Excitement...not

OK, so this trip hasn't been too exciting. I've spent most of my waking hours during the week tied to a computer doing work for either here or back home. Well, it is kind of the reason the company sent me over here for ;). Just not too much to write about. Sorry gang.

Rugby Diversion

Today was to be a trip into London. I really had no major plans. Just wander around the city and get lost. Maybe find a pub or two. OK, no maybe about that. Matter of fact, I stopped into one before hitting the train station. Figure I'd have a quick lunch and a pint. And that's where the problem arose. You see, I kind of got stuck in the pub for several hours. There was the hand pumped real ale there. There was also a couple rugby games on that I got caught up in. I can't watch a full American football game back home. But, I can watch a game of football (soccer), rugby or hockey without a problem. I was explaining to somebody last week that with soccer, I can watch a full game and be amazed that the game is over so soon. It flies by for me. Maybe because I spent years playing it that I get so engrossed in the game.

Rugby isn't the same for me. I have never played it before. I'd probably get my body broken if I did. Part of watching that game is to try and figure out all of the rules. Yup, I've got an idea of the basics. But, some of the little parts I'm still shaky on. But, it's a fast paced game that I can follow and enjoy. There were two of them on today; Australia vs Fiji and New Zealand vs Scotland.

After the games it was a bit late for me to head into the city. Good thing, too. I found out on the news that much of the city had been closed down to traffic to allow cyclists to invade the place. So, not only did you have the standard fare of tourists running around the place. But, you also had thousands of people on bikes roaming the city.

So, there goes my weekend. I didn't get anything productive done at all.

Sporting Pasta

I wake up late (like that's a shock to anybody). I have no internet to get maps like I was hoping. I search through my luggage and find that the small map package that I laid out didn't seem to make it into my luggage. Starting off right, I see. So, I jump in my tiny lawnmower powered car and head off to the Little Chef. It's a small crappy little eatery that really aspires to be a Denny's when it grows up. However, it was right next to the Travelodge when I stayed here last time and I ate many breakfasts. It's like comfort food to me :).

I decide to go on a little car ride this morning. I have no major destination in mind until I start driving. I decide to hit Bluewater (it's the only shopping center around here that I know of). I've got a couple things I'd like to look into picking up. I have no map and no navigation system (thank goodness), but, I've been there once before. I can usually get back to a place that I've taken myself to in the past. I run into a couple snags. First, it seems that I don't actually recall the exact exits needed for Bluewater. Then there is all of the new construction in that area of the motorway. I make several mistakes on turn offs. Usually, it would be no big deal. However, when you pull off on some of these turn offs you're committed to them until the next exit. Many of those exits are 10-15 miles down the road. So, these are 20-30 minute mistakes that I'm making. And I make quite a few. I spend my morning and early afternoon making these mistakes. I decide that unless I want to fill the gas tank on my second day here, I need to find a destination.

So, I make a non-adventurous decision. I decide to head back to the hotel. But, wait! I have an actual reason for this decision. There are a couple of games on today that I'd like to watch. The first being a 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup game. England vs USA. I know that most of you do not follow football. I don't get to watch it as much as I'd like. But, you need to realize that this tournament is a bit different. USA is the favorite. Yes, you read that correctly. The Women's USA team is favored to win it all. We've actually won our last 50 games. That's pretty damned impressive. For an American football team that's, what, more than two full undefeated seasons? Well, we win this one as well, 3-0 kicking England out of the world cup.

The other game I got to watch was the Rugby World Cup (too many damned world cups. We may have a world series that doesn't involve many other countries, but, at least it's not the world cup of baseball!). England vs Samoa. Decent game. England won in the end. Like most sporting events, in my opinion, there are some not so exciting parts of the game that I'm tempted to change the channel in search of more entertaining fare. But, I keep the rugby on and am rewarded with some pretty nice plays.

I got the laptop up and running by using the power converter on "high-power" mode. I can hear the charger buzzing and expect it to explode at any minute. But, in the meantime, I have a computer connection :). The internet connection in my hotel room is out-freaking-rageuos! They want 15 quid per day or 75 for the week. That would be months of service back home. I pay the ransom because I know I'm going to need it.

Sitting at the bar waiting for a dinner table, I am at a loss as to what I want to accomplish tomorrow. Do I go into London? Do I try and get to an historical site? My last trip here I had so many choices. This time there are still many things to see and I feel I really can't do any of them. I am so lethargic. I feel like doing nothing at all. Maybe it's the fact that I'm here for such a short time this trip. Strange that I see this 8 day trip as a short trip when I can usually fill a 2 day weekend with an enormous amount of activity.

On this mornings' misadventures I found myself on the M20 heading East at one point. I know that means nothing to you. Hold on a second and I'll get to the explanation. That motorway leads directly to Dover. I was about 50 miles from both the coast and the castle. It is, if you recall, a castle that had a fairly big effect upon me. I loved being there. I spent quite a bit of time there. I turned around this morning for some reason. I sit here now wondering why I did that. I should have gone. Sure, I'd seen it before. For some reason I longed to see it again.

A couple beers later (these bastages only have Becks Vier on tap...a pilsner) I get my table. It's an Italian place and I've had a metric ass-ton of pasta lately (mostly spaghetti). I decide that I'll get something different. I go for the penne with shrimp. Hey, I said I would get something different...it's not spaghetti :). I love me the pasta!

And the cat came back...

Welcome back to Mohondro's Misadventures. This trip is actually a much shorter trip than the last one. Unfortunately, I don't have much of a chance to head out and see too many sites. I'll still type away giving my opinions and observations on anything I find interesting. Here's something I find interesting; the fact that some of you have returned for more punishment in the form of my blathering psuedo-reporting. Actually, I find it humorous. At any rate, let's get this show on the road:

I'm off to an interesting start of this trip. American Airlines couldn't book me all the way through from San Diego to London. Apparently, I'll have to check in again when I get to O'Hare in Chicago. Lovely. I get on the plane and find that I've been given a nice window seat with the bulkhead in front of me. I love the bulkhead. It gives you a little extra leg room at the expense of storage at your feet. Doesn't bother me. I'd rather have the legroom :). Then I find out that I'm dup seated. Somebody else has the same seat as I do. When the stewardess checks our boarding passes, it's because I've been issued someone else's. Great. I'm told that they'll find me a seat shortly. As long as I don't have to stand up for the entire flight, any seat will do... I get a window seat in the middle of the plane. Just my luck, I get a view of the wing. Not that I'll actually see the wing. I don't use the window much anyway. I'll read and catch up on some much needed sleep.

When I arrive in Chicago, I have to leave the terminal and catch a train to another, international, terminal. I get to go through security again...yipee! I love to do that. Nothing more fun that being subjected to security checks that don't actually do anything to insure the safety of the passengers. Security is an illusion people. Did you know that you can board a plane without any ID what-so-ever? You sure can. When asked for ID, tell them you don't have any. You'll have to step aside and go through "additional screening". If it's a giant security line, you'll probably get through quicker. But, the FAA won't stop you from flying. Bureaucracy is fun, huh?

At any rate, I have to check in at the main counter at British Airways. When I get there I find that they don't open for another hour or so. Dammit! I could have slept in and taken the next flight out of San Diego. Bah! Who needs sleep?!? Due to the fact that I was hanging out with some friends the previous couple of nights, I'm running on about 8 hours of sleep over a 72 hour period. At least I'll be able to catch a nap on this next flight. I was out about an hour on the way to Chicago, but, it was pretty restless as I was sleeping against the shade on the sun side of the plane. That shade got awful warm. Whatever.

As I get on the BA plane, I get seated in a window seat on the bulkhead. Deja vu! I check the boarding pass and confirm that it's actually my seat. I get a rum and coke and settle into the flight. A small bottle of wine with dinner and kick on the in-flight entertainment. I was totally lied to by the magazine. I was told that I could watch a completely different movie. But, I "got to" watch Spider Man 3. I missed it in the theaters. Now I'm pretty sure "I wouldn't say I missed it, Bob". But, it did soak up a couple hours of the flight. I never sleep as well on a plane as I do when on an international flight. I got a couple hours of actual rest. Nice!

We arrive in London and I hit customs. It's rather nice not to be considered a threat to the British just based on the length of my stay. This lady asks me how long my stay is and passes me through without a second glance. Not like the grilling I got last time. I didn't have to produce a business card or anything.

I stand a the luggage carousel wondering if this time I will be blessed with luggage. Sure enough, within a minute of the machine spewing forth baggage, I have my quota of bags and go to pick up my car. Must just be LAX that has the kind of incompetence to lose luggage on a four hour layover. Chicago didn't seem to have any issues with it.

I pick up my car at Avis without any hassle at all. It's much smaller than I'm used to renting. Somehow I got marked for medium sized vehicles with our travel agent. This time I made sure to tell them that I want the smallest car that they offer. I had been here once before and have seen the size of the parking spaces. They are postage stamp sized. And you better have a tight turning radius because you're gonna need it. I get a Fiat Grande Punto. The key even has switchblade action! That's gotta be worth a couple pence a day just for the joy of pressing a button and watch the key snap out from the key fob!

It takes me about 30 seconds to find the radio station that I listened to the last time I was here. It takes me much longer to get used to shifting with the left hand while sitting on the right side of the car and driving on the left side of the road. Individually, those are not difficult tasks. Add those together and throw a foreigner on a busy motorway during Friday morning rush hour traffic and it becomes a wee bit more of a challenge. Oh, and a little bit of sleep deprivation. According to the clock I'd been traveling for over 30 hours. That's not really the case, however. I left my place at four in the morning and pulled into my hotel the next morning at 10am. Subtract the 8 hour time difference and we get 2am...22hours on the road. Strange. I thought that number would have been much smaller than that.

While driving to the hotel, I heard a very familiar voice say "Take the 3rd exit off the roundabout". I about freak out! I didn't order the navigation package this time, but, that wench still haunts me while I drive. Then the commercial continues explaining that the new Audi can be equipped with full navigation package for under 500 pounds. That was just a cruel joke. I thought I was back safe and sound in the UK without that damned woman terrorizing me...

The hotel room is *so* much smaller than the Travelodge. However, the shower is *so* much nicer. There is actual water pressure here. I've been screwed electronically speaking, however. The computer doesn't seem to want to recharge using the power converter that I have. And of course, I used up most of the power before I got here. The phone that was assigned to me doesn't seem to want to connect to any network that I find. Seems like it may not even be an international phone.

After the realization that I'm disconnected from the "real world", I made a huge mistake. I broke one of my biggest travel rules. I took a nap. It is my opinion that when you get to another timezone, you acclimate immediately. Don't look at the watch and think "Oh, what time is it back home". What time is it? It's whatever the time your new timezone says it is. You stay up as late as you possibly can before passing out. That way when you do wake up, you're more than likely on the new time zone's schedule. Well, I hadn't got enough sleep leading up to my arrival. That hurt and I fell asleep for what I planned to be a couple hours. Eight hours later I was awake and cursing at myself. I crashed *hard*. It was evening now and I should be getting ready to go to bed. I read until 4am and then hit the sack.