We're in London, continues...
Yesterday we walked over to the Apple Store to pick up John's repaired laptop.
The fact you even need a reservation to pick up a repaired computer is ridiculous enough but their "genius bar" reservation system sucks. John sat there while they skipped over him. Twice. Apparently they don't call your name when it's your turn. When he finally complained to them that they had skipped him they told him that he hadn't checked in. Well, there is no visible means of checking in nor is there a policy stated anywhere. You are expected to interrupt one of the geniuses to announce your presence while he is helping someone else. Then you have a seat, not particularly near the genius bar, and they shout out your name when it's time. Instead, they should just walk over to the bench of waiting people and call out the name of the next person which is what they do in California. Particularly if you have paid for ProCare.
While John was waiting, Teresa and I went downstairs to buy an Apple TV. I was standing in line and I noticed a famous face at the register. Teresa was looking at iPods so I ran across the store to find her and said, "OMG, it's Jeremy Irons at the checkout!" We scurried across the store and she confirmed that, yes indeed, it was Jeremy Irons. She commented that he is actually as tall as he appears to be in the movies. She went back to the iPods and I got back in line.
What I found very interesting is that no one else seemed to recognise him. No one in line anyway. The Apple Store staff appeared appropriately impressed. He took a long time to check out, I think they had to go in the back and get whatever it was he was buying, so I had a chance to observe him up close.
All I can say is: wow did he look bad. I was really surprised. You can see that basically he is/was completely gorgeous but time has not been kind to him. Or rather, he has not been kind to him. He looked like he hasn't slept in a year and has been smoking the entire time. I thought it was hilarious when he took out his pouch in preparation to roll his own but then probably thinking "damn that ban" he put it away.
He was also oddly dressed. He looked like he had just stepped off a country estate after a morning of repairing fences and shoveling manure. Well, perhaps he had. Or he was dressed for a role but I don't think so because the leather satchel he was carrying his stuff in went perfectly with his country squire outfit.
Well I'm sure he's a very nice person, in spite of his support of fox hunting. He is certainly a fabulous actor and I've admired him for decades. Seeing him standing a few feet away from me was completely awesome and could only happen in London. Needless to say, I did not bother him. As much as I would love a photo for the blog I didn't think it was appropriate to ask, particularly since everyone else was leaving him alone.
Meanwhile, John was still upstairs waiting his turn. Teresa and I talked to an expat American who lives in London who was very nice and very funny. Then John was finished and we walked through Soho and had lunch at the exquisite Yauatcha.
In the afternoon I stayed home but Teresa and John walked to Harrods and Harvey Nichols and had a great time. They had hot chocolate at Harrod's Chocolate Bar. John said it is the most amazing hot chocolate on the planet. It's so good that we expect the British government to make it illegal forthwith.
Then last night all three of us went to see Mary Poppins! It was my third time and John's second. I thought Teresa just had to see it. We stopped by the theater on our way home from lunch earlier in the day and got amazing seats.
And the show was amazing once again, we loved it. It was not quite as good as with the original actors two years ago but it was still an excellent show and another memorable event for Teresa's London visit.
