Friday, August 03, 2007

Didja miss me?! Huh? Huh? Didja?

Look listen, before you get on my case for being a statistic, let me impress upon you the stresses of a travelling consultant. There are plenty. And stressful too.

So lets see, wot have I been up to. Well, since the new job started, I had been whining about being off the clock because while it was nice to take long leisurely lunches with Khan, it was starting to get annoying having to rip the cobwebs off my feet and someone must have overheard becuase next thing I know, He Who Looks Like Sleepy Mouse is shipping me off to Atlanta to shadow on a client site. Very nice I think to myself. Off I go and bang, I get sold. So now it's Atlanta till the end of September. I leave at the crack of bleedin' dawn on Mondays and I stagger back home on Thursday nights leaving me Fridays to make sure my access still works at the Bosotn office and hang out with Khan on the weekends. The travel takes a little getting used to. I have now joined the hordes of travelling consultants who, the moment the fasten seatbelt sign has been switched off, reach for their laptops and in the eerie blue glow work on complicated looking spreadsheets. And it's always spreadsheets you notice? Never anything else. Just to be different, I worked on Visio diagrams instead. Just let them try to pigeon-hole me now!

I stay at the Westin in Buckhead (you simply must say that out loud in a Southern accent like so - Buuukhayed) which is very lovely hotel overlooking the Lenox Square area where there are such fine establishments such as Macys, Bloomingdales and Computer Depot. Thanks to Starwoods, I get the coveted pink key to the executive lounge, that haven of free breakfast, booze and dessert. Always a joy to stay at a Westin. I highly encourage it. And I'll bet you didn't know that the Heavenly concept came out of an MBA case competition.

Today has been a stressful day. I landed in Boston last night from Atlanta and took the day off today. Not to put my toesies up (or in soaking hot water because by god they need it) but to run around in 95 degree weather looking for a place to live come next year. And after many a disappointing visit, I am pleased to report that I have found me one. Apartment that is. In Central Square. On Mass Ave. Next to a communist pub. It's a largish affair with a balcony the size of my ego on the 10th floor with lovely views. Hopefully the skunk that's in there now will leave before Aug 31 and they can clean it for me and I don't have to cancel the movers. Keep your fingers crossed (release them if they turn blue).

I did get jipped on the price though. Paying through my nose AND had to fork over a broker fee. This world is not fair sometimes. But still, at least I won't be homeless again.

I'm at the airpot now and thanks to the wonders of iPass have replied to important email, ignored the calls to send in work and am booking my flights to Atlanta for the next month. This way I can be ensured that elusive window seat.

I have done something rather stupid in that in the rush to pack and get to the airport in time to beat the Red Sox traffic, I've forgotten to pack my laptop docking station which means I have no disk drive thereby rendering the DVD I had to watch on the plane, useless. I shall now have to buy a book. Any recommendations? Better make 'em quick - flight leaves in 2 hours.

Yes, I'm actually 2 hours early for my flight. Lets just say I got tired of running from security to the other end of the blasted airport with 3 minutes to final call all this last month. Plus I swear this is the first time the check-in line was not spilling over around the block.

Oo, better find the money exchange and get some pounds. That's right, I forgot to mention where I was going. Sunny London. Only apparently its not sunny there at all, something I find out when I check the weather at Logan airport after I've checked in my bags and realize that I've packed rubbish clothes for the trip. Oh well, Marks and Spencer it is.

Pops, Mum and Black Cobra are in London fresh off their Norweigian cruise. They very kindly twisted the knife into my heart about not being there and sent me a postcard from the northernmost habitable point in the world in which aurora borealis was nicely mentioned. Blast it, I should have taken the summer off. Oh well. Such is life.

Lets see, anything else? That's pretty much it I think. The rest is all mundane everyday stuff which isn't that interesting anyway. Wouldn't want to risk putting Connecticut Yankees to sleep and all.

I do have to say that I miss Khan in all this. Wish I could take him with me but sadly his 6'2" frame stubboarnly refuses to fit in my carry-on. Should learn to sleep on planes so am not so tired when I land so I can hang out with him. I haven't really been able to enjoy the Boston summer with all the concerts and things in the parks. But then again, such is life.

Some poor sod's missed their flight to Ireland on Air Lingus (giggle). There's a woman over there teaching her son the correct French way to say Au Bon Pain. There's a woman sitting across from me who has fallen asleep and I'll bet you she was supposed to be on that Dublin flight. There goes another kid with those wheely shoes. I should get me a pair of those. Why aren't there any spas at airports? I really could use a pedicure and a foot massage.

Oh, did I mention, I went to The Police reunion concert at Fenway? It was brillant.

So, didja miss me?

5 comments:

Paresh said...

Completely:) welcome back and now we will get newer horizons of blogging nein?

Lippy said...

Absolutely missed ya, and I've checked up on ya!

You have a very busy schedule coming up, and I hope it's all very exciting and rewarding. Just make sure to allow time for a little self-pampering now, ok? Enjoy, and good luck.

Unknown said...

Please don't get the wheelie shoes. You sound too busy to be laid up with sprained ankles. Oh yes, and 48 hours left of Spin in my life! Pip pip cheerio!

Anonymous said...

Not really.

Wolfe said...

"Not really", she mimics in a high-pitched falsetto.

Cheeky bugger.