Weird Week

Its been a really weird week here in London this week.  Makes me really go hmmm thinking about what is going to happen when the Olympics get here.  And what I mean by that is...there is so much crazy stuff that happens on what is just an ordinary day here in London, there is no telling what things will be like with the whole world looking on.  I am going to give a little timeline of things that have happened.  The links are all to the same newspaper, so its not like I'm just picking the crazy stories, this shit really happens.  The news is so dramatic you would think the world was coming to an end.

A couple of weeks ago they essentially banned the use of water for anything other than about drinking.  Banning hoses and fountains for 6 months seemed  like overly harsh.

Fountains turned off in Trafalgar Square

Then just as the water ban had settled in......

A month's worth of rain in 3 days

And it was proper rain, not the normal sprinkles, full on American thunderstorms.  Supposed to be the wettest April since 2000.....but still hosepipe ban in place.  Then things get really weird.....

Tube hits tunnel

I don't even know how this is possible.  I mean its on rails how do you run into the tunnel?  London nearly screeched to a halt.  What was supposed to be a 30 min trip from my office to the train station took near on an hour and a half.

And after all of that

Evacuations for bomb threat

No telling what tomorrow has in store.

Furry Friday

Click on link 

Hammie playing in the river

The more things change...

The more they stay the same.  I realised today just how little I have changed over the last 10 years.  Now of course there are ton of things that are different.  I have moved on from Stillwater (population 50,000) to London (population 7.5 million) clearly a big change.  There was marriage, and a house and a dog.  I have all but given up playing golf, and I probably spent 60 hours a week at the golf course back in school.

But today it all came rushing back.  (most of you won't have a clue what I am talking about here, but someone will read this and laugh)  I am staying in a hotel in Reading, and headed down to the gym, to try to work off the 12 hours I spent sitting in front of the computer all day.  I grab a towel and the first thing I think about, is stealing it to use as a golf towel.  I don't think it happens every time in a hotel but probably more often than not.

It got me thinking what else is out there that I have hung on to for far too long.  Turns out that there is a ton of stuff that which is super engrained in me and my mannerisms.  There is a shirt in my closet that I have had since the 7th grade, and still don't tie my tennis shoes.  I love Poptarts, and if it weren't for them costing about $10 a box over here I would eat them everyday.  One of the staff that works with me asked me if they could ask me a question today.  I told them yes and then said 'that was your question and you only get one for the day.'  That was the same rule my golf coach had for me as a sophomore in high school.  Years later I heard that he still used it and it was called the 'Bob LeMaster rule'.  Maybe it will catch on here too.

Keukenhof Gardens in Amsterdam

While Bob was sick in the hotel room, I was off visiting the Keukenhof Gardens, which is apparently the most photographed place in the world.

Keukenhof Gardens are only open for 8 weeks every year, so we I was lucky to be in the area during the 2012 season.

The flowers were beautiful. I can only imagine what it will be like in mid-April, when the flowers are in full bloom.

I loved the flowers so much, I decided I needed to have them at my house, so I shipped some bulbs to the USA.  They won't arrive until October 2012, so hopefully I will be back to plant them.

An accident waiting to happen

Saw this on the way to the grocery store.

Everyone says how bad of an idea it is to have the narrow bars and no brakes on their fixie, but this is a whole other level.  My guess is riding in traffic you got a 50/50 chance of crashing.

Olympics

                                 

Since we didn't get tickets to the Olympics, I signed up to be an Olympic volunteer.Well actually I signed up to be a volunteer a year and a half ago. You would think that volunteering is easy. You say you want to volunteer and they let you. Well, that is not the case for the Olympics, here is the process far.

October 2010 - Apply to be a Games Maker (the official name for an Olympic volunteer).  I had to wait until I had an official UK address and visa before I applied.
October 2011 - Interviewed to become a Games Maker
February 2012 - Received an offer to be a Games Maker
March  2012 - Attend Role Specific Training

I interviewed for spot on on the Protocol Team.  The interview was like a really intense job interview. It started out as a group interview, then proceeded to an individual interview. They wanted really specific details of how my previous experience, would help me in my role with Team Protocol. At this point I was still unsure what Team Protocol was and I wasn't sure how counting pills and teaching fit the bill.

I guess my answers were good enough because on February 29th, I received an offer to part of the Protocol Team at the Basketball Arena.  While this isn't the Gymnastics or Synchronized swimming tickets I applied for, I am still pretty excited because the Basketball Arena is located within the Olympic Village.

During the Role Specific Training, I learned that almost 250,000 people applied for a role as a Games Makers and only 70,000 people were selected. We get official uniforms to wear at the Games and we get to keep them afterwards.

I will be the wearing "Purple and Poppy". 

                   
After I attended my Role Specific Training, I finally understood what I would be doing during the Olympics. I will be working with members of the the Olympic Family in three different areas. The Olympic Family are members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), National Olympic Committee (NOC), Heads of State and any other guests deemed to be VIP.  These people don't have tickets to specific events, but they have credentials that allow them to watch the different events. My job will be to greet them when the arrive, check credentials before they enter the VIP area, and answer questions in the hospitality area. Since IOC and NOC members are the only people that can present medals, I also have to escort them to the medal ceremonies.

So if you are watching Olympic Basketball, look for me.

Parallax

Noun - The effect whereby the position or direction of an object appears to differ when viewed from different positions.


This shop is right in front of my work.  Every day I walk out and say to myself.....


'Self, something just doesn't look right.'

On a quick glance I couldn't quite figure it out.  It seemed strange, but I though that it was because the street is on a slope or something.  Finally I stopped to really take a look at it.  Turns out the whole building is tilted like 15% off vertical (double click to enlarge)

You know the guy stocking shelves has to notice that things don't sit right and fall off the shelves all the time. Seems like a pretty significant structural issue to seemingly ignore.

Fruit and Veg

I know I have talked to some people about the quality of fruit and vegetables here in London vs. the US.  I really don't know why its the case, but the grocery stores here have such good quality and variety compared to what we are used to.  More than that, generally its much cheaper too.  

Close to our old flat was what I would have called a farmers market, but in all reality there is no way that all of this stuff is grown locally so I will just call it a fruit and vegetable market.  Stall after stall of pretty much anything you can think of.  Everything just sits out in big bowls and each and every one costs £1.  (like $1.50).

So here was our haul today.  Six of the biggest potatos ever, 4 oranges, 12 bananas, 4 avocados, a big bunch of grapes, 2 heads of broccoli, and 3 eggplants.  Only set us back £8 ($12), crazy cheap.  

Ahhhhhh

Oh sweet nectar of the gods, how I have missed you so!! I will never forsake you again!

I almost missed it in the grocery store.  New label confused me a bit, but welcome the new look.  Stupid yeast free diet..drinking DPZ again makes it all worth it.

Easter BBQ

In a strange celebration of Easter Kristen and I went to one of her friends for a BBQ.  In all reality everything was very similar to being at home, but it was the little things that make all the difference.  The Hot dogs were served in baguettes, hamburgers didn't have any pickles or veggies, but the strangest thing was sitting on the patio with the temp only 45.  That and the country music on the radio.  Makes me wish we were home at the lake or at least barefoot in the backyard.  There just isn't anything like home.

Hampton was a big hit, everyone loved her.  She is still super tired and is sleeping on the couch now.

Block your colanders now for a good old fashion american BBQ at our house  Oct 6.

Ferrari Party

Hampton and I went out last night to take care of business, and there seemed to be quite a ruckus going on down the street at the Ferrari dealer, so we thought we would go check it out.  

Not sure who was throwing it or what it was for, but seemed to be quite a shindig.  Red carpet and champagne and the whole nine yards.  They moved all the cars out onto the street to have the party which seemed a bit backward to me.  I guess I wouldn't want some drunk guy rubbing up on my Ferrari before I bought it, but at the same time that is probably better than dogs marking their territory on the tires and wheels.  My guess was $2 million worth of Ferraris just parked on the street.  That type of thing never ceases to amaze me.  

The Great Egg Hunt

Around this time last year the world focused on London for the Royal Wedding and it was interesting to sit back and think that you were part of the most important (or at least notorious) event in the world on a certain day or time.  Can't really think of anything else in my life that I can say that.

Yesterday we took part in the Great Egg Hunt.  Not as important or as publicised as the wedding, but I can tick off another box on the once in a life time list.  As of yesterday the news was that The Great Egg Hunt was named as the Guinness world records largest egg hunt in history, but official announcement is supposed to be made tomorrow.  Not sure who gets to put the plaque up in their office for it but that doesn't change the fact that we can say we are world record holders.

In February 210 eggs were placed throughout London for everyone to go hunt and find.  Last week they moved them all to Covent Garden to top off the hunt and make some more money.  A couple of weeks ago they auctioned off 20 or so eggs, with some of them going for more than £50,000.  They are bidding on-line now for the rest of the eggs in hopes of making a million dollars for charity.  Hampton's dog sitter tracked them down all over London for like 3 weeks, but we got to see them all in the span of an hour.  Not sure which way was best but it was pretty cool to see.  If you want to get in on the auction check it out here.

Here are some of our favourites.

Where's Waldo??

My favorite

This sold for something like £35,000

You can check more of our pics of the eggs here.  Its not all 210 but pretty close.

Furry Friday

While we were away in Amsterdam Hampton and her friends went and played in river.  Was actually pretty surprised to see her enjoying herself since her last water experience went so badly.  She had never seen a pool before and ran full speed onto the water without a clue.  The poor girl came up with the fear of God in her eyes, but now she looks like she is having a blast.