Our weekend in London was wonderful. We had a really great time and I'm so glad we stayed over night. We stayed in the Crown Plaza hotel and it was fabulous. The room was small, but the whole place was beautiful and sparkling clean. The service was excellent as well (if you don't count the maid who woke us up at 8:30 in the morning by walking into our room).
After we checked in, we had some time to kill before dinner, so we went for a walk around the city. We were down the street from the palace so we started there, went through the park and around to parliament to get a look at Big Ben passing Westminster Abbey along the way. It was a really nice way to start our evening.
We had early reservations at an Italian restaurant before the show. Dinner was really good, but we didn't plan enough time before the theater and had to run without coffee or desert. We had a bottle of wine with dinner so, I have to admit that I was a bit tipsy for a portion of the show.
We went to see 'Underneath The Lintel' which is a one man show starting Richard Schiff (Toby from the West Wing). We had great seats (8th row center) and the show was outstanding. The man stood there and acted his heart out all by himself for an hour and a half straight. When it was over, I sat there saying to myself - Stand up people - just stand up. Four London shows and not one standing ovation...
After the show, when leaving the theatre, we saw people gathered outside the stage door for autographs. I said to Wayne, 'I bet he'll sign it for me (unlike another actor I saw on the west end not so long ago...click here to read about that experience )' Wayne agreed, so we waited for him to come out. I was the third person he walked up to. I handed him my program and said 'You deserved a standing ovation he seemed surprised by both my accent and my comment and paused before replying with, 'They don't do that in England.' I told him I knew that, but I was willing it for him anyway - hoping they'd stand for him. He smiled and said, 'I've had one standing ovation since the show opened and I think it was a thrertre full of Americans.' I laughed and agreed it was probably the case, told him his performance was wonderful and walked happily on my way with his autograph in hand (I felt a great sense of redemption after finally getting an autograph on the West End).
We got a taxi back to the hotel after deciding we'd finish our evening at the hotel's cocktail bar. The ride back to the hotel was grand. London is beautiful at night, and for a moment it seemed surreal.
The cocktail bar was really nice (a far cry from he pubs here in town). We sat at the bar and spent a good deal of our evening joking around with the bartender - a 21 year old Frenchman who was absolutely charming and adorable. He made us a variety of drinks for us to try and we enjoyed every one of them.
I have to confess - I smoked that night. For the first time in over two years I smoked. I'd like to say I hated it, but I didn't. I enjoyed it and have been dying for a cigarette every time I have a drink. Wayne and I discussed it and he begrudgingly let me try it to see if it could be something I enjoy occasionally when we go out for a drink. I smoked 4 cigaretts and at the end of the night, gave the rest of the pack to the bartendier to throw away for me. He looked at me suprised and I told him I quit two years ago. To which he replyed 'That is very very very bad and if i knew I wouldn't have let you (in his thick french accent). The good news is, I haven't wanted one since and if anything when I smell smoke, I no longer feel the craving to have one. Maybe it was something I needed to get about of my system.
Before leaving the bar, Wayne told me to ask the bartender his name so I could give him an honourable mention when I blog about our weekend. I did ask and his name was Morgan. Wayne and I looked at each other laughed and I responded by saying 'Of course that's your name'. Those who know me well, know that this was not the first adorable, charming, 21 year old Morgan I have met in my lifetime, but he was the first who was French.
More tomorrow...
My in-laws just left after a five day visit. I don't mind it being a five day visit, but then again, five days of your house not being your own is always a bit unsettling and although I don't look forward to their departure when they are here, I can't say I'm sad to have things go back to normal. As a treat for my son's birthday, we took him to the Museum of Natural History in London on Thursday. He chose to go because we took him last year (he's been crazy about dinosaurs since he was three years old). They give out adventure packs at the museum which consist of a back pack, safari hat, and binoculars with an adventure to follow during their visit. The back pack has clues in it to solve a mystery. Last year it had a dinosaur claw, a tooth and a sample of dinosaur skin he had to match up to one on display. He had a great time solving the mystery and even remembered which dinosaur it ended up being. Last year's trip was wonderful. We walked right in,
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As for "falling off the wagon," sounds like you are now what some refer to as "social smokers" -- people who smoke when they drink, but otherwise have no craving to smoke at any other time. I have never been a smoker in my entire life, but on occasion, when I'm in a smoky bar and have had a few pints, I find myself craving nicotine and will actually take a few puffs of the wife's cigs. Go figure!