Hi Everyone,
Wow, what a last month it has been. One of the added bonuses when we made the decision to move to London was obviously being here for the Olympics. At the time, it was just this distant event that would eventually besiege this city. Now that we are fully recovered from our Olympic hangovers, it is unfathomable that we are looking at it in the past. As a Londoner, there was a lot of apprehension building towards the start of the Games. Would the already fragile Tube be able to handle the additional influx of tourists? What would the impact be to our commuting times into Central London? After one of the rainiest summers to date, would the shit English weather continue? Would the cynical and unexciteable Brits be able to pull off this dazzling world spectacle? Our view was obviously slightly skewed by the British Media, however, as a foreigner in one of the busiest cities in the world amidst Olympic games, the environment and the weather was absolutely spectacular, the execution of the events was flawless, the British Gamesmakers and volunteers exhibited an uncharacteristic charm and even giddiness, and the USA kicked some ass. I have always been a fan of the Olympics, the spirit, the nationalism, and the competition, but after having lived the Olympics for 16 straight days, I am an Olympic junkie. Ann and I were so fortunate to be able to attend a few events and take part in some different festivities around London. We watched the Women's Triathlon from various points in Hyde Park. We got tickets to the Heineken House, which is Holland's Country Olympic venue. Every country sets up their own house/venue in an olympic city and has parties and different events for their own Olympians and citizens. We had tickets to the Men's and Women's Semi-Finals for Beach Volleyball. In my opinion, it was one of the coolest venues in London situated on the Horse Parade Grounds in St. James Park with Westminster looming in the background. Unfortunately, it was one of the very few nights that it rained, but we were cheering on the US Women's team, drinking beer, and not caring at all that we were soaked. We also toured the Russian Village to get a preview of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. This last Saturday, we had the Bronze Medal game for Women's Indoor volleyball in which Japan beat Korea. Yes, it would have been more fun to see the US play, but just being a part of it was such a thrill. From the opening ceremony to the closing ceremony, everything for Ann and I was a highlight. We fully immersed ourselves in the environment and spirit and carried the stars and striped proudly around the city. It is sad that it is now behind us, but perhaps Sochi, Rio, or Pyeongchang is calling our name!!!
In other news unrelated to the Olympics, I had one of my best celebrity sightings last week just outside of our flat. I was working from home one day and decided to run to the grocery store to grab a few things. As I was coming down the stairs from our flat, Liev Schreiber, Naomi Watts, and their 2 kids were walking right up Kensington Church Walk. Sadly, I was too tongue tied to say anything.
In the midst of all of the Olympic excitement, we were also thrilled to have our good friends John and Erin Koeln spend a long weekend with us. They bravely descended on London last Thursday as they had gotten tickets for the Gold Medal Football Match (Mexico v Brazil). Cheers to the Grandparents Gallagher and Koeln as well for taking Connor and Landon, their twin 1 year old boys, so that John and Erin could adventure through Europe!! We had such a blast this last weekend. We had a really fun dinner out on Friday night at Beach Blanket Babylon and then at the Prince of Wales where Sheddy (John's nickname and alter ego) and I were able to catch up on some missing shot time. Saturday, after each of us had attended our respective Olympic events, we had dinner at a little gastropub near our flat called Brittania and ended up somehow amassing quite a tab. The 2 bottles of wine, 10 Guinness, and multiple shots may have contributed to that a bit. Don't worry, we did eat too!!! We bid them farewell on Sunday as they were headed on their 2nd leg of the trip to Ireland before finishing up in Spain. John and Erin, thanks for coming to visit and we can't wait to meet the boys when we return to the States.
If you have not already read the articles in Forbes, Fortune, WSJ, The Fondy Reporter or the many other publications that the Senior Director frequently appears in, the big MOVE decision has been made. We will be relocating from London to Dallas towards the end of this year. The timing is up in the air as we are still waiting on Buckingham palace to confirm the date of our Royal Send-off and my new cowboy boots to arrive in the mail, but we will definitely be Stateside by Christmas. It was a very complex and thoroughly discussed decision process. As I mentioned in a previous blog, we would love to get back to the Midwest eventually, but the best move for us now both personally and professionally is Dallas. More details to come, and while we are continuing to enjoy every minute of this experience, we are both starting to look forward to returning to a normal life. It is going to be so great to have space again, have our dog Jack back, and be closer to family and friends.
Finally, a little look ahead. Ann has to make a quick trip to Minneapolis this coming week. She flies in Sunday evening and back out again Wednesday evening. Most excitingly, we leave next Friday to spend 10 days in Italy with our friends Patrick and Susie King!!! We have been planning this trip since they visited us last year at this time and are so looking forward it. We are starting in Tuscany, driving across to the Cinque Terre, and finishing on Lake Como. There will be pics and stories to come.
Cheers from quiet and once again rainy London!!!
Kevin
