Since my fiancee`/Skype-mate freed me to be “me” in-conjunction with my social media comeuppance three years ago, I post many things to promote our plans and seek self-sufficiency sponsors. The following are from our recent London rendezvous notes. I pray that you, dear reader, have someone in your life that you feel similarly for as I do Inna, who inspired this trip and travel.
Monday, on the way across the Pond
I am “above the clouds” (a song) again and this time on Virgin Atlantic airlines, bound for London, England to rendezvous with my fiancée`, Inna who is coming in from Ukraine. Wow! Long-awaited and incredible; I hope I brought enough “pounds”! Basically, we own the next seven days.
[Then, I did not write a note for the next five days, so consumed with my lady, Inna, was I…]
Friday, 9:40am London time
Just returned to our flat and it is lonely London now, having seen Inna to the plane at Heathrow, early this morning. I felt so bad because she was in no shape to travel since coming-down with a head cold on the flight from Ukraine which got worse during our stay in London. I crash to sleep now for a few hours before I have to go and find the Big Bus Tour office and retrieve my camera case that they have so luckily found and saved for me. Too bad the same can’t be said for our cache of souvenirs from Piccadilly Square that we left at the Bond Street Tube station yesterday. Oh, well, I filed a report; maybe someone or a Tube worker found them and will notify me. This chick came from behind me and helped me out of my tourist confusion at the Tube turnstile on the way back to our flat. She too was Russian, ironically. Maybe Inna sent her? lol I smelled Inna’s perfume everywhere in-public after she left as the London winds reminded me.
I am reliving the special moments like when Inna brought my laptop to our bed Wednesday morning so she could play me some music videos by Lana Del Ray. Priceless!
Friday, circa 2:30pm London time (at Shakespeare Pub)
It is very complimentary and flattering to have someone from London tell me that they like my “American (English) accent”, when it is their country who invented it! I am at “Shakespeare” Pub, dining on their version of London’s famous “fish n’ chips” – a dish that reacquainted my diet with an old childhood staple, green peas! Simple yet delightfully health when steamed.
I think that clouds hover around England – always – I believe.
It is truly awesome that a country like this – on a big island – became so powerful! I always read about it in school and I love that Nina chose this location for us to meet-up. Just another reason I love her and she came into my life at the right time.
Now my next move is to relocate to a hotel within the Heathrow airport vicinity…Inna and our personal cab driver recommended this.
Friday evening, after 9pm London Time at Flynn’s Pub:
(Thinking) What I really hate about cell phone “plans” from all of these “providers” like T-Mobile is UNuniformity. Especially when you travel overseas! They seem to know when you land in another country, but do not give you any benefits that you had where you came from. MY android did not work (was “locked” even though I bought a “sim card” in London) for four days!
London gave me a new meaning to the American slang phrase, “Gimme a POUND!” lol Here is a brief (short) video about how better to solve the whole “no smoking in restaurants” issue!
Day Six in London
Saturday is “solo Saturday” for me near Heathrow. Having detached from our apartment in West Ealing (a really great choice for us to base from) gives me pause for the first time thinking of the future – missing her companionship and dreading the return to the grind of work back in New York City. I am still technically homeless – and this is the next hurdle I must $oon leap over.
As my luck would have it, a “major Gale” (wind storm with rain) approaches London as I stage to leave tomorrow…in the nick of time.
I am at Thistle Hotel Heathrow, a massive and expansive hotel which smells of mold. Its saving grace for me is its lounge which overlooks the airport where you can see the (mostly British Airways) planes take off. I partake of a brilliantly delicious “rump of lamb” which I wish Nina was with me to share. Tasty, tender and really scrumptious.
Sunday, Day seven in London, 4:52pm Heathrow…
Flight gate to be announced at 6:10pm; Hoping to lift-off ahead of the impending storm.
Solo, the lone ranger again, I am missing the companionship and proximity of Inna.
“More Impressions upon A Café` Skype Journey”
I happened to speak to a nice chap while in my final hours in London, who understood my story, or some such gleaned his was similar in that his beloved is from Thailand and he in London. “Why is it so difficult?” he asked, “When you want to marry, they should grant her the visa at once!” He said. It is encouraging to know of others in a similar situation. It is the quest of “Café` Skype” to soon overcome these hurdles to our love and togetherness in the same postal code.
Aboard a Majestic Virgin Atlantic Flight back to JFK
When you fly at night and look up out of your window seat, all you see is the stars – much closer they look!
Aboard Virgin US25 on my way back to ill NYC, I am calmer than expected with new urgency to attract big finances soon in order to offer Nina a chance at togetherness and comfort in The States. Living our dream and not someone else’s.
I knew I would tear-up and cry at some point, and it was at the end of the “Jack and the Beanstalk” movie, “Jack The Giant Slayer” that showed on the seat in front of me on the plane in-flight.
When I saw Jack and Isabella clasp hands and walk like Nina and I did so naturally in London, well…that was it for me being “strong”.
Pickhitt: I am now totally interested in any and all opportunities to live and work in London, U.K. Actively applying; hit me up, Mates, I’m flexible!
~ “Guv’na” Naphtali
Well, We DID IT! да!да!да!!! In the spirit of our three-year old saga, the “Cafe` Skype” story, Inna and I rendezvoused in the great, historic city of London, England (United Kingdom) for one (too short) week, two weeks ago. It was the first time there for both of us!! London was magical, mystical, majestic, awesome, historic and inspiring among other emotions!
What do you make of THIS London statue? lol
The following are some of the hundreds of pictures that we took there! This photo-blog is submitted with deep, protective and profound love and admiration for Nina who, by-dint of her finding me three years ago, found a soul-mate and partner for life. Kudos to Virgin Atlantic for majestic flights (and landings) on my round trip. I love the brand!! We also enjoyed “Magic 105 FM” in the apartment that we had run of during our stay. I now know where the late mentor of mine, Frankie Crocker, got some of his ideas to bring back to WBLS-FM, New York in 1990.
I found the sign “Mind Your Head” particularly amusing and “punny” because our “minds” are said to be in our heads and in The States we say “watch your head” (or any other body part or thing) in order to convey similar warnings. So thus the lead title of this post.
As I did with my Kiev, Ukraine impressions https://achilliad.wordpress.com/2012/09/14/kiev-ukraine-through-my-eyes/, I will let the pictures speak for themselves and try not to comment except for the captions – it will be much more difficult to restrain myself this time, lol..
Me and my “Big Ben”…lol
The “Big Wheel” in background and “Big Ben” fore…
Once these smoke stacks represented a fireplace in every room – and huge smog problem for London!
Parliament on the banks of the Thames!
Heading out on the Red Tour Day I
Winston Churchill hung out here often – his face in the middle of the sign!
A WWII Brit fighting man surveying the targets
London Lion In Zion, lol
Queen Anne Slept here
The famous inspiration for the song, “Winchester Cathedral”
One of the biggest domes in Europe!
A New York City Jazz club is named after this, the only gift Egypt ever sent to London.
View of the “stacks” from our apartment (flat”) in West Ealing.
This Gargoyle looms over the route menacingly…
“Arrrrk!!” (scary…)
Just like in the Bond movie – Hello, Sean Connery!
Bond got his Aston Martin here?
Buckingham Palace Old Horse Stables.
I’ve always been fascinated by…castles!
I bet there once was a moat where the grass is, lol!
Trafalga Square Lion
Inna spots Shakespeare in the Tube station and knows I am a student of his…
Blue Rooster in Trafalga Square.
You know WHO…
We together in Piccadilly Square, London. She is “My Boo”, says my Aunt! lol
Our Fave tour bus driver, “Big Rastamon” lol
Fountains of Hyde Park
Remember to “Mind Your Head”!
Tower Bridge
Peace-out, from “Guv’nor” Naphtali, til next time from the London “Big Bus”!
Between the two of us photo-nuts, we shot about 500 snaps. If you want to see more through our eyes, let us know in your comments and we will post a “Part Two”!! Cheers.
My love, co-producer and soulful soul-mate doing her best “Miles Davis” on-stage pose and her camera thing. lol
PICKHIT: Special Thank you to London “Big Bus Tours” for finding and holding my camera case (with the $5USD note and sim cards enclosed) until I could collect it. I doubt that would have been the case here if the similar situation happenstanced in New York City.
**SureShott: Due to her family elder issues and apparent nervous breakdown, this would sadly be the last time I see Inna. She contacted me two years later, saying her Doctor in the mental clinic had spirited her off to Russia and married her, which she was not comfy with. SMH
My mind and body,
Weary, tired and quiet.
Carrying heavy luggage,
Unexpected mental loads;
Money issues stalk me back.
Going to the USA reluctantly,
Happily to see my Mum!
Much too earthy and surprised,
I have a better plan perspective.
I have offers to return to Kiev in-hand!
Yet the whole mission is like a class,
In school if you did not attend enough for a grade;
You would receive an “incomplete”.
I held my part of the bargain!
Better late than never!
Goddammit!! I try to understand it.
Maybe another time;
That is the way it goes if your girlfriend is secretly Human,
Not the Superwoman you saw her as.
Susceptible to what “others” in her family or friends circle;
“Say” about the decisions you make with what is yours.
She should not have TOLD them,
About a decision happily made towards our
Destiny with a happy man.
That’s the way it goes…
At least with ME anyway.
I love you just the same.
Passengers break into applause upon another smooth landing.
Почти Черный русский на скалах … жизни,
Я сейчас над облаками на мой путь в никуда;
Полет под облаками на высоте 35000 футов.
Убит выезда на меня в последнюю минуту;
Так же, как мой билет подтвердил, что я узнал.
Я хотел бы перейти, из самолета!
Как она могла?
Два года инвестировали время.
Недавно она замолчала и без обновлений,
Был “Огромные разочарован”, что я не получил еще нет.
Но теперь один год с того дня я получил свой паспорт;
Мы могли бы быть установлены, чтобы жарить на берегах Днепра.
Часть меня верит, что она удивит меня,
Будьте в аэропорт, чтобы «собрать» меня.
Принятие желаемого за действительное, я знаю.
Я приезжаю в киевском аэропорту после того, как в настоящее время сонного езды;
Из Москвы SVO выше многих облаков,
Я никогда не думал, что когда-нибудь в «России»;
Это связано с встречи с моим Нины,
Если бы я была посадка betweena.
Мое видео камера готова только в случае, если я определить ее в Борисполе …
Я надеюсь на чудо и взаимных разочарований,
Стрелять некоторые случайные видео на лестнице, я не уверен,
Куда идти дальше в этом аэропорту лабиринт?
Вместо этого я пройти через “паспортный контроль” (ролл “R”),
Претензия моя тяжелые сумки багажа,
Прогуляйтесь по отношению к моей заполнения в корпусе искателя,
Что могло быть, если бы она осталась в Украине?
На данный момент, Один я остался к меланхолии задуматься ..
Я вижу признаков того, что гласит: “Нафтали”.
Она не держит его,
Это моя поездка в неизвестную землю и место для отдыха,
Без нее не так, как мы часто и снова,
Планируемые как в этот день пойдет;
Теперь похищены два полезных странные ребята.
На этот раз любовь была предложена ее первая;
Я ответил, и ни один из его была безответной.
Но я черепаха была слишком медленной, чтобы победить,
Я не знаю, что было сроку или расы!
Теперь осталось подумать, что может-быть.
Все люди, которые не «поддерживать» нашей кампании объединиться раньше,
Должны иметь более активный, чтобы помочь предотвратить этот момент;
Они не сделали и я проклинаю их,
Черт! Деньги руины все, особенно “любят”.
Нина, как ты мог?
Как вы могли бы уезжать?
Один или “одинокий”, как она мило использовал слово неправильно;
Молний за пределами моей комнаты-для-ночь,
Жесткий против янтаря Светофор Украина грома дождь падает.
Он находится в синхронизации с моим новым угрюмым настроением.
У нас обоих есть достаточно “разочарование” сейчас строить заново.
One year AGO to this DAY, she wrote:». сейчас находится в вашем кармане (паспорт) А теперь, нужно поставить вторую свободы -! деньги в другом кармане И потом, вы абсолютно, совершенно свободный человек и что теперь, что план для вас (вчера , я попросил вас об этом по Skype). Когда я буду знать дату вашего визита? буду я встречу тебя в аэропорту? WoW, сегодня мой бывший нетерпением вернулся к меня к вам. WoW скоро мы будете заниматься любовью, я не могу поверить …… И вы можете поверить? Я уже настолько привык, что вы пришли бы никогда. И я помню еще, что вы сказали мне, что мои бабочки вернется ко мне. …
Поцелуи
Нина
”
“See?”
“This garter she magically sent last Fall (2011) still has her scent…”
I had this really crazy erotic dream about my fiancée last night and I simply MUST tell you about the amusing aftermath of it, in-relation to the “Golden Cheetah” she gave me two years ago, this month. It is my most treasured gift from her (outside of herself, that is).
I went to sleep early at midnight that night – you know it is early for me.
My dream awakened me because I was so “turned-on”, Oh My God! I would have cried-out had I not been temporarily visiting back here at my Mum’s house in my old boyhood room, lol!
Okay, so I wake up on Friday to go to work on the computer for my two new Social Media Marketing clients.
I had taken gold cheetah off the night before, and draped the chain across the picture of her in the yellow flowers field that I keep on the bedside night table.
In the moments right after I got out of bed, I thought that I picked it up to put back around my neck before I went downstairs to make my coffee and did not think about it again.
Around 2pm I went for a lunch break; accomplished some errands and shopping.
Later in the day, I was talking to Mum in the kitchen and complimented her on a nice diamonds and gold bracelet that she was wearing on her right wrist! As she described when she got it and who gave it to her, the telephone rang about the same time that I felt for gold cheetah and noticed that it was not around my neck! I took the opportunity to go upstairs to the room and look for it while Mum was on the phone, but only found my gold chain on the wood floor under the foot of the bed I’m sleeping in these nights, but no gold cheetah! It was nowhere to be found!
Soon, Mum came upstairs and joined me in the search for Golden Cheetah. At one point she asked me, amusingly, “Is it in your bath cloth??” (That is how Mum’s eighty-seven year-old memory brain is these days, bless her heart)
“No, Mum, I took it off before I turned the light off last night” I said.
“Why did you take it off?” she replied.
My Mum reminds me of my InnaNina in Ukraine (where I am soon to visit). She has a lot of gold necklace around her neck; I think those guys will get along fine when they finally meet!
“I never take these off…” she said, pointing to her many gold chains and medallions pendants.
So, we kept searching; me trying not to “bug-out” while remembering that I’d been through a similar experience (which I blogged about) back in Nashville in June!
Mum kept suggesting ridiculous possible locations for Gold Cheetah all the while. “Move the dresser; move the night table, open the drawers!” she went. lol
In situations like these, I have learned to step-back, retrace my steps and try not to think of the situation in a panic-like state. I did this on the side of the bed that I remembered getting out of it on, while Mum continued randomly to search the walk-in closet on the other side when I thought to myself, ”if my chain came-off and fell to-the-floor where it did, then WHY was gold cheetah not close-by??
THEN…it came to me: It might be still on my person (body)! So, with my left hand, I felt my neck and then down the center of my chest as I stood there. Past my solar plexus, my navel and (dare I say) into my new turquoise bikini briefs which I just bought for my trip to Ukraine. I got Mum’s attention, “Mum! What if…” As I felt down into my “family jewels”, running my fingers cautiously down into the bottom of my blinkers until they touched that familiar metal and shape; “Uh-oh…I think I found it…”
There, under the bottom tip of my member, was Golden Cheetah, resting quietly in my blinkers. I had not even felt anything “extra” down there! LMAO!!
“Mum, you will never guess where it IS!” As she looked over at me pulling it out of my pants (the cheetah not my member), a smirk came over her, “Down there ??” she asked.
“Yep”, I said, right under the tip of my ‘manhood’!” That is when I confessed to her, “Ya know Ma, I’ve got to tell you, I had this really erotic dream about Inna last night; Oh wow, and now this happens??”
We had a good laugh and I had to hug Mum tight for trying to help be find it and now being part of a story that will last forever. “Well, you can’t make this stuff up!” she commented. “I guess she really laid it on you from afar through that cheetah! If I hadn’t seen it, you would not believe it.” Mum said. Inna means more to me than ANY gold trinket or money.
Maybe, Inna “controls” the Golden Cheetah with her special Slavic magic!
I guess we soon shall “see” now that I have my “ticket to ride” ( :
THIS little ditty came to me during the first overnight hotel stop of my recent “Exodus” from Nashville, in Bristol, Virginia…after the power outage!
Nina is my friend you know,
She loves me til the end ya know;
She once said SO!
(“We can remain the friends, if you want.”)
“Babychka!”
We were already friends and that is so!
Nina was my friend you know,
She don’t like me to talk about it,
Unless I DO it!
Unless I soon come there to her in Ukraine…
Nor proudly post her photos on my website;
(She sent me over one-hundred!)
That IS so!
I’m in love with her and I feel fine!
Nina is my pink panther playmate ya know,
She Calls me a Cheetah too you know,
Yep, she “said So!”
Nina is my scherzando Honey,
In love I call her “silly bunny”
I’ll fun love her forever!
I shout it!
She’ll come back to me and we’ll be fine.
Nina is magnanimous, and I am so glad!
I dig her until the end of time,
Never say “never”, she said it so (true)!
I keep in touch with her and I’m so glad! “When you Naphtali will begin to travel, you will not stop any more. Believe me, I know!
Kiss you Cheetah“
Ooooh!
She SAID SO!
I’m in love with her and I feel fine!
Saturday night produced two negative surprises and a Sunday scare within a mellow night by- myself, as I had just come back to town from the big city to box-up some more of my belongings. I was cooking another personal gourmet meal while sipping on some sauvignon blanc; an almost homeless pseudo-friend called and asked if he could once-again crash on my futon. My better judgment told me this third in-a-row of my hospitality was a bad idea, but my innate niceness overrode and I acquiesced.
When he arrived several hours later, he was in just an athletic undershirt and already half “in the bag” with what I later spied as a vodka bottle. It wasn’t ten minutes before he was helping himself to stuff in the refrigerator, leaving the freezer door wide-open and when I commented about it in passing, his diminutive self became belligerent to the point that he got in my face as if he wanted to actually fight me. “Go ahead, touch me!” He said “I’m tired of your condescending comments!” At first it amused me, but seeing his face redden, him step into my path as I tried to walk by him out of the kitchen and not backing up, I quickly know this could escalate, and so I invited him to leave while picking up the phone to dial 911 (which I knew would cause him to split quickly). Thankfully he did and I called the cops off.
With order restored, but a bit ruffled, I ate a sumptuous cod fish with bread crumbs, garlic, butter and parsley saute`, and with the hour approaching midnight, decided to check some emails. The first I opened further spoiled the night, when it was from a newly met manager at the Nashville Hard Rock Café, informing me to my shock, that he was “rescinding” the Vibe Host job offer that he had dangled in front of me for the past three weeks. This news came only seventy-two hours before my mandatory “orientation” day, which I was anticipating with growing excitement because it presented a new horizon with a global entertainment company. “Another ‘renegeger’ in Hootyville”, I thought to myself after I shot back a couple of “WTF??” emails. The dude accused me of being “difficult to communicate with…” What? I’m all over social media, have a website and three telephone numbers, “Hello? Mister ‘please leave a message and I’ll get back to you when I can’!”
Soon it was time, after a nightcap, to end this confused evening with sleep. I always wear a gold neck chain with a golden cheetah medallion pendant that Inna, the woman I often refer to as my “fiancée” (Inna) blessed me with almost two years ago all the way from Ukraine. It is my favorite jewelry, by far and has deep symbolic and significant meaning to me. Sometimes I take it off at “lights out”; sometimes I don’t. By late morning when my mind came back to bother me, I wasn’t sure if I had or hadn’t.
If you live alone, I don’t have to remind you how you can hide things from yourself periodically. My reading glasses are the number one vanisher, melting into the scenery regularly. If you have a routine of favorite places and then you break the pattern of placement, you can become totally lost and disoriented. That is what happened on this Sunday after the weird Saturday night.
I felt naked around my neck; my golden chain gone. I thought I remembered putting it in my little ceramic whatnot cup – nope. I checked all the usual places: my pine jewelry box, an old cigar box, an old metal desktop filing box, a small plastic box previously the home for floppy discs…nothing. In the bathroom on the toilet tank many times; the kitchen, my DJ room (now tossed because of the moving); even the kitchen garbage can! Increasingly agitated and feeling my blood pressure rising, I thought that maybe it fell off outside in the grass while I went out to see if my asshole friend was lurking after I ran him off. Maybe the clasp had become undone and it slipped from around my neck! Naw, my cheetah pendant from Nina has weight! I would have noticed the slippage (I would HOPE!) – no that would be an impossible scenario to find it. I pulled my mattress and box springs, now on the floor since I sold my headboard and bed frame for the move, away from the wall to no avail.
“OMG!” I said to myself, “I can’t lose Cheetah! Inna gave it to me; she’ll kill me for sure if when I meet her again I don’t have it!” If I hadn’t just sold my car, I’d have turned it upside-down rummaging under the seats and in the center console. At least I didn’t have to look there, but even that thought did not comfort or quell my increasing panic, now deep into the late Sunday afternoon. One of my old college buddies called long-distance to check on me. He could tell I was melancholy even though I am always glad to talk to him, as I told him my recent weekend woes. Even as we talked, I re-scanned my bedroom and night table area hoping “golden cheetah” would materialize magically while damning myself for being careless.
After we hung-up our catch-up call, I took a carry-on travel bag that I’ve kept semi-packed for my trip to Inna in Ukraine for about two years now, and put it on the floor at my feet as I sank dejectedly into my bedside easy chair. I thought, “May as well empty this thing out totally, just in-case I’d overlooked something earlier…” As I dumped some folded clothes, underwear and some of the bubble-bag envelopes that Inna sent me gifts in (yes I am very sentimental), my eyes suddenly spied something shiny and gold! Yes, there it was! I was so excited as I quickly kissed it and put it back around my neck, I called my college chum right back to briefly tell him I’d found it and my mood was markedly improved!
It figured that the night before, as I dejectedly crashed-out to bed, that I had taken Cheetah chain off and logically placed it among the used treasure-bestowing envelopes of my beloved who sent it to me in my black travel bag. I hope you guys understand that for me to lose my cheetah is akin to the regular man losing his “mojo”!
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