Flat-Out in London
Posted on July 1, 2004 at 8:59 am | No Comments
My return to London couldn’t be more drastically different than my first trip over here in March. While both are work-related, and I certainly worked long hours last time, I find myself doing nothing but flat-to-work-to-flat-to-sleep, and repeat, this time around… at least in these first few days. There’s lots to be done, and my workdays have been ending around 9 or 10pm. Yeah, I’m jetlagged, and the five days at Mike’s bachelor party and his wedding to Anna didn’t exactly leave me rested, but I don’t have the luxury to play catch-up. It’s just go-go-go and hope I keep standing.
Another big difference this trip is the flat. No hotel room for me… this time they put me in ‘corporate housing’. Which means few ammenities, abandoned hallways, your own kitchen, three tv channels, and no housekeeping. Oh, and no internet access, thank you very much. I’m missing that wireless lobby at the Holiday Inn. No late night IM chats with Amie, no 4am blogging, no random visits to the forum, no browsing for touristy info. Not that I’d have time to be touristy anyway.
Actually, thanks to Jo, tonight will bring me my first much-needed bit of London nightlife… we’re off to see Mission of Burma and Seachange at Scala. Work be damned, I’m making myself leave “on time” for a pre-rock show dinner with Jo & Shaun. Can’t wait.
I’m also hoping to check out David Mamet’s Oleanna, a play that’s being staged at the Garrick Theatre. I only know about it because I walked by there the other night on the way back to the flat. Big posters with stars Julia Stiles and Aaron Eckhardt on ’em hang out front. Sounds good to me. Just have to find the time.
More later, mayhaps …
A Quick Check-In / F911
Posted on June 27, 2004 at 8:16 pm | No Comments
Still here, just back from a few amazing days in the Berkshires, and getting ready to head over to the UK for work in the morning. My second trip over there this year, and hopefully my last… the city’s great, the work is challenging, but the away time gets me down.
Tomorrow’s many airborne hours will hopefully allow me to play catch-up here on the ‘Nac, although who knows when I’ll actually get an internet connection to post it. I’ll be in a rented flat instead of a wireless hotel hotspot, so access could be tough. If I do my job right, though, I’ll have a hookup in our new office sometime on Tuesday. Fingers are crossed.
Just got back from Fahrenheit 9/11, and all I can say is… it’s tough to have so many of the things I try to repress every day just laid out there in front of me. It’s like concentrated anger on screen. The only way I make it through my daily routine, rather than throw myself full-time into getting rid of our so-called president (by any means necessary), is to think about it in limited doses. To have so much of it crystallized in one sitting… well, I’m mad as hell, and I’m struggling to keep it all in.
Our country had damn well better fire that clown come November, or I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do with myself. It’s the only way that any faith I once had in the democratic way of life is going to return. The fact that our government is so presumptuous as to try to ‘spread democracy’ around the world, one oil-filled country at a time, when we can’t even get it right… it’s just maddening.
Alright, enough of that. I need to focus, logoff, and get packing. The taxi arrives at 5am, and over the ocean I go…