First class for the first time

(AES) We're celebrating my 50th birthday with a trip to the UK to attend our friend Martin's 50th birthday party in Didcot, and then down to London for a few days. Chris cashed in beaucoup frequent-flyer miles for this trip. This required that we fly to London via Chicago, but it didn't matter so much because it was all first-class!

I've never flown first class on an international flight before. I had pangs of conscience seeing the poor folks packed in cattle class (why can't we all fly like this?). It really is a class experience - from awaiting our flight in the first-class lounge (fitted out with open bar and lunch) to the luxurious seating to the multi-course meal - it was all very exclusive.

My two very favorite things about first class, however, are:

• they served morning coffee in honest-to-god mugs - no plastic thimbles;
• we were fast-laned through Passport Control.

It doesn't take much to make me happy! :-)

We arrived to find much of south east London at a standstill because of the wintry weather. Now, I am from upstate New York and my first thoughts were that really, they all need to
man up here. This would be considered summer weather in Plattsburgh or Syracuse. The UK hasn't seen weather like this in 20 years, though. Most winters are very mild.