April 18th

April 18th

Day 5

Saturday

Saturday morning was the grand packing day.  Jen was not convinced that I could fit everything that I had (mostly clothes now that I had both summer and winter clothes with me) into my two suitcases.  She wanted to prove this so we packed all of my things into my suitcases only to find she was right.  So we bought a third suitcase for her to bring home and Jen the Clean Sweep Monster attacked.  She did things like make me choose three sweaters, and I had to tell her why I needed to keep them.  It was nice to purge a few things, and she even got me to throw away a jacket that I'm overly attached to that I've had for probably five or six years.  It's way past its prime and I kind of wished I could've kept it for my kids, but it was it pretty bad shape.  My good friend Sarah from home has been trying to get me to get a new one for a while.  I just really loved that jacket.  Anyway, Jen got me to throw it away, and to prove that it was thrown away she took pictures.  It was rough.  

She looks innocent, but she's really out to clean sweep my whole life if she could.

  

Jacket love.  Jacket separation.  Jacket despair.

After we packed up the new suitcases and weighed them we headed out to Hyde Park to catch a bus to Notting Hill Gate to meet Kate.  Our plan was to hit up Portobello Market, have lunch with Kate, then go to Abbey Road and get some night pictures with Big Ben.  

  

We forgot to get a video of Jen singing the Portobello Road song :(

It was a mad house.

  

Cameras for Dave.  Carbs for me and Jen :)

  

Rosso Pomodoro for real Italian food.  More of the market - this guy had a little coffee shop out of his mini VW van.

  

Kate and Jen browsing.  Andy Warhol shop with a print mural.

Jen, Kate and me (I'm cheesin' as Dave would say).

We stopped in a store where Kate spotted a dress she really liked.  Then Jen pointed to a dress that was...perfection.  I tried it on.  Jen and Kate were crazy about it and so was I, so Jen bought it for me, despite how much it cost, and said that she wouldn't have to buy me Christmas or birthday presents next year.  I think it's worth it.  I didn't let Jen take it home with her, so hopefully Kate and I will get to take our new dresses out on the town for a night before I come home.  Jen also made me swear to guard that dress with my life :)

Abbey Road

  

The famous cross walk.  The famous Abbey Road Studio where the Beatles recorded.

Jen and I crossing ala Abbey Road album style.

  

What I wrote in January.  Also found what Tim wrote in January.

  

Making a new mark.  A long one, but a good one.  Right under some brilliant person who only wrote "boobies".

  

Jen's contribution to the wall.  Some tulips.

  

Then we walked back to St. John's Wood Station so I could show Jen the Beatles Coffee Shop.  She took my picture and accidentally cut out Paul, which technically makes me the fourth Beatle :)

  

Chim-chimney.  Jen loves the chimneys.  This next picture was after we headed out to take night pictures and were just about to cross the Westminster Bridge.  There's this garden at the end of this driveway to the Marriott.

  

Sisters.  Parliament.

  

Big Ben.  London Eye.

Jen finally in a phone booth.

  

Me.  Jen.  I really like Jen's picture because I got the blurry bus going by in the background.

Sisters :)

Proof that Jen survived the Nuthouse.

We got GBK and ice cream for our last "hurrah" before we both returned to our normal non-indulging lifestyles.  It was nice to take our time today.  We had to get up really early (Jen got up at 5:15am and I got up at 6am so we could make it to Gatwick two hours early for her flight).  I hope Jen had a great time, I know I did.