Milligan's update

With Friday being Karen’s official end to Autumn term, she celebrated with a cold and windy run in Regent’s Park, followed by a nice warm and relaxing shower. Fortunately, Lorie and Joey were not arriving from Paris for another five hours as Karen discovered our master bedroom looked like New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina upon reaching for a towel. Karen quickly called for Greg, who called the property manager, who called the plumber. We used every paper towel roll in the flat to dry up the flood. Source of the problem: our bidet, which functions as many things, the least of which its intended use.

After a never-ending trip from Luton airport, Lorie and Joey appeared on our doorstep to Duke’s delight. Several hugs and kisses later, Greg lead us to Sea Shell, a classy fish and chips restaurant located just northwest of Marylebone station. Over plates heaped with oversized crispy cod and potatoes, Lorie and Joey recapped their wedding and honeymoon memories. Then we walked over to the Hobgoblin Pub to enjoy more beer for the boys and glasses of white wine for the girls, entertained by the owner’s friendly white poodle. After being the only group kicked out at closing time, we headed over to The Volunteer (the lone pub in our neighborhood open past 11pm) for more of the same.

For brunch, we introduced Joey to the traditional full English breakfast at Coco Momo on Marylebone High Street. Next, Lorie played tour guide as she showed him Big Ben, Parliament, and Westminster Abbey. We met back up at the Apollo Theatre at 2pm to see Evita, a play about questionable Argentinean women according to Joey. To kill time before dinner, we paraded up and down Tower Bridge, checking out the Tower of London from all angles (much to Joey’s dismay the engine room was closed for the day’s tour!). Then we strolled around Covent Garden and even snuck in the Nine West sale for a short browse. Lorie was pleasantly surprised to start off our curry meal with Kir Royales at Bhangra Beat. Dish after dish covered any available space on our table as we stuffed our faces. To end the night, we hopped on the tube to ride further south than we had ever before (Colliers Wood on the Northern Line) to watch Joey’s friend from Amarillo, Rodney Branigan, play two guitars at the same time in a cozy barn-like venue in Abbey Mills Market. Karen is not sure what was her favorite part of Saturday – the four of us cautiously crossing the parking lot of the largest Sainsbury’s in the UK (adhering to the second set of instructions from a stranger in a sketchy part of town) or listening to good music while drinking a shot of Jack Daniels and munching on a shared bag of crisps with Greg.

Sunday morning greeted us with a blue, sunny sky as we walked to the Garden Café in Regent’s Park with Duke in tow, attracting more dogs than we have ever seen at the park at one time. Two scones busting with clotted cream, a huge slice of chocolate cake, eggs and toast, and two pots of tea later, Lorie and Joey departed for home. The only thing missing from their London weekend: a shopping trip to Harrods. Next time!