wendy house

Egyptian guide: We will go to Bomay’s pillau

Clearly I was misunderstanding what my Egyptian guide was telling me,  though visiting Bombay’s pillau in Alexandria did sound rather facinating.  The sign at the Sarapeiona temple we visited cleared-up the mystery.  The Sarapeona temple was built by Hadrian in the second century,  the same Hadrian that walled-out the Scotttish from England.  Unfortunately those darned Christians destroyed this non-christian the temple in the 4th century….   the pillar remained standing

Pompey’s pillar

No rice.  No connection to the Indian city.

Ceasars son-in-law, Pompey, had a history of disputes with Ceasar. Pompey travelled to Alexandria hoping to find refuge with the Egyptians. Upon arrival Pompey was beheaded by Ptolemy XIII as un unsolicited favour to Ceasar.  Ceasar didn’t approve.  Subsequent tourists looking for Pompey’s tomb mistakenly named the pillar in the Sarapeiona temple after him. The name remained with the pillar.

During our trip to Cornwall Flat Eric made some west country friends, including Jamie Bear, who now sends Flat Eric post cards, care of the Wendy House.  Jamie Bear prefers surfing to crosswurdz and indulges in creative spelling, 

Hoorah! 

Looks like curdles aw ’round

Words of wisdom from an almost stranger*. in this case Flat Eric during an annual office party:

“Jagermeister chaser“

I didn’t follow this tip.  I’m just not ‘Kewl’ enough to be able to imbibe strong alcohol frequently over a whole evening,  night, morning… like the other dudes.  I did manage my maximum binge-drink consumption of 3 pints of the ex-local brew stones bitter  before taking this photograph, realising my total wobbliness, and sneaking away to crisp white cotton hotel sheets,  much like those supplied by Jacksons to the Wendy House.  Love those sheets.  Clearly I haven’t got the English office party skill fully cracked.   I did manage not to fall over,  quite an achievement by personal standards.

Past tips provided by Alan the hairdresser.  Lucia the hairdresser, an anonymous manicurist, a Jackson’s sales assistant, a bus stop philanthropist, a mini salesman, Windows Network Diagnostics and Reading Police.

Thomas and I will be going places without relying on Flat Eric’s inspired if not route-bound navigational advice.  Florence has joined us,  Florence is a nüvi® 200 satelitte navigation thingy that was pleasantly easy to turn on and use straight out of the box.

The driver smokes a short filterless cigarette, awaits a passenger. 

Not any passenger. 

Not Flat Eric.   

A passenger from a windowless room.

We passby,  missing the passenger emerge, missing the small car leave.

Sixty-forth in an in-sight-full series explaining the reasons behind my single-ness

Reason # 64: scary eyewear

Wearing Teflon Rohan trousers and a ski jacket with the hood up makes me look like I’m touting for business. While ambling home from work in the dark I notice that a car driving towards me slows up, passes, does a 3 point turn and starts to crawl the curb, matching my pace, next to me. I walk over, stoop to look into the car and give the obviously confused driver some advice. Upon seeing my scary eyewear he puts his foot on the accelerator.

for 6 days in Madrid. 

Flat Eric is the biggest thing in my case,  closely followed by my sketching and wash kits… …then some token clothes and a tin of loose-leaf tea.  Books, mobile phone, laptop, music player, hats and glasses are in my carry-on handbag (US = purse).  Eric in baggage = e-baggage.

It is all that a Wendy thinks she needs.  I could be wrong…

Gosh,  I hope Eric and I arrived in Madrid together.

 

 

P.S. do not ask what Eric is doing with his paws.  It’s unpublishable.

Horses go faster than Yak’s. 

LaCroix took Eric and I on a betting Frenzy at the Emerald Downs race course.  It’s much cheaper and more casual than Goodwood but easily as enjoyable.  They took my wild $2.00 bets with the minimum of smirking.  Highlights included

• the little people (Jockey’s)
• well toned bottoms (on the horses)
• space (seating, padock views, course-side views)
• the imposing grandstand. 
• beer could be taken anywhere in the arena
• LaCroix had her age checked before they would sell her beer

Lowlights

• bets.  Not winning anything with a strategy of picking horses based on their names.
• cash-only entry fee.  Huh?  why’s that.
• camera ineptness.  I now know that I need to work out how to take photographs in quick succession because by the time I’d taken the first photograph of the horses coming out of the chute they were half way around the track!

 

 

1. Airway Heights is on a flat surrounded by higher ground.. ?!
2. Fairchild Airforce Base is on part of State Route 2 near airway heights labelled as ‘Rambo Road’, aspirational imagery or some form of joke?
3. Airway Heights Corrections Center (Prison) is sign-posted from Rambo, not Papillon, road.
4. No sign of Dan’s bottom in Reardan.
5. Tautological sign posting;  a road sign announced “scenic vista“. 
6. Northwest arts and culture museum attendant said “Miss, please do not put your stuffed toy on the cars“,  what a charmer, no messing with ‘Mam’, ‘Lady’ or ‘Oi! YOU”

There was quite a lot of giggling and some wincing on the roads around Spokane

Flat Eric went to the Factory Outlet shops in Gun Wharf. He particularly enjoyed the ‘Animal’ shop.   He was a little disappointed that the Millenium Tower is still not open to visitors…

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