineering," the part that we needed to use was fully functioning.
While we were waiting for the tube, a huge group of people dressed in super hero costumes walked by. This isn't a great picture, but you get the idea. Later we saw some people dressed up like hippies. We haven't figured out whether or not there is another Halloween in London this weekend. Maybe they dress up for April Fools Day?
We followed the crowds through a park and into stadium. From the park, we could hear the screaming and singing from inside the stadium. Portsmouth, it turns out, had scored a goal during the first te minutes, which added to the anger that our ornery neighbor was feeling.
A Fulham player somehow jumped onto the shoulders of a Portmouth player, while kicking...and JIm caught it on film. Much to the dismay of the fans behind me, the Fulham player got charged with a foul.
And,the stadium, after the game. Did I mention that there was practically an entire police force outside of the stadium, in addition to the hundreds of security guards inside? If I were a criminal, I would definitely commit my crimes during the neighborhood football game because I can't imagine which police officers would be available. It was ridiculous!
Thank you Mom and Dad for making sure that I never had any interest in any sports besides tennis, a nice, peaceful game which only gets as violent as someone throwing a racket around and the occasional heated argument with the judges. I'm definitely going to Wimbledon.
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