Late night in Carnaby Street

13 December in CA, 14  Dec. in London

A little farther down the road, we head into my long lost past as a punk rocker wannabe.  I wonder what Carnaby Street has designed this year?  Well, of course!  An homage to Freddie Mercury:

Many famous lines are written across the street.  Here's another one:

And down the side street with the Tapas restaurant I love, we find a dual entry.  On one side, it says Ho Ho Ho and looking the other way it ways Oh Oh Oh!

Life is...

Looking up at light sculptures in London.

All is well.

No Customer Service in Customs

I mean, really.  This wasn't due to a work stoppage?  An employee sick out was clearly happening right in front of my eyes.  We started with 5 agents, then one by one they left until nobody was stamping passports!

1 hour and 55 minutes standing in a line of 150 people.  By the time we got to the front, there were at least 400 people behind us.  Why, you are asking?  Only ONE agent checking non-EU/UK passports!  And again, at times, no agents were working.  A lady missed a connecting flight when she thought a two hour layover was enough time...We had 6 employees in purple coats directing traffic, one agent checking frequent travelers, and 1 checking our passports.  When the family of 5 was up there with a language barrier and took 30 minutes to get through, I wanted to scream at someone.  Here's the sign that kept flashing on the overhead monitor:

So many things could be said, but I know it's going to be pitch black when we get outside.

But, we do, and thanks to our wonderful friends, we are staying at the London Bridge townhouse of P.D. James.  Here's the view walking to her home:

Now, that feels like England!  Here's what the Regent Street decorations are this year:

Remember remember the 12th of December

12 December

What great students I have!  We have everything in order in the classroom for a solid finals week.  And the seniors are in for a surprise:  they will be using their acquired knowledge of heroes, anti-heroes, tragic heroes, villains, and damsels in distress to analyze the literary archetypes in Phantom of the Opera.  I wonder what they'll think about the Phantom, one of the most famous and tragic villains of all time?  They earned this break!  All of their college applications are in, and decisions are about to be made for the early round of admissions.

And I?  Feeling a bit guilty, but so excited to travel to the U.K. and hopefully France in the upcoming weeks.  It all depends upon Brexit and the gilets jaunes (Yellow Jackets) protests.  Blogger autocorrect wants to call them the filet jaunts, which is about the level of my French.  I feel a poem coming on...

Filet jaunts
before Phantom haunts
with tear gas along
the Champs E'lysee...
What a way to pack:
Masks from the Paradise fires
In case I need them in Paris-dise.
Colors for the day:  pink and gray.

Teach school.  Quadruple-check the lesson plans, grades, etc.  Say good-bye to everyone.  Check the packing list.  Again.  Wonder what I've forgotten.  I've been looking forward to this day for so long.

Get into the car and drive to the airport with an hour of stoppage time.  We need it:  Left home at 4:30, arrived at 6:15 for an 8:20 flight.  Fortunately the car park was working.  Glide through check-in easily - I have never checked bags for an international flight, but am feeling "brilliant" as the English say.  I put my own bag inside of my daughter's bag and checked them both.  Not sure how it will be coming back with a huge bag full of stuff, along with mine, but I'll deal with it.  Can't wait to see her!  But first, it's time to find my seat in the very last row.

Alas, the cheap seats are cheap for a reason.  The velcro underneath my seat does not attach the cushion underneath the seat back, so I am sitting on a metal bar.  I do have plenty of leg room, as I'm in a "twin" seat, which means there is no aisle seat next to me, but there is room under the aisle seat in front of me.  This I knew when I booked the seat.  Thankfully, a wonderful steward hangs up my new winter coat, gives me free wine and a nice blanket, so I pad up the back and recline.  Ahh.  Time for reading and a nap.

Poet Laureate 3

11 December 2018

First reading at City Hall. Third reading so far.
I read "New Lights" to a packed house and started off facing the City Council.  There was a running joke about the height of the microphone, so I read the poem while doing a 360 turn around said microphone.  I was able to make eye contact with all parts of the room that way, and saw local congresspeople, contractors, citizens, police officers, and fans of the town.

It was great to talk with outgoing council member Harry Sachs, and cheer for incoming member Sabina Zafar.  It's going to be a great year for San Ramon!

Our Christmas tree is red, white and blue!