The Name Game

One of the folks at my client started asking me yesterday about the names of English cities and towns that also exist in the U.S., specifically in New England. He started firing off names from England and I fired back their U.S. counterparts. We came up with quite a list in just a few minutes:

Plymouth, MA (of course!)
Gloucester, MA
Worcester, MA
Manchester, NH
Bristol, RI
Portsmouth, RI
Dover, MA
Weymouth, MA
Boston, MA
Cambridge, MA
Brighton, MA
NEW London, CT
Derby, CT
Norwich, CT
NEW York
Birmingham, AL

There were several others. In fact, the only 2 I could not think of U.S. counterparts for were Leeds and Liverpool - is there a Liverpool anywhere in the U.S.??

Can any of you blog readers add to the list? Get out your Atlas!

A London Landmark

Among all the famous landmarks in London, nothing seems more iconic to me than Tower Bridge. It's a beautiful bridge, from the water, from land and from the bridge itself.

Look Kids - Big Ben, Parliment

I couldn't resist the quote from "National Lampoon's European Adventure." We didn't get stuck in a roundabout, but decided to take a cruise on the Thames, instead. We went right by the houses of Parliment, under London Bridge, under Tower Bridge and by the Tower of London (more pictures of that later).

If you look closely - you will see another boat in the Thames - that lucks suspiciously like a Duck. Yup, there are "Duck Tours" in London, too!

Family Picture

I was not all that interested in having my picture taken (I would rather be *behind* the camera), I did agree to one family picture in London. Mind you, there are several key members of the family missing, but these are the family members that were present.

Look Who We Found.....

Dedicated blog readers will remember my earlier posts about the statue of Abraham Lincoln that I found in Manchester. Well, look who stands in the shadow of Westminster Abbey? There is no plaque on the statue, but it was nice to see that his greatness as a leader is recognized outside the United States.

London

So, when I couldn't get home for another visit in June, Mom and Dad flew to London for a visit. We had a great time - Mom and I were interested in checking out the antiques in London, so we went to the famous Portobello Road Market on Saturday morning. We found a few souveniers and Dad was a great sport while we poked around. From there, we went to the Winston Churchill Museum and The Cabinet War Rooms. Very cool. If you ever have a chance to go to London, this museum is a must-see. The Cainet War Rooms operated around the clock from the beginning of the war in 1939 to its end in August 1945. As the story goes, the day after V-E day, the soldiers stationed at the Cabinet War Rooms, straightened their desks, shut off the lights for the first time in 6 years and locked the doors behind them. That's the way these rooms stayed until the late 70's when the rooms were opened up. Today, the museum gives you a great perspective on what life was like in this underground bunker. The maps are still on the walls - complete with pins marking troop movement and pivotal battles. The walls have been removed and replaced with Plexiglass in many areas so that you can get a perspective on what life was like while the Germans were bombing London over their heads. You can see where Churchill slept, ate and made secure phone calls across the Atlantic to the American President, planning their strategy. It is an amazing look back into a period of time that changed the face of history. Here's a picture of Mom and Dad outside the entrance to the museum and a link to the museum itself.

www.iwm.org.uk/cabinet

More Faces I Can't Wait to See Again

So, I am trying to catch up some pictures I have not been able to post while I was having some IE issues. Here are pictures of Danny, Katie and the newest Hickey - Jack, taken on the Cape when I was home at Memorial Day. Jack is a year and half and an absolute sweetie. He has even managed to win over Suzi, who was not too sure about the "new kid." Jack is a total love and it absolutely dedicated to his family. He has earned the nickname "Lickey Hickey" (for the obvious reasons) and visitors to the house are subject to a "Jack Attack." I can't WAIT to see these guys again.

Edinburgh

So, I decided that I needed a treat to look forward to over the next few weeks. There are many long days ahead of me before this project will go-live and I will be working on my birthday and the 4th of July this year (as you can imagine, the Brits don't celebrate the American Independence Day). I just booked myself a weekend at the Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club in Edinburgh. There's also a spa at the hotel, so I will be calling them as soon as they open this morning to make a few appointments. :-) It's already improved my mood today. I'll get a change of scenery, a chance to relax and the opportunity to see another part of the world that I have not been to before returning to the States on July 13th (for those of you keeping track, that is THREE weeks from today).

My good friend Paul has been in Edinburgh for work this week, so I am sure he can give me some sightseeing tips. Edinburgh Castle is a must. Since a good part of my Saturday will be spent at the spa, Sunday will be my main sightseeing day. It will be a good orientation to a new city - and I can always return.

Did you ever wonder....

what the difference is between "England," "Great Britain" and the "United Kingdom?"

I did. So, here's the answer. England is the country of England itself. Great Britain includes England, Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdon includes Great Britain and Northen Ireland. Got it? Okay - that is your trivia for today.

Happy Summer!

Happy Summer, blog readers (whoever you may be!). Today is June 21st, the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. And, the "official" start of summer. May you all have a long, fun, safe and enjoyable summer.

Dig out your beach gear and fire up the bar-b-que!

Mark Twain has never been to Manchester

So, I think most Americans are familiar with the quote from Mark Twain, "If you don't like the weather in New England, wait a minute."

I am going to make the broad assumption that Mark Twain never traveled to Manchester, UK.

I woke up this morning, convinced I had overslept because it was *so* bright in my hotel room. When the phone rang, I thought it was going to be my client wondering where I was, but no, it was my wake up call at 6:45.

Walking to the office this morning, I made a point of saying to myself that I just HAD to blog what a beautiful morning it was in Manchester. Clear blue skies over the gorgeous Town Hall. It was going to be a great day.

Then I got to the office, started checking email, etc. and looked out my window. Gone were the blue skies of only a hour before. Now it looks like rain is headed our way.

The speed with which the weather can turn over here can make you dizzy. Mark Twain's got nothin' on Manchester. Enjoy the blue skies when you can! They sure don't last very long.

A License for your TV?

There's a small billboard outside the office in Manchester that I see every day on my walk to and from work. They recently changed the billboard and the new message is essentially that "they" have a database and know where ALL the TVs are in Britain and to make sure you have a license for your TV.

A license for your TV???? OK, I'll bite. So I asked one of the Brits I work with what that is all about, and sure enough, you need a license for every TV in your home. The fee is 200GBP (approx. $400) a year - per TV.

Evidently, the licensing fee is used to fund the BBC. The BBC does not show any commercials.

So, there is your British trivia for today.

Technical Difficulties

OK, I know I *promised* to post some pictures from London, etc. this weekend. And I DID download the pictures from my camera. However, everytime I uploaded a picture to the post, Internet Explorer shut down on me. Every time! And it's not a Blogger issue as it also happened when I was checking my work email through the internet and other sites I may have visited. I checked for IE updates, but it says my laptop is up to date. Does anyone have any ideas?

Some days, I just hate technology. :-(

A Prayer for Fathers

When my Grandpa died, back in 1974, my Dad found the following prayer among his things. He read it at my Nana's funeral a few years ago as the prayer could just as easily apply to mothers as fathers. I post it here in honor of Father's Day:

If fathers, by and large, weren’t pretty admirable men,
we would find it difficult, if not impossible to pray the Lord’s Prayer without having the words turn sour in our mouths.

But we do not find it difficult at all; we find it easy.

And that is so because countless fathers, by their kindness to their children, their watchfulness over them and their sacrifices for them, have endowed the word “father” with lovable meanings.

8 Random Things....

So, my good friend Jane has a blog and she was "tagged" by another blogger to post 8 "random" things about herself. She, in turn, tagged me and some other blogging friends to do the same. It is not easy to come up with random things about yourself and as Jane found out, her friends were more than happy to point out some random things about HER! So, here goes. Feel free to add comments if I have left out any pertinent randomness about myself.

1) My contacts prescription is -7.25 (no, that is not a type - I wish it were). Many people don't even know that I wear contacts and that is because you will never see me in glasses if I can help it. Think about how thick my glasses would be. I would love to have Lasik surgery, but that brings me to randomness #2.

2) I have a total eye phobia. I think this stems back to an "art cinema" class my Mom took when she was finishing her degree at Regis College. I happened to watch a black & white film with her that was part of her homework and let's just say, I would NOT call it art. There was a scene, that I will spare all of you by NOT describing, but suffice it to say, my stomach rolls just thinking of it. I explained all this to my eye doctor a few years ago when we talked about Lasik and he said they could give me a LOT of Valium to get me through the procedure. I'm still considering it.

3) I can only wink with my left eye. This is a source of great humor for my family, especially my niece and nephew, who can effectively wink with either eye. Obviously, I possess some sort of genetic defect within the family. (no further comments are necessary).

4) Speaking of nieces and nephews - I have one of each. Most of you probably know this, so perhaps it is not random. I do, however, have three godchildren. Katie (also my niece) will be 12 this summer; Logan (the son of one of my best friends from college) just turned 6; and, Thomas (the newly adopted son of my best friend from high school) just turned 1. I can think of no greater honor to have been asked to fulfill this role and they are very special to me.

5) I have kissed the Blarney Stone twice. Again, this may not be surprising to any of you, as I can strike up a conversation with just about anyone. My Nana, shortly before she died, starting calling me "Chit Chat" which was also a source of great amusement to my family.

6) I have NO idea how to work a sewing machine or hem a pair of pants. Cross-stitch, needlepoint, embroidery - I can show you examples of each. Put me in front of a sewing machine and I would just stare at it. I actually own a sewing machine, too - my Nana gave me one years ago!

7) If I were to have been born a boy, I would have been named "Daniel Patrick." My nephew is named "Daniel Joseph," so we ended up with a Danny in the family after all! ;-)

8) I'm stumped to think of an 8th random thing about me, so I am challenging all of you to come up with one. Post some comments - I'd love to hear what you come up with - I am sure I can count on Jane for a few suggestions! :-)

Happy Father's Day

It's still bright and early back at home (well, it's early, at least!), but I wanted to wish my Dad a Happy Father's Day! I'm sorry I can't be there to hang out and do Sudoku with you or go to a car show, but I am trying my best to get home on the appointed date so we can have that family BBQ.

Happy Father's Day as well to my brother, John (a.k.a Bro) and to the other fathers I know (Paul, Pat, Jeff, Mohammad, Bill, Nate, Justin, Todd, et al).

Love,
Faith

Nightlights

I was talking to one of the project team members the other day that reminded me about something else I should post about the life of a consultant.....

Natasha was telling me how she cannot sleep without it being completely dark in the room. She has room darkening shades, wood blinds AND curtains on the window, which she closes every night. She still sees light peeking through (it is light in Manchester until about 10:00 these days) and has to tuck the curtains around the window to block the light.

I, on the other hand, have developed the ability to sleep soundly through the night with ALL the lights on in the room. No problem. I developed this ability out of necessity. Spending as much time in hotels as I do - I have, on occasion, woken up in the middle of the night with NO idea where I was. In fact, I remember a particular occasion earlier this year when I sat straight up in bed, my heart **racing** because I had NO idea where I was. For one seemed like minutes (but was probably only seconds), I stared at a lamp on the other side of the room, wondering where in the world I was. After a few seconds/minutes of panic, I realized I was in my own room, at HOME! I fell back to the bed and was asleep within seconds.

So, although I don't **need** a nightlight, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea.......

The Mountain is Coming to ME!

You know the old saying about how if Mohammad can't get to the mountain, the mountain just has to get to Mohammad? Well, since I can't squeeze in another trip home in June, I convinced my boss that I should be able to fly someone over for a visit instead.

So, Friday night, Mom and Dad are arriving in London! Funny, they weren't all that interested in coming to Manchester...... Anyways, I have been wanting to get down to London myself as I have not been there since I was a senior in college. So, I redeemed the rest of my Marriott points and will be taking the train from Manchester to London after work on Friday. The three of us have a nice long-weekend planned for ourselves. Everyone was interested in seeing a show and Dad requested to see Phantom; I wanted to see Wicked. So, we're seeing both. Dad's logic is that he only gets to London once every 10 years, so why not do it up right? Sounds fair to me. So far, Mom is just going with the flow.

Also on the agenda for this weekend: the Tower of London (I want to see the Crown Jewels and the Torture Devices exhibit - my morbid sense of curiosity, I guess), a double-decker bus tour, Westminster Abbey and a tour of Buckingham Palace. Mom and I would love to check out one of the London Antiques markets. We'll see if Dad will go for it. :-)

So, stay tuned next week for some pictures from our excursion!

The life of a consultant

I was just talking to a friend/co-worker who told me that at a previous project, he and his team had concocted a list: "You know you have been a consultant too long when..." He could not remember everything on their list, but I decided to start my own....

1) You refer to the hotel as "home."
2) You dial "9" before making a phone call - from HOME (I have a really funny story about this one - ask me about it sometime).
3) You have memorized your credit card number, expiration date and that little security code they ask you for now.
4) You have memorized your most frequently used Frequent Flier account, know exactly how many miles you have in said account and the number of miles necessary to reach the next level of "status." The same holds true for your favorite hotel account.
5) Your mailman is more familiar with your travel schedule than your family and close friends.
6) Being home on "Garbage Day" is a reason for pure excitement (my garbage day is on Wednesday. Now I ask you - when was the last time I was home on a WEDNESDAY?)
7) The term "vacation" is most cherished when it has nothing to do with a hotel reservation.
8) Being home long enough to actually unpack and put the suitcase away in the closet feels strange.

I am sure I could come up with a few more if I thought about it..... or feel feel to contribute you own. I am quite confident there are some blog readers who can relate to this.......

Sweet or Salty?

I am somewhat at a loss of what to do on the weekends, as I am used to having SO much to do at home that having "free" time seems a bit strange. I have been reading lots of paperbacks and doing some needlework and going to at least one movie every weekend. There has not been a whole lot to choose from at the movies this spring and some of the movies being released in the US are not being released over here (e.g., Georgia Rule - although my friend Erin says I am not missing anything with that one!). There are 2 movie theaters in walking distance from my hotel, so I check online at the end of each week and plan my movie strategy! The first time I went to the movies over here, I went to the concession stand to get the obligatory "movie snack" of popcorn and a soda and the guy behind the counter asked me if I wanted "sweet or salty" popcorn. "What's sweet popcorn," I asked? It's got a light coating of toffee on it. YUM. I am addicted. I have done a good amount of complaining about the quality of British food, but let me tell you, they do toffee right. I brought some home for Kathy (remember she is the one bringing in all that mail every few days) and some to my family. It was a big hit with all involved. Kathy's son Connor has requested replenishment already! And I am sure Danny would not turn it down, either. ;-)

So, if you are ever at the movies in England, I highly recommend the "sweet" popcorn.

There's NO Place Like Home....

Once again, I apologize for the gap in time since my last postings. I actually managed a trip home last weekend. I flew home on Friday, landing at Logan around noontime. Dad picked me up at the airport and we made our way back to my house (after first satifying my craving for a good old American hamburger!) and promptly fell asleep - Dad in the chair and me on the sofa, for a good hour and a half! Dad got to work on a project in my basement and eventually I made my way over to Kathy's to pick up my mail - all FOUR shopping bags of it. When I brought it home, I stood in the kitchen next to the garbage and filtered out all the junk mail. Over the course of the weekend, I managed to flip through most of the catalogs, but I saved the People magazines (thanks again Justin and Connor!) to bring back to England. I was *still* opening mail on Wednesday before flying back to Manchester that night. I can only imagine how much will be waiting for me when I get back in July. Many, many thanks to Kathy for taking on the job of bringing in my mail every few days and letting me know when something important comes through.

The rest of the weekend was a blur - and I am not exaggerating. I am not sure where the time went and it already seems like forever ago that I was home at all. However, now I am on the home stretch of the project and I am bond and determined to get everything live so I can fly home on July 13th for good. On the bright side, I am expecting visitors next weekend! Mom and Dad are flying over to London on Friday and I am going to take the train down and meet them after work. I am still debating as to whether I will take Monday and Tuesday off or just Monday, but it will totally depend on how much work I can get done this week. Wish me luck! Mom and Dad are staying through Wednesday and I made reservations for us at the Marriott on Regent's Park - thank God for all those Marriott points! All those nights in Lyndhurst, NJ are paying off! ;-)