Trying to catch flying ping pong balls to get the highest points
Mississippi river view from the Science museum
Friday, January 2, 2015
Happy a New Year and enjoy the photos
Just before going to the Christmas party
Khuslen took this picture
Being silly
Christmas dinner
Christmas Eve dinner at Peninsula
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Happy New Year 2015!
Happy 2015! We took Tim with us to see the London fireworks last night. This year the City of London made the decision to ticket the event to better control the ever-increasing crowds. Unsurprisingly, everything was under control and orderly despite the sheer number of people out celebrating.
We arrived at the viewing area by 9:30 and then braced ourselves for the long wait until midnight. Luckily, the weather was fairly mild and no rain. There wasn't room to sit down, so we stood up and talked (or in Ryan's case, played games on Garett's iPhone). The only entertainment was a DJ and music. Tim thinks they should add a few live acts next year and charge more to get in.
Below are some pictures I snapped during the evening. I didn't take any pictures of the grand finale, which was absolutely amazing. It was great to experience it in the moment instead of through a lens. If you get a chance, Google the BBC recoding of the fireworks. It's about 10-15 minutes in total.
After Auld Lang Syne, we high-tailed it out of the gated area and started heading north. Most of the tube stations in the area were either closed or too crowded, so we wound our way through St. James' Park, past Buckingham Palace and through Green Park. We walked close to 2 miles through the scenic parts of London before we caught a bus home. All of the streets in central London were closed, so we joined the masses of people walking down the middle of the roads.
It was also our 20th wedding anniversary on New Year's Eve, so I couldn't resist adding a picture from our big night out, as well as a couple of pictures from Christmas.
Happy New Year!
Shelly
Ryan, Tim and Garett at the starting point - we had to pass through several checkpoints to get into the viewing area for the fireworks
The final entry gate where our tickets were scanned
We made it! Now the waiting begins...
Our vantage point was great!
3...2...1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I'm not the only one using a smart phone to record the fireworks
Everything was choreographed to music, but sometimes the noise made it hard to hear the music
You'll have to trust me when I tell you that it was spectacular in person
Shelly, Garett and Ryan after the fireworks - it's not often that we have the chance to take a photo in front of Buckingham Palace after midnight
Garett and Shelly before our anniversary dinner at River Cafe
Ryan in a rare moment without a Minecraft t-shirt
Christmas dinner at our place
Friday, November 28, 2014
London House Hunting...Part Deux
The London housing market is slightly cooling off, relatively speaking. In response, Garett and I have stepped up our home search efforts. Some houses are staying on the market a bit longer than at the height of the market. While others...such as the complete wreck of a Victorian we have our eye on...are going like hot cakes. Below are pictures from our second viewing today. We brought our architect and builder along to give us some confidence we could pull off a major remodel if our offer is accepted. Yes, it's a BIG "if". A lender has to be willing to give us a mortgage on something in this state and we need the fortitude to tackle such a big project. There have been 25-30 viewings in less than a week and next week it goes to a sealed bid process where everyone submits their best and final offer.
John, any ideas? We see a lot of potential...
And now for the home tour:
Garett checking out the neighbors - "for sale" sign in the distance
A few vines growing around the windows and missing ironwork
View of the house from across the street
Another view of the street - notice where the cars park (on the sidewalk)!
A structural crack above the front bay window (one of many)...but the builder didn't seem to mind
I love the original crown molding and marble fireplace in the reception room (living room)
A kitchen addition at the back of the house
The "back garden"
Stairs up to the first floor (second floor in the US)
First floor bedroom
Second floor bedroom
Second floor bedroom looking back toward the hallway and stairs
Every bedroom has a fireplace
A tiny bit of water damage in the ceiling above the landing
Another bedroom view
The landing isn't in great shape
Going upstairs from the first floor to the second floor
Details in the front entry
Front entry and staircase
The doorbell - seriously! And it works...
So now that you've seen the tour, do you think we're crazy for making an offer on this place?
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