London Calling (I stay by the river)

Haven't blogged in a while -- as Laurel points out, the more your life is actually interesting, the less you're likely to blog about it.

I started out the trip I'm on now with a weekend in Lawrence, KS, for a rather impromptu reunion of University Daily Kansan staff members from the late 80s. It was an informal but very fun party at our former professor's house, pictures are here. Most of the more creative shots were by hostess Jill's daughter Alida.

Although it was fun to see everyone, perhaps the highlight of the trip was getting to be a guest on the Hero Worship Podcast -- it will require heavy editing thanks to me, but should be out this week; I'll of course post a link when it is ready (and if I feel it is shareable even after the edits!)

After that, I left from Kansas City to head to London. I got in at 6:45 a.m. London time, got through immigration no problem, got my bag right away, no customs check, and boarded a Heathrow Express train with a ticket I bought on the internet in the US.

That took me to Paddington Station, where I had to transfer to a Tube train, for another 30 minutes of underground riding before ending up at the Blackfrair's station near my hotel.

Upon checking into the Crown Plaza, there was some confusion about my reservation -- they thought I was supposed to check in four days ago. Fortunately, they sorted it all out and had a room already prepped for me. It took two hours to get internet working, and I had a little trouble figuring out how to turn on the shower, but everything worked out.

I got to work at 11 a.m. (it is just a short walk away) and the person from the US who I work with and who invited me out here wasn't around -- his plans changed and he arrives tomorrow. So I figured I could just go back to the hotel and crash, but as I was leaving, some folks who knew I was coming heard my accent and figured out who I was. They took me to Starbucks (no, they weren't being all "He's from Seattle, so let's take him to the one place he understands" -- they were going there anyway). Then they set me up with a desk in their area, where I planned the schedule for the rest of my week. We then went out for lunch at a place called Itsu that is apparently famous for being where the Russian Polonium poisoning happened (not at this location). I worked for a few more hours and then had to come back to the hotel and sleep ... slept for about 5 hours and here I am now!

My schedule for the rest of the week is basically two two-hour meetings each day to impart my vast wisdom (ha!), but otherwise just hang around to help out in general.

I haven't been in London since our honeymoon in 1998, so I'm excited that I should have some time to look around the city, too, although certainly not tonight as I need to get to bed and start a normal sleep schedule.

Till next time, here are some maps of where I am:

Hotel and work