Knowing that I'd be 'home alone' today my good friend K came around and dragged me to brunch. We went to Parish - a new diner made to look as though it's a converted church (though it's not)... a tad pricey for the location but the company was grewat, the sun beamed down and all felt right with the world.
We then headed off to see 'Knocked Up' - lots of zingy dialogue and Jackass generation observation. A modern 'When Harry Met Sally'? Time will tell.
The rest of the day was spent on IM with Jude. Her flight left 3 hrs late last night meaning that her carefully laid plans for a day with friends in Madrid were laid to waste and she ended up spending 11hrs in the airport. Luckily she had her laptop with her, enough Euros to buy a 24 hr wireless pass and we were able to chat through a couple of hours.
I have a 12 hr layover in Gatwick that I'm dreading. Think that I will head into London for an hour or two before heading back to the airport for my second night flight.
That's all in the future though. Have Air Namibia hand-writing my tickets on Monday and until I have them in hand I'm counting no chickens.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Friday, June 01, 2007
Ciao
Jude leaves for Namibia today. She's gone until the end of July, which isn't THAT long actually. Of course I'm trying to book a flight out there in early July and (naturally) it's proving a nightmare
1. I find the flights I want with Air Namibia
2. I try to book online - NO ONLINE BOOKING
3. I call them
"Hello Air Namiba"
"I'd like to book these flights"
"Great. Let me have all of your details"
Details are exchanged
"Can I book that then?"
"No sir. We make too many mistakes by phone, wait for the itinerary by e-mail. Then call back"
4. No e-mail arrives
5. Lots of calls
6. E-mail arrives, hurrah!
7. I call back
"Hello air namibia"
"I'd like to book these flights, this is the code"
"I'm sorry you can't book until you've been invoiced. That will happen soon. We can't say when. Bit when it does we will call you."
"Can't I pay now."
"No Sir. You must learn to be patient"
8. 48 hrs pass, no invoice, I await a call
Still waiting - gnnnrrrfffff
1. I find the flights I want with Air Namibia
2. I try to book online - NO ONLINE BOOKING
3. I call them
"Hello Air Namiba"
"I'd like to book these flights"
"Great. Let me have all of your details"
Details are exchanged
"Can I book that then?"
"No sir. We make too many mistakes by phone, wait for the itinerary by e-mail. Then call back"
4. No e-mail arrives
5. Lots of calls
6. E-mail arrives, hurrah!
7. I call back
"Hello air namibia"
"I'd like to book these flights, this is the code"
"I'm sorry you can't book until you've been invoiced. That will happen soon. We can't say when. Bit when it does we will call you."
"Can't I pay now."
"No Sir. You must learn to be patient"
8. 48 hrs pass, no invoice, I await a call
Still waiting - gnnnrrrfffff
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Mamma Mia
Yup, we finally did it. We finally caved in under the weight of visiting relatives, special offers and secret desire and went to see Mamma Mia on Broadway.
Cleverly the show belongs not to the daughter looking for her father on her wedding day. Nor does it belong to her vapid fiancee. Instead it belongs to her middle aged single mom, her aging yet vampish friend and their fat but spunky cohort (a role MADE for Rosie O'Donnell). When these three women are on stage, performing their schtick (and it IS schtick) the whole thing zips along.
Of course the songs don't fit - Super Trouper for a first reunion gig? - but they are the songs that rocked the midwest the last time the women in the audience had hair that was in style and it goes down a storm. So not bad, not bad at all. $60 worth of not bad I'm not so sure - but with everyone else carrying $111 tickets in their hands I was smiling almost as broadly as Benny and Bjorn's bank manager
Cleverly the show belongs not to the daughter looking for her father on her wedding day. Nor does it belong to her vapid fiancee. Instead it belongs to her middle aged single mom, her aging yet vampish friend and their fat but spunky cohort (a role MADE for Rosie O'Donnell). When these three women are on stage, performing their schtick (and it IS schtick) the whole thing zips along.
Of course the songs don't fit - Super Trouper for a first reunion gig? - but they are the songs that rocked the midwest the last time the women in the audience had hair that was in style and it goes down a storm. So not bad, not bad at all. $60 worth of not bad I'm not so sure - but with everyone else carrying $111 tickets in their hands I was smiling almost as broadly as Benny and Bjorn's bank manager
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
A quick trip around the rear
So the waiting room was rammed yesterday. Dozens upon dozens of people waiting for the blood test that is the key to the doctor's office. Each positioned in neat rows of quiet desperation. Each desperate to inch forward a little, not to waste whatever time it is that they have left. Nobody talks, nobody reads, nobody makes eye contact. The waiting room is a place where the middle distance holds countless gazes.
Luckily I know most of the people there and was thus whipped out around the back, weighed, blood pressure taken, blood counts measured and in to see the chubby handed doctor in the time it takes to learn how to spell 'Mississippi"
Sparkly of eye, pudgy of grip and in a brilliant white coat he descended, prodded, poked, gave me the all clear and mentioned 'same again in 3 months' and wa gone... less than 2 mins.
And there we go - still tumor free.
Hurrah
Luckily I know most of the people there and was thus whipped out around the back, weighed, blood pressure taken, blood counts measured and in to see the chubby handed doctor in the time it takes to learn how to spell 'Mississippi"
Sparkly of eye, pudgy of grip and in a brilliant white coat he descended, prodded, poked, gave me the all clear and mentioned 'same again in 3 months' and wa gone... less than 2 mins.
And there we go - still tumor free.
Hurrah
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
CT Scanner Breath Indicator
So 9 month tests complete and I'm up early and ready to head into the doctor for my results. Except that I can't quite remember what time I need to be at the doctor's office. Is this late onset of 'chemo brain' or early onset of ye olde age(e)?
Expecting the results today to be good - they tend to see you more quickly than three weeks after the test if things are suspect but it will be good to get things sorted during a busy week.
Why busy? Well it's been a holiday weekend so I lost a working day the same week that we have a client session. Thursday sees said session and sees Jude's mom heading home post Jude graduation. Friday sees Jude leaving for Africa for 7 weeks (catch her adventures here http://drjude.blogspot.com) and Saturday sees me 'home alone'
We think that we may have found a way that we can afford for me to head out to Africa too (all of the airmiles are on the wrong cards) so I have my fingers crossed that the Credit Card miles people do what they say they would and that AirNamibia out of Gatwick isnt too hideously expensive. I always say that I won't follow Jude out but the truth is that it's just too good a trip to miss - and if I can do it on under $900 then I have no excuse not to.
Of course when Jude gets back she's off first to Philly and then to Anne Arbor, MI where she has at least two years on a contract to get published, published and published again. That's a LONG tale but it's one that I think should be fun.
Anyway weird to be writing on here again but I figured that results day was a good enough excuse. Fingers kinda crossed.
Expecting the results today to be good - they tend to see you more quickly than three weeks after the test if things are suspect but it will be good to get things sorted during a busy week.
Why busy? Well it's been a holiday weekend so I lost a working day the same week that we have a client session. Thursday sees said session and sees Jude's mom heading home post Jude graduation. Friday sees Jude leaving for Africa for 7 weeks (catch her adventures here http://drjude.blogspot.com) and Saturday sees me 'home alone'
We think that we may have found a way that we can afford for me to head out to Africa too (all of the airmiles are on the wrong cards) so I have my fingers crossed that the Credit Card miles people do what they say they would and that AirNamibia out of Gatwick isnt too hideously expensive. I always say that I won't follow Jude out but the truth is that it's just too good a trip to miss - and if I can do it on under $900 then I have no excuse not to.
Of course when Jude gets back she's off first to Philly and then to Anne Arbor, MI where she has at least two years on a contract to get published, published and published again. That's a LONG tale but it's one that I think should be fun.
Anyway weird to be writing on here again but I figured that results day was a good enough excuse. Fingers kinda crossed.
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