Year in Review

So... for the past few years, I've sat down close to my birthday for some pensive recollection of the past year. It's usually a depressing ritual revisiting the past year, what I didn't do, the mistakes I've made, and how I could have better played the system. This year, however, I'm committed to changing my tune. It's all positivity and cheer on my end.

Travels - I've got a lot to be happy about this year. I've done plenty of travelling in 2007 - starting with Chicago for New Years. I'd go through a complete list but the photo evidence is probably a better way to see it (http://public.fotki.com/raggett/). The highlights would have to be: Chicago for New Years, Skiing in Steamboat with Dad in February, Visiting Grandma in San Francisco in February, moving to London in March, Easter in Russia, Ireland in May with Behrens, Taking Mom to Wimbledon in June, Engman's birthday trip to Krakow, Poland in July, my trip home in October, and Visiting Paris with Jill last month. That's a partial list but what pops out in my mind. I'm looking forward to more travel in the coming year (China in January, ?San Fran in March?) and invite anyone looking for a vacation to let me know...

The Year of the Visitor - Since moving to London in March, I've had some great friends and family come visit me in England. I do love hosting and showing people around my new city, but have the luxury of a corporate apartment no longer (aka no extra bedroom in London). That said, many thanks to those who took the opportunity to visit - Brent Behrens, Frank Cardinale, LaBebe Nickell, Scott Simpson, Eleanor Raggett, David Peal, Francisco "Kit" Reyes, and Jill Crawford. I guarantee I enjoyed your visit as much as you and do it again sometime soon.

Newfound friends and life - Needless to say leaving Kansas City meant leaving many of my friends and family members back home. Left in London to fend for myself, I'm happy to have made some great friends, acquaintances, and co-workers across the pond. I'm not going to lie and tell you England is where I call home (KC wins that battle), but I will tell you I'm happy and comfortable in London. The people are great, the population diverse, and most are generally open-minded. I could go on and on about the pros and cons of London, but I'm happy to be where I am, doing what I'm doing, and making a step I thought I'd made when I first graduated college.

A Little More Consistency - One of the best things about living in London is not having to travel for work four days a week. Leaving home every Monday morning for a different city is tiring and leaves a lot to be said. You can't play Soccer or Basketball on weeknights, keep any sort of regular relationship, and miss out on all sorts of things. Anyways, living and working in the same city is great. I love what I'm doing and keeping more regular friendships. A side effect is a life less erratic, spending more quality time with fewer people, and keeping focus on my goals and ambitions. I apologize to anyone who thinks I've been a little distant the past couple months. I don't know if it's my entry into my late-twenties, but I'm happy not to spread myself too thin and concentrate on quality with an elite few.

For the holidays, the last thing I want is to fill your inbox with baseless well-wishes, empty grettings, or crappy forwards. I'll be in touch with each of you (hopefully soon) about one thing or another. I look forward to more good memories and hope you're all part of them!

Merry Christmas - Brian

More pics posted

It's already been a Long December in London - pub crawls, unending holiday parties, ice skating in Hyde Park, going away hoorays, Nottingham Forest football matches in Brighton, and...

http://public.fotki.com/raggett/long-december/

Overdue...

My apologies for not writing more often. Was it Andy Dufresne or Red that said 'get busy living or get busy dying'? Anyways, things on my end are going pretty well. The gist of my recent life is that I've been:

• Busy with work
• Had another visitor in town for a week
• Made a quick visit to Paris a couple weeks ago
• Preparing to go to The Church this Sunday (confession to follow)
• Getting ready for Christmas at home in KC (December 15th-29th)
• Going to Copenhagen, Denmark for New Years
• Planning my trip to China (Jan 24 - Feb 3 if anyone wants to join)

On a side note, I'm a little upset about something. I've never run a marathon and thought moving to London a great opportunity. Registration for this past April's London Marathon had closed by the time I learned I'd be moving to London in February. So, I told myself I'd make sure I got into this year's marathon, start training early, and run fast. My dreams were crushed last week when I checked to see when registration for the April 2008 London Marathon would open - registration had not only already opened but also closed about three weeks ago. Now I'm stuck either not running or having to raise $2000 to run for a charity. [RESPOND WITH ADVICE FOR BRIAN]

And as always, see the latest pics at http://public.fotki.com/raggett/.

Peanut Butter Jelly Time: The adventures of Banana Man

As promised, here are some pictures of my Saturday night costumed adventures...
http://public.fotki.com/raggett/halloween-fancy-dre/

The pictures probably speak for themselves, but it was a scary night... too many evil bananas running around.

Enjoy - Brian

PS - For added adventure, visit this site:

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/banana

LONDON: HAVE A BITE

My first Saturday back in London – starting it all once again. My last ‘first Saturday’ was 7 months ago… so I’m being as lazy as possible today. Coming off a long week at work, I need to save my energy for a Halloween party tonight (I’ll be sure to post pictures).

Thinking about my return I can’t help but realize how my situation has changed – being a UK local. The words ‘temporary’ or ‘short-termer’ no longer apply. I can’t tell you how happy I am to know my plan takes me past Saturday night. I was so sick and tired of jumping from project to project, city to city, not knowing where I’d be beyond next week. That’s the nature of a typical consulting job but not something I want to subscribe to anymore. The bigger relief lies in my new found ability to ignore the short-term more often and focus on long-term success. The number of times I’ve tried to make a long term impact, only to be pulled away with a moment’s notice makes me sick.

Anyhow, London is good – been wet and cloudy. Trip planning is essential to my sanity. A side effect of the flights I booked to Copenhagen (New Years) and China (Jan 24 - Feb 2), I visited the US Embassy to get more passport pages. If you’re interested in a trip to China, just let me know…

Homecoming...

I finally made a long overdue trip home to Kansas this past week. Not having been home since March, I found my hometown about where I left it but very different at the same time . It's great coming home, seeing family and friends, eating at my old hot spots, and making my rounds (buying them, too). Highlights so far include - old-school night out with the fellas, taking my parents to Lidia's, the Crawl for Cancer, playing soccer with the Crazy 88's (my old team - scored a goal!!!), meeting some new friends, and connecting with old colleagues around town.

The whirlwind tour has reminded me of so many things, and conjured up all kinds of memories - both good and bad. Like anyone that's moved away from home and visited, I'm consistently reminded of things I miss but also the reasons I left. The pace of life is definitely slower in KC, but more relaxed.

Regardless, visiting my hometown - one I won't live in again for some time - is a bit daunting. I always seem to find new reasons to stick around but definitely happy with my decision to move. I just hope I don't miss out on too much. Either way, it's comforting to know I'll take my home with me wherever I go. I realize that sounds a little corny, and definitely not going to win any essay contests, but as accurrate as I can describe for now. It's with mixed emotions I turn the corner towards the next part of my life.

Traffic's stopped...

I have to admit it's been quite the exhausting week. I get tired just thinking of what I've done the past week...

Fri - Organized the USA v. Euros Cerner basketball game. USA proved dominant 21-10, 15-11. Then, drinks til 1.

Sat - 8.24 mile run in 48:01. Then, drinks til 2.

Sun - Biked 18 miles at the London Freewheel (http://www.londonfreewheel.com/). Then, out til 10.

Mon - Meetings with British Telecom until noon. Raced back to the office for a 1 pm meeting.

Tues - Happy Hour with work friends. Then, out with Kit Reyes, my former mentor/manager when I worked in Germany, until who knows when. (http://web.mac.com/frgreyes/iWeb/kitreyes/Home.html)

Wed - Woke up to Kit pounding on my door... long day at work.

*****************************************************************

Thurs - Run before work. Scavenger Hunt in Covent Garden. Then, meeting friends for drinks.

Fri - Run after work. ???

Sat - Incubus Concert

Sun - Meeting friends for tennis.

Anyways, I'm a bit exhausted from all the work and play. I'm looking forward to a bit of a relaxed weekend (if that's possible). I have to move out of my flat next Friday before returning to KC for two weeks.

I'LL BE IN KANSAS CITY FROM OCT 6-20. PLEASE CALL ME IF YOU'RE AROUND AND WANT TO HANG OUT 913-206-0849.

Call me Sir Brian

It's official! I signed an employment contract with Cerner's UK affiliate today. For the next two years (possibly longer), I'll be working in London for Cerner Ltd. That said, I have a few mixed feelings. I've been missing my family and friends in KC and elsewhere for the past couple months now. I look forward to coming home in the next month to tie up some loose ends, see my family, hang out with friends, eat some real BBQ and American steaks (English beef is horrid), watch American sports, and just about everything else that makes America great.

In the meantime, I'm finding myself super busy with work, finding a permanent flat, getting work permits and visas squared away, etc. If I weren't spending all my time getting my life in order, I'd definitely be enjoying all that London has to offer - pubs, diversity, museums, easy access for travel, soccer, big city life, and the list goes on. Who knows??? Maybe I can entice (some would say con) more friends to visit or meet me somewhere exotic in the coming years. Anyone fancy a trip to Portugal or Greece or Thailand this year - seriously? Of all the perks that come with signing a UK employment agreement, five weeks vacation every year is top (or near top) of the list.

See all you Kansans soon!!!

No news is bad news...

Contrary to modern belief, no news is actually bad news (when you're considering a move to the UK and your employer is slow to write up your contract). I won't go into a long diatribe but definitely a little annoyed I haven't squared away my future plans at this point. Just think about all the things you'd need to do to finalize a cross-Atlantic move: sell your car, find an apartment, set up a British bank account, buy plane tickets back to the US, talk to your accountant, arrange time off, and on and on and on. I've been waiting for about a month now to start my UK life, but not going to waste my time if it's not a sure thing. Anyways, to reiterate what I've told my family, some close friends, my lease agent, my team at work, and myself, I wish I knew where I'd be in two weeks because it's all up in the air right now.

Is consistency really that much to ask for?????????

Two years in two days...

I've been up all night - couldn't sleep. At six-thrity, woke up and went for the hardest 6.5 mile dash for a long time. At eight-thirty, I'll be headed into work and inevitably decide the fate of the next two years of my life. I don't know if it'll be decided when I walk in the door, tomorrow afternoon, or sometime later this week. I do know, though, that the distant future lies with every decision I make and every move I take from now until I decide to stay in London or not. It's honestly one of, if not the, hardest decisions of my life. I've been pent up in so many ways for such a long time. That said, wish me luck, say a prayer, hope for the best, and everything else possible. I know I am...

Saturday Afternoon

Saturday through my eyes...

Some things you might not know...

So, just returned to lovely London from the former Soviet bloc city of Riga. Riga is a pretty sweet city boasting the most interesting architecture I've seen in some time. The beer is cold, the clubs are packed, and the city is exploding with post-Soviet economic success and artistic prosperity. The end result is a little off the beaten track adventure most Westerners are blind to. Enjoy the pics... (http://public.fotki.com/raggett/riga-rocks/).

That said, here are some things about me you may not know:

• I've been to 31 countries.


• My middle name is Jerome.


• I snore sometimes when I drink too much.


• I volunteer for Big Brothers, Big Sisters.


• My parents are from the West Coast.


• I worked at McDonald's for three years.


• My personal best 5K is 15:17.


• I want to run a marathon in the next year.


• I'm proud to be an Eagle Scout...

And the list goes on. Hope to hear from you all soon - Brian

A Toast to Old Friends, New Country

This week, one of my oldest friends flew all the way from Phoenix to visit. Dave and I went to college and high school together, not to mention first grade. We've been through a lot of good times, and the occasional bad. I still remember hanging out at his house for Halloween in 5th grade, rolling around town in his Jeep when we were in high school, Spring Break 2000 in Puerto Vallarta, falling asleep in my seat at the Chiefs-Cardinals game in Arizona last year, and the list keeps growing...

Anyhow, we've been through lots of times, and traveled a lot of miles together (both literal and figurative). It's been three years since we've lived in the same place but we still email frequently, talk regularly about KU basketball, and go drinking together (some would argue not often enough). My point is, regardless of location or where I call home, we're friends. If you're reading this now, chances are we've made a similar connection. So... I propose a toast to old friends in a new country.

"Looks like somebody's got a case of the Mondays"

So, there I am the other day, sitting at work running through email after email. Someone walks by and comments to two people on my team - 'You guys don't look that great today. Must be a Monday...' Sound familiar? The last couple weeks of my life have been truly reminiscent of The Office. The days drag on. The clock slows down. And, eventually, you find yourself in the same place day after day. The funk is slowly ending, but where I've been the last couple weeks. It'll be another month before I have any solid plans and my life becomes more permanent. My purgatory has a few benefits, but generally horrid. You don't sleep. You're anxious all the time. Your life becomes hostage to something you can't control. I'm admittedly a bit dramatic, but rightfully so. Like so many before me, I'm ready for a little consistency in my life. I'm ready to live and work in the same city, to put down some deeper roots for a change, to own a normal life for a while.

That said, the drinks have come both often and in large quantity. London's an easy town to do that in - and an increasingly hard place to keep fit in. I did manage to go hiking at Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales last weekend, followed by a crazy night in Cardiff. (Be sure to check out the pics - http://public.fotki.com/raggett/). For anyone that cares, I've been running a fair amount and playing soccer two to three times a week.

Anyhow, it's late and I'm low on sleep. Drop me a line and I'll send you a more detailed account.

As you can probably tell, writing once or twice a week has been a bit difficult for me. I guess, life's too short to spend summarizing the past. Anyhow, there's a lot to update you all on and only so much time.

Shortly before my last post, my mom arrived. She stayed until June 29th with her friend Barb. We visited Edinburgh, Scotland the weekend of June 20th before heading to Parliament and Wimbledon on Monday and Tuesday the following week. English Parliament was especially interesting to see. We were able to see both The House of Lords and The House of Commons (kind of like House of Representatives/Senate). Lucky for us, Tony Blair argued in The House of Commons for the last time. For those that don't keep up with English politics, Tony retired from politics on June 28th to join the private sector. He put on quite a show during a debate over EU policy. Blair returned two days later for his final Prime Minister Q&A at Parliament (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZQKG_ff9bo) - happens every Wednesday.

Wimbledon was pretty amazing. I can still remember sitting down with my dad on weekends in the summer watching Agassi, Sampras, Ivan Lendl, Bjorn Bjorg, etc with my dad growing up. I don't know if I'll be able to see anything like that again - but hope to take my dad if I do.
My mom left a few days later...

Then, off to Krakow, Poland for a friend's birthday with the guys. Too bad my friend slept in and missed his flight. That said, we celebrated for him - Krakow is a very cool city worth visiting again. The clubs are mad and plentiful. We did spend a day visiting the Nazi concentration camps at Auschwitz-Berkenau. It was quite an eerie experience - walking the grounds, listening to the horrors that went on there, being lead into the gas chambers, etc. An eerie experience to say the least.

I arrived back to alwasy rainy London Monday and been working quite a lot since. A few coworkers have ended their six month stints and shipped back to the US, leaving me sitting next to empty desks. The life of the short termer strikes again.

New pics uploaded

Hey everyone -

Headed to Krakow, Poland for the weekend. Check out the pics I uploaded, though. I'll write more sometime next week.

http://public.fotki.com/raggett/

Cheers, mates!

Brian

Life in flux...

The weather in London is always changing. You wake up to cloudy skies and rain, then picnic in the park for lunch, all before a wind-swept and overcast night. As of late, my life seems to change and flux almost as often. A series of highs and lows, I'm constantly drifting one way or blowing another. Sometimes I can really shine, only to rain on everyone a minute later.

I'm sure what I'm saying will be lost on 90% of the people that read this, so I'll cut to the chase. There are a lot of unknowns in my life right now. As I pass the half-way point of my six-month stint in London, I have no idea what's next. I really shouldn't worry or plan that far ahead, but that's not my nature. For those of you wondering if I'm staying in London or coming back to Kansas City or moving elsewhere, I can honestly tell you I have no idea at this point. At times, it's really annoying and a source of anxiety but at others exciting because the moment of truth could come at any time. At this point, I'm just trying to feel out my options, weigh them accordingly, and make the decision I think I'll be happiest with. There are plenty of positives about any route I go, but a man can only walk one road at a time. That said, I'll keep you posted.

Week in Review x 3: End of May/Early June

Once again, I've failed to write in a more timely manner. This entry will highlight the end of May through mid-June. There's been a lot going on, a few trips, some going out, new visitors, and others leaving. I'll try to keep it brief.

• In Kansas City, the typical Tuesday night consists of either soccer or the occassional trip to Harpos. In London, when you're not too busy and don't mind a long day at work Wednesday, Tuesday night is perfect for 1 pound pints at Sports Cafe near Picadilly Circus. It's an evil thing entailing nothing special - more or less the London equivalent to Harpo's quarter draws.
• As I pass the three-month mark of my six-month rotation, I'm quickly reminded my time is quickly coming to an end in London. There always seems to be a welcoming or going away party. This week, we had the unfortunate chore of officially sending off one of my best friends in London - Brian Legg. We've had many a good time, a late night, and a tasty kebab. For those of you who aren't familiar, the kebab is God's gift to the world.

• Two weekends ago, a few of us packed our bags for a fun weekend in Edinburgh, Scotland. The weekend consisted of a visit to Edinburgh castle (the coolest castle I've been in), a short hike up Arthur's Seat (~1,000 ft climb), an underground tour of the old city, and two nights of clubbin/pubbin.

• Mom visits!!! The lovely Mrs. Eleanor Raggett with her friend Barb arrives for a two-week stay. It's been almost three months since I've seen my mom. When I told her I was moving over, she was the first one to buy a plane ticket to visit - gotta love her. We went to Salisbury & Stonehenge this past weekend, and will be quite busy over the next week and a half. It's good to have mom around!

Week in Review x 2: Paris and London

It's been quite busy the past two weeks across the pond. The weekend of the 20th was spent in Paris, enjoying some sight seeing, French cuisine, and nightlife. The rest of the time, I've been in London - working hard and relaxing when I'm not. Here are a few highlights from the past two weeks:

• Hosting more guests - Lizzy and Rachel stayed with me for a couple days as they begin a European tour. Lizzy is my brother's girlfriend's sister.
  
• Hosting another guest - Frank Cardinale, a friend I met working in Milwaukee, visited from May 17-29. While in Europe, Frank visited Paris and family back in Turino, Italy.

• Weekend trip to Paris. Visit included a trip to the Musee d'Orsay (think Renior, Monet, Manet, Matisse, Picasso, etc) - http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html;

• Visiting the grave site of legendary pop icon Jim Morrison in Père-Lachaise cemetary (http://www.pere-lachaise.com/perelachaise.php?lang=enlachaise.com/perelachaise.php?lang=en);


• Eating steak tartare at a restaurant near the Eiffel Tower;
  
• Getting into see a French rapper at a posh hip hop club.
  

• Buying tickets to the IRB Sevens World Rugby Series at Twickenham last Saturday. I'd be lying if I didn't admit to having a few too many drinks. http://www.irbsevens.com/EN/England/News/070423+SL+eng+draw.htm

That should get us all caught back up. It's been quite busy at work the past couple weeks, with some major deadlines fast approaching. To see some sights through my eyes, be sure to check out my photos at http://public.fotki.com/raggett/.

It would never happen to you...

It would never happen to you. You're too American. You're too old. You're too set in your ways. Nonsense, things like that only happen to children that don't know any better.

It would never happen to you. It's too British, too foreign, and far too cliche.

Then, one day, you catch yourself in the act - a slip of the tonge, a Freudian slip, must be a joke. Then again... and again. It's in your words, the way you speak, your clothes, your food, your drink, your think. You catch yourself more and more often in ways you never thought imaginable. Before you know it, the exception becomes the norm. You're off to grab your kit for some footie, then out for a few pints with your mates, getting proper pissed, and, eventually, you're just knackered.

Make fun if you want. Honestly, though, it's so tough to avoid. The trip home is going to be an interesting one...

London Calling - Brent's last day

This morning, Mr. Behrens checked out of Hotel Brian en route to Kansas City. I'm happy to say his last day in London was a memorable one, though. We spent the majority of the day sightseeing, before a night on the town. We made three stops, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace is quite the spectacle. I'd never realized just how involved the whole process is. In all, probably 100 British military were involved in the daily ceremony. My only suggestion - get there early if you want good pictures. We arrived about 10:45 for the 11:30 changing of the guard and still didn't get very good pics of the whole ordeal.

Westminster Abbey, home to every British coronation since the 11th century, was good to see. I won't tell you it's the most exciting place to visit, but definitely full of history. The tombs of Geoffrey Chaucer, Henry III, Edward I, Elizabeth I, and Mary Queen of Scots all lie in the Abbey. Beyond the history, the priests and monks there continue to run the active church and monastery.

Last, I hereby declare the Tower of London the best London museum I've been to so far. The fortress can claim it houses the infamous Crown Jewels, is guarded by real English Beefeaters, and jailed some of England's most famous inmates through the Middle Ages. The jewels are amazing, but the torture museum and armory are quite impressive as well. My favorite part has to be the Yeoman (Beefeaters) and actors in midieval garb.

Trip to Dublin and Wicklow County, Ireland

Hello again - This post is long overdue, and will be immediately followed by another. Last weekend, Brent and I headed west for Ireland. The idea was to make a quick tour of Dublin and some of the surrounding area. Upon arriving on Saturday morning, we quickly found what Dublin has to offer - pubs, pubs, the occasional Irishman, and more pubs. We stayed near Temple Bar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Bar,_Dublin), Dublin's notorious bar district chock full of tourists, stag parties, crowds, and street vendors. We spent the day touring Dublin, including a trip to Trinity College and the Book of Kells (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Kells). Although Dublin seemed wonderful, we were left wanting more.

Enter Sunday, we took a day tour through Wicklow County, the Wicklow mountains, and Glendalough (http://www.wicklow.com/glendalough/). The Irish mountains, countryside, and rural hospitality was everything I dreamnt it would be. The beauty of the landscape lived up to the hype, and proved greener than anywhere I'd ever seen before. The lakes, mountains, rural roads, streams, and tiny towns were amazing. It was good to get out of over-crowded Dublin for a day of fresh air. Rural Ireland seemed the type of place you live for a long time. The last stop on our tour was Glendalough (Glen - da - lock), home of a monastery dating to the 11th century.

So, back in Dublin on Monday for one last day. We did the only logical thing to do - tour the infamous Guiness Storehouse. We encountered a few obstacles on our Monday morning quest for Guiness. The first was waking up. Our Sunday night was spent in an authentic Irish pub (off the beaten path of Temple Bar). Being the only Americans in the pub, we were quickly inundated with Irish hospitality, song, and the pints of drink that go with it. That said, it took some time to find the Guiness Storehouse. The tour was good, but the best part was the 360 degree view and pint of fresh Guiness at the top. To my surprise, the beer was cold and tasted exactly as it does in London, Kansas City, and everywhere else I've had one.

For pictures, check my Fotki site - http://public.fotki.com/raggett/.

Now Open: Hotel Brian

I'm happy to announce the first in a series of guests to stay at Hotel Brian. Brent Behrens, hailing from Mission, Kansas arrived at about 7:30 on Thursday, the 3rd of May. He's made a 12 day reservation at Hotel Brian and will visit London, Dublin, and Paris in that timeframe.

Brent and I traveled to Dublin and Wicklow county, Ireland this past weekend (Dublin post to follow shortly). Be sure to check the photos of the country side when you get a chance. http://public.fotki.com/raggett/

Queen's Day - Amsterdam

Went to Amsterdam this weekend for some pre-Queen's Day celebrations. We couldn't stay for the actual day (today) which apparently is a once-a-year spectacle of Dutch pride. Instead, we came in on Friday night and stayed through Sunday afternoon. For more on Queen's Day:

http://www.thisisthelife.com/en/queens-day.htm

It was good to get out of London for a couple different reasons - the weather and the expense. London definitely lives up to its reputation as one of the more expensive cities in the world. I imagine, even after hotel, I spent about as much going out in Amsterdam for the weekend that I would have in London. Anyhow, Amsterdam is a great city with much more to offer than drugs and the red light district. It's a mess of bikes, vlammes fritjes (french fries, typically served with globs of mayonnaise), parks, museums, canals, and people from all over the world. Interesting fact: There are more bicycles in Amsterdam than actual residents. Residents number almost 800,000.

So, for the weekend, we walked around, shopped, attempted to rent bikes (rented out), visited the Van Gogh museum (http://www3.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.jsp?lang=en), enjoyed a couple nights out on the town, and even enjoyed the Heineken Experience (http://www.heinekenexperience.com/). Needless to say, it was a good weekend.

It's back to the drawing board for now, though. Our team at work has a pretty big deadline this Friday and there's much to be accomplished before then. As the Dutch would say - Koninginnedagviering! (Happy Queen's Day!).

So what do you do exactly???

Some of you already know what I do, but I've been too busy with work to do anything else worth writing about. Since arriving in London in mid-March, I've been working on Cerner's London Cluster Design & Configuration team. What does that mean exactly? Well, I help design the hospital and outpatient software that will be used by every clinician in London. (The software supporting healthcare for 7.5 Million people.) More specifically, I am responsible for helping design: how physicians order tests, referrals, and follow-up appointments; how groups of clinicians communicate eletronically for results, document signatures, and messaging; and some systems integration work across labs, clinics, hospitals, ERs, etc.

Believe it or not, the work is very interesting and challenging. There are a lot of differences working in the UK and in the US (besides the language - really). Outside the US and A, socialized healthcare is the norm, not the anomaly. That bleeds into a million different aspects of how documentation, billing, and reporting structures are defined. Insurance companies don't exist, you don't have to worry about whether your plan covers Y or Z, but you also may have to wait for care. Then again, if you really need the care, is it worth the wait?

All in all, I have to admit I'm having a blast. I lead on it's less work than play but that's not always the case. I'm just happy I'm more interested in the new challenges my work presents. The will to live and work towards something I'm passionnate about is worth the price of the occassional 60 hour week.

REMINDER: FOR MY LATESTS PICS, CHECK - http://public.fotki.com/raggett/

London Marathon blues...

I joined the crowds to watch the London Marathon yesterday. It hosted one of the best marathon fields ever - including Paul Tergat (world record holder), two-time world champion Jaouad Gharib, Olympic champ Stefano Baldini, two-time Olympic 10K champ Haile Gebrselassie, among others. The race was pretty sweet to watch with over 35,000 runners. Officials estimate more than half a million people turned out to watch the race. All in all, it was a pretty cool event to see. Martin Lel (Kenya) ended up winning the event in 2:07.41. It was definitely no record, but given the 75 degree heat, quite a race. The first American, 24-year old Ryan Hall, came in 7th.

Race Report: http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/site/media_centre/index.php?page=49

Watching the race definitely made me miss running competitively. So, I went for a nice 10-mile run after I got home from the marathon. I've been getting back into pretty good form lately, and tempted to start competing again. Honestly, I just need to get my lazy arse off the couch and run more. It's a great feeling to be in good shape and run everyday!

On a side note, the KU Relays took place this past weekend in Lawrence, KS. While the London Marathon was great, it's no substitute for visiting the alma mater, catching up with old teammates and friends, and watching the Jayhawks win some races. Rock Chalk!

A Proper Football Game

I spent last Saturday with some English friends from work and Brian Legg. We had some tickets to a proper English football match at Brentwood- Nottingham Forest FC v. Brentwood FC. We met up at 11:30 in the morning to start pub crawling our way to the 3 pm match. Our buddy Martin, who had the tickets, is a long-time Nottingham fan. He planned to go with his dad and brother, and we joined them.

So, just four pubs and one dirty sidewalk later, we arrived at the Brentwood Football Grounds. What ensued is close to what I would call hooliganism - plenty of yelling, cursing, and inappropriate taunting of the other team. The only reason I say "close to hooliganism" is because no all out fights happened. The match was great - Forest came from 2 goals down to win 4-2.

After the match, we went out for a few more pints. I finally got home about 12:30. Good day!
(http://www.nottinghamforest.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Welcome)

Pics posted, more to come!!!

Hey all -

I finally started putting some pictures on the web to share. Keep this link, and I'll promise to share my pictures of London, Oxford, and everywhere else I visit.

http://public.fotki.com/raggett/

Cheers!

Brian

From Moscow and St. Petersburg with Love...

Apologies abound for not writing sooner - I just returned from Easter in Russia. Eric, Jeremy and I left for Moscow last Thursday and returned Wednesday night. It was a great time, to say the least. I'd definitely be disappointed if I didn't return sometime again.

The trip started in Moscow for three days, then onto St. Petersburg. We took time to see all the Moscow sites - Red Square, the Kremlin, St. Basils Cathedral, The Bolschoi Theatre, Pushkin Square, Alexander Gardens, the Moscow Metro (largest subway in the world with over 170 stations) and more. If you want to take a peek at some of these sites, I opened a Fotki site with some pictures ( ). Unfortunately, the Russian government doesn't allow photos of one of the best sites in Russia - Vladimir Lenin's dead body. Lenin fathered Communism and led the Bolshevik Revolution that led to 70+ years of communism. As a tribute, Stalin had Lenin's body preserved for eternity. Tourists can see the body, for the mere price of passing through two metal detectors, checking your camera, and having more than 20 Russian military watch your every move. It's all worth it to see a dead communist revolutionary who died 80 years ago from 8 feet away. I couldn't take a picture but you can see one here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenin).

After the sun went down, Moscow has some of the best night clubs I've seen, including Fabrique (http://www.waytorussia.net/Moscow/ClubsDance.html). Russians are apparently born to listen to House and Trance. The clubs we went to all had at least one, if not two or three DJs. We were fortunate enough to make friends with some rich, English-speaking Russians. Posha is from Moscow and took the time to drive us around Moscow and show us a few things most tourists don't see. Vladimir was in town from St. Petersburg to hang out with Posha and returned to St. Petersburg the same day as us. You could say that worked out pretty well.

So, on Monday, we went to St. Petersburg. Vladimir showed us the nightlife and we explored by day. I'd compare St. Petersburg to San Francisco if Moscow were New York. The two cities are definitely very different, with St. Petersburg being the more culture/museum/couture of the two. The Hermitage Museum (Winter Palace of Peter the Great) rivals the Louvre in Paris. It's home to hundreds of works from Monet to Renoir to Van Gogh, Matisse, Gauguin, and Michaelangelo. The city is abound with canals, much like Venice and Amsterdam. The people in St. Petersburg were a bit friendlier than in Moscow, but they all seemed to ask, "Why would you ever come to St. Petersburg?" Maybe that's why we went...