Let me just 
begin by saying that I am EXHAUSTED! Forget the time zone differences. I have been running around like a crazy person.
begin by saying that I am EXHAUSTED! Forget the time zone differences. I have been running around like a crazy person.I got to St. Louis on Saturday night, landing at 900pm and made my way to my brother's house. It was an 18-hour journey. Funny thing happened on the way to the airport. I called for a taxi to pick me up at my house and take me to the train station. I asked the driver [that I always us
e] to "meet me at nine". At 906, he still wasn't there and he lives down the street, so I rang him up and asked if he was coming to get me. He said, "yes, I have you at half-nine". Little bit
of a language barrier.
e] to "meet me at nine". At 906, he still wasn't there and he lives down the street, so I rang him up and asked if he was coming to get me. He said, "yes, I have you at half-nine". Little bit of a language barrier. Anyway, I made to the train station in time, got to London Paddington, then to Heathrow Express ... that had signaling problems, so we sat stationary on the tracks for 30 minutes. It's only a 15-min t
rain ride! Got the Heathrow, and then had to take a train to terminal 4 ... 28 more minutes before it will arrive. They were boarding the plane when I arrived at the airport. I was fast tracked through security [thank God for gold status] and got on the plane. Nice.
rain ride! Got the Heathrow, and then had to take a train to terminal 4 ... 28 more minutes before it will arrive. They were boarding the plane when I arrived at the airport. I was fast tracked through security [thank God for gold status] and got on the plane. Nice.Waking up Sunday morning, I had a rental car, so I did what any American expat would do during business hours: I headed to Target! I loaded up on plain M&Ms [every variation but plain in UK], Crest toothpaste [no longer sold in UK], and T-shirts. I forgot to get Ziplocks. None of those in the UK, either, so guess I'll have to go back.
Later that day, my brother, Mike, had a bar-be-que at his house to celebrate Erin's 13th birthda
y. I can't believe she is 13. This only means that the rest of us are getting older, you know. It was a hot August day in St. Louis, so I had t
he chance to thaw out from the bloody British weather. My nieces and nephews helped with that. We played Frisbee, basketball, whiffle ball, badminton, volleyball, and I rode a scooter ... with my nephew. I think there are photos of this, but I don't have it.
y. I can't believe she is 13. This only means that the rest of us are getting older, you know. It was a hot August day in St. Louis, so I had the chance to thaw out from the bloody British weather. My nieces and nephews helped with that. We played Frisbee, basketball, whiffle ball, badminton, volleyball, and I rode a scooter ... with my nephew. I think there are photos of this, but I don't have it.On Monday, Mike, Lynn and I headed out for lunch at a cool pub on the South si
de and went to REI. In REI, I stocked up on first layer wicking t-shirts, some new Smartwool socks, a new travel dog bowl, and most importantly, Goretex pants! I heard a quote on BBC Radio 2 last week: there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes! I am working to remedy that!
de and went to REI. In REI, I stocked up on first layer wicking t-shirts, some new Smartwool socks, a new travel dog bowl, and most importantly, Goretex pants! I heard a quote on BBC Radio 2 last week: there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes! I am working to remedy that!Monday night, I hitched a ride with my friend James back to St. Louis. Sarah, James and their daughter, Sophia wer
e in Oklahoma City for the long weekend, and heading back through St. Louis on their way to Kentucky. Whilst in Kentuc
ky, I am staying with them, so it was nice to have a ride ... with just one slight problem. Sophia didn't like the drive down, so Sarah decided the two of them would fly back to Louisville. And James needed to get back a day early for work, so he picked me up around dinner time on Monday. I was so jet lagged that there was no way for me to help James drive, safely. We made it to Louisville at almost 100am and I crashed immediately. I had a 415am teleconference with my colleagues in London.
e in Oklahoma City for the long weekend, and heading back through St. Louis on their way to Kentucky. Whilst in Kentucky, I am staying with them, so it was nice to have a ride ... with just one slight problem. Sophia didn't like the drive down, so Sarah decided the two of them would fly back to Louisville. And James needed to get back a day early for work, so he picked me up around dinner time on Monday. I was so jet lagged that there was no way for me to help James drive, safely. We made it to Louisville at almost 100am and I crashed immediately. I had a 415am teleconference with my colleagues in London. Okay, that's it for now. I'll update on my week in Louisville in the next edition.
