Back To Reality

Our last day of the cruise was a sea day and I spent most of it out at the pool. I entered the pool pole contest where two people shimmy out over the pool on a long pole and proceed to try and smack each other off the pole using a pillow case full of balloons. I almost won....but lost and was wacked into the water. Then I entered a volleyball competition and had lots of fun beating the ships crew VB team. After sailing all day Friday from Grand Cayman Island, we arrived back in Miami on Saturday morning. We were parked at the pier before 6:00 AM. Even when you get up in the morning on the last day, even before you get out of bed, you can feel the reality of what lies outside the ship. No more room steward, no more room service, and no more cruise. At this point..... it is all about how can we get you outta here ASAP. Even some of the friendliness seems to go away.... it is as if the crew is saving and storing up their cheerfulness for the next arriving customers. This view outisde the rear of the ship is the Port of Miami. The Miami arena (where the Heat plays) is very close by. The picture is of the RCCL Majesty of the Seas. Our disembarkation was very quick and very not crowded. We jumped into a cab and headed for our Ft. Lauderdale hotel. Before we knew it, the cruise port was no longer in sight and the only cruising Peg and I were talking about..... was cruise vacations for other people....In other words....back to work. I did learn that when you jump into a cab at the Port of Miami, you can ask the driver about a flat rate to anywhere you want to go. I should have done that because just getting to the FLL airport is $65 on the meter. Anyway, we are drifting out of vacation mode and back into work mode......and I mean drifting. Past cruisers will know what I mean. We have heard of the terrible snow storm up north but at this point it is hard to imagine with all the heat here in Florida. Well, I am going to spend my last 2 hours of warmth in the south...... out by the pool....where I will ponder my next cruising adventure.

Spanish Bay Resort

We spent the day at sea on Wednesday and pretty much just relaxed after working out in the gym all morning while listening to the instructor give a class about detox and learning all sorts of health stuff about toxic poisons we put into our body. I learned that the largest organ we have is our SKIN! I didn't know skin was an organ. When we put anything onto our skin and rub it in (like sun tan lotion) it is absorbed into our blood stream. So we take in poison via absortion. We also breath in poisons from the air, and consume poisons via consumption like alcohol. I was
impressed by all the instructor knew but in the end he wanted everyone to register for a detoxification for your body (only $100). I asked him a few questions but bypassed the $100 deal. After dinner, Peg and I had some wine..... and went to the dinner show which was very entertaining. Peg and I ended up on the NEWLYWED game! I talked her into volunteering but she never thought we would get selected......we DID! It was fun (we didn't win). She was asked what is the first thing I touch in the morning when I get up.....she told the crowd of 300 people he touches HIMSELF! When the guy asked me what my favorite condoment was, I said TROJAN....the crowd loved it! The guy then said, "No, not condom.....condiment, like what do you like on your meat.......more laughs. Anyway, it was all fun, we won tee shirts too!


On Thursday, Peg and I spent the day at the Spanish Bay resort. We laid in the sun, walked on the beach, went snorkeling, and fell asleep in my chair until I snored. It doesn't get much better than that. The picture is our shipped parked at Grand Cayman. Now it is 5PM Thursday and time to pull out. We are parked here next to the Carnival Conquest and the RCCL Radiance and Majesty (4 ships in port today......and waaaaaaay many people). Tomorrow is a sea day but more importantly, the dining room has Lobster for dinner tonight......and I am going for two!

Fishing in Key West

After saying so long to Tony Sunday night and going to bed early, Peg and I made it up at 3:30 AM for that 6:30 AM flight. All went pretty smoothly but one could not believe how busy it is at ORD at 6:00 Am on a Monday morning after Turkey Day. We felt we were there in plenty of time but the TSA security line took all extra time away from us and by the time we got to our gate, it was already time to board. Three hours and a bad movie later we landed in Ft. Lauderdale and hopped an Airport Express to the Port of Miami. Before we knew it we boarded the Celebrity Century we had heard so much about and were greeted with glasses of Champaign. Our room 8174 is awesome....the flat screen TV on the wall will let you order movies, review your account balance and even allow on board gambling via TV (all on your account). I passed up the TV gambling for the real thing after we sailed away and let me say that roulette was very very good to me on this our first night. We had a great dinner with 6 people from Canada (Saskatchawa) who drove to Miami 2,700 miles to go on this cruise! We were dead tired so we crashed and I got ready for my fishing adventure in
Key West. Once we pulled in to Key West On Tuesday morning I went light tackle fishing with 3 other guys and the captain aboard our Boston Whaler craft with a 200HP Evinrude motor. We went 9 miles out into the Gulf and could not see land anymore. It was really rough most of the time but I didn't even notice it because we were catching so many fish, mostly of the snapper variety. The two in my hands were typical for the morning and these fish really fight hard! The
captain was happy to have them as they were fantastic eating according to him. Our buddies in the next boat caught a 70lb. jew fish (ugly monster sort of thing) and ran into a school of cobia as well. We were not that lucky but the day was fun, the weather was great, the captain was a riot and before we knew it the Century left Key West and we were heading for Grand Cayman Island.

Saying Goodbye To London....

I am up, I am packed, I have had breakfast, and I am ready to go. It is only 6AM at home. Somehow I felt like I had to write one more time before leaving the United Kingdom. This picture I took from a river boat ride down the River Themes, going under the Tower Bridge at the Tower of London. The cool thing about the city here is that you will see an ancient structure like this right next to the most modern of office buildings. The city has truely conserved the history of this place. While under the bridge, there was a 61 gun salute going on from the Tower shores. This was not a normal 61 gun salute as they were using 8mm cannons which were drove onto the shore with military vehicles! I just happened upon all this by accident. I didn't get to go inside the tower of london and see the dungeons, torture chambers, or the crown jewels, there were just too many people!

Well, the car is waiting for me downstairs to go to Heathro (3 hours early for this international flight mind you). I will arrive in Chicago at about 6:30PM central time, but it will be past midnight according to my body clock! I am hoping a cool glass of wine when I get home will help me adjust to the drastic change in time zones. Once again, I will be at work tomorrow morning, it just so happens that it will be in a place that is 6,400 air miles from here.

If you have enjoyed reading of my travels, then that makes me even happier that I took the time to document them. If you haven't enjoyed reading this documentary, then why are you reading this now? Well, I am heading for the Air India terminal.

Until I get to see you all again ....and share perhaps, some of the video tape I have of this trip.....I love you, God Bless You, and God Bless The Queen!

Mind Your Head...........

The use of the english language here never ceases to amaze me. When listening to one speak, you find yourself familiar with all of the words that are being used, but it is the context or the accent or the combination in which they are used, that makes the language quite off. If you look at this picture, you understand all three words, but look how they are put together! Here you will see signs like this all over.....mind the gap, mind your head, way out, etc. The other day one of my colleagues had to leave us and start moving quickly to the rail (the train). He said very seriously, "sorry lads, I got to get on....straight ahead to the rail". He meant he had to start moving quickly and start running toward the train, so he didn't miss it. I understood all the words, it just sounds funny in the way they are put together.



I have learned quite a bit while here....you really have no choice but to learn if you are going to get by. I feel I could get anywhere I wanted to go on the subway....the signage, etc. makes it very easy for one to follow. Just for fun, I thought I would show you a typical view on an underground rail car while bouncing around the city.

Anyway, today I took a river boat ride down the themes river and got off at the tower of london. I didn't visit inside the tower because there were a billion people trying to get in today. I moved on to Oxford Street and did a little shopping. It was very hot today though, so I made my way back home.....and now I am starting to think of all the things I am going to be doing to get home in the next 24 hours such as transportation to Heathro, customs, times, etc. This may be one of my last posts from London England.

Their First, Their Last, and a whole lot of history....

I took a walking tour today which was actually an extension of a bus (hop on and off) tour. At 4PM each day in London, the Big Bus company takes people on a walking tour through the SOHO district of London and tells them all about the band from Liverpool who came to London in 1961 and tried to make a name for themselves. The tour covers the Beatles life here through 1969 when they played their last live performance ever.....even though it was an impromptu performance. The building in this picture was where the Beatles performed in London for the first time in 1961 (very close to Picadilly Circus...latin for Circle). They were already famous in Liverpool but wanted a record and needed to come to London to win over a record company label. Thier manager did all he could but only 17 people showed up in this theatre to watch them. They went through lots of changes including switching drummers when Ringo Star came on the scene. I didn't know this but their first record company was so nervous about using Ringo that they recorded every song twice, once with a show drummer, and once with Ringo. They used the show drummer versions on singles and Ringo on the album cuts. When John Lennon was later asked if Ringo was the best drummer in the world, he jokingly said, hell, he ain't even the best drummer on the Beatles! It was a great tour and I filmed almost the entire portion where the guide was telling us stories. He also pointed out places where Eric Clapton and Jimmy Hendrix became famous. He told us the story of Jimmy Hendrix's last live performance in a little club that is still there. Jimmy Hendrix died of a drug overdose in London two days after playing at the club the tour guide took us to. We stood in front of the club as he told the story.

When YOKO ONO entered onto the scene, the Beatles really started to fall apart. They recorded Let It Be in a recording studio they eventually moved into (recorded in the basement) but one day decided to take all their gear upstairs and play on the roof. That was in 1969. The building can be seen here on the right. It was sort of a residential area and the people all came out and went wild. A bank manager got pissed off (figures) at all the ruckus and called the police. The police came and almost broke down the door to the studio so they could get up on the roof and stop the hysteria below. The Beatles stopped playing, John said in the microphone, "Thank you all for coming to our audition"....and the group never played together again...ever. The tour was awesome, it was great to hear such a great speaker know so much regarding the history of that band. I would love to share the video I have of the highlights of the walking tour . The tour took us by an awesome building that was very modern and had the letters "pml" over the entrance. The guy said, "ladies and gentleman, welcome to the in-town studio of Paul McCartney Limited. He also said he has been doing the walking tour for 2 years, every day at 4PM and never has seen Paul yet! So there you have it, it seems like years and years they were together but it really wasn't. These buildings though, represent where they played their first "gig" in London, and their last "gig" together. Tony....this is the SOHO you must see in your lifetime. Tomorrow I hope to find a way to get to Abbey Road......

Another Amazing Experience.....

I met with the client today and had a great chat with them over coffee, sweets, and tea. We discussed where we are and where we are headed. The associate director of the corporation could not be more pleased. He thanked me for travelling so far to meet him, to hear him, and to clearly understand his position and his plan. We ended the meeting with him saying.....Bill, if you hurry along....you will see the changing of the guard just down the road at the palace. I couldn't believe it. He wanted me to catch this event. As my title suggests....today was truely an amazing experience. We have all heard the expression "Changing of the Guard" but until you see the event, the expression has little meaning. I always have my camera with me now, so I took lots of footage and lots of pictures. Lots of patience got me a front row position at the gate! I was still with my newest best friend Michael Dugard from Cassapian....Duggy for short. Michael was excited that I got to see this but after a while said he needed to be a bit rude and leave.....after all, this happens every day! This day was a little special in that they are preparing for the Queens Birthday Sunday. Michael and I said so long and fare well. He was awesome to work with and the people we worked with together loved him too.

At the palace, there were bands playing, police everywhere, guards marching (with real automatic rifles), horses, and lots of people. It was a very festive event. The poor guards were dieing in the heat of the day. Anyway.....it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and everyone should attempt to see this in their life time. As I was standing in front of the palace, home of the Queen of England, ruler of all Great Britan, I thought to myself.....life has been very good to me.