2001-10-08 - 10:03 p.m.

Whew, what a long weekend! I spent a lot of last week either at Steve's or in Maidenhead, so I was already a bit run down when Deb got here.

But get here she did (and I managed to work my miracle powers and run into someone I know, at Gatwick Airport at 6:30 am!!) and we sailed off into a splendid weekend of sightseeing and visiting. I'm sure she'll post her own set of recollections (once she's had a chance to sleep!) but here are some of mine.

Friday we had breakfast at Le Brunch, which is a bit of a requirement when visiting us here in beautiful Tooting. Then after some brief puttering we went downtown and saw the Changing of the Guard. The band for the Old Guard had very cool uniforms - need to find out who they were. An Indian regiment, I suspect.

Then we walked a lot, had lunch, saw the Banqueting House (all that's left of the palace at Whitehall) and Westminster Abbey. Very splendid. Ran a couple of crucial errands (like replacing my mobile which I'd dropped in the toilet the previous week....) Had the best fish & chips in London and went home and crashed.

Saturday, we went to the local market and bought gorgeous fabric, went to the Temple Church, wherein is buried one of my heroes, William Marshal (and ran into a parade by accident, and got terribly not-quite-lost in the grounds of the Middle Temple), went to Covent Garden, had a terrific and lengthy lunch (while it rained), shopped a bit then wandered over to Leicester Square. Watched people, had a birthday dinner for Deb, ate ice cream. While in the queue for ice cream, we saw an entertaining hen party run into an entertaining stag party, which culminated in one of the stags showing off his, um, parts, and dropping trou in the middle of Leicester Square. Ah, London!

Sunday involved Spitalfields Market and the British Museum, getting rained on and getting 'museum feet'. We particularly saw the "Isn't Imperialism Wonderful" rooms at the BM, and got some cool books at the bookshop. Came home (in the rain, getting soaked) and had Italian dinner at our local place, then went home to ponder rest. While at supper we found out about the US attacks on Afghanistan. Very interesting.

We were just settling in for an evening coze (I was doing a couple of chores, Deb was keeping me company) when my sweetie called, incredibly drunk, from somewhere near the Barbican. Apparently his brother & friend had gone home (to Basingstoke, over an hour away) but sweetie had stayed 'cause he was having fun. Oh dear. Another phone call later ("I fell over, I'm on the ground now") and we (over the phone) get sweetie into a cab and on his way to my place.

Apparently he rode on the *floor* of the cab, and when he got here (at midnight) I came out to find him lying on the front stoop spreadeagled in the rain. Those of you who have met sweetie can now imagine me trying to quietly get him into the house, undressed, Vitamin-I'd, watered and put to bed. It was, um, interesting.

But it was managed, and he managed to get home and not get a parking ticket (partly thanks to his brother going out and feeding the meter at the train station), we got Deb off to the plane (hopefully on time!) and Mike's mom & I walked over a whole section of the East London fabric district with my SCA friend Val. My feet hurt after four days of tromping about, I'm exhausted, Crown is this weekend and I'm unprepared, and I should work tomorrow. Which means I should sleep now....

Miss y'all.

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