Plans?

So, yeah, I'd cancelled kayaking for today.  Yesterday, when I was visiting my friend, she asked me what I was planning to do instead of kayaking and I realized I had no damn idea.  Probably should have planned something.

When I got back from Banbury, I started searching the web for fun day trips.  There were a few stately homes to see (which seemed vaguely interesting) and a possible steam train out to York (which seemed interesting until I'd read their recent reviews).  I was certain, though, certain that I'd go on a day trip.

This changed a bit when I got back from the weird-ass play.  (I didn't have dinner -- I just went straight back to the flat and had some fruit and veggies I'd put in the fridge.  I think I may have mentioned -- in my last trip out here -- how weird it is that, when on vacation, I stock my fridge with healthy snacks rather than stocking my pantry with pretzels and microwave popcorn.)  While munching on grapes and baby carrots, I reconsidered the whole day trip thing.  I was totally wiped from the play; none of the day trips seemed that good; and, hell, hadn't I just been to a stately home anyway?

(This morning, I actually discovered a day trip I would have been up for had I discovered it last night.  Would have gone to Bristol to see all the Gromits.  Yes, I am admitting here that I totally missed something while trying to be my own internet travel agent.  Grumble.)

Anyway, when I gave up googling for a day trip, it was after 2:00 a.m., and I reckoned I'd sleep past any of those early morning trains I would have had to take anyway.  So I instead made a reservation for tea at a restaurant in Covent Garden (chosen because it wasn't 50 dollars and I figured if I was going to have cheap tea I might as well people watch).

My cheap tea was pretty damn cheap -- quality-wise.  The price was about 15 pounds, but once they charged me for a refill on my tea and added the standard gratuity, it was over 20, so we're talking about upwards of $30 with fairly surly service, itty bitty finger sandwiches which bordered on the inedible, and tea that wasn't even loose-leaf.  (The scone was good, although pre-sliced -- wth?)  The nice thing about my reservation, though, is that I had a table in the courtyard at Covent Garden which was mine all mine for an hour and a half, and (bonus) free wi-fi.  So I enjoyed my scone and my overpriced tea while my phone was giving me game-by-game updates on the Wimbledon Men's Final.  (When in London, cheer for Murray!)

Thereafter, I did a bit of shopping -- some retro clothes, a cheapo British flat iron (did I mention the problem with my flat iron?  I have a perfectly good dual-voltage flat iron, but the flat iron has one of those little test/reset buttons, which tripped about a minute in, and the damn thing won't reset when I'm using it with an adapter between the plug and the outlet -- anyway, my hair looks like shit, and I travel enough to justify blowing $20 on a working British flat iron), some ibuprofen rub for my back (I'm loving the ThermaCare wraps but not when it's over 80 degrees and there's limited A/C) and a few other supplies for the flat.

I had a late dinner at a favorite dim sum place (which was annoyingly out of one of my favorite pieces -- that's what I get for going late -- so I'll have to go back later this week with my folks) and came back to the flat.

Which, after finding a restaurant for tomorrow night pre-theatre dinner with my parents, has left me in a rather similar position as last night.  It's 2:00 a.m., and I don't yet have plans for tomorrow.  (My folks are coming in too early for me to try the Gromit day trip.)  Tomorrow, thus, is Mystery Day.