Anniston 17-18 July 2024 - The return

Dawn, approaching the UK on 18 July 2024

After a poor night's sleep, I was woken to need to leave in 30 minutes. This was quite a panic, and I missed breakfast, although Jo did not.  We didn't quite make the 30 minutes, but it wasn't too bad.  Jo couldn't find the keys to her bag lock, but they were where she thought they were - that's the level of panic we were at.

We are off to meet Robert's friend, where Robbie will be staying the night.  We meet them at Ted's, a restaurant that serves Bison.  We have eaten in one of them before, in Washington, and the food is very good.

After dropping Robbie off, and having a little time to catch our thoughts, we headed to the airport.   Arriving 15 minutes later than I would have liked, we again had problems with check-in, going to the wrong desk.  The baggage drop lady was a bit brusque and careless.  She chucked our bags on the belt and hardly said a word.  The security staff also seemed to have had a bad week. They were uninterested and did nothing to stop some people pushing through the queue - it was chaotic.  The tray with my laptop was sent off well ahead of me, and I briefly lost track of it. 

We were through security by 17:00 and got some water and sat in the restaurant area for a bit.  We arrived at the gate at 17:40, boarding was scheduled to start at 17:55.

18:26 an announcement that the plane is still being cleaned.  Followed by an announcement telling us that Atlanta airport is the most efficient in the world (clearly not true at the moment).

19:25 seated on the plane
19:35 left gate
19:43 take off

I watched 'Ferrari'

21:17 I had finished my meal, it consisted of:

Chicken curry & rice
Side salad
Buttered role
Cheese & biscuit
Chocolate mouse. 

While eating, service was suspended due to turbulence for about 20 minutes. The crew were instructed to take their seats - the turbulence was not bad.  Again, I think they are overreacting to the recent tragic incident.

01:38 I had finished breakfast

Egg muffin
Cranberry grain bar
Yoghurt
Coffee

02:48 landed (07:48 local time) and spend 20 minutes waiting for a stand

03:09 at stand 

We got through border control amazingly quickly, there was literally no wait. Our bags turned up quickly, and we were off to meet the taxi driver.  We had to wait a few minutes for her because we had come through so quickly.  It was a pleasant, uneventful ride home.  The rest of the day is a tired blur.

It seems we bought the Alabama weather back with us for a day.

Anniston 16 July 2024 - Lego build day 3 - completion

Today must be the final day of the build, or it will not be finished on time.

	At Timestamp: 20240716_102333 we look at the tasks to be completed today, the bags are laid on the table with the shuttle as it is built so fay.
	At Timestamp: 20240716_105442 more of the tail is built
	At Timestamp: 20240716_113306 the cargo bay doors from the unnumbered bag are installed. Time Taken: 70 minutes
	At Timestamp: 20240716_154424, bag 14 is started
	At Timestamp: 20240716_162811, bag 14 is complete, and the cockpit surround has been built.
	At Timestamp: 0240716_162844 bag 15 is started
	At Timestamp: 20240716_170101 bag 15 is complete, the tail is built. Time taken for these bags, 77 minutes
	At Timestamp: 20240716_171826 bag 16 is started
	At Timestamp: 20240716_175329 bag 16 is complete Time taken: 35 minutes
	At Timestamp: 20240716_214226 the final bags are started
	At Timestamp: 20240716_220633 the shuttle is complete! Time taken: 24 minutes

Time taken for all today's build: 206 minutes (3 hours 26 minutes).  This is an amazing effort, the focus and concentration dropped a little at the end, but we got there!

Lunch today was at 'Rocket', a BBQ restaurant.  The food was amazing and the portions typically American plus-sized.  While we were eating lunch, the storm briefly cut the power in the restaurant and at home.

Anniston 15 July 2024 - Lego build day 2 and a visit from friends

Today is primarily a Lego Build Day

	Timestamp: 20240715_100835. Stickers are something that Robbie does not like.  Neither do I, so he has decided to only apply the essential visible stickers.  We start today by building the stand for the shuttle.
	Timestamp: 20240715_104211.  The stand is complete.  Time taken: 34 minutes
	Timestamp: 20240715_112614.  Now we have built the first part of the wing Time taken:  44 minutes
	Timestamp: 20240715_114718.  After a short break, we begin work on bag 6.
	Timestamp: 20240715_121002.  Bag 6 has completed the base frame for the shuttle, and we now have a good idea of its overall size.  Time taken:  23 minutes
	Timestamp: 20240715_131853. After a break for lunch, we are about to get underway again.
	Timestamp: 20240715_140251. Some of the wing has been filled in. In a later bag, the fixings of these blue plates would cause us a problem, and the removal of them and some re-work to re-position pieces under them would make the wing more solid. Time taken: 44 minutes
	Timestamp: 20240715_140755.  Bag 8 had been opened in error earlier than it should have been.  We had attempted to separate out the pieces correctly, but this bag really had us holding our breath.
	Timestamp: 20240715_143606.  Bag 8 was completed without incident. Time taken: 29 minutes
	Timestamp: 20240715_173555.  Time for bag 9 - with a dot under the number to distinguish it from bag 6.
	Timestamp: 20240715_175918.  The wings are now completed, but one side does not sit completely flat.  The reason for this is noted above. Time Taken: 20 minutes
	Timestamp: 20240715_184255. Now the engines have been added. Time Taken: 42 minutes
	Timestamp: 20240715_204129.  The rear infrastructure behind the cargo bay has been added.  The start picture is missing, but this bag was not too difficult, so I am going to estimate 30 minutes. Time Taken: 30 minutes (est)

Total time building the shuttle today is 266 minutes or 4 hours 26 minutes. 

Other things that happened today:

Two of Karen's teacher friends visited us.  It was good to meet them and to know that she has already made some good friends during her short time in her new school.  Karen had made scones, and we discussed cream teas a little.  Jam first, or cream?  The answer is here https://www.seriouseats.com/british-cream-tea-correct-order-5225936 part of which is repeated below:

Devonians lay claim to the first ever cream tea being served in Tavistock Abbey in the 11th century. Following Viking raids in the year 997, the Abbey was damaged and had to be restored. Fragments of manuscripts written by monks from this time, and discovered by local Devonian historians, tell us that the Earl of Devon, Ordulf, rewarded his workers with bread, clotted cream, and a strawberry preserve. At some point down the line, the bread was replaced with scones and the cream tea was realized. This, according to Devonians, was the original cream tea and was served cream first and then jam, and still is today—the right way, if you ask me. Devonians say the cream is like butter and forms the base of the scone “sandwich.” 

Which ever way you choose does not affect the taste, and all of us agreed the scones were very good.  Other English topics were covered a little, as was our general family history, but I'm not going to repeat those stories here!

There was also a little discussion of ex-president Trump, as he was shot yesterday.

Anniston 13 & 14 July 2024 - A sporting day

13 July

We got Maiev back from the kennels, she had just been bathed and still had the classic repugnant 'wet-dog' smell.  Her damp fur stuck to your fingers when you stroked her.  She seemed happy enough.

Otherwise, a quiet day to recover from the long drive.

14 July

Well, a sport's watching day, mainly.  With the men's Wimbledon final, Alcaraz beat Jokavitch, the Euros' football final, Spain beat England, and the Americas Soccer final Argentina beat Columbia, it was a day spent largely in front of the TV.

We also went shopping for two Lego sets:

The space shuttle discovery, with the Hubble telescope for Robbie and I.  

A bunch of roses for Madelyn and Jo.

I will take a picture at the start and end of each bag, so that we can estimate the time taken.

Here's how we started:

	At timestamp 20240714_163301 we had the bags out of the big box and on the table, where construction will occur.  There are 17 numbered bags, one unnumbered bag and one bag with the same number as another.  The box is rated 18+.  Here we have the two children and all the bags, nicely sorted into their numerical order.
	At timestamp 20240714_165100, construction has begun.  So far, only the stand for the Hubble telescope has been assembled.  In the background, at the far end of the table, is a Lego heads puzzle that we bought at Lego land. Time taken: 18 minutes.
	At timestamp 20240714_174351, the Hubble telescope construction is complete enough to put on the stand.
	At timestamp 20240714_182201, the Hubble build is complete. Time taken:39 minutes

Total build time for today: 57 minutes

Anniston 8 July 2024 - Travel

Today is a travel day.  We are packed and ready.  At 8:55 after getting breakfast and petrol (gas) we are on our way. I was soon dozing in the car.  I woke suddenly and remembered my drugs were still in the bathroom cabinet. We were about 50 minutes into the journey. To say I was annoyed with myself is too much of an understatement. I am the subject of everyone's frustration.

We returned, and added 2 hours to our long journey, there was a traffic jam on the way back. Also, the lunch and break stops had to be re-planned.

At 12:20 we stopped for lunch at a waffle house. Then about 15:00 we stopped at a Buc-ees.  A strange place, it's like a motorway service station combined with a tourist 'tat' shop and a high-end garden centre, without plants. The fat, ugly, beaver gets everywhere, it seems.

The Buc-ees Beaver

About 19:30 we stopped at Culvers in Lake City, Florida. The local waiter, was fascinated by the British accent and all thing British. He had loads of questions, and he and his colleague visited our table a few times with questions, or just to hear the accent.  I've never been that comfortable being a celebrity, I don't consider myself special in that way: certainly not for just speaking differently.  At the same time, I was keen to talk to him and encourage him to visit, if he gets the chance.

In the car, we are talking about blogging and Karen tells me that I have a reader from among her friends, she came across the link on a Facebook post.  It's nice to know that someone else enjoys the content of my travel stories.  Since Google changed its statistics, I get no information, something didn't translate from the previous system.

We arrive at the holiday home (villa) about 21:30. The entry code works, but the alarm is not set, so we do not have to disable it.  We look for the Wi-Fi code, it is not in the book, nor is it on a sign as it is supposed to be.  We contact the owner and eventually get the code.  Everything else looks good.

Anniston 7 July 2024 - British GP

In the morning, I watched the British GP.  It did not produce the result I hoped for, but Lewis Hamilton won, creating yet another record - 9 wins at one track. A result I am pleased about, though.

I trimmed Maiev's claws, especially her dew claws, as she was about to go on holiday.  In the afternoon, Karen and I took her to the Kennels, where she will stay until Saturday.  When she saw her lead, she was very excited.  Keen to come with us, and extremely nosey at the kennels, she definitely likes new places.  She was much less happy when Karen left.  We all hope she will have at least an acceptable time there, and look forward to seeing her soon.

Now we must pack, as tomorrow we travel to Florida.

Anniston 6 July 2024 - Conversation & Cars (and a little football)

Another quiet, recovery day, but also a 'sporting festival'.  I watched Formula 1 Qualifying, which produced a grid led by three British drivers, which hasn't happened since the 1968 South African Grand Prix. Then England beat Switzerland (5-4 pen), in the Euros

Just before lunch, as we were about to leave to pick it up, I fell down the stairs.  I already have an injured left leg, which is now considerably worse.  No other damage was done.  The house has some lovely wooden floors that have been uncovered when the carpet was removed.  The steps though have uneven depths.

Lunch was catfish, but I can't remember where it came from.

We watched the next football game, which Spain won.

There was also some spectacular rain, which I tried to record:

For Dinner, we went to Effinas (https://effinas.com) where we met Derek and Leanne, who Robert knows from a long time ago.  We had a nice meal and good conversation. Derek is soon to be the pastor of a local church, it would be nice to visit him and attend one of his services.

I drove back from the restaurant, through the lovely country road. We saw turkeys on the way out, and a deer on the way back. 

Anniston 5 July 2024 - The sickness spreads

I am feeling somewhat better today, but Jo is not, and Karen and Robbie are also sick. Not much happened - which is a good thing for all of us.

Lunch from Chick-fil-A. Dinner was cooked by Robert - he is a good cook, and I always enjoy the meals he cooks.

The general election has produced the promised Labour Landslide, although with the lowest turnout in recent years and also the lowest vote share for the winning party. This makes the government less than legitimate, but that is not how they will see it.  Reform (a right wing party) has split the Tory vote in many seats so our 'First-past-the-post' system has delivered a labour (left-wing) government, when the will of those who voted was for a more right-wing government.

Anniston 4 July 2024 - Fireworks and other wasteful things

The world in America is different today, shops have limited opening hours. The place we tried to go to for lunch was heaving. So we headed to Whataburger. This was one of three choices offered by our host.  It was his least favourite, but democracy has a role to play in every family, so off we went - 3 votes for, 1 against and 2 abstentions.  It was nice enough, but there was a huge amount of plastic waste. The trays containing the food are great quality and just dumped in the rubbish (trash) after use - maybe 'whatawaste' instead of WhataBurger.

After lunch, we were driven around JSU, and some of Robert's childhood / student haunts.  It is fascinating to hear his stories.  Then we drove out to Chimney Peak Lookout tower.  On the way saw deer and turkeys on the ‘country’ road.

The view from Chimney Peak Lookout tower

We then went out again to see the fireworks at 9pm. As we have in previous years, in other places, we watched from well away from the main display. We are in a car park (parking lot) near a church, and have to select our spot carefully to see through the trees. There are quite a few others around, the atmosphere is jovial and friendly.

In the UK, the general election is going well. The exit poll is predicting a labour landslide.

The video is 20 seconds from the middle of the display. The finale is truly amazing, but by then I was 'in the moment'.

Now, I am suspecting that my illness was not from the vaccination, as Jo has stayed in the house and is sleeping because she is not feeling well. 

4 July 
Just this year, I have heard of Native Americans, in particular, who do not celebrate Independence Day, because it did not give them independence.  There are others, too, who find themselves in that category - descendants of slaves, for example. This is just another one of those things that divides us. In my earlier life, the complaint against fireworks was always the waste of money - which in one sense it is. Of course, we do need something to bring us together as our society seems more fractured every year.

Anniston 3 July 2024 - Pools and Guns

After a poor night's sleep, I am not feeling great today.  I have a fever, a headache, a groggy throat and am beyond tired.  My assumption is that the cause is the recent Pneumonia vaccination.

Nothing much is planned, and even less happens.  Karen gets lunch from Panera Bread.  The soup is lovely.  The Crosby's arrive soon after we finish eating, and everyone gets ready to visit the pool, which is part of the 'estate' Karen and Robert live on.  I retire to sleep.  Later all of us go to Longhorn Steakhouse for dinner.  I have salmon, (I don't eat cow), with rice and a side salad that is covered in too much blue cheese dressing.  Rarely if ever will I complain about blue cheese anything.

I spoke to the waitress a little when I got the 'credit card protocol' wrong, and explained that I was English.  England is a place she has always wanted to visit, and was asking about the differences. I mentioned guns, that we don't own them, and she said most of the people in the restaurant were probably carrying a gun.  That was not a comfort - it did not make me feel safer.  I was glad to be out of there. 

Anniston 2 July 2024 - look for the good

Anniston, AL is the destination, this is how we got there:

5:00 Get up, eat and complete the on-the-day packing.

6:10 (0:10 at destination) depart from home.  Extra time has been allowed, and is needed.  The M25 is getting worse, I wonder how much all these delays are costing the economy?  How much unnecessary CO2 is being put into the atmosphere?

8:25 We arrive at London Heathrow Airport, Terminal 3.

Booking in failed on auto machine because it's a delta flight, not a virgin flight, but has a VS flight code. The first machine had half the screen white, so I tried another.  Then I spoke to someone who did it manually and reprinted the boarding cards.

Something is different every time we fly, this time there is an extra security check - we needed proof of return booking, this was only on my Google Drive, so it took a while to find. 

Jo was stopped and put through the body scanner.

9:11 We are through security, second breakfast is next - porridge & coffee from Pret-a-Manger.

10:40 We arrive at the gate after crossover delays for toilets.
I am asked, “Have you enjoyed your stay?” then she spotted her mistake.

Jo is again asked for proof of return. When I said it was checked already, they misunderstood and the other lady said she had checked it.

The Flight is full, they are asking to put bags in hold.

While we are waiting, a nice young couple offer us their seats (that's how you know people think you are getting old!).  We accepted (that's how you know the people are correct!)

10:48 Boarding started.

11:18 Seated.

Flight time 8 hours and 36 minutes is displayed on the monitors on the seat in front.

11:29 We are pushed back from the gate.

Jo is helping an even more elderly Indian lady who is trying to contact her daughter to give a message to her granddaughter.  Inevitably, I am asked for help also, but neither of us succeeded. The cabin crew later helped her.

13:28 Lunch is now complete - it consisted of:

Couscous
Diced Chicken in pesto sauce, dough balls (not nice) & spinach.
Gouda & crackers
tiramisu
Coffee

I watched "Oppenheimer" (but also did some dozing)

16:15 A warm cookie and decaf coffee is served

I watched "Tom & Jerry" it is a live action and cartoon mixed presentation.  Not bad, but the story was about the humans.

18:47 We experienced moderate turbulence for about 2 mins - enough to delay the final meal and ask the cabin crew to sit down.  It was an OTT reaction from where we were.

I watched "Wonka", or the part that was available.

19:30 cheese pizza and chocolate biscuits are served. This time I drink tea because they'd run out of decaf coffee.

20:22 We landed (73 miles away according to the tracker)

20:32 We were at the gate, the seat belt sign goes off, the mania starts.  I controlled my claustrophobia and sat patiently.

20:55 In the passport line.  The Border Protection official is possibly the friendliest we have had, and is asking where we are going.  I say "Anniston, Alabama".  "Why would you want to go there?" He clearly doesn't have a high opinion of the place, but when I tell him it's to see our grandchildren, his demeanour changes.  We joke about English Tea. Jo is fingerprinted again, I am not.  We are sent on our way.  It was so nice to feel like a welcome visitor, rather than a criminal.

21:13 At baggage claim, the bags arrive quickly, and we are gone.  Outside Robert, Karen, Robbie and Madelyn are waiting.  We say our hellos - both the children ran into the arrivals area to welcome us - that made the whole experience worthwhile. Now we go to the car park. 

21:28 Karen has a Nissan Armada with plenty of room. It is easily big enough for the six of us and our luggage.  On the way to Anniston we stop at the original Chick-fil-a for a meal. It's nearby, so the journey has hardly started, but while we eat the traffic will clear a little.

When we arrive in Anniston, about 90 minutes later, there is some shopping to do. Finally, we are at the house, unload the car, and make a cup of tea.  It is soon time for bed, but in the meantime, Robbie's job is to stop me sleeping too early.  It's infuriating, but if it works, it will be worth it.

I'm not convinced it worked at all, when I wake in the night to Jo snoring and leave for the lounge, getting Maiev (their dog) off the sofa, so I can sleep there.

It's been a long day, we have been awake nearly 24 hours, but it has been a good day, with w few considerate and friendly people making it easier.