Wednesday 14 May 2008

Well I WAS in Napa....

....but now I'm in Florida. Can you believe it!!!


Sigh!!

I'm here on biz!! No sooner was I off the plane from San Francisco then I was repacking my suitcase and catching another flight to Fort Lauderdale which is where I am now. I'm down here for a couple of days to schmooze my new client. Well, I say new, she's not new as such, but she's now large and in charge following the resignation of her boss - our former head client - a few weeks ago, so she's gathering her new team for one of those 'let's develop a roadmap for 2008' type meetings. All very sensible and useful, but I could have done without it this week when I'm still adjusting to being back on the East Coast and having to getup 3hours earlier than I did in Napa.

Poor poor me, get the violins out eh.

Can you tell I'm in a whiny and overtired mood? It didn't help that my flight down to Florida was delayed out of LaGuardia this afternoon, which is without a doubt the worst airport I've ever been to. Seriously I'm sticking to JFK and Newark from now on. I couldn't believe it when I got there and found no screens or boards to tell you where my flight was leaving from. At least there aren't in Terminal B, and it doesn't help that once you've discovered that your flight is leaving from terminal B, gate 6, the aforementioned gate is positioned between gates 3 and 4 and not between gates 5 and 7. I kid you not the order of the gates is 3,6,4. What the f**k is that about? As a mathematician by training that messed with my head a bit I have to say. I mean why would you do that? Why would you not put gate 6 between gate 5 and 7 and next door, but one to gate 8? Why oh why oh why?????

Being a non-numerically challenged sort I was halfway down the concourse confidently striding towards gates 7 and 8, which I could see at the end, before I realised gate 6 was not where it was meant to be and numeric bewilderment set in. I had to seek assistance from a helpful airport employee who directed me the gate which was not only numerically in the wrong order, but secreted behind a Dunkin Donuts.

Anyway I'm here now and delay-wise it wasn't too bad. I passed the time with some steamy sexting with Catweazle. He's really very good at it. I think he has a rosy future ahead of him writing Mills & Boon bodice rippers. Two weeks to our filthy weekend in South Carolina and counting ;-) Anyway, Napa was great, a good time was had by all, especially once the conference was over and we were free to hit the vineyards, but I am absolutely knackered now and have to get up early for a full on day of client meetings so I shall have to tell you about it later. I will let on that Emma, Debs and I fully acclimatized ourselves to California Wine Country on the plane out there. Well, it would have been rude not to ;-)

10 comments:

Karen ^..^ said...

*Sigh* Napa...

I have always wanted to go there. Thanks for writing about all these places you travel to. It allows me to live vicariously through you.

And I have heard those nightmare stories about LaGuardia. Very bizarre how they number the gates the way they do.

Hope you had a safe and productive trip, and glad things are going well with Catweazle.

fishwithoutbicycle said...

Hi Karen,

Thanks for stopping by. Will post lovely Napa photos as soon as I get a break from client meetings ;-) Thanks for the well wishes, Fish

Flowers said...

'roadmap' - it's so epic, isn't it? from something with such rac beginnings to the israeli situation of late it's really gone through a transformation.

glad to hear your thumb's getting some solid action with the sexting ;)

Kitty said...

awesome all around!
I've not been to Napa yet, though after that movie with Paul what's his name, I feel like I have.

Everything sounds great. It really sounds like all the hard work you've been putting in has paid off, and now you're at a more visible level? I haven't followed your work path to any detail, though.

woohoo! I really like it when things work out in that way, meaning working hard = being rewarded. It's nice.

have fun dear!

Kitty said...

Oh, btw, I much prefer Newark all the way. It was quicker to get home to the UWS when I lived there, too.

I don't like JFK. It's so far!

Anonymous said...

Hi, Fish! Wow, it sounds like you have some conveniently located clients - Napa then Florida - what fun!

Hope the trips are successful!

Mike S said...

I love Napa, haven't been there for years. Perhaps the airport was built by the military, they've a similar numbering system. They number the buildings in the order they're constructed, so having the very old building #2 adjacent to the brand new #777 wouldn't be unusual. Older Japanese street addresses are done similarly in smaller towns. And yes, LaGuardia does suck!! And Newark wasn't a whole lot better my last time there.

fishwithoutbicycle said...

Hi Flowers, that's a funny observation. Yeah the humble 'roadmap' has come a long way ha ha!!

Hi Kitty, while I was out in wine country someone told me that Sideways wasn't filmed in Napa or Sonoma, but in Santa Ynez, near Santa Barbara. I was kind of disappointed to find that out, but on the plus side there's cool places to go and taste wine ;-)

I prefer Newark airport too. It actually has shops beyond passport control, unlike some terminals in JFK.

Hi Spandrel, thanks for the well wishes. I was lucky enough to go to Napa for a conference, I don't have clients there. It is nice to have clients in Fort Lauderdale though ;-)

Hi Mike, yes Napa is a nice place to visit. I'm not sure who built LGA, although it's not the buildings that are misnumbered more the gates within the terminals are in non-numeric order. It's just odd for a commercial airport. I think it's just pretty old.

Amel said...

Sextinggggg? That's a new word for me he he he he he...

Okay, on to your latest post he he...Btw, if you have time, do you mind reading the beginning of my story here:

The Painter

I found the above site coincidentally and I thought you might want to join, too, esp. since you write SO well.

You can join for free and continue other people's stories or write down your own story...you don't even have to complete it...they're running a contest with money prizes, too he he he...

And you can earn some money, too, as long as there are many readers to your stories (or parts of stories) HE HE HE HE HE...

fishwithoutbicycle said...

Hi Amel, glad to help expand your vocabulary ;-). Sure I'll take a look at the link you posted. I'll check it tmw when I have my computer. I only have my Blackberry with me today :-)