All Things EARTH... part 2

[laurspag]

Hello all!  Well, my plan was to catch up on things at home, while finishing my work training, and posting here about my cruise that seems to have been oh so long ago...

 

But more important things came up.  My grandson is here!  After a total of 23 1/2 hours of labor, Krsyn Jay has arrived.  He is 19 inches long and weighs 6 lbs, 15 oz.  He is soooo cute!

 

 

[MJC]

Congratulations Laurie!!!! 🥰  I hope mom and baby are doing well. What a cutie!

 

[Anita Latte]

Such happy news! Congratulations! Also hoping mom and baby are well. He is a cutie!

[Member123]

Welcome to the world, little man.

 

Lots and lots of fun days ahead, Laurie. Congratulations to all.

[Sailor_Sally]

Laurie , He is so cute . Grandparenting will change your life in a good way !

[laurspag]

Thanks, all!  Both baby and his mamma are doing very well.  They came home today.  

 

I have to say, my daughter was just amazing.  She was so determined, and followed every instruction she was given.  She was allowed visitors in the earlier part of labor, and she had her husband, me, my husband her sister and MIL with her.  I think she appreciated having hands to hold during contractions, and people to distract her from the pain.  When the time came for delivery, she was only allowed two people, which were her husband and me.

 

I have never cried tears for joy like that before.

 

I had told her I would make extra on some of our meals and freeze them for her, so that when she got home, she could just dethaw and warm things up.  Because she was two weeks early, All I have is homemade sauce, and a marinated pork tenderloin.  It's funny, because I've been saying all along she wasn't going to last to her due date, and she didn't.  I wasn't prepared though!

[Anita Latte]

Good to hear everyone is doing well!

 

Meanwhile...back in London...

 

We're arrived at our hotel...we're all couched out...or rather, laid up on our beds...time to zone out to some QUALITY telly. I decided to text Mom...

 

 

 

 

And that's how suddenly...we were going to see Phantom of the Opera at the Saturday matinee!!!

 

Very VERY exciting!

 

It was all just very fortuitous...Mom had been taking a look just to see about Phantom....where it was playing...if any tickets happened to be available, etc...as I understand it...and then suddenly, I texted her right as she found 3 unobstructed tickets together.

 

Woot woot!!

 

We had a relaxing evening...we had not gone back to the hall to get new clothes for DS, let alone clothes that would be most appropriate for wearing to a performance. So the morning plan was that we would go to DS's room after breakfast...DH and I would wait in a coffee shop in the area for him...he could feel at leisure to take a shower and get ready...and then we would head over to Her Majesty's Theater to pick up our tickets at 2:00 pm.

 

Excellent plan...

 

 

So London has a whole theater district...go figure...at the Piccadilly Circus station...coming out to the street...there's a bit of a Time Square influence...just a bit...taken later in the evening:

 

 

Meanwhile...it's actually still broad daylight...

 

My men posing for me on the way to the theater:

 

 

Like Kim had mentioned...especially for the matinee...dress was on the more casual side. Packing light, DH and I had nice, well fitting denim bottoms and nicer tops. The guys are in button downs. I'm in my new Athropologie pants...those brown flared, high-waisted pants with a peasant top that I've posted before with the necklace that Mom and Dad gave me that they had purchased on one of their cruises:

 

 

I wanted this photo because I didn't know if the theater in the distance was the one we are going to. It turns out it wasn't...Her Majesty's Theater was catty corner to the one pictured:

 

 

I took this after the performance. DH offered to let us cross the street to get the photo...but IDK...is it weird? I actually prefer the rather awkward but actual rendition of what I saw. 

 

Picking up the tickets was easy peasy. I didn't need anything except Mom's name to pick them up at will call. 

 

You aren't supposed to take photos during the performance, of course...and I'm not sure if that means AT ALL. I didn't see anyone taking photos...so I quickly and covertly snapped our view:

 

 

 

We were in the back row of the Grand Circle. The best thing about the back row is that it had the most leg room! It's like the seat installers didn't divide the space evenly between all the rows...they got to the last row and pushing the seats up against the end of the space yielded more space for that row. It was nice...

 

The performance was amazing. The voice of Christine was angelic. 

 

We had Tattingers Champagne at the interval, what we call intermission. Prior to the performance, I had asked what "sparkling wine" was available...and they actually had Tattingers. In my memory, my first exposure to Tattingers was with Mom one year when we went to see The Nutcracker (which we did most years) when we would go to see it at the San Francisco Opera House. One year we had a very special meal in the area prior to the evening performance...and we had Tattingers there. I couldn't resist getting it with DS at Her Majesty's Theater.

 

This was a special day...REAL champagne...

 

It deserved a special meal...

 

DH had been looking at all the options in the area...and he had located what he thought was a most special and fitting place to eat on such a day...

 

Aquavit London.

 

Our first any Michelin starred restaurant!

 

It was an easy walk to Aquavit London...somewhat between the theater and Piccadilly Circus station.

 

It doesn't open until 5:30...so we had about 30 minutes time to spend looking around the area before the restaurant opened.

[pacruise804]

Congratulations Laurie!  I'm glad to hear all are doing well - he is beautiful ❤️ 

 

Anita, what a great graduation gift!  You are getting some amazing memories.

[purduemom1]

Anita, a London theater performance-how exciting! Looks like both you and your mom are very good at making awesome experiences unfold.

 

To the new grandma, congratulations all around.

Sharon

Edited September 30, 2019 by purduemom1

[Member123]

A total SHOUT OUT to my grandson!

 

I can't believe I've struggled with those darn tickets from Trenitalia for YEARS and I've thought of everything under the sun to help with the fact that I probably won't have wifi and I know I won't want to use cellular for the $10/day charge just to show them a bar code ticket but NOW <drumroll> I learned how to take a screen shot! And my life just became so much easier! I can't believe that I never, ever thought of doing that. Bye bye paper clutter, weighing down my bag and my life.

 

So, thanks, Anita for mentioning this little gem....

[purduemom1]

Pam, screen shots have saved the day for me many times. One more reason to wonder how we ever got along without smart phones. 

Sharon

[Joby]

Congratulations on the new addition to your family, Laurie! A beautiful boy :)

 

Anita, I've enjoyed reading along with your London report. Funny how many things we have overlapped on! Seeing Phantom was one of the highlights of our trip. The theater is so lovely, isn't it?

 

Your DS has grown up so much, it seems like yesterday that we were talking about middle school things. What a huge step for him to go to school over the pond and for you guys as parents to allow him that. Hats off to all of you!

 

I always enjoy reading what's going on over here on the EARTH thread!

[Anita Latte]

It's true...amazing memories...

 

So...Aquavit London "showcases exquisite Nordic cuisine and design. Aquavit’s take on authentic Nordic-inspired cuisine with a contemporary twist honours high-quality, fresh, seasonal ingredients. The menu celebrates the Nordic region’s traditional seafood and meat dishes as well as the art of pastry and bread making."

 

It's a one star Michelin star restaurant.

 

We didn't have a reservation. When we walked into the restaurant when only one other table was seated...we were immediately shown to a table for 3. A table for 3! It was SET as a table for 3. Anyone know how rare that is?

 

I didn't want to take too many interior photos...but this was one view:

 

 

The restaurant is beautiful. High ceilings. Simple furniture.

 

Aquavit is also a Scandinavian liquor. Aquavit pairings are a feature of the menu.

 

Dining here is the definition of the word...DINING...more than simple eating...an Aquavit meal is a culinary experience.

 

The meal starts with a varied bread basket...and butter, of course. We all especially liked the cracker bread.

 

So many options...the whole Smorgasbord idea was very tempting...but we all were more attracted to the idea of the pairing. So we opted to each get a Starter instead of having a Smorgasbord.

 

DS and I both ordered Venison tartare, Dooncastle Oysters, pickled cherries...I had no idea from the description that this would be one of those gastronomy type creations with the white being the oysters and the red being the cherries. They melted in your mouth. You can barely see the venison cake underneath.

 

 

The website says that the menu changes at the chef's discretion based on produce availability. DH's starter is no longer on the menu...He ordered a Cured Mackerel dish.

 

 

The Aquavit pairing is something of a ritual. Our server came out with a wheeled bar cart that was filled entirely with different bottles of Aquavit. She described in detail the flavorings of the Aquavit...not that they are flavored...but what how they are distilled and the resulting flavor of the liquor that you might be able to pick up on your palette. The aquavit service for the pairings were quite a production.

 

My main was Monkfish. I can see on the current menu that the sides have changed. My dish was served with carrots two ways...a puree (which was like the carrot equivalent of a pumpkin cake filling) and a roasted carrot and spinach. I don't recall what the foam was...it's my first foam, which I've seen made so many times on shows like Top Chef...that with the green drops of sauce...very herby...was an amazing sauce for the monkfish.

 

 

DH ordered the Lamb.

 

 

DS ordered the Beef Rydberg...and I didn't get a picture of it.

 

Separate steak knives were brought out for each of us. The monkfish is so meaty...you actually get a steak knife. You can see the knife in the lamb photo...wooden handle and the word Aquavit was inscribed in the blade.

 

One thing we did was to talk to our server...A LOT. We asked a lot of questions and she was able to describe the dishes in such detail. The Beef dish still has no description on the menu...but when our server walked through the dish and its preparation...OMG...sold to DS.

 

So asking about the desserts...especially the Arctic Bird's Nest. I can't even begin to offer her description...let's just say that she had our whole family at goat cheese...and edible gold...

 

 

We had one of the longest meals in the restaurant I think. The pace was excellent...and we took our time with our courses...really enjoying each and every plate. I observed even a family of 6-8 that was seated after us and left before us.

 

Oh! OMG...I can't believe that I almost forgot.

 

So sitting there in between courses...I'm sitting there thinking that I would really like a glass of wine with my dinner. When had first sat down and I was looking at the wine menu...the sommelier was talking to me about how they had a small menu but an excellent selection and good variety and anything he could help me with. The menu was gone but there I was. DH told me to get some wine. Ok then.

 

With eye contact and a head gesture, the sommelier came over. I told him that I had ordered the monkfish for a main and what would he suggest? Sommeliers know their stuff...Mom talked to the sommelier at the Tuscan Grill when we ate there. Consulting with her regarding what everyone had ordered and what our beverage package was...and that sommelier was so excited! She told Mom directly that she rarely gets to use her knowledge because so many people think they know what they want. Everyone enjoyed their wine...I've never forgotten that...

 

NOW. This sommelier's accent was SO thick...and he talked so fast...straining STRAINING to understand him and follow him. I got that I was being given a choice...I heard not too oaky...and fruity and buttery? or full? IDK!!! I went with "not too oaky" LOL! I took a photo of the receipt so I can tell you that I had a glass of Albarino Lias Martin Codax...and it was EXCELLENT.

 

The whole experience was excellent. Something to remember. Based on the time on the receipt we spent a little over 2 hours in Aquavit London. So wonderful.

 

It was dark now. But still plenty of people around...there was a mega sports store...mostly clothing and shoes...near the tube station. We spent some time walking around there before heading back to the hotel to gather the rest of DS's things...pretty all sure. He would spend his first night in his room this night.

 

We dropped off his things but it was still early in the evening...so we went to one of the pubs around the corner from his hall:

 

 

The bathroom door 😂...just to be clear in case you've had a few...

 

 

Mom already asked when I texted her...and no, there was no corresponding figure on the M door.

 

The Tube does not run all night long. We wanted to be sure to not miss the last train and so we walked DS back to his room and then headed back to the hotel.

 

Nothing scary at the Tube station at night:

 

 

Happy parents...

 

[MJC]

Anita, so fun to see your photos and the enjoyment on all of your faces. Now all day I'm going to be hearing DAAAA, da da da da daaaaa....   🐽

 

Love your gold and purple top, that's one of my favorite color combos, and the pretty necklace. The bathroom graphic LOL. As one of the gender fluid capitals of the world, many of our bathrooms are going unisex if there are only two, like in a small restaurant or shop. I am so happy about that, as I have been known to duck into a single mens if there is a wait. Maybe now they will both be clean. 😮

 

Slow dining... aaah, the best. We are slow diners when we do fine dining here even though to some it is uncool. We don't care that we are uncool. I once overheard a woman in a very famous restaurant say "I'm so sick of the menu, French food, all these sauces." I mean, how lucky was she that she could eat there routinely? I told myself in that moment that I would never let myself be so jaded. I mean, we are so rich with fine dining in NY, not to mention other wonderful experiences too. How sad. In any event, we have never been to Aquavit as we've never been sure we would enjoy that cuisine, but you make it look so delicious and fun. Perhaps it will go on our list!

 

Our date night restaurant in Miami was slow like that, with lovely service and a good sommelier. We are guilty of not taking advantage of a sommelier enough. We were easily two hours over dinner and wine. It's also a very pretty restaurant with beautiful views of the sunset:

https://www.fontainebleau.com/dining/scarpetta/miami-beach-italian-restaurants

 

Our last night in MB we went to another Fontainebleu restaurant called StripSteak. Carnivore heaven, truffle fries, yum. I really liked the decor there. The wine storage is in a beautiful glass cylinder that spirals downstairs. It was a scary expensive cellar but DH just wanted a scotch and I just had a glass of red:

 

 

 

Here is the back of my straw hat. It is supposed to be packable but I just wore it onto the plane.

 

I also got a turquoise one at the same time that has an adjustable strap instead of bows:

 

I'm keeping the turquoise one at the lake and the black one in the city. I got them for $10 each at TJMaxx so it wasn't a splurge to buy two, and I'm happy I did. Very comfortable, very cool. Anita, I did see quite a few of a similar type at AK with the cutout in the back, so perhaps it is becoming a popular style in the south?

 

See the hanging clothespin? I got a pack of these at the dollar store. I clip it to the tag in the back of the hat and then hang it from a Command hook on the side wall of my closet. I can fit four brimmed hats on the side wall that way and they don't get smushed.

 

Here's my new Desigual top, but I struggled to get an accurate photo of it without success. Even this is too colorful... the blue is much more muted and blends better with the black, and there is no bright white like they show in the website photo. The pinks are actually peachy and the orange bits show more. It is overall much more subtle IRL than this photo. I don't think the camera is reading the fabric correctly because I tried different combinations of location and light, and still this is the best photo:

 

 

We saw the Downton Abbey movie this weekend. We enjoyed the show so much, so it was nice to revisit all the characters. The clothes! Such a treat. Between the movie and Anita's pictures, we really want to go to England.

 

DH will have to go to Israel for three days in the fall of 2021, so we are thinking maybe a week in Greece after? I think a nerd alert is in order... we'd want to hit as much of the historical sites as we can. It's two years off, so we have time to ponder.

 

 

 

 

[Sailor_Sally]

Margaret , Very pretty top .

Anita, I am enjoying your adventure . I love London.

[cruzisme]

Anita, loving your London reports.

Laurie, congratulations on becoming a proud Grandmom.

Margaret, love your hats as I too enjoy wearing them.

hi to all the Earth ladies even though I am Ice. Still enjoy seeing your fashion choices.

 

[Anita Latte]

I'm so glad everyone is enjoying my London trip report! It's not a normal trip...very personal and family oriented so I'm especially glad that it is interesting enough to be a good read.

 

So this was our first night alone in London...the first night for DS to stay in his new digs. We had a plan for the morning...

 

DS was going to wake up at 7 am...to play online with his friends back in the States. Yes. Online computer games. DS is quite a gamer and he usually spends weekend nights and most summer nights up until the wee hours in the morning playings games with his friends. While I don't love what this does to his sleep schedule (sleeping until noon and later regularly during the summer)...I am grateful for it because it has helped DS maintain his friendships back in GA...and so I think that the continuity of this activity will translate well to London because it will be the same activity even if he is in a new place. It'll help London feel more like home...

 

Most of DS's friends...like just about all of them...work in some pizza place...and so they work until the wee hours of the morning...often not getting home and able to play and enjoy their night until 2 am...which is 7 am London time. So DS's plan is to sleep before playing (he often would nap in the States) and wake up and get some coffee and then play games with his friends first thing. Then he was going to shower at 9 am, dress for the day and then join us at the hotel for our awesome breakfast.

 

The plan went well. And if you care...DS said that it wasn't too bad to be playing on the servers he needed to play on from London. Sweet.

 

At DS's initiation, we planned to get some simple school supplies, take those back to his room and then time out his commute to school. This is Sunday...and his first obligation for enrollment week is at 10:00 AM Monday morning.

 

There is a chain of stationary / office supply stores with locations all over London. Just about every neighborhood has one. Our little neighborhood was no exception. Our Tube station was Earl's Court...and if you exited to the street our hotel was on (about 0.3 miles away)...you walked through a total residential area. But if you exited to the other street...you were surrounded with retail, restaurants, and services. So it was an easy thing to hit the store on the way to the Tube.

 

DS's commute was about 15 minutes give or take. Not bad at all.

 

It was a shopping type day...so we were going to try going back to Selfridges and all along Oxford St.

 

We started walking down in that direction...and I couldn't BELIEVE that the guys were hungry again. For real? I so wasn't hungry...

 

But we stopped at a simple place. One of those that has everything under the counter and you just select what you want. Great selection...I decided to try a yogurt parfait thing with dried fruit and nuts. OMG...REAL yogurt. Like plain and SOUR...and THICK. It was probably the best yogurt I've ever had in terms of quality...but it didn't hit the spot...it wasn't the light snack I was going for.

 

We had good conversation at lunch.

 

DS was sleepy. I'm sure that he played games before he went to bed too...and then woke up early to play with his friends. He was talking about how he could take a nap.

 

And so I told him to go home and take a nap.

 

His hall was having an early arrival "meet and greet" so all the RAM students and what we think translated to the London Business School students could have a chance to get to know each other. It was scheduled for just after dinner service at the hall. We wanted him to be perky for that...and definitely back at his hall for that event.

 

He was a bit reluctant to leave us...he didn't want to disappoint us by not hanging out with us. We made it clear that the whole reason we arrived as early as we did to London was so that he could get start his school year in the best way possible. It was to get him set up. And adjusted to the new time zone. And him getting a nap was all a part of that. No worries.

 

So we all continued walking down to Oxford St together and he repeated the path back to his hall that we had taken altogether when we had left Selfridges the other day. And DH and I continued into Selfridges to have some fun...

 

Selfridges is a bit mind-blowing...so many floors...so many departments...everything is so spread out and displayed so nicely. There was a perfume area...and I think you could mix your own? They had so many little jars all lined up...but this was the one area where someone didn't approach me so I don't really know.

 

I was enjoying myself more than focusing on taking pictures...but I did grab this selfie in the sunglasses...this is one two pairs that I really liked:

 

 

I didn't take a photo of the other pair. But here's a hint at what I'm wearing today! This is a 3/4 length sleeve shirt and the same scarf that I took to London last time. I love this scarf. The weather was such that if we hit a wind coming around a building, it could feel uncomfortably cool but otherwise was really nice. The scarf helped me ward off being too chill if needed.

 

And as I was looking at all the sunglasses...

 

A man SNAGGED a pair of sunglasses right NEXT to me!

 

I heard a sound and saw a movement in my peripheral vision...and I immediately looked over...as you normally do...and there in the area where a pair of sunglasses USED to be was only the arm of the sunglasses with the electronic alarm sounding device. The sound I heard was him BREAKING the arm of the sunglasses. I saw him pocket the sunglasses.

 

I watched him move over to another display and do it again. And again.

 

I grabbed DH and said, what do we do?

 

So we grabbed a worker...but we were too late...we watched him walk out of the store...out the nearest exit...with probably $3K worth of sunglasses.

 

Crazy.

 

He was so fast. So skilled at the single movement to break off the arms of the sunglasses...

 

Selfridges even has a book section...down in the basement with the electronics. I had had it in my head to get a book for DS...to write a note to him and give it to him as a goodbye gift. I ultimately found London: A Literary Anthology which seemed very appropriate...give our DS writer a collection of works other writers had written in and about London.

 

And I also bought myself a new pair of Birks!

 

 

I watch Birks all the time...normal retail for this style is $110...but they were only 55 pounds! NOT on sale! Even with the exchange rate...this is a deal. I had stopped wearing my other pair because I need to have them resoled. Birks work well for me and they are a good zero drop shoe.

 

We also popped into the Uniqlo store...they had a color for the Ultra Light Puffy Down Jacket that I hadn't seen in our store. Called "Green"...it is that ashy gray green color that looks so good on me. They had ONE in my size...we snagged that too.

 

And then we went to Kiko...the cosmetic store that Mom and I like so much. I got the nail polish color that I had wanted last time but they were out of...and a few other things... 🙂 Color 15 - Pearly Cranberry:

 

https://www.kikocosmetics.com/en-us/make-up/hands/nail-polishes/Smart-Nail-Lacquer-01/p-KM0040101100144

 

Somewhere in there we stopped for more coffee at a Costa Coffee place...which has the best almond milk. We heard from DS who was asking about dinner. He ultimately decided to eat at his hall.

 

We headed back to the hotel with the spoils of all our shopping...and had to deal with the computer monitor situation. Amazon UK delivery service isn't great. Two out of three packages made it just fine...but the computer monitor was fraught with issues. The delivery had been delayed repeatedly...that first shipment canceled and then re-ordered...I was PROMISED that it would be delivered on Monday...but the email said Tuesday...and that didn't work...so cancel that order altogether and now we needed to go shopping for a computer monitor on Monday.

 

DS had expressed an interest in shopping for a monitor with us...so instead of having a day that was more tourist like with just DH and I...we would be doing the parent thing.

 

We went back to our local Warwick Arms pub and had more fabulous Indian for dinner. It was a relaxed evening and night for us.

[Anita Latte]

Margaret...Scott Conant! I think he is so funny on Chopped. I would enjoy eating at his restaurant! And it looks so nice.

 

We don't do the big splurgy restaurants often. But we do go to them occasionally and have that long meal that costs OMG I can hardly believe I'm actually spending this amount of $$$ on a meal ticket. It's the balance to the preprepared Tesco meals that are 3 for 6 pounds that we ate in our hotel room...LOL. All things in balance...

 

Love the hats...and the storage method! Very nice. I've been regularly wearing this one gardener's hat that I bought long ago. It's supposed to be packable etc., has the wide brim...I brought it on my 40th birthday cruise...it's looking a little sad. Thinking I need a new one...I really like yours.

 

And that shirt is so you.

[purduemom1]

Anita, Love, love those sun glasses on you! 

Sharon

[Anita Latte]

Thanks Sharon! The picture is all I have because those sunglasses were $$$$ LOL.

 

No alarm was set for Monday morning...Ahhhh.

 

We had had thoughts about going to the London Tower this day. I was really excited for that idea. I have read most of Phillipa Gregory's novels. Many of her novels focus on the royalty of England...I would really enjoy seeing the Tower which I have read so much about.

 

Alas...it was not to be this day. First, we needed to make an exchange at Selfridges. Then, we staying in the area to be able to meet up with DS to shop for a monitor.

 

Staying in the area...we decided to go to the museum that is at RAM. DH was actually hoping for a RAM tee shirt. He just really wanted one...and the museum store was our best bet for finding one. And while we were there...we were interested in the display on the first floor...which I think is a rotating display. Currently, it is all about the history of musical theater.

 

It was a very well curated display...interesting reading with unique display items. Someone had donated their collection of playbills which dated back to the earliest days. There was either Gilbert's or Sullivan's composing piano...very old...it had adjustable candle stands affixed to it on either side...kind of like wall mounted bedside reading lights...except for candles. My favorite display were the costumes...they had two exceedingly elaborate costumes...one from Les Miserables and one from Phantom of the Opera:

 

 

Conceptual drawing:

 

 

Actual costume:

 

 

It was pushing into the late morning...time for my latte. I prefer to avoid dairy milk. I had been having a flat white at the hotel...using the sweet espresso drink machine...but the milk was dairy. The drinks were short though...so enough to get you going and avoid any caffeine withdrawal issues first thing...but not really the enjoyable sipping drink for me.

 

So we found a cafe. They are everywhere...you really don't have to plan food in London. At least, not in my experience. There is food everywhere at all price levels and time commitments...meaning there's fast take away and leisurely sit downs. And everything in between.

 

While at the cafe, we had a "conversation" with DS. This means we were texting back and forth...LOL. It boiled down to the fact that DS was fine with us just picking out the monitor and he really didn't need to be along for the ride.

 

So off we went to take care of that.

 

We had brought along one of the empty duffle bags...one of the large ones that we used for going to Alaska...so that we could put the monitor into the duffle bag for transportation purposes...so we didn't have to announce to the world...hey, look, we have a monitor.

 

Back at the hotel...DH got it into his head that he wanted to try clotted cream. So we headed over to the Tesco to get some...we also bought strawberries to go with it...and of course, some beer.

 

But the beer was warm...and it was getting to be time for dinner...so we headed back to our Warwick Arms...for the THIRD time...to enjoy more Indian food and more Fullers.

 

This night we tried a Fullers stout called Black Cab Stout. OMG...so good. One of the things I appreciate about beers in the UK is that they don't have a high alcohol content. We like craft brews...they are yummy...but the alcohol content can regularly be in the 6-8% range...and even higher. Which is crazy for brew. Most of the beers we encounter in are in the 4% range...

 

DS had mentioned that he wanted to go to Proms on Tuesday.

 

What is the world is Proms?

 

Proms is a BBC sponsored event self promoted as "The World's Greatest Classical Musical Festival." Beginning July 19 and ending September 14...there were 75 Proms. A prom is basically a concert...sometimes there are more than one prom in an evening. Many of the proms were performed at Royal Albert Hall.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/ccJT7Rrkb96QyZHCSGMdz8/bbc-proms-2019-festival-guide

 

https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/proms/bbc-proms-2019/

 

DS wanted to go to Prom 69: SMETANA, SHOSTAKOVICH & TCHAIKOVSKY. Shostakovich is one of DS's major influences. The Czech Philharmonic was playing...they are an up and coming orchestra in terms of renown...conducted by Semyon Bychkov, who is making a name for himself in the community...apparently.

 

For most of the proms...they have standing room only tickets. These tickets are either for standing room in what a rock concert goer would call "the pit"...which is the area directly in front of the stage. I could refer to this area in Lord Albert Hall as "the floor" where a smallish orchestra seating might traditionally be. OR...the standing room only tickets might be up on one of the top tiers. There's a queue that opens up on the day of the concert...at whatever time...and it is first come, first served...so you can choose where you want to be. Standing room only tickets may vary in price but tend to be around 8 pounds each.

 

DS and his friends were planning to do the standing room only tickets.

 

Well DH and I were very interested in attending Prom 69 too. We definitely wanted to hear Shostakovich and we are always up for a performance.

 

We needed to be available on Tuesday...again...so that we could help install the monitor on the new stand and make sure that it was all in working order. The stand. The monitor. So again...no Tower of London.

 

Our plan was to go over to Lord Albert Hall in the morning and see about tickets at the box office and then go from there.

 

So again...we went to bed without any alarms set.

[laurspag]

While I haven't had a lot of time to post, I've loved following along on everyone's trips!  

 

I sure wish I could wear hats.  I do love them, but they never fit over my hearing aid correctly.  I think it would help if I wore two hearing aids, but I can't pick up any sound in my left ear at all, even with the strongest hearing aid so I don't bother.  I just wear the one in the right ear.

 

I bet they really help with the sun, and you probably don't need to use as much sunscreen in the face area?  

 

Your new shirt is really cute too.  I am ready to look for a few new things clothing-wise.  The items I got from Chadwick's a month ago are already getting put to good use.  If anyone is looking for nice basics, such as twin sets, cardigan sweaters, etc., they have a great selection.  I try to get really good earth colors, but I often focus on the less obvious fall colors so that I can get more mileage out of them.  Nothing screams fall like pairing brown, rust and gold, for example.  Olive green and teal and a warm purple can be great additions.  When I can, I look for the spring and summer shades for earth, as I like to call them.  They tend to be more in the mid-tone range so they work well in those seasons.

 

Our weather here has jumped around a bit.  The weekend before last, it was in the mid eighties and a bit humid.  Last weekend was perfect- mid seventies.  Today it is cold and rainy.  Fall is here.

 

London is fascinating.  I've often thought about how great it would be to be able to visit so many places.  I know I sometimes think of things a bit oddly...it seems like London has an urban feel, but with such a deep sense of history to it. 

 

My brother and sister-in-law are always asking us to join them to travel to Ireland.  That would be fun to do someday.  My husband is very Irish.  He only has a small percentage of him that isn't Irish...just a hint of Italian and a small oddity or two that I can't remember too well at the moment.  It was discovered in his Ancestry test.  I think Afghanistan, or something like that.

 

My mom used to say I was a Heinz 57.  I remember asking her why I was steak sauce, lol.  She explained that the name of the sauce came from having supposedly 57 ingredients, and she described me that way because I was a little of this and a little of that.  In reality, there are four things that make up about 90% of my heritage.  In order: Polish, British, Swiss and German.  Then I have some Irish and French in small amounts with Dutch and a few other things. 

 

Margaret, I've been to Miami once, but only a very short time as we sailed on a cruise from there.  If I recall correctly, it was when I got a cold a short time before we were leaving, and even though I was healthy enough to travel and cruise,  I had this super bright red, chapped nose.  🙂  The fun thing was that when we were leaving port, there were dolphins jumping in the water on the side of the ship.

 

My cute little grandson is so sweet.  He's a really good little boy.  His bilirubin levels are a bit too high, so they are trying him out with a special blanket to cure it.  He goes for a check up tomorrow to see if it is working, and then has another appointment on Monday.  We are hoping he shows improvement and will not have to be hospitalized.  Of course, that has me scared no matter how much the pediatrician has been downplaying it.  I know it can be fairly common, but still.  

 

My husband is such that he doesn't really venture out to new restaurants unless we are traveling.  When we are home, he has some favorite spots we go to for our date lunches on Saturdays.  We haven't had too many of those because he has been working overtime a lot.  He is not working this Saturday, but he leaves for training in Albany on Sunday, so right now the plan is to go to the gym, go visit our little cutie grandson, and then get a late lunch/early dinner.  If we are leaving from my daughter's, I must be able to get him to stop somewhere different.  I can try, anyway!

 

I don't have any Birks, but I do have sandals that are styled just like them, and have worn similar styles for many years now.  I find that they are comfortable.  I have a pretty rough time finding shoes and sandals I can wear with my different foot issues (neuroma, bunions) and this style always works so well for me.

[Anita Latte]

Laurie...DS had high bilirubin and jaundice as a new born. I have this awful picture of DH, DS and I...I was WHITE, anemic...DS was YELLOW...and DH was all pink and healthy. Not wonderful. I had to take iron pills for a while. IDK if they still have recommendations for the baby to hang out in some sunlight. IIRC we had instructions from our doctor regarding how to do it safely...DS was fine. I'm sure your GS will be too...prayers that he will be.

[pacruise804]

Prayers Laurie.  My understanding is high bilirubin is very treatable, but that certainly doesn't stop one from worrying.

[Sailor_Sally]

Laura , My daughter had high bilirubin when she was a baby .She had the light treatment .She was fine .No problems from the high bilirubin.

[MJC]

Anita, how fun that you were able to take advantage of some of the great performance opportunities in London. I hope to do more of that in NY. Those sunglasses! ❤️  They look awesome on you, a good shape for you for sure.

 

Laurie, hoping your grandson is better soon. I know it's worrisome, but it's something everyone is familiar with, I think, because as others have said it's not so uncommon. Sending healthy thoughts.

 

I do find that I can use a lighter sunscreen on my face with a big brimmed hat, which is always better for my rosacea. I also think that since I see a very good dermatologist ($$), I shouldn't undo what I've just paid for by being careless with my skin. After all, I'm the only one who pays the price in both money and damage. When my goddaughter was here this summer, I was so jealous of her skin. She's half Cuban and in the few days she was with me at the lake she turned a beautiful cafe au lait color. As if she wasn't already pretty enough!

 

From Wednesday afternoon to Thursday morning we went from 89 degrees to 55. And we had rain. It is so funny to see what people wear, because they were all over the place. Since we're outdoors walking a lot, it can be hard to dress appropriately for the whole day when it changes so much. I saw everything from shorts with tank tops to long pants and coats.

 

IDK if it's helpful to anyone but our TJMaxx had some brown Columbia fleeces in stock this week....