The Ring of Fire

After awaking from my nap, it was time to get ready and 'head to town' to take in the sights, sounds, pints, people ~ pubs and karaoke!  Now there was undoubtedly, a great deal to see and do in Glasgow and I wanted to experience it all, or as much as I could! The great thing about visiting this time, was to be along with Ed.  That he was a Scot, and thoroughly versed in the history of the country, it made for a even more interesting trip than if I had been a tourist visiting!  I t definitely provided a different more detailed view and understanding of the city and country!

Awake, dressed and out of the house, the first order of business was a pint to quench our thirst.  Drinking seemed to be a big past time, or at least from my experience.  As we made our way to the first pub, in Glasgow, we walked - yes, walked that in itself a strange feelings.  The general accepted mode of transportation though seemed to be by foot, taxi or public transportation.  Almost always reluctant to take a taxi in the U.S, for fear of the cost, such was not the case at all in Scotland.  Still though, we 'hoofed' it via feet through town.  

The architecture was amazing to say the least!  The ornate sculptures on the sides of buildings, unlike anything to be seen back in States.  There seemed to be history on every street corner and in between!  Without a doubt, Ed was a great and knowledgeable 'tour guide' but just as importantly he new where all the pubs were as well!  While we sat enjoying our pint, discuss ensued as to where and what we should see.  The decision was the University of Glasgow and the The Hunerian, the oldest museum in Glasgow!  Now it seemed strange to travel all the way to Scotland to 'just' visit a museum!  Wow, the thought that comes to mind, first and foremost!  It was awesome and a whole other string of adjectives to describe it!

After visiting and touring the museum, it was time for - yep you guessed it - more beer!  The rest of the afternoon we spent walking around going from pub to pub, taking in the sights as we made out way along.  As night progressed we ended up in an obscure 'back street pub and 'settled in' for the night.  The activities for entertainment for the night at the pub was drinking and karaoke! 

Now as the night progressed and got further into our pint, the goading began for me to sing karaoke!  With numerous protests, I declined to participate - not wishing to 'make a fool' out of myself, I had only sang karaoke once before, many years ago in a faraway land!  Apparently my protest s were either unheard, or ignored as I was to learn when my name was called!  With the announcement that I would be singing, 'Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash.

With some reluctance, I made my way to retrieve the microphone given it was a bit 'late' to back out seeing as when my name was announced, it was also announced I was the yank from California.  Now this elicited a great deal of interest and excitement from the pub crowd!  As nervous as a 'cat on a hot tin roof,' I commenced to sing the words to the song as they scrolled across the video screen!  Now after the song ended, as I greeted by a number of Scots, apparently just as far into their pints as I was.  But I did not buy another pint that night, but my 'glass' was never empty!

The Pllumber and Blue Jeans

After the ride from the airport, we arrived at the Hopkin's home for a more 'quiet' and formal visit face to face, in the living room.  This was not before breakfast!  Which Mrs. Hopkins insisted in preparing for Ed and I, assuredly, we must be famished after our flight, and apparent night of drinking!  Far be it, for me to 'refuse' food, so I sat down to enjoy a traditional Scottish breakfast!  Ah, not so different from a traditional American breakfast, that is accept for the one addition, which you don't find on an American breakfast menu!  Black [Blood]  Pudding!  To say the least, breakfast was good!  Perhaps due to the 'long' plane ride and all, but suffice to say, the only time I had, or have had black pudding is that morning!

After breakfast, we all 'retired' to the living room to visit and catch up on things!  Now while we sat visiting, myself on the couch and Mrs. Hopkins, sitting across from me in a chair, she noticed the blue jeans I had on.  A 'designer' pair of blue jeans with a purposefully placed 'worn' hole in the leg!  Seeing this Mrs. Hopkins, offered to get her needle and thread to repair them for me!  LOL Imagine trying to explain to her that the hole was intentional!  With a laugh, I declined her offer and we continued chatting about other things.  This was not before, Ed 'warned' me that she was not convinced or understood about the 'hole' in the jeans!  She was very likely to 'snatch' the jeans from the laundry to repair them.  Needless to say, when I changed, I 'stuffed' the jeans to the bottom of my bad and did not get them out again before leaving!

After chatting for a bit, it was determined by all that Ed and I should sleep for a wee bit, before we progressed to town to begin our 'tour' of the city!  Now this sounded to be a good idea, but before a nap, a shower was in order!  Ah but first, the shower head had to be installed!  The bathtub was just that ~ a bathtub with no shower head!  Now Mr. Hopkins had purchase an 'add on' shower head to be installed, but not being a mechanical person, he 'left' it for me to install!  Apparently, Ed had informed his parents previously that I had some mechanical aptitude!  So before I showered, first I was to install the shower!

Now this required drilling into ceramic tile to affix the fixture to the wall!  Somewhat reluctant giving my previous night lack of sleep, my 'immense' intake of alcohol and the mere fact that I did not want to 'screw' this up and turn it into a bigger project than it should be - I acquiesced and climbed into the bathtub to install the shower head.  Fortunately with little trouble and without cracking any ceramic tiles, I was able to successfully install the shower head!  While installing the shower head, I could not help but imagine how long this house had stood, existing without a shower!  Not to mention, the countless baths taken!  The Hopkins family is quite 'large', all 'boys,' Mrs. Hopkins, being the only female of the lot!  [Which made for pretty interesting dynamics!]

After the shower, it was time for 'my' bed, which involved the 'museum.'  Having lived there, Ed naturally had his 'old' bedroom while mine was to be one the other 'boys' had occupied when home.  Since the emptying of the 'nest,' Mr. Hopkins, a retired Glasgow, police officer, had turned the bedroom into what was affectionately referred to as the 'museum.'  
After a tour of the museum, it was time for a nap....

Before sleeping though, I removed my blue jeans, rolled them up and stuffed them into the bottom of my bag!  Having been forewarned, Ms. Hopkins was apt to seek them out and upon finding them, affix the repairs she was 'sure' they required!  Feeling sleepy, but secure that my jeans were safe, I drifted off to my slumber....for a short while.

Raised Terror Alert

The trip was planned, plans made and the travel itinerary set.  As with most business trips, the details were laid out sometime before.  Thought travel to Livingston, Scotland, to the office there were not uncommon, this one was going to be 'special.'  This time it worked out that both Ed and myself would be able to go at the same time, which our schedules did not usually work out to make such travel possible.  Ed was the Business Manager for the business model, essentially my 'opposite,' as I was the technology manager for the business model.

What made this trip special was that Ed was a Scotsman from Glasgow, so to be able to make the trip with him, made a 'tour guide' for the trip and almost certainly guaranteed a different view of the 'country' than I was accustomed.  As part of the planning for the trip, we worked it out to be able to go over a couple of days before our planned business requirements which necessitated the trip in the first place.  Even better, we planned it out to be in Glasgow over the weekend, before we had to be at the office on Monday.

Packed and ready to go, Ed and I met at our office in Fremont, having enough time to check email and such before we headed to the airport.  Which in hindsight was probably a good thing.  When we arrived at the office, things started 'buzzing' with emails and phone calls from corporate travel telling us to modify our travel plans, more so our packing.  There had been a terrorist threat in Heathrow, that changed the procedures for traveling and the way you could pack to get through the airport and on the plane. 

So rather than carry on luggage and laptop bags, Ed and I, stood in the parking lot outside the office that morning, repacking, 'shoving' everything we could into our luggage to be checked.  Things were pretty normal, or seemed to be as we checked in at the San Francisco airport and prepared to take the flight to Heathrow.   Only difference noticeable - no liquids through the gate.  No worries for Ed and me, as we had repacked before arriving at the airport.  Since we had, we did not carry anything on, not even a book or an IPOD for the 12-13 hour plane ride!

No worries, or so we thought since the majority of the flight would be at night, so we figured there would be ample time to sleep and be well rested when we arrived the next morning, and to 'tour' Glasgow.  So after arriving at the airport, we ended up at the bar and drank our breakfast was we awaited the boarding of our flight.

Despite the 'special' situation, the travel was going fairly smooth as we boarded the plane to make our way 'abroad.'  The boarding of the flight in San Francisco, went smoothly and on time and we arrived and departed Chicago, with no issues!  Shortly after we boarded the flight to make our way across the ocean, things began to get interesting.  

Fortunately, we had arranged seats in the center aisle of the plane, and luck be with us, we had a row of three seats to ourselves, giving us room to 'stretch out' and sleep in preparation of our arrival and our weekend!  Once we were airborne, it became pretty immediately obvious we would not be getting much sleep, but not for the reason we thought.  Sitting in an aisle a couple of rows behind was a fairly 'loud' woman who was quite boisterous and verbal, the noise she was creating making sleep 'impossible.'  Good fortune be with us though, the flight attendant found another seat, somewhere else on the plane for the woman to relocate to.  Finally it seemed peace and quiet would be ours and allow the sleep we were planning on getting.

Ha!  Such was not to be so!  The flight attendant who was in our section, seemed to take 'pity' on Ed and I, for having to 'put up' with the woman, and as they drink cart came around, the attendant gave us a bottle of wine!  Well both Ed and I being somewhat wine 'lovers' [it had alcohol didn't it? and who can 'pass up' free liquor!?]  Well between the two of us, a bottle of wine did not last long and when it was finished, it seemed we would 'finally' get some sleep.  As we were getting 'settled' in preparing to sleep, the flight attendant happened by with another [gratis] bottle of wine.  Again, neither Ed or I, to be ones to refuse free alcohol, we gladly took the bottle and had another glass of wine!  

The wine bottle was soon empty, but before it was the flight attendant passed us by again, with yet another bottle of [gratis] wine.  And yet again, it was beyond us to 'refuse' it or save it for later, so we had another bottle of wine!  We passed away the time sharing the bottle of wine and making conversation about most anything imaginable.  Still we thought there would be enough time for at least a 'long' nap between the time we finished this bottle of wine and the time we landed in Heathrow.  Well the bottles of wine kept coming [gratis] until the 'wee' hours of the morning.  

Finally, the last time the flight attendant came by, yet again offering another bottle of wine, we declined admitting the need to nap before we landed.  Turning the overhead light off, it seemed 'plenty' dark so surely there was enough time for a nap before we landed!  Almost as soon as I closed my eyes, the reason why it was so dark was almost immediately revealed and it was not because of the hour!  The darkness was broken and the daylight revealed when the person across the aisle raised the blind on their window, 'uncovering' the sun and letting the light in!  

Well at this point, we were to close to landing to go to sleep!  So we rode out the rest of the flight as we made our descent and landing at Heathrow!  After making our way through customs and all, we wound our way through the airport to catch our flight to Glasgow.  From this point on, the trip went smoothly and quietly and we landed in Glasgow, to be met by Ed's parents!  As we stood waiting to get our luggage from the carousel, we chatted with Ed's parents. After a short time, Mrs. Hopkins informed us that we were phished [drunk] which was just unimaginable!  

After we retrieved our luggage, we made way to the car and subsequently the trip to their house.  As it had been awhile since they had seen Ed, and even longer since I had seen them [I had met them previously when they came to the states on holiday] and both Ed and I were sleep deprived, as well as being drunk!  It was a 'lively' trip to the house!