Sunday 24 August 2008

The Summer of Sloth Continues

I knew I’d hit a low point in my summer of sloth when I caught myself watching the “Scooby Doo Where Are You” weekend special on the Cartoon Network today.

Oh dear!!

Not exactly mature viewing for a 37year old woman eh!! In my defence it was the original classic and not the newer version with Scrappy. That damn puppy was so annoying; he completely spoiled the show for me and my sister.

Ahem!!

Nevertheless finding myself sucked into children’s TV was enough of a motivator to peel my arse of the sofa and go spend some time outside. I decided I’d walk down to the shops in the flatiron district and see if I could bag myself a lightweight jacket. Not that it’s cold enough to need one in NYC just yet, but there’s a good chance I might be going to England next week to join my new boss on a client training course. This would be my new British boss – and funnily enough the former boss of my good friend (and former manager) Miles, who speaks very highly of her. I work in such an incestuous industry – who’s dividing her time between the US and the UK at the moment until her visa gubbins is sorted out. She advised me that something rain proof would be the way to go if I were heading across the Atlantic, what with England currently experiencing its
wettest August on record.

It’s funny, it’s only when I moved away from England I realised how truly appalling the weather is. Believe it or not, according to
www.worldclimate.com, New York has a higher average rainfall than London with 4.1inches of rain on average bouncing off Central Park in August vs. 1.7inches for London. The difference is those 4.1inches of rain in New York have a tendency to deluge us in just a few days, whereas in London it seems to drizzle just consistently enough for it to rain every other chuffing day. Oh well, I suppose without near constant rain we wouldn’t have such a beautifully lush countryside. Silver linings!!

How British of me chit chatting about the weather.

Rain or not a free trip to England isn’t something to be sneezed at, especially as it’s conveniently timed right before the Labor Day weekend in the US. If it all works out I’ll be able to take advantage of the long weekend to go up to Yorkshire to visit my family and then fly back to NYC on Monday. That would be fab; especially given I haven’t seen my nephew since December ’06 what with my sister and family moving to Australia temporarily a few weeks before I came home for Christmas last year.

The training is Thursday and Friday next week. Actually it’s Wednesday through Friday, but I have a meeting with another client in New York on Wednesday afternoon so Big Boss Man suggested I fly to overnight to the UK following that meeting and go straight to the training course on landing. I can’t say I am looking forward to that part of it. I’m not one for sleeping on planes; however there is a chance I will get to fly in business class which would be smashing – don’t those seats practically recline to beds? Our client has a relationship with an airline which means we fly standby but if there is room in First or Business they pop us in there, we’re just not allowed to use the lounges, which is not great news if there are no public showers when I land in London. It’s certainly not good news for my colleagues on the training course. I shall have to run into a loo and change my clothes in a cubicle, throw my unwashed hair into a clip, fumigate my pits and do my ablutions at the public sinks.


Its glamorous business travel isn't it :-)

9 comments:

Blur Ting said...

'I work in such an incestuous industry' - that's so funny!

I hope you get to travel business class and arrive in London in style. Have a good time catching up with family and friends too.

fishwithoutbicycle said...

Thanks Blur Ting. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that too :-)

Anonymous said...

Ablutions! Hee-hee! I knew I liked you, Fish! (It's not often you see that word used in a blog.) Hope you get the upgrade and sleep the flight away!

Amel said...

Yeah, sounds glamorous indeed he he he...I used to love Scooby Doo, too!!! But I didn't mean Scrappy Doo he he he...

Anyway, hope you could extend your stay in the UK!

It's been quite wet here, too, ever since last month. Last year's summer was almost perfectly dry he he he...

But autumn is here already...I can see the leaves starting to change colours...and it's only 8-12'C these days during the day he he he...

fishwithoutbicycle said...

Hi Amel,

Thanks for your note. Fortunately they have bagged me a spot in business class on the overnight flight. Not so lucky on the way back, but I don't mind so much as it's a daytime flight.

Sorry to hear you've had a lot of rain, although I am envious it is autumn already. That's my favourite season :-)

Amel said...

ARGGGH typo...I meant "I didn't mind having Scrappy Doo around" HE HE HE...

And no, I don't mind the rain so much, either. :-))) So it's all good! ;-D

Agnes Mildew said...

Isn't it bizarre the way us Brits moan on and on about our weather? The amount of people who have banged on about it being another 'miserable summer', but the amount of spam-coloured shoulders I see sporting tattoos in vests around the village is quite astounding unless they have all nicked a load of sunbeds from E-Zee-Tan.

We do moan too much.

Seasons are to be praised. Living in a climate of 'hot' and 'f*cking hot' for nearly 8 years made me realise how wonderful cold and wet weather can be.

And I, too, cannot wait for Autumn - my favourite season also. As soon as those leaves start turning, I am off up to walk the River Nidd, around Knaresborough, and feel that golden glow, smell those damp leaves.

Can't get much better than that, can you, Fish?

Anonymous said...

Nice sense of humor you have. You know, down time is down time... doesn't matter if we watch cartoons or search online for 4-hrs for bras... not that I've ever done either... not once, nope, only you... Enjoy your family visit. I'm enjoying your blog... Vikka

fishwithoutbicycle said...

Hi Agnes, yes the weather was reliably overcast when I was in England this past weekend and the leaves were already falling from the trees. I was soooo happy to be able to wear a light jacket while walking around. Back in NYC and it's high humidity and 88F forecast for the day. Phew!! Roll on autumn.

Hi Vikka, welcome to my corner of the world and thanks so much for your comment. I was chuffed to bits. Sorry it took me a while to publish, I was travelling. Fish