Preparations for Africa

So, I thought it would be a good idea to update my vaccinations and see if I needed any new ones before heading to Africa. Turns out that was a good idea. Based on my potential travel itinerary, it was recommended that I get vaccinations for Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Yellow Fever, Polio and a Tetanus booster. Three series of shots and I will be all set. They also called in a perscription for anti-malarial drugs and an antibiotic I can take with me. I was shocked to find the co-pay for the anti-malarial drug was $50 (that was the co-pay!), but I guess it sure beats getting malaria, so I will just suck that one up.

I checked out the holidays in SA and it seems that Good Friday and Easter Monday are recognized holidays, so I am thinking that might be the perfect weekend to take a trip up to Victoria Falls. I don't want to pass up the opportunity to see one of God's Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Cross your fingers that I can make that happen and you can be sure I will post lots of pictures!

Folks have been asking when I will be leaving. The short answer is "I'm not sure." Right now, it is looking like the end of February, but I am hoping to know more this week. The project I have been working on in LA since August will not wrap up until February 15th. So, stay tuned. All I can do for now is prepare as much as I can in advance.

Happy New Year! 2008 is already shaping up to be an adventure!

I couldn't resist...

...taking another quiz. Since the title was, "What City Do You Belong In?" I wanted to know if happened to be any of the cities I have been (or are going to). Turns out, I shouldn't be surprised. I *love* Paris and I'm actually trying to figure out how I can coordinate a stopover in Paris on my way to Cape Town. Stay tuned.

You Belong in Paris

Stylish and expressive, you were meant for Paris. The art, the fashion, the wine! Whether you're enjoying the cafe life or a beautiful park... You'll love living in the most chic place on earth.

What City Do You Belong In?

"Tis the Season

I know I promised to update the blog, and I will. I promise. When I get home from LA next Friday, I am home for *TWO* whole weeks. I have a rather large list of things to do and preparing the blog for my next adventure is most definitely on the list. In the meantime, here's a link to a quiz posted by my friend Jane - couldn't resist the opportunity for a quiz. So, the question is.... what reindeer are you?

You Are Prancer

You are the perfect reindeer, with perfect hooves and perfect flying form. Why You're Naughty: Because you're Santa's pet, and you won't let anyone show you up. Why You're Nice: You have the softest fur and the sweetest carrot breath.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

Is Anyone Still Out There?

Okay, so I know its been a while. Well, let's be honest, it's been 4 months since I last blogged. As most of you know, when I left Manchester I went pretty much directly to Surf City, USA (a.k.a. Huntington Beach, California). The cross-country commute has been a killer, so the blogging has taken a back seat. That, and there has not been much picture-taking going on.

But, I do have some catching up to do, so look for more blog posts this week as I am on vacation this week! Woo Hoo!

Never Dare Mother Nature

So, I left the hotel this morning without a jacket or raincoat (see blog entry below). Basically, I dated Mother Nature to rain on me on my last day in Manchester. Never DARE Mother Nature. She *always* wins. I should have known better.

Oh, well.

Living Dangerously

It's my last day! The countdown is over, even if the work is not. By this time tomorrow, I will be making my way to the airport and coming home. Hard to believe. I have one more week at home, supporting the client over here, but that's it. My teammate Paul will be coming back to Manchester to pick up where I have left off and hopefully get this project live (I may have mentioned the ah, minor, project set back we've had?).

Anyways, thanks to the blog readers who have posted comments and kept me going through this experience. You never know where I might be.... next project is in sunny California - after that, who knows?

Why have I titled this entry "Living Dangerously?" I decided, as I walked out the door this morning, NOT to wear my rain jacket and NOT to carry an umbrella. I just dare it to rain today. Hah!

Not sure why I can't seem to put titles in any more, but just add that to my ever increasing list of technical difficulties this week..... Sigh. Some days, technology just stinks.

So, the countdown continues.... TWO days from now, I will be headed to the airport at this time. Tomorrow is my last day actually at the client site. But, that only means there is MUCH to be done between now and then. So, I had better get back to work. Many, many thanks to Katie and Debbie Jo for blogging a comment. It's nice to know you're out there.

I do have pictures to post, but I keep falling asleep when I get back to the hotel. I actually fell asleep the other night with all my clothes on. I vaguely remember waking up in the middle of the night, realizing I still had my clothes on, but just couldn't muster up enough energy to do anything about it.

I am really not sure who, if anyone, is reading the blog besides Katie and Jane. But if anyone is interested, I am coming home.On.Friday. It seems hard to believe that all these weeks have come to an end. I wish I could tell you that my project would be completed before I fly home, but that will not be the case. The project suffered a major set back last week when one of the users at the client mistakenly overwrote a major piece of code. After spending 2 days trying to resurrect it, they decided to install the last back of the code that was taken - a week previously. What that means, to the non-technical out there, is that this process effectively deleted a weeks' worth of my work. So, if it wasn't enough fun the first time around, I get to do it all.over.again. Ah, clients. Can't live with 'em; can't live without 'em. Sigh.

So, my last few days in England will be spent getting them to the place where they can begin testing everything I have done (so maybe its not such a bad thing that I will be 3 thousand miles away next week!). Although, I will be supporting these guys for 1 more week from home (well, technically, Mom and Dad's home). And then it's off to.......

Sunny California. My boss has already assigned me to my next project in southern California. So, now I will begin a 3 thousand mile commute in the opposite direction. Thankfully, it is only a 3-hour time difference to the left coast and I CAN come home every weekend, if I so choose. This new project is slated for approximately 5 months. I understand I will be very close to Disneyland, and several friends have mentioned the possibility of coming out for a weekend (what? you'd rather come visit sunny California than dreary, rainy Manchester? I'm shocked).

If I can stay awake long enough tonight, I will try and post some pictures from my trip to Edinburgh this past weekend. Beautiful city, would love to go back. I have my requisite bottle of scotch already packed in the suitcase. Yes, I am already packed to come home. :-)

England Goes Smoke Free

Today is July 1st and England officially goes "Smoke Free." Mancy cities and towns across America have instituted smoking bans in public places over the past few years. Today, England insitutes a country-wide smoking pan in public places - including resturants and pubs. :-)

Not sure if it applies to Scotland. I'll let you know next week.

That is your English trivia for today.

Countdown

12 Days...... until I fly home. Seems hard to believe, but its true. Of course, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the amount of work to do between now and then, but I am looking forward to going home and re-establishing my own routine. While this has been a great experience, there's "no place like home."

Today may be July 1st, it does not seem like summer to me. I feel like I am in a bit of a time warp. Each day is like the previous. I have heard that it has been HOT and HUMID at home. I can't say its been hot here at all. We are lucky to get to the mid-60s most days. As far as humid, well, I guess we are generally at 100% - that is - RAIN. It has rained here for several days now. I still see people wearing winter coats. I myself am still wearing a sweater - wool or cotton - every day and sometimes adding a jacket on top of that. I will be throwing out my umbrella before coming home as the darn thing just doesn't close right anymore. Too much overuse, I imagine.

Do I sound homesick? Yeah, I guess. But 12 days is nothin'.

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!