I wonder what happened to those kids

Five years ago today, London was its full, glorious self.

It was the kind of day that needs to go on promotional materials showing that the weather isn’t always lousy.

Memories — some good, others … just silly

For most of last week, Facebook’s Memories function reminded me that six years ago, Suzi and I were on our first trip to London.

Sure, it stinks that we’re not there now — although we did just go last year, so I can’t really complain — but they made for a pleasant trip down Memory Lane.

Six faves, five traits, one me

Quick, come up with five words to describe yourself.

Not easy, is it?

For an extra challenge, try to do it without it seeming like you’re bragging.

Life is full of surprises

A bunch of my friends did the thing where they got their top nine photos on Instagram, so I figured I’d give it a try.

None are pictures of me — I don’t take selfies — and no shocker, the majority were travel photos, since that’s what I take most of my pictures of and my friends seem to like them.

Yet I noticed something as I took a look at them.

A taste of London outside Boston

One of the few things my wife and I feel like we’ve missed on our trips to London is seeing a show at the National Theatre.

By the time we went on a tour there this year, it was our last day in the city before going to Edinburgh, and we were going to see “Hamilton” that night.

It’s too bad, because the production of “Network” (the same one, starring Bryan Cranston, that just opened on Broadway) looked pretty interesting.

Oh well, maybe next time. I don’t know when, but knowing us, there will almost certainly be a next time.

What app keeps you from saying something dumb?

Because I’m a helper, I was helping out with some relationship advice on Twitter yesterday afternoon.

Namely, by explaining that guys LIE ALL THE TIME.

The odd couple of vacation planning

My wife knew I was going to give her a hard time about it, but she asked anyway.

Should she pack shorts or jeans when we go to Chicago?

Relationship status — traveling

A post on Rosie Culture uses an interesting term to describe not lingering so long on past travels that it keeps you from living in the here and now — “breaking up” with where you’ve been.

“I’ve said goodbye, for now, and visit the happy memories every once in a while. But I won’t spend time yearning for something that once was.”

But what if we looked at our travels like they were dates? What would that look like? (I should say these are my own opinions from my own trips. Your mileage may vary.)

In defense of tourists

The condescension practically oozed off the screen of my iPad in a way that had the ooze been real, I’d be on my way to the nearest Apple store saying, “Idon’tknowwhathappenedpleasefixthis?!”

“Nothing pegs a tourist more quickly than a chunky pair of athletic sneakers. You can spot them from a mile away, and they can take an otherwise neutral look from cool traveler to dorky out-of-towner almost immediately.”

Sometimes you see the midway, sometimes you see Parliament

As my wife and I walked out of lunch yesterday, we walked past a group having a conversation about the London Eye.

Someone referred to it as a “Ferris wheel,” and someone else called it a “big Ferris wheel.” Chuckling ensued.