You know how sometimes you get so focused on your goal that you forget to look around? Gene and I were visiting Buckingham Palace and enjoying the beautiful weather and sightseeing. We were both getting a little tired of walking and still had about a mile to get back to our hotel, so we decided to wrap things up. Gene mentioned that he wanted to get a photo of an iconic black cab before we left, so we found a quiet corner next to the Palace to set up the photo.
As we were waiting, Gene said, “Someone big must be coming because the guards have opened the gate and the soldiers have moved forward and are armed.” I looked around and realized that I hadn’t even noticed. We talked about hanging around for a while, but Gene pointed out that it could be quite some time before something happened. So he turned back to take his photo of a cab.
About that time, I heard a whistle behind me and saw traffic coming to a stop. Just then, an expensive black car started pulling up in front of us. I nudged Gene (who was looking through the view finder) and said, “Here you go.” (meaning the VIP was pulling up right in front of us.) As they pulled by, I saw Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt in the passenger seat and being greeted by the guards. I turned to Gene and asked, “Did you get the picture?” And I swear to you, he said, “No, I didn’t get the photo because some guy in a black car got in my way!” I just stared at him with my mouth open. Really? I point over my shoulder and said, “That black car?” and then died laughing. He couldn’t believe it, and started laughing as well. Every time we looked at each other on the way back, we laughed. So attached is the photo that will be referred to as “the Buckingham Incident.”
