2001-12-28 - 12:41 a.m. london calling I'm writing now from a warm cozy room in London where I'm spending the holidays with friends...despite everyone's warnings of the bitter cold, gray, rainy climate, it doesn't seem much different from SF other than the darkness that creeps into mid morning, thus keeping me from waking up as early as I'd like... I'd intended this page to include a photo of a detail from Somerset House, which I visited today, but this computer I'm on appears to be devoid of USB ports to plug the camera into, and the PC disk I saved a photo on from my iBook is now gone all sketchy, so it is not to be. :-( I guess I'll have to go back later and add in the photo (NOTE: photo added 1/5/02). The most stunning piece of art in the Courtauld Collection housed there was Cranach's "Adam & Eve" with its beautiful jewel tones. A postcard copy of that painting was my only purchase today (other than a tuna and red onion sandwich and water for lunch)even though I went record shopping off Oxford St. at Reckless Records and the like. I wish I'd snuck a photo of the beautifully carved lions on the fireplace in room #3... They were so beautiful. But it was too dark to take the photo without flash, which is all you are allowed to do, and the guard kept eyeing me suspiciously... The flight over was much better than I thought it would be. I say this despite the fact that they gave away my window seat because people traveling alone don't get to have priority with seating; I set off the alarm at security and was thoroughly searched in front of everyone getting on my flight, and had to take off my boots and have them run through the x-ray machine. So, why was it still a good flight? Because they bumped me up to business class, no charge. I even got a window seat. I credit this good fortune to one of my wonderful co-workers, who, as I mentioned in my last entry, suggested I wear something nice to get upgraded. What a smart boy. Plans are still up in the air for NYE but it doesn't really matter to me what we do, as long as champagne, music, and cute boys are involved. My thoughts are muddled from the long drive back from Oxford tonight, and all the food we ate at the pub. Tonight's pub gathering at Goose in Oxford was my 2nd pub visit thus far. Drayton Court Hotel (a Fullers pub) was my first. This means I got to have a pint of ESB as my 1st pint in a pub in London. This makes me especially happy. I must say though that it was a wee bit sweeter than I am used to it being. More soon... any comments? (0 so far) previous - next recently on almostgoldsf... in defense of an email box I came to do battle with SPAM - 2008-05-17 hello 2006 - 2005-12-31 Happy Thanksgiving - 2005-11-14 bon voyage - 2005-11-05 October already? - 2005-10-09