Connecticut Wedding

In early October, I had the most fun I have had in a long time watching two great people start their new life together in marriage with the added bonus of having my parents there too. To those of you who have been to Hartford, I know what your thinking: It is not possible to have that much fun. But this experience proves that if you have the right people with you, you can have fun even in Hartford.

Winners of the anniversary dance and my parentsThe Happy Couple, my wife's brother and his new brideDancing (and singing?) Queens, my beloved, her sis, and her mum (and my Dad about to knock someone's lights out?)The second happiest man in the room (my father-in-law and his wife).

Maybe the second best wedding ever.

It has come to my attention by way of my blog follower that the recent change in blog content may be indicative of a change in medication. Alas, I am still under the influence of the usual foreign substances. Although I had been feeling a bit overwhelmed, which lead to the perception that I had been neglecting the blog. So I decided I needed to post something quickly. Upon review, I can see that my blogging frequency is within my typical range. Therefore my fear that I was drifting from my habit of writing was unfounded. It seems that there are reasons for writing a blog other than entertaining my single follower or staying in the habit of writing. In my desperation to find a subject to write about when none of the usual fare was to hand, I clenched onto events within the mundaneness of my daily existence. It turns out that things like bicycle locks, cycling ahead of rain showers, and daily aches from my previously limber muscles occupy much more of my thoughts than the major events I usually blog about. I can see now that the blog also serves as a snapshot of my personal history. It may remind me at a later time of where I was applying my energy. So I am at a blogging crossroad, which is fortunate for me because I love the word 'crossroad'. Mmmm, crossroad. But it may be unfortunate for my reader. Perhaps this blogging crossroad is implies something deeper... or is it a cigar that's just a cigar?

Image from: www.junkscience.com

No sudden movements, please

Thankfully, my head isn't getting any bigger. I looked at my helmet a few seconds after taking it off and I watched it slowly creeping down in size. Phew! That mystery being solved, I only have one more bicycle related nonmystery to report: I pulled a muscle in my back whilst loading it into the lift this morning. I suspect it was my twisting to catch the backpack slipping off my shoulder as I hoisted the bike onto its hind wheel. Learning outcome: strap into the pack before the lift. It is a pretty tiny muscle. I only feel it when I has to make a sudden movement or if I try to demonstrate the position I was in when it happened. Hope I can sleep.

Image from: www.ropeofsilicon.com

No hints, just a big head

So this morning, the lock mechanism came out with the key. Mystery solved. Here's another bicycle related mystery. For the past week, I have had to expand my helmet liner one more notch. I just noticed yesterday that if my head gets any bigger, I am going to have to get another helmet as I am on the next to the last notch. Any thoughts on that one?

Image from www.huffingtonpost.com

Hint?

This morning my bike lock would not open. I could get the key into the lock, but it would not turn. I tried many times. I tried shaking, banging, jiggling, everything in my stuck lock repertoire… nothing. I know, I know, my stuck lock repertoire is pretty lousy. But the end result is that I had to take the train to work. Upon my return home, the lock now opens fine. There is this rattling noise when the lock moves. I am not sure why. Maybe somebody stuck something in there. It would have to be pretty small. I tried it a million times and it opened every time. Now what was that all about?

Image is from www.maicar.com

Our Latest Flat

[Photo from Things Magazine]
Several weeks ago now, we moved in a flat in a new development right on the Thames. It is pretty amazing. It has a café, a full service restaurant, a full service pub, a doctors surgery (office), a dental surgery (office), and a grocery store on the ground floor. And we even have a concierge. But it gets even better when you leave. This development is immediately adjacent to a tube station, a bus station, and a national rail station. And just beyond that there is a little Portuguese neighbourhood with shops that have real Portuguese food!

It has an indoor bicycle storage shed. That’s Bernard (pronounced BURR-nird) in the centre of the centre panel.



Here is the entrance to our building.



There is a toilet (including a towel warmer),



a bedroom (with a built-in cupboard! (closet!)),



a kitchen (left)



(& right), and



a living room (from balcony)



(from kitchen)
Shh, that’s MI-5 out the window there.



I saved the view from the balcony for last



Yes that is Parliament and the London Eye!

Barcelona!

I was part of a team that presented a case study at the International Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication July 2010 conference in Barcelona. It was my first professional conference presentation, my first time in Spain, and my first time seeing the Mediterranean. Everything about it was awesome! (Well, the absence of my beloved was not awesome, but everything else was.) The first night I wondered around the old city with my copresenter using Google Maps on his Android to try and find some other UK delegates at a bar. When we finally found them, we went out for tapas. Food was yummy & people were really fun and interesting.
We did our talk the next morning. The conference centre was right on the Mediterranean so at lunch I went out there. I was not keen to spend the afternoon in soggy socks so I did not step in. Even though the conference let out pretty late, there was still plenty of daylight afterward to see some of the city in the sunlight. I went to Las Ramblas, which is the heartbeat of Barcelona. It is street vendors and artists. Disturbingly, the only sign in English was this one informing me and other English readers that public urination is illegal. Figures! I go to the ONE European city where public urination is illegal. Anyway, just off of Las Ramblas are really cool, little winding streets, just like I imagined about old medieval cities as a child (which is what you do when you are a little kid in a country that is only 200 years old). I wandered in the romanticism of the idea of an old city until I found a restaurant. I asked the waiter to bring something Catalan. Apparently, that is a mushroom omelette starter with a sausage entrée. The bread course, starter, and the entrée each came with a whole tomato. Oddly enough, the conference did not serve lunch, and on both days somehow I picked local places with staff that did not speak English… so they were subjected to my awful Spanish… but it was fun to try. I found out on the second day that the European Athletics (Track & Field) Championships were happening. My copresenter went after the conference. I am glad that they were professional athletes because I was just starting to wonder if all German tourists dressed alike when visiting Barcelona.

I went to the old Cathedral (Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàli) the next day during the lunch break. I have never seen such well-restored 13th century altarpieces. It was amazing. And the crypt had a ramp to it so that when you are seated in the nave, the central alter and the crypt have equal visual value. I’ve never seen anything like it. I couldn't bring myself take pictures inside the church even though it was allowed, so if you want to see it, you will have to go. Afterwards, I stopped by the Gaudi Cathedral (Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família) which is absolutely HUGE. It is a modern cathedral and is amazing to behold. It is still being finished because unfortunately Gaudi was killed by a tram. I can relate because I was also almost hit by one.