Wimbledon 2007 - Day 7, June 29

Got up early though managed to sleep through the alarm.  Still I had enough time to get up and actually get in a work out again.  It was good to get back to the gym.  I think I'm doing better working out almost to the point where I prefer being able to get one in.  I am still not sure getting up first thing and working out is better than doing so after work.  The after work exercise is cathartic.  But, I have managed for the most part to stick to my goal.

Walked in alone this morning.  Tube stop with a good amount of iPod and the trek from Southfields uneventfully.  We managed a full slate of play, despite the forecast calling for showers all day.  I was glad to see the weather forecasters here are as bad as they are in the states.

Sent Colleen some flowers same day.  Just wanted to let her know I was thinking of her and missed her.  Plus, today was her day to go get her iPhone, so talking to her overnight would be tougher.  I am so looking forward to her getting here.  It can't come soon enough.

Wrapped up the shopping I knew I could do before Colleen arrived.  I bought my own hat this year because I keep forgetting that they don't provide one at this event and I like having a cap for some mornings. :-)  There are still a couple of items she may want, but I'd prefer if she were here to actually make the choices.

Wound up not doing anything for dinner and instead walking back on my own to the tube.  Walking on the platform, I passed someone smoking a joint.  He nodded at me and all I could do was smile.  I am always fascinated by the brazen smoking you can see in Europe.

Back to the hotel and a bit of well wishing for Steve as he flies home to the states.  That meant a couple of pints in the hotel bar, but he signed for them so I didn't see exactly how expensive they actually were.  I am sure they were 9 dollar beers for a local draft!

Cheers!

Wimbledon 2007 - Day 6, June 28

Another early start to play so another early morning.  Because I had to get up this morning to pick up my laundry, I chose to bypass workout yet again.  Disappointed in myself, but I guess I have to hope on the walking around to keep me getting some exercise.

The laundrette across the street from the hotel is significantly less expensive I'll grant.  The problem, however, is that they aren't as meticulous as I might like.  The whites came back distinctly gray.  Quite annoying.  I suspect they actually put them in the same load as my colors to get it done more efficiently.  The venue shirts likely bled a little blue onto them.  Either way, disappointing.  Still, I just don't see how I can justify the exorbitant prices at the hotel laundry service.

I still cannot really describe the joy I get taking public transportation in to the venue and the walk from the tube stop to the security check.  The people watching is outstanding and I just feel totally alive.  That's a pretty sappy statement, but I just don't care. :-)

The day managed to hold from a weather perspective.  We didn't have any significant rain and got in a full slate of tennis.  I was lucky enough to actually get a ticket to Centre Court!!!  It was like a pilgrimage to a holy shrine for me.  It was awesome.  The tennis wasn't bad either.  I have really been spoiled this time around as I have been able to watch live tennis on both Court 1 and Centre this year.  I always have a twinge of guilt associated with going to watch tennis during the event, but if they bring a ticket down here and offer it to me, I am not going to refuse the chance.

My first brush with greatness wasn't actually a brush, it was a bump.  I was coming out of the restroom and Luke Jensen was coming in. He ran into me.  He's very tall.  He was at least polite about it.  It took me a moment to realize who it was.  Always very cool since we're under the media centre we see quite a few TV folks.

They pushed play until as late as natural light allows.  Thank God for small favors that there are no lights here.  Afterward, we had a some light work to wrap up and still managed to get out just before 10.  That meant we could still catch dinner at what is unquestionably one of the best Indian restaurants I have ever ordered from Rajdoot Restaurant.  I chose a Chicken Vindaloo and managed to get raised eyebrows from the waiter.  Everyone at the table assumed that meant I'd ordered liquid flame.  In the end, the Vindaloo I ordered in Tasmania was far hotter and the one I had in remote Ireland was more flavorful.  Still it was a good dinner.  They were even willing to split it between 6 AMEX cards so we didn't have to deal with the pooled cash issue.

They all chose to go to the pub.  I chose to walk to the tube.  I wanted to get home and I knew I'd need a top up for the Oyster and more cash before tomorrow.  While walking down the hill to the Wimbledon stop, I came upon a group of guys obviously smashed from a night of drinking.  Two stopped simultaneously in the bushes along the side of the path and began to relieve themselves.  I walked on without even a sideways glance.  Not 200 feet later, a young woman was standing on the path and asked me to slow down a bit.  I was curious as to why but then I saw her friend's head pop above the bushes indicating she too was drunk and had chosen that section of path to relieve herself.  That did cause me to raise an eyebrow, but the woman on the path thanked me for letting her friend finish in peace.  Like I'd really want to catch a glimpse of that!

Got to the tube stop just as the train was about to pull out.  The car was mostly empty and stayed quiet the whole time.  I sat and jammed the iPod while reading the bits of refuse newspaper laying in the floor of the train and then switched to one of the cheap ASCII games on the mobile phone until the train arrived at Earl's Court. 

I topped up the Oyster, but forgot that I have to request a receipt.  Oh well, I can likely just record it to keep up with the usage.  I went for 20 GBP because I knew I'd get good use of it.  Since that's below the receipt limit, I should be OK having debited it directly to the AMEX.  For whatever reason, the Barclay's Bank across from Earl's Court is no longer willing to provide me cash.  I don't know if it is that American Express is falling out of favor in the UK or if they've just been lazy about adding more, or maybe it literally just runs out every day given the traffic that machine must see.  So, that meant a run to Sainsbury's where the ATM is always at the ready to provide me some more cash. :-)

Back to the room and I was ready for bed.  I spent my time flossing my teeth.  Since the last chiding from the Dental Hygienist, I have been trying to floss every night.  I hate the dentist and her badgering me for anything associated with the health of my teeth grates me to no end.  They wonder why it had been so long since I went.  Oh well.  Tried to call Colleen, but she had already left for the gym.  That means I won't speak to her tonight and it let me down a little.  From there it was off to sleep to get ready for another fun day of Wimbledon fun!.

Cheers! 

Wimbledon 2007 - Day 5, June 27

Today was laundry day.  I had to get up early and get my almost week's worth of dirty clothes to the laundrette across the street from the hotel.  I probably could have used the Marriott service, but I honestly think that being able to get all my laundry done for the price of one pair of pants at the hotel seems to offset the mild hassle.  I can only hope things come back actually clean.  They seem to be somewhat suspect on whites.

We wanted to get to the venue early today to allow for some work we wanted to roll out before play.  Of course, the items I depended on to complete the work weren't cooperating, and in the end all I did was get to work an hour and a half earlier than I needed.  It was a good walk in, and while cloudy, I thought there'd be promise for a solid day of tennis.

I got lucky.  There was an extra Court 1 ticket that IBM wasn't using and they asked if someone in our room wanted to go watch tennis.  The match in progress was Serena Williams and Alicia Molik and I was very interested to see how the match went.  Both players are coming back after fairly disappointing 2006 campaigns and I felt it could have been a good match.  Serena ended up winning in 2 sets, and the second really wasn't very close at all.  Still, it is always a real treat for me to get to watch some tennis live while at the venue and I never am disappointed.

Rains came.  And came.  And came.  It was basically a disaster the remainder of the day and by 8:15 PM local time they had called the rest of the play for the day.  They plan to start play at 11 tomorrow, and likely the rest of the week to try to get caught up.  Middle Sunday isn't something the All England Lawn Tennis Club takes lightly (mostly because they don't have any way to sell tickets on that day and it costs them a ton of money) and while the prospects of middle Sunday aren't certain, they are actually discussing the possibility.

Wound up working horribly late after coming in incredibly early.  That was a lousy mix, but it is what venue life is about.  To commiserate, we chose to follow the Atlanta team to their house to store our bags and then head to the Pub for a couple of pints.  Bitter from Young's isn't bad (it is English Beer so only somewhat fizzy and somewhat cold) but at least it is only 2.50 GBP so it isn't as expensive as some alternatives.  That meant we got back to the hotel very late as we didn't leave the pub until midnight.

Steve knows his way around, thankfully and we walked to Wimbledon station instead of all the way back to Southfield station.  The last train left there at 12:40 and we caught the one just before the last.  I like that Steve is willing to take the train and willing to walk a bit to get to a stop.  I definitely enjoy the exercise.

Got to the room and called Colleen.  Always good to talk to her.  She's willing to listen to me gripe and I dumped all the stress of the day onto her.  Since I have to pick up laundry in the morning, I probably won't be working out once again. :-(

Cheers!

Wimbledon 2007 - Day 4 June 26

The day started with me going to the gym again for the morning workout.  I was in an apparent race with another guest, as he bolted out of the elevator we shared and disappeared down into the gym bypassing sign in and the like so that he could have the elliptical while I was stuck on a stationary bicycle.  The workout wasn't as good, but in the end I got a decent work out.  I know I'll end up with a mild degree of saddle sores, though, as the seat wasn't all that comfortable.

More coffee for breakfast and still haven't brought any Splenda.  At least the sweet and low here has Aspartame so it isn't as likely to have the tin taste of saccharine.  Just really wish I could get some Marmite for my toast. :-)

I enjoyed walking in again today and catching the tube.  It is definitely my preferred path.  The weather was breezy but dry.  That meant we had a solid day of play.  Things may not be all downhill after all.

I got a chance to actually go to the roof top garden and snap a couple of pictures.  The weather wasn't pleasant, and I was glad that I had my event sweatshirt (not really a fleece more the jersey material of a sweatshirt.)  Still I was in shorts and I intend to wear them more than not.

Eating at the venue will soon reach the point where I'll still be paying out of pocket, I am sure.  Mostly because they don't even provide beverages for free and I am swilling carbonated mineral water like there's no tomorrow.  And, I guess I might be able to understand given the extra distance but can I get a decent banana around here?  Bruised on the inside still isn't good even if they look nice and yellow on the outside.  Oh well, at least I have been trying to eat healthy.  Of course, that doesn't take into account the burger and chips I had tonight. LOL

Caught the tube back home again and got back to the room at a decent hour.  Trying to be able to get in significantly earlier in the morning than I have had to so far.  Quite a bit of work to try to get done before play starts.  Called Colleen but got her before she had walked the dogs and they were going mad waiting on her to get them out for their evening constitutional.  Looking forward to her coming more and more every day.

Cheers!

Wimbledon 2007 - Day 3 June 25, 2007

Woke up this morning just a bit before my alarm would have gone off.  I guess that means there's little chance I'm feeling any jet lag.  I am on London time now.  I took the opportunity to get up early anyway and headed down to the gym.  I told myself I'd get as many workouts in as I could at the hotel so that I didn't really miss much not being at home.

I have to give props to the Marriott for their gym.  I mean, it isn't massive, but there were 5 cardio machines and a few weight machines as well as some free weights.  I'll be able to at least keep up the premise of my workouts.  Of course, I'll have to see how the schedule works, because I already had to wait for someone to wrap up their use of the elliptical.  Still, managed 45 minutes of cardio and 15 of weights (shoulders mostly as I try to work out that tendonitis in my left shoulder.)

Breakfast being free at the Executive Lounge is OK, but it is hardly filling or healthy.  Still I managed some wholemeal toast a very bruised banana and some eggs.  Add in what is actually a very good cup of coffee and I can't complain given the price. :-)

I chose to walk in alone this morning.  I wanted to get to the venue earlier than the rest of the team planned, mostly because today is the first day of live play.  Also, I really enjoy taking the tube and the walk from the tube stop.  The weather at the time seemed to be holding, so I jumped at the chance.  Just me, my iPod and the world becomes my own music video. :-)  I felt for the security woman who had to screen my bag.  I had it stuffed full of things and it is already a quite annoying bag to screen with tons of little pockets and zippers.  Still I managed to get in at the time I wanted and most of what was in there will be camped at the venue for a couple of weeks.

Well, I knew my luck wouldn't hold.  Rain started the tournament this year.  Despite all my hopes, a significant number of matches got canceled today.  I don't have a good sense of whether or not they'll get caught up, but I can only hope.

We still were at the venue until very late into the evening.  When we left, it was quite breezy and cooler than I had expected.  Seems this whole event is going to be colder than I had hoped for.  I hope the weather turns nicer or it will be a dreary vacation.

Got back to the room late and tried to call Colleen, but the time shift meant I caught her at the gym or just getting back from walking the dogs.  I left a message, I was just too tired to stay up and call her back.  It was already after midnight.

Hopefully, things will improve over this week.  For now, I'll keep my fingers crossed!

Cheers!

Wimbledon 2007 - Day 2 - June 24

Day 2 and I didn't actually have to work today. I went downstairs and did get in a workout. 45 minutes on an elliptical trainer and 15 minutes of weights to make me feel better about being on the road. I have to give the Marriott credit in that regard. It was a passable gym even if it did take a fairly significant trek to wander down there.

I had a leisurely breakfast in the Executive Lounge. I was disappointed that there was no Marmite for my whole meal toast, but I made due. The coffee is outstanding, which is nice. Far too often here, the coffee is powdered instant and it isn't at all good.

Josh and I decided to play tourist today, and started off heading out to the tube. We discovered that two of the primary lines were out for service. This meant we'd have to jockey around on the tubes and possibly have to do some walking. Because of it, however, we found an interesting little stop. We ascended The Monument and after the 311 steps, found a very nice view of town. From there, it allowed us a reasonable view of the Tower of London and the The Tower Bridge. It was an interesting tour up the bridge. Josh had wanted to go into the Tower of London itself, but I really wanted to experience that for the first time with Colleen, so I told him I'd wait in a pub. Once he saw the queue, he chose to pass.

We stopped in a little pub on the opposite side of the Thames and had lunch and I had a beer that had a distinctly chocolate finish. Quite tasty all in all. We stopped back at Westminster Abbey, but they don't have tours on Sunday, so we had to just settle for walking around the outside.

Came back to the hotel to relax before dinner. Actually wound up doing a little bit of work, so I didn't totally feel bad about the day, since I had really expected to be at work at some point today anyway. For dinner we chose La Pappardella which is actually a regular haunt for the venue team. It was pouring rain, so we had to catch a taxi instead of walk, but all that meant is we got to the restaurant early. Incredibly tasty, and well worth the trip.

Back to the hotel and more sitting out watching cars splash pedestrians. Definitely the story of the event. Cigars, Scotch and puddle splash. LOL

Off to bed and getting ready for play at noon. Looking forward to getting settled into the venue mode.

Cheers!

Wimbledon 2007 (Never say never) Day 1 - June 23

Well, dear readers, I haven't posted since my last event and had in all honesty thought there'd never be another. Yet, here I am writing this from London in the Marriott Kensington yet again. So, I'll be cranking up my blog to record my thoughts and travails as I go through another tour of duty and another post venue holiday.

Today was arrival day. I chose to start this one from the point of arrival. The direct flight on American Airlines from RDU to London Gatwick really means the flight itself is nothing to write about. I got to the airport only to discover for the first time I was actually over weight in my bag. I'll need to work that out, for while the woman let me slide in RDU, I doubt they'll be as nice about it here when I leave. Otherwise, the flight was almost short. Hard to believe that I can say 7 hours of flying is a short flight, but it seemed it was over before it started. I loved having my new iPod battery in place, because the device played the entire time without incident.

Got to the airport and discovered that none of the ATM allow American Express any more. That was a challenge. The Company card is AMEX and while I had 10 GBP I knew it wouldn't get me far. It wasn't critical as I could still charge the Gatwick Express ticket and get to Victoria Station without incident. It was definitely a better choice than the 93 GBP alternative of a cab ride. Once at Victoria, I got to an ATM and was able to get some cash to catch a cab to the hotel. I could have taken the tube, but I wanted to see what the option looked like since I will likely take Colleen to the hotel via a cab from the station when she gets in.

Now, I shouldn't complain. I understand the premise. Hotels have check in in the late afternoon for very specific reasons. However, I had requested 2 weeks before my arrival that I be allowed to check in before 10 AM (standard check in is 2PM.) So, when they told me the room wouldn't be ready until noon, I was fine. I had arrived at 9:30 like I figured, and knew I could manage to kill a few hours. I went to Sainsbury's and got a bit more cash, as well as some super glue for some emergency repairs. Then I walked down to get a 20 GBP calling card. I chose that size because it offered another 5 GBP free and meant I'd likely not need another even during our holiday. I walked to Earl's Court Tube Station and topped up the Oyster Card I had purchased last year. That way, I should be able to take the tube all over town as well. I can only hope it works on the Trams as well, since part of this sojourn will involve changing hotels and the new hotel isn't directly on the tube line. They offered me a chance to wait in the Executive Lounge, and I was able to get some late breakfast, as well as run into the venue setup team. They left and I tried to wait patiently. Unfortunately, I was running on fumes and 3 hours sleep in the previous 30 was beginning to take its toll on me. At 1:40 PM, I finally told them that they needed to find me a room or prepare to allow me to stretch out and nap in the executive lounge. So, I actually got a room upgrade (slight) at the same rate, so I was pleased.

Had a 3 hour nap and I woke up disoriented. I thought I had overslept and missed any chance of dinner with the team. Turned out I had read the clock wrong and it was only 7 PM, not 9 PM. Whew! Still, turned out we ate dinner in the hotel. Quite possibly the worst 10 GBP grilled chicken Caesar salad I'll ever have. Afterward, we went out to the front of the hotel to allow some of the team to have a cigar and drink Scotch. No smoking in the hotel and soon to be most public buildings in London. While out there, we took evil pleasure in watching unsuspecting pedestrians get soaked as cars drove through the puddle in the road and caused a splash. It was hillarious, especially some of the reactions.

Josh and I chose to hit a pub around the corner and I introduced him officially to the drawn pint. It isn't a great beer, but it is part of the experience. And, admittedly, the IPA here isn't half bad. We left shortly before midnight.

Got back to the room and called Colleen. It was good to talk to her. I flossed (yes, I am now doing that as well trying to preserve that health as well) and then drifted off to sleep on a stack of too soft pillows. All in all, not a bad first day. :-)

Cheers!