Nancy is going back to Oregon in two days, so our little Thanksgiving Day group plans a goodbye dinner. Catherine and I are the first to arrive at the Mexican restaurant in Leceister Square. I stand outside for a few minutes, taking in the majesty of Leceister Square. The square is pretty big, with a grassy area in the center that has benches for sitting. That area is currently occupied by a Christmas carousel and vendors who sell cotton candy and other amusement park-like games. I love the bright lights. The buildings are so tall and old and intricately beautiful. People bustle around, and I feel energized. I absolutely love London. Once inside, Catherine and I are barely sitting in our booth when Stephanie calls. By phone, we guide her up the stairs and to the ... read more

This morning, I packed my workout clothes and took them to work with me, so I'd have no excuse for not going straight to the gym after work. My gym is one of a large chain in the UK. Everyone has heard of it. In St. Albans, it's pretty much "the" gym. The whole city has a membership. For 35 pounds a month, I have access to the weight rooms, cardio equipment, aerobics classes, the locker room, saunas, and tanning beds. It's actually pretty great. Two things I don't care for: #1--I have to walk about 30 minutes to get there. And 30 minutes back. #2--They blast techno music throughout the entire gym! How about a meditative workout in silence? Or how about turning the techno down just a little, so I can listen to my ... read more

The Sports Cafe It's a normal bar, for crying out loud! The doorman is acting like we're trying to get into some upscale New York City VIP nightclub, and we're not on the guest list. He asks, "Do you have a table?" "Um, no. But we're planning to get one, when we go inside." "Can't," he says. "They're all taken." "Oh, well that's alright," I say, expecting to go inside anyway. He doesn't budge, staring at us. I ask, "Can we not go inside without a table or something?" "One moment," he says, turning his back to us and speaking authoritatively into his walkie-talkie. Nicola and I are looking at each other like what the hell. The doorman turns to face us and says that we can go in and stand around and wait for a ... read more

After our meal at the Italian place, Steph, Gary, Troy, Raeann, and I decide to go have drinks. Of course, walking around Leceister Square, one is bound to get sidetracked with all the action going on. We stop at a discount ticket shop to check out prices on some West End shows. We browse around the vendors. And...hey, there's that crazy evangelist guy with the "Everything Is OK" sign! He's preaching in front of a Burger King, still on his step ladder, surrounded by laughing teenagers. We walk on. Ben and Jerry's! It's like a God-send. Rays of heavenly light descend from above and angels sing of the chocolate wonders within. Stephanie and I race inside, giggling. Everyone else waits outside. Once we have our fabulous two-scoops-in-a-cup chocolate fix, we're back to strolling the streets of ... read more

Tonight, I am meeting Catherine and Stephanie and a couple of Stephanie's friends in front of the National Gallery to watch the Christmas tree lighting in Trafalgar Square. This is one of my favorite parts of the city, probably because the square is such a wide-open space, and I tend to like those. I am the first to arrive, and shortly after, a choir begins to sing Christmas carols. The tree is very tall, but the branches are sparse, and the needles sag sadly. The choir sounds like a volunteer church choir. Catherine calls me, and we spend ten minutes trying to navigate through the crowd to find each other. Once we've hugged our "hellos", Catherine turns toward the tree, "Wow, that's a sad tree." I laugh, "Yeah, I know! I guess I was expecting Rockefeller ... read more