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2/21, 1:15am: This particular entry is purely self-indulgent. Once again, I cannot sleep. I finally fell asleep yesterday around 5am only to be awoken at 6:30am by the fire alarm, which had been accidentally tripped by one of the housekeepers. I again fell asleep until 5pm and now find myself in a similar quandary. I was able to pass the time last night by spending an hour or so in the hotel bar with a few people from the band, doing laundry in the sink of my room, working out (more on that in a moment), practicing, and looking at myself naked in the mirror.

The hotels in the UK are not the modern facilities we’re accustomed to in the States. Everything here is intended to maintain that old world charm. There are no fitness centers that I’ve come across, and Internet access has been spotty at best. I must say though, that the toilets here have quite a robust flush. I attribute that to old school efficiency as opposed to our conservation-conscious facilities back home.

With regard to the lack of the afformentioned fitness centers, I’ve managed to make do with some very ingenious equipment I purchased before I left for Europe. While on my flight back from Las Vegas a few weeks ago, I was perusing one of the magazines they stick in the pocket in front and saw an ad for a product called “Aqua Bells”. What they are is a pair of dumbbells that have a set of eight (4 for each dumbbell) plastic chambers that you inflate with water. When filled, you get about a 16lb dumbell. When they’re empty, they lie flat and are virtually weightless, thereby making them perfect for travel. The weight is very light for me, but I make up for it by doing a high amount of repetitions.

Tomorrow is the biggest show we’ll be doing in Europe; The London Palladium. I’ve been told there will be a high celebrity/royalty presence at the show and that, for Engelbert, this is where he really wants to impress. Therefore, I’ve reluctantly decided not to wear my pants with the cut-out backside.

On that note, I bid a goodnight.

--Adam