Monday, August 16, 2004
LISA - It is amazing that you have your nose to the grindstone and it is only when you stop and have a night out that you realise you've been working flat out. Miranda gave me a call on Wednesday to remind me that the third musketeer (Jane) was off to America on the following Wednesday and had we better not get together and have a final three musketeer send off. So Miranda and I arranged to meet that night at the National Theatre and then go to dinner at Gabriels Wharf, only eventually Miranda could not get hold of Jane so only two musketeers met. I had a lovely evening listening to a Guyanan band outside the National at the free outdoors show and then we went to a new cheap restaurant in Gabriels Wharf. For those who do not know Gabriels Wharf it is along the river between the National Theatre (South Bank) and the Oxo Tower or Tate Modern. It is a little street full of shops and restaurants and lots of people hang out there to have a drink after work.
Anyway we eventually got hold of Jane and decided to have a picnic in Green Park on Saturday instead. (We met there because we all agreed I would be able to find it, for those who do not know, I have no sense of direction. If you say the Royal Academy, Fortnum & Masons, or Hatchards I know which part of town I am in.) We have picnicked in Green Park before although last time I fell asleep. This time we had a much more grown up affair with booze and smoked salmon, dips and strawberries and gossiped for hours.
Jane leaves on Wednesday for State College, which is the town where Pennsylvania State University is (Penn State) we all wish her luck and best wishes. I must remember to note that both Jane and Miranda have passed their PhD's with typo corrections so we must all bow and scrape and call them Doctor from now on, very impressive. LISA
Anyway we eventually got hold of Jane and decided to have a picnic in Green Park on Saturday instead. (We met there because we all agreed I would be able to find it, for those who do not know, I have no sense of direction. If you say the Royal Academy, Fortnum & Masons, or Hatchards I know which part of town I am in.) We have picnicked in Green Park before although last time I fell asleep. This time we had a much more grown up affair with booze and smoked salmon, dips and strawberries and gossiped for hours.
Jane leaves on Wednesday for State College, which is the town where Pennsylvania State University is (Penn State) we all wish her luck and best wishes. I must remember to note that both Jane and Miranda have passed their PhD's with typo corrections so we must all bow and scrape and call them Doctor from now on, very impressive. LISA
Saturday, August 14, 2004
Some people can't survive without caffeine, they get up and start there day with a hit and then can function perfectly. Me I gave up caffeine at the age of 17. Of course there are always little slip's, after all chocolate has a bit in it, and sometimes herbal teas have some in it. Yesterday I went into Starbucks and asked for a Decaff Soya Latte. The girl behind the counter was obviously on another planet and so gave me caffeine. For the next six hours I was wired! I couldn't sit still, I couldn't point my mouse properly, I talked at ten to the dozen and I couldn't focus my eyes. In short I felt really drunk. But then again caffeine is a diaretic, so at the same time I also felt hung over. By seven in the evening I was on the down. I haven't had much experience with drugs, but if this is what caffeine does to me, why bother?
Sunday, August 08, 2004
Yesterday was Dad's birthday and we went to Ascot races for the day. We had a box with food and drink on tap! The sun shone and the alcohol flowed and a good day was had by all. There were people there we haven't see in many years. I have never really felt much like an adult in my family's company, but yesterday I felt really old in the presence of two of my cousins both 21. There was a concert after the racing and then we went to the pub which was packed but fun. Today we are all sleepy and I have a really nasty cheese hang over (the Brie was just too tempting!). Poor Dan had to go to work thismorning and I think was very overwhelmed by the whole family thing. I think I seriously owe him!
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
It is amazing how much I have grown up in the past eighteen months. This job has made me so much more self sufficient it's kind of scary. I didn't really realize this until last night, after my four hour journey home.
5pm - I left work as usual, walked over London Bridge and headed for the jubilee line. There were announcements about the line only working with half the trains due to flooding. What flooding I thought as I walked down the escalator, egger to get home. There had been a little drizzle early that morning, and then a short shower this afternoon, but nothing major. So I got on the train, confused by it's crowdedness, I just thought there must be too many tourists out today, that and the limited trains were making it crowded.
5:20 - I got to Waterloo. I walked up the escalator and into hell! When I got into the main hall there were three trains on the board. My eyesight bad after a day three inches from a computer screen, I pushed through the crowd to see the board better. Yes there were only three trains on the board! The first one I saw went to Shepperton and was supposed to have left at five. As I pondered weather to get that train a voice cane over the speaker "Once again I would like to apologize for the limited service, this is due to signal failures at Wimboldon and a lightning strike at Clapham." I made up my mind I would get the Shepperton train, someone could take me to Walton to get my car. I got on the train thinking that because it was supposed to go out at five it should be leaving soon, it now being half past. I find one of the only seats and sit down.
6pm - The train was cleared to go, packed to the genealogy, we trundled out of the station and stopped. There we sat at a red light for half an hour until they told us that this train had now been cancelled and they were taking us back to Waterloo!
6:30 - We were back at Waterloo. We all got off the train, into the crowded platform. Why was the platform crowded I wondered. I soon found out why. The main concourse was packed as well, there was just no more room for anyone in the building! I fought my way back to the board and say that there was a train going to Walton. I thought I might as well give it a go. I made a bee line for the platform, but the train was already full, with large groups of people crowded around each door. If they could have got on top and done it Indian style they would have! I phone Dan asking his advice, he told me to try and take the tube to Richmond or at least somewhere west. I got off the phone to him and they announced that all tubes had been stopped coming into Waterloo. They obviously didn't want to bring in any more people. So I phoned home and asked what I should do and a cab was advised.
6:40 - I stood in the cue for a taxi with two lovely women, one who was trying to get to Essex and another who was trying to get to South Kensington. We discussed they day in a very British stiff upper lip type of way and moved slowly down the cue.
7:15 - I finale got to a cab, and asked 'Kingston Please' (If you go any further they consider it outside of London and screw you). The cabbie said he had herd on the radio that it was taking people three or four hours to get out that way. I said just drive in that direction until I tell you to stop!
7:25 - While sat at traffic lights four people come up to the cab asking if we are going to Clapham, I say we are heading in that direction and they all pile in. The leader an accountant from Surbiton had been in the queue for the bus and said it was worse than the trains and had cobbled together this group of people who all wanted to go in the same direction so they could share a cab. I told him I wouldn't get a bus cos I would end up in north Yorkshire knowing my luck. The other man a South African phoned his friend who worked in Clapham and he said that yes the trains were working but they were really packing people in before letting them go. We let the two ladies out near Clapham, one lived in the area and the other had been traveling down from Manchester since 8 am that moring to see her brother.
7:50 - When we got to Clapham we got out of the cab and asked the man who was getting in whether there were any trains, he said that they had just stopped them! I looked around me thinking Lisa's friend lives around here somewhere, I wonder weather she would give me a cup of tea! They I saw the bus going to Richmond. I couldn't believe it and decided to chance my arm.
8pm - I got on the bus and phoned Dan to ask him to pick me up in Richmond. He informed me that Staines (where he workes) had been closed because the shops were all flooded. I sat all the way back, with a woman eating a kit kat (I was sooooo hungry).
8:45 - Dan picked me up and drove me home.
9pm - At home after I had eaten a side of cow I had to go to walton and drive my car back!
I am very philosophical about the whole experience, at least I did it. I'm not sure weather I could have coped eighteen months ago!
5pm - I left work as usual, walked over London Bridge and headed for the jubilee line. There were announcements about the line only working with half the trains due to flooding. What flooding I thought as I walked down the escalator, egger to get home. There had been a little drizzle early that morning, and then a short shower this afternoon, but nothing major. So I got on the train, confused by it's crowdedness, I just thought there must be too many tourists out today, that and the limited trains were making it crowded.
5:20 - I got to Waterloo. I walked up the escalator and into hell! When I got into the main hall there were three trains on the board. My eyesight bad after a day three inches from a computer screen, I pushed through the crowd to see the board better. Yes there were only three trains on the board! The first one I saw went to Shepperton and was supposed to have left at five. As I pondered weather to get that train a voice cane over the speaker "Once again I would like to apologize for the limited service, this is due to signal failures at Wimboldon and a lightning strike at Clapham." I made up my mind I would get the Shepperton train, someone could take me to Walton to get my car. I got on the train thinking that because it was supposed to go out at five it should be leaving soon, it now being half past. I find one of the only seats and sit down.
6pm - The train was cleared to go, packed to the genealogy, we trundled out of the station and stopped. There we sat at a red light for half an hour until they told us that this train had now been cancelled and they were taking us back to Waterloo!
6:30 - We were back at Waterloo. We all got off the train, into the crowded platform. Why was the platform crowded I wondered. I soon found out why. The main concourse was packed as well, there was just no more room for anyone in the building! I fought my way back to the board and say that there was a train going to Walton. I thought I might as well give it a go. I made a bee line for the platform, but the train was already full, with large groups of people crowded around each door. If they could have got on top and done it Indian style they would have! I phone Dan asking his advice, he told me to try and take the tube to Richmond or at least somewhere west. I got off the phone to him and they announced that all tubes had been stopped coming into Waterloo. They obviously didn't want to bring in any more people. So I phoned home and asked what I should do and a cab was advised.
6:40 - I stood in the cue for a taxi with two lovely women, one who was trying to get to Essex and another who was trying to get to South Kensington. We discussed they day in a very British stiff upper lip type of way and moved slowly down the cue.
7:15 - I finale got to a cab, and asked 'Kingston Please' (If you go any further they consider it outside of London and screw you). The cabbie said he had herd on the radio that it was taking people three or four hours to get out that way. I said just drive in that direction until I tell you to stop!
7:25 - While sat at traffic lights four people come up to the cab asking if we are going to Clapham, I say we are heading in that direction and they all pile in. The leader an accountant from Surbiton had been in the queue for the bus and said it was worse than the trains and had cobbled together this group of people who all wanted to go in the same direction so they could share a cab. I told him I wouldn't get a bus cos I would end up in north Yorkshire knowing my luck. The other man a South African phoned his friend who worked in Clapham and he said that yes the trains were working but they were really packing people in before letting them go. We let the two ladies out near Clapham, one lived in the area and the other had been traveling down from Manchester since 8 am that moring to see her brother.
7:50 - When we got to Clapham we got out of the cab and asked the man who was getting in whether there were any trains, he said that they had just stopped them! I looked around me thinking Lisa's friend lives around here somewhere, I wonder weather she would give me a cup of tea! They I saw the bus going to Richmond. I couldn't believe it and decided to chance my arm.
8pm - I got on the bus and phoned Dan to ask him to pick me up in Richmond. He informed me that Staines (where he workes) had been closed because the shops were all flooded. I sat all the way back, with a woman eating a kit kat (I was sooooo hungry).
8:45 - Dan picked me up and drove me home.
9pm - At home after I had eaten a side of cow I had to go to walton and drive my car back!
I am very philosophical about the whole experience, at least I did it. I'm not sure weather I could have coped eighteen months ago!
