John & Colette's Adventures

A nice list of things made in the USA. http://www.acontinuouslean.com/the-american-list/

Colette & I were complaining about Oxford St in London. Well, it appears we're not the only ones. 

Merchants want to add "Tourist Lane" to the sidewalks. Read it here.

OFF TO LONDON  (Photos)

10/29/10 – AM-Flew from Boston to London Heathrow. Took shuttle to the Jesmond Hotel, traffic was terrible and it was raining.  The hotel room was small and the bathroom was tiny.  We had to leave all of our toiletries on the bookcase next to the bathroom door.  No complaints though, we weren’t sharing a bath with other guests.  (Gee Whiz! Why do they keep hotel rooms so hot?  We had to keep the window open every time we were in the room.)  Went for a walk looking for dinner, so glad we brought the umbrellas.  After much wandering and indecision we opted for a small Indian restaurant.  The waiter intimidated us into ordering much more food than we needed, but it was really really good.  Went back to the hotel and went to bed exhausted.  Stared at the ceiling for most of the night – no one told our bodies it was 11:00 pm, not 6:00 pm.

10/30 – Got up, cursed the tiny bathroom, had breakfast at the hotel (included), and went walking for around 7 hours.  Walked everywhere – see pictures posted on our website.   In no particular order we: wandered through Trafalgar Square (wait a minute! why is there an American Football rally here??), spent quite a bit of time at the Churchill war room and museum, walked past Buckingham Palace, through a bunch of parks, into Harrods where we had a lovely (and pricy) lunch downstairs – the food court (?) was too mobbed to even attempt, wandered aimlessly, crossed over the Thames and saw the London Eye, wandered some more and had no idea where we were… Had an absolutely wonderful day.   It dripped on and off all day.   At some point we went back to the room for a lie down (I couldn’t sleep).  Walked some more.  I’m pretty sure we had dinner in a pub somewhere that night.  Walked (or tried to) up Oxford Street through about a thousand drunk zombies (and a few witches) on our way back to our hotel.   Again, couldn’t sleep that night.

10/31 – Got up late, growled at the tiny bathroom.  Had a nice breakfast at a café (missed breakfast at the hotel).  Huh… raining again.    Wandered around a bit then over to Saint Paul’s Cathedral.   Met up with Tiffany and Nicola for a 3 hour lunch – had a lovely time.  Walked with them for a bit – looked at the display of a gazillion ceramic sunflower seeds at the Tate, wandered along the Thames up to the London Eye, crossed the river near Parliament, back up to Trafalgar Square where there was a Diwali celebration going on (hmmm… busy area) where we parted ways.   John and I got lost heading back to the hotel and ended up on Oxford Street again – Noooooooooo!!! Not as many zombies, which was strange since it was Halloween.  Had trouble sleeping again – sensing a theme here.

11/1 – Happy Anniversary!  Mildly grumbled at the bathroom.  Had breakfast at the hotel. Decided it was time to find out where St. Pancras train station was and see if we would need to get a taxi Wednesday morning to catch the train to Paris.  Whew – quite a walk from our hotel, about half an hour.  Decided that we would take a taxi on Wednesday when we were leaving.  Pretty fancy train station!  We stopped and had mimosas in the Champagne bar on the upper level.  Wandered down to the river where we caught a river taxi to Greenwich.  Took a slew of pictures on the way, mostly of the Tower Bridge.  Had lunch at a small pub in Greenwich then wandered through a pretty park up to the Royal Observatory where they mark the Prime Meridian.   Wandered around some more then had coffee and pastries at a small pastry shop – yum!  I’ve noticed that they like their coffee STRONG in London.  Caught the river taxi back and took a bunch of pictures of the Tower Bridge.  Whew!  Getting tired.  Went back to the hotel to lie down a bit.  Walked down to the Thames again and rode the London Eye at night – very cool.  Debated just going back to the hotel room because we were so tired, but opted for wandering along the Thames for a bit.  Glad we did because we stopped at an Italian restaurant for a lovely (albeit very noisy) dinner.  A very nice ending for our 24th anniversary.  Walked back to the hotel where we finally slept for part of the night – sirens, motorcycles, and garbage trucks don’t allow for sound sleep.

11/2 – Eh, so it’s a small bathroom, I’m used to it now.  We decided it was time to ride the on/off bus tour of London and bought the tickets that included the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. They now use headsets for the commentary on the bus instead of the driver talking.  Works pretty well if the headphone jack works – had to change seats a couple of times.  It was pretty cold and windy on the upper level!  Took a bunch of pictures.  Spent quite a bit of time at the Tower of London and had a so-so lunch there, then did the bridge tour.  Then wandered on the other side of the river for a bit and had drinks at a pub while looking across the river at, you guessed it, the Tower Bridge.  It was getting late, so we found the tour bus stop and waited forever for the next bus, which was going all the way around Hyde Park. We were in a bit of a hurry, so we hopped off, walked a ways then grabbed a taxi back to the hotel.  We had to pack, eat dinner, and walk to a theater by 8:00!  Made it!  We had Indian again for our last dinner in London.  Way too much food for 2 people to eat, but it was so yummy!  We went and saw “39 Steps”.  Our seats were behind a pole, but the theater wasn’t full, so we were able to move to a better spot.  We thought it was rather strange when at intermission they were selling little cups of ice cream right in the theater, but we indulged. Walked back to the hotel for our last sleep there.

11/3 – Had breakfast and finished packing.  The hotel had arranged for a shuttle to St. Pancras Station, so we waited on the front step for half an hour.  Turns out there was a subway strike that morning and the roads were jammed.  The shuttle couldn’t make it to the hotel to pick us up!  It didn’t help that there was an accident with injuries just down the road from us.  We ended up hurrying by foot to the station, dragging our very heavy suitcases behind us.  It took us around 20 minutes, quicker than the last time.  What a mob of people!  Not a taxi to be found, and they wouldn’t be able to get anywhere faster than walking anyway.  We made it to the station in time to check in, get a cup of coffee, and immediately drag our luggage to the train, spilling our coffee along the way.  

AND ON TO PARIS (Photos)

The Eurostar train ride was really nice – fast and comfortable, a nice change from flying.  There was no Customs when we arrived in Paris (weird), we just got off the train and walked out the station to the taxi stand, where there were around a hundred people waiting in line. Hours later (ok, about 15 minutes later) we got in a taxi and careened through Paris to the Hotel Moliere, which is about a block and a half away from the Louvre.  Went out for lunch – I had the best Quiche Loraine I have ever had, and John had a Croque Monsieur, which is a yummy toasted ham and cheese sandwich.  As we left the café I noticed there were signs posted that the area it was in was called “Place Colette”.  Cool!  Walked over past the Louvre and down to the Seine where we walked for quite a while, feeling rather stunned that we were truly in Paris.  Went back to the hotel and met up with Jacque and Terry and the rest of the gang from Australia in one of their rooms and drank LOTS of Champagne.  We all went next door to the pizza place for dinner.  Apparently the French like eggs.  There were eggs baked in the middle of the pizzas and soft fried eggs on both salads.  (Blech.) (We noticed at most places we went to that there were eggs included in many menu items that we wouldn’t normally expect them.)  Went for a short walk with Jacque and Terry to watch the Eiffel Tower lights sparkle.  The hotel room was too warm (surprise) so we left the windows open  - this hotel was in a much busier part of the city so there was a lot of street noise all night.  Hmmm… still a bit short on sleep.

11/4 – Croissants for breakfast.  Walked for hours marveling at how pretty Paris is.  Stopped at a small pastry shop and had tea and coffee and Pane au Chocolat.  Oh my, that was yummy! The lady running the shop was so nice to us and even took our picture. Walked over to the Eiffel Tower, but decided not to join the mobs waiting to take the elevator up.  Debated trying the stairs, but wimped out.  Instead we took a river cruise on the Seine from the tower down past Notre Dame and Île Saint-Louis then back.  Heard all about all the bridges (all very elaborate – no plain bridges in Paris!) along the way and a bit about many buildings along the banks. Lunch in a café, of course. Walked up the Avenue des Champs-Élysée and climbed the Arc de Triomphe.  Wandered back to the hotel and joined the gang in one of their rooms and drank LOTS of Champagne.  We all trooped off to a restaurant and had a fun/noisy dinner. Kept the window open and slept (or tried to) to the sounds of city life.

11/5 – Versailles – (Croissants for breakfast ) We all trooped off to Versailles.  Took 2 short subway rides (one subway station was so busy that 3 trains stopped and left before we could jam into a car – never want to be packed in that tight again!) and the train.  There were a couple of guys playing the accordion and sax on the train and they played (very loudly) happy birthday to Jacque!  Cool but beautiful day.  We all went our separate ways when we got to the palace.  I have to say that though the outside was beautiful, I thought the inside was not.  It is gaudy and ostentatious – many colors of marble, gold everywhere, painted ceilings, dark patterned wallpaper… No wonder the French revolted! In addition, there was a display of hideous modern artwork spread throughout the palace.  We made it partway through the very crowded building then felt the need to flee outside.  The gardens look like they would be beautiful in warmer seasons, they were pretty impressive even with no flowers and all the statues covered up in preparation for winter.  Wandered partway down the loooooooong path and stopped in a restaurant on the grounds for a snack – croissants of course.  Met up with the gang for a group picture, then John and I split off again to wander the village of Versailles.  Had lunch at a crêperie (YUM!) then took the train back to Paris. Decided to go see Notre Dame and was amazed to find out that they allow people to wander through the cathedral while they are holding mass.  It’s Jacques birthday! YAY!  We all gathered in the hotel lounge and drank LOTS of Champagne to celebrate.  Jacque and Terry’s French friends (Gerald and MarieAnne ??? – said with a very French accent) arrived and then we all went to the restaurant for a lovely and lively birthday dinner.  Back in the room we decided to keep the window closed so maybe we could get a full night’s sleep.  John had discovered how to turn the radiator off (he’s so smart – just ask him).

11/6 – Champagne! – (Croissants for breakfast ) Just in case we haven’t had enough champagne yet, we took the train for more… Champagne Pommery is a French Champagne house located in Reims.  We got a late start so missed the early train and ended up killing time in the morning, both at the hotel and in the train station.  Took the tour and wine tasting – we both got 2 full glasses, so got to sample 4 champagnes.  The French friends met us there for the tour and Jacque I got to ride in their zooty Peugeot to the restaurant for lunch.   Everyone else went by taxi.  There were protests going on in Reims and a whole lot of construction, so we had a hard time getting to the restaurant.  (Did I mention that it was raining?)  Had a lovely lunch and Gerald paid the bill before anyone knew what he was doing.  We were running late and had to rush to the train station in the rain.  Gerald had some of the gang’s purchases in his car, but wasn’t able to make it to the station due to the construction.  They had to drive back into Paris to drop them off at our hotel.  They were the nicest people – just lovely.  Later everyone gathered in one of their rooms and drank LOTS of Champagne.  John and I abstained because by then we were champagned out.  For dinner we wandered all over the area looking for a place to stop, but no one would agree on a restaurant.  We ended up back at the pizza place next to the hotel and had a very bad dinner.  Afterwards John and I went to the café we stopped at the first day and split a Tarte Tatin, then wandered around in the rain for a couple of hours. We got lost, found our way again, and just enjoyed being in Paris.

11/7 – Last day in Paris. Slept in.  (Croissants for breakfast )   It was cold, windy, and raining.  We finally went into the Louvre and looked at the Art Deco museum (a separate museum within the Louvre).  Spent a couple of hours there then met up with Jacque and Terry for lunch at a (wait for it…) café.  Finally had the surly French waiter who looked down his nose at us like we weren’t worth his time.  The trip would have not been complete if we hadn’t run into one.  We said our goodbyes since they were flying out that night.  We walked along the Seine, past Notre Dame, then to Île Saint-Louis where we stopped at Berthillon for ice cream – many people had told us to go there. In the evening we walked (in the rain) up Avenue de l'Opéra and had a nice dinner for our last night.  Afterward we were going to go for one last walk along the river but it was COLD and windy, so we just wandered slowly back to the hotel and packed.  Rats, hate the end of a vacation. No champagne today.

11/8 – Went to a café for breakfast and had croissants (and toast).  Walked over to the pyramid at the Louvre and decided to go in to the open areas to look around then went back to the hotel to check out and get our shuttle to the airport.  Hey! Why is there a moving van blocking the road by the hotel?  Got to the airport early and had to wait 15 minutes before we could check in.  Had 2 hours to kill before our flight to London, which was uneventful.  We had a very short layover in London, so of course we had to take a shuttle to another part of the terminal and then there was a big line at Security.  Rushed to our gate in time to … wait.  There was an announcement that someone had gotten into the secured are and on to the plane and “messed” (their word) with some of the equipment.  They had to do a full security check of the plane, which took some time.  The flight from London to Boston was also uneventful.  Picked up our car at the hotel and drove home in the rain.  Got here around 10:30 to the great joy of the cats.  Vacation over.

Misc. thoughts:

Does everybody in London and Paris smoke?  Gross!  At least they can’t smoke inside anymore so we can have a pleasant meal, but you can’t walk even 2 feet down the street without passing through someone’s fumes.

What is it with the French and eggs?  Egg on pizza?  Egg on salad?  Egg in every sandwich?  

The sound of Paris is the almost constant sound of the police sirens.

We got back from our London & Paris Anniversary/Birthday Bash Extravaganza Monday. We had a fabulous time. Colette is busy writing up the day by day diary. I've been putting together the photos. It'll all come up soon.

See photos here

Maurice sat at the cafe table drumming his fingers. He had arrived an hour early in anticipation and passed the time over a couple cups of coffee. Now he was jittery and impatient. She should be here soon, he thought, glancing at his watch once again. Time never seemed to move when he waited for her. 

Finally, he saw her walking around the corner. Her long black coat whipping around her legs showed glimpses of the tall black leather boots she always seemed to wear. Maurice couldn't even imagine her in jeans and a t-shirt. He chuckled silently with the image of her in a t-shirt he saw in the news shop with "got lasagna?" bedazzled on it. She had a stern determined look on her face showing evidence of a busy morning. Perhaps her other appointments didn't go well this week, Maurice thought. 

She swept toward the table and enveloped the chair, suddenly becoming part of the table as if she had been there for hours. Nothing was said. She just looked at him and raised an eyebrow. Almost as if she was questioning him on why he was keeping her waiting. Maurice sighed and smiled. She didn't smile back. Instead she reached into her bag and pulled out a small paper sack. She held it close and studied Maurice as if she was debating whether or not he was worthy of such an item. After a few seconds the debate was settled and she slid the bag across the table. Maurice restrained from snatching the paper bag up and ripping it open immediately. He tried that once and it took two months for her to get over it. Two long months of him apologizing and begging for her to return. Instead he calmly took another sip of coffee, leaned forward and slid some bills across to her. She scooped them up and rose from the table, turned and, in a whirl of black leather, strode out of the cafe. 

Maurice watched her leave and with kid like enthusiasm ripped open the bag. The fragrant aromas of almonds, cinnamons, butter and sugar rose out from the bag and danced across his face. He closed his eyes, smiled and inhaled deeply. This made the whole morning worth it. No one can create a croissant like her.

I built a couple shelves so I can stand up and work. It's supposed to be better for you than sitting on your butt all day. 

I just used random scrap wood so looks aren't that great.

Some early observations:

• I need to angle the keyboard so the back is lower than the front. The flat angle is hard on the wrists. I actually have a set of sliding keyboard rails from my dad that I was thinking of inserting on the monitor stand. That way I just have 1 shelf and a slide out keyboard tray.
• The monitors might be too high.
• I wonder if I'll need to wear shoes more often now. Standing around in flat feet all day could get sore.
• A bar rail to step up on would be nice.
• The cats like laying under the shelf

I send a bi-weekly invoice to our office manager and I've gotten bored with the standard email so a few months ago I started writing silly messages. Here's this week's:

We find our brave engineer on the outskirts of a small town in northern New England. He's holed up in a small, but comfortable, cape in a quiet, heavily wooded residential neighborhood. The sound of a snoring cat and the clacking of keys is all that disturbs the morning. The birds are even strangely quiet today.

Suddenly, there's a large crash out the window! A giant Tyrannosaurus Rex has just lumbered into the front yard!  Snarling and snapping at anything within reach – spittle flying in a spray of foam. His roar is deafening after the morning quiet.

Our brave engineer stops typing and stares out the window in disbelief. Dammit, he thinks. The homeowners association clearly states that all pets must be on leashes if outdoors!

Sighing, he goes downstairs to the freezer and pulls out the moose shank he keeps for just this situation. Carefully, he goes out into the dooryard and starts to wave the tasty morsel around.

"Hey, you!" he shouts. "Hey Mr. Squiggles! You dumb oaf!".

The T-Rex looks at him, menace in his eyes. It takes him a minute or so to focus and then he realizes this is not an enemy. His tail starts to wag – giant bone quaking thumps into the ground.

"That's it! Want the bone? Want some brekky? Here, fetch!"

The brave engineer hurls the shank into the neighbors yard and the T-Rex lumbers off after it.

Our brave engineer looks after it for a second and then turns back into the house. He makes a call to his neighbor and with a great effort tries to get back into the work zone.

Soon, there's nothing but the sound of a snoring cat and the clacking of computer keys.

The car has been acting up lately. We would get into the car and couldn’t turn it on when using the keyless ignition. We’d just get the blinking red key symbol. Replacing the batteries in the fobs had no effect. It was quite annoying!

Yesterday I took it into the Nissan dealer and after about 40 minutes got a call from them.

“There’s something weird going on with your car.”
“Yes, I know”
“We can start it without having the keys in the car.”
“What?”
“Did you ever lose a key?”
“Yep – maybe a year or two ago.”
“Well, we think it’s still in the car somewhere.”

Turns out it was trapped in the rails under the driver seat! I think its battery was starting to die and that was causing the flaky recognition of the key fob. Hopefully, now that we have recovered it everything will work fine.

I’m still of the opinion that keyless ignition systems are a solution to a problem that people didn’t have. Although Colette likes it. But she carries a big ol’ purse everywhere.

I’ve uploaded some photos from our last trip with Globus & Cosmos (where Colette worked while we were in Denver) to the Canadian Rockies. It was an excellent trip from Calgary through Banff and on to Vancouver.

Click here to go see the mountains.

Forgot to include that we had Jacque & Terry & Alex visit us for about a week. We met up with them in Boston and spent a couple days down there playing tourists. We then took Amtrak back up to Portland and introduced them to Maine – “the way life should be” (must be true – it’s on all the state signs).

I even went with them to LL Bean’s to go trap shooting! What a blast! (ha!) You can’t come to America and not shoot something. Alex was thrilled. We also went to one of the coldest baseball games we’ve been to in Maine. It was a dreary day. In fact, the whole week was rather a bust weather wise.