May 24 - Regent's Park

Preface to my Readers:
I apologize for delay in updating my blog which has so many fans. I have been busy with work, touring England, taking in the local fare and drink, but I have been keeping everything written down in my pocket journal, so when the time comes, as it is now, I will begin updating as much as I can to catch back up to the current date. Also, I am updating on a day that is about 70 degrees and not a cloud in sight. I do so, not because I have become accustomed to seeking dark and damp areas as many Londoners seem to do, but I have made a very close friend of mine, THE Kaleb Jeffries, very upset that I do not update as often as I originally promised. As we all know, Kaleb is somewhat of a literary connoisseur and enjoys reading everything and anything on which he can set his eyes. Because he spends days and nights awaiting new postings on my blog, I have caused him much mental and emotional pain, and for that I am sorry, I will do my best to make my blog current. Kaleb, if you are still reading this, in my defense, I have been doing a lot of drinking. I hope you forgive me.

Sunday, May 24 - Picnic at Regent's Park

On Sunday morning, I met up at Emily, Rich and Craig's flat and we packed up our picnic belongings - Rich's picnic belongings included a very manly backpack that transformed into a posh picnic bag that unfolded to reveal a full set of wine glasses, a bottle of wine, select cheeses and crackers and anything else his boyfriend could have packed for him. I kept to my Westside roots and carried a few sandwiches and fruit in a plastic shopping sack. We met up with Adam and Becky as they walked down the street and we rushed to catch the right bus. Emily was surprisingly fast, even out-sprinting Rich as he clutched to his picnic purse.

On the way to Regent's, we passed through the famous Abbey Road intersection and I had my first glimpse of the Studio over the fence. I made a mental note as I stared in amazement and plans began to come together as to when and how I was going to recreate the famous Abbey Road album crosswalk photo. More of that will come in a few days.

Regent's Park is a 400 acre park similar to Central Park - including its own zoo, a rose garden, small ponds and streams and grass fields that stretch out far beyond the eye can see. Games of soccer, rugby, Frisbee and even volleyball were going all around us. The day was perfect - about 72 degrees, sunny, no clouds in the sky and a slight breeze blowing through the park. We spotted the perfect place to throw down our blankets and began to unload our bags and set up our food and sat back to eat, relax and take in the sites, and beautiful weather. Emily had brought a couple of softball gloves, so everyone took their turns throwing the ball back and forth and by the end of playing throw and catch, Adam's glove hand looked as if he had been sorting through coal for a week.

After a while, Rich and Adam broke out the Rugby ball and decided to have their own fun in teaching me how to throw it. Like a kid wearing two casts on his hands, I managed to fumble around the ball long enough to get the hang of it, even though I still was horrible, they made me feel better about myself by telling me I was "doing it just right," yet I know they were just lying. As I mentioned in my previous post as I described Adam, he finds any time appropriate to take off his shirt in public and after 20 minutes of throwing around the "Footie" (Yes, it does sounds quite gay, but who is going to argue with a rugby player about the semantics of their beloved leather, oblong ball?), Adam decided his body temperature was just about the right level to shed his shirt, forcing Rich and myself to follow suit because we were actually sweating profusely.

We now officially looked like three tools with their shirts off in the park, throwing around the rugby ball, but the sun was out, we were getting our tans on in London which is unheard of, and I was kind of starting to get better at throwing the ball back and forth. The two pros decided then to make me run 'routes' with them which just further showed them why I was not playing rugby any time soon. As awkward as John Water's handwriting, I was just trying to keep up with every toss or route they told me to run. For them, I'm sure it was good fun, but for me, my athletic ego was taking quite a hit. We stayed in the park, laying out and going for a bird-watching walk in the Rose Garden, and then headed back to their flat around 5 to get the grand BBQ fired up again for what turned out to be a huge party of Aussies and Brits and one Yankee.

The flat was packed full of rugby players and teachers with accents from England and Australia, and the BBQ was loaded full of everything from bangers to kebabs to steaks and chicken wings (which were accidentally undercooked and no one would touch after the news spread). After drinking, eating and talking with everyone at the party, telling man stories in the kitchen and chastising Rich for not getting the "good cheese," games of charades broke out as did the PS3 and we all sat around playing Quiz Show, intensely.

By the time the party ended and everyone had left, it was too late to catch the Tube, so Craig and Rich helped me spread out a pad on the couch and I crashed in their living room until the sun woke me up a few hours later. I have been here for three days and I've met and made friends with more people I thought would happen over the course of the entire summer.