Monthly Archives: October 2011

My little adventure

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While Blackberry were imploding, I was at a conference that was spread over two days, in the Kings Cross area of London.   I went with my work colleagues and two of us stayed over

I thought I was pretty cool about getting round London. Until this time, that is

I have been to Camden loads of times but I haven’t actually been anywhere except Camden Lock/Market etc – the usual tourist bits really.  Our hotel was on Camden Road so I thought it would be easy to find. What I didn’t know was how long Camden Road is.  And we were staying at the Kentish Town end

So, the first surprise was how far our hotel was from the conference venue.  We had decided to go by bus – and that was the second shock

I haven’t been on a bus in years, apart from in Italy earlier this year. It seems times have changed in London and you can no longer hand over any cash!  The bus drivers have all been to the school of obnoxious, unhelpful bastards (the same one that medical receptionists go to) and we had to try to work out how to get a bus and how to get to where we needed to be

Half hour later, having caught the right bus with the help of a local Scottish man, we still hadn’t found our hotel, despite walking almost the whole length of Camden Road (having got off at the wrong end, obviously!).  I was on the point of calling a cab to take me to the nearest Hilton when we saw it

It was the sort of hotel builders stay in when they work away from home

I know that because there were lots of builders staying there who were clearly working away from home

So, we checked in and flumped on our bed in our tiny, weeny little cupboard of a room, having put the card in the slot to turn on the electric

Five minutes later the electric went and we were plunged into the last few minutes before sunset – I phoned the reception, he was very nice, came straight over to us and moved us into another little cupboard on the ground floor (which meant we had to keep the windows closed for fear of being mugged in our sleep)

Time was getting on so we headed out (on the bus again, by now we had mastered that challenge) for something to eat, into Camden, where we had a table booked at a ‘mediterranean restaurant’ with a ‘lively atmosphere’ and ‘regular live music and rave nights’ – more on that in a minute

We stopped off at The World’s End, a lovely pub that anyone who knows that area will be familiar with

There, we met a Welshman who asked us to mind his bag while he went to the loo.  We debated whether it might be a bomb but it didn’t tick so we kept an eye on it for him.  When he came back, he told us his life story, about how he had been a professional boxer and was now a law graduate, trying to get his first bit of work but with a criminal record for GBH he acquired three months ago after a club brawl.  Bless him 

We left Taffy and his Welsh bomb and went to find our restaurant, on foot.  Shops and restaurants fell away with each new road turning and we eventually stumbled on what can only be described as A DIVE.  This was my third surprise.  There are other bits of Camden apart from the nice market and the lock and the bit where all the cool self-harming Goths go

This was our restaurant.  In some tacky little backstreet you wouldn’t want to walk down alone.  The place was totally empty – it didn’t even LOOK like a restaurant. It looked like a ‘spit and sawdust’ pub.  An empty one.  However, as we were just in time for happy hour, we had a half price cocktail, kept quiet about the booking and disappeared off to have a bite to eat in a Turkish restaurant up the road as soon as we had finished our drinks

Feeling very local now, we easily got the right bus back to our hotel and went to bed 

At four a.m. my son (26) phoned to say his front door key had broken and did I know where the spare one was? I had a vague idea and told him and then couldn’t sleep for wondering if he’d woken up KD rummaging around for it in the garden

We had another fiasco with the buses the following morning but got to the venue on time.  The highlight of the day was when one of the speakers forgot they still had their radio mike on and went for a wee.  Very entertaining for everyone in the room

And then, it was time to come home

We witnessed a nasty fight on the street amongst some youths and reflected on how we dare not intervene because it was London and they all have knives – where we live, we still bang their heads together and tell their mums!!

I had to stand all the way on the tube because some inconsiderate bastard had once more thrown themselves on the tracks during the rush hour and I was ready to drop when I got home

The conference was brilliant, very interesting, and I’m glad I went.  I do love London and this was a very different experience from my usual jaunts up there.  I would like to venture forth into other parts of London I am not familiar with now

But I was oh, so glad to be home!!

Not getting my five a day!!!

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We are advised that we should have five portions of fruit or veg per day to remain healthy.  Well, I’m definitely lacking one bit of fruit at the moment….

What is going on??? Blackberry DOWN???

I went to London on Monday for an overnight stay – a two day conference.  Great, I thought, this is where the BB comes into its own.  Not only can I use the map facility to find my way around, I can also Facebook when I get bored in the conference…..As well as check emails and all that stuff BB’s are good for

NORMALLY

Typically, Blackberry chose this time to crash.  I didn’t know this until I got home, not having access to the news (ON ACCOUNT OF BLACKBERRY BEING DOWN!) so I spent half my time fiddling with my phone, trying to work out whether it was a Facebook issue or a network provider issue (never dreaming it would be a BLACKBERRY issue!) and eventually giving up and feeling very isolated

Not to mention LOST.  I was relying on that location finder!!

Anyway, it is still not working and now, on top of all that, my workplace have decided to introduce some new system that means they read every single email in detail before sending it out.  They don’t really but they might as well be, the amount of time delivery is taking!

Unless they are all in it together

You don’t realise how much you rely on instant communication until it isn’t there anymore, do you?

Not the N of the World

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I just can’t get organised since I returned from the holiday.  I haven’t blogged here, I’m way behind with reading the blogs I follow and I have all sorts of other tasks and online activities to catch up on

It’s always the same when I have been away.  I am not the world’s most organised person and structure does not come easily to me – I have to work VERY hard at it.  That’s why I find lists so useful – but I haven’t even managed to write a LIST this week, I’ve just sort of lurched from one thing to another and it’s all very disorganised.  Sadly, the Virgo in me loves order and structure so, as you can imagine, I’m totally confused now!

When I say the Virgo in me, I must stress I am not a great follower of the stars (apart from Russell Brand who I adore but that’s a different story and another type of star) but there really does seem to be something in the characteristics associated with different birth signs.  Virgoans are supposed to be very organised.  In my HEAD I am.  In reality, it never seems to work like that because I am cursed with a butterfly brain.  Well, I say cursed. If I wasn’t a Virgo I probably wouldn’t worry.  But you see my inner conflict?  Half of me wants to be all over the place but the other half is having kittens over it…..sigh

On another note, the N has disappeared on our keyboard.  Well, it’s still there, but the actual N has rubbed off the key.  This happens with every keyboard we get.  We don’t know why.  I don’t think our N gets over used.  Maybe it does.  I don’t know.  Anyway, it’s gone again.  Good job we know where the N should be on the keyboard.  Well, of course we do.  It’s the only key without a letter on it.

I’m off to write a ew list ow……

 

 

(Oh..and here’s a photo of a chair)

Home time

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Well, the holiday is nearly over.  We have a final day here but we won’t stray too far from the hotel as we are being collected at 5pm.  So we thought we would have a nice, lazy lunch and a stroll down to the reservoir later for a last minute rare bird photo opportunity and, in the meantime, a catch up on here

We’ve just been listening to the other guests checking out, exchanging contact details and complaining about errors in the bill, which turned out not to be errors.  We are not this sort of traveller.  It’s fine to exchange pleasantries with fellow guests but ‘holiday bonding’ is just not my thing, especially with a bunch of miserable old people who have nothing better to do than complain

We have had a fantastic week here, the staff have been lovely and the hotel is beautiful.  They have provided us with complimentary drinks and extra lifts and I think it’s interesting to note that the other guests have NOT had this privilege!  More about our adventures another time!

I’m afraid my Post a Day has been very lacking but when I get home I will be writing about my holiday and posting up some photos.  It’s been a wonderful week and I don’t want to leave this lovely little island but real life has to kick in again and, apparently, we will arrive just as the mini heatwave has ended.  Ah well, we also had beautiful weather.  And I didn’t have to go to work, so I’m not complaining!

On another note, I received a text message from the personal trainer at the gym I belong to (and which I haven’t been to since March!) asking if I still want my remaining pre-paid sessions with her!  She must have known I’ve just spent a week over-indulging!  I think I’ll take her up on the offer anyway.  Boot camp was far too hard!!