Arrived in London yesterday after a 7 hr delay on the plane. I get on, we pull away from the gate, we're no.30 in line for the one runway. Three hours later and we're no.24 and suddenly we don't have enough fuel to get us to London and are heading back to the gate for fuel. Which takes an hour and a half to arrive. Then the crew run out of hours and we wait another hour. The Americans strap on headphones and watch movies on their laptops, the Brits get rather Bean-ish in their semi-autistic way and fume quietlty - occasionally sighing.
I talk to the Scottish crew, get my face rubbed by the 'in-flight beautician' and send e-mail after e-mail out into the ether.
Arrive in London for my meeting late - but make it. Then make it to a pub in Portland Place (£3 on the tube - one way - that's $5.70!!!) where I meet Jude's brother and his lovely girlfriend. Encourage her to forget the rather good book she's writing and instead to churn out a frothy novella filled with deviant sex and vivid descriptions. She looks almost convinced.
Train up to Redcar this morning. E'd up Xtian talks to everyone. Woman next to me stares at Sudoku without filling in a square and a bloke from M'bro loudly declares Rotherham 'a shithole'... home at last.
Second train seems to be full of kooks and weirdos... including one woman who tells me that she has a video of her hamster on her cell-phone whilst her hearing aid whistled and her jumper strained at the seems (you could hear it wanting to give)
That's it for now. Back to m'bro for a pair of prada loafers I think
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
It's Jude's B-Day
It's also rather hot.
Been hot under the collar too. Visit to oncologist went well though he stipulated a need for me to stay close to NYC for the nexy three months - so that I can be ready for additional scans, bloodwork and the like.
All routine stuff for somebody who has taken part in a drug trial but rather scuppering any plans I had to move to Europe in the near future. That said I will be in London for a week starting Friday (hurrah!) and in a rather swank Knightsbridge apartment (huzzah!)
After which it's back to the open arms of Uncle Sam where I can get on with a normal life under the watchful eye of a rather protective physician.
Planning on a trip up to Redcar for a day - which really ought to be interesting given that I'm travelling on short notice and owe so many people a visit. Should be fun though.
Lots of other stuff going on too - but the truth is that whilst the 'all clear' from the doctor wasn't a surprise the 'hang on a second matey, you're ours until Xmas' was - so everything rather up in the air.
That said there are opportunities on beer, diamonds and a host of other meaty, knotty problems into which I can sink my oh so fragile teeth.
Been hot under the collar too. Visit to oncologist went well though he stipulated a need for me to stay close to NYC for the nexy three months - so that I can be ready for additional scans, bloodwork and the like.
All routine stuff for somebody who has taken part in a drug trial but rather scuppering any plans I had to move to Europe in the near future. That said I will be in London for a week starting Friday (hurrah!) and in a rather swank Knightsbridge apartment (huzzah!)
After which it's back to the open arms of Uncle Sam where I can get on with a normal life under the watchful eye of a rather protective physician.
Planning on a trip up to Redcar for a day - which really ought to be interesting given that I'm travelling on short notice and owe so many people a visit. Should be fun though.
Lots of other stuff going on too - but the truth is that whilst the 'all clear' from the doctor wasn't a surprise the 'hang on a second matey, you're ours until Xmas' was - so everything rather up in the air.
That said there are opportunities on beer, diamonds and a host of other meaty, knotty problems into which I can sink my oh so fragile teeth.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Breakfast
Lots of meetings today - and lots of meals out.
Breakfast at Michael's, a power breakfasting place on 55th street, where between us we consumed an omlette, some cut fruit on toast and three coffees - and were presented with a bill that totalled $92 + the 20% tip. $110 for breakfast. (!) Cornflakes were $32. And my omlette was crap. Luckily the company was excellent and I had a good time talking with someone who seemed both smart and genuine.
Lunch was somewhere in SoHo at a much cheaper place that served bits of smoked salmon and smaller bits of shop bought sliced brown bread and called it an 'open sandwich' - open bloody liberty I'd say. Still again the company was good (well Scottish which is usually good) and the conversation flowed more freely than the coffee.
Dinner with Jude at a local Thai - starters, main and drinks come in at less than this morning's cornflakes. Good not to have to try to impress (I've been trying to put a safety net under myself by sounding out people on the potential of a new job should the old one suddenly disappear; it looks good - I finally have a reputation)
Jude's Birthday tomorrow. She has gift vouchers for babeland (look it up) and a nice new guitar - she wants to learn. I've been planning on being away for a while but... well that's a different, difficult and not to be told here (yet) story.
More though (and visits to both oncologist and surgeon) tomorrow.
Breakfast at Michael's, a power breakfasting place on 55th street, where between us we consumed an omlette, some cut fruit on toast and three coffees - and were presented with a bill that totalled $92 + the 20% tip. $110 for breakfast. (!) Cornflakes were $32. And my omlette was crap. Luckily the company was excellent and I had a good time talking with someone who seemed both smart and genuine.
Lunch was somewhere in SoHo at a much cheaper place that served bits of smoked salmon and smaller bits of shop bought sliced brown bread and called it an 'open sandwich' - open bloody liberty I'd say. Still again the company was good (well Scottish which is usually good) and the conversation flowed more freely than the coffee.
Dinner with Jude at a local Thai - starters, main and drinks come in at less than this morning's cornflakes. Good not to have to try to impress (I've been trying to put a safety net under myself by sounding out people on the potential of a new job should the old one suddenly disappear; it looks good - I finally have a reputation)
Jude's Birthday tomorrow. She has gift vouchers for babeland (look it up) and a nice new guitar - she wants to learn. I've been planning on being away for a while but... well that's a different, difficult and not to be told here (yet) story.
More though (and visits to both oncologist and surgeon) tomorrow.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Interesting
They just posted this up outside our building... it's all pre-printed poster stuff and there seemed to be a lot of camera equipment laying around as the guy pasted it to the wall - so who knows what it's being used for. But I like it; it's vibrant.
Feeling pretty vibrant myself today. Had an idea so good I want to share it, but can't. It's amazing what doing a good job does to my morale though - it's just lifted me in a way that very little else can. Better still the people that I'm working with recognized it as a good idea. No fighting. No endless explaining. No toys out the the buggy episodes. Marvellous.
Jude's birthday on Wednesday - but with the temperature estimated to be a record breaking 39C and the 'real-feel' set at 46C we'll not be moving about very much in celebration.
Been talking to a bunch of people online about their shopping habits - for a pitch that we're doing. I shared my life (style) with them and they were horrified. Stairs, apartments, no cars, no Wal-mart... how did I cope? I have to say that by the end of the week I was pretty much convinced that they were right. Of course 24 hrs reflection now has me picturing them as the half man - half walrus types that so beset DisneyWorld.
Anyway enough moaning - a proper post tomorrow I swear... and a radiation oncologist visit Weds... let's see what that brings
Feeling pretty vibrant myself today. Had an idea so good I want to share it, but can't. It's amazing what doing a good job does to my morale though - it's just lifted me in a way that very little else can. Better still the people that I'm working with recognized it as a good idea. No fighting. No endless explaining. No toys out the the buggy episodes. Marvellous.
Jude's birthday on Wednesday - but with the temperature estimated to be a record breaking 39C and the 'real-feel' set at 46C we'll not be moving about very much in celebration.
Been talking to a bunch of people online about their shopping habits - for a pitch that we're doing. I shared my life (style) with them and they were horrified. Stairs, apartments, no cars, no Wal-mart... how did I cope? I have to say that by the end of the week I was pretty much convinced that they were right. Of course 24 hrs reflection now has me picturing them as the half man - half walrus types that so beset DisneyWorld.
Anyway enough moaning - a proper post tomorrow I swear... and a radiation oncologist visit Weds... let's see what that brings
weirdly wonderful weekend
so the weekend saw us eating Russian food at Brighton beach, playing 'track and field' in a cool bar, BBQing with the Bosnians and generally having a good time.
Velcro has had a good time too - having learned to escape her area without leaving any trace or clue as to how she does it. Needless to say I woke up this morning to a trail of things stolen from various off limits to the dog goodies - from rubber ducks, via slippers to a wash-cloth. She's cute though.
Flying Virgin was a good experience though the flight back didn't have 'on demand' for movies etc. and I have to say I was disproportionately pissed off. I won't be flying into Newark again.
Best bit of the trip - the blacked out windows on the shiny new Merc that they sent to collect me from the airport. As we glided through Chinatown (a bad wrong turn) at 1am all heads turned to see who was in the back of the thing and I got a wee sniff of fame's aphrodiziac scent.
Back to the NYC office and the hum-drum today. Still it's the little adventures (and the airmiles) that keep me going.
Velcro has had a good time too - having learned to escape her area without leaving any trace or clue as to how she does it. Needless to say I woke up this morning to a trail of things stolen from various off limits to the dog goodies - from rubber ducks, via slippers to a wash-cloth. She's cute though.
Flying Virgin was a good experience though the flight back didn't have 'on demand' for movies etc. and I have to say I was disproportionately pissed off. I won't be flying into Newark again.
Best bit of the trip - the blacked out windows on the shiny new Merc that they sent to collect me from the airport. As we glided through Chinatown (a bad wrong turn) at 1am all heads turned to see who was in the back of the thing and I got a wee sniff of fame's aphrodiziac scent.
Back to the NYC office and the hum-drum today. Still it's the little adventures (and the airmiles) that keep me going.
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