08 April 2007
07 April 2007
England in Bloom
Spring is in full swing in Thames Ditton. The daffodils days are coming to their end. All manner of other flowers are coming into their own.
Today on my bike ride, I came across alyssum, poppies, violas, and others. There are trees in bud and in bloom. There are grasses pushing their way up, soon to be mown again. In short, it is almost time to worry about allergies.
A friend asked me over this morning to help me work on my bike. (I'd last night that I needed to get off a kick-stand that was inoperable but had no tools to do it.) Joe and I worked to try to loose the bolt holding it on. In the end, we used a hack-saw, hammer and screwdriver to cut and break it off.
My new (operable) kickstand in place, I went off on my ride. It's another great day here in Thames Ditton! The skies are blue and clear. The winds are light and the temperatures are in the high sixties! What a great day for a weekend!
Today I saw a dandelion puffball that was in bloom in front of the dandelion blossom. I kind-of reminded me of the picture (from 2001: A Space Odyssey) of the sun rising behind the earth as seen from the moon.
Tonight I am heading to the fun fair and then the pub with my friends. More pictures tomorrow.
I hope that wherever you are today, you have a great day!
Don Bergquist - 07 April 27 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
Today on my bike ride, I came across alyssum, poppies, violas, and others. There are trees in bud and in bloom. There are grasses pushing their way up, soon to be mown again. In short, it is almost time to worry about allergies.A friend asked me over this morning to help me work on my bike. (I'd last night that I needed to get off a kick-stand that was inoperable but had no tools to do it.) Joe and I worked to try to loose the bolt holding it on. In the end, we used a hack-saw, hammer and screwdriver to cut and break it off.
My new (operable) kickstand in place, I went off on my ride. It's another great day here in Thames Ditton! The skies are blue and clear. The winds are light and the temperatures are in the high sixties! What a great day for a weekend!
Today I saw a dandelion puffball that was in bloom in front of the dandelion blossom. I kind-of reminded me of the picture (from 2001: A Space Odyssey) of the sun rising behind the earth as seen from the moon.Tonight I am heading to the fun fair and then the pub with my friends. More pictures tomorrow.
I hope that wherever you are today, you have a great day!
Don Bergquist - 07 April 27 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
06 April 2007
Bank Holiday Weekend
God Bless The British!
There may be controversy about this, but the best thing in the history of humanity the British are responsible for the best thing to ever be invented b humanity.
Every spring, there is a wonderful four-day span that is called the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. It's great! A couple days added to the normal weekend for the benefit of the working man! What bliss!
If the weather is nice (as it is today), all the better! I took the morning to myself and went for a nice long bike ride. There are dandelions in bloom and although they are a pernicious weed, they are still pretty.
After my ride, I had a nice lunch and then uploaded my pictures. My friends from Molesey have invited me to their place for dinner tonight so, on this lovely, sunny day, I think I'm going to take a book out to the back garden, lay out a blanket and read.
I hope that wherever you are today, you're having a beautiful one!
Don Bergquist - 06 April 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
05 April 2007
Being Diplomatic
Those of you who read my blog regularly (and I have no idea why anyone would, it has often been observed that I obviously don't - but I digress) may recall a few weeks back when I discussed the ill-mannered child I came across on a canal tour of Amsterdam. (See: Travelogue Amsterdam: Part V - Sunday) I really was harsh on this kid. I mean, really! Making a spectacle of himself and giving American children everywhere a bad name.
I suppose I owe the kid an apology this morning. But I am getting ahead of myself.
I left the office a couple hours early yesterday because my passport was running seriously low on visa pages. (I guess I have been doing more travel than I had thought.) doing a bit of research, I discovered that I could head into the US Embassy and get pages added. So off I went.
I guess I have been here long enough that I didn't really give navigating my way to Grosvenor Square is no big deal. You take the South West Rail train into Waterloo station and catch the Jubilee Line tube to Bond Street. Then it is just a 400 meter walk to the embassy.
Arriving at the embassy shortly before it closed, I went through security and was relieved of my mobile, camera, seven flash memory cards, and two flash card readers. I then made my way to the passport and visa office. I think they were trying to make me feel homesick for Florida. The fist thing that I noticed was how hot it was in the room. The second thing that I noticed was that the room was full of screaming, boisterous children. There must have been ten or twenty of them. (But they were making noise enough for a hundred.)
I decided at that moment to be diplomatic no matter what happened. It seemed only right, as I was in an embassy. So no matter what, I was going to ignore the reenactment of Lord of the Flies that was going on around me. Let's see how long that resolve lasted.
I made my way, as directed to window number one and handed-over my paperwork and passport. I was issued ticket number 93. Not before I was hit in the back of the head by a small flying toy. I turned and glared at the child who had thrown it. I retuned my attention to the woman who had been dealing with my request when we had been interrupted.
"It takes a few minutes. I do need you to give me an address here in the UK for our records." She said passing the form back to me. It was for this reason that the next toy missed me as it went crashing into the Perspex of Window number one. "I'm sorry." Said the woman behind the counter.
At a time like this, I think back to the lessons my parents taught me when I was young. You can deal with your problem children in two basic ways. The first (the one I call the Jeanne Bergquist method) is to grab them (or have your husband do it) and forcibly sit them down and make them behave - swatting them occasionally for emphasis. The other is to hide, hope and pray that nobody saw you come into the room with the wild creature that you spawned and plot to leave them behind in a bus or train station somewhere. The progenitors of these wild beasts must have opted for the later.
"Not a problem." I said cheerfully. "Unless these are your brats!"
The gentleman behind me in queue said something harsh to the kid who hit him with yet another thrown toy. But I didn't hear it. I was making my way to take a seat in the waiting area. I tried to concentrate on some paperwork I had brought with me, but after the next toy hit me and a couple more hit the woman next to me, I gave up.
The woman, on the other hand, didn't. She took the toy that hit her and kept it. When the kid who had thrown it came to ask for it (with a definitely British accent, much to my relief) she told the kid off and sent him away without it. She did tell the kid that he could have it back if he brought his parents back to ask for it. I looked at her and gave her the golf clap to show my approval for how she handled it.
As I sat there, staring blankly at my files, unable to concentrate, I decided that my initial image of the embassy had been wrong. They weren't trying to make me homesick for Florida, but for Colorado. What with this pack of wild Indians milling about, it reminded me of the old west.
I received my altered passport back and left the embassy just after five. The whole process took slightly more than an hour. I came away secure in the knowledge that MOST of those brats had been with their families trying to get visas for visits to the US... so at least they weren't Americans!
I hope wherever you are today, you have a peaceful day, free of projectiles!
Don Bergquist - 05 April 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
I suppose I owe the kid an apology this morning. But I am getting ahead of myself.
I left the office a couple hours early yesterday because my passport was running seriously low on visa pages. (I guess I have been doing more travel than I had thought.) doing a bit of research, I discovered that I could head into the US Embassy and get pages added. So off I went.
I guess I have been here long enough that I didn't really give navigating my way to Grosvenor Square is no big deal. You take the South West Rail train into Waterloo station and catch the Jubilee Line tube to Bond Street. Then it is just a 400 meter walk to the embassy.Arriving at the embassy shortly before it closed, I went through security and was relieved of my mobile, camera, seven flash memory cards, and two flash card readers. I then made my way to the passport and visa office. I think they were trying to make me feel homesick for Florida. The fist thing that I noticed was how hot it was in the room. The second thing that I noticed was that the room was full of screaming, boisterous children. There must have been ten or twenty of them. (But they were making noise enough for a hundred.)
I decided at that moment to be diplomatic no matter what happened. It seemed only right, as I was in an embassy. So no matter what, I was going to ignore the reenactment of Lord of the Flies that was going on around me. Let's see how long that resolve lasted.
I made my way, as directed to window number one and handed-over my paperwork and passport. I was issued ticket number 93. Not before I was hit in the back of the head by a small flying toy. I turned and glared at the child who had thrown it. I retuned my attention to the woman who had been dealing with my request when we had been interrupted.
"It takes a few minutes. I do need you to give me an address here in the UK for our records." She said passing the form back to me. It was for this reason that the next toy missed me as it went crashing into the Perspex of Window number one. "I'm sorry." Said the woman behind the counter.
At a time like this, I think back to the lessons my parents taught me when I was young. You can deal with your problem children in two basic ways. The first (the one I call the Jeanne Bergquist method) is to grab them (or have your husband do it) and forcibly sit them down and make them behave - swatting them occasionally for emphasis. The other is to hide, hope and pray that nobody saw you come into the room with the wild creature that you spawned and plot to leave them behind in a bus or train station somewhere. The progenitors of these wild beasts must have opted for the later.
"Not a problem." I said cheerfully. "Unless these are your brats!"
The gentleman behind me in queue said something harsh to the kid who hit him with yet another thrown toy. But I didn't hear it. I was making my way to take a seat in the waiting area. I tried to concentrate on some paperwork I had brought with me, but after the next toy hit me and a couple more hit the woman next to me, I gave up.
The woman, on the other hand, didn't. She took the toy that hit her and kept it. When the kid who had thrown it came to ask for it (with a definitely British accent, much to my relief) she told the kid off and sent him away without it. She did tell the kid that he could have it back if he brought his parents back to ask for it. I looked at her and gave her the golf clap to show my approval for how she handled it.
As I sat there, staring blankly at my files, unable to concentrate, I decided that my initial image of the embassy had been wrong. They weren't trying to make me homesick for Florida, but for Colorado. What with this pack of wild Indians milling about, it reminded me of the old west.
I received my altered passport back and left the embassy just after five. The whole process took slightly more than an hour. I came away secure in the knowledge that MOST of those brats had been with their families trying to get visas for visits to the US... so at least they weren't Americans!
I hope wherever you are today, you have a peaceful day, free of projectiles!
Don Bergquist - 05 April 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
04 April 2007
Website Update
I spent much of last night, while watching Shakespeare Retold, updating my Frost Lake Photography website. While it is not a comprehensive collection of my photographs, it is a collection of some of my favorites over the years.
A more complete collection is available by following the links on the various blog entries over the past couple years. Perhaps some day, I'll subscribe to an indexed photo sharing site. My friend Mike uses SmugMug and seems to like it.
Well, that will happen in all the copious free time I have, I am sure! It is a lovely (but bitterly cold) morning here in London. Saga at least went out without prompting today. I'd best get the past of the pages for Frost Lake Photography updated on the web and get to the office. Please stop by and let me know what you think of the new look.
I hope wherever you are today, you'll have a lovely and productive day!
Don Bergquist - 04 April 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
A more complete collection is available by following the links on the various blog entries over the past couple years. Perhaps some day, I'll subscribe to an indexed photo sharing site. My friend Mike uses SmugMug and seems to like it.
Well, that will happen in all the copious free time I have, I am sure! It is a lovely (but bitterly cold) morning here in London. Saga at least went out without prompting today. I'd best get the past of the pages for Frost Lake Photography updated on the web and get to the office. Please stop by and let me know what you think of the new look.
I hope wherever you are today, you'll have a lovely and productive day!
Don Bergquist - 04 April 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
03 April 2007
Brrr…
What a miserable day! I'm curling up on the couch tonight with a cup of soup (I put some lentils on when I came home for lunch) and perhaps a hot toddy and staying in for the evening. It's wet and miserable out there!
I plan to watch the BBC Series Shakespeare Retold tonight. There are a couple that I haven't seen on On Demand so I think that is my plan for the evening. Oh, and thinking of California whilst riding through the rains in London doesn’t make London warmer... it only makes you more aware of the cold and wet around you.
Oh well!
I hope wherever you are this evening, you'll have a warm, snug and cozy evening!
Don Bergquist - 03 April 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
I plan to watch the BBC Series Shakespeare Retold tonight. There are a couple that I haven't seen on On Demand so I think that is my plan for the evening. Oh, and thinking of California whilst riding through the rains in London doesn’t make London warmer... it only makes you more aware of the cold and wet around you.
Oh well!
I hope wherever you are this evening, you'll have a warm, snug and cozy evening!
Don Bergquist - 03 April 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
California Suite
Having lived her for the past year, I am reminded of a line in Neil Simon's California Suite. It's the story of five rooms in a California hotel and the people who have come to spend the weekend in them. You get to know the reasons they are there, what little of their back-story is necessary to understand what is going on and see the interactions from a fly on the wall perspective.
One of the couples, the visitors from London Diana Barrie and Sidney Cochran (played by Maggie Smith and Michael Caine), are there to attend the Oscars. Diana has been nominated for a part she played in a movie. While getting dressed for the event, Diana complains that she has no idea what to wear in Hollywood. "We should never have come. I never know how to dress in this bloody country." she complains, " It is so easy to dress in England. You just put on warm clothing."
That's true today! It is certainly not a day in southern California! The temperatures are predicted not to get out of the forties and it is supposed to be spitting down this drizzle all day. Saga refused to go out to the back garden this morning because it was cold and it was wet. I had to push her out the door and then close it behind her until she had gone out and "taken care of business."
The ride to the office is going to be miserable, so I guess I have delayed it as long as I can. I hope that wherever you are today, you'll have a wonderful, sunny, warm day. (As for me, I'm going to pretend I am in California today and perhaps I won't notice the cold and rain.)
Don Bergquist - 03 April 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
One of the couples, the visitors from London Diana Barrie and Sidney Cochran (played by Maggie Smith and Michael Caine), are there to attend the Oscars. Diana has been nominated for a part she played in a movie. While getting dressed for the event, Diana complains that she has no idea what to wear in Hollywood. "We should never have come. I never know how to dress in this bloody country." she complains, " It is so easy to dress in England. You just put on warm clothing."
That's true today! It is certainly not a day in southern California! The temperatures are predicted not to get out of the forties and it is supposed to be spitting down this drizzle all day. Saga refused to go out to the back garden this morning because it was cold and it was wet. I had to push her out the door and then close it behind her until she had gone out and "taken care of business."
The ride to the office is going to be miserable, so I guess I have delayed it as long as I can. I hope that wherever you are today, you'll have a wonderful, sunny, warm day. (As for me, I'm going to pretend I am in California today and perhaps I won't notice the cold and rain.)
Don Bergquist - 03 April 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
02 April 2007
A Lovely Weekend
What a beautiful weekend! I am basking in its afterglow this morning as I write by blog and sip my coffee.
Saga is being particularly friendly this morning. She watched me making my breakfast and is watching me as I sit here writing my blog entry. Poor thing, I think she knows that I will soon be mounting my bike for the ride into the office. I think she has been spoiled by all the time I spent with her this weekend.
It was a lovely weekend. I saw these lovely blossoms growing along the road to into the village this weekend. I grabbed my camera and took this picture. I am not sure what they are, at a guess, I'd say plum blossoms, but I am no horticulturist.
I do have a lot of things to do today when I get into the office and it is nearly six o'clock so I should finish my coffee, make sure Saga has food and water and head into the office.
I hope that wherever you are today, your week starts out well!
Don Bergquist - 02 April 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
Saga is being particularly friendly this morning. She watched me making my breakfast and is watching me as I sit here writing my blog entry. Poor thing, I think she knows that I will soon be mounting my bike for the ride into the office. I think she has been spoiled by all the time I spent with her this weekend.
It was a lovely weekend. I saw these lovely blossoms growing along the road to into the village this weekend. I grabbed my camera and took this picture. I am not sure what they are, at a guess, I'd say plum blossoms, but I am no horticulturist.I do have a lot of things to do today when I get into the office and it is nearly six o'clock so I should finish my coffee, make sure Saga has food and water and head into the office.
I hope that wherever you are today, your week starts out well!
Don Bergquist - 02 April 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
01 April 2007
April Fools' Day
I cannot remember if I was here or not this time last year. If I was, I do not remember the UK being this into April Fools' Day last year. BBC four had an entire program this morning on what stories were likely to be bogus in today's papers.
I do miss the annual April Fools' Day story on NPR. I wonder what it was this year.
My afternoon is full of plans to do nothing in specific. I have nothing planned, nowhere to be, nowhere to go, left over Curry from last night's dinner with my friends, Lucy and Phil and a book to read. I am thinking of heading out to a park to read a while and then coming home to catch-up on some of the programs I missed this week. (The new season of Dr. Who started last night.)
I hope that wherever you are today, you have pleasant plans for a lovely day!
Don Bergquist - 01 Apil 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
I do miss the annual April Fools' Day story on NPR. I wonder what it was this year.
My afternoon is full of plans to do nothing in specific. I have nothing planned, nowhere to be, nowhere to go, left over Curry from last night's dinner with my friends, Lucy and Phil and a book to read. I am thinking of heading out to a park to read a while and then coming home to catch-up on some of the programs I missed this week. (The new season of Dr. Who started last night.)
I hope that wherever you are today, you have pleasant plans for a lovely day!
Don Bergquist - 01 Apil 2007 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK
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