My wife, Robin, and I are packed, loaded up, and ready to head to the airport. It helps to have a smoking hot person with you, and my honey fits the bill perfectly!
We have a flight to Atlanta, a short layover, and an 8-hour flight to London. We’re scheduled to arrive in Llundain (London) around 8am. I figure by the time we clear customs, barring me creating an International incident, it’ll be 6pm, and we can check into our hotel. If customs is unnaturally efficient, the hotel said we can stash our bags until check-in, and we’ll go have tea.
I weighed in at 330lbs this morning, so my weight is trending down. I’ll keep eating healthy, and we’ll certainly be walking more, so hopefully that trend will continue!
So the past 6-7 weeks I have been on a business trip, assessing over 70 schools, and now completing the reports for those assessments. I was in Milwaukee, WI, and yes, it was cold. I would get up, go assess 2-3 schools a day, come home, work on reports, then repeat the next day. Most weekends were spent writing reports. I was able to drive home a couple of weekends, once in February, once in March. The grind created stress, and I am a stress eater. No so good on my diet, as I gained 10 pounds. Just what I needed before vacation.
Our trip got changed a bit, thanks to the vagaries of English Premier Football. We bought tickets for the Manchester United v Chelsea match on April 22. The game got moved to the 23rd. No problem. I turn on ESPN to watch Man U in an FA cup game versus Fulham. As I watched, a little blurb on the bottom of the screen said that if Manchester United won, they would play Brighton Hove Albion in the Semi-final at Wembley Stadium on, you guessed it, the weekend of the 22nd!
Tom Hiddleston as Loki from Reason Magazine
I found myself in the unenviable position of rooting against my team. By and large, there are no refunds for EPL tickets, and we thought we were going to eat $1,500. Go Fulham go! Fulham did me a solid and went up 1-0. I started feeling a bit better. Then Loki, Norse god of Mischief, decide to have some chuckles.
A Man U player takes a shot, and it goes off a Fulham player. The ref awards a corner kick to Man U. The Fulham player is on the screen pantomiming that the ball went off of his arm while it was tucked into his body, and I had a sinking feeling.
The ref is asked to go over to the on-field Video-Assisted Referee screen to look it over. The replay is showing an intentional hand ball by Fulham. I groan. We’re gonna get a penalty kick! As the ref gets to the screen, the Fulham manager comes over to the ref, ranting and raving. The ref is having none of it and show the manager a red card. He’s gone. He looks over the video, trots out to the field and points to the penalty spot. Penalty kick coming for Manchester United. The ref then shows a red card to the Fulham player for the intentional hand ball, denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. So he’s tossed. A Fulham player loses his mind, runs at the referee to protest, and decides to push him. A third red card is shown.
In soccer, if a player is shown a red card, the team cannot replace them,. So now Fulham is missing their manager, and two of their players. I was busy trying to gather my jaw off of the floor. Bruno Fernandes hits the penalty shot and ties the game. 2 minutes later, Marcus Rashford scores for Manchester United, and a couple more minutes later, Bruno scores again. The final score is 3-1 Manchester United.
Well, shit.
The next day the first thing I check is if I can get tickets to the FA cup match with Brighton on the 22nd at Wembley. Nope. Season ticket holders only. The whole reason for going on this trip was to see a match in Old Trafford. And there was that $1,500 floating above my head like some large, rusty Sword of Damocles. I saw that Manchester was playing Sevilla in the Europa League Round of 8 on the 13th. I checked and they had hospitality tickets. Now, about that $1,500…
The first thing I did was to read up on my original hospitality tickets. A break! If the match was changed due to a cup fixture, we could get a refund! I flipped a fat middle finger at Loki, arranged for the refund, and bought two hospitality tickets for the game on the 13th. My wife and I will get to visit the Victoria Warehouse event center prior to the match. Food trucks, hospitality drinks, etc. We will then walk over to Old Trafford to take our Tier One seats and watch my team smack around a Spanish side. Then we can walk across the street to our hotel.
So the new schedule is to fly in to London on the 12th. We booked two round trip air tickets from London to Manchester for the 13th. Our room at Hotel Football was not refundable, but we were able to get one for the night of the 13th. We will fly back to London on the 14th. We have tickets to see The Play That Goes Wrong in the Duchess Theater on London’s West End Friday night, a re-schedule from the 13th. We will meet a friend of mine for dinner on the nights of the 15th. On the 16th we have train tickets to head back up to Manchester. We’ll pick up our rental car from Manchester airport and drive over to Conwy as originally planned.
On the 22nd, our original night at the Hotel Football, we’ll drive over to Manchester and have a night on the town. We’ll watch the FA cup match in a pub, like regular people, then drive back to Conwy to finish out our vacation.
I hope you were able to follow that, because I just gave myself a headache typing that out! It didn’t help that Manchester United lost to Newcastle United today 2-0.
Robin is definitely getting excited. She’s been trying on outfits and has started to pack. I’ve been turning my brain into oatmeal poring over thousands of photographs and writing reports, all while trying to lose the weight I gained.
And some asshole shot up a school, so at least I’m able to maintain perspective.
Not bad for a grumpy fat guy!
Me and the Bronze Fonze at the Milwaukee River Walk. Ayyyyyyyy!
I was unemployed for a week during the last week of January. By choice. I had an opportunity to go back to work for Safe Havens International, the world’s largest non-profit school safety center. I worked for them prior to COVID, and thought it was a good thing to get back into. I get to travel a bit, help schools out, and see the great things that schools are doing for students.
So now I am currently sitting here in the great state of Wisconsin. This past week I’ve been conducting school safety assessments. The weekend of my trip up north they got about 10 inches of snow. I’ve been feeling every inch of that while doing my exterior walk-arounds! It’s one of those rare times the neuropathy I have in my legs is a good thing. I can’t feel the cold from my knees down, and I’m not out there long enough to worry about frostbite.
Such cold, so clean….WOW
Yesterday I assessed three schools, two elementary and one high school. Today I assessed three elementary schools. As per usual, the schools I’ve visited are doing wonderful things for their children. I’ve seen teachers working to connect with their students. I’ve seen programs in place that assist students overcome the obstacles our society places in from of them. I’ve seen teachers fiercely challenge a student’s behavior, letting them know it wasn’t acceptable, and that they could be better, and will in fact BE better. That takes conviction, and that takes courage and fortitude. It makes me proud of my past profession, and gives me hope for the future.
Something I tell people about schools is they are, by and large, safe. Forget what you see in the media. Students are less likely to be threatened by a weapon at school than they were 10 years ago. Teachers really do care about their kids, and will do what they can to keep them safe. Part of my job is to not only recommend things the school can do to make their school safer, but to highlight the good things the school is doing. Many of these schools are matching their art students with local artists to create murals for their schools. Imagine the sense of community created by such a project! The students get real-world instruction from a person who is actually making money making art, the artist gets to promote their work to a school community, the school gets some lovely art work to grace their hallways and/or public area. This generates a sense of community that research shows increases the overall safety of the school.
Japanese students clean their own school which makes them more responsible citizens.
Positive territoriality is a concept that is part of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) (Pronounced Sep-ted). Mike Dorn, the Executive Director of Safe Havens International, wrote about it HERE. In short, students who are invested in their schools are less likely to conduct violence there. The Japanese know this, which is why their students are required to clean their schools and provide service to their fellow students. Seriously, they don’t have custodians. The kids take care of their classrooms and their school. If you have seen a picture of their schools, they are immaculate!
One of things I hate about the field of school safety is the make-a-fast-buck-after-a-crisis mentality some practitioners have. They create a gimmick, a new procedure and essentially prey upon the emotions of people after a tragedy. Schools respond to pressure from parents to do SOMETHING, and often the easiest thing to do is throw money at it. “Look!” They tell parents. “We’re implementing this new program!”
Here’s a well-kept secret about school safety. The greatest changes schools can make to help prevent violence in their schools are free. It involves a change mindset. Take, for instance, the simple act of signing into a school. This is a means for a school to screen out people who should not be in school, and to make sure that the adults who interact with the students.
A lot of schools use a sign-in book. The way it’s supposed to work is thus: A visitor enters and states why they are there. The school secretary greets them, has them sign in, and then has them show some ID, to verify who they are. Now, can can skip that step if they know the parent, but it’s crucial to verify that the person who has signed in has the right to access the student. These procedures are spelled out and practiced, but over time, people will get lax, and start skipping steps. Enter moi.
When I come into a school, I should sign in. One of the things I do is a sign in under an assumed name. I do so to check to see of the office staff are following their procedures. I’ve signed in as Joseph Biden, Barack Obama, Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Stephen THE Stallion, Winnie the Satterly and Mohammed Ali. After the first day, It was clear that emails and phone calls had been flying about, as office staff began looking for strange names showing up in their sign in books. Such a small thing, and it’s something that schools can do for free.
Another thing that is free? Lock your doors. If all the exterior doors are locked, and you control who comes in, you make your school safer. So, I walk the perimeter of the school. I look for ways to get in. If I get in, then I see what kind of expensive things I might be able to take. I take pictures of unsecured cell phones, laptops, and other things people in schools tend to leave out, in rooms that aren’t locked. Lock your doors.
Of course, these perimeter walks have turned into major physical undertakings with 10-12 inches of snow on the ground. The good thing is, I’m getting in around 8,000 to 13,000 steps in a day. My feet think I’ve gone back to the Infantry. My legs feel like they’re going to fall off, my herniated disc is acting up, and eventually, I’ll start losing more weight. I weighed in at 322 the day I left. That’s a loss of 10 pounds in three weeks time. My goal is to be at 315lbs by the time we leave for Wales. Just a few more schools in the Great White North, and I’ll be there!
Or Appreciate a Dragon Day, at least according to Facebook. January 14 was also the Welsh New Year Hen Galen, at least for those in Wales who still know the ancient calendar.
Of course, the Welsh symbol is the Red Dragon, or Draig Goch, so this day is especially meaningful. The day prompted me to write a poem. I hope you like it. I will be working to translate it to Welsh.
I Rise
The sun rises over Offa’s Dyke. I stretch my talons. I spread my wings. I soar over Yr Wyddfa, my home. I rise.
In Dynas Emerys I fought The White Dragon Tooth and talon we fought. As Myrddyn foresaw, I won. I rise.
Undaunted by Pictish spears, Saxon axes, Gaelic shields or English horse, I made Wales my home. For the people there, I rise!
Through fire, blood and steel, Through siege and occupation, Through cruelty and tyranny Through false kings and princes, I rise.
Rhodri Mawr hatched my egg Macsen wielding Caliburn rode me east Arthur carried me into battle. Llewelyn brought all under my wings, I rise!
Rise, you bards, you poets! Rise you warriors, you friends of Fae! You, who have dragon fire in your hearts And songs in your throats, We rise!
So let me get to the heart of our trip. The raison d’êtere for going to England and Wales. We are going to watch Manchester United, the Red Devils, play Chelsea at Old Trafford, one of the meccas of professional soccer. I will get to see my beloved Red Devils play!
Right before Christmas, we had the pleasure of traveling to Southern Indiana to visit with my wife’s family. One of the highlights of the trips was watching my father-in-law, Bob, understand that we paid $1,500 for the two hospitality tickets. He began explaining a bunch of people playing soccer, and listening to him, none of them knew why they were kicking a ball around. His description of this alleged incident made me mad that I didn’t think to record it. The long and short of it was that he thought we were crazy for paying that kind of money. And this from a man who owns 7 Model A Fords.
Robin and I in A Model A Ford.
After a week in northern Wales, we’ll head over to Manchester. Our plan is to stay the night before the game, go to the game, stay the night after, and then head back to northern Wales for a few days before we have to return to London for the flight home. Robin wanted to find a hotel close to Old Trafford, Fittingly enough, she found Hotel Football.
Hotel Football is right next to Old Trafford, and was founded and operated by former legends of Manchester United. I can enjoy our day at Old Trafford, partaking of the free hospitality we’re paying for, and not have to worry about driving anywhere. Our hospitality tickets include a pre-game tour of the Manchester United Museum, as well as free food, drinks and a nice hospitality suite from which to watch the game. Bob may not understand it, but it’s going to be one of the best days of my life.
Hotel Football, with old Trafford behind it
And the thing that is getting reinforced through this whole process? I waaaayyyyy out-kicked my coverage with the woman I married! She is a true treasure, and I live my life trying like hell to live up to what she means to me. I am so looking forward to spending this time with her on the trip of my dreams, with the woman of my dreams!
This is one of my favorite pictures of her. I was in Florida on a job, and I couldn’t dress up during a Manchester United game. She wore my scarf, and sent me this picture to poster my spirits. I love this woman!
I weighed in this morning at 332 pounds. My belly measures 56in, my waistline 48in, and my neck is 18 1/2in. The numbers don’t lie.
Breakfast consisted of two poached eggs, a sausage patty, two pieces of bacon, and a slice of toasted potato bread with a teaspoon of butter. 548 calories. Two cups of coffee, no sugar. Nothing but water and unsweetened tea to drink for the rest of the day.
I had a snack of 12 Pringles for 150 calories, and I made a Hello Fresh meal for Robin and myself. Yogurt-marinated chicken with roasted carrots and cous-cous. I had four small cookies for dessert, a total of 800 calories. Just under 1500 calories for the day. My goal for losing one pound a week is 2,830 calories. I drank 48oz of water. My goal will be to get up to 64oz a day, minimum.
One thing I will not do is do this daily, I’m using the MyFitnessPal app to track my food and exercise, so I certainly don’t need to do it here. I just thought it would be interesting for you to see a snapshot of what my days should look like.
Three weeks, It takes 3 weeks to start a new habit. I’ll keep you posted how things are going.
I sit here in my living room, watching a good football game, thinking about 2023. 2022 was not bad. I’ve had better years. 1981, the year I enlisted. 1982, the year I started college. 1987, the year I graduated. 1989, the Year I got married. 1990, the year I had my first child, Jessica. 1995, the year I got my Master’s Degree. 1999, the year my second child Carole was born. 2000, the year I reconciled with my wife, and helped make my family whole again. 2001, the year I became a school administrator. 2004, the year I became a school safety specialist. 2011, the year I was selected by my peers as Indiana’s Middle School Assistant Principal of the Year. 2016, the year Roman, my first grandson was born. And finally, 2018, the year my namesake, Stevie, was born.
Throughout those years shitty things happened as well. I’m not going to enumerate those because I made a conscious decision many, many years ago that my life would not be defined by the negative. I have made some truly horrendous mistakes. I have borne the costs of those mistakes, but I set those aside to focus on the great things in my life.
When I was young, I often embellished things to make my life seem more exciting, Maybe a lot of young people do that, I don’t know. I just know that I did. At 58, I look back now and my life was exciting as it was. I’ve got the scars, and the true-life stories to prove it!
As my wife and I continue our preparations for our trip to England and Cymru, I am in the throes of a full-blown Crohn’s flare-up, always an awesome wake-up call. The drug I’ve been using, Entyvio, has done what Remicaid, Humira, Stelara, and others have done, failed to put my Crohn’s in remission. Now it looks like I’ll be giving Skyrizi a try. Hopefully that will be started, and won’t interfere with our trip. Either way, I’m going, so…
2023 is knocking on the door, and it’s time for the resolutions. I’m sharing them with you so that I’ll have some measure of accountability. I’m 58, I weigh 320lbs, and I definitely need to make some changes. I work from home, and that has led to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle that has not helped in the least. So, stop one, stop putting stupid food in my mouth. Cut out the sugars, cut out the fast food, eat clean or not at all. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Move to live. I don’t need fancy weights, Peletons, Tonals, or some professional coach yelling at me. I just need to move, Walk, do my PT stretches and exercises. Take my buddy Yuki in walks. No monthly fees, no overhead, just me and the earth under my feet, just the way God intended. I want to be able to get around London, Cymru and Manchester without looking like a decrepit old man, so a-walking I will go. My goal is 15 pounds by wheels wet. That’s slightly more than a pound a week, and that is eminently doable. I’ll take more, but I have my goal.
I tend to sit around the living and do little around the house. I have projects backed up that need doing. The stairwell to the basement needs painting, the sidewalk pavers in the front yard need redoing and my shed needs painting. One at a time. As the Winter Warlock sang in Santa Claus is Coming to Town, “Put One Foot in Front of the Other.”
So, “Rhowch un droed o flaen y llall”, Put one foot in front of the other.
Tonight, all of the great things that have happened to me are here with me. We will countdown the ball drop, hug and kiss each other, and sip some Penderyn Welsh Whiskey and some Prosecco, and go to bed. Tomorrow starts my steps toward better choices.
Pronounced ‘Nosoowell Nadolig’. Christmas Eve. The night before Christmas (Nadolig), when Sîon Corn (Santa Claus) comes down the chimney and brings toys to the children of the world. Our presents (anrhegion) are wrapped, cookies (briwsion) are baked, and the family (teulu) is playing card games. It’s time for an update, in between Christmas movies that may, or may not, bring a tear to my eye.
Robin and are slated to spend four days in London (Llundain). We’ll take a train (trên) to Manchester (Manceinion), pick up a rental car, then drive west to Conwy. Our travel agent has booked our flights to and from England (Lloegr), our hotels in London (Llundain), and our rental car (car rhentu). We booked an Air BnB in Conwy, right inside the Conwy Castle (Castell Conwy) walls.
The view from from the first floor patio.
Now to me, a place to stay isn’t just about ambience, although that is a a nice thing to have. At my age, an important factor is where I sleep. The bed has to be comfortable. My good wife knows this. I’m pretty sure she found the only king-sized bed in northern Wales (goggled Cymru), and it’s a 4-poster! It is on the third floor, but I’m quite sure it will be worth the climb!
We’re currently looking at various places to visit in the week and a half we’ll be in northern Wales. Thus far we’ve considered Betws-y-Coed, a lovely hamlet in Snowdonia National Park (Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri), less than 20 miles south of Conwy. Around there is the Fairy Glen (Tylwyth Teg Glen), reported birthplace of the faeries, Swallow Falls (Rhaeadr Ewynnol). the Ugly House (Ty Hyll), Dolwyddelan Castle (Castell Dolwyddelan) and Conwy Falls (Rhaeadr Conwy). Lots of things to do in and around Betws-y-Coed!
As the clock winds it’s way to Nadolig, all I can say is we will have the trip of a lifetime, and I, for one, can’t wait. I’ll be seeing places I’ve only dreamed of, with the woman of my dreams.
I have been learning Welsh over the last 200 days, using the app DuoLingo. It’s a Celtic language, and is much harder than it might look. Imagine speaking in German with an Irish accent, and you have Welsh. Sort of.
As I learned the language, I heard the word, “Hiraeth” over and over. There is no direct translation into English. It generally means, “A Welsh concept of longing for home, which can be loosely translated as ‘nostalgia’, or, more commonly, ‘homesickness’. Many Welsh people claim ‘hiraeth’ is a word which cannot be translated, meaning more than solely “missing something” or “missing home.” To some, it implies the meaning of missing a time, an era, or a person. It is associated with the bittersweet memory of missing something or someone, while being grateful of that/ their existence.” It’s a word I’m really beginning to appreciate, Especially when I think of Maw and Paw in Heaven, siting on a bench, waiting for us to join them. Yup. Hiraeth.
To start off our England/Wales trip, we’re flying into London and staying there a few days We’ll see all the touristy places like the London Eye, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guard. Robin has her heart set on a High Tea at Kensington Palace. I will move mountains to make this happen. Figuratively, of course. I was never strong enough to move a mountain, even less so now. After a few days we’ll take a train north to Manchester, get a rental car, and head west to Northern Wales.
I have thought long and hard about, why Wales? My family name, Satterleigh, originated in County Devon, just east of Cornwall, in southwest England. It lies to the south of Wales, and given its geographic location, I am certain there is Welsh blood running in my family, along with Irish, English, and a lot of other things that makes us pretty much mutts. I’m pretty sure I have more Cherokee blood than Elizabeth Warren, but that’s another story.
St Peter’s Church – Satterleigh This church is not now used but is maintained. The wooden tower is unusual and is most probably unique in Devon. It does contain bells.
Arthur receiving Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake
One of the stories that fascinated me as a lad was that of King Arthur. The Knights of the Round Table and all that. Their exploits fueled a young boy’s fantasies, and taught me many lessons that I still apply to my life today. Might does not make right. Protect others, always live right, Chivalry is not dead. At least, not while I still live. The Arthurian legend is rooted in Wales. Dragons, giants, feats of derring-do, epic quests. It was all in Wales. Looking back, those stories generated my first sense of hiraeth. I longed to be a Knight of the Round Table. I dreamt of riding the countryside, helping others, protecting them from those who sought to harm others.
So when there was a chance to see some of the places associated with King Arthur, I was all about it. From Manchester we look to rent a car and drive west to Conwy, a World Heritage Site. I mean, this little town on the north coast of Wales has a Norman castle!
Conwy Castle-700 years old!
We plan on using this as our base of operations. We’ll be within easy drives of Snowdon Mountain, fabled tomb of the giant Rhitta Gawr. This giant wore a cloak of beards, and was slain by Arthur after stealing his beard. Betws-y-Coed, home of the Fairy Glen, said to be the birthplace of Fairies, Harlech Castle, another World Heritage Site, Caernarfon, yet another World Heritage Site, and the site of a Roman fort
The Fairy Glen
We hope to take a 99-minute ferry ride to Dublin, Ireland, and if time allows, visit the oldest International soccer venue still in operation, the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. If you haven’t seen Welcome to Wrexham on Hulu. You should. It gives you a great look into the Welsh people in one of its newest cities, Wrexham. The problem is, there is so much to see, and as Robin keeps telling me, “We ain’t got time to see it all!” So my guess is, after the short time we spend there, I’ll have a bad case of hiraeth. One thing is sure, I’ll be bringing a piece of Wales home with me, and I’ll be leaving a piece of me in Wales. I am sure I’ll find a couple of appropriate places to spread some of Maw and Paw’s ashes. They’ll appreciate that, I’m sure.
I will be taking tons of photos, and will be happy to share them, but nothing beats actually being there. To hear, see, taste and touch Wales (not smell, because I don’t have that sense, but I’m sure Robin will be smelling for the two of us!) will all leave their mark on me. I can’t wait, and I know I will hate to leave.
My wife and I will be traveling to England and Wales next spring. I am a huge Manchester United fan, as well as a fan of English Premier League soccer. I dreamed of one day watching my team play in one of the world’s premiere soccer venues, Old Trafford. One day my wife, Robin, said, “Why don’t we go?”
Now, two people of our age planning an overseas trip is not a spur-of-the moment thing. We both work, we both have major health issues, and we have a family. But if there is one thing my wife can do well, it’s plan and organize. I, apparently, can’t count, so I’m letting her plan and organize,
Step 1 was to get tickets. Manchester United is, arguably, the biggest name in the world of professional soccer. It’s a global brand, so one does not simply order Manchester United tickets. Simply put, they weren’t available, as every game is sold out. At least, tickets were not available at the price we wanted to pay. Ahhh! Therein lies the rub. I found a couple of hospitality tickets for the match between Manchester United and Chelsea. We have a chance to see the real Captain America, Christian Pulisic! These are two seats in a posh area of the stadium. We’ll have great seats access to complimentary adult beverages, food, and a private, personal tour of the Manchester United Museum. The catch? They were $600 apiece. Robin said, “This will be our big-ticket centerpiece of our once-in-a-lifetime trip.” So the tickets have been purchased. We also officially became members of Manchester United. I mean, we have the hospitality seats, right?
Next came the passports. Neither Robin nor I have ever traveled outside of the continent. I’ve been to Canada, our oh-so-polite and wacky 51st state up north, as has Robin and she’s been to Tijuana in her lukewarm, tempestuous youth. Neither visit necessitated a passport. So, I, with my vast knowledge of various bureaucratic entities, and processes, dove into the US State Department‘s passport application process. The secret to a successful government endeavor is the same as the secret for a husband to have a long, successful marriage.
Do what they want, the way they want it done, when they want it done, and do it with a smile. Jewelry helps. That’s just for marriages. If you give government bureaucrats jewelry you can go to jail. So as of this past Wednesday, Robin and I are now expectant passport applicants. In 5-7 weeks, we’ll have a celebration as we announce the newest members of our family,
We have been in contact with a travel agent. In a couple of weeks we’re traveling down to St. Wendel, IN to visit Robin’s parents. We’ll also meet with a former classmate of Robin’s who is a travel agent. She will help us plan our trip, arrange flights, hotels, etc. If it were up to me, I would just hop in a car and drive there. I wouldn’t make it past the beach, but that’s the level of knowledge I have of international travel.
Our plan, at this point, is fly into London and spend a few days there. I will say up front that I hate big cities. Masses of people make my skin itch, and hyper-vigilance is exhausting. However, I do have to reward Robin, who has done the yeoman’s portion of the planning. I will also be able to personally meet Dylan Gwinn. Dylan and I have collaborated on projects with Safe Havens International, the non-profit school safety center I work for. He lives in England, and is a right nice chap, so it will be a pleasure to personally meet him.
Next up? Wales. If there’s one thing I love, it’s talking about Wales, King Arthur, pubs, castles, and other-worldly creatures. But clearly not counting.
Meditations of a Bald, Fat Guy 
