Wimbledon 2007 - Day 15, July 7th

Saturday morning.  What would be the day of the Ladies Final and it definitely is going to happen.  The day is bright and sunny, with just a hint of breeze.  There will be a ton of tennis to complete, but it does appear that everything will complete tomorrow!

Forgot to set my alarm.  That meant I had to rely on my internal clock to get me up.  Oddly, it fired about 20 minutes later than the alarm, so I wasn't as leisurely this morning, but I wasn't late for oversleeping.  I chose to ride in on the 200 bus, which appears to be the least amount of walking and picks up the closest to the hotel.  I needed to see how it ran as I knew I'd be sending Colleen that way as she went back to the hotel.  It wasn't a bad ride, and dropped off just down from the Rajdoot, which meant a fairly straightforward walk to the venue.

We had a solid day of play, though I am sure that several players were complaining that they'd have two or three matches and I don't doubt there were a couple of players that were asked about possibly playing a fourth.  Still, we got out at a reasonable hour and used the chance to go back to the hotel and drop off our bags and change instead of just going out with our packs.

Called Colleen twice.  The first time after I assumed she had dropped the dogs off at the vet.  I was right.  She had just gotten back and was lounging on the couch contemplating a nap. :-)  I called her just before she was supposed to go to Chad's house to make sure she had everything.  I can't believe that she'll be here tomorrow!  I am so excited!

The decision was to attempt a pub crawl.  We stopped at most of the pubs between the hotel and the top of the hill, though admittedly we only had half pints in most of them.  We discovered the new launch of Guinness Red at O'Neills and Diageo has indicated in a press release that we found one of a very select number of locations that had it.  It wasn't bad, and honestly seemed a closer competitor to Smithwick's in terms of color and body.  Maybe it actually is, and they just felt it would be received more openly as Guinness.

Got home WAY too late to be getting up as early as I will to get Colleen in the morning, but it was fun to be able to go out and really kick up my heels.  Drifted off to sleep knowing I had set my alarm early in the morning and would be going to get my wife!!

Cheers!

Wimbledon 2007 - Day 14, July 6th

Friday morning and I am still waking up before the alarm goes off and without provocation.  At least this time it wasn't a siren or construction. ;-)

Chose yet another new method to arrive, though this one I believe is my favorite.  I walked a little over a half mile to the South Wimbledon Underground station and caught a bus from there.  It let me off just the other side of the Indian Restaurant, and I walked a little under a half mile down to the grounds.  It was nice.  I was alone again, and just me and my iPod.  This bus ride was the first I'd been asked to produce my Oyster.  A gentleman came up the stairs (I was on the top deck) and flashed a badge and pulled out a reader.  He proceeded to verify that everyone had a valid ticket or pass.  I was impressed, considering I hadn't seen that to this point.  I imagine it would do a reasonable job of catching people that were trying to avoid paying fares.

Today marked a clear bright day for what is unquestionably the first day of the tournament.  We had 9 solid hours of play and completed large amounts of the tournament.  I felt for some of the players, as I saw one doubles specialist that literally had three matches in a single day and likely was asked if he'd play a fourth.  I guess he was lucky to not have won the second men's doubles match as that would have meant another busy Saturday to cope with as well.  Still, it meant our glimmer of hope had now blossomed into a full fledge chance that we wouldn't have Monday play.  If nothing else, Tuesday play is definitely off the table and that means I won't have to adjust the booking for the bus tour that starts our vacation.

I chose to hedge my bets this time and not eat at the venue.  I was rewarded by getting a chance to go out and have Indian for dinner.  It was well worth it.  Colleen called and I was glad to hear from her.  We're really getting down to the wire now and I want to be able to make sure she gets off safely.  I am so looking forward to her arrival.

We went from the Rajdoot to The Dog and Fox to meet some of the IBM UK people.  Unfortunately, it became clear to me that I was the only one in the bar in our party that wasn't staying within walking distance of their bed for the night.  I don't know why, but the premise of not knowing how I was getting back and having to do so alone really didn't appeal to me at my age.  So, I swilled my pint, said my good-byes and wandered out.  I decided it would be easier to walk down the hill to begin with.  So, off I walked.  When I got to the town center, I decided I needed to go ahead and catch the 93, the same bus I took in that morning.  It was a 24 hour route, and I didn't know how often the overnight ran.  That meant I had a walk of more than half a mile on the end of the ride through what would be predominately deserted parts of Merton.

Really moved some butt and got back to the room just after 1 AM.  I took the chance to call Colleen one more time as I was really missing her and I am worried about her getting here safely.  Drifted off to sleep knowing that she's about to fly here and will be here on Sunday!

Cheers!

Wimbledon 2007 - Day 13, July 5th

Another early start this morning.  I am not really sure why, but I guess I just can't manage more than about 6 hours sleep.  I took advantage of rising early to get my laundry down to the desk.  I am not happy with the prospect, as I am sure this one will be another 50 GBP as opposed to the 10 GBP I could have paid at the laundrette across from the Marriott, but I needed to get it done.  All this walking around in the rain has left my khakis dirty and all the walking in general has left my clothes sweaty.  They can suck it up.  I am taking buses instead of cabs for the most part, not even underground transport, and we're staying in a room that's 50 GBP less per night.

Today I decided I'd find the altered route that the hotel claimed was our most direct route.  Alone again with my thoughts and my iPod, I'm out of the hotel significantly early all things considered.  I want to allow myself adequate time if I end up actually walking the whole route.  It turns out the bus doesn't have stops along the route going both directions and my half mile walk turned into well over a mile and a missed bus to get to where the stop was on my direction of the route.  That means that bus route is definitely off the table.  Still, it did drop me off very close and I got the chance to ride in the top half for my very first time.  Yes, that's cheesy, but still it was pretty cool to be  that high up.  You get to see a lot more as you're riding in.  And, the bus had a stop that was the closest I can get to the venue without walking.  I suspect I'll need to find some balance of walking and bus to get here.

A good start to the day and we got a good bit of tennis in.  I am still worried about the premise of Monday play, but it seems less likely after the day we started.  Play did wind up being canceled however at 7:30 due to rain.  This was after an almost 2 hour rain delay to that point.  Friday will be the lynchpin to our chances at getting out of here over the weekend.

With play ending early, there was discussion over what to do about supper.  It is always a nice option to not have to eat at the venue, and to not have to eat at 10 PM or later.  Of course, the decision was made for Chinese at 10.  I thought it more prudent to pass.  We went to the Rose and Crown while there was debate as to whether I'd be on my own altogether tonight or not.  In the end, we rode down to Wimbledon Station and wandered around the main part of town.  Dinner was at The Slug and Lettuce.  I ate poorly, opting for a Bleu Cheese Burger and Chips instead of something healthy, but I just couldn't resist the way that sounded.  Also, they served all three varieties of Artois Beer, so I took the opportunity to have a Peeterman Artois and an Artois Bock.  Of the two, I think I prefer the taste of the Peeterman, but the Bock is higher alcohol content.  Both are fairly pricey here so I somehow doubt I'll drink a lot of either.

Caught the bus back to the hotel and went to pick up my laundry.  The desk had none, and I was not quite happy, but wasn't going to rip into the night man as he had nothing to do with it.  Instead we convinced him to serve us a tall pour of half a pint.  Colleen rang my cell while we were sitting there, and I ducked outside to speak to her and then took the opportunity to sneak up to my room to call her back.  When I got there, I discovered they had delivered my laundry, which was just as well.  Getting to talk to Colleen was awesome.  I enjoy every chance I get to hear her voice, and I got to play some remote desktop support for her.  The power outage had left my iMac powered off which meant she had no printing available.  She's getting closer and closer to flying out.  She'll be here in three days!!!  How awesome is that.

I think the cost of the inbound call was a bit steep.  I shouldn't have been as low on my pay as you go as I am now (just at 3.32 GBP) but I don't care.  I just like the chance to speak to her.  Calling her back was of course less expensive.  I don't think I'll be able to use up all of this calling card, though I did promise my mother I'd call her when Colleen arrived and we'll want to call Colleen's mother as well.

Flossing and brushing.  I guess that's become my nightly routine.  It has gotten easier, but it still hurts my gums.  I don't know when that stops.  Drifted off to sleep looking forward to another day.

Cheers!

Wimbledon 2007 - Day 12, July 4th

The day celebrating our nation's birth, and I'm in the country we separated from.  I miss my fireworks, and "blowin' stuff up real good!" almost as much as I miss Colleen.  No, that's not true, I still miss her more.

Woke up early to the sound of sirens again.  Makes me wish I'd gotten a room on the other side of the hotel as my window does face main traffic.  I don't sleep well in hotels anyway.  Well, that's not 100% true.  I don't sleep long periods.  I am prone to very deep sleep when I do but I am easily awakened.

I decided this morning to have breakfast before getting ready instead of after.  Mostly because the continental breakfast isn't very good, but it is distinctly better when I am not feeling crowded.  More Weetabix, which apparently has become my staple.  At least it is low in sugar (none actually) and high in fiber.  Very good for the diet.

I made the call to go in alone this morning.  Mostly because I was bored and ready to go in, but also because I wanted the chance to enjoy some time alone.  Of course that means my own personal soundtrack as my iPod was locked into my ears and blasting away.  I don't hear any road noises and really don't care.  I am definitely in my own little world.  I thought I'd try my tram route.  Mostly because I had scouted it out very early and wanted to see exactly how good or bad an idea it really was.  The walk to the tram stop was about a mile.  Now, I don't want to be critical of ask.com and their walking route maps, but one of the choices they made was somewhat suspect.  There wasn't an appreciable foot path and there was considerable traffic.  I didn't feel in danger, but I wouldn't exactly call it safe either.

I reached the tram stop.  A side note for all you reality TV junkies (well, those that follow or followed the niche that is 'The Real World') that I walked down Lombard Road.  That was where the London cast (sporting Jacinda Barrett as a house mate) stayed during that season (1995.)  I thought it quite funny that I actually remembered that stupid factoid, and I am sure that Colleen would say it was a function of the vat in action.  Once at the tram stop, I pulled a total American move.  I got into the train on the right hand side of the track.  That meant I was now going in the wrong direction away from Wimbledon Station!  I got off on the next stop, but I also passed by the train I should have caught.  That meant I had to sit at the stop for another 13 minutes waiting for the next train.  D'oh!

Got into Wimbledon Station.  It was at that point the folly of this journey became apparent.  There is no train up from Wimbledon station.  I either walk a mile up Wimbledon hill, or I take the District Line train back to Southfields station and walk back almost a mile to the grounds.  I chose to walk up the hill and into the grounds.  A total of 1.2 miles.  That means that I walked 2.2 miles of a 2.9 mile walk from the hotel to the grounds.  And, paid 1 pound for the .7 miles I didn't walk.  Seems that idea is out. :-)  Good exercise though, and it was quite nice being able to walk on my own.

Today is an oddity in my mind.  The Media Centre dining room (our cafeteria) decorates for the American Holiday.  They put up starts, and red, white and blue decor and even have a special cake with white icing, blueberries and strawberries.  For supper, they served chili dogs or fried chicken.  I chose the chili dog, though I suspect it wasn't a sound idea.  It wasn't a bad approximation, but it lacked the substance for good chili, the bun was dried out from sitting under the heating lamp, and the hot dog was about 2/3 the size of the bun.  An 'A' for effort, but a 'C-' for execution.  I ate it with fries, which meant the only healthy part of my supper was the banana I had for dessert.

There was a 2 hour rain delay very early, but overall we got in a solid day of tennis.  That doesn't yet mean we've avoided a Monday final, but we now believe there are chances we won't.  It seemed a foregone conclusion before now that we'd be here on Monday and possibly Tuesday.  They've abbreviated the play for the juniors and invitational doubles, which means the third set is a tie breaker instead of a full set.  Probably not fair to the juniors, but they're pushing hard to not have play on Monday.

Play suspended due to darkness.  I can honestly say I haven't heard sweeter words in some time.  I had tried to call Colleen just before 9, but she wasn't home yet (the 5 hours meant it was still her early afternoon and she was likely running errands keeping the house affairs in order while I'm here.)  So, with play over, I started the walk down the hill toward Wimbledon Station.  We stopped in at a pub, The Alexandra, and had a pint.  Colleen called me since I'd left a message on both her cell phone and the home phone, so I was glad to have the chance to speak to her.  Still, with pubs closing at 11, it was hard to explain that I wanted to finish my beer before they kicked us out.  When I got back, I found out some locals had decided to take some time with some American bashing.  I wasn't all that thrilled to hear it had happened, but I tried to let it fall away.  I did take the time on the way out to give them quite a look, however, since lumping all Americans into a single pot wasn't worthwhile.

Got back to the hotel a bit after midnight.  Took the bus that dropped us off right next to the hotel, so it wasn't too bad.  One more call to Colleen and then off to sleep.

Cheers!

Wimbledon 2007 - Day 11, July 3

Awoke to the sounds of police sirens screaming past the hotel.  Not sure what that really means, other than to say I was up before the alarm went off.  I tried to lie to myself and kept my eyes closed to sleep until the alarm went off, but I knew better.  More instant coffee while getting ready and BBC Breakfast on the TV and once again rain was in the forecast.  It is really quite dreary.

The second different route in this morning.  It seems like we're staying in a 3rd world country or something in that respect.  We have no direct routes and once again the bus route the hotel suggested doesn't seem to work.  At least, it doesn't arrive at any of the stops we're told to catch.  Finally, I did find the right sign.  The bus has been rerouted as of June 30 and no longer serves our part of Merton (the name of the borough of Greater London we're staying in.)  We'd now have to walk about a half mile in either direction to catch a bus that gets us closer than Wimbledon station.  Oh well, it makes for an interesting adventure.

Missed calling Colleen as I was trying to watch 300.  The copy was so badly ripped it skipped and the audio got off track several times.  It was obviously going to be over the top, but I got to watch just enough of it to be interested. :-(  I really felt bad about missing the call and she let me know she was not too pleased.  I knew this part of the trip was coming.  It is about Tuesday or Wednesday of the second week when she misses me badly enough that she decides I'm not paying adequate attention to her, or something, and we end up having a dumb argument.  She really hurt my feelings this time, as I believe it to be an exceptional disrespect of my intentions, my honor, and my feelings.  In the end we worked it out, but I just don't know how to compensate for this and avoid it happening the next time a never say never moment occurs. :-)

I really feel for Nadal.  His 3rd round match began on Saturday of last week and still has not completed.  He has managed less than one set of tennis the last two days and today wasn't any better.  He went from a 2 set lead to being tied and now facing the likelihood of a prolonged 5th set.  One of two 3rd round matches that have not yet completed on a day that is supposed to mark the Gentlemen's Quarterfinals.  It also means that a Monday final (and possibly Tuesday play) is looming ever more present in our lives.  I cannot believe I managed that.  I am now trying to determine whether or not the tour bus company will allow us to move our trip to Stonehenge a day later.  I could kick myself!  Still, hope springs eternal and maybe I'll catch a break.

Rain ended play early yet again.  This time, almost to taunt us, the rain ended just after they called play and a brilliant rainbow appeared.  I wanted to take a photo of it, but I couldn't get a decent shot from down here.  Since I knew we'd likely be heading out to dinner, I didn't want to wander too far.  Impatient, I made the decision to catch a cab instead of wait for the bus.  Our dinner choice was La Nonna which was a staple during the days when the team stayed at the Wayfairer Hotel which I had managed to miss (I still assert thankfully.)  Dinner was good and I had Sole over spinach with lobster sauce and fresh vegetables.  Tasty.

We were within walking distance of The Kilkenny Bar and since that was actually on the way back to the hotel, I decided it would be the best place to stop for a quick pint.  We arrived and they were in the middle of a Cieli which is a collection of musicians all gathered together to jam traditional Irish music.  It was very festive.  I took the opportunity to speak to some locals who were lamenting the recent end of smoking in public places.  I tend to agree with them (even as a nonsmoker) that taking that out of bars seems to detract from the overall pub experience.  Oh well.  I actually had a Bohemian ask me if I could get access to Tobacco seeds (since I told him I lived in a tobacco state in the US) and grow my own.  He actually believed they kept seeds and plants under armed guard!  Oh well, such is the oddity of pub chatter.

We thought we'd be lazy and actually try to catch the tube one whole stop to get to the hotel.  In the end, we paid a pound to walk in and out of the stop as the train suddenly went from just about to arrive to 13 minutes from the next.  Walking down, we encountered another pub and chose to pop in for a half pint as it was 5 minutes before last call.

Got back to the room and called Colleen.  It was very good to hear her voice.  We talked about getting her laptop reconnected to the network storage.  It turned out the power outage had powered off the network storage device.  Walked her through getting that booted up and she could now start to sync some music to her shuffle and her iPhone.  I know she'll be glad of that.  I will be very glad when she gets here, though I am troubled that there are too many odd circumstances going on right now to allow us to enjoy this vacation. :-(  Drifted off to sleep before midnight, which is a rarity.

Cheers!

Wimbledon 2007 - Day 10, July 2

Monday from the new hotel. Woke early to the sounds of banging outside and it turns out that I'm close enough to the road to hear construction on the street. Oh well, for the most part the room was comfy and I won't complain. The room has an electric kettle and instant coffee available, and I had both cups getting ready for our unknown commute in.

Breakfast was exceptionally lame. I suppose it is a continental breakfast, but still there is no Marmite!! I would probably not mind if I could have whole meal toast and Marmite, but the jams are just chock full of sugar and I can't see myself having that. Croissants are also available warmed, but they just look unhealthy. The coffee was good, and I did have some fresh squeezed orange juice. I also took the chance to have my first Weetabix. Not a bad cereal with a sachet of Splenda on it, though I could see where it would be better hot and there was no way to heat it.

The trip has moved from Underground stops to Bus stops. This means that our routes are somewhat more subjective, which is annoying. We chose a bus that did get us into Wimbledon commons, but we still either had to ascend the hill or find another bus. We did catch one that got us up the hill and was descending toward the grounds when suddenly they announce that we should have gotten off earlier as the bus can no longer stop near the grounds. Annoying to say the least, but the bus driver spoke to a policeman and he agreed to let us off.

We got in significantly earlier than I had planned. I am almost sure that's because I had no idea how we were getting in. But, I can listen to my iPod (which is dying a slow painful death it appears) and haven't had a problem getting a seat.

Rain, rain and more rain. I don't know how much real tennis we got in, but I do know that Nadal has now played a match that will span 3 days. I am not sure how I'd cope as an athlete, but I was reminded that test matches in cricket can run for longer, so he should be able to suck it up. :-) In the end, play ended early again as the last rain delay started around 8:20 PM. It was almost as if we should have played on Sunday anyway.

We caught a bus that had the number we wanted, but it turned out it went a different direction from our desired stop. That meant we were now in an area of London called Tooting. I am not sure where London really stops and some of these other areas become distinct towns. Even my pals at Wikipedia can't really adequately define what London is and what it isn't. So, for me, Tooting was still London. The Northern Line did have a stop on Tooting Broadway, so even though we got off the bus too early, we managed to walk the right direction to find the stop in the driving rain. Across the street, like appears to be common for most Underground stops, there was a pub, and we chose to pop in for a quick pint since we didn't know when we would actually be back in that area. The bar was obviously a locals haunt, as we got more than a few sideways glances. Of course, I was in shorts instead of long pants, so I am sure that had more than a bit to do with some of the looking.

One stop down the Northern line and we were in Collier's Wood. We decided to hit the pub next to the Hotel, The Collier's Tup. I ended up having a Russian Beer on tap, which wasn't bad, and was definitely cold as a lager.

Back to the hotel. I had sent my laundry in, and now had to identify it. Even though I know I had the tag with the room number and quantity completed, someone decided I hadn't, or it got lost. So, I had to go through the bags and pick out what was mine. At least it was all there.

Back to the room to discover that they'd left the extra key in the power slot, but had turned off the air conditioning. That somewhat defeated the purpose, but I guess I don't really care. It isn't exactly sweltering hot right now and the cool room is just so I can sleep better. I tried to call Colleen, but she had gone to the gym. Missing her is such a regular part of my day I take it for granted. I can only hope she knows that. I left the number to the new hotel on the message, maybe she'll call me at some point overnight. :-) Drifted off to sleep watching Cliffhanger.

Cheers!

Wimbledon 2007 - Day 9, July 1

Moving day.  Woke up and was amazingly not hung over, but had once again slept through the alarm.  I think it is to quiet, but it is a cheap one I carry only because European hotels don't offer in room clocks and I hate wake up calls.  Got the rest of the room emptied and packed into my too large suitcase.  Got down to the desk for check out and saw the first signs of the increased terror alert in London.  The concierge now had a security wand and was swiping all baggage left for storage.  I was quite surprised to see that.  Add in two extra gentlemen who could only be described as additional security and it was obvious this wasn't going to be a typical day.

Hailing a cab on Cromwell Road is always dodgy to begin with.  The hotel has a light on a billboard on the road, but it never seems to attract cab drivers.  Add in the odd fact that cabbies will intentionally avoid fares that they feel will have low value of return (like airport runs) and you never know how long it will take to actually get a cab.  In the end, we chose to wheel down to the road and hail one ourselves.  Had we known then what we were soon to learn, we likely would have just waited patiently at the hotel.

The cab driver that picked us up told us there had been a significant bomb threat in Wimbledon and we'd not be able to get there via the open road.  Instead, he offered to take us to a tube station that put us on the Northern Line.  That in itself seemed questionable because there was no play today.  It is Middle Sunday.  What would be the point of a threat with no one at the stadium?  Add in that the Diana Memorial Concert was at Wembley, I don't think that was an accurate statement.  But, I was hung over, and hauling a large bag.  I could have simply gotten out of the cab as we were across from Gloucester Station and taken the train trip we'd chosen to get a cab to avoid.  So, off to London Bridge station.

Congestion, likely due to the London 10k race, meant that getting around downtown was spotty.  Suddenly, he made the decision that we'd need to go to Waterloo station and that actually meant we'd gone past where he was now going to drop us off.  Swerving madly, making significantly illegal u-turns and careening down streets looking like he'd side swipe parked cars along the way (even into the oncoming traffic lanes at one point) and he decides that we cannot get to Waterloo station either.  His new choice is Elephant and Castle, another 3 or 4 miles out of our way.  We finally arrived and he dropped us off on the side for the East London line, which meant a ton of work navigating stairs and ramps.  In the end, the ride was 35 Pounds and I am sure he took us for a figurative ride as well. :-)

The tube ride was uneventful and we got to our hotel.  The new hotel is a Holiday Inn Express and it is very similar in style to the one Colleen and I stayed at in Belfast.  It is small, requires the room key in a power slot to keep electricity running and provides few amenities.  That said, it is clean, it does have air conditioning, and a bed.  I cannot complain.  It will mean bus rides to work now instead of the tube, but the Oyster card still works on the bus so I don't mind that either.

Today there was no play, and while the weather had been forecasted for heavy rain the entire day, we only saw a couple of passing showers.  In the end, the day was very nice and while I am glad they chose to not play Middle Sunday, they could have had they needed.

The IBM UK team held a party again on Middle Sunday and that is a very good time.  They have a skewed perspective on  what cold beer actually is, but all in all it was a good spread.  We played a variety of games, including what appeared to be a lawn version of Jenga and I even tried my hand at cricket.  That was comical because I was so tipsy by then I let the bat slip out of my hands and never made solid contact with the ball.

Got back to the room around midnight and settled in for a good night's sleep.  I know I'll be paying for it tomorrow because I had far too many English beers, but still it was worth it.

Cheers!

Wimbledon 2007 - Day 8, June 30

Today started badly.  It was raining when I got up and showed no real signs of stopping.  I went down for my workout and was surprised as I came back out that the rain had stopped.  Maybe we'd get play after all.  I enjoyed another free breakfast at the hotel and by the time I got down to walk to the underground, it was raining again. :-(

Walked in from the station to the venue in the rain.  Good thing I have my umbrella.  It made it at least palatable.  Spent a lot of time sitting in the venue hoping for tennis to actually play.  We wound up having a bet in the venue as to whether or not there would be enough play to avoid a refund for the patrons.  We actually got it incorrect as the tickets themselves say only one hour of play is adequate to avoid a refund, but we had our bet for 2 hours as the over or under.  I lost as we only managed one hour and fifteen minutes of total play for the entire day.

They chose to cancel play for the rest of the day just before 8 PM.  That meant we got out of the venue by 8:15.  We wanted to have something different and chose a Lebanese Restaurant Mandaloun for dinner.  It was very tasty and while it wasn't very far removed from Greek food, it was an interesting experience.  From there, we walked to an Irish Pub and had a couple of pints of Guinness.  Never a bad choice and is sure to be colder than the English beers around the area. ;-)

Got back to the hotel quite tipsy and had walked a good deal in the rain.  I packed some of my stuff, but I wasn't finished and knew that tomorrow the moving day would be quite difficult hung over.  Called Colleen and we talked for a bit.  Drifted off to sleep knowing an odd second half of this adventure would begin.

Cheers!