I haven't had to work on Christmas Eve for the last two years, so it's weird for me to have to work it this year. I do get the 26th off, though! Nice long weekend with the family. My brother has come to visit and, as well as deciding upon seeing the new Hobbit movie this weekend, we came to agree that it would be best if he joined our household Neptune until he can pay me back some personal loans. I think it's a wise decision! The environment he was in before wasn't entirely healthy for his needs, and I think he's come to realize that for himself now. It'll also help my mom and I out with paying bills while we have two homes to worry about. He'll be taking up the room that was formerly known as the cat room, that was formerly known as the junk room, that was formerly known as the office/guest room-to-be.
No Christmas presents this year, but my mom purchased tickets to see It's a Wonderful Life on the big screen. The film always makes me bawl, so I expect to be slightly embarrassed in a room full of other people who I hope will also be bawling.
December 23, 2014
December 18, 2014
Words
I have a strange, friendly relationship with an anatomy and physiology professor I had taken a couple of classes with while I was in college. At some point he noticed my artistic abilities and suggested that I look into anatomical illustration as a career option. I never did head in that direction, obviously, but I appreciated the attention and encouragement. He ended up being my go-to professor for letters of recommendation, even after he moved out of state to a different university, and somehow we've managed to keep in touch at least once a year emailing random hello's and exchanging art clips or playing Draw Something. This year he was reminded of comics I used to draw by one of his student's doodles:
I used to have a crush on him (I might have been 18 or 19 at the time), even though he's not particularly amazing looking and is also perhaps 10-15 years older than me if I could guess. That happened to me a lot in college, though, with a bunch of my professors. I think it's the intelligence I'm attracted to, it kind of outweighed everything else. Nowadays, I still hold some adoration towards him just for remembering about me, one of thousands of students he's probably had over the years. That's pretty unusual...
But there was a potentially embarrassing moment one lab class when everyone was taking each others blood pressure. Mine was elevated, which raised some concern, so my professor performed the test on me himself. I got nervous from his proximity, so it went up even more. Haha. Oh god.
Changing the subject!
As I attempted to drift off to sleep last night, I had a recollection about an idea from the beginning of a book I once started reading and never finished. The plot is hazy in my mind, but the main character got himself into a situation where he was required to define words utterly and without holes. It started off with small words like "gate" or "tree", but then he was challenged by abstract nouns like "courage" and "liberty" which as you could probably imagine would be a lot more difficult than describing concrete nouns.
Anyway, all of this made me think about words having to be defined by other words, which are defined by other words, and I wondered if there is like a first word that is so self-defined that it was able to describe another word, which could describe another, and so the tree of words developed.
That's silly, though. I'm sure people just started defining words by pointing at things and giving it a name.
I used to have a crush on him (I might have been 18 or 19 at the time), even though he's not particularly amazing looking and is also perhaps 10-15 years older than me if I could guess. That happened to me a lot in college, though, with a bunch of my professors. I think it's the intelligence I'm attracted to, it kind of outweighed everything else. Nowadays, I still hold some adoration towards him just for remembering about me, one of thousands of students he's probably had over the years. That's pretty unusual...
But there was a potentially embarrassing moment one lab class when everyone was taking each others blood pressure. Mine was elevated, which raised some concern, so my professor performed the test on me himself. I got nervous from his proximity, so it went up even more. Haha. Oh god.
Changing the subject!
As I attempted to drift off to sleep last night, I had a recollection about an idea from the beginning of a book I once started reading and never finished. The plot is hazy in my mind, but the main character got himself into a situation where he was required to define words utterly and without holes. It started off with small words like "gate" or "tree", but then he was challenged by abstract nouns like "courage" and "liberty" which as you could probably imagine would be a lot more difficult than describing concrete nouns.
Anyway, all of this made me think about words having to be defined by other words, which are defined by other words, and I wondered if there is like a first word that is so self-defined that it was able to describe another word, which could describe another, and so the tree of words developed.
That's silly, though. I'm sure people just started defining words by pointing at things and giving it a name.
December 16, 2014
Cough Fee
I'm starting to read The Lord of the Rings series. They've been sitting on my bookshelf for a couple of years now among other series I need to start or finish. Unfortunately, after reading The Hobbit just before the movies came out in theaters, I realized that I truly cannot stand Tolkien's writing style and why in blazes am I subjecting myself to a trilogy by the same author?
My eyes started drooping at around 7:00 pm last night reading through Frodo's naps and lunches on his way out of the Shire, and I couldn't help but curl up under the blankets by 7:30 pm. I can't say whether this was from the writing style or because I've exhausted myself over the last two weekends helping my mom paint our old house. But boy, oh boy, do my screaming muscles think the new wall, trim, and ceiling colors have been worth the pain. Unfortunately, we have one more weekend of painting before I think we will be finished, but we'll have to pick my brother up too to join us for Christmas week, and all that I believe calls for lots of coffee. Coffee. Cough fee.
Photos to come of before and afters!
December 2, 2014
Help me, I'm poor.
Wait. Did November happen? It's suddenly December!
Since my family is broke this year we aren't doing presents for Christmas. Instead, my mom and I are going to use my consumer credit cards to finance home improvement purchases for, unfortunately, the old house instead of the new house. The old house is having a hard time selling, and when we did repaint it a couple months ago, if you remember, we rushed through it and didn't verify colors and it ended up turning into a putrid mess of gross bleghs for your eyes. We're taking the thing off the market for a while to try and fix it. Do it right this time. Pick nice, modern and neutral colors. Unfortunately my mom isn't keen on changing the trim colors, which can actually be really constraining on palette choices. We'll see how it works out. Wish us luck. On the lawn we're going to try to grow in the backyard, too! Time to work off our Thanksgiving calories in painting and yard work. Gross and yay at the same time.
Thanksgiving was a grand ol' time. I invited a friend of mine from work who currently doesn't have any family in town (they are in Korea, booo) and she is super preggers and nice/friendly, so that was fun. She learned how to play Yahtzee and really enjoyed it and my brother being his goofball self. My mom and I decided we weren't going with a traditional Thanksgiving meal this year (turkey is not my first choice any day). The menu ended up involving olive oil and chili powder marinated rib eye roast, boiled then baked red potatoes with caramelized onions, and sauteed zucchini, carrots, and roasted garlic. Literally the most perfect meal of all time, and I am surprising myself by saying I am confident I can replicate it. WOW.
In case I follow my current trend of hardly updating ever, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Since my family is broke this year we aren't doing presents for Christmas. Instead, my mom and I are going to use my consumer credit cards to finance home improvement purchases for, unfortunately, the old house instead of the new house. The old house is having a hard time selling, and when we did repaint it a couple months ago, if you remember, we rushed through it and didn't verify colors and it ended up turning into a putrid mess of gross bleghs for your eyes. We're taking the thing off the market for a while to try and fix it. Do it right this time. Pick nice, modern and neutral colors. Unfortunately my mom isn't keen on changing the trim colors, which can actually be really constraining on palette choices. We'll see how it works out. Wish us luck. On the lawn we're going to try to grow in the backyard, too! Time to work off our Thanksgiving calories in painting and yard work. Gross and yay at the same time.
Thanksgiving was a grand ol' time. I invited a friend of mine from work who currently doesn't have any family in town (they are in Korea, booo) and she is super preggers and nice/friendly, so that was fun. She learned how to play Yahtzee and really enjoyed it and my brother being his goofball self. My mom and I decided we weren't going with a traditional Thanksgiving meal this year (turkey is not my first choice any day). The menu ended up involving olive oil and chili powder marinated rib eye roast, boiled then baked red potatoes with caramelized onions, and sauteed zucchini, carrots, and roasted garlic. Literally the most perfect meal of all time, and I am surprising myself by saying I am confident I can replicate it. WOW.
In case I follow my current trend of hardly updating ever, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
October 27, 2014
Halloweenie
Here's a humorous conversation I had with my mom the other day.
Mom: I'm having company over tonight
Mom: 7:30p
Me: 10p curfew
Mom: It's Friday
Mom: Screw you
At this point after the kitchen renovation, I am keeping my word about waiting on the refrigerator installation. Yes, it's coming up on November and cooling down, but that's okay, we can slap on some sandals and sweaters to grab some food... right? I've also put a halt on furniture and decor purchases. Whenever I have the temptation, I say, "Abriel. What are you doing. Stahp. STAHP!" This works.
I started drawing a new portrait this weekend, and I started out really liking it. Then I noticed the ear was completely misaligned and once I started on the hair it looked really gross, and drawing midtones is hard, so there might be another several month long period where I am in art limbo. We'll see whether I can gain my will back.
Halloween is this week! I don't quite remember the origin of Halloween, so if anyone remembers then please tell me. I was having a conversation with my mom about it the other night after watching one of the Simpsons Halloween specials. Otherwise, Happy Halloween! Now that we're in a new home in a neighborhood full of small children, we feel like it's necessary to discard our festiveless moods and finally decorate the porch and buy candy. Luckily though, I hear that we live in a particularly quiet neighborhood with regard to trick-or-treat traffic. That means I can buy candy for myself and say that it's for the kids.
Mom: I'm having company over tonight
Mom: 7:30p
Me: 10p curfew
Mom: It's Friday
Mom: Screw you
At this point after the kitchen renovation, I am keeping my word about waiting on the refrigerator installation. Yes, it's coming up on November and cooling down, but that's okay, we can slap on some sandals and sweaters to grab some food... right? I've also put a halt on furniture and decor purchases. Whenever I have the temptation, I say, "Abriel. What are you doing. Stahp. STAHP!" This works.
I started drawing a new portrait this weekend, and I started out really liking it. Then I noticed the ear was completely misaligned and once I started on the hair it looked really gross, and drawing midtones is hard, so there might be another several month long period where I am in art limbo. We'll see whether I can gain my will back.
Halloween is this week! I don't quite remember the origin of Halloween, so if anyone remembers then please tell me. I was having a conversation with my mom about it the other night after watching one of the Simpsons Halloween specials. Otherwise, Happy Halloween! Now that we're in a new home in a neighborhood full of small children, we feel like it's necessary to discard our festiveless moods and finally decorate the porch and buy candy. Luckily though, I hear that we live in a particularly quiet neighborhood with regard to trick-or-treat traffic. That means I can buy candy for myself and say that it's for the kids.
October 19, 2014
Renovation Update III
These photos are rather dark, so the colors are a bit off... but you get the idea! Here is the kitchen pre-appliance installation!
Lookin' pretty snazzy! So far, we have had the dishwasher and stove installed. My first cooked meal in the house was potstickers! We wanted it to be either broiled salmon or banana pancakes but my mom wasn't going to be home when I cooked and I didn't want to have anything fancy by myself. Oh, well!
The refrigerator, on the other hand, is still in the garage. The installation people were apparently not qualified to move the refrigerator from the garage to the kitchen, so now I have to call "delivery" people instead. Honestly, with all the money I've been spending, I'm just going to go ahead and wait to schedule that particular appointment. I don't mind going out to the garage to get food for a while.
Some paint touch ups still need to be made to the trim and some of the wall and cabinetry, as well as having my cabinet guy re-drill some of the drawers he messed up on. That was a whole lot of drama I really didn't want to deal with, but at least he's still going to fix it on his own expense. Maybe deep down he knows he effed up even though he's verbally blaming everyone but himself for his mistakes.
I'll probably put in some final photos once all the appliances are in, but this is about it! I'm happy to report that I am no longer brewing coffee in my master bathroom anymore.
October 10, 2014
Renovation Update II
Lots of fiascos and stresses have been going on at the house over the kitchen renovation. The tile I ordered was poorly represented by the sample piece I used to select it. The sample piece appeared to have a nice, clean look, but when the tile arrived, the other pieces were so much more rustic feeling and it would not have fit in well.
As a result, I had to go tile shopping again and was able to find a replacement for less money and still looks good. It's just a shame that I can't return the other tiles without a massive restocking fee, so I'm saving them for another project in another room for another time.
My mom and I were stressing out about money, and she'd been itching to put her past home on the market, which finally happened this week. The agent she's working with had suggested she paint some of the rooms a grayish color to replace the midtone yellows and greens, only there was yet another fiasco with the painter not getting the right swatch, so the walls looked terribly white against the existing yellow trim and it didn't match the existing floors or fireplace... So we had to tell him to stop and find a new swatch to use, and now the issue has been fixed to some extent, though still ugly and not even gray, which wouldn't look good with yellow, anyway. We wish we could have left it as it was before, which honestly looked a lot better. So sad.
But the cabinets have been put in, the backsplash is up, lighting, sink, faucet, garbage disposal, and dishwasher are all in! Unfortunately we were lead to believe that the dishwasher was ready to use when our carpenter said it's "all hooked up", so when we turned the thing on we were surprised to find smoke instead of water. The water wasn't turned on! At least it was under warranty. That's what they're for, kids. So we have a repair specialist coming this weekend to fix whatever damage we may have caused.
All that is left to do now is tile the floors with the replacement tiles that should be delivered today, installing the rest of the appliances, and adding knobs and pulls into the cabinet door and drawer faces. I expect I should have some before/after photos some time next week! Hooray!
As a result, I had to go tile shopping again and was able to find a replacement for less money and still looks good. It's just a shame that I can't return the other tiles without a massive restocking fee, so I'm saving them for another project in another room for another time.
My mom and I were stressing out about money, and she'd been itching to put her past home on the market, which finally happened this week. The agent she's working with had suggested she paint some of the rooms a grayish color to replace the midtone yellows and greens, only there was yet another fiasco with the painter not getting the right swatch, so the walls looked terribly white against the existing yellow trim and it didn't match the existing floors or fireplace... So we had to tell him to stop and find a new swatch to use, and now the issue has been fixed to some extent, though still ugly and not even gray, which wouldn't look good with yellow, anyway. We wish we could have left it as it was before, which honestly looked a lot better. So sad.
But the cabinets have been put in, the backsplash is up, lighting, sink, faucet, garbage disposal, and dishwasher are all in! Unfortunately we were lead to believe that the dishwasher was ready to use when our carpenter said it's "all hooked up", so when we turned the thing on we were surprised to find smoke instead of water. The water wasn't turned on! At least it was under warranty. That's what they're for, kids. So we have a repair specialist coming this weekend to fix whatever damage we may have caused.
All that is left to do now is tile the floors with the replacement tiles that should be delivered today, installing the rest of the appliances, and adding knobs and pulls into the cabinet door and drawer faces. I expect I should have some before/after photos some time next week! Hooray!
September 8, 2014
Renovation Update I
After having been without internet or television for over a week now, I've come to realize that there is actually a benefit to this scenario: shit actually gets done. Yep, our to-do projects are actually being checked off. On the other hand, having to do all these projects makes my weekends feel like continuous weekdays. I can't help but look forward to our cable installation next week so I can catch up on my shows. Potatoes gonna potate.
So far I've done a lot of packing and spray painting brass fixtures. There was a whole week of purchasing and returning sink and vent hood products before everyone actually came together and communicated about what could work. That was really frustrating. I had to call and make order cancellations probably five separate times. We figured out why ventilation hasn't been put in before for the range, because there's a structural support beam behind the wall that can't be cut through. The cabinet guy and contractor finally got together and settled on bending the vent into the side cabinet and up through the attic space. Finally.
Also, my mom's upstairs bedrooms are finished being painted a pleasant light green color, and the existing wooden built-in bookcase has been painted a creamy color. I personally would have left it as it was, but it's my mom's room, not mine! Her living room space will be painted today and tomorrow.
The kitchen this week is undergoing some plumbing modifications to reroute water to the refrigerator's ice maker, as well as electrical modifications because that apparently wasn't done correctly when the place was re-wired before.
We're also trying to figure out where the under cabinet lighting will be set for my open shelves. I've been having to shop for lighting this weekend, including a sconce over the window where I decided to go cabinet-free. All of my finishing fixtures have taken on a modern element to the design that I think will work with the space. I'm really, really looking forward to seeing the final product!
So far I've done a lot of packing and spray painting brass fixtures. There was a whole week of purchasing and returning sink and vent hood products before everyone actually came together and communicated about what could work. That was really frustrating. I had to call and make order cancellations probably five separate times. We figured out why ventilation hasn't been put in before for the range, because there's a structural support beam behind the wall that can't be cut through. The cabinet guy and contractor finally got together and settled on bending the vent into the side cabinet and up through the attic space. Finally.
Also, my mom's upstairs bedrooms are finished being painted a pleasant light green color, and the existing wooden built-in bookcase has been painted a creamy color. I personally would have left it as it was, but it's my mom's room, not mine! Her living room space will be painted today and tomorrow.
The kitchen this week is undergoing some plumbing modifications to reroute water to the refrigerator's ice maker, as well as electrical modifications because that apparently wasn't done correctly when the place was re-wired before.
We're also trying to figure out where the under cabinet lighting will be set for my open shelves. I've been having to shop for lighting this weekend, including a sconce over the window where I decided to go cabinet-free. All of my finishing fixtures have taken on a modern element to the design that I think will work with the space. I'm really, really looking forward to seeing the final product!
September 2, 2014
New Homeowner
Hooray! As of last Friday, I am officially a brand spankin' new homeowner. My first visit there with the keys in my hand involved lugging a camera around into every room to take "before" photos. We intend to change quite a lot of things cosmetically and some structurally, too, over a very long span of time. This past weekend involved spray painting some of the brass fixtures around the house into more pleasing palettes. We no likey brass fixtures.The first visit as a homeowner also involved our real estate agent taking silly photos of my mom and me enjoying the house. She left us a gift on the kitchen counters welcoming us to our new home with a bag full of new tools, which we broke in over the weekend.
The first major renovation on the list is the kitchen. The existing cubby for the fridge is too small (we are replacing the refrigerator with our own), and there is no ventilation over the stove. This for the most part requires us pulling out the old cabinetry and replacing them with new ones, so we are essentially re-doing the whole shebang. I probably won't ever see it this way again myself: my mom is helping demolish the room today.
Don't worry, we are keeping those adorable breakfast nook cabinets.
August 26, 2014
London
July 2014
I was apparently becoming a traitorous American on my way to London from Paris, as my stay overlapped Independence Day. Woops. But as soon as we got off at Charing Cross station and made our way towards the Underground, we were relieved to hear English speakers again, as well as find out just how cheery and helpful Londoners seem to be. A complete stranger noticed us looking puzzled at the Underground map and offered to guide us to the correct platform. He happened to be going the same way until he exited an earlier stop, but had us join him and offered to help us with our bags up the stairs (we said no). There were multiple instances in London where locals would elect to offer us help without any provocation to do so. Only ONE crabby person happened upon us on our entire 1 week stay: an Underground employee at the exit gates who decided to vehemently ignore us when we needed help passing through the gates with dysfunctional tickets.
After dropping our luggage off at the hotel (worth the number of stars it boasted, as opposed to the Paris hotel we stayed in), we sat around being lazy until it was time to visit Her Majesty's Theater for the long standing production of The Phantom of the Opera. I've seen the Broadway version before in the U.S. (and blubbered like a baby at the end) but it only seemed fitting to see it again in London. I'm proud to say that this time around, I wasn't sobbing hysterically, but merely tearing up a bit. The Phantom's voice was beaaauuuuutiful, but I didn't care for their Christine.
We wanted to save as much money as we could for food, so a lot of the times we picked up something small from places like Pret A Manger or Starbucks (they had Mocha Coconut Frappuccinos there, I was so excited because I haven't seen them in California for a couple years). Otherwise, we did visit some local restaurants to chow down on some bolognese (only kind of meh), pizza (I don't know why it was so good, but it was one of the best pizzas I've ever had), or barbecue ribs with rosemary fries (delicioso). At Wildwood, my mom was let down that a creme brulee cheesecake she was dying to get her hands on was out of stock, so the restaurant deducted the cost of my sundae as well as prepared us free limoncello shots.
One of the first places we visited in London was the Cutty Sark, a trading clipper that was used primarily for importing tea from India, as well as the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. The observatory houses a large, stationary telescope whose exact location was used designate the Prime Meridian. And yeah, I stood on that line, straddling the two halves of the world!
The oldest place we visited was the Tower of London, built and expanded upon in the 11th-14th centuries. There were so many interesting, old artifacts, including armor worn by past kings. VERY cool. Also within the Tower of London are the royal jewels, though I didn't bother peeking my head in there. There were some royal guards hanging about, and one in particular was there just for posing with. He didn't mind talking either. I was trying to get a photo with him for over three minutes when families would jump in before me over and over again and finally he helped defend me: when someone else said they've been waiting a long time, he pointed to me, "She has, too."
On a particularly overcast/showery day we had scheduled a ride on the London Eye that was meant to coincide with the arrival of the Tour de France cyclists on the other side of the River Thames (England is apparently part of France, now). For some reason, I had expected us to have great views and I could take epic photos with my zoom lens, but lo and behold, the capsules we were in were oval and distorted the images, and the street below where the cyclists would pass were tree-lined and therefore invisible to us. Luckily, the cyclists were late, or we were too early. We made our way on top of on of the bridges passing over the street they'd ride down and wouldn't move despite "police" asking us to (there was a large crowd congregating with the same idea we had). Getting there early enough granted us front row passes and a victorious photo shoot for a once in a lifetime experience.
I really enjoyed walking through St James Park, which held a pond full of wildlife including a huge array of birds like heron's and the Queen's swans. Yes, the swans are the Queen's swans. It is apparently considered treason to kill one. There were so many museums nearby, I didn't quite go to all of them, but there was so much history in the National Gallery and the Queen's Gallery that we were kind of "art"-ed out for the rest of the week.
Before our trip, we pre-booked a bicycle tour to Windsor Castle (essentially one of the homes of the Queen of England and her guests), about a 40 minute Overground ride west of London. We rode on some dirt and gravel roads for eight miles, passing Eton College (an elite, prestigious university for men that requires a qualifying examination at age 12 to be considered for admission), the home of Elton John on the other side of the river, a property that is often used in high budget film making, as well as one of the oldest churches in England.
We propped our bikes up in the town of Eton and passed a bridge over the Thames into Windsor where we stopped for lunch before touring the visitors section of Windsor Castle. It was truly immaculate: the grounds, the decor, the chapel, the art and artifacts, including love letters between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. I've noticed English royalty have much more refined tastes than the gaudy French royals. After our tour, we revisited our lunch destination for their famous hot chocolate. They melt chocolate pieces in milk, and have so many different varieties of flavors that I could probably feel just fine about living there indefinitely: Windsor Chocolate Theatre Cafe. Go there now.
Another pre-booked day was dedicated to the expansive journey via train to Leavesden Warner Brothers Studios where they filmed Harry Potter and showcase many of the props, sets, and costumes used in filming. I'm pretty sure I fangirled the most in two situations: staring at the box of horcruxes, and standing on the Harry Potter bridge. I also kind of felt like a huge dork, because there were mostly kids present, as opposed to grown ass adults like me. I had to repeat to myself, "It's okay. I belong here. I am the real Harry Potter generation."
London was a blast, and definitely one of my favorite cities to travel in. It seems distinctly designed for tourism: excellent public transportation (everybody uses it, including affluent folk and celebrities), street maps everywhere that include landmarks and walking distance/time, very friendly and helpful people, and rich culture and history. I intend to visit again at some point, because I didn't see everything, and I would want to do more day trips out of the city to small, picturesque villages.
I was apparently becoming a traitorous American on my way to London from Paris, as my stay overlapped Independence Day. Woops. But as soon as we got off at Charing Cross station and made our way towards the Underground, we were relieved to hear English speakers again, as well as find out just how cheery and helpful Londoners seem to be. A complete stranger noticed us looking puzzled at the Underground map and offered to guide us to the correct platform. He happened to be going the same way until he exited an earlier stop, but had us join him and offered to help us with our bags up the stairs (we said no). There were multiple instances in London where locals would elect to offer us help without any provocation to do so. Only ONE crabby person happened upon us on our entire 1 week stay: an Underground employee at the exit gates who decided to vehemently ignore us when we needed help passing through the gates with dysfunctional tickets.
After dropping our luggage off at the hotel (worth the number of stars it boasted, as opposed to the Paris hotel we stayed in), we sat around being lazy until it was time to visit Her Majesty's Theater for the long standing production of The Phantom of the Opera. I've seen the Broadway version before in the U.S. (and blubbered like a baby at the end) but it only seemed fitting to see it again in London. I'm proud to say that this time around, I wasn't sobbing hysterically, but merely tearing up a bit. The Phantom's voice was beaaauuuuutiful, but I didn't care for their Christine.
We wanted to save as much money as we could for food, so a lot of the times we picked up something small from places like Pret A Manger or Starbucks (they had Mocha Coconut Frappuccinos there, I was so excited because I haven't seen them in California for a couple years). Otherwise, we did visit some local restaurants to chow down on some bolognese (only kind of meh), pizza (I don't know why it was so good, but it was one of the best pizzas I've ever had), or barbecue ribs with rosemary fries (delicioso). At Wildwood, my mom was let down that a creme brulee cheesecake she was dying to get her hands on was out of stock, so the restaurant deducted the cost of my sundae as well as prepared us free limoncello shots.
One of the first places we visited in London was the Cutty Sark, a trading clipper that was used primarily for importing tea from India, as well as the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. The observatory houses a large, stationary telescope whose exact location was used designate the Prime Meridian. And yeah, I stood on that line, straddling the two halves of the world!
The oldest place we visited was the Tower of London, built and expanded upon in the 11th-14th centuries. There were so many interesting, old artifacts, including armor worn by past kings. VERY cool. Also within the Tower of London are the royal jewels, though I didn't bother peeking my head in there. There were some royal guards hanging about, and one in particular was there just for posing with. He didn't mind talking either. I was trying to get a photo with him for over three minutes when families would jump in before me over and over again and finally he helped defend me: when someone else said they've been waiting a long time, he pointed to me, "She has, too."
On a particularly overcast/showery day we had scheduled a ride on the London Eye that was meant to coincide with the arrival of the Tour de France cyclists on the other side of the River Thames (England is apparently part of France, now). For some reason, I had expected us to have great views and I could take epic photos with my zoom lens, but lo and behold, the capsules we were in were oval and distorted the images, and the street below where the cyclists would pass were tree-lined and therefore invisible to us. Luckily, the cyclists were late, or we were too early. We made our way on top of on of the bridges passing over the street they'd ride down and wouldn't move despite "police" asking us to (there was a large crowd congregating with the same idea we had). Getting there early enough granted us front row passes and a victorious photo shoot for a once in a lifetime experience.
I really enjoyed walking through St James Park, which held a pond full of wildlife including a huge array of birds like heron's and the Queen's swans. Yes, the swans are the Queen's swans. It is apparently considered treason to kill one. There were so many museums nearby, I didn't quite go to all of them, but there was so much history in the National Gallery and the Queen's Gallery that we were kind of "art"-ed out for the rest of the week.
Before our trip, we pre-booked a bicycle tour to Windsor Castle (essentially one of the homes of the Queen of England and her guests), about a 40 minute Overground ride west of London. We rode on some dirt and gravel roads for eight miles, passing Eton College (an elite, prestigious university for men that requires a qualifying examination at age 12 to be considered for admission), the home of Elton John on the other side of the river, a property that is often used in high budget film making, as well as one of the oldest churches in England.
We propped our bikes up in the town of Eton and passed a bridge over the Thames into Windsor where we stopped for lunch before touring the visitors section of Windsor Castle. It was truly immaculate: the grounds, the decor, the chapel, the art and artifacts, including love letters between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. I've noticed English royalty have much more refined tastes than the gaudy French royals. After our tour, we revisited our lunch destination for their famous hot chocolate. They melt chocolate pieces in milk, and have so many different varieties of flavors that I could probably feel just fine about living there indefinitely: Windsor Chocolate Theatre Cafe. Go there now.
Another pre-booked day was dedicated to the expansive journey via train to Leavesden Warner Brothers Studios where they filmed Harry Potter and showcase many of the props, sets, and costumes used in filming. I'm pretty sure I fangirled the most in two situations: staring at the box of horcruxes, and standing on the Harry Potter bridge. I also kind of felt like a huge dork, because there were mostly kids present, as opposed to grown ass adults like me. I had to repeat to myself, "It's okay. I belong here. I am the real Harry Potter generation."
London was a blast, and definitely one of my favorite cities to travel in. It seems distinctly designed for tourism: excellent public transportation (everybody uses it, including affluent folk and celebrities), street maps everywhere that include landmarks and walking distance/time, very friendly and helpful people, and rich culture and history. I intend to visit again at some point, because I didn't see everything, and I would want to do more day trips out of the city to small, picturesque villages.
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