The great outerwear crisis

You guessed it, there was bowling going on last night. A fabulous birthday party for my fabulous friend, complete with cupcakes, bowling, and a Tom Collins drink special. Good times.


It was but a brief respite from the Great Outerwear Crisis (GOC) and the overall Getting Ready for London hoopla, although I am handling it fairly well. I have Outerwear #1, a black 3-in-1 parka, waterproof, rainproof, with a cozy fleece liner that I am taking. Both for dark and rainy London but moreso for the days out on the Yorkshire moors. BUT yesterday my new fabulous raincoat/trenchcoat arrived from England. Here is a photo that looks uncannily just like me modeling it:

I know I know, the resemblace is creepy. But I digress. So this coat, Outerwear #2, is waterproof but, in spite of the removable quilted liner, not quite as warm at Outerwear #1. However, it is infinitely more stylish and just plain CUTER and this is LONDON folks. Park Lane, to be exact. And now I am thinking that the a good compromise would a wool peacoat...and the awareness of the Nordstrom Half-Yearly sale in the back of my mind...

So now I must go back to more immediate concerns, since I leave TOMORROW (can I put any more words in CAPS in this post?!) such as cleaning the house (hate coming home to a week-old mess! Plus, it's just sort of polite for the person who has to stay here with the wee doggies), packing (bringing us right back to the GOC!), and possibly finding time to go to Nordstrom. Oh! And finalizing my itinerary. So far, here's the plan:

Monday: Arrive in London. Ignore fatigue and jetlag. Breakfast with my friends, walk across Hyde Park to the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Tuesday: Train to Hampton Court. Tate Britain in late afternoon, if time? Jack the Ripper tour at night.

Wednesday: Tower of London in the morning, National Gallery and Portrait Gallery in afternoon. V & A is open late that night in case I didn't make it on Monday.

Thursday: Walk across St James Park, Cabinet War Rooms, take a picture of 10 Downing Street? Train to York in afternoon. Pick up rental car, meet E, eat takeaway and stay up till all hours giggling over Dawson's Creek.

Friday: Tour the Yorkshire moors, including Robin Hood's Bay, Rievaulx Abbey, and Whitby. Maybe ghost walk at night?

Saturday: Depending on the weather, drive up to Alnwick and maybe even Bamburgh. OR bop around York, the minster, the York wheel, yarn shops, the ghost walk.

Sunday: Get up wayyyy to early, drive down to London Heathrow, catch my flight home. Cry a bit.

There, sounds doable doesn't it? Your suggestions, either for solving the GOC or for the intinerary, are welcome. Get ready for many many many photos upon my return!!