Space of time between arrival and NYE.

I arrived on Friday afternoon and managed a 3 hour nap around 3:30 p.m. When I woke up I had absolutely no idea what to do with myself! I bought groceries around ten. The hours between 6:30 and groceries, and from groceries to 1:00 am cannot be accounted for. I did not sleep. I did nothing productive. Ashley and I each discovered that the other was awake and visited until about 3:00 a.m.

I tried to sleep, but just couldn't! I started texting people I thought would maybe be awake. Sharif, of course, was up. He was just leaving a party and took a cab over so we could play with the remote control helicopter I imported for him from the states. That amused us until about 8:00 a.m. (sunrise), when I finally passed out.

I woke up at about 4:00 pm the next day, which is after sunset in this part of the world, which was terribly depressing. Sharif and I reconvened a few hours later and took a stroll through the East End (about fifteen min. walking time more east than me). We went to this members only club that did not sell alcohol, just tea and juices, and apparently had the only benefit of having excellent mint tea and enough room to again play with the helicopter. I stuck around long enough and then met Manish in the West End (a nicer, but less interesting bit of this town).

We went to a pub on a boat. Pub boats are wonderful when you can sit outside, but it was too cold for that. The only negative thing about pub boats is that there is this compounding affect of having a bit too much to drink and a swaying foundation under your feet. At that point it was time to call it a night! I slept until around noon, then napped from about 12:15 pm. to 4 pm. ... and I missed another span of daylight completely. Damn!

That brings us to Sunday. All I really had time to do was take a shower, unpack about 3 shirts, and meet my old boss Tom. We had a good meal in Covent Garden. I got us super lost in the area of ???, and then managed to find my way back to Leicester Square without looking at a map or asking people. Because, folks, that is unacceptable and less exciting than walking around in circles. I mean, I have my pride.....

Then I dragged him to Camden with my pal Richard. The dance floors were closed in preparation for the next night's NYE spectacular. So, we just bar hopped a bit. And Tom had the marvelous experience of being in a dodgy area of town while depending on two kids who drank to much to teach him how to use the night bus map. "It's not hard. You find your destination with the index. Find the bus that goes there. Cross reference that with your location on this map. Determine which bus stop letter corresponds to your bus. Figure out how to walk to that bus stop. Then jump on the bus! See? Not hard. Now, you'll need to repeat this when you get to Oxford Circus, you can manage, right? You'll be home by dawn, no doubt!"

I really hope he made it. It's been bothering me.

Ashley, Richard and I chatted until about 4:00 a.m. Then I slept until 2:00 p.m. Just in time to watch the sun set, which I felt was an achievement.....

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