The Origin of EBAY
This may be one of those weeks where the most interesting thing I came across is more interesting to some of you than to others, but what we should really focus on here is the fact that I said I was going to have a weekly post, and lo and behold, one week later a post appears. Keep that in mind.
I went to a CEO breakfast this week put on by the Chicago Young Professionals. I thought it would be fun since the person speaking was Rob Solomon, COO of Groupon. If you're not familiar with Groupon, you should check out the link.
During his speech he began talking about how Groupon was formed kind of on accident. Then he related that to other major online sites we're all familiar with that began a bit by chance. One of those was eBay.
As it turns out, Pierre Omidyar, a French-born Iranian created eBay in 1995 in San Jose, CA, as a site for his fiancee to sell her extensive collection of Pez dispenser. Apparently, she thought they might have some value, but wasn't sure how to best capitalize on that value.
That's what the the COO of Groupon told us anyway.
Pretty interesting, huh? I thought so. I thought it was interesting enough that I decided to write about it this week. But as I did some verification on the story, it turns out that's not the truth at all. In fact, that story was completely made up by an eBay PR manager in 1997. Apparently Pez dispensers got all the press buzzing. However, the story is so well known, that most people, even COOs who've spent years living in Silicon Valley, believe it to be true.
The real story is that eBay started out as an auction company by a different name selling airline tickets and other travel related items. Then when it became eBay, the first item ever to be sold was a broken laser pointer that was originally purchased as a cat toy. The item sold for $14.83. Omidyar was stunned that it sold, so he contacted the buyer who responded by saying that he was a collector of broken laser pointers. I'm pretty sure that was the moment Omidyar realized he had struck gold.
To me, this is a great example of truth being stranger than fiction. And it's also a great lesson. When you hear something interesting, don't just assume it's true - especially if you read it on the Internet. There's weirdos out there buying broken laser pointer cat toys who have access to this thing for Pete's sake.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Stuff Conservatives Like
SAYING NO
You know the old saying, "Why say no when it feels sooooo good to say yes?" Well, that saying was first uttered by a sappy, bleeding heart liberal. How do I know that? Because I am a conservative. And as a conservative I can tell you that nothing makes my lump of coal heart pump the oil that has replaced my blood faster than telling someone to take a hike.
I mean, sure, we'll tell you that we're concerned about the ever-increasing federal debt or personal responsibility, but what we really feel inside is unfettered glee at those two little letters squeezed together and passing over our lips: N-O.
Just try it. Say the word out loud. No.
Should we give money to companies that are failing?
No.
Should we expand the governments role in health care, ultimately leading to a government operated system?
NO.
Should we further throw the current budget out of whack by extending unemployment benefits despite the fact that we just passed pay-as-you-go legislation after which the president uttered these words: "Congress can only spend a dollar if it saves a dollar elsewhere."
No. NO. NO!
Didn't it feel good to say that out loud? I mean, in three little breaths we have just broken the hearts of big companies, people that are sick and people that have been out of work for a long time. Delicious, wouldn't you agree?
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell - I'm assuming he's saying no here. He practically can't keep the smile from erupting onto his otherwise very droopy face.
Buying the votes of citizens ain't got nothing on how it feels to kill their hopes and dreams.
Why say yes, when it feels so, so good to say no?
You know the old saying, "Why say no when it feels sooooo good to say yes?" Well, that saying was first uttered by a sappy, bleeding heart liberal. How do I know that? Because I am a conservative. And as a conservative I can tell you that nothing makes my lump of coal heart pump the oil that has replaced my blood faster than telling someone to take a hike.
I mean, sure, we'll tell you that we're concerned about the ever-increasing federal debt or personal responsibility, but what we really feel inside is unfettered glee at those two little letters squeezed together and passing over our lips: N-O.
Just try it. Say the word out loud. No.
Should we give money to companies that are failing?
No.
Should we expand the governments role in health care, ultimately leading to a government operated system?
NO.
Should we further throw the current budget out of whack by extending unemployment benefits despite the fact that we just passed pay-as-you-go legislation after which the president uttered these words: "Congress can only spend a dollar if it saves a dollar elsewhere."
No. NO. NO!
Didn't it feel good to say that out loud? I mean, in three little breaths we have just broken the hearts of big companies, people that are sick and people that have been out of work for a long time. Delicious, wouldn't you agree?
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell - I'm assuming he's saying no here. He practically can't keep the smile from erupting onto his otherwise very droopy face.Buying the votes of citizens ain't got nothing on how it feels to kill their hopes and dreams.
Why say yes, when it feels so, so good to say no?
Monday, July 19, 2010
The Most Interesting Thing I Learned This Week: Going Balls Out
Occasionally, I come across random pieces of information that may or may not (but most likely may not) be useful in everyday life. Generally, this makes me feel like I have a lot of completely random, often useless information stored in my brain. Every so often, I get to bring this info out and drop some random knowledge on unsuspecting folks engaged in conversation with me. Then this conversation ensues:
"Why do you even know that...?"
"I have no idea."
"Where'd you learn it?"
"No clue."
While passing along something I learned this week to Stacie, she suggested that I should start a weekly segment called "The Most Interesting Thing I Learned This Week." Now, those of you who follow me know that in the title alone lay several potential problems. First off, the title requires me to post weekly. That may be a stretch. And secondly, the title requires that what I learn and communicate be interesting - obviously that can be very subjective, leading to much debate about the meaning of the word "interesting." Nonetheless, I am not one to back down from a good idea, so I'm going to give this a shot. And all of you that know me shouldn't be surprised that we are starting with something classy.
GOING BALLS OUT
Being a former high school and college athlete (and surrounded by former high school and college athletes in the sales industry), I hear the phrase "going balls out" on a fairly regular basis. Generally speaking it is in reference to going as hard as you can to accomplish your goal. You know, doing everything possible at the highest possible level.
Every time I heard the phrase, I assumed two things:
A) This had to have something to do with the male anatomy.
and
B) I was not cool enough to know how having those out would cause me to do anything but worry about their safety. But apparently when they're out, you perform tasks much better.
As it turns out, I was wrong on both of my assumptions. And I have a feeling my high school coaches and former sales managers all made the same incorrect assumptions. Some people just live in the meaning of the cliche without ever caring about the source.
Thank God for the History Channel.
As it turns out, old steam engines had governors on them that looked like this:
They had large brass or iron balls that would spin around as the engine was operating. Centrifugal force would cause the balls to move out from point they were spinning around. Once they reached their farthest point, the engine was performing at its top speed. Often when a steam engine operator wanted to run at full capacity he would simply shout for his crew to go "balls out."
Here's another look at a the real thing:
The same type of history lies behind the phrase "balls to the wall" as well. From my research, this indicates when a fighter pilot wanted to achieve maximum speed. The throttles had ball shaped grips on the handles, so if the order was given to go "balls to the wall" it meant to push the throttle all the way forward to the wall of the cockpit.
So, the history of these phrases, as it turns out, is very mild and benign. That being said, I'd still advise caution in the circumstances in which they are used. Most people assume otherwise.
Stay classy, fine readers.
"Why do you even know that...?"
"I have no idea."
"Where'd you learn it?"
"No clue."
While passing along something I learned this week to Stacie, she suggested that I should start a weekly segment called "The Most Interesting Thing I Learned This Week." Now, those of you who follow me know that in the title alone lay several potential problems. First off, the title requires me to post weekly. That may be a stretch. And secondly, the title requires that what I learn and communicate be interesting - obviously that can be very subjective, leading to much debate about the meaning of the word "interesting." Nonetheless, I am not one to back down from a good idea, so I'm going to give this a shot. And all of you that know me shouldn't be surprised that we are starting with something classy.
GOING BALLS OUT
Being a former high school and college athlete (and surrounded by former high school and college athletes in the sales industry), I hear the phrase "going balls out" on a fairly regular basis. Generally speaking it is in reference to going as hard as you can to accomplish your goal. You know, doing everything possible at the highest possible level.
Every time I heard the phrase, I assumed two things:
A) This had to have something to do with the male anatomy.
and
B) I was not cool enough to know how having those out would cause me to do anything but worry about their safety. But apparently when they're out, you perform tasks much better.
As it turns out, I was wrong on both of my assumptions. And I have a feeling my high school coaches and former sales managers all made the same incorrect assumptions. Some people just live in the meaning of the cliche without ever caring about the source.
Thank God for the History Channel.
As it turns out, old steam engines had governors on them that looked like this:
They had large brass or iron balls that would spin around as the engine was operating. Centrifugal force would cause the balls to move out from point they were spinning around. Once they reached their farthest point, the engine was performing at its top speed. Often when a steam engine operator wanted to run at full capacity he would simply shout for his crew to go "balls out."
Here's another look at a the real thing:
The same type of history lies behind the phrase "balls to the wall" as well. From my research, this indicates when a fighter pilot wanted to achieve maximum speed. The throttles had ball shaped grips on the handles, so if the order was given to go "balls to the wall" it meant to push the throttle all the way forward to the wall of the cockpit.
So, the history of these phrases, as it turns out, is very mild and benign. That being said, I'd still advise caution in the circumstances in which they are used. Most people assume otherwise.
Stay classy, fine readers.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Kagan Confirmation Hearing
Too long for a tweet, too short for a blog. What to do? I guess I'll just blog it real quick. Heck, most of y'all would probably love a quick read from me...
So, there's this Elena Kagan lady who is up for SCOTUS, and I'm having a little problem with something that came about in the hearing today. I thought I'd throw it out here for a couple, two-tree* of my readers to see if I'm crazy. So here (and several other spots) she says she will give proper deference to Congress and the laws it makes (I'm assuming in regard to her future decisions.)
To me, this may be the biggest problem (of many) facing my ability to feel comfortable with her on the bench. Deference has two definitions according to Webster: respect or esteem due a superior is the first. Affected regard for another's wishes is the second.
I believe the only deference should be given to the Constitution. The Congress is not superior to the Court. And the only wishes that should be regarded are those of the Constitution. If a law passed by Congress does not mesh with the supreme law of our land, then there is a problem. Oftentimes the wishes of the Congress (and perhaps even the people) do not line up with what is permitted in the Constitution. I'm not saying it's always black and white. In fact, it probably rarely is so. But I would rather she seek her decision with deference to the Constitution, not with deference to a bunch of lawmakers whose desires can change with the shifting political landscape.
Am I reading too much into this statement?
*couple, two-tree is my new Chicago phrase, basically means a couple: "Can I get a couple, two-tree Cokes?"
So, there's this Elena Kagan lady who is up for SCOTUS, and I'm having a little problem with something that came about in the hearing today. I thought I'd throw it out here for a couple, two-tree* of my readers to see if I'm crazy. So here (and several other spots) she says she will give proper deference to Congress and the laws it makes (I'm assuming in regard to her future decisions.)
To me, this may be the biggest problem (of many) facing my ability to feel comfortable with her on the bench. Deference has two definitions according to Webster: respect or esteem due a superior is the first. Affected regard for another's wishes is the second.
I believe the only deference should be given to the Constitution. The Congress is not superior to the Court. And the only wishes that should be regarded are those of the Constitution. If a law passed by Congress does not mesh with the supreme law of our land, then there is a problem. Oftentimes the wishes of the Congress (and perhaps even the people) do not line up with what is permitted in the Constitution. I'm not saying it's always black and white. In fact, it probably rarely is so. But I would rather she seek her decision with deference to the Constitution, not with deference to a bunch of lawmakers whose desires can change with the shifting political landscape.
Am I reading too much into this statement?
*couple, two-tree is my new Chicago phrase, basically means a couple: "Can I get a couple, two-tree Cokes?"
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wisdom From A Thirty Year Old
I'm thirty today. Well, technically I turned 30 yesterday, but this is the first day that I've ever awakened to greet the day as a 30 year old. That's pretty crazy to say out loud in my head. I figure that I should have a lot of life experiences and wisdom built up after being on this here planet for so long, and you know what...? I do. I am very wise. I'm practically Yoda...wait, no...who taught Yoda? Whoever taught Yoda, that's the guy I rank right up there with in wisdom acquired. What, don't believe me...? Fine. I'll prove it by giving you all some free wisdom today garnered in my first three decades of life. I should note, it does help to be born awesome for what I'm about to pass along to take root.
I know that you have learned many wise things today. Wisdom is power, so as you go about your day use that power of wisdom wisely. Use it to get free stuff.
- Be born awesome. It will serve you well in life.
- If you climb on a chair with wheels to reach a root beer, that action may result in a broken arm. But it will be totally worth it.
- Fear not. You do not have to go to jail if you expose yourself by peeing in front of the cheerleaders and the crowd during a football game provided you are 4 years old at the time.
- Be wise in dangerous situations. If at all possible ensure that your older brother attempts dangerous maneuvers first. Examples may include riding a bicycle up and over and old pickup on a 2 X 12 and swinging by a cheap, old electrical cord over cactus.
- Not eating your spinach may upset people early in your life. It may even cause them to withhold recess from you. This will be the first cost-benefit analysis you perform before making a decision. Choose wisely. The wise choice is recess. In case you were wondering if there's a right or wrong here. Because there is.
- Do not be disheartened when you discover you say hardly a word to the first girlfriend you have. Girls are scary. Especially when they are pretty and smell nice.
- Revel in the moments when disagreements are solved through conversation, but if there is no other course of action to agreement, punch your opponent in the face. Nice and hard. Make sure you do it first.
- If your butt starts to itch, immediately remove yourself from the situation you've found yourself in. Do not ask questions. Act.
- Be awesome at sports. Life will surely be easier for you if this is accomplished. It is possible that you will be allowed to change majors in college (despite a prohibitive GPA) simply based on the fact that you play a sport.
- Go off to college. Not for wisdom - you are surely gaining that simply by looking at these letters formed into magical words. Go because it is fun. Really fun.
- Do not charge lightly when taking on a 260lb running back at a full speed. Charge the opposite of lightly. Charge hardly.
- At all times try not to look completely ridiculous. Dying your hair blond will make you look completely ridiculous. But once it grows out a little bit and you have a sweet late 90s frosted tips kind of look, you will once again be returned to non-ridiculousness. Possibly even awesomeness.
- Take the trash out often. Preferably shirtless while wearing jorts and walking your roommates tiny dog. This is how you find a wife.
- Roadtrips are the key to unlocking the mysteries of the...road...Seriously. Road trips are awesome. You will have a good time driving from College Station to Cincinnati even if the Bengals get whipped by the Steelers. Find the road. Find it often.
- Do not work for Pepsi Bottling Group straight out of college. Possibly ever. Pepsi is not as fun as the commercials make it look.
- When you marry, marry the most awesome woman ever. Oh wait. You can't. You know...since I did. It's not like you can do everything on this list anyway.
- If you come across a river, float that river. Float the hell out of that river.
- Get a dog. Not because you are scared of pretty girls that smell nice. Get a dog that is as awesome as you are. Heck, get two.
- "Friends are better than gold or crowns, having a bunch won't weigh you down..." Wise words borrowed by one wise man from another wise man. Make a lot of friends. You should have friends every where in the United States at the least. And I don't mean facebook friends. I mean crash on your couch kind of friends...that's why you want them all over. It's cheaper to visit places then.
- Travel the world. Much like taking a great road trip opens ones eyes, traveling the world opens ones eyes farther. It will be as though you are pushing them open even wider than can be considered comfortable with your own fingers. But those fingers are actually the fingers of the world.
- If the time comes and you move away from your home, fear not. Even if you are moving to a place where more people are shot over the summer than are shot in Iraq, fear not. But do not move to the south side. Of any place. The south side is always the dangerous side.
- Journal your thoughts. Your thoughts are a guidebook to your past and a map for your future. If they stay locked in your mind, then what good do they do you. So instead, write them down. Unless your writing style or thoughts are awful, then keeping them locked away would be considered wise.
I know that you have learned many wise things today. Wisdom is power, so as you go about your day use that power of wisdom wisely. Use it to get free stuff.
Monday, June 21, 2010
And There Was Evening and There Was Morning in London - The Second Day
As you can obviously see by my lack of posting, life has gotten busy on me again. How the heck does it keep doing that? Oh that's right...I travel the entire Midwest for work and then have to spend my evenings in hotels doing the "office" work that I missed while traveling instead of blogging about my world travels. That's ridiculousness and it needs to stop right now.
There. I stopped it.
Now, for the continued adventures of Ty and Stacie in London! I believe our story left off with us returning to the tiny hotel room for a bit of shuteye after watching Phantom of the Opera. So good.
The next morning we had our sights set on a big day. Our first stop was back to Trafalgar Square to visit the National Gallery. But first we had to take some pictures on the lions. Because that looked like the thing to do there.
Taming the beasts
Next we headed into the National Gallery which was a lot of fun. We really enjoyed looking at all the amazing paintings. I'm sure we'll revisit this gallery at some point in the future.
After our visit to The National Gallery, we made our way to the other side of Trafalgar Square and to the Texas Embassy. When the Great State was the Republic of Texas, she had an embassy here in London. This particular embassy is a cantina filled with delicious Texan refreshments. The original embassy was not at this exact location, but it's close enough. We decided to take in a little DP and Lone Star on our break.
After our little break, we headed to Kensington Gardens to check it out and ultimately head to The Orangery to have afternoon tea. It is England after all. We wanted to make sure we observed some of the customs.
In Kensington Gardens
Exhausted from walking, sad about no tea at the Orangery, happy to be in London
Not ones to let a minor setback ruin our day, we proceeded to carry on with our touring, making our way down to Westminster Abbey for Evensong. As we got off of the train though we made our way by the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.
Big Ben
After checking out Big Ben it was on to Evensong. Evensong is a great way to check out Westminster Abbey. Instead of paying and taking some tour, Evensong is a mass that happens everyday at 5PM. So we were able to go in and worship while checking out the cathedral. It was beautiful and amazing. It's pretty cool to go in and worship where folks had been doing just that for over a thousand years
Westminster Abbey
After Evensong we weren't sure exactly what we wanted to do, but since we hadn't been to Buckingham Palace yet, we decided that should be the next stop. So we took a stroll in that direction. The flag was flying which apparently means the Queen is in residence and there was one guard with a machine gun patrolling the front of the palace. There was also a wedding party taking pictures by the fountain out front. We didn't go inside and I'm not certain that we even could, but it was still pretty cool to go check it out.
Buckingham Palace
After that, we made wandered around the city a bit more and wound up eating at an Italian restaurant that we saw the night before in Trafalgar Square. It was very good and there was some great people watching there. Our table was on the bottom level (sort of in the basement, I guess) and sharing the area with us was a bachelorette party, two very young kids on a date (I'd say 17 at the oldest, but that's guessing high I believe) and an odd looking couple in the back who could not or would not quit making out long enough to eat their food.
It was pretty crazy down there.
All in all, it was another great day in London. There's nothing left to say except:
(of day two.)
There. I stopped it.
Now, for the continued adventures of Ty and Stacie in London! I believe our story left off with us returning to the tiny hotel room for a bit of shuteye after watching Phantom of the Opera. So good.
The next morning we had our sights set on a big day. Our first stop was back to Trafalgar Square to visit the National Gallery. But first we had to take some pictures on the lions. Because that looked like the thing to do there.
Taming the beasts
After our visit to The National Gallery, we made our way to the other side of Trafalgar Square and to the Texas Embassy. When the Great State was the Republic of Texas, she had an embassy here in London. This particular embassy is a cantina filled with delicious Texan refreshments. The original embassy was not at this exact location, but it's close enough. We decided to take in a little DP and Lone Star on our break.
After our little break, we headed to Kensington Gardens to check it out and ultimately head to The Orangery to have afternoon tea. It is England after all. We wanted to make sure we observed some of the customs.
In Kensington GardensBut our goal of having afternoon tea at The Orangery was thwarted. After walking a very long way, we were told there was some high-to-do going on and that we were not on the guest list. Stuck up, snobby Brits and their private parties interfering with our touristing...
Exhausted from walking, sad about no tea at the Orangery, happy to be in LondonNot ones to let a minor setback ruin our day, we proceeded to carry on with our touring, making our way down to Westminster Abbey for Evensong. As we got off of the train though we made our way by the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.
Big BenAfter checking out Big Ben it was on to Evensong. Evensong is a great way to check out Westminster Abbey. Instead of paying and taking some tour, Evensong is a mass that happens everyday at 5PM. So we were able to go in and worship while checking out the cathedral. It was beautiful and amazing. It's pretty cool to go in and worship where folks had been doing just that for over a thousand years
Westminster AbbeyAfter Evensong we weren't sure exactly what we wanted to do, but since we hadn't been to Buckingham Palace yet, we decided that should be the next stop. So we took a stroll in that direction. The flag was flying which apparently means the Queen is in residence and there was one guard with a machine gun patrolling the front of the palace. There was also a wedding party taking pictures by the fountain out front. We didn't go inside and I'm not certain that we even could, but it was still pretty cool to go check it out.
Buckingham PalaceAfter that, we made wandered around the city a bit more and wound up eating at an Italian restaurant that we saw the night before in Trafalgar Square. It was very good and there was some great people watching there. Our table was on the bottom level (sort of in the basement, I guess) and sharing the area with us was a bachelorette party, two very young kids on a date (I'd say 17 at the oldest, but that's guessing high I believe) and an odd looking couple in the back who could not or would not quit making out long enough to eat their food.
It was pretty crazy down there.
All in all, it was another great day in London. There's nothing left to say except:
THE
(of day two.)Saturday, May 8, 2010
Our Trip to London - Day One
You may have noticed via Facebook or via me getting really excited and telling you or via me being gone for ten days straight that Stacie and I did a bit of traveling recently. We took a trip over the big pond to do a little European exploration. Our first stop was London. We landed just about 12 hours before they shut down all of the airspace over Europe due to Iceland's crazy volcanic eruption. It was at about 10.45PM, or as they would say 22:45, and we proceeded to take the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station. I'm not sure that was the most cost-effective way for us to get where we were going since we had to then take a taxi from there to our hotel, but I'm glad we did it because Paddington Station is beautiful. Plus that would be the only time we'd take a taxi in London, and their taxis are pretty cool compared to ours, so I didn't even know that I didn't want to miss that.
We immediately went to sleep, or at least tried to, once we got checked into our hotel room. The jet lag didn't make for a great night's sleep, but nevertheless we made it up and out around 10AM the next day to begin exploring London. Side note here: our hotel room (at the Luna Simone) was tiny, but it was nice and they served breakfast (which we were never up early enough to partake in.) And by tiny I mean maybe as big as our master bedroom at home for the whole thing, bathroom and all. And we don't have a huge master bedroom in our little condo in Chicago. But we loved our location for a first time visit. We'd probably change it up on a second trip, though.
The first day there we decided to take the train all the way out to the Tower Hill stop and then just spend the day walking back to our hotel. We wanted to wander and explore and just see the sights and get our bearings. It was really the perfect thing to do on the first day.
Naturally, the Tower Hill stop lets you off pretty close to the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. We didn't go into the Tower of London, but we'll probably do that on our next visit. We did a lot of things, but you can't do them all. You'll notice that theme running through our trip. The great thing is that when we returned from 10 days in Europe we actually felt rested and as though we had been on vacation. I don't think that happens for most people. We didn't push ourselves like crazy. We saw the sights and just enjoyed ourselves.
Here's some other things we did that day:
Stacie felt sorry for this street performer because he wasn't getting much love from the crowds. In defense of the crowds he wasn't very good at standing still like he's supposed to do. And it turns out that he's from New Jersey.
The London Eye with Parliament and Big Ben in the background.
Ridin' the Eye. That's what they call it there. Actually, I just made that up. Please don't embarrass yourself in London by saying that.
Parliament and Big Ben from the Eye.
Stacie did this a lot during our trip, so I caught her a few times when I thought it looked cool.
Stacie and I outside of Her Majesty's Theatre. I feel like the striped shirt gives me man-boob here, so I apologize, but it's our only picture we have from the evening. :(
We immediately went to sleep, or at least tried to, once we got checked into our hotel room. The jet lag didn't make for a great night's sleep, but nevertheless we made it up and out around 10AM the next day to begin exploring London. Side note here: our hotel room (at the Luna Simone) was tiny, but it was nice and they served breakfast (which we were never up early enough to partake in.) And by tiny I mean maybe as big as our master bedroom at home for the whole thing, bathroom and all. And we don't have a huge master bedroom in our little condo in Chicago. But we loved our location for a first time visit. We'd probably change it up on a second trip, though.
The first day there we decided to take the train all the way out to the Tower Hill stop and then just spend the day walking back to our hotel. We wanted to wander and explore and just see the sights and get our bearings. It was really the perfect thing to do on the first day.
Naturally, the Tower Hill stop lets you off pretty close to the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. We didn't go into the Tower of London, but we'll probably do that on our next visit. We did a lot of things, but you can't do them all. You'll notice that theme running through our trip. The great thing is that when we returned from 10 days in Europe we actually felt rested and as though we had been on vacation. I don't think that happens for most people. We didn't push ourselves like crazy. We saw the sights and just enjoyed ourselves.Here's some other things we did that day:
A better view of the Tower Bridge.
Stacie felt sorry for this street performer because he wasn't getting much love from the crowds. In defense of the crowds he wasn't very good at standing still like he's supposed to do. And it turns out that he's from New Jersey.
The London Eye with Parliament and Big Ben in the background.
Ridin' the Eye. That's what they call it there. Actually, I just made that up. Please don't embarrass yourself in London by saying that.
Parliament and Big Ben from the Eye.
Stacie did this a lot during our trip, so I caught her a few times when I thought it looked cool.
Along our walked we passed the Globe Theatre, which we will go to later in our trip. We stopped to sit in a cafe and have a snack and a cold beverage. We grabbed lunch at this crazy market that we just stumbled upon. You can stumble upon it right here: http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/. It was amazing how it just kept going and going and winding through alleys and streets. One of my favorite parts of London and Paris was wandering into something cool like that. We also wandered into this really cool wine store, but those pics are on another computer, so I guess we'll just have to put them on facebook because I'm in the zone here and don't want to move.
After we finished our revolution on the Eye, it was time for us to pick up the pace back to our hotel. We didn't make a lot of plans before heading to London, but one thing we did was buy tickets to The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre. So, we hustled back to the hotel. Our feet were exhausted from walking all day. We changed quickly and headed out the door. We caught the bus right outside of our hotel which took us up to Trafalgar Square. From there, we walked around looking for our theatre and perhaps some food. But what we stumbled upon was the premier of a movie at The Odeon in Trafalgar Square. Apparently it was a pretty big deal in England because there was a nice sized crowd gathered watching the stars of the show go into the movie. I didn't recognize any of them. It was called The Heavy, and if you're interested you can do more research here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473364/.
Some very nice policemen who were on duty for the premier kindly pointed us in the direction of our theatre and wished us luck getting through the crowd. We pushed through and walked about a block, turned left and there she was: Her Majesty's Theatre. At this point, we were both hungry but didn't have time to go anywhere fancy or eat anything substantial so we ducked into this little chain called Pret A Manger. It's French for "a place to eat", I believe, and they have them all over London. It's just a quick stop for soup or a wrap or something along those lines.
But we made it to the show with a few minutes to spare. It was amazing. The music, the cast, the set...it was all incredibly well done. If you haven't seen Phantom, I highly recommend it. If you have, but not in London, I highly recommend you take a trip sometime. It will be well worth it.
After we finished our revolution on the Eye, it was time for us to pick up the pace back to our hotel. We didn't make a lot of plans before heading to London, but one thing we did was buy tickets to The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre. So, we hustled back to the hotel. Our feet were exhausted from walking all day. We changed quickly and headed out the door. We caught the bus right outside of our hotel which took us up to Trafalgar Square. From there, we walked around looking for our theatre and perhaps some food. But what we stumbled upon was the premier of a movie at The Odeon in Trafalgar Square. Apparently it was a pretty big deal in England because there was a nice sized crowd gathered watching the stars of the show go into the movie. I didn't recognize any of them. It was called The Heavy, and if you're interested you can do more research here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473364/.
Some very nice policemen who were on duty for the premier kindly pointed us in the direction of our theatre and wished us luck getting through the crowd. We pushed through and walked about a block, turned left and there she was: Her Majesty's Theatre. At this point, we were both hungry but didn't have time to go anywhere fancy or eat anything substantial so we ducked into this little chain called Pret A Manger. It's French for "a place to eat", I believe, and they have them all over London. It's just a quick stop for soup or a wrap or something along those lines.
But we made it to the show with a few minutes to spare. It was amazing. The music, the cast, the set...it was all incredibly well done. If you haven't seen Phantom, I highly recommend it. If you have, but not in London, I highly recommend you take a trip sometime. It will be well worth it.
Stacie and I outside of Her Majesty's Theatre. I feel like the striped shirt gives me man-boob here, so I apologize, but it's our only picture we have from the evening. :(
After the show, we went to grab fourth meal at one of the restaurants right around Trafalgar Square. I think it was like going to a London version of Bennigan's. It's called Garfunkel's. We got Traditional Beef with Yorkshire Pudding - one of our many attempts at eating local cuisine. I have to say it wasn't bad.
After that, we strolled over to Hagen-Daas and grabbed an ice cream cone. Trafalgar Square was bustling with people. There were dance clubs and restaurants and cafes and movie theatres. We just wanted to hang out there and people watch a bit. Then after getting solicited to go to a dance club by a young man who said he'd take us there and get us in with a 5 Pound discount, we decided it was time to call it a night.
So back on the bus we went. Which then let us off with about a mile left to go because it was the end of the line for that time of night. We don't really know if that was the case, but after a little more walking, we thankfully crawled into bed around midnight. And lay there wide awake for a while because it was only 6PM in the US.
After that, we strolled over to Hagen-Daas and grabbed an ice cream cone. Trafalgar Square was bustling with people. There were dance clubs and restaurants and cafes and movie theatres. We just wanted to hang out there and people watch a bit. Then after getting solicited to go to a dance club by a young man who said he'd take us there and get us in with a 5 Pound discount, we decided it was time to call it a night.
So back on the bus we went. Which then let us off with about a mile left to go because it was the end of the line for that time of night. We don't really know if that was the case, but after a little more walking, we thankfully crawled into bed around midnight. And lay there wide awake for a while because it was only 6PM in the US.
Well, that wraps up day one. Not bad for a first day I'd say. I'll post more photos and the rest of the trip as I get the time to do so.
Oh and P.S. - all of this happened on April 15th, my gorgeous wife's 30th birthday. Happy Birthday, Stacie!! I love you so much and you get more beautiful with every passing moment.
Oh and P.S. - all of this happened on April 15th, my gorgeous wife's 30th birthday. Happy Birthday, Stacie!! I love you so much and you get more beautiful with every passing moment.
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