Hasses aren't only avocados.: December 2012

Pater: Never tiring

Posted by Pater , Sunday, December 16, 2012 12:52 AM

"Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."

Samuel Johnson, he of the dictionary fame, said that on Sept 20 1777 and a mere 235 years later, Pater and AJ2 travelled to London to check the veracity in the city... Thankfully, AJ2, the flight over was smoother than that last attempt at word humour.

AJ2, thanks to milk and sleep, inflight phone calls and movies, and some weird-kissing pillow thing, it was a joy flying with you (Pater even got through a whole movie which is not something AJ1 has ever allowed Mater or Pater on a flight, short or long haul).

Once on hallowed ground, and a quick taxi ride later, we were at Grandma London's home for the warmest welcome an Avocado Junior could hope for. Over the next week, and when not shopping for Mater's wardrobe or lighting candles for Chanukah, AJ2 crawled, tottered, hugged and tasted his way around Grandma London's, Grandpa London's and Pater's friends' homes to make sure that, indeed, "there is in London all that life can afford":

Furniture that can be used for standing? Check.

Abundance of food and milk? Check.

Bath apparatus? Check.

Pillow for that weird-kissing thing? Check.

Loving grandparents? Double Check.

It was only a short visit, but thanks to loving family and friends, London and AJ2 got on like a house on fire. And unlike Pater, who is clearly not an intellectual by Samuel Johnson's measure, having left London for warmer and then colder climes some six years earlier, AJ2 may be back for good one day.

But for now, all that remained was a flight home with milk...