Lindsey's 33rd Birthday party

Lindsey was lucky enough to have 10 of our closest friends in London join her in celebrating her birthday at Winter Wonderland. The night consisted of ice skating, sausage and pretzel eating, spiked hot chocolate and mulled wine, and an amusement ride that entailed multiple free falls. We all had a blast and thanks to all who helped us celebrate!

Christmas Party

I think both of us were on our best behavior this year and amazingly we both enjoyed the party. Seems that everyone had a great time and the ladies in the office did a great job of planning it. We were the last large party at the Forbes House. The next day a person of great wealth was buying the property and turning it into his bachelor pad.

Skiing in Engelberg!

Had a great weekend with Kenny Estes, Teresa, Kati Boler and Mike Goodspeed in Engelberg. It was very early in the season but the snow cover was unusually good for this time of year (Dec 5) and we were able to make it through the very steep terrain without any injuries. Teresa (Kenny's girlfriend) was new to the mountains and I think she enjoyed her first experience. We all hope she comes back for more this season. Engelberg is known for more off-piste skiing so probably wasn't the best place to take newbies. Lindsey and I will be missing the next couple of ski trips due to Christmas break and our belated honeymoon to the Maldives. We will join the gang again in early February for an extnded ski trip to Chamonix France.

Sebastien Mouton and Me!

Enjoying the after dinner haze with Sebastien Mouton. He was reminding me that I better not eat too much so I can still move around the squash court during our rematch.

A Wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday

A big thanks goes out to the John and Colleen Mueller for hosting the 3rd?? and final Thanksgiving dinner at their home. They really do put on a great show and will be missed after they return to Chicago. To give you an idea of how big the party was they cooked up around 75 pounds of turkey and they had a different theme for flavoring each bird. I was lucky enough to try both the Asian and Italian turkey and it would be difficult to tell you which one I enjoyed more. Thanks again Mueller family!!!

Christmas time in London

Lindsey did a great job of getting the decorations up early this year so we could enjoy them for a while before heading back to the States for the holidays. We are both looking forward to seeing family and friends but will miss Chloe while we are gone.



PS - we have added a stocking for Chloe since this picture was taken. ;)

Great time at Zuma

We finally got around to eating at Zuma together. We had both eaten there on separate occasions and enjoyed experiencing it together. Here is Lindsey eating something very adventurous.......

Congrats to Chicago restaurants

I am excited to see Chicago receive Michelin ratings for it's top restaurants. This really will turn into a to-do list when I head back to the Midwest. Here is the list and again congrats - it will be fun trying to get to all of them before the chefs burn out.

Michelin's ultimate, three-star rating:
Alinea and L2O

Two Michelin stars: Avenues, the bold and inventive fine-dining room in the Peninsula Hotel Chicago; Charlie Trotter's, still dazzling diners after more than two decades; and RIA, the opulent dining room within the Elysian Hotel.

Eighteen restaurants received a one-star ranking:
Blackbird, Boka, Bonsoiree, Crofton on Wells, Everest, Graham Elliot, Longman & Eagle, Naha, NoMI, Schwa, Seasons, Sepia, Sixteen, Spiaggia, Takashi, Topolobampo, Tru and Vie.

Those that were believed to have a chance at a star but did not receive one:
Arun's, Cafe des Architectes, Hot Chocolate, Les Nomades, Mercat a la Planxa, Oceanique, one sixtyblue, Pelago, Piccolo Sogno, Sprout and Table Fifty-Two.

Rodrigo and Gabriela concert

Last night (Oct 3, 2010) we attended what turned out to be one of my all time favorite concerts. Jon Lansing and Lisa Spirakes invited us along for what they promised to be a better show than the last one they talked us into attending ;) It turned out to be fantastic and I highly recommend them to anyone that has the opportunity to see them live.

Uncle Tom and Aunt Teresa Visit

We were lucky enough to host Tom and Teresa for a long weekend to help them cheer on their beloved Broncos. The outcome wasn't exactly what they were looking for but for the most part Lindsey was a gracious winner. I did get the pleasure of approaching my childhood hero twice and getting brushed back by his body guard. John Elway didn't seemed to be too enthused about his obligations as a representative of the Broncos organization but he was nice enough to sign a jersey and picture for the ladies in our group. Overall it was a great visit and we were able to hit up Stonehenge, Bath, and Windsor Castle on a one day trip with other friends and their families.

Wedding gift from the 'rents

The Kennedy family spent a few days together driving around the Irish country side. One of our objectives was to hunt down a piece of crystal that we would like as a gift from my parents. We did spend quite a bit of time on the hunt and at least mom was smart enough to grab a business card from the first dealer we came across. When Lindsey and I returned to the UK empty handed we gave the very first guy a call and asked him if he could use his contacts with Heritage crystal to track down a piece that we both liked. With an error or two in delivery attempts we finally received the piece and have enjoyed it ever since. Thanks Mom and Dad. Please enjoy the craftsmanship and brilliance of crystal that is still hand carved/cut.

Thrill of the Year

A month or so ago a group of 9 people - mostly co-workers - decided to jump out of a plane together. We did not tell our superiors about it until after the fact. It was a fantastic time and look forward to my next opportunity to jump again. I am pretty sure that everyone in the group felt the same way.

Beautiful flowers

Even though we have a very small space out doors at our current flat Lindsey has made the most of it by filling it up with many pots of flowers and decorations. Aunt Kathie Nenaber even made a contribution with a beautiful rose bush. Enjoy.......

Spurt of Golf

I had the pleasure of golfing two out of three days this past week. Went to Buckinghamshire with James Faraci, Simon Whitear, and Ian Mounfield. It was a great day of golf and ultimately Jim and I took a little money off of the other two suckers. On Monday, Jim invited the same group to the West Course at Wentworth which is home of the PGA BMW Championship. Fortunately or unfortunately they were reworking the hardest two holes because of complaints by the pros so I wasn't able to test my skills but in the following picture you can see the original green up above the ledge and the temporary green below to the left. We ended up playing to a tie. Tied the front nine and back nine and no money changed hands. They say we will carry it over to the next match. I'll make sure they remember that!

Finally Made it to Brightin

As we wind down the summer we figured it was time to hit up the beaches of Brighton. It was a little chilly but sitting out in the fresh air and sunshine was a nice change of pace. If you ever doubted that Brighton's beaches were rocks look no further than the following pictures.

Dover Sunday

On Sunday we accompanied Brandon Zick and Erin Zick to Dover England. They had visited Oxford the day before so came well prepared for the train ride with a deck of cards and an iPad. Made for a quick ride. The overall trip was about exactly what our London cab driver had warned us about but was still something that we had to see to check of our list. It is a port city that just so happens to have a castle and beautiful white cliffs at its doorstep. When we arrived we followed the signs to the city center for an hour. When we realized that we had gone around in a huge circle we figured out that we had been following the signs for traffic to go around the city center following the one way streets. But our trek did bring us fairly close to the most happening place in the town. When we walked in to the restaurant we didn't know what to think. There were a few tables occupied with dozens more empty. It was more people than we had seen in the last hour so we decided to walk in and give it a shot. When we asked the host if we could have a table for four and he gave us a tortured expression that showed us he didn't know where to seat us we all kind of looked at each other and wondered what was wrong with all the empty tables. He did finally explain that he needed that table back in an hour if he sat us. We agreed and he was right. The lunch was very enjoyable and the place was full by the time we exited. Now on to the hiking.......

We must have walked more than 6 or 7 miles by the time the day was over and with a little bit of rain and a lot of cliffs and hills Brandon and I both agreed that we felt like we were walking around with ski boots on by the time we made it back to the train station. We first walked out to the white cliffs to take the necessary pictures and then back tracked to the castle. The rain hit hard while we were walking the grounds of the castle and pretty much made us all agree that it was time to head home. Surprisingly none of us feel asleep on the ride home and we continued to enjoy each others company after such a long day. Tonight (Monday) we are all meeting up with some local friends and dining at Scalini. Haven't been there since my first day in London.


Lindsey carving our initials into the white cliffs that will last about as long as the next great rain storm.

Weekend in England

This weekend was one of those that was busy but enjoyable. Friday night we hung out with Jon Lansing, his beautiful fiance Lisa, and Mike Goodspeed. We went to look at a flat in Hampstead Heath and followed that up with dinner at Goucho and "ice cream" at Yogurtry. Then Lisa invited us back to their flat so she could dismantle us in a game of American trivia.

Saturday was a little more about quality time. Lindsey and I got up and enjoyed a cappuccino on the pavement outside of Med Kitchen and then decided we would treat out ourselves to a fine lunch at the Dorchester Hotel. It really was a fun experience and for the most part everything we ordered was incredible. Only once did Lindsey have to use her napkin on a bite of some sort of chicken and something mashed all together appetizer.





The icing on top was definitely the dessert. I think it was so good because of its simplicity - Hot vanilla rice pudding with pecan ice cream and raspberry preserve - and it was worth going back for it again.

Amsterdam Weekend

We had a blast hanging out in Amsterdam during the last weekend in July (2010). The group consisted of Mike and Kati, Kenny and Theresa, Will and Jess, Annastecia and Charlie, Lance, Pam, and Lindsey and me. We had stopped by Amsterdam once before for an afternoon but figured we should dive in head first and really experience the city. It was kind of like Vegas- two days felt like a week and I was ready to get back to the comfort of South Kensington. Thanks to everyone for helping to make it a great weekend.

Beach time in Cannes

What a great weekend! Didn't get any time to lay on the beach because they kept us too busy but the area was beautiful and would definitely go back to relax.

Having fun in Cannes

Getco put on another great company trip and this year I got to partake in the European version. Stockholm was the first choice but a royal wedding changed our plans and Cannes (pronounced Can)was the back up plan. One of the best parts of the weekend was the transportation to the slightly formal dinner on Saturday night and here is the picture of the car I got to ride big pimpin style.

Enjoying the 4th with Jay Zed

Getco and the WAGs got to enjoy Jay Zed (or Jay Z for the Americans) in Hyde Park to help celebrate the 4th. It was a great time and it was nice to recognize all but a couple of his songs. He is a very good live performer. No appearance by Beyonce but didn't ruin the night ;)It was great to be able to walk to and from the concert and not have to fight for a cab or shove onto a train. Even though we had a good time it wasn't quite the same as watching the rockets red glare over Lake Michigan or any other great American city. Maybe next year we can be on home soil for the occasion. Happy 4th everyone!

Exploring Canterbury

I got to enjoy Canterbury over the weekend with my mom and aunt. It was a quiet little town outside of the tourists and it's main attraction was definitely the cathedral and it's grounds. I have seen quite a few of these types of monuments and was surprised that I was still able to be impressed by a new one. It really was a great building. They were also in the middle of cleaning and replacing some of their stained glass windows and that along with the nice sunny day really brightened it up inside. The three of us explored the grounds, grabbed a nice lunch at a tea house close by, and then returned when the cathedral reopened after a morning ordination to take in a Choral Evensong service. It was a very enjoyable experience and glad that I went along for the ride. Check Canterbury off the list of things to do!

What do you get when.....

you mix a little wind and rain with beautiful trees in full bloom?

A Funny Picture from Rome

I thoroughly enjoyed the ice cream / gelato in Rome. I think I walked into everyone of the shops just to check out the selection. The most interesting concoction I tried was three scoops of different gelatos on a bun. It took some getting used to but I started to understand why people would order their ice cream as a sandwich. I wish I had snapped a picture of that before I made it disappear. I will admit I was not courageous enough to try the gelato pictured for fear of side affects or the possibility of needing to find a hospital if I found myself in a certain state for more than 4 hours.

A Golfing Fool

The London Club - above


Buckinghamshire Golf Club - above


Wentworth Golf Club - above

I have had the pleasure of golfing twice already in this young season and if that serves as a trend then I like the direction that it's pointing. I am also scheduled to hit up another course this Sunday to act as a warm up for a corporate outing next week. I wanted to keep track off the courses that I have played and the blog is easiest way to that. So here they are:

April 17th - The Edinburgh - Wentworth Club (1 of 3 courses) - scored 98 - Jim and Ian - a classic club that will be much harder when the trees fill in.

April 24th - Buckinghamshire golf club - scored 90 - Jim F, Gary Jones, and Ian Mounfield - mostly links style with a beautiful system of moats/cansl around the clubhouse and holes.

May 2 - London Club - International Course ( 1 of 2 courses) Simon Whitear

May 6 - London Club - Heritage Course ( 2 of 2 courses)Jim F, Simon, Ian Maunfield

Having fun on Abbey Road

I want everyone to please notice the attention to detail in this picture. It was a fun experience and was fun watching the other groups of people darting in and out of traffic to capture the moment.

The car ride around Rome

Wedding Kiss

Night at the Hassler

Rooftop celebration

Messing with my camera

A couple of nights last week I was playing with my camera to get my settings right and thought I would share the pic(s) so people have an idea of what the view is like from our 5th floor flat. This is looking out the back (northwest) over the mews in the middle of the block.

Alice in Wonderland Premier

Lindsey and I, along with a group from Getco, got to enjoy the world premier of Alice in Wonderland. In was a great experience and still trying to figure out if it was worth repeating with a future movie. Walking in on the red (green) carpet was fun and watching famous people get rained on was enjoyable. The actual movie was a interesting event. I know I didn't like being dressed up ( black tie event) and that is what is muddying up the waters on whether it was the movie I didn't enjoy or the act of sitting in a crowded theater while wearing a suit and tie. Will have to try it again for a movie that suits my taste better and will find out the answer. Until the next post regarding my first soccer experience in Europe - Cheers

First of many trips to the London Eye

Chris Wozny (pictured to the right of the clown)visited us this past weekend becoming our first official visitor. I hope he enjoyed the time he spent in town. He definitely kept busy. One of the field trips we took was to the London Eye. After I directed the group to the wrong tube stop we quickly regrouped and found our way through the foreign region south of the river. Luckily the giant Eye is visible from almost anywhere in that part of the city and it was our guiding light during an anxious period of thinking we were terribly lost.

Beautiful day to be a tourist

Pictures in and around the London Eye

Keeping watch as the year of the tiger begins.

It was fun snapping photos during the Chinese New Year celebration. It was quite the festive atmosphere.

Taking it all in.

Remember what it was like to be a kid? I think I would have been more scared than this kid was as he followed the dragon around with the help of his dad.

Chinese New Year party

Lindsey and I headed to China town to celebrate the Chinese New Year. We had fun following the dragons around as they ate up the cabbage hanging from the doorways of the local businesses.

Editors note

When you see a black area on the blog with a gray play button below please press play to enjoy the videos. This note is mostly for my parents. Sorry mom and dad for calling you and your tech skills out in a public forum. Love you ;) Also, there are now multiple pages worth of posts so please hit "older posts" when you reach the bottom of a page.

Kenny.....Where did you go??

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you fell off the side of the ski trail? Luckily for us we were all able to witness Kenny losing his way and trying to take a shortcut down the mountain. I will admit visibility was near zero and as I was trying to lead the beginners down the very narrow path I was having a hard time "guessing" when the next hairpin turn would be. I did make it safely but because of the conditions I was not able to look over my shoulder and realize that the rest of the pack had not been able to keep up with me and had definitely lost sight of me. It was really eerie just standing in a white out straining to hear any noise from the kiddies when all of the sudden I could hear a bunch of cackling and hooting and hollering about Kenny having gone off the edge. I will admit that I felt like I missed out on one of the funnier moments of the weekend but as I went further down the mountain to see if Kenny had fallen all the way to the next path I found him stuck halfway between and buried in multiple feet of powder. Looking back on it I realize I probably could have helped him but my one and only role (outside of leading them down the hill - which was taken away from me after this episode) was to capture the action through pictures and video. Enjoy!