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London: Part 3

So, where were we? Right, Wednesday. This was the only day that we had a firm plan we had to stick to. (We're not big on firm plans, as you've no doubt gathered.) Jo had done a whole lot of research for us and determined that if you don't reserve tickets for Madame Tussauds* wax museum and the London Eye, you will end up spending most of a day standing in line a queue. Moreover, if you book both events at the same time, you save lots of brightly colored money. So we picked Wednesday, figuring that we'd surely be over any lingering jet lag by then.

Back on the train into Waterloo, and then the Tube to the Baker Street station (yes, that Baker Street—there's a statue of Sherlock Holmes outside #221B). We arrived at Madame Tussauds and got ushered through the front door just by flashing the email printout of our reservation! All the other poor slobs had to wait in an endless snaking queue in the hot sun for what must have been hours. Bwahahaha!

As soon as you get off the elevator lift, there are cameras flashing and a guy in a tux with a mic greeting everybody as if you're arriving at a post-Oscar party. The kids thought that was a riot. Then you go into the "party" and meet all the celebs. Here's Andy chatting up Susan Sarandon:

and Julie and Steph with Miley Cyrus:

After the Hollywood room, there are other rooms of athletes, politicians, etc. Here's Pete with Steven Spielberg:

and me hanging out with Audrey Hepburn:

Oh, and the kids finally got to meet (an overly skinny-looking) POTUS:

Some of the figures look so real it's positively unnerving, while others look like cheap department-store mannequins. It's incredibly crowded everywhere, with everyone jostling to pose with all the figures, but it's great fun too. At the end you board a simulated London cabbie and take a cheesy ride through the history of London. Which winds up in the gift shop, imagine that!

From there we hopped the Tube back to Waterloo and walked over to the London Eye. It was really startling every time I caught a glimpse of it, because it wasn't there the last time I was in London. And when you're talking about a 443-foot-high Ferris wheel, you catch a glimpse of it a lot. I can't say I like what it's done to the traditional historic view, but I guess it's been great for the economy—it's the most popular paid tourist attraction in the UK.

Unlike at Madame Tussauds, an advance reservation for the London Eye did not mean we got to avoid the long line. But as we were heading to the very back to begin our wait, a sympathetic employee saw Andy hobbling a bit with his cane (it had already been a long day of walking) and she whisked us to the front. (It was a rare instance in which something good came out of all the pain he's been in, so we didn't feel one bit bad for milking it a little.) So we got inside our little pod and up we went!

It moves incredibly slowly, so you don't feel even the least bit of motion sickness. By the time you get to the top, you can see for 25 miles in any direction! Here's a hazy view of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament:

Pretty cool, huh?

And that was Wednesday in London. At this rate I'll be ready for another vacation by the time I'm done telling you about this one!

*No, it's not spelled "Tussaud's," even though her name was Madame Tussaud, and this is her place. Argh.

Breaking News

We interrupt this scintillating travelogue to bring you the following bulletin: Julie won her school spelling bee tonight! Her winning word was BEAUTIFUL, which is how I'd describe her medal:

Unfortunately, I had to miss all the action (sob!), because Pete and I had a meeting at the temple with the rabbi to discuss his Torah portion for his Bar Mitzvah next year! Andy reported that she was in control the whole time and was positively beaming when she won.

London: Part 2

For those of you who've been asking, I forgot that Jo had emailed me some photos of her home before we arrived. Here's the approach:

And a closer view:

This is a view of the back yard garden from my bedroom window:

And a wintry view of the back of the house from that garden (remember, she lives in only one-third of it):

Now, back to the travelogue: On Tuesday we had our first real day of sightseeing in London. Jo dropped us at the nearby rail station and we took the clean and speedy train into Waterloo (about 45 minutes). We hopped on the Tube and rode to the Tower of London. There we explored the history of this massive castle and fortress where Anne Boleyn was executed, where Sir Walter Raleigh was imprisoned (along with his wife, children, and two servants!) several times before being beheaded, where there was an actual torture chamber (although we learned that its use has been greatly exaggerated over the centuries—not many people were actually put on the rack or in manacles), and where the two princes vanished (we got to vote—I blamed Richard III). Then we of course waited in line to gawk at the Crown Jewels, which are spectacularly blingy. I also enjoyed the newsreel you get to watch while waiting—it shows Queen Elizabeth's coronation. (Over and over and over....) I kept imagining that little girl in "The King's Speech."

Here's a Beefeater we met:

He asked where we were from. I said, "Boston," and he replied, "Ah, where they make tea with salt water!" "Just that one time!" I assured him.

Then we took the Tube again and sight-saw the Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and generally just people-watched and enjoyed the sunshine. Train back home, dinner in, and an early bedtime while we battled the last of the jet lag.

London: Part 1

We are home from our wonderful vacation week in London! I will try to post the highlights over the next few days.

It all started last Saturday, when Julie awoke with a fever and then threw up! Not the most auspicious beginning to a day that is going to include a red-eye transatlantic flight, that's for sure. I barely let her move for the rest of the day while we were doing the rest of the packing. She was clearly coming down with a cold, but her fever was controllable with Tylenol. I don't think she actually had a stomach bug—it was just one of those things where she got up quickly, didn't feel right, and puked. Still, I made sure to give her half a motion-sickness tablet before the flight, packed a change of clothes for her in my carry-on, and instructed her in the ways of the barf bag.

In fact, we all took half a motion-sickness tablet, hoping that the drowsy side effects would lull us to sleep on the flight. Steph turned out to be the only one who logged a respectable amount of sleep, though. We flew Delta, and the seat configuration was AB-aisle-CDE-aisle-FG. Steph had the A window seat, then came Andy on the aisle in seat B—he said he dozed off and on a bit. Then a row behind them was Pete, me, and Julie in seats CDE. Yup, I got the middle. At one point, Pete and Julie had their heads in my lap and managed to sleep a bit, but I never did. I have never once slept on a plane, so I wasn't too surprised. Julie didn't eat a lot, but she also didn't puke, and that was all I cared about. The kids were thrilled to have their own private video screens, and the food was fine. (Well, some of you know that I have an inexplicable appreciation of institutional food; what can I say?)

First thing Sunday morning we arrived at Heathrow, bleary-eyed, and Jo was waiting to pick us up. She drove us back to her beautiful home in Hampshire and immediately sent us to bed, where we all conked out for a good few hours. When we got up, she had prepared lunch for us, then we explored a bit.

Close your eyes and imagine every English country garden home you've ever seen in a jigsaw puzzle or movie. That's where Jo lives. Her house is one-third of what used to be an 18-bedroom country estate. I wish I had taken more photos (I see now that I didn't even get a shot of the front), but these will give you some idea:

She also has Ozzie, the obligatory English sheepdog (she and Andy grew up with English sheepdogs), but I didn't manage to get a photo of him either. I think the kids did, on their disposable cameras, but I haven't gotten them developed yet. (In fact, I have a feeling most of their photos are of Ozzie, who is lovable and good-natured. Yes, I'm now fielding pleas for a dog. The answer is No.)

Later on Jo drove us around her neighborhood to give us an idea of the place—and to keep us awake. The weather was sunny and warm—and believe it or not, that continued throughout the entire week! Can you imagine the luck—every single day was perfect! Unlike Boston, which was not so nice while we were away. So we headed back and the kids took a dip in the hot tub, then we had an early dinner and stayed up as late as possible before crashing.

Monday we woke up at a respectable hour, and all wished Pete a Happy 12th Birthday! Jo said she would take us into London for a brief driving tour, since there's nowhere to park. The kids had of course never been, so they got their first glimpses of Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the London Eye (that was a first for me and Andy too, since it wasn't there the last time we visited London), Wimbledon, and more. We did finally park in Parsons Green, which is a nice part of town where our nephew Al used to rent a flat before he came to Boston to attend Berklee. We texted him a photo of his old front door, and then had a light lunch at a wonderful chain called Le Pain Quotidien (that's where Pete's birthday photo was taken). I wish we had one here in Boston—I guess the nearest one is in Greenwich, Conn.

Then back in the car. We headed back south and stopped off in Guildford, which is a lovely town sort of near where Jo lives, and even nearer to where she used to live. Pete wanted one more thing for his birthday, and that was a real Arsenal football (read: soccer) jersey, and we found one for him there. Then we had dinner at Jamie's Italian, one of Jamie Oliver's restaurants. It was a great pick because the food is outstanding and there was plenty for the kids to choose from. Julie ordered from the kids' menu, which comes on a little viewmaster thingy instead of a card:

Then back home, where Jo had made Pete a birthday cake:

Oh wait, there's Ozzie! Pete had just blown out the candles and Ozzie was right there for all the excitement. It was a great day for all of us. (In truth, I think the highlight of the day for Pete was that he finally got to sit in the front seat for the first time—12 years old is the law in our family.) The kids are really good little travelers and didn't complain about being exhausted, even Julie who was still not feeling 100%. More tomorrow!

This Is What 49 Looks Like

Happy Birthday to me! Details of our London vacation to come. (Sneak Preview: It was wonderful!)

This Is What 12 Looks Like

Happy Birthday, Pete!

Friday iPod Random Ten

1. Wishing on A Star - Paul Weller
2. Further to Fly - Paul Simon 
3. What Do We Do Now - John Hiatt
4. Over & Done - the everybodyfields
5. Another Star - Stevie Wonder
6. I Keep Faith - Billy Bragg
7. Fly - Sugar Ray
8. Kansas City - Willie Nelson & Susan Tedeschi 
9. Jesus The Missing Years - John Prine
10. Can't Let Go (live) - Lucinda Williams

I'll Take Potpourri for $800, Alex!*

In between being incredibly frazzled and busy and at the same time feeling as though I'm not checking enough stuff off my to-do list (or, as I like to say, "turning TO-DO into TA-DA!"), I have had moments here and there of distraction and amusement. To wit:

• I can't tell you how many times I watched this video of twin baby boys having a full and frank conversation next to the fridge. I found it positively mesmerizing. I was fascinated by the hand gestures, the intonations, everything that they (presumably) see their parents do. They say that some twins develop their own language from their time spent together in their womb, and this sure supports that idea. This knock-off, featuring Michael Chiklis and Patton Oswald, on the other hand, I watched only once (although I do admit to laughing and thinking they did a really good job of choreographing every last arm and leg gesture).
• Two New Yorker cartoons that caught my eye: This one, which really rang true since I write the Class Notes column for my super-achieving Wesleyan alumni pals. And this one, which every Mom can probably relate to.
• Words Without Words, a "visual dictionary of words with abstract, complex, or underused meanings," is strangely compelling.
• I have not yet finished reading this remarkable article about David Foster Wallace, but so far it is the best thing I've read about him and his problems with depression and addiction. Be sure to click here to see the marginal scribblings in some of the books he read. His last (alas, unfinished) novel—The Pale King—is now available; I will buy a copy soon.
• OK, so my love of the Avett Brothers continues to grow exponentially; now it turns out that Scotty is a fine artist as well as a musician! Watch him in his art studio carving a lino print for the 2011 tour poster.
• The Sox are not exactly wowing us yet, but at least we can all play Don Orsillo Bingo while we watch.
• We hear a lot about famous first lines in literature; here are some notable last lines.
• This was from back on April Fools' Day; the lovely folks at King Arthur Flour put together a funny blog post about their mishaps in the test kitchen.

* Speaking of which (which = Jeopardy!), here is every single answer and question from every single Jeopardy! show ever. Really.

Red Tape in the Rain

This has not been my favorite week so far. I am cranking away, trying to finish up my week's work and do another week's worth of work (so I won't have to bring it with me on vacation) and somehow get a family of five ready to travel overseas. Oh, and all that other stuff like shopping and cooking and laundry and homework help and paying bills and endless chauffering to piano, sax, drums, dance, soccer practice, Hebrew school, playdates, etc. There is not enough Calgon in the world....

Yesterday I had Julie in the car on the way to her hip-hop dance class when I got pulled over by a local cop. It was very trafficky, so there wasn't any possibility that I was speeding. No, my inspection sticker had expired 2 weeks ago! I was appropriately mortified and contrite and ingratiating; the police officer was kind enough to let me off with a warning.

This morning after I walked Julie to school, I drove to my nearest gas station to get inspected. About 15 minutes later I learned that the Registry of Motor Vehicles produces a lovely four-color brochure titled, "My Vehicle Failed Inspection: What Do I Do Now?" Turns out my rear license plate is in such bad shape that some of the numbers can't be read clearly (which would have been a nice thing for the cop to point out yesterday, but...). I asked the guy if I could use touch-up paint, and he said then he'd have to fail me for sure, because apparently some people use that to change letters and numbers. (Bad people, not me!) And although my front plate is in good shape, we couldn't just swap them, because the non-removable registration sticker (which I did get last month, on schedule) is on the rear plate.

So I had to go to the dreaded RMV in the pouring rain. The Watertown RMV is the least oppressive I've ever been to, but that doesn't mean that it's pleasant. The guy at the station had said that I wouldn't need to wait in line, that the woman at the front who gives you your number would just order my new plate and give me a new registration sticker. Well, I explained what I needed, and she handed me a number and told me to wait. I said that I didn't think I needed to wait, but she was no longer listening to me. I sat down and noticed a sign warning that certain transactions had to be paid for in cash. I went back to the woman to ask whether I would need to pay cash and, if so, how much. She kind of sighed and spent the next 28 seconds ordering me a new plate, taking my $10, giving me a document that says that my new plate has been ordered (in case I get pulled over again), and handing me a sticker. So I really didn't need to wait, but she just felt like making me wait. And then not making me wait. These are the passive-aggressive types who work at the RMV. I asked her when the new plate would come, and she said, "14 weeks." I said, "You mean days, don't you?" "Weeks." So.

Back I went to the station, where they put the registration sticker on the front plate, put the front plate on the rear of the car, moved the illegible rear plate to the front, and gave me a new inspection sticker. Then I went home. When I went to put the documents in my glove compartment, I noticed that I didn't have my registration. Back I went to the station, where they had forgotten to give it back (and, I think, had probably in fact thrown it away by accident and had to retrieve it from the trash).

The part of this story that would be funny if I were just a wee bit less stressed out and exhausted is that for many years I have made a game of not getting my car inspected during the month when it is due, but rather waiting until the next month. There is absolutely no reason why this tiny act of subversion delights me so—surely it's not the prospect of saving $29 after 11 consecutive years of playing. I always imagine that if I got pulled over, I would be all oh-my-gosh-I-can't-believe-it, I had no idea it expired! But I never once got pulled over (not even that year when I actually waited two months beyond the expiration date). Naturally, this year, when it really was the last thing on my mind (and the last thing I had time for), I got pulled over. Serves me right, I suppose!

Friday iPod Random Ten

1. Wish We Were Back in Missouri - Emmylou Harris    
2. Angel From Montgomery (live) -  John Prine & Bonnie Raitt
3. Ford Econoline - Nanci Griffith
4. James - Huffamoose
5. Bellwether - Joe Henry 
6. Stick to the Plan - Graham Parker
7. Awake My Soul - Mumford & Sons
8. Harry's Wall - Loudon Wainwright III  
9. Fortune Teller - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
10. Where Are You Going - Dave Matthews   

Chili with a Definite Kick

Tonight I tried a new recipe for chili, this one from Pam Anderson's wonderful food blog Three Many Cooks. Even though I cut back a bit on the spices, it was still a bit too fiery for my gang, so I think next time I will probably just omit the cayenne entirely (I used a mild chili powder blend, so that couldn't have been the culprit). I got all the ingredients ready ahead of time (including purchased rotisserie chicken—or, as Tonya calls it, "astronaut chicken") and Andy put it all together while I was doing the never-ending Tuesday carpooling. I served it with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and tortillas.

Kick-Butt Chicken Chili

2 slices thick bacon
1 large onion, diced
2 large celery stalks, diced
2 large carrots, diced
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
4 large cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons tomato paste
¼ cup chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
¾ teaspoon cayenne
2 bay leaves
1 cup beer
1 pound frozen sweet corn
1 ½ pounds (about 3 cups) cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
1 cup chicken broth
2 cans (28 ounces each) whole tomatoes
2–3 cups cooked black beans, drained
Optional garnish: chopped cilantro, lime wedges, grated cheddar cheese, and sour cream

Fry bacon in a Dutch oven over low heat, flipping occasionally, until fat has rendered and bacon is crisp. Remove, drain on a paper towel, chop, and set aside. There should be about 2–3 tablespoons of fat in the pot—if not, add olive oil to make up the difference.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add onions, celery, and carrots; sauté, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper, until soft, 5–7 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste, stir to coat, and continue to cook until the garlic is fragrant, about another minute. Add all the spices and the bay leaves; stir to combine and cook another minute. Add the beer, corn, bacon, and chicken; continue stirring until well mixed. Add broth and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes with the blunt end of a wooden spoon.

Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and continue simmering, partially covered, until flavors have mingled and the chili is the consistency of a thick stew, 30–40 minutes. Add beans and continue simmering until you’ve reached your desired consistency (don’t simmer too long after adding the beans or they will fall apart). Discard the bay leaves, taste the chili, and season with more salt, pepper, and spices if necessary. Serve hot with desired toppings.

My Pad

My birthday isn't for another couple of weeks, but Andy decided to surprise me with an early gift, something that he thought I might want to bring to London—an iPad! Silly boy, he thought you could just walk into an Apple store and pick one up. No, you have to either order it online and wait 3 weeks for it to arrive, or you show up at the mall at the crack of dawn and wait with all the other die-hards to see whether that particular store got any deliveries that morning, and if so, if it's the model you want. So yesterday Andy took his coffee and newspaper and headed to the mall at 6:30 a.m.! He was eighth in line, and was just about the only one who was not using an iPad while waiting to buy an iPad.

Normally Andy and I present each other with birthday gifts and say, "The usual disclaimers apply," which means: If you don't like this, I would feel worse if you kept it than if you returned or exchanged it for something you like better. We've each had to exercise this option a couple of times, mostly for clothing that didn't fit or look right, but for the most part our gift choices are on the mark. However, this time Andy decided he needed to spoil the surprise because he didn't know which iPad to get, the wifi-only version, or the wifi-plus-3G version—and if the latter, AT&T or Verizon? We decided that it made sense to get the 3G version, since you don't need to sign up for a long-term contract; rather, it's like a gym membership where you can pay for any given month that you need the service. For instance, we usually go up to the White Mountains for a week in the summer, and there's no wifi up there, so that would be a good opportunity to buy a month of 3G service. As for AT&T vs. Verizon, we have AT&T on our iPhones and have very spotty service, so it seemed to make sense to get a Verizon iPad—that would pretty much double my chances of getting a signal on one device or the other! In fact, we know there's decent Verizon coverage up in New Hampshire. Anyhow, it turned out that the Apple store had only Verizon models yesterday anyhow, so that made the decision for us.

And wow, it's way cool! Some of the apps that I have on my iPhone come in much fancier, sleeker versions on the iPad. The display is just unbelievable—mostly I feel as thought I'm using my iPhone but magically don't need my reading glasses.

I've barely scratched the surface of what it can do, and I'm really looking forward to digging in. I will even give the e-reader a try, although don't expect me to give up real books anytime soon.

So ... for those of you with iPads, what apps do you like best? Helpful hints and little-known secrets? I'm eager to learn.

Friday iPod Random Ten

1. Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot - Sting 
2. Jersey Girl (live) - Tom Waits
3. Black Widow - Michelle Shocked
4. Loop Around Atlanta - Dead Ringer Band
5. The Golden State (acoustic) - John Doe   
6. I Wish It Would Rain (live) - Nanci Griffith
7. Greg Brown - Good Morning Coffee
8. Picture Show (live) - John Prine
9. So Called Friend - Uncle Tupelo
10. Slip Slidin' Away - Paul Simon

Sorry to all of those who have been waiting for a REAL post—Sunday, I hope!