Andy Tea-ylor and Helen Crumpets

I hope we get this room when we stay in Paris at the end

I cannot believe tomorrow afternoon is Christmas already. I mean, when we head to Europe. I went over the entire itinerary yesterday afternoon into the early evening and I am even more excited than I was before. I looked at the hotel we're staying at in Paris (The Pullman Paris Eiffel Tower) and I could hit the Eiffel Tower with a pitching wedge shot: a 9-iron would be too much club. Would that create an international incident if I hit the Eiffel Tower with a golf ball from my hotel balcony? I hear the French don't care much for we Yankees anyway. I hope they don;t make me call them Frogs. I also am having a hard time comprehending that, when we fly home from Paris (leaving at 9:25 AM) and we fly for 9 1/2 hours that we will arrive in Chicago at 11:55 AM the same day. I guess we will find out what jet lag is really all about, huh? It's like flying through a wormhole or something. I know the Bermuda Triangle isn't in our flight path - or is it? I am so glad that we are not driving into and out of the airport.

All the research I am doing for the trip is teaching me so many other things. I have learned so much more about Oskar Schindler than I learned from the book and the film Schindler's List. I didn't realize he was born in the Czech Republic (and a Czech citizen) and I didn't know that he died in Hildesheim, Germany in 1974. I know the film showed that he was primarily a businessman who found a conscious and a heart but it sounds like he was kind of a shyster. Not a shyster like a lawyer but like a shifty businessman. I think he more than made up for it with the good that he did. His good business sense is what, in the end, saved so many lives. I also learned that he is the only member of the Nazi Party that was buried in Mount Zion in Jerusalem though that may have been mentioned at the end of the film. I may have to pop that DVD in again before we head East.

I finally found out who Clarence Birdseye is!

It is so nice not to be leaving until after noon. For some reason we usually travel in the morning. This seems so much more relaxing to me. Cha Cha and I have both taken note that, from now on, when it is possible, we are not going to catch the worm on day one. Who likes worms anyway (birds and fish)? At least early birds apparently - maybe they should learn to read so they can look at magazines in the waiting room instead of eating worms.

I cannot believe that, with my life at least half-over, I can still get this excited about things. It always seemed like my grandparents never got excited about anything. Have times changed that much or have we all changed? Or, am I the odd one - please do not dignify that last question with a response!

I added some photos to the An Idiot and A Broad Facebook page this morning. I expect to be adding a lot more over the next couple of weeks. I made these into their own albums and I intend to do that with the ones following as well if I can remember how I did it. I hope to be able to continue blogging and posting during down-times on our trip. It will be odd since I usually blog in the mornings and mornings there may not be mornings where you are. I do know that people in other part of the world read the blog so maybe, for a couple of weeks, it will be more convenient for your schedules (I pronounced it "shed you'lls" when I typed it this time).

Helen Crumpets from Mayberry

Luckily Jill (thank you to her boss Pam) looked at her drivers' license yesterday because, with tomorrow being her birthday, her drivers' license expires tomorrow. That would have cause some problems abroad. She is at the DMV right now getting it renewed. I think it will be fun to get her a little birthday cake tomorrow in London. I would say, besides America, England and British culture is her favorite country/lifestyle. What a special treat that we get to spend four hours in London on her birthday before eventually making it to the city where I was on my birth day (the actual day of my birth). In England I am going to have fish and chips and some birthday cake. Perhaps tea and crumpets too though I am not sure what crumpets are. Maybe I will have an English muffin instead (same thing different name?).

I still have lots to get done today though I am pretty happy with the progress. I may mow the lawn today because, if I don't, I will have worse withdrawals while I am gone. There will still be a gaggle of people here while we are gone but I doubt that the lawn would be mowed in our absence. I hope you have a great day - it seems nice here today. With the rain from yesterday it could either be cooler or more humid. Thank you for popping-in today and thank you for your comments on the new Facebook page (An Idiot and A Broad). I really like knowing that you stop in here whenever your can. The blog may get more exciting over the next few weeks or, based on connectivity, you may think we're dead. Isn't that exciting?! TTTT (launch day)...MITM (out) TA!!