View From a Hotel Window, 4/18/19: Heathrow
Posted on April 18, 2019 Posted by John Scalzi 29 Comments
It’s a parking lot, not only in an entirely different country, but in an entirely different continent! And Heathrow Airport is in the background, which is actually cooler than it sounds.
I’m here for Ytterbium, this year’s Eastercon, where I am a Guest of Honor, and everything is lovely so far. The convention begins properly tomorrow — today we relax, get some sleep in and prepare for the weekend. Three cheers for a lovely spring day in the UK.
How are you? Please describe in words that do not include “redacted Mueller report” in any way, shape or form.
Woooo! Welcome to the (sporadically) sunny UK, John! Picked an incredible weekend for it considering 5 days ago it was 6C/42F and sleeting.
You thinking of popping in on Pan Macmillan’s offices while you’re here? We’re only about an hour away on the tube……=0)
Wish I was going. Sadly, finance and time issues don’t allow for Eastercon this year.
Huh; we were at Heathrow yesterday morning ourselves, having just come back from living in Japan.
I’m still trying not to bow at people and use all the other Japanese reflexes I’ve picked up…
I think I stayed in that hotel two weeks ago. Not certain, as there were no blossoms on the trees then!
Welcome to Blighty. Would love to see you (and get books signed) but alas commitments. But have a great one.
I’m twiddling thumbs for the last 20 minutes of my working life, retirement here I come. A nice day too in Cambridge 75 miles or so north east of Heathrow…
Exhausted, thanks for asking. But hey, England is nice.
Whispers in Basil Fawlty, “Don’t talk about the Brexit.”
Yesterday I made a split off my best honey bee colony into the hive where another colony died overwinter. Now I have to worry for several weeks about whether both halves (since I’m a bad beekeeper who doesn’t know where the old queen wound up) of the split got young enough brood to requeen themselves (which I couldn’t tell by looking, see bad beekeeper note above). And then I have to worry about will the drones be ready when the new queen is ready, and will the weather be warm and sunny then.
But I am gloriously fine, thanks for asking, because I got to mess with bees!
Otherwise I would be whiny-babying because you are off the ends of the earth, having fun without us.
I can’t be the first to wonder, why is a British con naming itself after a Swedish town?
How am I? I little foggy, thanks for asking. I mean that almost literally: I drove through a bunch of fog on the drive to work this morning.
Hey, I recognize that view! Have a great time. :)
So looking forward to spending a week in London before WorldCon in Dublin. Pictures make me want to speed up time!
Sad. My oldest dog is acting very ill and we are about to go to the vet where I fear it will be very bad news. My children are all living too far away to come say goodbye. Probably not appropriate for a lovely spring blog post, but you did ask.
I probably heard your plane land this morning as I only live about 5 miles from LHR. Hope the convention is fun! At least the weather is good for you – supposed to be warm and dry all weekend.
If that’s Slough… there’s a pub not too far away called ‘The Golden Cross’. Get there if you can, eat the meat pies if you can. Lamb and mint was a revelation. The proprietor was my mom-away-from-mom. Safe travels!
It’s the 70th Eastercon according to the official numbering.
I’m playing hookey from work, with three weeks to go before retirement ;-) Need to do a bit of shopping for the weekend and may grab a bite out. Weather is dreary but I’m in the middle of a Star Wars marathon, and I have popcorn. Life is good!
Not Slough, but not far from there. Think of Ali G..
Nice pics on plane. Does the con pay for first class or do you have to pay for it just? Also, any plans to visit a Forbidden Planet bookstore?
My first trip to England I was amused to discover the natives called a Parking Lot, a Car Park. That seems more exotic and desirable for some reason, like where cars go to chase balls and have fun – not being left for hours of boredom. Many of the smaller car parks didn’t even have lines to park between, which led to some interesting configurations ;-)
I myself am out fishing bought a pole and licence for my 73rd birthday.
Living on the mountain is different.
The good part is to go anywhere
on the MT. is to go by the fishing hole.
Since I have Tomorrow off I go fishing.
Have yourself a great time😌🐺
It’s the first day of our hotel boat season and we’re on the South Oxford canal with our pair of narrow boats.
The weather’s lovely, our new crew is enthusiastic and attentive and it’s been a good day
I’m taking a break from being outside this wonderful Idaho spring to go to my first con after moving here. It’s this weekend in Salt Lake City. I’ll break out the Klingon uniform to finally meet one of my favorite guest actors on Trek, Tony Todd.
I’m not bad. It looks like the Con is in your hotel, so you don’t have to risk traveling on the wrong side of the road. Nice! But what is this ‘Mueller’ you speak of?
After some weeks of staggering along on 3 to 6 hours sleep per night (and many more laying uselessly trying to *get back* to sleep), finally had several nights of sleeping for 11 straight hours. (Insomnia sucks.)
I had my colonoscopy today, which I had to have because I turned 50. The doc found a couple of small polyps and removed them. In a week, I’ll learn whether they were cancerous, but it doesn’t sound like they will be.
Colon cancer is the second most common cancer in America. Get your colon checked when you turn 50. (This has been a public service announcement.)
I am tired and a bit grumpy, thanks for asking, after a day spent documenting a genuinely awful software application that I have to present next week. I didn’t build it, just have to market it, which is in many ways the worst of all possible worlds. But we’ll deal with it.
Sending hopes for a spectacularly wonderful, fun and rewarding convention to both you and your lovely spouse – I hope your weekend is surpassingly excellent! Safe travels and be well.
Hey, I remember that hotel! Dysprosium (because Eastercon 66) was there in ’15, at which we-all drank the Borough of Hillingdon clean out of beer.
Be careful about the ytterbium, though, seeing that it’s a noted skin and eye irritant. (Rather a lot worse than dysprosium.)
So close to Europe! Will you be visiting any other countries, while you’re so close?