Monday, March 11, 2024

Half Marathon in Moab

 

It's great that the blog can be backdated ... this post, written in March 2024 will be backdated to March 2009 (I didn't officially start blogging until 2010). In the present day (2024) Grayson is preparing again for the Canyonlands Half-Marathon. So after 15 years, I figured I'd see what pictures and memories were available from the first race in 2009.

According to my journal, Grayson was set to head down on Friday, March 20. Uncle Clay was going, and Maga must have gone too, as Grayson took a few of the boys. Landon, Keaton and Colton went with Daddy (even though Landon was in a cast, having broken his wrist just a few days before). Callahan had too many activities (basketball games, plans with friends) and Coop (a bit of a homebody like Mom) stayed back.

Gray had checked in a few times. Said Colton seemed sick, had the sick eyes, had coughed so badly once he threw up. Landon seemed to be fine. He did good on his time in the race, 1:35, which was 10 minutes faster than he had anticipated. They went to the park, saw Grandma Henry and stopped at the rock shop.

Here's a fun "review" of the race by another blogger ... Reviewed: Canyonlands Half Marathon which describes this as a "a spectacular well-run race, in a beautiful location, with perfect weather, and a gently rolling downhill course." Another article in the Moab Times gives some additional details. From MadMooseEvents, it's said ...

The first Canyonlands Half Marathon was run on May 1, 1976 had just 22 finishers, including a dog. Today, thousands of runners come together in March to enjoy the scenic red rock formations and winding Colorado River that Moab has come to be known for! Running parallel to Arches National Park and the mighty river, runners are in for a real treat. Long considered a "Bucket List" race, in the July 18 issue of Runners World UK, Canyonlands Half Marathon was mentioned in their article "The Worlds Greatest Races." It's easy to see why runners return year after year to experience spring in Moab on this famous road race!


Good luck to Gray as he hits the half again - 15 year later! 

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

JenBsBooks in 2023

If you know me, you know I love books. While I've gotten behind on the blogging, I have kept up on my books, making my monthly collages, rating and reviewing everything on GoodReads and Storygraph. I did a 2023~JenBsBooks on my JenBsJourney Blog, with a look at the year. On this blog post, I'll keep the collages created each month, all in a single spot...

I love looking back and seeing which books stick out in my memory, and which I can't even remember reading!















I joined Storygraph in January of 2023,
and love all the graphs and data it provides ...













The Storygraph pie charts have encouraged me to try harder in some areas ... to make sure I get in some non-fiction, not just fiction. I even did a NonfictionNovember challenge, where my goal was to make sure the non-fiction section was larger than the fiction for that month. In October, I manipulated the "moods" chart in honor of Halloween, seeing if I could shift the dark/tense/mysterious to the top. I've enjoyed adding in a few physical books, and making sure I get some BIG books (500+ pages) in too. Honestly ... the "pace" chart doesn't mean much to me, and I don't think I'll include it in my collages for 2024. 

All books are rated and reviewed on both Goodreads and Storygraph.
I'm JenBsBooks on both. 

Saturday, September 30, 2023

September 2023

This will be backdated to September 2023

Behind on blogging ... it's actually March 2024 (shhhh, don't tell, glad I can backdate here). What were the Blackham Happenings in September 2023?

  • San Diego: Gray planned a "birthday" trip (the August boys) to sunny California for a weekend. Unfortunately, there had been some storms that almost made him postpone, but they went, and the weather was fine.  For the flight there, Coop and Keaton had first class seats, but Gray didn't (not sure how that happened). They went on a jet boat ride, checked out the USS Midway - the aircraft carrier museum, got a caricature done (K&C said they guy sounded so much like THIS DUDE, who they love to watch, an imitate ... this type of talk happens a lot in the Blackham household) went to Sea World. Lots of eating out, The Fig Tree, Liberty Station, Coop said Del Frisco was yummy, he loved the rolls. Coop and Keaton binged Avatar during the trip, and they had to take time out for the Fantasy Football draft (very important to Cooper!) Coop also pulled out his PokemonGo while he was out and about (he hasn't been playing much, if at all, at home). 
  • Jen EEG: I'd had an EEG after the first fall (now knowing it was a seizure) with no real feedback. After a second seizure, the Neurologist wanted a "continuous EEG" where I got to be hooked up, electrodes all over, a connected monitor/recorder attached (fanny pack) and constant video recording (a separate camera I'd have to set up and move around as I did). This was to go on for four days, Tuesday - Friday, mid-month. I also had to check in at the hospital (IHC in Murray) daily. While it wasn't painful, it was inconvenient and definitely curtailed what little activity I have daily. I didn't leave the house except for the daily hospital check-in. Still got some walks on the treadmill, but no Zumba or pickleball ... which was probably good, as I was also not allowed to shower. Again, no real info from the test (probably nothing conclusive unless another seizure happened while wearing it). Nothing more in store on the medical front, just "wait and see" what happens ...
  • Covid: Our immediate family (the WJ crew) had done a decent job of avoiding Covid in 2020, 2021 and 2022. But it caught me back in February, and Gray tested positive this month (traced the contagion to a guy's night poker game. One fellow tested positive the next morning, let the others know, and several came down with it). Coop ended up getting it too. We are happy that his new job was understanding about it. 
  • Job Changes: Back in January, Keaton had decided to leave CamsenElectric/Residential and try his hand at more commercial construction (K2). After several months working there, he decided that he preferred the residential, and Camsen (and Cal!) was happy to have him back. It hasn't taken Keaton long to get back up to crew lead, with a van. Cal has moved into more of a supervisory position, and the company traded his work van for a nice truck. 
  • Birthdays: Landon's birthday was here in September, we had the usual cake w/candles (cheesecake for Landon). We did a birthday dinner at Bucca De Beppo too (to celebrate the three boys, Keaton and Coop who had just had their birthdays the last week in August). Landon got himself some cowboy boots (fairly mainstream at LKL where he works). 
  • Hiking & Biking: Gray and Landon have stayed uber active! See More Hikes: August/September for details ... Flag Rock, Donut Falls, Bountiful Canyon, Lake Mary. Landon hit Olympus on his own. Grayson has added a rucksak for weighted hiking. Gray did some biking too (Bike Boy)... a lot on Legacy. 
  • Basketball: Colton stayed busy (as always) with training with Coach Scott, some pre-season games with the WJ Jags, and the Top50 league. Cal had his Men's League on Wednesday nights. Keaton even joined in for one of the games,, and had a little league on the side (that he wouldn't give me details on, he didn't want me coming to watch and video). 
  • Homecoming: Colton wasn't really planning on attending the school Homecoming dance, but then he was nominated for prom king, and made it into the top vote. So he snagged a date and went through all the "kingly" activities ... he had to do a little dance off, be presented at the Homecoming football game. Ultimately, he didn't get the crown, but he'll always be king of the court!
We got in our usual weekly pickleball, and I (re)introduced racquetball to Landon when the guys in were SanDiego (and we wouldn't have enough to pickle). Landon and Coop did a little r-ball too. Gray got in more golf. There was a Blackham pizza night with extended family in Riverton. 

Here's a live look ... 1 second style.
 

On to October ...

More Hikes!


The EMI/Symphony Hiking Challenge started in April and ran through the end of September. Here's a look at Hub's Hikes for August and September.  The first one was a doozy! Climbing Timpanogos in the dark, and waiting to watch the sunrise from the summit.  Landon went along with this hike too. 

With the work challenge, Grayson's been good at taking pictures and doing write-ups, which I've really appreciated! Here's the collage he created and his write-up below ...




Date - August 4th and 5th
Location - Timpooneke Trailhead to Mount Timpanogos Summit

First entry - 11:56 pm -
What the heck are we thinking?

Various take-aways from Mount Timpanogos -

  1. I think one-and-done is just fine for this trail.
  2. Sometimes bucket list items are for masochists.
  3. Microspikes are the bomb-diggity for crossing ice fields.
  4. "Sketchy" becomes a very common word.
  5. As usual Zac's hiking outfit is on point. Very chic indeed.
  6. Headlamps only last about 2-3 hours which is fine if your hike is 2-3 hours.
  7. The last mile from saddle to summit is worse by far than the 6 or 7 that preceded it.
  8. How in the living heck did people do this without GPS???
  9. Shack graffiti includes some familiar first names. You were with us in spirit and Sharpie.
  10. Space blankets save the day as body temps plummet waiting for the sunrise. We consider emergency hypothermia treatment.
  11. Teens and 20-somethings arrive at the summit after a seemingly leisurely stroll to the top....sheesh...show-offs.
  12. On the way down I count 321 hikers on their way up......Ha! suckerzzz....
And scene! Fade to black. Time to nap.



Grayson was in London/Paris for a couple weeks in August. He and Zach had debated an out-of-country hike, but had plenty of other sites to see. September started with SanDiego (which is where Gray and Landon did one of the first hikes back in April, this time with Coop and Keaton -no hike), then some final hikes to wrap up the challenge.

Monday, September 7, 2023 - Flag Rock
Grayson's write-up is below


My Symphony peeps, if you look yonder, directly east of our office, you see Deuel Creek Canyon. On the south side of the canyon is a flowy, beautiful hike that is ultra-popular - yes, I know you already know ;)  On the north side there is another hiking trail (or two or three). This trail is short, steep, cantankerous, inexplicably cruel and forsaken...kind of like a middle child (sorry if this is triggering). However, at the end of this trail, some dedicated soul or souls have hoisted a flag pole and of course an American Flag. No small effort here. My hats off to those who made this happen.

Now.... What if, just maybe, possibly a Symphony flag could accompany Old Glory, if only for a minute. Thanks to the ever-resourceful Caroline working with Zac to orchestrate (see what I did there) just one such flag. The pictures tell the tale....with one exception. The wind, which would normally accompany any morning in any canyon in the state, was completely silent. Like no wind. Our hope for flags unfurled and waving in the morning breeze was not to be. Alas.... Perhaps we return. Perhaps we don't. Either way, this one's in the books.

Thursday, September 14, 2023
No official write up of this hike, but Gray included a link to info about it. Click the link for a brief read - one of the cathartic benefits of the hike. 

Saturday, September 16
This new trail system is out by us, near Kennecott (err Rio Tinto).
I went and checked it out this last weekend. They've done a good job with it.

Saturday, September 16 was a big hiking day for Landon too. He hit Mount Olympus again, this time on his own - he didn't take pictures. These are a few photos from the first/June trip (Hikes~June/July) that I didn't have when I made the collage about that hike ... so I'm going to put them here anyway! 




Saturday - September 23 - Donut Falls


Wednesday, September 27 
When recapping his morning to me in an email the next day  Gray wrote "I'm dealing with some real residual fatigue from my hike. It wasn't particularly strenuous though Mueller is a bit longer than some of the usuals - 7 miles in total. It was a gorgeous day and the colors were well worth the jaunt." I love the shadow selfie ;) 


Friday, September 29
Lake Mary, Lake Martha, Lake Catherine ... Gray got off work a little early and Zach and Landon joined for a Friday afternoon hike.  The official Symphony Hiking challenge has ended ... much to the relief of Janet in the office, who had to handle the photos and write ups. It's a little hard to see in the photos, but Gray and Zach got matching "King of the Hill" sweatshirts for all their outdoor activities!


In the original post about the Symphony Hiking Challenge, there was a picture showing the progress. This timeline ended up taking over the room! A simple photo couldn't capture everything by the end (and Gray didn't even include several of his hikes). You can see it HEREThere were a few BIKE (not HIKE) alternate activities too!








Sunday, September 17, 2023

Bike Boy

 


Grayson has been doing a LOT of hiking ... but he pulled out his wheels and added in a little bit of biking recently too. He bought a new e-bike and scooter, but stuck with the standard (no power except from his pedals) for these outdoor activities. 

My brother Scott invited Gray out biking (Scott has an e-bike) - they hit Corner Canyon and had a good ride on Wednesday, August 30 ...


Gray and Zach hit up Legacy for a ride on Wednesday, September 6th ...
... and again on Friday, September 15.



Gray did a little writeup of that ride.

Perhaps you've heard of LOTOJA....truth be told when I first heard speak of this I thought it was a brand of sunglasses....heh heh. I know now.


But I bet you've never heard of CENTONOR!!! A grueling ride of epic elevation gain and treacherous terrain and boardwalks through duck-infested wetlands, extending all the way from Centerville, Utah to North Salt Lake, also Utah! Can you feel the adrenaline? It was touch and go at times but our camaraderie, spandex and fabulous headgear helped us through!

Thursday, August 31, 2023

August 2023

 This will be backdated to the end of August ... I generally try to stay on top of the monthly recaps, but in actuality, it's October. There were a few things deserving of their own individualized posts that I needed to get done before the monthly recap. 


With August comes the end of summer ... fitting in all the fun we can before school starts up (even though Colton is really the only one in school full time).  There was hiking and biking, Topgolf and Zumba, and pickleball (not pictures of pickle this month though, although the new "picklesmash" game got some photos and video). Coop, Landon and Jen tried out some racquetball as well. A couple trips, some birthdays and a new job. More details below ...
  • Basketball: As always. Cal and crew (including Colton) finished up the men's league with a championship win and t-shirt. Colton had practices with Coach Scott most Mondays/Saturdays and went to ball in Orem a couple times too. 
  • Birthdays: Happy birthday to Cooper (20) and Keaton (23). Group birthday dinner was pushed to September (Landon's B-day coming right up too). We had a couple of cakes, but our go-to favorites (the Sam'sClub chocolate, Reams Cookies&Cream Ice Cream Cake) were no where to be found. Costco's white mousse cake is a newer favorite and filled in for Coop's birthday celebration (and it must be smaller, because it was pretty much eaten in its entirety) and Keaton got homemade lemon jello. The new PickleSmash game was a gift for the boys and it's a lot of fun.
  • Hiking and Biking: Gray joined Scott for a bike ride, and got in a couple rides with Zac from work. More hiking with the Symphony/EMI Hiking Challenge ... too much for one post! You can see the original post from April/May,  June/July Hikes and August/September Hikes. The BIG one for August was a night hike up Timp to see the Sunrise. Landon joined Gray and others from Symphony. Check out the posts for details, songs, poems from Gray and ChatCBT - his clever write ups for work preserved here on the blog. 
  • Hale/Newsies: I've enjoyed Newsies ... both the Disney-fied update and the stage version. It was on my list of shows I'd like to see, so Gray got tickets and we hit a show.
  • In Diapers: Symphony does several community outreach projects. A monthly dinner at Fisher House for Veterans, and here in August, a diaper drive ... a "Parade of Homes" with the homes being built from boxes of donated diapers. Check out more about this DiaperDay, there was a little newstory and you can see a familiar face in the video clip. It was fun for Gray to run into several former co-workers too.
  • Travel: The BIG trip was Grayson going to London/Paris for a week+ ... it started out just him and a Symphony buddy, then another Symphony couple joined them. Gray was good at keeping in touch with pictures, emails and texts, which was a bit of a built in blog post. You can see more about his travels HERE. At the end of the month, Grayson, Keaton and Cooper headed out to SanDiego for a birthday weekend. More on that next month, as it overlapped into September. Landon also had a weekend work trip to Idaho.
  • Lake Day: Gray had hit the lake a few times in July with work friends, but we got a Blackham Family Lake Day in August. Perfect weather, and everyone got wet and a little sunburned.
  • NEW JOB! Coop was finishing up his work at the school for summer, but gave his notice that he wouldn't be continuing once school started up again. He wanted something full-time, and we were hoping a perfect job might happen along ... and it did! You can read more about it HERE.
  • School Starting: Colton is a SENIOR this year!
  • Repairs: It's always something ... the Durango wouldn't start. It was a few days of Jen needing to run Cooper to his shift at the school before Landon replaced the battery, and that did the trick. Back up and running (well ... driving). The recliners we had purchased a few years ago had a recall (something with the lights) so one afternoon a repairman came in to switch some stuff out on those. 
  • Garden: The garden has been growing, lots of pumpkin vines, zuchinni, cucumbers, beans and tomatoes. And marigolds, reseeded themselves like crazy! The hydrangea and hyacinth have been blooming in the front flowerbed. The sprinklers cover the lawn, but the garden needs handwatering, which gets a little tiring - worth it? Received a LOVELY bouquet of home-grown flowers from a friend in the neighborhood. 
  • JenBsBooks: Two bookclub meetings (Mickey7 and The Peach Rebellion) and an extra one for The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion ... meeting with one of Mom's friends. 30 books and 8945 pages total, everything reviewed and rated on Goodreads and Storygraph. 
I think that about covers things for August ... love that I can backdate on the blog!
https://youtu.be/ici-nxUI8pA?si=hyz99sOJ2qph6I7G



Wednesday, August 30, 2023

New Job for Cooperman


Cooper graduated last year and probably should have moved on from his custodial work at the local elementary school to a job with more working hours ... but until he got his driver's license, things were limited. He got his license October 2022, but the school year had started and it was easy just to fall back into that routine. It was close and easy and flexible and he stuck with it through the summer, and got a few more hours than during the school year. He and I had our eyes open for different work and he'd put in a couple applications, but nothing had panned out yet. As the summer ended the focus on finding new employment was top priority. 

The dream job would be fairly close (while Coop is driving, he's still a bit road-shy ... takes after his mom). A set schedule was desired, and as Cooper was available during the day, he hoped to avoid evenings and weekends (especially Sundays, Monday/Thursday nights, as football season was ready to start up - he's a fantasy football fanatic). He was willing/wanting to work full-time. Coop had just started listening to audiobooks at his current job, and Mom LOVED that, so had fingers crossed that they might be able to find employment that would allow that option. Coop's hair is a little unruly, so if he was able to wear a cap, that would be helpful. Something active ... Cooper likes to get his steps in. Dealing with customers and confrontation wasn't really something he felt he was up to handling ... I know, it's hard when you have such a long wishlist, and I figured we wouldn't be able to get it all.

There's a neighborhood Facebook group that I'm a part of, so I placed a post on it, wondering if someone who knew us, knew Cooper, might be a little more willing to hire or have connections that could help us out. And it happened! A fellow in the neighborhood (who I didn't really know personally) reached out saying they might have a position in their warehouse. Coop and I drove out the day before the interview, a bit further than I'd originally hoped, but we took 9800 (single lane road) down to just before the freeway and found the building, so Coop would know exactly how long the trip would take and where to go for his interview. Coop said the interview itself was pretty casual, he took in a resume even though that hadn't been required. Just chatting with a few people, taking a little tour of the warehouse and discussing duties ... and he was offered the job on the spot, accepted, and started the following Monday.

The warehouse hours are 7:00-4:00, and the employees can have a flexible shift within those hours. In fact, some employees work a little over eight hours (7-4, no clock out for lunch) and then just work a half day Friday. Full-time, 40 hour work week. There are paid holidays, and vacation/sick days included. It's packing products in boxes, for Amazon, Walmart and Costco, not too demanding or stressful (as I've heard the actual Amazon warehouse can be, I hadn't even put that one on the list for Coop to apply to). There seems to be a "family feel" ... lunches brought in on birthdays, first/last days ... Cooper's first day WAS his birthday! They brought in lunch!  Okay ... so the starting pay was a bit lower that we'd hoped (comparatively to what he had been earning, what Colton had been getting at Home Depot when he worked there) but that would go up with a little time and good performance. With every other box checked, $$ was really not as big a deal as everything else this opportunity offered. 

I was a little worried about how Coop would adapt to working full time. He's had SUCH flexibility the last few years with his schooling online. He'd been able to sleep in, or catch a nap as needed. I know it would sure be a transition for ME! He's been doing great though, getting up, packing a lunch, heading out. He doesn't have a lot of experience driving in the dark, but for the first few weeks it would still be light in the mornings for his commute. I'll still stress out on the first snowy day!

Starting on this new adventure also makes us reflect on the job he has finished up. He did a write-up for school, which I turned into a blog post  (you can see it HERE). When Coop turned 18, he had to switch to an "adult" status and got a new ID. I know I took a picture of it (it was a great picture of him), and the key Cooper was entrusted with, but I can't find it. I also remember snagging some screenshots of an assignment for his work study class ... but I can't find where I saved those either. Cooper got a nice letter of recommendation from his supervisor and a resume update (assignments for that class). It was the perfect first job ... now on to bigger and better and full-time employment. 

Saturday, August 26, 2023

Diaper Daze ...

 

The Blackham Bunch has been done with diapers for quite a while, but Grayson/Symphony Homes discovered a diaper drive by HomeAid and participate, along with several other builders in the area. For the last 4 years, HomeAid Utah has hosted an annual Diaper Drive to support the Utah Diaper Bank. While there are programs to help families in need to cover the cost of food, diapers are NOT covered by government safety net programs and can be a major financial strain for families experiencing homelessness or housing instability.

In past years, one business or group would construct a diaper house, this year, it was a diaper house competition ... a Parade of Homes (built with diaper boxes) if you will. Builders had pallets of diapers for their home's construction. Each house had to be made up of 80% packaged diapers. Each company donated between 100 – 400 boxes of diapers ... approximately $10,000 worth of diapers.

Grayson and Symphony Homes weren't entering a house in the competition this year, but were a sponsor, and the official "counting team" and provided food trucks for the event. It was out in the warm sunshine at the soccer stadium in Sandy. Gray ran into quite a few old co-workers and friends and said it was a fun activity.  You can check out an ABC News Story HERE

Check out a little video recap ... GB is looking good!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mlZvJpiVN0

... and the counted results are in.

760,957 Diapers

46,912 Wipes

373 oz of Formula

The LARGEST diaper drive in The Utah Diaper Bank’s HISTORY!

Friday, August 25, 2023

Gray Goes To London (and Paris)

 

A while back Gray and his buddy Cole were talking about a going on a trip to London ... and a plan was hatched, tickets were purchased. While originally a "guys trip" Zach and Brittany (also from Symphony) heard about the trip and joined in for the fun. They left late Monday, August 14 and returned Tuesday, August 22, hitting London and Paris. 

It was a huge plane. Long flight. Gray took an Ambien and slept for 5-6 hours of it.  They arrived in London around 1:30 and the rest of the day was just trying to adjust to the time differences and waiting for Cole to get a tattoos done (the REAL reason for the whole trip ... j/k). A little bit of a progressive dinner (going to different places) in the evening.  About seven hours time difference between London and West Jordan, but Gray was good keeping in touch with texts, emails and photos. Here's some of what he shared along the way ...

Wednesday Aug 16, 2023

Started the day with a walk around the area with Zac. We rolled out around 6:30 and it was almost as buy as midday. It was wild. Walked along the River Thames ... how do you pronounce that? After that - Westminster Abbey - extremely fascinating. It was  a lot like the Vatican in Rome. So incredibly old. The line to get in was a bit long but still worth it. Little lunch afterwards. Then back to the flat to chill for a bit.  After some down time we went to The London Tower and the Tower Bridge. That last go was a bust - things closed. Lots of walking.  Ended the night with a trip to a London casino. Quite happy about that - not due to winnings, of course. But I was able to add 4 poker chips to my collection. I should be able to get a couple more from a different casino tomorrow.  


Here's a picture of where they stayed ... their "flat" ... loved the picture of the Symphony Four on the balcony. Gray had asked a couple if they'd be willing to snap the picture (and they added a selfie of themselves for free!) Fun photo! Sleep is always a challenge, and as Gray said, it was "not great….or maybe more clearly stated, terrible. No AC in the flat here. Constantly humid. I sweat all night long for the most part."
 

Thursday Aug17, 2023 

Thursday Recap: Got in a morning run.  Very much enjoyed it. Big day. Lots of walking. Main events were Hyde Park (ginormous famous park) and Buckingham Palace (the home of the king). The crowds have been significant which shouldn’t surprise me. Did get to see some ducks, geese and pelicans at the park(s) - mostly from a distance. No close interaction. Thursday’s dinner was at a steak house called the Heliot in the Hippodrome Casino. Had dinner then played blackjack. So much fun. End the night with more than I started (even though it’s insignificant). Plus I got to add several more poker chips to my collection. At the casino there was a Magic Mike Revu right around the time of our dinner.


Friday Morning: This morning it’s raining a bit. I really should get out for another rain run but I’m a bit worn out right now. Today would be the day we do a bus tour - kind of a hop on hop off situation. We’ll see how the motivation is. We head to Paris tomorrow morning via train. That’s where we’ll spend the last couple days of the trip. On Sunday we’ll go to the Louvre museum and on Monday we’ll go to the Eiffel Tower. Just hitting the mid point in the trip. The return on Weds will be interesting - fly out around 10:00 am from Paris and turn to SLC around 1:30 pm. That day will be the potential jet lag day methinks. 

Friday Recap: Slow start to the morning. Breakfast was just outside our flat - eggs bennie for me and just delightful. Then we got on a hop on hop off bus tour which was kinda nice. You plug in earphones they provide and listen to a recorded narrative as you pass areas in the city. We did a bus tour in NYC but the guide was live and very entertaining. During the tour we stopped and got off at St Paul’s Cathedral. Another epic thing to behold. It’s just crazy to contemplate the work that has gone into these structures. In the area we stopped by two different pubs -one of which has been in the same location since 1667 - yes 1667. It has been there prior but the great fire of 1666 burned the city to the ground. Or so I’m learning. Back on the bus and returned to Tower Bridge and we were able to get on the tour - which is more of a walk type thing. Cool. Late launch or early dinner was at another small restaurant - trying to eat a little lighter as we’ve been having lots of fried food (fish and chips are rampant here) Uber ride to Covent Garden - thinking it was a park but nay nay. Big open market, gathering, street performers, food, drink, etc etc.

Speaking of food and drink ... here's some of the snapshots Grayson captured before consuming.

I loved the "Tequila Mockingbird" play on words ... I happened to be giving To Kill A Mockingbird a re-read this month (and ended up going over a graphic novel adaptation, and then the movie). Another book tie-in, in another book a character says "remember there's no such thing as a bad idea" to which the main character thinks "that was patently untrue ... what about prawn-cocktail flavored crisps?"  I probably wouldn't have really even registered the sentence if Grayson hadn't recently sent a picture of said prawn-cocktail flavored Pringles. Yuck! 


Two moments of heightened concern from Gray-
  • As we were coming down the steps in the Tower Bridges (probs 12 flights of stairs some of which circular) Cole said something to me and in order here him I had to turn my right ear toward him. I did so on the circular section and missed my first step. Damn near went hurling down onto steel and concrete stairs and iron railing. Out of some sort of luck Cole grabs my hand just enough that I get stabilized. T’would not have been good.
  • Less dramatic but more panic inducing was as I got out of the Uber and luckily did my self pat down - always checking for phone, wallet, etc. NO WALLET - frantically flipped around to catch the Uber driver who has already noticed my wallet in his car and was getting out to return it. Close call.



Gray and Zac had considered trying to get in a hike for the Symphony Hiking Challenge. That didn't end up fitting into the itinerary, but Grayson got in a few runs while in London. Paris was another matter, very hilly. 


Saturday, August 19 ... Leaving London, Off to Paris
Departure from London was uneventful. Cleaned up the flat, took the subway (the tube) to the train station (Eurostar). Think Mission Impossible or Bullet Train type deal. Very fast and comfortable train ride. I risked some motion sickness at first but got over it pretty quickly. Did not sleep but probably could have. Can’t remember if I mentioned it but Cole has some weird affection for the subway. I do not share that affection. I’d just as soon pay more and get taken right to my destination. He loves being able to navigate the underground. Ubers are available, but the taxis in London are pretty cool actually - and you “hail” them like you might see in the movies. The back of the taxi where you sit has four opposing seats, actually comfortable. E-scooters, e-bikes and regular bikes galore. All over the place.

We had a three hour train ride, give or take. Once we hit Paris, the culture shock is almost immediate. Language is a huge factor in it all and you feel it immediately. I kind of remember that feeling from Italy. It’s just a lot to take in almost instantly. It eases quickly but never completely. 

Took a taxi to our flat. Not easy getting in. The host, who is nice and also extremely responsive, but hadn't given a clear explanation of how to get in. So it took us 30-40 to get it figured out. Two unfortunate factors - our flat is 6 flights up (top floor) and does not have AC. It’s warmer here by about 10 degrees with high humidity too. So while it's the "penthouse" I no longer wondered why the price was so reasonable. It is a cute pad - but just about everything is crammed. It appears to be a functioning residence - clothing, fully stocked kitchen, toys, books upon books, etc. I’m wondering if this family lives elsewhere for periods of the year so they can make it available for rent.



Sunday, August 20, 2023

Monster day at the Louvre. There’s really no point of trying to describe it. Even pictures do little to convey the magnitude. Just trying to make the point that words can’t encompass this is equally futile. The things to see there are equally indescribable.

After the Louvre we walked to Notre Dame Cathedral. There was a very destructive fire in 2019 so there is some major construction but still a striking visual from the outside. No tours inside. Dinner on a street side bistro - one of the many here - simply nuts. Getting to the end of the night. Winding down. Humid night but temps are ok at the moment. Last night was THEE best night of sleep I’ve had since I’ve left, bar none. Holy moly. I thought I wouldn’t get any sleep until I got home but last night was a bit of a recharge. 



Monday August 21

Monday mostly in the history book. Another big day. Started with a solo walk to a basilica close by. As usual very impressive - though sensory overload is very much in play now.  Hopped on bus this morning around 10:00. Stopped at the Arc de Triomfe. Another incredible place. Different than the churches, cathedrals, basilicas but similar gothic genre. Great little breakfast this morning. Simple, fresh, delicious. After the Arc, we walked to a casino to try and size it up. Requires your passport to get in. Might try to get back tomorrow to get my collectibles.

Made our way to the Eiffel Tower. Unbelievable from the ground. To compare - it’s almost twice as tall as the Seattle Needle. Interestingly, there seems to be a point where height just doesn’t process by scale - yes it’s higher but how do you compare things so high? Started making our way back - stopped to get a couple of drinks, being parched. Ubered back to the flat. Zac is making us noodles and butter….mmmmm….


Tuesday August 22
Catacombs ...

... and after that, we made it to a casino. So intimidating trying to navigate without having a command of the language and sometimes the rules can vary. This casino was much more sophisticated than any of the ones I’ve been to. Dress code, membership card, slight variation on basic blackjack rules. A very nice director was a lady from the UK, spoke English, and was really accommodating. She helped us understand what we needed to do. After some formalities, including a near rejection from the casino based on dress code, we got seated at a blackjack table and the games began. Very similar to the US for the most part. Zac almost busted, down to only 20 or 30 euros. Then he went on a tear and finally ducked out about 400 euros to the positive. I had been tracking mostly even, no major ups or downs. By the time I was done I was up about 100 euros give or take - not bad. I tip the dealer really well because it makes for a fun and enjoyable game and vibe. So I was up MUCH higher but had tipped at least another 100 euros. But Cole was playing a bonus option on a number of the hands. Long story short, in the last 15 minutes of play he hit a 125 euro bonus on a 5 euro bet and then a 1250 euro bonus on a 5 euro bet. It was SO much fun. He immediately cashed out and we were done. I made sure I had my collector chips before cashing out. ‘Twas a fun side excursion. In the end I got collector’s chips from 3 casinos. Meaningless to anyone but me. But Cole was very happy. Like very happy. We’ll be hearing about it for years to come. Dinner on the street in Montemartre (wherever that is). Last supper, so to speak.

That’s the last day. It’s over. Europe 2023 in the books. For the most part, I’m packed up and ready. We have to hit the road a little early. I’ll be glad to be home.  PS - my good friend Zac call me Carbie on the Eurostar train to Paris after I eat my friends meals and desserts and still have room for more. I am seriously hurt by this new name. Seems to be discriminatory. (Please read the PS message in Borat voice, otherwise, most meaning is lost)

Flight Home. Made fun of Zac because he didn’t upgrade his seat on the plane. 10 hour flight. Apparently the captain on this flight is retiring, this is his last flight.

Gray's buddy Cole plays Pokemon Go, and suggested Gray add the app to his phone and get a little POGO in during the travels. Coop hasn't been playing much, so Grayson logged into Cooper's account and caught a few pokemon, spun a few stops ... but Gray doesn't quite feel the allure of the game. 
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