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Rain

2012-01-30T20:50:00.002Z

We had rain today. And yesterday. And probably the day before. Sure, we need some of it to keep this place green, and I'm all in favour of recycling, but there is no need to recycle rain! Sunshine, maybe...

Anyway, I'm expecting to see the sun next week when I'm off to California. Wonder if they have signs over there saying "We recycle our sunshine"?

I'm dreaming...

I'm Back

2012-01-24T23:02:00.001Z

After two weeks away, I returned home on Friday. It felt good to turn on my own laptop again. The shiny black Pavilion. It crashed the very next morning. And I thought I was the one with jetlag!

11

2012-01-12T13:13:00.004Z

2011 ended and you heard nothing from me. I finally intended to get my act together last night - it was the 11th, I was on the 11th floor and I wanted to blog about 2011... so I waited a day!

As the new year began, I lost the data on how many days I'd been on the road, cities visited, etc. Everything starts over with a new year, I guess. One thing's for sure. I need to spend more time at home... starting soon. And by soon I mean in a few months.

Right now it's Atlanta. I checked in two nights ago and will leave again tomorrow morning. They must have thought me important, so they gave me a room on the 11th floor; the elevator only goes here if you have the right room key, and I do. I did my usual checks when I entered the room, and after flicking through the handbook I realised I wouldn't have to eat breakfast with the "normal" ones. There would be breakfast served in the lounge, and it was free of charge. It also mentioned something about snacks and drinks in the evening, but I quickly forgot about that again.

The lounge is pretty much your standard living room. It's cozy, you can make yourself at home, there are people around to chat to... and then there's the thing that makes it different. You don't have to lift a finger! I'm not sure if I like being waited on, but I gave in and tried to simply enjoy.

After dinner last night I went back to the lounge just to see if they had any of those s'mores cereal bars left. I'd forgotten about the drinks/snacks, but I was quickly reminded, and before I knew it I was chatting away to people while drinking red wine. As I went out for a big lunch today, I skipped dinner tonight and went straight to the lounge!

Tomorrow I'll be heading up to Toronto. New city again, but I'm excited. It feels strangely good to be on the road again :)

You can fly, you can fly, you... fell!

2011-12-14T01:57:00.002Z

It was Friday morning and I was just leaving his place. Nothing too unusual in that. I wanted to get home before traffic picked up as I wanted my own shower. It was party time. Well, just about.

A car was parked right where I normally walk, so I nipped over the step to get to my car. Only the step was slightly smaller than I thought and I stepped down too soon. I stumbled. I thought I could regain my balance, but before I knew it I flew right across the car park and fell down on my knees and hands.

A moment. Two. Could I get up? I tried and managed. I looked down. I was concerned about my new jeans, but the looked OK. I checked my hands and quickly looked away. Little pieces of rock stuck in many places and blood adding to the fun.

My attention turned to my knees. How was it possible that my jeans looked just fine when my knees felt damaged? I had to see this.

I went back inside. I quick look. Shit! The left knee had a minor scrape, but the right was a bloody mess.

Home eventually - it was time to clean the bruises. I did well, or so I thought. I got ready for work, packed my party clothes for the evening and tried to forget the pain. No, it wasn't working. It hurt, it hurt and it hurt some more. I got through the day and had Christmas dinner, but the evening ended early.

Saturday an x-ray was scheduled and I saw a doctor. Initially they thought the knee was fractured, but it turned out "only" to be the ligaments. I'm on painkillers now and didn't find it much fun having to travel to Madison, WI yesterday. 8.5 hours on the plane followed by 2.5 hours of driving, but I made it...

The TV

2011-11-29T21:25:00.002Z

I've arrived. The destination is completely and utterly irrelevant, I don't want to leave the hotel. A new feeling all together, but...

She upgraded me to a better room. Nothing too unusual in that, it happens all the time, only this time I really like the room. Let's see, where shall we start?

Right inside the room you find the wardrobe. But when you open the door, you realise it's more than just a wardrobe. There's a mirror with light above it and a perfectly good hair dryer right beside it. There's even a shelf below the table for brushes and such.

Moving on, there's the TV. I normally don't care, but this one looked interesting. You can plug USB thingies and what-not into it, and that just had to be tried. Now I'm watching movies and I don't plan to stop any time soon. This is great! The TV is big, big, big, but it's the box below it where you plug stuff in I'm really interested in. I wonder if that needs to stay in the room when I leave...?

On to the desk. OK, no proper light, but I'll forgive them. You can plug in USB things here too to charge phones and such. It's brilliant!

On the little footrest they'd left a bed/tray table. It came in handy when I started writing Christmas cards while sitting in the bed. I can't really tell if the bed is any good yet, so that leave the bathroom. I was disappointed at first. No bath. But the shower is MEGA BIG and has a hand shower AND a huge big shower in the roof. Oh my, it's good!

Am I really only staying two nights...?

Friday night

2011-11-25T21:21:00.003Z

9:25pm and I'm at home. My oh my it feels good! There's nothing wrong with being out, and I enjoyed catching up with a friend tonight over dinner, but home is magic.

This week was another trip to Paris. A full day of sightseeing on Sunday with a colleague who'd never been to Paris before, so once checked in, we started with lunch (it was 11am and we had beer with lunch. I'm admitting it). The first tourist stop was l'Arc de Triumphe. This was followed by a stroll down Champs Élysées till we reached Louvre. Then it was on to see Notre Dame, Centre Pompidoux and Place du Tertre. Dinner was had before heading to Trocadero for that mandatory view of the Eiffel Tower by night. Gosh, I'm exhausted even thinking about all this!

Ah sure, a couple of days in Paris passed in no time, and now I'm busy planning the last few trips for the year. Any guesses as to how many days I've been on the road so far this year?

Bubble Dorothy

2011-11-19T20:39:00.002Z

I've recovered and feel great again. As a matter of fact, it didn't take that long after I was home, so I'm ready for adventures again and will head to Paris in the morning.

To relax and get ready, I decided to fill the bath this evening. I'd been out shopping and come across a new bubble bar AND IT HAS MY NAME ON IT! It was the "had to try" feeling, and I was not disappointed. Blue with rainbow colours. Soft bubbles and ever so relaxing. I'll sleep well tonight, and that good. The taxi is booked for 4:40...

Drip, drip, drip...

2011-11-10T20:15:00.002Z

I'd travelled to the very middle of the US of A on Sunday. Small town about two hours from Saint Louis. My suitcase had opted for a later flight than me, so I had to wait for her (yes, we'd had words since!), but me and all my belongings eventually arrived and were ready to start the job Monday morning.

The job was half complete by 5pm Monday afternoon. I was tired, so I picked up some food at the supermarket and went back to the hotel. I made attempts, but I quickly just accepted that I didn't need food and went to bed.

Was followed was a night of being violently ill again and again and again. By 3am I finally managed to pick up the phone and call for help, and by 5am I was admitted to the local emergency room.

I remember the doctor and nurse explaining how they'd need to run some tests and put me on a drip to re-hydrate me. I remember trying to imagine how in the world they'd do that without using needles and tubes - there was NO way I'd have the courage for that! Well, guess I wasn't consulted on that one, but the nurse was good at her job and got me through it all, and when I was released four hours later I was definitely on the mend.

Less than 24 hours after leaving the emergency room I started my journey home. The job was still only half done, but we'd found alternatives, and the job will be completed in time.

First a two hour drive back to Saint Louis. Well, two and a half, this time. I needed breaks. Some hours to kill at the airport, then a one hour flight to Chicago. Fours hours to kill there, but I was in good hands. The lady in the lounge recognised me from previous visits and noticed my pale colour. She made sure I got whatever I needed, and then it was time for the main flight. Seven and a half hours. For the last three of them I was counting the minutes.

A total of 19 hours from bed to bed. The one I have here in Dublin is certainly preferred. Nothing beats home!

PS: I'm on the mend and have started eating again.

Barbabrahe

2011-11-05T15:38:00.003Z

Remember the Barbapapa Family? They are from my childhood in the 70s - I had the books, watched how these blob-like creatures would shape-shift on TV, and I even had a big Barba toy. I can't quite remember which one was mine - we had two of them in the house. One was the red Barbabadut (Barbabravo in English), while the other one was the blue Barbabrahe (Barbabright in English).

It would make sense to assume that the Blue one was my sister's. He's a scientist and good with numbers and formulas. Had I spent any time hanging out with him I might have learned, but somehow I still seem to remember him best, so when I walked by a shop in Paris this week and saw the entire collection as drink bottles, I just had to get one. And yes, it had to be the blue one.

As a glass bottle, it probably won't chance shape a whole lot, but I was slightly concerned after checking in my suitcase. What if the bottle broke? Would the blue contents of the bottle turn my yellow suitcase green? Thankfully I never had to find out. Barbabrahe made it home in one piece!

J'aime Paris!

2011-11-02T07:41:00.004Z

The last week has been spent trying to beat a cold. I've not yet been successful, but it was time to get back to work yesterday and hence time to get back to the airport...

Checked in at 17:15. Headed out into Paris 45 minutes later. First stop was Montmartre for dinner. Well, dinner and views. Ice cream was needed for dessert, as the steep walk up the hill had reduced my energy level to somewhere below zero!

Trocadero was on the way back anyway, so it made sense to get off the Metro and enjoy the view of the Eiffel Tower before crossing the Seine and walking back to the hotel.

Didn't realise how much I'd missed Paris!

Denmark as the Better Place

2011-10-24T11:39:00.004+01:00

Time flies when having fun, and I've completely been neglecting my blog. I returned from a mini-break in Denmark nearly a week ago, and I'm only finishing this post now. Hmmm!

Imagine Copenhagen, or any big city for that matter. Remove the noise and pollution from cars. Hear the birds sing, breathe the air, see life...

Wednesday evening (10 days ago, that is) I went for a test drive experience with Better Place together with two friends. We got insight into how energy can be used and not abused. I'll admit I didn't have high expectations, but the new electric cars from Renault look just like normal cars! Acceleration was better than most "normal" cars, the noise was almost gone, it was actually possible to hear the conversations going on in the back seat!

I might not be about to buy a new car right now, but I like what the future has to offer and very much hope to see more inventions like this.

Save the planet!

The finer cut

2011-10-13T01:43:00.002+01:00

I was either driving across town to crash a party I technically wasn't invited to, or else I was having dinner in the hotel. A part of me wanted to. Free dinner and all. But then again, dinner in the hotel wasn't going to set me back one bit, and it was much easier, so I made my way there and requested the usual table for one.

Silence. Not a sound to be heard. Just me and the waiter, and even that didn't last long. I placed my order and off he went. "The place to meet" my arse! They need a new slogan!

Dinner was lovely, and towards the end one other person showed up in the restaurant; a British man. He sat down far, far away and ordered a burger. Cheapest option on the menu, and as it turned out he didn't like it. He was a knife and fork kind of guy, and the first attempt wasn't easy to tackle that way. He sent it back.

The second attempt was a burger on toast. He tried. I could tell.

Back on the road

2011-10-11T13:57:00.002+01:00

Two weeks at home have come to an end. I was lucky to have my parents visit for a few days, but now I'm back on the road... or in the air. I arrived in Virginia last night.

The journey was nothing special. I managed two movies ("The Art of Getting by" and "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend") as well as a nap, then changed planes and had another nap. In DC I picked up a car. No upgrade, but sure. She's red and she moves. She's really quite alright.

Just outside the airport I saw a sign for a "cell phone waiting area". I considered it. Dump my phones there and pick them up on my return. Hmmmm!

Relax, there's plenty of time

2011-09-29T22:11:00.002+01:00

I seem to be in a rush this week. A rush to do everything and see everyone. I took Monday off, but other than that it's been full on, so it feels good to sit down now and just focus on painting my finger nails, but it's also been great to catch up and get back to Dublin life.

To be repeated!

Which colour tea towel?

2011-09-22T17:10:00.002+01:00

After a wonderful weekend in Amsterdam, I was back in Dublin Airport Monday morning ready (or as ready I could be) for more business travel. The destination this time was Bahrain. A quick stop to change planes in Abu Dhabi first...

Subtitles on films and tv shows were in Arabic. Announcements as well. I slowly started to prepare for a culture shock.

Approximately ten hours after take-off I joined the queue to apply for my visitor visa. I had been warned this could be tricky when travelling alone as a female, so I was prepared for questions, but never expected this many. Thankfully I had an official letter of invitation from the client, and in the end I got the visa and was able to proceed to pick up my luggage.

A driver had been organised from the hotel, so once the paperwork was sorted I got on my way. The heat was the next shock. It was not any hotter than Denver, but the humidity made it feel as if someone threw a bucket of water at me the minute I got outside. My glasses steamed up!

All the female staff in the hotel were in rather short skirts. The bar almost resembled a nightclub, and smoking was the norm by most. Live music, lots of drink. Just a glass of wine for me to relax. My boss had travelled ahead the day before, so he met me at the hotel.

The real challenge was the job the next morning. It was too hot outside for me, but I made it past the armed military guards and was back in the world of air condition.

People started showing up for training. Nine in total. Three of them greeted my boss and proceeded to walk right by me without even acknowledging my presence. The majority of them were in white "robes". Some had white, other had red and white tea towels on their heads. They played with these head decorations more than women tend to play with their long hair. It was all very odd.

Phone rang left and right. People came and went. The majority of the attendees didn't complete any of the training exercises. Was this going well or not?

I completed the two days of work. No breaks for me. No lunch. Tough!

To complete the trip, we were invited out for a nice dinner last night, and then in the end I was dropped to the airport. There was no trouble leaving, and for the first time ever I was happy to arrive back to Dublin's cold and gloomy weather.

An experience for sure, and I think it went well...

Sun, moon and stars

2011-09-09T08:00:00.003+01:00

Two nights ago I had the perfect steak. Tonight I had the perfect sunset!

After work I set off to find Arctic Valley. One exit on the highway, the a dirt road for miles on end. I'd been warned in advance that if I stayed past 10pm I'd be shot, so the time lines were pretty clear.

I got to the top, but it wasn't easy. I can see why they suggested a four wheel drive and not my posh little Focus, but we got there and enjoyed the view. We did.

Once back in town I sat down for dinner in one of the local breweries, and by the time I finally got home it was around 8pm and time for the sun to set. The show lasted nearly two hours, and I've never seen the like. I was supposed to pack my suitcases, but it just had to wait!

Ice, ice baby!

2011-09-07T05:27:00.003+01:00

After a wonderful train journey and hike to Spencer Glacier yesterday, it was time for a reality check this morning. It was time for work.

I set off to find the client's location, and before I knew it I was on my way home. Home to my hotel.

I'm not feeling quite at home, to be honest. I'm a nobody here, and they treat me like that. It's hard to get dinner tables, there was no room upgrade, and while some of the other rooms get a newspaper every morning, there's none for me.

The house keeper keeps putting my clothes away and reorganising everything. Has she not realised just yet that I keep my shoes where I'll remember to find them? Seriously, don't move things around!

Anyway, I finished work early enough today, so by 6:15pm I was (once again) asking for a table at the fancy restaurant on the 20th floor. It was a no. Again. I said I'd wait, and in no time at all I suddenly had a table. Guess they had room, they just didn't really want me there...

Dinner was lovely. The view was lovely. The service was not. So much for trying to fit in with the posh people...

The do's and don'ts

2011-09-05T05:53:00.003+01:00

Yesterday I spent 12 hours and 5 minutes travelling from my not-so-downtown hotel in Denver to my very-much-indeed-downtown hotel in Anchorage. The main part of the entertainment throughout the travel was people watching and listening to what you can and cannot do. I want to say I wonder why there are so significant differences between the US and Europe, but then you look at people and it all makes sense.

So let's back-track a bit. I boarded the first flight and found my seat. The window seat was occupied by a very large lady, but I was indifferent. The aisle seat was mine. The came trouble. Another oversized lady was to sit in the middle. Yikes! Part of her body floated into my seat, so I was not just an aisle seat, but actually pushed party into the aisle itself. The middle large lady called for a staff member and demanded a new seat. She said she couldn't have a large lady beside her as she wouldn't fit her seat. First of all, don't ever call me large! Second, if you book one seat, you better fit into it! She was moved.

To make the most of my weekend, I set off on a drive down to Girdwood this morning. I wanted to get the tram to the top of Alyeska, and while it rained a little bit, the weather actually mostly stayed fine. I was able to enjoy a bit of Rudolf for lunch while trying to build up the courage to get on the tram and start the trip down. I managed to spot a group of bears on the way down, but I was busy holding on, so photos weren't even a consideration. I'll remember what it looked like and that's all that matters.

Earlier in the day I spotted a Beluga whale, but other than that it wasn't the best day for seeing animals. Better luck tomorrow, I hope!

Cowboys and Cowgirls

2011-08-31T03:22:00.002+01:00

Monday morning and I was on my way. I'd stopped by the office briefly, but soon found myself in the middle of the conversation I'd already had 100 times with a taxi driver. Only this time I was not playing. Or maybe I was. But I broke the rules.

At the prompt I informed the driver I worked with software and creation of websites. The response was the usual... "so you know computers!"

"I've heard of them", I said. "They have on/off buttons and stuff. Handy enough, and you can even get them in different colours now."

He went on to tell me how his would suddenly crash at times and the mouse not move. Did I know what was wrong? Take it he hadn't paid attention at all, so I changed the subject and told him that my car was using too much petrol - why would that be? He went silent, so I gave it a shot: "but you're a taxi driver, so you must know cars..."

We didn't speak for the rest of the journey.

On the first leg of the journey from Dublin to Chicago I had great company. A business traveller who'd never crossed the pond before. We got chatting and killed some hours. The next leg of the journey from Chicago to Denver was over before I could think about it, and after "only" 18 hours of travelling I arrived at my hotel. Unfortunately their downtown location turned out to be one big fat lie. I was 5-6 miles away from Denver! Ah well.

After a full day of work today I made my way back to the hotel. I just about had enough energy for a swim and then sat down for dinner. The music got louder, the disco ball started turning. The music was country/western and the people on the dance floor were wearing cowboy hats and boots. They seemed to have fun, and it was a sight for sure. Were the horses tied up outside, I wonder...

Housekeeping

2011-08-28T09:34:00.003+01:00

I have been at home for the past two weeks, but time's running out now. It's been two weeks of being responsible for my own dinners, cleaning up, doing dishes, watering the house plants, and while it has surprised myself, I've even made my bed most of the days.

While some of this seems like work, I've enjoyed having breakie in my PJs, being able to light a few candles at night, chatting to my neighbours, meeting up with friends, having people call by and get started on my Christmas shopping. I feel refreshed and energised. I feel ready for the airport.

I have a suitcase to pack today. I haven't picked which suitcase yet, as I'll need to bring a lot of stuff. I'm off to Denver, CO first. Seems to be pretty warm there, so I'll need summer clothes. Once I finish the job there, I'll make my way to Anchorage, AK where I'll spend the next week. There'll be a few days off in Anchorage before work begins, so I've been looking at trip options and definitely need my hiking boots and some outdoor gear.

End of today I'll be ready. Right now it's coffee time!

The Challenge

2011-08-22T09:30:00.002+01:00

Early Spring I signed up for two races. I was fully convinced I'd have plenty of time to train and get in shape. I was looking for more staff, so what in the world could go wrong?

Well, in July it was the 5 mile (8km) race. I was away so much that my one and only weekend at home was double-booked, so I gave the race a miss.

It was going in the same direction this time. You all know I'm travelling too much, and with many evening spent on planes, I don't get out to run as much as I'd like. However, I returned home from the UK on Friday the 12th of August and was determined as ever. With just eight days to go, I was going to complete the Frank Duffy 10 mile (16km) race. I wanted this.

Eight days is not enough for someone like me to get in good enough shape to actually run that kind of distance, but I spent my eight days (evening after work, mostly) adding distance to my usual runs, and on Saturday morning I made my way to Phoenix Park. I walked nearly two miles to get to the start line, so let's consider that my warm-up. I placed myself in the slow wave and slowly hoped some of the others would do worse than me. Waves one and two were packed with people, whereas this last wave really wasn't. Did that mean nearly everyone else would actually finish in less than 105 minutes? That was the suggested maximum time for wave two...

Ah well, this was a personal challenge to see if I was able to complete a 10 mile race, so the time was irrelevant. I set off at a slow but steady pace. A lady joined me around the first mile marker, but she eventually put a bit of distance between us when she realised I was focused on the running, not on chatting. No, I really can't do both!

Five miles were complete in one hour and four minutes. I felt good. I got to the 6th mile and carried on, but then the mile markers disappeared. I thought I'd maybe just missed seven, but eight never turned up either, so when I eventually saw one of the officials I asked where I was. I'd slowed down to avoid getting exhausted - not realising I didn't have as far to go as I expected. I was less than a mile from the finish line.

I picked up a bit of speed, but it was too late and I was annoyed I'd lost track of where I was. Poor organisation to remove the mile markers when people are still out running!

Anyway, I could finally see the finish line. I had plenty of people behind me - that felt good, to be honest! Then the announcer made a good attempt at calling out my name. The rush of having people actually cheer when I crossed the line made it possible to stay on my feet. My time was anything but impressive, but I'd done it and felt great.

2:17:12.

I'll stick to shorter distances in the future!

News?

2011-08-18T19:39:00.003+01:00

It hardly surprises that there's little to no routine in my life these days. I become a regular when I visit the same restaurant twice and I fell less ackward when I walk into the carpark actually remembering the colour of the car I hold the keys for.

It seems that no two days are ever the same. Except for this week. It's been office week, and it's been a daily occurance.

If I get the tram 17 minutes past, it'll take me approximately 60 metres closer to the office than most of the other trams.
If I hit the snooze button and wait for a later train, someone else in the office will have made the coffee by the time I arrive. The coffee, however, will be a tad on the weak side.
At 10:25am the old fat labrador will appear over on the other side of the road. It'll carefully cross the road and turn the corner. 15-20 minutes later it'll be on its way back, now with a newspaper in the mouth.

It's the little routines that makes you realise you're home. It's exciting to see and experience new things, but it's comfortable to know what's to come. Finding the right balance is key!

Because she said so

2011-08-17T18:27:00.002+01:00

I had just left the office this evening to get the tram home. I looked at the sign to see that the next tram home would leave in 7 minutes. Alternative I could opt to walk about 60m and get on a tram in 2 minutes. Hmmm. Nah, I was not going to add 60m to the journey. Not tonight.

As I stood there looking at the sign (I've no idea why I was still looking at it - the details weren't that likely to change!), an elderly lady approached me. She wanted to know if the tram would stop at Heuston Station. I conformed that it would and told her she'd need to board on the other side of the platform.

I got on the tram and the elderly lady and her elderly lady friend followed.

Lady One: Are you sure the tram will stop at Heuston?
Lady Two: Yes, I asked the girl.
Lady One: So it'll stop at Heuston?
Lady Two: Yes. Because she said so.

Thankfully I actually knew what I was talking about - even if I don't really feel like a "local" these days!

Retro

2011-08-14T14:44:00.003+01:00

Aer Lingus planes are normally easy to spot; they are green. Very, very green. But in this 75th anniversary year, they've decorated one of their brand new A320s in the old 60th style. Last week was my second time boarding it.

I know you're probably thinking it doesn't take much to excite me these days, but for a gal who flies just about every week, this is wicked!

I left in a normal green plane from Manchester again on Friday morning and returned back home to Dublin. There'll be no travelling for two full weeks and I'm so very excited. It'll take a few days to get used to cooking dinner again and remembering to keep the fridge stocked, but so far so good...

Spuds

2011-08-07T22:51:00.002+01:00

A few months back I took a spud, put it in a pot and covered it with compost. Shortly after I had a lovely plant. Then I went away for too long and the plant kinda died. It happens.

I left the remains of the plant in the pot and kept watering it from time to time. Well, once a week or so when I visited home. I don't even know how often you have to water things like this, so maybe it was fine.

It was watering day yesterday, but then I noticed the spud just above the surface. Hmmmm!

I got curious and emptied the pot. 50 tiny little spuds emerged. Some were about the size of real spuds while others were so tiny they hardly even qualify as food, but boiled in salted water they tasted absolutely wonderful. Guess I've just grown my first ever spuds.

Tomatoes are next. The plans is just about to get its first two flowers. Wonder how long it'll be for the actual tomatoes to appear...

Weblog Make-Over

2011-08-01T15:21:00.002+01:00

I went out to buy paint for my hall and bedrooms yesterday and figured that with all this change, it was time for my blog to get a make-over as well. I've had a few remarks about the accessibility of my blog due to very dark background colours, so I decided to follow the rules this time... while still having a bit of fun.

Who knows, maybe this will encourage me to write a bit more too!

Change

2011-07-31T10:37:00.004+01:00

Five years ago, the neighbourhood I've decided to make my home was demolished completely. A rough inner-city area was given a second chance; a chance to clean up and build a future.

I remember the old blocks in the picture. I remember the panic after taking a wrong turn and suddenly driving through the area. And I remember the scepticism when I first went to view what is now my home.

When I returned home on Friday evening and got in a taxi, the driver was quick to question my destination. Why would I want to go there? Well, how about I live there?!

Parked outside my door I think he realised that change is possible. I was home... and happy to be.

Keeping track

2011-07-30T10:17:00.002+01:00

I returned from Liverpool last night. I'm sure of that. Before that it was Barcelona, and Manchester might have been on the list too. Seems like a bit of a blur at this stage...

114 days spent away so far this year.
22 trips - some of them with multiple destinations.
97,385km travelled by plane. I haven't made a note of distance travelled by car...
It's been 35 cities in 6 countries. Not as many countries as I thought, but there's plenty of time to add to that.

Or is there?

I lost my passport when checking in my suitcase on Tuesday afternoon. Never got it back from the check-in person, but I realised it too late, and when I came back she was gone and there was no sign of my passport.

Police report completed, arrangements made with the Embassy, suitcase collected from the Arrivals hall and many worries later I was finally on my way back home. It was strange to leave the airport knowing I hadn't even been anywhere!

A temporary passport got me on my way to Liverpool on Wednesday, and it'll due just fine for travelling to the UK next week as well, but my upcoming trip to Denver in a little over a week is in jeopardy right now. Worse still, with the new passport rules the photo in my new passport looks more like a criminal than me. I wasn't even allowed to smile. Not that there was honestly much to smile about, but still...

Bella, part two

2011-07-17T21:15:00.003+01:00

Saturday morning, 10am. A friend and myself were once again waiting for a make-over to begin. With a somewhat bad experience the first time, we'd been given a full complimentary session, and what better way to get ready for a night out!

Champagne, more champagne, hair and make-up sorted, photo shoot, then a make-up and hair-do change, and more champagne no doubt. I insisted I wanted to be "me", so the glasses stayed on.

They managed to get rid of my tired look. I'm back to normal again, but I feel prepared for the week. Three days, then it's time for Barcelona. A five day Birthday celebration is about to commence!

The non-alcohol-related hangover

2011-07-09T16:37:00.003+01:00

I crashed at 9pm last night, then woke at midnight because of an incoming text message. A few hours of restless turning, then sleep finally found me again. Sleep was followed by more sleep, broken several times, but it was noon before I finally dragged myself out of bed.

It's that feeling of a hangover, but there was no alcohol involved, it's just jeglag. I'm so beside myself I know I can't be around other people. I feel I'm wasting my weekend by just staying at home, but it's all I can do.

Less than two weeks and I'll be on my way to Spain though. Holiday and birthday celebrations. There's still a business trip to get out of the way before I go, but I can see the light. I'll be back under the sun real soon!

The Oasis

2011-07-07T00:33:00.002+01:00

It's been lovely to spend some time in New York, but it's time to leave. Time to say goodbye to sun and heat and welcome some rain again. I'm not ready, but the plane is parked outside now, so I won't be able to postpone it much longer.

Over and out

2011-07-06T01:15:00.003+01:00

It went from warm to hot to too hot. I've learned to appreciate the a/c and I seek out the shade. There's something wrong in the world of Dot.Com!

I was lucky to have great company for the long weekend in New York, and it was quite naturally concluded with the 4th of July fireworks over Hudson River. We sat down for dinner and let the crowd pass us by, but an hour before the show was due to begin we had lined up with the other 4 million people to watch the sky turn red (yes, the show started early).

We missed out on the music, but a display of colours kept us entertained for about 20 minutes. I wasn't sure how much I'd appreciate it, but I was impressed.

Tomorrow is my last day here. Work will keep my busy, just as today. Good things come to an end much too soon some times, but as I don't know how much longer I can cope with 30 degrees in the shade, it might actually be good for me to cool off for a bit. I'll regret saying that if it rains once I get home to Dublin Thursday!

A New York Minute

2011-07-04T04:46:00.003+01:00

Friday night was small-town America. Dinner was followed by dessert, and quite naturally I demanded s'mores. The campfire was brought to my table - blue and toxic looking, but it worked. I set two out of five marshmallows on fire!

The evening ended with Long Trail beer on a rooftop somewhere, and Saturday morning came much too soon and the journey south began. We reached the city at 3pm and headed out at 5pm. No time to waste.

Dinner in Broadway Joe's was followed by drinks, more drinks and then possibly a drink or two. Five of us showed the city a good time and finished up in an Irish bar. Where else would you go for a fun night out?

Two people left this morning, one more this evening, so only two of us left now, but we're ready for the 4th of July, so bring on the fun!

Pool side support

2011-06-30T22:02:00.002+01:00

Today was one of those days. There was work, but there was flexibility as to where that work took place. It started out in a training room, down the way back. No, actually the first few hours I worked from the hotel.

Anyway, the training room is in a basement, so not much day light. Definitely no sunshine. I was not really there to do much, it was just a work station, like any other.

1:30pm finally resulted in a lunch break, so we headed off and found a lovely place outside in the sun. Time passed and it became quite obvious to me that there was no way I was going back to the basement, so I changed direction and went back to the hotel. A quick change, and suddenly I found myself lounging by the pool. How in the world did that happen?

To make sure I was still working, I started out by testing the pool chair. Quite comfortable, almost no matter how you positioned it. I was able to lie down, sit up and even find a comfortable position somewhere in-between.

Next there was the water. Pleasantly warm, and with a max depth of 4.5 feet I was safe no matter where in the pool I ended up. The ultimate test was sharing. Others suddenly showed up, and that didn't work out too well, so I called it a day. Knowing I might have missed a small part of the pool I suppose I'll have to go back tomorrow...

Kick back and relax

2011-06-29T01:48:00.002+01:00

Yesterday was a long nap followed by a long drive. The GPS lady seemed to think it necessary to play a double-beep to celebrate each successful turn, and based on the complexity she might have had a point. The further we got from the airport, the less she talked. Thankfully I had other company in the car, so I was still being fed gummy bears whenever needed.

I'm in familiar surroundings, and while there's some work involved, there's plenty of opportunity to chillax as well. Tonight was spent catching up with a friend before running for shelter when a thunder storm set in. Another few days and I'll head back to the city.

Sometimes life is simply good.

The seasons - they go round and round...

2011-06-18T13:45:00.005+01:00

It's been a while. A long while, even. But it's all good and there's no "writer's block" or anything, I've just taken a break...

First there was Denmark for a week in early June. It was annual leave and very much needed. Summer was booked and I admittedly spent most of my time outside in the sun. It seems a distant memory now.

Back in Dublin I just about had enough time to repack the suitcase before my journey to South Africa began. Nearly 24 hours of travelling finally had me in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape. The first day was rain, rain and rain. This had lasted a few days already, but it stopped quickly and sun and "summer" weather was back. Strange to think this was winter for them!

Minutes after leaving the airport I spotted the first Vervet Monkey and before I reached my destination I'd seen several types of buck and a lonely Giraffe. Adventures had begun!

Over the next days I managed to see Springbuck, Impala, Baboons, Giraffes, Fort Tailed Drongo, Hoopoe, Guineafowl, Black Wildebeest, Elephants, Red Hartebeest, Common Duiker, Zebras, Caracal (Roolkat), Black-backed Jackal, Ostrich, Warthogs, Bush-buck, Yellow Mongoose, Meerkat, Bokmakierie, Eland, Kudu, Vervet Monkey, Dung Beetle, Black-Headed Heron and probably many other animals. I've pictures of most of them - a few of them are here for you to see :)

Baby Elephants at play (or fight!)

Warthogs - they taste real good!

Zebra - they seem to like posing for the camera.

Kudu - made for a lovely dinner!

Caracal (Roolkat).

Hoopoes.

This elephant walked right by the car. It was almost a little bit TOO close!

A lonesone Giraffe.

And then a Common Duiker in the end.

It was amazing to experience such a different culture. Wish I could have stayed a little bit longer, but before I knew it I was back on the plane and another 24 journey had begun.

I've a weekend at home now, then it's off on new "adventures" again. Not sure how exciting Cork will be...

Packing tips

2011-05-23T21:18:00.002+01:00

Dear Mr Obama

It has come to my attention that you need a little bit of help learning how to pack for an overnight trip. I'm surprised, as you travel quite a bit, but as an experienced business traveller I understand how difficult it can be at times, so let me offer some help.

In preparation for a 24 hour visit to Ireland you somehow got the impression you needed 3 big Boeings of luggage to be sent over in advance and then whatever would fit on Air Force One with yourself in the end. Did you do any research in advance? Seriously, 3 Boeings? What did you think you wouldn't be able to get if needed? 6 helicopters? My dear, have you even looked on a map? Ireland is not that big. A car will suffice for getting from A to B assuming the don't flipping close the roads to keep us "normal people" away from the visitors.

To be brutally honest, for a 24 hour visit you can travel with hand luggage and that'll still leave you room for a present or two for anyone special you might meet. You need a suit (assuming you're like me and prefer to travel in a pair of track suit pants), maybe jeans (dunno if you wear that sort of thing), a couple of shirts (for variety - it's only 24 hours, like!), socks (in case you step in a puddle) and all the other normal stuff. If you fold it nicely I can assure you it'll fit just fine into a small to medium sized suitcase. There's still room for a teddybear if you have one.

I hear you cut your visit short in the end because of an ash cloud getting close to Ireland. I hope you still enjoyed and got to use all your helicopters. Think about the environment next time you pack, please.

Safe home!

Kindest regards
Dot-Com

Queens and Presidents

2011-05-22T21:34:00.002+01:00

The week is almost over, but the chaos hasn't ended. Somehow our good President, Mary, had decided to ask her Queen pal to come over for a visit. The Queen obviously thought a slumber party sounded like fun, so she threw a few things in a bag (quite a few, I'm sure) and got a flight organised.

Airport closures, road closures, LUAS disruptions, bus chaos and what-not was to follow. Those of us who had work to do needed to start early and finish late to make room for her Majesty. Handbag search to even walk to the supermarket to pick up food at lunch, and trying to cross the Liffey was impossible at best. The public was kept at a distance and getting anywhere was a flipping nightmare, but it came to an end eventually after she had the perfect pint of Guinness in front of her and refused to try it. Yup, we sent her home!

Anyway, the Queen leaving didn't bring normality back, because the American President has decided to visit too. He luggage has been arriving since Friday. Roads are closed and blocked off, the Park is off limits, getting around is still a pain. He arrives tomorrow, and while I know he'll cause my flight to be delayed, I am SO happy to skip town for the rest of the week.

Restore normality, please!

2 or 34...

2011-05-16T22:33:00.000+01:00

I got home yesterday morning after what seemed like an endless flight. I was restless. Was I coming or going? Was Dublin "home" or a brief visit?

I pushed the number in the elevator. 4 was the highest, so getting to 34 somehow wasn't an option, but when the elevator stopped at 2 it still seemed odd. Same deal when I got to the office today (a wee bit late, I must confess). 2 again. Waiting for 34.

Is home becoming a strange place?

Home away from home

2011-05-14T13:52:00.002+01:00

I like the pillows in the bed that's been mine for the last few days. I'll miss them. The shower could be more powerful, and if the towels were pink I'd feel more at home. I wonder what colour of towels I'll find in my own bathroom when I get home tomorrow. It's all a bit of a blur...

I'm on the 34th floor waiting for the day to begin. I've picked up a bagel and coffee from the shop across the street and arranged my chair and table so I can see Chicago out there. Well, the lower part of Chicago. The top is covered in clouds, but I know it's there somewhere.

I arrived on Tuesday and it was hot, hot, hot! The rest of the week got increasingly hotter. Then work finished yesterday afternoon and the temperature dropped and the sun disappeared. Guess that's a sign it's time to leave...

It'll be Dublin next for a week. Oh wait, that's HOME! Then it's Scotland, followed by a week in Denmark (that's also home, in a way!). South Africa will follow after that, then it's most likely back to the USA. I can't keep track, but I might as well just make the most of it and enjoy.

Italian of French

2011-05-01T09:52:00.002+01:00

Thursday afternoon indicated the end to my visit in Chicago. I left my corner suite, thinking I should have asked if I could just leave my clothes in the walk-in wardrobe. I'll be back soon anyway!

Bags packed, I arrived at the check-in counter. With everyone else in the "other" queue, I experienced the joy of being a Gold customer. No waiting, and before I knew it, I'd been moved from a seat down the back of the plane to a window seat at the emergency exit. Extra leg room is naturally very important for a short person like me :)

I eventually took my seat and met my neighbour. A woman around 50, travelling home. She'd spent the past three weeks helping her daughter and son-in-law get used to the new challenge of parenthood.

She took a sleeping tablet and the wait began. She told me how she'd paid extra money for this seat, only because she didn't feel she could justify spending $3,000 upgrading to first class. Not when there are children starving in Africa. I felt like saying that unless she was going to donate $3,000 to starving children, she wasn't really helping anyone by NOT sitting in first class, but I kept quiet. When she finally asked point blank, I admitted that I hadn't paid extra for my seat. That finally made her pass out.

Her elbow took up the entire arm rest and more. It was in my way, so I gently tried to move it a bit, but despite her being asleep, there was no moving her. My tray table was in that arm rest, so when dinner was eventually served, I had to. It woke up, and the entertainment began.

I quickly finished the few bits of food I wanted. She started with the main course and finished every last bit of it. Then on to the bread roll, but she obviously doesn't know the trick of leaving the frozen block of butter underneath the hot tray to soften it, so buttering the bread became a challenge. Not helped by the fact that she used her fork for the job. No, I have no idea why!

Next she ate her chocolate. Then it was salad time. Guess she never noticed the Italian Dressing...

Finally she finished the cheese cake, and then tea was served. I watched her struggle with the little bag of Italian Dressing. I was wondering... giggling on the inside. Thinking I knew what was going to happen, and I was right. She filled the dressing into her tea and had a sip. She looked puzzled. She tried again, then one more time. She turned to me:

"The tea is shite! It has a strange lemony flavour. It's really not nice".

I had to bite my tongue not to laugh. Should I suggest it might have been nicer with French Dressing? I offered her my little pot of milk, but she declined. She didn't seem to cop on and I spent the rest of the journey trying not to giggle whenever I thought about the dressing.

While she was in my way, she took care of the entertainment. Better still, she didn't even know!

Prepare for take-off

2011-04-28T22:45:00.003+01:00

I did manage to get a brief look at what seems to be a very cool city. This morning there was time to either visit the gym OR go for a walk, and as the rain had decided to (at least almost) take a break, I opted to go outside into the real world with fresh air and what-not.

The water was down to the left. I walked the two blocks and came to a highway. Hmmm!

I needed to get to the other side, but there was nowhere to cross. I carried on down the side of the highway and eventually found a tunnel under the road. Yup, I got to the other side and was suddenly right on the beach.

While it wasn't as pleasant and warm as on the beaches I visited in California a couple of weeks ago, the view was certainly stunning. Then the rain came back and I quickly walked back to the hotel.

Not sure I'd say I've actually visited Chicago. Hopefully I'll have a bit more time next time...

From city to city

2011-04-26T01:45:00.003+01:00

An eight hour journey, a few hours of delay and an insane amount of screaming and crying (not by me, mind you - there were children travelling!) finally had me at the check-in counter at my home for the week. It's Chicago this time.

"As a valued customer blah blah blah we'd like to upgrade you blah blah".

I was listening. Or was I? I opened the door. OK, a three seater leather couch and a zebra style arm chair. A desk and a massive TV. A few tables. But where the fuck was the bed? I opened the next door. A hall. Was it mine? Should I continue? I did and opened yet another door to the side. That was my bathroom, it turned out. Further down the corridor was the last door - the one that finally revealed the bedroom. Windows on two sides to display a few of... well, fog. Around the corner was my walk-in closet, and on the bed they'd left a wee red bag with ear plugs (that better not be a warning!), lavender linen spray and an eye mask. Not bad, I must admit!

I went up to the penthouse to have a look at the pool. Closed for the season, but I can see potential here. Maybe it'll be open in two weeks when I'm back?

Next was the bar/restaurant. You have to remember I've just spent a week being spoiled in New York, so this was not impressive. English style, and mostly just Irish. The Jameson's Chicken had never been anywhere near a bottle of Jameson, but it did the job, as I'm nolonger hungry, and the Fat Tire was lovely (that's the beer, just in case anyone is confused now!)

Easter and the City

2011-04-25T00:57:00.003+01:00

At 8:30am I left the hotel this morning in search of the Easter Bunny. OK, correction. I needed coffee. And I wasn't searching, I knew exactly where to go.

After my coffee fix I got on the 1 train and headed down to Battery Park. I was greeted first by a turkey - a real one, I might add. Not sure how the heck he belonged in the picture, but sure why not! Then on to look at Miss Liberty and the millions of people joining the queue to visit her.

More coffee for me.

A long walk with many stops, then finally made it back to Times Square for a quick bite to eat before heading uptown to Central Park.

I eventually walked back via Rockefeller Center and finally found the Easter Bunny. She was skating on the ice they prepared yesterday! No eggs for me, but maybe that's a good thing.

Around the world

2011-04-23T01:09:00.003+01:00

The work week is over and it's time to kick back and relax. Business travel is by no means as glamorous as it sounds, and even if the destination is New York City, I still run out of energy after an eight hour work day. There's been time for catching up on office work and eating dinner, and that's pretty much been it.

But dinner has been worth it, so you're honestly not hearing me complain. I started out by testing what the Americans had on the menu on Monday when I arrived. Good, but not exciting. The cocktail had me tipsy by the time I left. Gosh, doesn't take much these days!

Tuesday I was ready for adventures, so I picked a "local" Mexican places called Sombreo. No wait time and a prefectly relaxed atmosphere. Chicken with a pineapple salsa, vegetables cooked to perfection and spicy rice. Nice!

It was tempting to go back to Sombreo again on Wednesday, but I'd noticed a French restaurant close by and couldn't help but wonder if it was the place I had Christmas dinner with my family twice back in the 90s. I have no idea if it was. The place didn't look familiar... Snobby and cold, just as I'd expect, but the food was superb. There was steak in a red wine sauce for me.

Becco had been recommended by one of my clients, so I went on a long trek two entire streets away to find it. A 15 minute wait secured me a table right at the window. I considered the signature pasta option, but I had pork in the end. Cooked to perfection and so delicious I ordered dessert in the end. Home made Italian sorbet!

I was unsure about what I wanted tonight, but after wandering around a while, I entered a Cuban restaurant. Wait time again, but it was happy hour, so I ordered a cocktail and waited at the bar. Citrus chicken with grilled pineapple. No leftovers and definitely no room for dessert. I'd go back again, but I'll need to find a new country tomorrow. It would be wrong not to.

New York Minute

2011-04-19T01:25:00.003+01:00

Last week was endless. There was jetlag, there was trouble, there was too much work. I ended up exhausted.

This morning I took off again. The first destination was New York City, and while that should bring colour and glamour to life, everything is still a bit black and white.

I'll look at things differently in the morning when I get a proper New York bagel and some coffee, I'm sure...

My inner child and I

2011-04-03T06:32:00.003+01:00

Today was my day on the lose. My day to explore and be a kid. My day to relax for a moment or two.

I had decided not to rush. I was NOT running late, no matter how much the White Rabbit would probably contradict that statement, and yet I entered the Disneyland Park at exactly 9am. It was warm outside already and I just couldn't wait any longer.

As I wasn't looking for any "mad" rides, I picked the old Disneyland Park. I quickly learned from eaves dropping to conversations that kiddie rides should be left for later, as the kids would be gone, so I set off to find some of the more advanced rides as soon as I got my bearings.

I quickly came to realise it was the atmosphere and setting I was attracted to. The rides were OK, but there was a limit to my patience, and the longest I ended up waiting in line was 30 minutes.

Possibly intended for little kids, Toontown was my favourite. The houses were so perfect. The Disney characters were everywhere, and the wee roller-coaster was a ton of fun. Maybe I really AM just still a kid!

Around dinner time I decided to get my hand stamped and left for Downtown Disney for a bite to eat. I considered my options after that, but in the end I walked "home" and filled the jacuzzi. I'd left today, entered the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy. I'd eaten popcorn and spent time in the sun. It was time to return to "normality".

I had all the best intentions in the world for returning to Disneyland for the fireworks display, but I knew I had perfect vision from my hotel room, so in the end I got lazy and decided to stay. I had a small bottle of California Merlot and nolonger needed the outside world.

Surprisingly enough the sunblock I purchased yesterday worked. I can see a tiny bit of colour on my skin, but nothing is burned and nothing hurts. Bet nobody will even notice I was gone!

California Dreaming

2011-04-02T04:28:00.003+01:00

Wednesday was tough. A full day of work, then the drive from Milwaukee to O'Hare to catch a flight. I made it to LAX a bit ahead of schedule, so by midnight I was on the road in my white Mazda 3. The destination was Irvine in Orange County.

I woke up to heat. Real heat. The type I call summer. Perfect!

Work had to get done though, but by 5pm I was back in the hotel and had plans made to meet the boss for dinner. Dinner was followed by a trip to the park for a balloon ride, then it was the carousel and finally a few drinks back in the hotel. I was beat and sufficiently tired to sleep properly for the first time in ages.

The heat increased a few degrees again today, so we were up to 29 when I left the client at 3pm. Traffic was bad on the seven-lane-in-each-direction freeway, so the short distance to Annaheim took nearly an hour.

Once again it paid off to be a "valued customer". I got a room with a jacuzzi :)

I set off to explore a bit and find out where I'll be spending the day tomorrow. Disney is on the agenda! I've purchased sunblock and I have a water bottle, so I think I'm all set!

I'm ready to be a kid for a day...

2011-03-28T01:48:00.002+01:00

After a restless night, I got up early and left the hotel. Just a little more than two hours and I'd be at my final destination. Well, final for the next few days, that is.

It was cold out and continued to get colder and colder the further north I got. No mittens, no winter coat. I opted to stay inside except for the one pit-stop to get fuel. Brrrr!

After checking in to my Milwaukee hotel I set off to find the "coast". I'm not sure if that's really the right term as the "sea" is really just a huge big lake? Anyway, after a few arguments with Miss GPS (she was not really picking up on the fact that there was a good bit of road construction going on), we got to the coast and parked the car. I ventured outside.

Pretty, but very cold. I kept on walking. I held my warm coffee tumbler in one hand and buried the other in a pocket. Still cold. I lasted less than 15 minutes, then I was back in the car and DROVE to the opposite car park to enjoy the full coastal view. My oh my, I needed a hat and mittens!

Back in the hotel I decided the swimming pool looked very inviting. And, well, it did. When there was nobody else in it. The minute I got there, others started to arrive too, and one thing's for sure. I don't like sharing a swimming pool. I left.

Dinner followed once I'd beautified myself again. I'd been told to try out the local brew, so I asked the waiter for recommendations. She didn't get a chance to reply before a bunch of guys started giving advice. Well, there was the spotted cow if I was one to like wheat beer. Not so much, so that was a no.

I fell for the name "cabin fever". It's how I feel when I've been at home too long, so it seemed ironic to pick it up while actually out. A slight sense of honey and hence somewhat sweet. Perfect for a light meal and definitely one I'd love for a hot summer's day. I decided to pretend...

Medium

2011-03-25T22:55:00.002Z

The Orange Jeep, myself and the GPS set off at 9am this morning. The destination was somewhere out in nowhere. The GPS suggested it would take us all 6 hours to get there. Not bad, I thought. Google Maps had suggested 7.5.

Half an hour passed. We'd gone slightly above the allowed speed limit, so I was surprised to see 10 minutes added to the journey time already. We kept going.

The Jeep was running low on petrol, so we pulled in at one of the rest areas. They have a fancier name, but it's late now and I've forgotten, so let's just stick with my terminology for now. A few minutes later we were back on the road and Miss GPS had added half an hour. Bitch!

Two short breaks for coffee/food. One more break for petrol. The petrol break took slightly longer. The pump required a zip to be entered. I attempted to enter 00000 as I don't have a zip, of course. No joy. The I figured I'd try with 90210. I mean, one can always dream, right? No joy. I got petrol, but I'd spent an extra 10 minutes, and in Miss GPS's world that entails a half hour punishment.

We arrived here in the middle of nowhere at exactly 5pm - 8 hours after we left York. I checked in and went back to reception to ask if I was right in having noticed a sign for a Pizza Hut. Yup, just up the road, the reception lady said. "You can probably walk there, if you really want..."

I have it a shot. I walked to the other side of the car park (or should I say parking lot?) and crossed the road. There it was. Pizza Hut.

I had this idea in my head that I'd have a pizza and curley fries. They have them back home, and even though I probably only visit Pizza Hut once a year, I remember them and HAD TO HAVE THEM.

No curley fries.

When she made me pick, I opted to have a medium sized pizza. I was medium hungry and never realised there'd actually be enough pizza for a medium sized FAMILY. Ah sure, we live and learn! I've a fridge in the room and can bring the rest along for tomorrow and Sunday!

Next it was the booze shop beside the hotel. I needed wine. I carefully selected a bottle and when to pay...

"I smell vegetables. Did they put vegetables on your pizza?!"

I ignored the question and put the bottle on the counter.

"That one has a screw cap. Sure ya want that?"

Enough with the questions already. Yes I wanted the screw cap. I had very specifically found one that actually had just that because I didn't intend to drink the entire bottle tonight. All I said was "yes".

I'll be back on the road tomorrow, but it's time to relax now, and who knows... I might finish the bottle after all.

Two down, several to go

2011-03-24T00:46:00.002Z

Two jobs are complete now. There's still one left to do here in York, PA, but by tomorrow evening that'll be out of the way and I'll be getting ready for my road trip to Wisconsin.

It's been sunny, windy, rainy and sunny again, and just an hour ago we got a major thunder storm. The lightning outside looked like fireworks. I was happy to be inside! Snow and frost doesn't fit into my picture, but the weather forecast isn't promising, so having an ice scraper in the car might turn out not to be a joke after all...

From VA to PA

2011-03-23T01:05:00.003Z

Monday morning happened much too soon. I was not ready. Not one bit. But it didn't change the fact that I had to set off to find the first client, and so I found myself back on the road.

10 minutes later I arrived. Dammit! Why don't I ever trust the GPS when it tells me something is just up the road? Why do I always need half an hour extra to spare?

Half an hour of killing time, and we finally got started. All I wanted was for the day to end so I could get back on the road, and at exactly 15:45 that happened.

I had 525km of driving to do. Miss GPS promised we'd arrive in York, PA at 20:59. I beat her to it by one minute!

The weather turned nasty during the drive. We started out with lovely "summer" weather, but then the rain started, and thunder quickly followed. The lightning was beautiful to watch, and I had little else to entertain me, but I was happy to see it stop before I arrived and had to get out of the car.

One room upgrade later and I was sound asleep...

Blue Ridge Mountains

2011-03-22T23:50:00.002Z

Sunday morning started with a trip to the cemetery again; then it was time for Firefly and me to get on the road again. She wasn't going too far. I was off to Blacksburg in Virginia.

Confusing as it was, the GPS lady got me out of DC, but then she failed to tell me about a turn, and before I knew it she'd added an hour to my journey as punishment. The bitch! All was forgotten, however, when I had the perfect view of the Blue Ridge Mountains right in front of me. I would have stopped for photos, but there was nowhere to stop, so this will remain a picture in my memory only.

We arrived eventually, checked in (that was just me, actually. They didn't care much about my GPS). Dinner was next, but the restaurant was closed, so room-service was the only option.

I passed out...

Reunion

2011-03-22T12:04:00.004Z

Whether it was the jetlag or two curious furry friends I'm not sure, but half a pitcher of Margaritas only seem to have me passed out till around 7am.

Taio and Raven seem to understand perfectly well that when nobody rushes to get to work it means cemetery time. Yup, I know just how that sounds, but up the road from Jolie's house there's a huge cemetery which is being used for dog walking. It used to be where drug dealings and other crime took place, but with hundreds of dogs running around there's no room for that any more.

A good long walk later we dropped the dogs off at home and went to Eastern Market, thinking we would have just enough time to get back before Firefly arrived. Neither of us had seen her in about a decade, and now was the time to catch up.

Hours of talking, laughing and having fun. We ended up in DC eventually. More Margaritas and a job to watch out for the big full moon. That moon didn't look much different than other full moons, but it was fun running down the stars to announce Mr Moon was in the sky :)

Saturday night ended much too soon...

On the road again

2011-03-21T00:32:00.003Z

Thursday evening concluded my visit to London. With shamrocks in my pocked and a pint of Guinness in front of me, I was preparing to go home.

I must have slept at full speed - or maybe it was the pilot who did the speeding. Either way I was home half an hour early and managed to unpack and repack before the strike of midnight.

Friday morning the taxi was early, but I was ready, and before I knew it, I was stuck in security in Dublin Airport again. Six bags had to be searched before it was my turn. My bagel got cold and breakfast was rushed, but with nearly eight hours of nap time ahead I was barely even concerned.

Initially I was annoyed to find there was someone sitting next to me, but Miss San Francisco turned out to be good fun. Great to have someone to chat to when I wasn't sleeping.

In New York we both had to get to a different terminal for a connecting flight, so after removing a few layers and accepting the reality of 27 degrees outside, we set off to Terminal 5. The wait began.

I arrived in DC only ten minutes late. Quickly got my suitcase and got to the car rental place. Did I want to upgrade to a bigger car? Nah, no need for that, thank you very much. He walked me outside...

"Well, you see, we don't actually have any small cars left, so you can have a pick of any of these", he said. "We won't charge extra".

I looked around. The Jeep matched the colour of my suitcase, so it was a no brainer. I was ready for the road. Driving to the South East of DC meant cutting right through the centre of DC, but once the sightseeing was complete, I was greeted my Jolie and the dogs and felt right at home. Dinner and a few margaritas later I was passed out and had no concerns in the world.

Yesterday's adventures will follow later, but it's time for bed soon as I need to be ready for a long day tomorrow...

There is food

2011-03-16T20:05:00.002Z

It's London this week. Well, for one more day, anyway. I got here Sunday and was exceptionally tired, so after spending the day in the city, I had dinner in the hotel restaurant. I seemed like the perfect idea at the time...

Vegetable curry. How wrong could it go, right? Very, my friends. Very. The vegetables were cooked to perfection, but with eight chillies added everything just tasted hot, hot and even more hot. I was not amused.

No, that last bit is actually a lie. I was amused; just not by the food.

In the corner of the restaurant was the American guy. He kept asking the waiter to call over. First he wanted ketchup, then it was a sauce, then he sent something back to the kitchen (I should have done that too!). There was constant activity.

Close to the American was an English guy. He'd ordered steak and chips, served with a pepper sauce, tomato, mushrooms and spinach. The first thing he did was remove ALL the vegetables and then attacked the steak and chips. Guess that explains the size of the man...

The there was the table right in the middle of the restaurant. A young guy and two women. Twins. Gosh that was awkward! It was very obvious the guy didn't know the women. Dinner was arranged with other activities to follow. I was happy to leave and even happier his room wasn't next to mine.

Tomorrow evening the journey home begins. Friday I'll be off to the US. Busy, busy, busy...

The Script

2011-03-12T20:35:00.002Z

I'm just about to leave and won't be back for a while. I feel like telling the boss I can't be moved, but it won't work and part of me doesn't want it to anyway...

The Script were playing in the O2 last night, so despite it being my last day, I left the office early. Dinner first, then a packed LUAS out to the Docklands. Great music, great show, great night. Gotta love these Dublin lads!

Tomorrow I'll be off to London for a few days. Then it's DC, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and California. There'll be a few states between Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as I've opted to drive, but I've not had a close look at a map yet, so the details are still to be decided. It'll be hard work, no doubt, but it'll be good to see some friends along the way, and if I'm lucky it'll feel like summer by the time I get to California...

Black Attitude?

2011-03-10T20:43:00.003Z

Monday afternoon, and it was finally time. Miss Silver left the road... and I got a new set of wheels!

I've never been good at naming things, so without further ado I just took the new car home and left her for the night.

First thing next morning when I got to work: "so what's her name?"...

Hmmm! How do you answer that question? I didn't. I started asking how you name a car, and it turns out you either play on her colour, make, model or personality. I'm quite sure she'll take after me and hence end up with a bit of an attitude, and she's black, so I guess that makes her Black Attitude then?

I'm no good at this!

Spring is in the air

2011-02-20T18:57:00.002Z

After a rough flight home from Liverpool Friday night, I didn't have high hopes for the weekend. It was stormy and rainy, so when I woke up on Saturday morning and saw the sun shine, it was a nice surprise!

It was lunch with a fellow blogger I had on my agenda. It had been a while, so needless to say it was great to catch up, and all along we discovered the best place in Dublin for a hot chocolate. I mightn't have to travel to Oxford in the future when I need my hot chocolate fix!

The weekend is coming to a close too soon. It didn't start early enough, so it's great to have a short week ahead. Friday will be a well deserved day off, and there'll be visitors from home from Thursday. Happy days.

Freebies

2011-02-16T19:52:00.002Z

I was up early this morning to prepare for the next leg of my model career. We'd invited a photographer into the office today for new pics, and I knew I'd be up first, as I was jetting off as usual.

No champagne. No stylist to do hair and make-up. Still room for fun and games. I had fun posing for the camera. I'm not even ashamed to admit it!

10am and I was in a taxi on my way to the airport. It was the old Terminal 1 this time, and with no lounge access due to the [choice of] airline, I found myself looking through my handbag to find the voucher for Butlers. I knew I had all 10 stamps, and it was time to claim my free cup of coffee. I really just wanted the chocolate, but what the heck.

A 35 minute plane journey soon had me in Liverpool. No, there's no football on the agenda. I know it's a pity, but maybe next time.

To thank me for being a loyal customer, I got TWO rooms. One is my bedroom with TWO double beds (dunno what I'm supposed to do now). The other room is my office with a big desk facing the window. I can see the harbour, and I'll admit all was good until I realised there was no internet connection. After calling reception I was faced with the brutal news - the internet connection had broken down. They could, however, give me the lend of a laptop. Still no internet, but what an offer, huh? I said thanks very much, but I have one of those!

Order has finally been restored and I'm back online. I've had dinner as well. More freebies here, as they'd offered me half a bottle of wine with dinner for being such a loyal customer. Next time it'll be OK if they ask if I want red or white...

Dinner was not worth writing home about, so I shall leave that in peace for tonight. I'm sure there's better food to find out there in Liverpool and I intend to find it tomorrow!

Carpark or motorway

2011-02-09T21:21:00.003Z

It was a slightly different trip to Dublin Airport today, as it was my first visit to the new Terminal 2. Impressive in its own way, I suppose, but they didn't have "normal" cheese in the lounge and the Wi-Fi didn't work, so I'm not convinced.

Anyway, it was a well needed nap I had on my short flight, so when I finally arrived in Heathrow Airport I was prepared for the challenges ahead.

First step was to pick up a car. They had a grey Corsa waiting, so happy days. No trouble finding lights and all that as it's a car I know darn well!

Then there was the driving. I've heard about the M25 but never actually experienced it as a driver. Now I have, and I'm not looking forward to driving back again tomorrow. Five lanes with cars moving. Not quickly, but too quickly when you don't know where you're going and what lane you need to be in. The GPS was a good help, but nobody is perfect and we got beeped at a few times for changing lanes. Things got faster and faster and then we turned left...

It was country roads from here. Narrow, dark roads. Then I saw signs for Midhurst. This was more than half an hour after I'd have expected to arrive. I was tired and not relaxed. The music was only just to be heard in the background. I needed food.

The hotel is old, but it's not run down. It's the type of place with turf fires that leaves you thinking you've gone back in time. Flowers on the bed clothes and curtains are hardly a surprise!

Dinner was next, of course. I don't know what I expected, but it was a surprise to find a menu with nothing "normal" on it. I didn't know what half the stuff was and didn't want the set dinner for £41.50, so I asked for "Saddle of Southdown Venison with Red Cabbage Ketchup, Wild Mushrooms, Buttered Kale and Cream Potatoes.

Before my dinner arrived I got a shot glass with six tiny bread sticks and a side of sesame biscuits, then a tiny cup of mushroom soup with two bread rolls. And no, I didn't order any of that, that was the starter before the starter as well as the starter before the other starter. I never even had a starter.

The food, by the way, was lovely!

From blue to green

2011-02-01T21:22:00.002Z

I think I found out what happened. I set myself a target not to visit Dublin Airport for the entire month of January, and as I mostly write my blog posts when away, I never got around to writing...

January is over and I'm back. I got on a plane this afternoon and made my way to Southern Wales. A car was waiting for me when I arrived, so 10 minutes after landing I was on my way. The GPS was in charge of directions - she's been here before and normally been quite reliable, so it was a bit of a surprise when she guided me down a one track road! The other rental behind me stayed close and simply followed my every move, and I must say I was VERY happy when we reached a proper road ten kilometers later.

"You have arrived at your destination". Yes, that's honestly what she said when we were outside some car dealers with no hotels in sight. I pulled in and found my trip planner. No phone number. I figured the quickest would be to use a life line, so I called the office and got someone to check a map. I was probably about two minutes away, and I'm sure (almost, that is) I'll remember the directions for tomorrow when I'm done with work and need to return.

The hotel looked cool on the website. The PA had suggested it, as the one I've used before is a bit of a drive away. Check-in took forever. Wi-Fi was password protected and reception didn't answer the phone. Grrrr. Then there was dinner. The restaurant had no free tables, so I ended up in the bar. They had approximately half the things on the menu, and the food was plain and boring. I decided to mention it. I've told them they have the opportunity to make it up to me tomorrow evening. They hardly care...

Words...

2011-01-27T22:57:00.001Z

It seems words won't really jump up on the screen. There's nothing wrong, just not putting fingers to keys.

I'll return here once again...

Theme Thursday - Flip

2011-01-22T15:03:00.002Z

I probably use that word every single day. Flip. There'd be an exclamation mark after it - not that I ever write it down. It's my variation of feck and worse. It's the safe option to avoid the embarrassing "language [!] young lady" that makes me feel like a four year-old.

It substitutes well when used in a friendly sense, but it's not as powerful as fuck. And it can't really be pronounced well in a thick Dub accent, so the people surrounding me will probably stick to fucking this and fucking that.

Flip that!

Will you bring the soul or just the camera?

2011-01-19T21:02:00.000Z

I was having dinner in the hotel restaurant tonight, feeling much too exhausted for heading out properly. Besides, I visited the Yellow Pepper last night, so it was time to check out the more local option.

Six other tables were occupied when I arrived. These were all the tourists I'd seen get on a bus this morning at 9am to go to Giants Causeway. Now it was dinner time and I quickly put down my book and started listening to their conversations in stead. Yes, other people can be just as good entertainment as a book!

First the wanted to decide what the difference between whiskey and whisky is. Then it was on to Irish names and then the discussion of "tomorrow" started. They'll be leaving at 8am to go to Belfast. From there they'll be heading to Dublin to see the sights, and then they expect to be back in the hotel here around 10pm... and yes, that's still tomorrow. What an insult to my city to think they can see the sights in a few hours. Do they have any idea how many pubs we have?

I've travelled to places and not brought a camera, but I always bring my soul. What's the point in going somewhere if you won't have time to notice it...

Anyway, dinner was lovely. Really lovely. I started out with a selection of melon and a wee bit of champagne sorbet. Then I had a huge serving of vegetable curry pasta. Might sound odd enough, but it was perfect. The only trouble was not finishing everything, so I decided I'd just skip dessert, even though it was included in the menu. Skipping dessert? The waiter wouldn't accept that. How about a small serving of ice cream? I agreed. No, didn't even take much to convince me.

The tourists left and I was on my own. I had the only round table in the restaurant and was right in the middle of the room, but I felt comfortable and enjoyed my ice cream.

Mission impossible?

2011-01-17T21:36:00.000Z

In a stubborn moment a while back I decided to avoid Dublin Airport for the entire month of January. Why? No good reason, it just seemed like a good challenge.

I've done well so far, as as a result I picked up a car this morning to drive up to Letterkenny. Was a long enough drive and could have been made a lot shorter by flying to Derry, but that would have ruined my plan!

There was a black Seat Ibiza waiting for me. Nobody had bothered cleaning the outside, but it's a cool enough little car and it's nice not to worry about coolant disappearing left and right like in my own car.

I was in the mood for a nice dinner after I got here, but it seems most restaurants are closed on Mondays, so I settled for bar food and wasn't impressed. Back in the room I figured a bath would do the trick to still make it a great evening, but when I realised the water had this rather brown colour, I suddenly wasn't so sure anymore. With enough soap to make it all fill with bubbles I still gave it a go, but it wasn't the normal relaxing feeling. Four nights of brown water... Hmmm!

Next item on the agenda was work, so I turned on the laptop and needed access to the good old interweb. No. No. Definitely no. Almost. No... But then finally when the laptop was resting on top of the TV, it connected. A weak signal for sure, but a signal none the less. What would happen if I moved the laptop? Well, unfortunately that killed the signal, so if I need to get in touch with the world, it means standing on top of a half broken chair with the laptop on top of the TV. This was a nice hotel a few years ago when I last visited!

The Voice

2011-01-10T21:35:00.002Z

I listen to her every day on the way to work. The "lady" who announces the next stop for my Luas. She's sufficiently subtle that I don't really notice her, but everything was different today. She didn't sound right...

No, it was not a cold - that's just me. Her voice was changed. Her announcements were changed. In cases of Irish and English being the same, she didn't repeat herself. Not a problem really, but there was her accent as well. Different, and not a good different. Not even sure she's a Dublin gal, and anything else would just seem wrong.

I know, I'll get used to her. I don't talk back to the elevator lady anymore when she announces the floors, but why? Why did they have to put a new voice inside the speaker? It's not like they needed to record additional stops - none have been added in ages.

Next stop: Home!

Baggage

2011-01-02T16:46:00.003Z

I didn't do so well trying to write a blog post every day in December, so the "reverb 10" pretty much ended after 10 posts. It turned out to be too much repetition, but otherwise a good idea.

I'm back in Dublin - and I have unpacked. While packing is a problem, unpacking is a much bigger challenge, simply because it seems a waste of time when the bag needs to be packed again the next day. But not now. Not right now.

You might think packing is easy when it's just a few days of business travel every single time, but even when I pack to go away for two nights, I still have to pack to go anywhere, right? Think that's easy? Anyone can write a list to remember a toothbrush, three pairs of knickers and socks (though I still recently forgot socks completely!). That doesn't take a genius, those are just the bare essentials. It's all the rest that's complicated.

I recently read that a business traveller just needs a suit and a few tops/shirts. What? Seriously? That might be enough for the work day, but what happens if, just if, there's going to be evening entertainment and not just a night of lone dining? No suit, whatever colour or shape, can accommodate for everything. Packing is an art.

I'm by no means like those girls who pay extra to be able to bring ten pairs of shoes on a holiday. I know they're just trying to be prepared for everything, and they surely end up with some well travelled shoes! No, making a list for packing is just not an option. Every trip is different. It might be the destination. It might be the mood. Either way, packing takes time and can't be done in advance, so from now on my suitcase will live in the storage room and only make an appearance when it needs to be packed.

Surely my apartment will seem less colourful without my red and my yellow suitcases hanging around, but with pictures on the wall and new red cushions and blanket for the living room, I think I'm ready.

Counting the numbers

2010-12-28T13:48:00.002Z

You probably all know I hate numbers, but at the end of the year it's still fun to look at some of them:

1 holiday and 2 trips to Denmark. It'll look better if I count them all as holidays, so let's say 3. Not enough no matter how you add the numbers.
66 fligths boarded. 62 of those were work related. One is in the future, ie tomorrow. Strangely enough, it's only 9 countries total.
106 days spent away from home. Mostly work, but that hardly comes as a surprise.
87,109 km travelled for work. That only accounts for air travel...
4 nights stranded abroad. 1 night in London in February due to snow. I managed to get a hotel room. 1 night in Guernsey due to fog. I shared a hotel room with a colleague. 1 night in Paris because someone stole [!] my passport. No hotel room. One night in Birmingham - that was snow again. Fingers crossed I get home tomorrow!
2 friends lost. Yup, they are lost, not me. Neither is worthy of a mention; enough has been said.
2 new work phones. Both are the same type and both will be returned early January to be replaced with a better one of the kind. I've changed phones too many times this year, so I've lost track of how many text messages I've sent and received, but many for sure.
I'll let you do the math if you want to find out how many days I spent in Dublin this year, but I'll reveal that those days are split between 2 different apartments. I moved!
0 new pairs of glasses. It feels wrong!
An endless amount of nights in the pub. Then again, why would you ever want to count that. I still take 2 ice cubes in my whiskey.

The year is going to end with a big celebration. I recently found out, the troublesome cells in my body are 100% OK, so it's good to know there'll be some wonderful people to toast with at midnight on New Years eve.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2011!

And so this is Christmas

2010-12-23T14:37:00.002Z

It's the day before, and everything is chaos because of the white "stuff". It's been snowing quite heavily for a very, very long time. Motorways, airports, etc struggle and everyone seem on a mission to get home for Christmas.

We still need the last family member to arrive, but there's hope, and if all goes well, the family can gather around the "risengrød" (a type of rise pudding, served hot with butter and cinamon sugar) for dinner tonight. It's Little Christmas Eve.

It'll be another week till I reveal just how many flights I boarded this year, cities I visited, etc.

Happy Christmas!

Theme Thursday - Map

2010-12-18T14:05:00.002Z

Not even a map is enough to keep track of me. I've been here, there and everywhere this year, but you'll have to wait till the very end of the year to get the stats.

As for this very moment, it's Denmark. Sick as a parrot, I got on a plane mid week. My recent trip to the US resulted in a bad case of food poisoning. Not a souvenir I recommend in any way, shape or form. It's painful, and 15 hours of travelling will feel more like 15 days. But that was Cleveland and Chicago. Now it's Aabenraa (get that map out. Go on, you know you want to!)

My folks recently moved, so it was a new house and a new town. Not unknown, but new. Everything outside is covered in snow, and I'm ever so tempted to join the other "kids" on the nearby hills. Imagine getting on a sleigh at the top of the hill... Ahhhhhh! OK, being a thirty something I'd probably chicken out, but it sure looks like fun!

Reverb 10 - Catching up

2010-12-12T17:16:00.002Z

10th December – Wisdom Wisdom - What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out?

I said no, albeit a little late. It was the "could you just...", "we need you to..." that had gotten a bit out of control. I was overworked and stressed and not thinking straight, but I said no and the result will hopefully join my team early 2011.

11th December – 11 Things - What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?

My lucky number... and yet it's about things I don't want anymore. Let's see:

Stress. I've tried it now, and next time I'll say no a bit sooner.
Those few extra. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. As for getting rid of them. Hmmm, time shall tell!

Feck that, I'm ending my list here. There aren't that many things in my life I want to get rid of. Suppose that's a good thing, and I plan to keep it like that.

To a happy 2011!

December 12 – Body Integration - This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present?

Must have been the night of my make-over photo shoot. I watched the transformation in the mirror and suddenly felt "just perfect". I felt pretty. I felt good. I felt "right".

It was all about me.

Reverb 10 - 9th December

2010-12-09T20:51:00.002Z

Party - What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.

I suppose New Year's Eve counts, as it most certainly carried on into 2010. Five girls out on town. Five girls dressed to impress. Five girls (or actually only three, the other two left early) stuck on the ice trying to get home.

M had organised some food at her place before we went into town. The place for the night was the Baggot Inn, and it was already happening by the time we arrived. I was in a red dress, which later in the evening got soaked in beer, but one of the girls came to my rescue and dried it under the hand dryer, and I was ready to party on.

I went up to see the DJ to request that he play "It's got to be perfect". It was M's birthday, and she really wanted to hear that song. We waited and waited, but it never happened, so later in the night when we got stuck in Burger King across the road trying to get a taxi home, it was ironic how they played that particular song just as we were leaving.

The year is coming to an end, and as I'm feeling a bit under the weather, I've had to make my excuses for the company Christmas party tomorrow. It'll be a night to rest, relax and reflect.

Theme Thursday - Test

2010-12-09T20:34:00.003Z

The last 24 hours or so have seemed like a test for me. I woke up Wednesday morning (or night) with awful stomach pain, resulting in me getting sick a few times. I eventually got up anyway and had breakfast, then decided to check out a local shopping mall. It was just up the street anyway.

It was snowing quite a lot, but I got to the mall and wished I hadn't. The pain was bad, but I had four hours to kill, so I started looking around, even sat down for lunch. Lunch... Needed something light. Had pasta, but it didn't work well for me.

Back at the hotel I got the taxi to the airport and checked in. The pain was getting more and more intense, but at least the first flight was only an hour, and before I knew it, I had landed in Chicago.

Now to the real test. An eight hour flight ahead. I Considered my options, but I wanted my own bed and got on the plane. I had two seats to myself and avoided food. When I arrived back to Dublin I got a taxi and told him to just get me home as quickly as possible. I closed my eyes.

Still in pain, I've given up on the idea of work for tomorrow, and while it's also the night for the company Christmas party, they'll have to party without me. It sucks!

Reverb 10 - 8th December

2010-12-08T12:04:00.002Z

Beautifully Different - Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful.

My suitcase is yellow. There's only ever one yellow suitcase on the baggage belt. It lightens up the day.

Yes, you only get this short little post today. I'm about to pack my yellow travel companion and start the journey home. See you on the flip side!

Reverb 10 - 7th December

2010-12-07T11:38:00.000Z

Community - Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?

The Theme Thursday community goes back longer than 2010, so I can't count that one, wonderful as they are.

So... while not entirely voluntary, the community I joined this year was the jetsetters. We travel too much and are impossible to keep track of. We spend more time in hotels than at "home" and hardly know what a real dinner is like. We get a rush from collecting air miles, hotel points and what-not. We talk to strangers, but hardly ever bother with names. We'll never meet again. I'm ready to cancel my membership!

2011 will see me re-joining a more human community. I hope for less travel, more time for friends and family, more time at home and time to actually use my air miles and hotel points. It's time to live life!

Reverb 10 - 6th December

2010-12-06T00:23:00.002Z

Make - What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?

I'm a bit late posting this, as I spent 17 hours yesterday travelling from Dublin to Cleveland, OH. En route my yellow travel companion went missing, but rest assured. It was delivered to me again 5 hours later, teddy bear and all still in one piece.

So the last thing I made, huh? Well I'm a creative soul, and as it's almost Christmas, it's of course Christmas decorations. If I had them here, I'd show you, but as that's not possible right now, I'll attempt to describe.

Imagine ordinary baubles for the Christmas tree, but we'll start out with two Styrofoam balls. Get some glue and a nice sized paint brush ready, then go hunt for beads.

Ready?

Right, I put a stick into the Styrofoam ball to have something to hold onto. I started applying glue all around and then picked out some star shaped beads and glued them onto the balls - one at a time. These ones were brown and shiny; the type you'll find in most craft shops.

Once done, I rolled the balls in tiny little beads. I'd put them in a wee dish in advance, but I still made a mess of it.

The baubles were left to dry, and once ready, a ribbon was applied to hang them up. They glitter and shine, as you might imagine.

Once I find time, I'll get back into making scrapbooks. It's been on hold because I didn't have a dinner table for a long time. I'm three years behind...

Reverb 10 - 5th December

2010-12-05T19:12:00.002Z

Let Go - What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

This past year, on the 4th of July to be exact, I let go of a year-long friendship. Lies and built up, and when everything eventually came out on the table, the friendship went down the drain. I've never understood why people lie. A relationship - be it with friends, family or partners - should be built on trust and honesty, so it hurt to learn that this one wasn't.

It took a while to let things go. Too many questions. Nasty "anonymous" comments on my blog. Rude emails... I eventually cut lose and let it go. Sent my best wishes and accepted what had happened. It doesn't matter who's right and wrong. Nobody is perfect, but unfortunately this couldn't be worked out.

Moving on...

Christmas Tea Party

2010-12-05T17:33:00.010Z

I'm on my way to Mr. Toast's second annual tea party. I was lucky to meet a bunch of elves along the way who let me borrow a sleigh and a couple of reindeer. Hopefully I'll arrive soon, but the snow just keeps falling down on me...

19:09 - I've kicked off the snow gear and joined the others at the top of the stairs. Black dress, red shoes and a big red necklace. Let the fun begin!

20:13 - One my my reindeer has jumped into the basket for Brian's hot air balloon. Wonder if he's going to let Rudolf J have a go?

20:25 - Just had Sophia help me open my Christmas cracker, and what a wonderful surprise. There was a Hersey's Kiss charm inside. Mr Toast knows what I like :)

20:41 - The balloon will rise shortly. There are stars all around and it's suggested we might see a shooting one of the variety... or maybe even two. I've my bucket of wishes ready.

21:03 - I caught a shooting star, yes I did!

21:04 - Back on the ground again and safely inside. My hair is still full of pixie dust, but it matches my outfit and I'm getting lots of good feedback about my ruby slippers. Gotta love tea parties.

21:12 - The Silver Fox has gone missing in action. My reindeer are getting ready to head out to look for him and get him to the party safe and sound. Bet he'll need a good dose of mulled wine when he arrives!

Revert 10 - 4th December

2010-12-04T10:48:00.002Z

Wonder - How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?

The year came off to a bad start as far as men are concerned. Basically there wasn't one, and the prospects of meeting someone weren't looking too good with the year I had ahead. There's be lots of business travel. Too much, most would say.

Throughout the year I did wonder what the chances were, but it's always when you least expect it, right?

First it was just mid-week drinks, then the late nights started to follow, and while the year is reaching the end very quickly, I find myself happy as punch. An empty gap has been filled, making everything else seem so much easier.

I'm ready for 2011, but I'll keep the memories of 2010 for sure!

Reverb 10 - 3rd December

2010-12-03T11:19:00.002Z

Moment - Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).

I think my heart stopped for a moment. I'd just seen the cheque for nearly €200k on the solicitor's desk. It was about to happen and I knew it.

Still a bit nervous I got back in the car and drove off. Was this really going to happen? I decided to drive through the park and stopped when I saw the deer. Everything was calm. Very, very calm.

I arrived in the end. The guy was there already. He handed over a bunch of keys. I think my hands were shaking, but I finally opened the door. Inside was nothing but an empty shell of an apartment. A smell of "new" and a strangely loud echo. My home at last. The moment I'd been waiting for all year.

It was the 24th of September.

Reverb 10 - 2nd December

2010-12-02T23:04:00.002Z

Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?

I talk a lot. No, that's an under statement, actually. I talk more than a lot. Words spoken, rather than written. It's part of what I do for a living, so it's necessary.

Spoken words are often less accurate and correct than those written, but I enjoy the mix, and would never even consider eliminating either part.

Words are words...

Or are they?

Reverb 10 - 1st December

2010-12-01T22:57:00.003Z

So I've decided to participate in Revert 10 to reflect on the year gone by. I'm a day late getting started, but better late than never.

The 1st of December has the following prompt:

One Word. Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?

One word? It'll be health. Most of you might have guessed stress, but while that certainly took up a lot of my energy, it was the good news of six stressful years filled with worry that made it in the end.

Health is happy!

As for 2011... I'll keep "happy" if there are no objections to that!

The End

2010-11-25T15:57:00.001Z

Six weeks ago I had an appointment to see the doctor. Cells to be checked. Tests to be done. It's been a six year long nightmare, and every time a test has been done, I've been hoping it would be the last. Then there'd be another one a month later. Sometimes three months later. Once even six.

The results should have been posted to me ages ago and I was getting worried, so I made the call this morning. The secretary answered the phone. She started looking for information and eventually came back and asked if she could put me on hold for a moment. I waited. Waited some more. Started to feel nervous. The situation seemed all too familiar.

Someone picked up the phone again - the nurse this time. Fuck.

She started going through all the details of when the previous tests were done and what the results had been and how this was a follow-up from that.

I was waiting and getting more and more worried.

She got to the news. I heard it, but somehow didn't. Did she say "all clear?" I asked again. And yes, no troubled cells, no concerns, nothing to worry about. As a matter of fact, no need for any further tests to be carried out.

A dramatic title to bring a six year nightmare to an end.

Eight olives hiding

2010-11-22T20:24:00.000Z

It wasn't a writer's block, as I'm but a technical writer. We can't get those. At least I don't think so. But words haven't wanted to move from my head to the blog, and so they've mostly ended up like one random thought after the other, hardly worth telling anyone about...

Let's go back to Friday. Not this Friday just past, but the one before that. I left work early to get ready for a gala dinner and soon found myself surrounded by penguins. Food was lovely. The award ceremony sucked (we didn't win anything!). Then there was wine. Lots and lots of wine. When we ran out, the guys came up with one story crazier than the other to get more, and by the end of the night, one of them left with two full bottles in his side pockets. It was 3am, so I dare say nobody noticed.

A hangover followed by another 3am'er. Then off shopping for a dinner table and chair, and silly me naturally needed everything done immediately, so the guys in the shop packed it all in the car and sent me on my way. Back home, I realised just how heavy a glass table top really is. Fuck!

Time to start the week. I barely remember it now, but a few late nights, then the start of our annual company user conference. A piss-up in a brewery. How very appropriate! The event took place in the Guinness Store House all day and half the night. Handy for getting home and what a very cool view from the Gravity Bar all night long.

Friday evening a Danish friend arrived to stay the weekend. Hadn't seen her in ages, so was great to have her visit. Relaxation all around, combined with a wee bit of shopping. I finally acquired a pair of "ruby slippers". I've been trying for years and finally found just the right ones.

Monday morning 4:30am and the alarm woke me up to reality. I was off to the airport and am now in London for two nights. I'm exhausted, to say the least, but if I figure out where it is I want to go, I'll be out exploring after work tomorrow. I can see it so clearly. It's a covered square with shops all around the sides and the middle too, I think. I'm sure it's here in London, but I can't think of where, not can I think what it's called. I want to go there!

Theme Thursday - Relax

2010-11-11T17:02:00.003Z

The wind is racing outside and the rain pouring down. It's the first real Autumn storm and there's something very relaxing about it. The season of big dinners and warm jumpers has arrived.

Last night was Morten's Evening. A tradition back home, and as it includes food, it's one I remember. Something about a guy named Morten who was going to be made bishop. He didn't want to, so he decided to hide. Unfortunately for him, his hiding place was also where all the geese were, so they gave him away in no time. Morten became bishop, and as punishment he demanded that people eat goose on his birthday every year.

Goose is not easy to find in the shops. Not here, nor in Daneland. So most people eat duck... In my home it was a 2kg duckling stuffed with apples and oranges, served with small potatoes, green beans and gravy. Having prepared the duck the night before, I'd managed to get rid of almost all the fat, so it was lean duck meat - perfectly juicy and tender. Who cares if it rains outside!

The ice cream van

2010-11-09T09:30:00.000Z

All was going well yesterday. I was only an hour late for work, having barely slept at all because of jetlag. Not bad going, if I am to say so myself.

Nothing planned for the evening. Well, I had all sorts of plans, but I decided nothing was urgent and eventually just got a little bit too comfortable on the couch. It was 9:30pm and I was sleepy. So, so sleepy. Maybe just ten minutes?

I set an alarm and closed my eyes.

Ten minutes later I hit the snooze button for another nine.

Then nine more...

There was a minute left when the ice cream van drove right by and woke me up. The music was loud and stole that one last minute. Seriously, what's the ice cream van doing driving around this time of year anyway?

Being nearly 10pm I opted for the easy solution - bed. Head finally on the pillow and I was wide awake...

A night in

2010-11-06T19:41:00.002Z

Work in Bucks county ended Thursday evening, and I was finally starting to feel better. A week and a bit with a bad cold is a looooooong time!

I'd considered my options for Friday, knowing I had to be back at Philadelphia Airport early evening. A trip to DC to visit Jolie would have been a great idea had I been feeling 100%, but I decided to stay more local and explore in stead.

So, Friday morning I got in the car and started driving towards Lancaster County. It was about an hour and a half through amazing scenery. I made a detour or two to cross some covered bridges, but otherwise just enjoyed what popped up around me.

The closer I got to Lancaster, the more things started to be different. This is where the majority of the Amish people live. As a matter of fact, the Amish population in Lancaster County has almost tripled in the last 50 years and so I quickly came to realise that the sight of people on horseback or in horse driven carriages wasn't at all an unusual sight. Shops were selling Amish merchandise and fashion seemed somewhat distant. OK, not completely distant, I was headed to an outlet mall for fashion, but let's just ignore that for a moment.

There are no pictures to accompany this blog post. I was informed that taking pictures of the Amish and their "way of life" as deemed inappropriate. They are not animals in a zoo, they just live life in a different way, and that I respect.

While exploring a different life style and culture was fascinating, I had shopping in mind. I needed boots and made a visit to Nine West. I might have picked up a few other pieces along the way... then again, I've not shopped in ages unless if was stuff for the apartment, so it felt good.

The flight home was painful. Not so much because of my cold this time, but I was wedged in between two others in the middle seat I detest so very much. The cute guy who'd chatted me up while waiting to board wasn't one of my neighbours, but he was quick to ensure he exited the plane at just the right time to be able to walk through the airport with a tired looking Dane by his side. I never got his name. I never actually asked.

Why oh why was he American and not Irish...

Theme Thursday - Sand

2010-11-04T23:25:00.001Z

Bucks

2010-11-03T11:50:00.002Z

Monday was a trip to the airport again, with a visit to the pharmacy en route. Still a bad cold and barely any voice. Oh dear!

With two seats to myself I had a nice long nap on the plane. I actually have absolutely nothing to complain about - the food was lovely and I slept well. My car was ready when I arrived, and soon enough I'd arrived in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Beauty all around me. It's Autumn when it's prettiest.

It's three days of work, with the first one complete and the second about to start. It's a challenge if ever there was one. Teaching with a sore throat and next to no voice... Lots of hot drinks. Lots!

It's all about me

2010-10-31T10:23:00.002Z

After two days off work due to a bad cold, I was back in the office on Friday morning and counting the hours. I was on a half day and just needed to reach 12:30...

I was finally ready to roll my yellow suitcase out of the office and meet a friend for lunch. Questions all around from colleagues who wanted to know where I was going, but for once the suitcase wasn't packed for travel.

Lunch included a bottle of wine - shared with a friend, so it's not as bad as it sounds. As my voice was failing, we headed for a pub afterwards so I could get a hot whiskey. Doctor's order, but little did it help. At 16:15 we were in the waiting area of the "studio" with champagne and butterflies. Booked in for a make-over photo shoot, and the fun was only starting.

First on the agenda was hair, make-up and nails. We were each assigned a stylist and mine suggested big curls, so the hot rollers went in before she started the transformation of my face. While she was painting away another lady started decorating my nails. That, in fairness, was not done very nicely, but when I eventually saw my hair complete, I forgot everything else. I liked.

We'd each brought four outfits along with jewelry and shoes and what-not. I was finished first and headed upstairs for the photo studio. The photographer must have taken hundreds of pictures, and so the hard part was left for last...

More champagne was served while we had to pick out the pictures we wanted to keep. Not an easy job! I left with 13 pictures of myself on a CD along with two of me and my friend. While I certainly won't ever print any of them to hang on the wall, there was something very satisfying about seeing myself in a different light.

A boost of confidence for sure...

Dear Blog

2010-10-28T11:01:00.002+01:00

I've been neglecting you recently. Not telling you much about what's going on. I'm always a busy bee, so there's no good reason why!

Anyway, after a weekend break in London, it's time to get ready for a trip to the US again. Pennsylvania this time. I'm feeling a bit under the weather right now, so no work today, and there was no work yesterday either. Tomorrow should be a half day to get everything organised, but then that's it.

On a lighter note, I heard rumours there'll be a Christmas Tea Party organised again this year. I better get a new dress and figure out how I'll get there this year. Last year I made a somewhat dramatic entrance!

Back later...

Airlines and hotels

2010-10-20T20:20:00.000+01:00

When you frequently travel for work, summer is the worst. Airport and hotels are full of tourists who just don't know how to. They bring too many bags on the planes, silly hats that won't fit anywhere, kids who don't know how to behave, and worse still, they talk.

If I fly in the morning, I use the flight for a little nap in preparation of a busy day. When I fly in the evening, however, I use the flight for a little nap to relax after a busy day. During the summer, my naps were interrupted by too much talk and too many crying kids. Thankfully the kids are now locked up in school for the next year, and so today was magic. A friendly smile to the person sitting next to me, then the head was on the pillow. I'm all rested now... and there's absolutely nothing to do here.

I've ended up in an airport hotel for the night. Far enough from the airport that I can't go back there for food, and yet close enough that there's nothing around here. The hotel has no restaurant, and the only one close by was more of a fast food place and closed at 7pm. I managed to order pizza in the end, but even that was a challenge, as food orders had to exceed a certain amount to be delivered, and I just wanted a pizza. Well, in reality I also wanted a glass of wine, but this place had soft drinks only.

It's almost 8:20pm now. I've eaten and there's no bath, only a shower. My laptop cable doesn't fit the wall sockets, so watching movies is out of the question. I can purchase access to movies for a small little fortune, but I won't be doing that. No internet either, so can't even post this, but will find a way to modify the date and time when I get home so it'll look like I actually did.

Glad I went back into the apartment this morning and picked up a book before I left. I'll get started on "At Home"... a reminder, I'm sure, that I'm NOT at home.

The Hills

2010-10-20T11:14:00.002+01:00

I'm sat in my usual spot at the airport looking at the hills (OK, we call them mountains, but I don't think they really are...). The sun is trying, but struggling to win the battle. It's hazy and beautiful. A cold morning suggesting Autumn is in full swing and Winter not that far away.

There are colours everywhere these days. Leaves are falling, and I enjoy just dragging my feet through them when I walk. Birds come closer, hoping for a bite of someone's sandwich. Couples walk hand in hand to stay warm.

Autumn has to by my favourite season!

The North

2010-10-19T19:42:00.002+01:00

This morning was somewhat close to panic. It was not even 7am when the alarm woke me up - still dark outside, even. I know I had a drive to Newry ahead of me, and the idea was to arrive at 9am. Well, not the idea, really. It was what I'd promised.

Problem number one was me being too tired to get out of bed. I managed in the end, only to realise I still had no idea where the cable for my GPS is, and as it turns out the cable for the old GPS doesn't work with the new one. Hmmm!

I got on the road at exactly 7:28. Miss three-years-out-of-date GPS wanted me to turn left. I turned right. I wanted the motorway, and I was feeling pretty confident. She kept giving instructions. I kept ignoring them. We eventually got to the motorway and everything was good.

When we got closer to Newry, I remembered she didn't know of the Newry bypass, so I started looking for the driving instructions I knew I'd printed out. Too small print to read. Oh no! Instinct got me there in the end with just two minutes to spare. Oh how I needed coffee!

Tomorrow I'm off to Geneva again...

Let's party

2010-10-18T21:39:00.002+01:00

It's coming up to Halloween and tonight is exceptionally bad when it comes to fireworks. I'm not a fan!

Saturday was the annual Scandinavian dinner party. One of my friends was coming along, so she called over just before 6pm and we headed off. We only stayed till about 10pm as I had to meet a friend of a friend in town afterwards, so when the food was gone we got back on the bus.

Anyway, we met the "stranger" - an American from New York - for a drink in town. Shortly after, we were on the LUAS back to my place when a text arrived from yet another friend who wanted to meet for drinks. I explained where to go, and half an hour later all four of us were on the roof top with drinks and snacks.

There's nothing better than an unplanned party. No preparation needed; just time to enjoy and have fun!

Theme Thursday - Knot

2010-10-14T22:33:00.002+01:00

It seems the theme this week was picked for me. No matter how much I want to deny it, I've had a knot in my stomach all week. Today was the day. Three months overdue. It was back to the GP for a check-up.

I was early and dreading the wait. Would I walk around and kill the time or bite the bullet and go inside? I rang the door bell and quickly entered the waiting room. Empty. I eyed a chair in the corner and was just about to sit down then the doctor came out and told me I could come right in. The dreaded wait had been avoided. If only the "up to three weeks" wait for the results can be as easy to handle!

In other news, there's progress on the home front.

Ugly naked guy...

2010-10-10T21:35:00.002+01:00

I'm beginning to get settled in to my new place, but I still have no curtains of any kind in my living room, so I can see everything in the apartment across the street. Everything.

This morning when I opened the curtains in my living room there were three blokes right across the street on the balcony. Not quite naked - they were wearing boxer shorts. But still. Unless someone really hot moves in over there, I don't mind if the blokes start wearing a bit more clothes!

The adventures of Paris

2010-10-06T15:58:00.002+01:00

After a busy day of work in Paris yesterday, three of us found a nice place for dinner before getting a taxi for the airport. Everything was on track. We checked in, headed up to the lounge, had a few drinks and made our way to security.

One of my colleagues went through first. Then it was my turn. I'm always good at holding on to my own boarding card and passport, but they insisted both were put in the tray, and when I went through the x-ray I obviously just had to beep, so I was taken aside for a check. On to pick up my items, I quickly noticed something was missing. There was no boarding pass. And there was no passport.

Security staff couldn't have cared less. "Look in the tray again". "Check your bag and pockets". I just couldn't believe it. I searched and searched and searched some more. Went to the gate when my name was called to explain what had happened. Someone went back to security with me, but still no joy. Phone calls made, but that didn't help either. The plane rolled away. My two colleagues were on the plane. I was not.

A visit to the airport police was next. Not a word of English from him. Bummer! Still, he managed to produce a piece of paper which should allow me travel the next day, and I was assured I'd be on the morning flight at 10:25.

Next challenge was a hotel. Too many things on in Paris! I started calling people to get phone numbers as the information desk wasn't making much progress. It paid off to be a platinum member with Holiday Inn. They let me stay in their lobby. Back and forth between gates trying to find the shuttle bus, but eventually gave up and asked in a different hotel. They got their own car out and drove me the 15 minutes over to Holiday Inn. No room ever became available, so no sleep for me. I left again at 6am to go back to the airport.

By 7am someone told me I'd need more documentation to travel to Dublin because I'm Danish in stead of Irish. Off to the Danish Embassy. More trouble there. But they finally got a call from the airport that my passport had made it back to Paris. It had been on the flight to Dublin, so someone must have taken it but not had the guts to keep it.

Back to the airport. Should have been easy now. Afternoon flight, right? But no. The morning flight had been cancelled and I got no priority. I waited four hours to be reunited with my passport, then was presented with a bill of €211 for my new flight. I refused to pay. Refused. I got my way in the end. They checked me in and got me access to the lounge, and here I am waiting to kill yet another four hours. That's two and a half gone already.

Oh how I long to be at home!

Paris

2010-10-04T22:16:00.002+01:00

First we were four. Then we arrived at the airport in Paris and the first one was picked up by a family member.

Taxi to the hotel, then we lost another one to sleep.

Myself and the boss opted to go for dinner. Somewhat late, but necessary! We'd asked for recommendations in the hotel, but Italian food somehow wasn't what we wanted. We still ended up in the Italian restaurant. Food was nice. Wine even nicer. When the bottle was empty we headed back home. Or is it actually allowed to call a hotel "home"?

Tomorrow will be a busy day, but as long as I get to see the Eiffel Tower I'll be happy.