Fab steak

Usually my visits to NYC are a mixture of angst, worry and long hours, as I catch the 5am train out and get back at 10.30pm.

Today was very different. Instead of working all the way there and worrying about meetings/getting stuff done, I stuffed a blanket into my laptop rucksack, headed to the quiet car (which I never go in on the baiss that you can't use mobile phones etc) and slept most of the way there. And instead of having a coffee and snack at the desk I am assigned when working at client's, the guy in charge insisted on taking me out for the best steak I have ever had, accompanied with half a bottle of Pinot Noir and as many humourous anecdotes as my sides could take.

Bought a good book for return trip, which was the slow regional train, so four and half hours which gave me chance to finish it. All in all a great day!

Ready to dial 911...

Last night I was at home, half working and half watching TV (in that way your parents told you not to when you were doing your homework). Suddenly from the appartment below me there was sudden screaming, the sound of a wooden floor being hit very hard and glasses being smashed.

Fearful for my life and with my heart in my mouth, I tip-toed down the stairs and deadlocked the front door.

The screaming and shouting continued, with me trying to decide whether I should call 911. I was just waiting for the sound of gunfire (I just work on the assumption that every home has at least one high velocity rifle and a handy glove-compartment-sized revolver).

Half an hour/bottle of read wine later, my 'room mate' gets in (after I have un-barricaded door) - and says 'can you believe the Patriots are almost out - the poor guys downstairs sound distraught'. Hmmm. Just as well I only got as far as the '9' on the phone....

So - it's the Colts and the Bears playing in Miami in early Feb. All the papers this morning were full of a woeful looking local heart-throb/ pin up / NFL player Tom Brady - you can't see him sobbing from this angle...

NY: cold and Bindi

Sooo cold in NYC today. It sharply takes your breath away, stings your face and makes your hands want to curl up/drop off.

I was in Times Square and found myself watching (though a window into the studio) a defiant Bindi Irwin being interviewed on 'Good Morning America' and talking about her dad. Aw, so sad.

I suppose it puts things in perspective - such as a disasterous presentation I gave latter that day where the gods of technology (actually it was the Lesser God of Powerpoint) were *well* against me. They were backed up by the God of Typos (aka Gdo) so it wasn't my finest hour.**

Then I managed to leave something in left luggage. Yes, I know that's what it's meant for - but I checked it in for the day and then, as the Acela Express was hurtling through Connecticut that evening on my way back to Boston, I remembered that I had left it in a NYC left luggage facility. Doh.

** Though I had a note from the company afterwards and they said it had been 'different and fresh'. Hmmm..

Daytona 500

Well, I'm on track (every pun intended) for one of my New Year's resolutions: to go to a NASCAR event. I have a ticket for the Daytona 500 - in the 'sit with Jimmy' section.



That's him (aka 'Mr Excitement') strolling in a not very excited way, probably saving himself up for the cameras.

Other news today, landlord is trying to fix leaky 'faucet'. He's done this by taking apart and then putting it back together, so rather than dripping it's become a constant flow. That's not going to be annoying at all. Not that I care as I'm going to be packing my bags to head over to Daytona Beach - which as it's in sunny Florida is much warmer than here (okay, it's not for another 35 days) but it's currently 24 degrees C woohoo!!( PS 75 degrees F - I am still getting used to working in celcius).

A song to portray how I feel today...

Last weekend I had the great fortune of seeing the Dresden Dolls play here in Cambridge. Meant to write about it and to say how great the show was and songs such as this .

Anyhow, since then it's been a gut-wrenching week, and just as I was looking forward to the weekend I suddenly find that I have a knife sticking out of my back. I hadn't even realised it was there - seems it was planted earlier in the week by a customer. Hmm.. how, why and when?

So now I keep humming another Dresden Dolls song to myself: this one. Though what I really want to do is call up the individual who has gone out their way to wield a knife and plunge it quite so deep between my shoulder blades - and try to understand why. Then tell them what I think of them in no uncertain terms. But that would be unprofessional. Then I'd have to pack up my bags/hutch and head back across the Atlantic.

God, I need a drink. Now I wish I hadn't given up for NY. May have to drop that resolution.

tags: The Dresden Dolls

I take that last comment back...

...suddenly it's bloody freezing. NYC had its first flakes of snow yesterday...

The Charlie Card

In order to steer all commuters onto their new fancy 'Charlie card' (surely not named for possible multiple uses?) the MBTA has upped all subway and bus fees - so rather than having a quarter, dime and a nickel to hand in the morning I can have up to nine coins that now have to be put in the slot - which the MBTA as part of their evil plan, have made tiny so you need to hit it with an accuracy of Luke Skywalker aiming a proton torpedo at the Deathstar. But with less dramatic results.

So now, all the buses are really slow as they spend at least 10 minutes at every bus stop with old ladies (er, and me) fumbling for change and dropping coins on the floor.

On a good note it's not cold yet (in fact it's like a British summer) so at least waiting for the bus isn't painful.

New Year, New Attempt

Having a neglected blog its like having a houseplant that you know, out of the corner of your eye, is unloved and whithering. I can't stand the guilt anymore....

Anyhow - I spent New Year getting off a plane feeling refreshed and like in mnay ways I was coming 'home'. I kissed the ground (it's bumpy this time of year and we had a 'run on' where the plane goes to land and then takes off again - apparently we were too close to the plane in front...), then trying to stay awake. My bodyclock was very insistent that it was time to down my drink and look up . say 'oooo' at the fireworks at 7pm EST, not five hours later.

Highlights of the evening was the time spent in the Oak Bar (pic) - serene, crowd-free and with the most fabulous (and much needed) expresso martinis.

Lowlights: Spending the exact minute of midnight on the 'T' subway system.

I have, yet again, made a list (nay, book) of New Year Resolutions - this time it's only 25. Reviewed last year and hey I kept some (including move to Boston and open up US-based office)....