01-2 Sept 19/20 Miami/London

In the morning, I went to CTA to finish up Principal's Survey. The day before, I had begun it, and left someone there inputting the data, while I drove to PGA for new license to replace my 16-year old raggedy one. Finally have a photo that resembles me. I also stopped that day at Whole Foods for more tea stuff for Barbara and got some bulk granola - very different from the regular, packaged stuff. Denser. Less sugary. (Weeks later I gave some leftover to my Navy Officer ex-student who was bound for a back-packing "vacation" in India. He liked it a lot and vowed to buy some before his trip.)

After CTA, I finally went home to pack. Peter Rado drove me to the airport in Miami for my 7:25 pm flight to London. My damn back-pack was too heavy for Virgin Air to allow as carry-on! (And I thought only size mattered.)  Then the desk guy pointed out that their machinery might tear up some of the straps, buckles, and protruding shoes - and suggested I have it saran-wrapped by the nice young man with the machine about 50 feet away.  He'd let me back in the front of the line.

Not feeling I had much choice, I wandered over and swallowed at the $9 this would cost. No guarantees.(that would be $16).
I didn't think to first transfer my jar of peanut butter into the checked luggage. Security objected to any form of "gel" and tossed it into the garbage. Would I starve in Ethiopia?

LONG way to the gate. LONGER way to the men's room - past the out-of-order one. Bad decision to make a few minutes before boarding. Spent my final moments in America - mostly on hold - to people at HP, agreeing to pay them for a restore disk for my laptop. Actually, the disk was free Shipping was $16. I was upset because literature included with laptop included a PICTURE of a disk, proudly advertising no NEED for a backup disk b/c of new technology.  Somewhere in fine print was confession I MIGHT need one if hard-drive failed.

Flew a ?? Got snack, dinner, and before landing, a breakfast sandwich.  Sitting next to me was     , a student at FIU, complements of Army money. He was in the 3rd tank entering Iraq in 2003. 

A stewardess told us that if our final destination was not in United Kingdom, we would be not allowed out of airport. I had a 12-hr lay-over. He and a fellow student had 13 hours!  Their destination was Dubai for a 12-week business course.   We began plotting how to sneak out. We couldn't image being stopped!

We WEREN'T.  For $16, we wisely checked carry-on at the airport and began the long trek to the tubes. About 7 pounds buys a day-pass for the entire complicated system.

I slowly realized these two young college students were willing to let me do most of the navigating.

 Changing Guard at Buckingham Palace

Schuman and Tower Bridge 

Schuman at London Tower Castle

Schuman at London Tower

We saw Buckingham palace, guards. And the Millenium (ferris) wheel, Parliament and Big Ben - which we had spotted from the air flying in to Heathrow.  We went to Picadilly circle. Ate Fish n Chips.  Spent hour and a half in the British Museum (''''' brother likes Egyptology).