Greenwich Park

Forgive the random photo at the end of my last post as I am still trying to get to grips with the WordPress app on my iPad. After being cooped up in meetings for what felt like days I really needed lots of fresh air and a good walk. So today mum and I headed to Greenwich Park for a wander around and a spot of lunch by the river. I’ve only got my old iPhone with me acting as life line to the outside world and camera but I downloaded this cool photo app called Hipstamic and it really jazzes up your photos.

My family moved to London when I was 8 or 9 and we lived 10 minutes from the best park in the whole of London – Greenwich Park. There are deer, flower gardens, old trees that Elizabeth the 1st played in, and plenty of spaces for having fun. There are also the most amazing views of London. From the hill at the top of the park you can see the Thames meander around the Docklands and beyond, the Maritime Museum and the Naval College (as was).

London

I am currently trapped in London along with a fair number of my colleagues (and everyone else trying to depart this fair isle). I guess when the powers that be decided to schedule vision days they didn’t see as far as Iceland. A volcano goes poof in Iceland and the aviation industry grinds to a halt. Is this chaos theory or simple cause and effect? Honestly I think this is all being staged by meteorologists as part of their plan towards world domination. The last year was dominated by economics and economics, and this year it is the turn of weather and meteorologists (note- not weather-persons from the telly).

It’s a pretty surreal situation to be in. I see no ash yet it is there. Dancing in the atmosphere and keeping me from going home. But at least I can stay with my mum so I don’t have to worry about hotels though I would like to get home so I can spend some time with Alex before I go on exam leave in… wait for it… London!

Respite

I should really be re-writing an essay on neighbourhoods in Pompeii or doing the reading for my next one on Antigone (which I just found out should be pronounced An-tig-on-e rather than Anti-gone) but no I am spragged out on the sofa drinking a limb Starbucks latte and trying very hard to stay awake. Oh the joy of jet lag, but if I will nip across the Atlantic for a long weekend then I need to suck this up and my trip was v much worth it.

I had the sneaking suspicion that February/March were going to be tough months, and low and behold by the end of January I felt like I was having a having a mini-melt down.  So my trip to London came at just the right time. Who needs Prozac when you can have a few days at your mum’s being fed and water, and seeing some great theatre. Bliss. Now I feel ready to tackle the move, and get prepping for my exams in May.

Hello from Chicago

I’ve skipped out of town for a few days to hang out with Alex in Chicago. He’s here for a ThoughtWorks gathering and I am here to listen to NPR in a hotel room (joke). This morning I ventured out for a stroll in Milenium Park before heading to the Art Institute of Chicago for a lecture on Hadrian. (The gods will that where ever I go on vacation there will be a lecture for me to attend.) I was disappointed that there are no longer bunnies in the park but the squirels look very healthy. I am not saying that the bunnies dimise was at the hands of the squirels but they are about twice the size of New York squirels.

Things on Tuesday: Absent Spouse Edition

Good

• Nothing beats the excitement of seeing each other again after 5 days of communicating via txt, Twitter & email. As much as I love my iPhone there isn’t an app for hugging
• A four day work week for Alex means that he has Fridays to himself and can play was much Halo as he wants whilst I am at work
• I can sleep in the middle of the bed surrounded by school work
• Lots of time to study and watch my own things
• Alex will be racking up air miles and hotel points so we’ll get a free holiday out of this project
• A happy Alex on a Ruby project

Not-so good

• Goodbyes
• It sucks only being able to make plans for Friday and Saturday nights, and trying to squish everything into three days
• Sundays turn into an odd transition day
• Not being able to watch House till Friday!
• Having to sleep with the light on

beantown

Alex and I have just got back from a mini-vacation in Boston.

So nice to shaken up our routine – even if it was just for a few days. We stayed in the oldest hotel in the city Omni Parker House, very traditional with an imposing old world feel. Every time I entered the lobby I half expected to see a character in the vein of Lily Bart gliding by.

Since I am rather knackered, and dreading getting up at 5 am tomorrow morning, in brief my favorite bits of the weekend:

*One of the quirkiest ways to tour Boston is in an amphibious ex WW2 vehicle – Boston Duck Tours. Quack Quack

*The New England Aquarium is the best that I have ever visited, out of three continents and nearly three decades of being dragged around them. It’s not that it’s flashy with those scary glass walk ways but it was just well planned and very interesting. A little Jurassic Parkey with a glass fronted mini-hospital and at feeding time, in the penguin pools, we saw them making notes of how much they each ate. There was a fascinating exhibition on jelly fish and both of us left it wanting to know more about them – such bizarre creatures.

*Our visit wouldn’t have been complete without a touch of over eating at Legal Sea Food, when I came to Boston years ago with mum I swear we ate here every night. I have a sneaky feeling that I’ll be ordering their cook book this week.

*So the way some people tell it the whole Boston tea party, Paul Revere and rebel up rising happened in the same week but the Freedom Trail does try and put it in context for those of us who are historically challenged. It doesn’t help that my skewed view of history comes from Blackadder and unfortunately, they didn’t make it to the colonies so I am slightly at a loss.

* A bit put out that the Art Deco exhibition wasn’t opening at the Museum of Fine Arts until late August but the extensive collection of Greek vases more than made up of it 🙂

The one where I had to catch a plane

05:00 Beep, beep, snooze.
05:06 Beep, beep, snooze.
05:12 Bleary eyed drag arse out of bed to revise.
05:17 Realise internet connection is set up on a timer so I really have to revise.
06:00 Set up copius amount of things to be recorded on TIVO that I wont have time to watch on my return and Alex will end up deleting.
07.34 Try to clean mildew off the shower curtain whilst in shower (multi tasking – eh!).
08.14 Head off towards civilisation in search of caffine and muffin fix.
08:45 Workie, workie
16:05 Finish last shift for a whole month – yeah!
16:30 Arrive home after dashing around supermarket to buy goodies for cousin.
16:35 Panic.
16:37 Have a cup of tea..not avoiding packing but aclimatising back to British customs.
17:45 Too much procrasting, decide to do something productive = head out for manicure/pedicure.
18:23 Back home feeling very much like a potenial NyLon girl.
18:36 Leave apartment.
18:37 Return to check closed windows.
18:38 Return to put on jewellery (an hour without earrings let alone a month is unthinkable).
18:42 Half way to cab rank realise forgot goodies for cousin….in two minds about gioing back but realise no space in luggage therefore the gods have decided for me 🙂
18:50 Leave dry cleaners disgruntled as they have not cleaned my sweater in time and I will now be cold on the flight….bugger!
19:01 Get cab.
19:19 No traffic.
19:20 At airport.
19:24 Feeling smug as I flashed my silver Virgin card and check in at preimum economy – no queue.
19:40 Having breezed through booking in and security checks realise that I am not bording till….what’s a girl to do?
20:25 Why do people always rush to form the bording queue? The seating is assigned….
21:02 Glee at discovering spare seat between me and my fellow passenger…space the greatest gift to us economy plebs.
21:15 Set clock to GMT and settle down to sleep (I have my seat belt over my blanket).
02:20 Woken up by v over made up flight attendant….my blanket is a potential hazard in case of emergency…what does she know? I ask why do they put them on the seats?
02:31 Take off.
02:55 Refuse drink, this confuses said flight attendant and request blanket – I am serious about getting some shut eye…am offered peanuts…
02.57 Am cold!
04:06 Woken up by loud discussion of two flight attendants about whether or not I am asleep….
06:05 Weight up risk off DVT over general leregy.
06:07 Realise guy infront is abusing the replay facility with a naughty scene in Along Came Polly.
06:08 I close my eyes and start to count sheep.
07:20 Discover breakfast offering has been left.
07:23 V excitedly bite into chocolate crossant shaped pastry.
07:24 Cheap, penny pinching bastards – empty.
07:25 Realise that the cavety has a patchy, glossy covering…I think this was a cheese crossant…note to self: must win lottery.
08:55 Land early.
09:29 Still sitting on tarmac queuing – reassure fellow passanger that this is part of the interactive British experience.
09:31 Start feeling homesick for the garden state.