Author: boomingbanter

We had our first BIG British Breakfast this morning at Madingley Hall. It was delicious and it was fun to sit in the dining room with some students who’d come to do a short course on creative writing.

The Hall was built in Tudor times and there are lots of original features that are so well preserved. We were tickled to know that’s Queen Victoria had rented the hall for The Prince of Wales (later Edward Vll) as his place to stay when he was a student at Cambridge. Pretty sure he had no better breakfast than the one we had today.

This set us up for our drive and day in York. It was so easy getting there and getting around and we loved the city very much.

So much history at York Minster from Roman times till now and quite a lot of links to people called William.

There is the Conqueror of course but also a Prince William and a Saint William who are both buried there and William Wilberforce who did some saintly work himself to abolish slavery.

There are many treasures too including the York Gospels and the cross of Czar Nicolas. Definitely well worth a visit.

We are spending the night in a lovely B&B in the heart of the East Riding of Yorkshire to get a feel for the country as well as the city.

A good dinner at the local pub and a of course a little BITTER!

Blessing # 411 – Saints and Scholars and Some Sheep!

We had a good flight and I got to watch Bohemian Rhapsody which was a treat. We had a few hours sleep and landed on time.

The day was not without frustrations though.

First when we got to Eurocar we found that collision insurance was not covered in the booking we had made though RentalCar.Com.

Result is that we ended up paying as much for insurance as we had already paid to Rentalcar.com for the car and third party coverage

Anyway a costly lesson learned and no more Rentalcar.com or Eurocar again for us! Maddening!

It is a momentous day here in the UK. A new prime minister and the hottest July day ever recorded at 38C / 100F in London! Don’t think the two are related but Boris may be the cause of a few raised temperatures in the weeks ahead!

We decided to keep the Queen theme going and visited Windsor before heading to Cambridge. That worked out well. Her Majesty was in residence as the standard was flying but she didn’t ask us to stop for tea which was disappointing!

The journey from Windsor to Cambridge was less than stellar. I’d forgotten how many traffic jams there are around London and we hit a lot of them. Our ancient satellite navigation system failed to work so we were on a wing and a prayer getting to Cambridge. One jam took one hour to move one mile! The stuff of nightmares!

A piece of luck was that we accidentally ran into Runnymede so got to see the place the Magna Carter was signed which impressed Aaron.

It took forever to get to Cambridge and then we got lost in the town. There are so many road works we ended up going round in circles and eventually down a bus and pedestrian only street! With all the cameras they have we will no doubt get a fine too! By now we were frying!

From here on in things rebounded to be good with a beautiful place to stay called Madingley Hall. It is great because it is a real University dorm and full of character but outside the main town so lovely gardens and most importantly PARKING!

We visited the colleges and backs after a few set backs and paid hommage to Sidney Sussex Dads alma mater.

Now we are sitting eating and drinking and looking forward to a horizontal position shortly.

Blessing #410 – Ups, Downs, Fronts and Backs

 

After a good rest we said goodbye to Dad and Dibs and started our drive to Chicago.

All went well until our pit stop half way across Indiana when we discovered the melon Dad had lovingly cut for us was still on the table at home.

Aaron drive more than half the way which was a good chance to sit back and watch the fields fly by.

 

We found the parking garage in no time and got dropped right outside our check in point.

 

So now with a lot of time to kill what else to do but eat Chinese and play cards!

Blessing # 409 – Feeling Relaxed

PS we got a little unexpected upgrade at the gate!

Aaron was working nights yesterday so he went with his Dad for a haircut. This is usual for them before leaving on vacation even though Krishna is staying home to take care of Dibley.

Usually while we travel Dibley stays at his Pet Hotel and Spa where he is pampered and also has his hair done.

Dibleys hair has got quite long even though it is now very thin because of his Cushings.

Krishna was worried that in this heat he would be suffering but his groomer at the Spa was booked out solid till September.

So Aaron and I decided we’d take on the challenge ourselves. Out came the clippers and the scissors and we got to work.

Don’t know if you’ve ever tried to cut a dogs hair but it takes a lot of skill that I don’t have. The furball was very amenable though so he must have felt the need.

He looks dreadful. He has lots of these lumpy bumpy things all down his back that are part of his ailment.

He is almost completely grey and the hair on his tail has fallen out so much it looks like a rats. Now add to this the slips and trips made by me with the shears and he is a right royal mess.

His torture and bath was no sooner over that we see a post from his spa saying that they have an unexpected opening at 7:30 am today for the groomer!

We didn’t tell him!

No doubt though he will take revenge by peeing on all my pot plants that have been moved to the patio so Krishna can easily water them. Let’s hope he’ll stay cool!

Blessing # 408 – Hair Grows Back!

There is only one possibility for OoO and that’s Out of Office!

As Aaron and I are taking off for the UK on Wednesday the timing of OoO could not be better.

One lesson learned from years of travel and missed connections is get by with hand luggage only.

This has become an obsession and fortunately it is one that Aaron is happy to adopt.

I have a great dislike for suitcases. They are cumbersome and encourage you to take much more than you need. In particular, if you are moving around from one place to another as we will be, they are a pain to haul in and out of cars.

So what to use instead? It’s got to be a little black bag. My love affair with this treasure has been ongoing for many many years. It is light as a feather, can be stuffed to the gills and fits under even the smallest airline seat. It can serve as a pillow an even a foot rest.

The little black bag is all we’ll have for three weeks apart from my handbag (purse) and Aaron’s back pack!

It’s a fun challenge to get by with just this. Anything superfluous has to be removed! Downsize everything to the smallest denomination. Why take a big bottle if a small one will do!

All essentials like contact lenses, specs, tickets and travel documents must be taken though. So a check list is vital. Last year we were half an hour from home when we realized Aarons’ contact lenses had been forgotten!

Only essential clothes are possible but for a tour of all of the UK this means being prepared for all weathers. We’ll have four changes of clothes from inside to out including T-shirts and sweaters, trousers and shorts, swim wear and rain wear and a few dressy items for a fancy outing or two!

Of course this means we’ll need to wash our clothes as we go along and some people might think this is madness but honestly it is liberating and better than  trailing laundry around with us for weeks.

With just one or two nights in each of the places we plan to stop we may well have to transform the car into a mobile clothes dryer.

Trust us though while there may be a few odd outfits there will not be any offensive odors 

Blessing # 407 – Travelling Light

Man what a day for the island of Ireland. Shane Lowry is certainly a very happy man entering the history books.

He will never be an NN nomen nescio or unknown name again!

Makes you think though how far back you can go in your own history.

Some years ago my cousin Vicki organized a family reunion. We didn’t make it because our niece was getting married at exactly that time. Vicki managed to trace back the family tree to five generations. Quite something!

I don’t know much though about my fathers side of the family but then again I didn’t loose any sleep digging into it.

This brings us to the more commonly used NN the night night  in text speak!

Made me think of goodnight moon and other stories that Aaron liked when he was little and of a little rhyme my Mom would say to me.

Bet Shane will not need too much rocking tonight to nod off.

Blessing # 406 – Sound Sleep

The OPEN was live today from Portrush Northern Ireland. It was so wonderful to see the homeland in all its glory and to hear all the commentary about the hospitality and beauty of the country. This is brilliant for tourism and the economy and it makes me so happy.

Those golfers need mm precision to get that little ball where they want it and maybe a little luck too for a hole in one.

Here in the USA the mm is foreign as the Système International (SI) for units of measure has yet to be adopted. We’re still working in inches, pounds, gallons and so on. This always amazed me. Why, when all over the world people have gone metric does the USA still hang on to the past yet was one of the first countries to have a metric system of currency! Very weird.

Mind you for the US golfers at the open they will feel right at home in Northern Ireland for we, as part of the UK, still hold on to miles as our measure of distance!

Cross the border to the Republic of Ireland and you move to kilometers. How confusing is that? Let me tell you it is especially so if you hire a car in the Republic and have to convert your speed to miles as I often do!

Enough now of mm and on to the much more serious topic of  small four legged critter!  All MICE seem to have names that start with M. We have Mickey, Minnie and my own favorite Mighty Mouse. Which MM do you like most?

Finally the most important topic of all the M&M. We love them all but if you haven’t met the new jalapeño one yet you have got to try them. I got two big family bags for Mothers Day that were devoured in no time and went straight from the lips to the hips!

Mars and Murrie created not just a great confection they created characters too.

We went to an auction today in the 100F (38C in SI speak) heat and what did we encounter but a whole truck load of M&M memorabilia.

Didn’t quite fit with my booth so we didn’t bid but certainly confirmed the subject of the day just had to be sweet!

Blessing # 405 – Morish Munchies

Those inclined to numbers will attach much significance to LL! Particularly if they are statisticians looking for what is and isn’t a true difference.

The medic or the nutritionist might think of the LL as the lower limit for a drugs effectiveness or the safest minimum level for an essential component like a vitamin in the diet.

Sporty types especially here in the USA will remember their Little League days.

That wasn’t so long ago for Aaron but his Leg Length has stretched a lot since then.

When I see LL together the face of the Llama leaps out.

The village where we lived in Switzerland had a lovely little zoo replete with a herd of Llamas.

Eventually the herd grew so big most of them were moved to a farm and ran around the fields like young goats.

One day when we were at the zoo with some friends there were some people standing close to us by the Llamas.

They were nasty people and were being mean to the animals teasing them with handfuls of grass and then pulling this away. All of a sudden one of the Llama who must have been the boss man had had enough. He came running at them and I kid you not he spat straight in their faces.

We were mesmerized but we couldn’t resist Laughing Loud. You should have seen those people slinking away.

Blessing # 404 – Getting the LL!(Last Laugh)

There are a few nasty things that KK could be associated with but they don’t deserve any word and are best ignored, ideally destroyed.

The first KK I thought of was the BIG gorilla KING KONG. The movie has been remade several time but the only one I’ve ever seen is the old classic.

Best thing about the movie was also the worst. It gave everyone a taste to go see the Empire State Building where the poor soul met his demise.

A gorilla would never cross the mind of guys like our Aaron if asked what KK means. He’d tell you it’s text speak for everything is OK.

Maybe if he was online gaming he’d go one step further and stay it is OK Kool! For sure when he says with exasperation K I get the message that he understood me!

Indian family and friends might think of the popular singer that I must confess I’ve never heard of because my Krishna is not the sort to listen to pop.

No matter where you are in the world you’ll know the name of Kim Kardashian. Love her or not there is no doubt she is gorgeous and clever.

KK may mean you hit the jackpot and are a millionaire

In which case you’ll be expected to buy a ton of KK treats to share!

Blessing #403 – KK is Sweet

There are some people you can always count on to share a good giggle with. All they need to do is give you that look and you laugh!

No matter what is going on in our lives my friend Laura and I always end up in stitches.

When we worked together in France people would give us the evil eye when we broke into a fit of the giggles. Often the tears would be tripping us. It was serious if it happened during a meeting and sometimes it did!

So today with JJ we’ll focus on Just Joking!

Do you have a friend who makes you laugh? If so name them now and thank them too!

Do you have a favorite one liner or joke? If so share it now?

Here’s my favorite joke of all time it’s a bit long and definitely not a one liner but hope you enjoy!

Once upon a time there was a lovely couple. Each day they ate their breakfast and dinner together. Breakfast was always porridge and dinner always had a side salad of healthy greens.

After seventy years of marriage the husband suddenly passed away. Next day his wife died of a broken heart.

When she reached heaven Saint Peter directed her to the newcomers tour. She saw her husband in the distance and Saint Peter told her they would be reunited in the restaurant when the tour was over.

After sailing on the crystal river, skiing down the freshest snow and surfing in the bluest ocean the tour adjourned to a restaurant the likes of which she had never seen.

There at a huge table set for one sat her husband eating like Henry VIII. There was lobster soaking in butter, steak swimming in gravy, mountains of onion rings, french fries and fresh hot rolls and a whole chocolate chip cheesecake ready for dessert.

Oh honey the little lady said isn’t heaven wonderful?

Wonderful wonderful? Her husband replied angrily. Get away from me woman I don’t want to talk to you.

Oh honey what has happened the sweet lady asked.

Well her husband replied if it hadn’t been for you and your damned porridge and salad I’d have been here thirty years ago!

Blessing # 402 – Sharing a Laugh