CES 10, neon overload

Just days after returning to Seattle, I was off again to Las Vegas, for the annual tech explosion that is the Consumer Electronics Show. I was hosted by LG, with a great bunch of PRs and journos.

We all went out to the desert on the Tuesday to burn some petrol in back-breaking dune buggies, while Top Gun jets overhead roared into Nellis AFB.

Dusty, bouncy, adrenaline-pumping fun – until someone inevitably got either lost or bogged down at the top of a sand dune. I think this was Sarah H!

We stayed at the Wynn Encore, with rooms dripping with mirrors, marbles and gold plate. At least from my room, I had a view of the mountains, the Strip… and the interesting mid-century modern cathedral beneath.

I jogged past it a few times on the way to the Convention Centre. I’ll leave it to you to imagine the contrast!

A blissfully quiet New Year

With our furnace fixed and our bellies full, it was great to have a chilled out inter-Christmas/New Year period. We had a good Christmas dinner here with Ann and Ted – who seemed happy with his T-shirt…

On New Year’s Day, we jumped on a ferry and headed down to Hartstine Island.

More wine and food, plus a mammoth invasive species clearing session (despite the season, the holly and ivy took a real bashing). And then some more food. Hurrah!

A very British Christmas – part 5

Our last big trip was a day journey to Oxford (we stayed over at the Colonnade Hotel in Warwick Avenue, our wedding hotel, near the frozen(!) canal). It was snowy en route but wet and grey in the university town – perfect conditions for a day of museums.

The new Ashmolean was a revelation – first class exhibits excellent displayed in an attractive new building. Well worth a visit for culture-vulture Londoners!

We also stopped in at the History of Science museum to see Einstein’s blackboard and Lawrence of Arabia’s camera, as well as  a fun cyberpunk exhibition.

But the highlight of the day was the wonderfully eccentric and eternally fascinating Pitt Rivers museum. How can you go wrong with shrunken heads, live cockroaches, dinosaur bones and totem poles all crammed together in an atmospheric high Victorian palace of science? Best. Museum. Ever.

And that was our UK trip. Pretty much 100% a success with fun around every corner. Except the journey home, which involved a 40-mile traffic jam, missing our flight, running through Heathrow, sitting around Heathrow, squeezing on to a flight to LA, missing another flight, staying a night and finally arriving home a day late to a house with no heating. But that, as they say, is another story.

Here’s a photo of Karen and me in front a British Christmas tree to end on. Blame the sherry for our ‘wacky’ expressions.

A very British Christmas – part 4

How could we head back to England without immersing ourselves in old London town? The Christmas spirit was in evidence from a snow globe on Eros…

… to festive reindeers on Carnaby Street.

We spent our days hooking up with old pals. Here’s Adrian and Lewis at Cafe Pacifico for Mexican nosh.

While for Mark, Robin and James, only a massive veg fest at the best Indian in London, Ravi Shankars, would do. Yum!

I had a memorable afternoon wandering through London with Vitali  Vitaliev from E&T Magazine (thanks for the Fleet Street tour!), culminating in a visit to old St Brides – the original inspiration for the design of a ‘traditional’ wedding cake.

A real highlight was spending an evening on the South Bank with the Badger (and Jo!). Here we are exchanging gifts at the South Bank Strada – accompanied by many envious glances from the kids at the next table! Yes, that *is* a Rubik’s Cube pepper mill.

A very British Christmas – part 3

Brighton was all about seeing old friends, starting with the old lady of Brighton herself, a snow-dusted Pavilion.

We had planned to attend the winter solstice Burning of the Clocks ceremony but it was cancelled due to the weather – boo! Instead, we piled in to the Basketmaker’s Arms and drank warm beer – hurrah!

We stayed with my old next door neighbours, Nathan and Georgia. Thanks for the mulled wine! Then my ex-housemate Tor and her lovely sister Liz popped in….

… followed quickly by Steve and Nat – looking on the huge side with just a month before her big day. We made her stand, of course. She has to get used to being tired all the time, right?

The evening wore, merriment increased and it was only matter of time before Monty and Keith wanted a photo of me next to some empty glasses. It seemed to make sense at the time.

A very British Christmas – part 2

The centrepiece of our UK trip was a weekend at Wilmington Priory, a stunning 12th-century monk’s house in rural Sussex, just at the foot of the ancient Long Man chalk figure.

It was truly a fantastic place to lord it over for a weekend – full of  ruins, mysterious rooms, a huge farmhouse kitchen and chilly bathrooms. Our visit coincided with the start of Britain’s extended cold snap – but who could complain about this sprinkling of snow?

The first guests to arrive were Jean and John, and their mischievous minxes, Alessia and Marnie. Next up were Jess and Nico, struggling to find the Priory in the pitch darkness after being abandoned by a taxi driver scared of ice!

On the agenda – walks, talks, food and wine. Saturday dawned bright, crisp and cold – a glorious day to hike over the hills.

Here we are on a low peak, following the South Downs Way on the way to Jevington and the Eights Bells Inn.

Check out Karen’s figure skating form. Someone should be heading up to Vancouver next month…

Alex, Aimee and Jo joined us later in the day – and seemed surprisingly tolerant of our all-American Batter Blaster ‘pancakes’ from a squirty can. Or is that a grimace on Alex’s face?

Sunday saw more sledding (until Alex shattered his collarbone attempting a first ever snow-boarding descent of the Long Man on a  home-made board. Well, plank, to be more accurate), then a walk out to The George in Alfriston. Luckily, Alex had Aimee’s delicious Christmas cake to cheer him up…

We were sorry to leave the Priory on the Monday – it really felt like a slice of olde Christmas, and it was fun to reconnect with the joys of the English countryside.

A very British Christmas – part 1

Sorry for the delay in getting this up – the last month has just rushed by! Let’s start with some pictures from the family back home. When we landed, we headed almost immediately out to Maddy’s Christmas play at her school’s beautiful Medieval church.

 

We were entertained by the whole Harris clan – from a meal at Jess’s where Dad provided the entertainment…

To the full Christmas stuff-out at the Brooks’ in Warlingham – here’s us walking off the feast.

And not forgetting an extended day with Mum and Dad – we Harrises like to practice our family can-can routine sitting down.