PALACE INTRIGUE

Missed seeing olympic torch this afternoon--bummer. SO low key here about it, we knew it was here but no idea when it got here/when it left. We were hiking it to B Palace--sharp shooters on the roof---Past Hyde Park (where party tonight with big screens was) i'LL ADD More later blogging on this thing impossible as keys are sticking.

Bridging the gap...

Rebound day, walked all around the southbank. Mom walked for miles. Up and down Thames River we went. Over bridges, down alleyways, through markets, you name it we found it. (Most times by happy accident.) London bridge, tower bridge, milenuim bridge, by the end of the day we were bridged out. St. Paul's Cathedral is a thing of beauty as people sit out  front on either the grass or some benches enjoying a leisurely lunch hour in their business attire (for the most part pin-striped suits and ties.)

Apparently these last few days have been the only nice weather here in months, so people are soaking up the rays.

Problems with netbook keyboard going to do bullet points and expand when home.

--thames river all lit

--olympic rings on tower of london

--high revolving swings next to eye

---waterfront active but not crazy

---brits love to meet at pubs--sidewalks overflowing with young pros--beer in hand

At least Ben Works

So, the good news is, I finally got to hear big Ben chime last night. The bad news is, that's pretty much the highlight so far.

Pulling up to the Toronto terminal departure line, we quickly realized that the cushion for my wheelchair seat was missing. Mom left it in her parking garage during the loading process.  Honestly, the chair is now really uncomfortable as I'm lower to the ground and sitting on a chair frame. Strike One. Flight went fairly well, but that was pretty much where our luck ended. We had to catch a train after baggage claim and after buying a ticket and making a mad dash for the train, we realized that the elevator to the platform was actually OUTSIDE of the station itself because as the staff put it 'The station is really old." It was ridiculous. Then, they loaded me on,  planting my wheelchair right in front of the doors.  As new passengers came onboard, they were stepping over both me and the chair, often with lugguage in tow. Completely awkward and unsafe.

Finally making it to our stop, we get out and find the place pretty much deserted. We are going up and down elevators trying to figure out where street level is, and where the heck the landlady of our first rental place is, as she was supposed to meet us. Mom had texted via a special phone plan, and we weren't getting an answer. This, as Mom is hauling lugguage and I'm wheeling around in circles. We finally stop two bobbies, looking for help and bless them, they actually took lugguage from Mom and walked through the streets with us, ten minutes from the station right to the front door of the place we were staying! Thank god, because between the four of us, we still had trouble finding it. I did get pics of them helping us, only humor of the day!

As I'm quickly trying to snap pics, the frigging memory card runs out! Turns out, Mom put the original card the camera came with in there, and of course there is no memory on those stupid things. She swore up and down there was a large card in her sutcase but guess what? Nope. So now we have to buy a memory card too. Fun stuff.

Place we are staying is crummy.  Good location in London, but bad logistics. More later, I'm exhausted. Mom is snoring away while I get to listen to security helicopters do flyovers what I swear is every 15 minutes. Traffic re-routed down the street too as they clear routes for athletes only, lucky them.

Walk on south bank to get out of here only highlight so far---Ben has a pretty chime for such a big guy.

In for a Pound...

Well, here we go again. Part of me can't believe that Mom and I are doing a repeat performance of London/Scotland/Ireland, but the other part of me knows we worked for it. The radio has once again, been very kind to us (even when Kijiji buyers have not:-))

Honestly, we have been planning this trip for months and now that it's finally here, I think we are both feeling overwhelmed and a little flat coming out of the gate. Traveling with a wheelchair/lugguage/ and one disabled person isn't an easy undertaking let me tell you. It's hard for me watching Mom lug everything around on her own and I know it's exhausting for her, so there's always that bit of guilt that tugs at my soul. :-) I know there's nothing to be done about it (as does she) but it's there nonetheless.

I thought about posting the two places we are staying, plus the ship's itinerary all at once, but I think that gives something away and what fun would there be in that? :P

Okay, this is starting off well, I can't find the link to the first place that we are staying in central London...lol!
(See what happens when Mom does all the bookings?)

I'll add it in later...

Central London 15 minute walk to everything...A couple's guesthouse behind their main house. Mom found this website

http://www.airbnb.com/info/how_it_works

Now she is all about staying in private accomadation. Not my thing, but it's very reasonably priced and the woman works for a London Publishing Company (She's originally from Boston) so I might be able to pick her brain a bit about the publishing game:-) At the very least, I expect her to be a free-spirited creative sort, so we should do okay. If all else fails, there's a well known bakery just above their house. :-)

No specific plans for London outside of the olympic hubbub. Tate Museum? Saturday Market, Harrods? Crazy London streets with no hope of doing any of it? We shall see!

And my little girl...

Yes, they died two days apart...anyone want to take bets that I go on the 21st?:-) Life's like that sometimes isn't it?

Love you sweet Kasey...I'll meet you on the bridge too...:(

For my beautiful boy

Gone two years ago today, there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about you, miss your sweet little face, miss how you snuggled next to me at night, my soft, warm buddle of Buddy. Words will neverr express my true sorrow, nor mend my broken heart.

I'll meet you at the bridge....

RAINBOW BRIDGE

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies who has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

                                                                

Duck, duck, duck, goose...poop.

So Mom and I headed down to our favourite hangout spot the other day for our usual picnic table/coffee drinking ritual, and what we found was a lot of HUGE geese waddling around eating  grass and leaving their poop everywhere. It was so disappointing as it's nice and cool down by the water, and the harbour is home to many boats on any given night after work, so it's a popular spot to just decompress on a spring/summer evening.

The geese were inches from us at any given time, and at one point, one of them sauntered right up, and nipped at Mom. Thank goodness she didn't freak out because as we later discovered, they can be downright vicious.

Later, a little dog decided to chase after one of the geese. At first it was funny, as the goose (much larger than the small dog) took off running, the dog in hot pursuit (I can picture the video making it on youtube) but what happened next, was a reminder that these are animals made for the wild. As the dog retreated (tired from the chase and ready to return to his owner) a LARGE group of geese began to advance on him, hissing and rolling their tongues. Had the owner not been close enough to grab the dog, I have no doubt that they would have launched a full attack and seriously hurt and/or killed the dog. I never knew that geese had long tongues like that and though I've seen them display aggressive behavior, I had never seen a whole gang of them in action.

I hope their numbers are down next time we go, because poop aside, I'm not going to sit around waiting to become their next pecking post. What's good for the goose isn't good for me!

Beach Day and a Bizillion Degrees

Hit Port Dover again this week as Mom was on holidays. So relieved that the beach wasn't teaming with people (as it would have been on Canada Day) It was however, well into the mid-nineties. I love the heat and I do come prepared (suntan lotion, glasses, hat) combined with big-time shade, but I still ended up feeling like I had a touch of sunstroke at the end of the day. Oh well, still worth it! Water was COLD....warm on the surface, but dive underneath and you get a big ol' shot of icy, spine-chilling, "Why am I in here?" kind of cold. This, after taking twenty minutes to get down the sand and into the lake so yeah, I stayed in anyway...



LOL. Close enough!

As a side note, my air-conditioner has been on continuously for the last two weeks. I may need to start taking donations around here as no doubt my next bill will be astronomical. What's a girl to do? It beats the snow! :-)