Alice Cooper

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On Saturday Selina, Graham and I went to Wembly Arena to see the headline act Alice Cooper. It started promptly at 7.00 with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.  New York band.  I have never heard of them, they did a reasonable 45 minute set.  I was a little worried about the quietness of the gig.  At the back of the standing area you could actually order beer and hot dogs without having to shout.

I need not have worried, when Motorhead started at 8.00 It was like your whole body was picked up and shaken with every drum beat.  The sound resonated through your skull shaking your brain.  Wow it was fantastic.

Next it was Alice.  What a show, definitely a grotesque rock opera, with infanticide, beaten abused women, blood spaying out of cut arteries and the hangman’s noose at the end.

The mix of people at the show was fabulous. From the young to the aging rock aficionado like myself.  I was down near the front, 4 rows back slightly left of center.  The crowds at these events are getting very civilized, no crowd surfing and no mosh pit.  One guy started to push and shove.  He was soon picked on by security and stopped.

Even all the people selling rip off T shirts outside the event had somehow been banned.  Ah well I have a new expensive kosher T shirt, so I can feel smug.

Next morning, the ringing in the ears. Believe Graham had a head ache from the brain being knocked around by the sound.

Oxford – Brasserie Blanc

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Decided we’d not been to Oxford for a while and there were a couple of shops R wanted to look in.  We found ourselves looking around the Museum of the History of Science which was very good as well as parts of the Bodleian Library.

R got what she wanted (amazing) including pheasants from the covered market and we finished by going to Brasserie Blanc for lunch.  We seem to always have this as a treat in November.  It’s £11.50 for two courses (we had the three for £14.50) including a glass of wine.  Brilliant prices & food (R had eggs Florentine, risotto with roasted autumn veg & pear, choc sauce & hazelnut ice cream; Steve had pork rillet; grilled fillet of mackerel, creme caramel) and lovely ambiance.

The Great Man, Raymond Blanc, came in!  He shook hands with some customers (including us!! (R’s exclamation marks)) after introducing himself, which R thought very endearing.  She was pleased to note his hair had been cut since the TV series of The Restaurant & she was even more pleased to note how he looked very dishy, French & suave.

 

The Plough and Anchor or the P&A

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I have been in the office the last few days.  Now working on some development projects concerned with Single Signon.  Very odd not being out on customer sites, and alas not chargeable, so no bonus from this work.  Hopefully will get up to speed on the project, and then will work from home to complete the work.

Went to the local pub last night to have one of their cheap meals. First had a drink with George and Annie who were surpised to see us on a week day.   Afterwards Rosemary and I dined in the resturant.

I am pleased to say that the meal was actually very good, and not outrageously expensive.  We went for the mid week value meal, and had three courses.  The amount of food was just right, and each dish was well presented.  The French waiter, Cyril, was very helpful with the wine selection and offered excellent alternatives to our original selections.

For starters Rosemary selected Ceasar Salad, while I had Salmon Terrine.  The Terrine was lovely, and was served with a sauce and topped with a salady/pickle made of strips of cucumber.

Both of us ate the Sea Bream on couscous.  We both were very happy with this.

For the finals, chocolate for me and creme brule for Rosemary.  My chocolate pudding was delish.  A dark chocolate on a white chocolate moose. 

Scotland and the Mai Thai

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Well I finished the week in Chicago, and arrived back on Saturday.  Looks like I won’t be back for the conversion weekend.  That day was delayed and now coincides with my holiday.

Had a week in the office doing some support for the Polish, since then £ signs always seem to display as some other odd character on my PC.  Must look at my keyboard mappings.  After a nice week going home every day I felt rather spoilt.

Weekend at home, meal with John, Carol, Anne and Chris (& their two dogs).  All stayed over night.

Monday back up to Edinburgh for a final bit of development.  The Mai Thai restaurant was closed, the chef was taking a four week break back to Thailand.  So I went elsewhere to eat, the Siam Thani on Broughton Street.  I am afraid it was no cheaper, and the food was not nearly as nice as Mai Thai.

Ate one meal at the Petit Paris.  Have not eaten in the Grass Market one for a long time.  The waiter commented on not seeing me for such along time.  Had a nice meal of duck and lentil casserole.

Met Ed and Jo for a curry at Zest.

The past week the weather has been pretty good.  Sunny, but was quite cold in the evening.

Chicago

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This week I am in Chicago, working on an United Airlines project.  I was definitely looking forward to coming out here.  A nice city, good food, and blues bands.

Of course I seem to have ended up in the suburbs, miles from anywhere with no transport, and not particularly good restaurants.  The hotel is in Itasca, and the office in Wood Vale

Met up with Fred Giacoma.  He works not so far away from here, so he took me to a mall, where there were some reasonable restaurants.  The place was Italian, all the items on the menu had half portions.  We even had a half portion starter shared between the two of us, and that was ample.  I ate a clam linguine, half portion of course, and still left some. 

 

Last week in Edinburgh

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Well I finished my last week in Edinburgh.  Packed my bag which had to go in the aircraft hold because it had a bottle of Champagne from the Mai Thai resturant.

Just as I was leaving, the Bank asked if I could have another week in Edinburgh to do some further changes.  Ah well it seems I will be back there quicker than I expected.

Thursday in Edinburgh

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It is already Thursday.  I have been staying at the Holyrood Hotel.  I have eaten in the Mai Thai three nights running.  I really must go and find somewhere else to eat for a change.  It is though so easy to go there and eat.  Good food, and the Carlsberg Special is only £2.50.  (Do you hear that, Jake, £2.50!)  Free Internet access and a friendly bunch who run it.  Last night football was on, and some celebrations from the Scots who won their game.  Hey and so did England, smashed the Russians 3 – 0.

Well I thought this might have been my last week here, but it does look that I may be here for a couple more weeks.  Should be good for the bonus. 

Weather wise, the sun has shone every day, no rain.  Today is the worst day, a bit on the overcast side.  Some of the thousands of Americans packing out breakfast and being their usual painful Americans selves, commented that it was going to rain in Glasgow, and might make it to Edinburgh.  Hope not as I walked into work in short sleeves.  Ah, and North Bridge was closed, I assume by another jumper, so had to walk down into the rail station and out the other side.

Tried to log on to the site selling Led Zeppelin tickets, http://www.ahmettribute.com/, does not seem active yet.  Little chance I will get one of the 20,000 tickets priced at £125.  But I will give it a go.

Greys Court

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Saturday afternoon thought it about time to use NT cards, but where to go?  Chose Greys Court in Oxfordshire; slight en route diversion due to someone shifting signage around (seems to happen a lot lately).

On arrival were told it was unusual for the house to be open on a Saturday (later surreptitious inspection of guide book showed this to be true, but R opted for convenient silence on subject). Decided to view house, ice-house, grounds, tower & tea shop followed by donkey & horse wheels in that order. House a picture of Tudor elegance from the outside. Only part of ground floor is viewable. Some amazing plasterwork ceilings greet you from the hall onwards. R worried over cracks in one room, but outside inspection didn’t show them (and R always worried over cracks in houses). Delightful rooms which speak of it still being a well-loved lived in house, (although the tv seemed a tad too casual). The kitchen was interesting – a strange mixture of Tudor panels, huge Aga in correspondingly huge inglenook and modern units, but a lovely tiny wall-mounted bee-hive ornamented bookshelf with an Elizabeth David amongst the cookbooks.

Ice-house was thatched and hence unlike any other we’d seen. Nearby (R thought) were signs of v old fortifications (wonder if the house guide book mentions them?). Gardens good, especially the wisteria walled garden where the plant forms the roof. Good views from the tower and we were told May was a good time to re-visit and look down on the wisteria and bluebells. Must make a Google calendar note and also note to bring camera next time. Donkey wheel a bit sad thinking of the poor animals bringing up the water from the well. S thought it over engineered. Still looked as though it could be used today.

Edinburgh

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Been here three days now, flew up on Monday.  Funny flight, the captain took us to 38,000 ft where there was thin cloud, and it was rough, so he had to drop 2,000 ft and it was smooth flight, but a 120 mile an hour head wind.  Took off late, London air traffic control, but we are in Luton, miles away fom London, and you don’t see any other aircraft.  They obviously need more advanced systems that can figure this out.

Staying down in the Hollyrood, so I have breakfast every day, and the Mai Thai for supper.  I wish I was logical and had eaten my way through the menu in order.  Instead I dither and pick and choose.  Now I have no idea which menu items I have not eaten.

 

Le weekend

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Spent Saturday morning shopping, generally unsuccessfully, and the afternoon gardening.  There is so much work to be done there this autumn.  Definitely going to be a chain saw massacre  on some the trees.  They all seem to have grown suddenly, and the ones near the house will need a little trimming back.  Then the graveyard has some dead elms which should come down.  Looks like the wood store will be full for the winter.

R wants to replace the Pampas grass with some butterfly friendly plant.  G must have overheard what I said about setting it on fire and roasting the hedgehogs living in it, because he sent R an article on hedgehog friendly gardening.

Sunday went to M&D for lunch and tea.  Had a leg of lamb this time, roasted and not BBQed.  Very good indeed.  Also picked up our 25th wedding anniversary present. A lovely Ann Blockley painting and a silver topped jar with a bee in the decoration.  As we left it started pouring with rain, expected a bad journey home, but luckily it all cleared up on the M40.