back again for a quick update

I forgot to tell a rather funny story about an airport experience once we finally got to Heathrow. A couple ahead of us (obviously foreign) got on the moving walkway, but the woman panicked; she'd most likely never been on one before. Anyway, she tried to go back, and grabbed on to the rail (which was also moving) and fell on her bum. Her husband was knocked over by her fall, and there they both sat. The attendant who was pushing my wheelchair (we were behind them) tried to help her but she waved him off like an angry hen and spoke angrily at him (in some different language). Her husband still just sat there. In fact, when they got off the walkway, which they rode right onto the floor, they just sat there -- blocking the people behind them from getting off. Of course, my wheelchair is right behind them, so I had to jump up to avoid hitting her, and then, since her husband still was ignoring her, the attendant and I tried to help her up while Deanna wrestled with all the bags. We are all trying not to laugh. Finally, we helped the lady up, and the attendant tells me that he's worked at that airport for a year and has NEVER seen anything like that happen before -- and he's seen a lot of weird things at the airport. I told him he'd have something interesting to tell his friends, at any rate.

We've been quite busy -- we visited the Black Country Living museum -- a place dedicated to showing the way of life in the "Black Country" - a place thus named for the coal mining industry during the Industrial Revolution that literally turned the country black. We were able to explore an old mine (okay, so it was a guided tour...), and rode in a canal boat in some underground caverns -- which was how the coal was transported through the mountains.

Today we visited Dudly Zoo and castle and Nick and I played bumper cars. It was quite fun. Then we went grocery shopping; I read the cookbook AFTER we got home and realized I should have bought a few more things. *sigh* Oh well, at least I bought some Diet Coke -- Nick isn't a pop drinker. :P And, I got to meet Nick's sister and her husband and their little boys. The boys are sooo cute. ;)

Oh, and last but not least.... I finally got to ride his bike today. I was all hip in his leather jacket on the back of a sleek black sports bike, the wind whipping at us as we flew down the road. It was great -- so free and exciting.

And... since its 1:30 am... or rather, Nick informs me, almost 2am now that I've finished my "book", I'm off to bed. Tomorrow is the big day -- I meet his parents!!!