For those of you in the States, cheerio from seven hours in the future!
(Sorry about that - we just wrapped the first few days of our trip in London and I couldn’t help it).
Traveling is the perfect time to pick up a new book, show, or snack thanks to long flights and layovers, so before I left, I made sure to download a bunch of goodies. After all, who has two thumbs and isn’t paying for wi-fi on flights? This guy.
Dust off your Polly Pocket (or Mighty Max), get those Pop Tarts warms and let’s get into it.
Here’s what I have for you this morning:
In order to get our bearings, we started off our three days in London with a Big Bus Tour and I couldn’t recommend it enough. You can hop on and off whenever you want since buses usually come every five-ish minutes and you’re given a pair of earbuds that you can plug into the seat in front of you for commentary. If you do it, make sure to sit on the upper deck!1
After giving up on the last book, I stumbled across a winner. I randomly picked up A Visit From the Goon Squad and instantly loved it. It’s basically a series of short stories with a related cast of characters. Jennifer Egan covers a lot of ground and does an amazing job developing so many different characters.
My wife and I finally started the newest season of Stranger Things and I have two initial thoughts: 1) The kid actors look so old, I feel like we’re watching Saved By the Bell, and 2) Someone get this actor and this actress a raise - they’re carrying the entire season on their backs.
Before we left for vacation, we went to go see Top Gun: Maverick and I have to admit - it’s one of the best movies I’ve seen in a looong time. Tom Cruise might be a little cuckoo, but he sure does know how to make a damn good summer Blockbuster hit.
Thanks to a rec from my friend Graeme, I downloaded Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge to bring on our Switch for the long flights. It takes me straight back to the 90’s when I would waste way too much time playing Turtles in Time on my cousin’s Super Nintendo.
Want to know what’s really going on at your favorite tech companies? Check out this Twitter account. The name says it all ;)
One of my favorite things we did in London was go to Dukes London, a swanky hotel with a cocktail bar. Legend has it that wile drinking here, Sir Ian Fleming thought of the famous “Shaken, not stirred” catchphrase while writing the James Bond books. As a fan of the books and movies, I obviously had to order their famous Vesper martini and it really was one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had. Side note: they cap everyone at two drinks max since each cocktail has about 5 ounces of booze. Thank God for the Tube!
Spend too much time on the internet? I downloaded a few episodes of Offline with Jon Favreau2, a Crooked Media podcast that takes a refreshing look at how we can be more intentional while online and how we can unplug. Just make sure to finish this newsletter before you log off.
Have you ever had a sauce that instantly changed your life? While we were at a pub for our friend’s going away party (she’s been working in London for the past six months), it happened to me…twice. I tried Heinz HP Sauce and Colman’s Mustard and they both slap so hard. I’ll definitely be ordering a few bottles when I get back.
Speaking of this party, I met a lovely bloke from Windsor named Lewis and after a few pints, we started ranting about how good/bad Love Island UK is. It reminded me of a piece I wrote a while back during quarantine.
You made it to the end! Here you go!3
Cheers,
Billy
And bring an umbrella. You’re welcome.
Not that one.
Would you try it?