Tea, Turkey, and Back to the US (for some much needed football!)

Cambridge, England

This morning after breakfast, it was a cup of Earl Grey with a few ounces of milk. This afternoon it was a cup of green and a typical English “biscuit” called a digestive (really just a graham cookie with chocolate coating). Oh, and tonight before bedtime, it will be a nice cup of camomile.

The fact is: I drink a lot of tea in England. I never thought it would have happened this way. Friends and family members joked with me before I left: “You’re going to go off to England and start drinking tea and toasting the Queen.” Don’t pretend that you weren’t one of the people that said it to me.

But hey…you were right. All of you. I am officially a tea drinker now. Next time you visit me – whether in England or Louisiana – expect to find a kettle on the “hob” and to sit down for a nice cup of tea with me. Who knows? I might even toast the Queen.

And that time could be right around the corner, as I’m leaving on a jet plane come Friday at half ten in the morning. I’ll be in Austin from December 10-16, and then in BRouge until the 30th. I hope to visit with many friends and family – and enjoy some tea.

Of course, the tea should come as no surprise. I was an avid fan of sweet tea during my days in Alabama, and still dream of settling in for a nice pulled pork BBQ lunch with a cool glass of super sweet tea. Brings me back to my days at Auburn…

And while we’re on Auburn: WAR EAGLE! The polls were just released and as expected, Auburn will be heading to the Bayou State to take on Virginia Tech. Yet I just can’t seem to be disappointed in the BCS results. Auburn has gone 12-0 for the first time in history and we’re SEC Champs. I almost cried in joy last night (this morning rather – 4 a.m.) as my Tigers took the high road and ran the clock out against Tennessee instead of running up the score. Auburn is the #1 in my opinion, and our fabulous season could just be what “un-does” the BCS.

For those that are curious, I did get TURKEY last week for Thanksgiving. The Cambridge in America alumni club served a nice spread for Americans on Thursday, and I made it into London to celebrate with some UT friends (Heather Hill and Sarah Kirby).

Last night I attended my department’s Christmas party in London. It was a black tie affair at Sir Paul Judge’s sweet flat. Situated on the north shore of the Thames and just west of Parliament, this penthouse on the 18th floor had a spectacular view of the city. The food was pretty good – especially for Brit standards – and we had a good time watching Sir Judge get down on the dance floor with his wife. Unfortunately, my camera ran out of batteries, but here are the pics from the month of November. Most are from feasts in my kitchen with my housemates, although a trip to Manchester is mixed in there.

Tomorrow night is the big Christmas dinner at Fitzwilliam College. Of course, I’ve changed the name a bit: Andy’s Birthday Dinner!