Just for a change I'm back on the train again. Another early-ish start, In a real "pea-souper", destination Liverpool. Of course I have to get through Birmingham first, which can be painful, although rather less painful than having to listen to my fellow passenger - a woman whom I helped onto the train with her luggage - only for her to repay me by giving me the story of her journey and all the hell that she envisages it providing her.
The agony she had to endure when she stuck her head out of her front door this morning into the cold. The pain of dragging her luggage into a taxi for the station (she'd normally drive, but there is no fun in it anymore) and the fact that she has to pay upfront and claim it back from her company (You know, it's a hundred quid for a train and a over night stop!). I almost feel sorry for her until she announces she's going to Ashchurch (12 miles away!!) for a course... O, M and might I venture, G!
I got heads down into writing this, just to try and keep her quite for the next 10 minutes.
For me, there's a change of hotel this week, brought about by the lack of availability in any of the usual haunts. Last week was the Indigo Hotel on Chapel street - which I might add is actually not at all bad and very reasonably priced for a "Nuevo-Boutique" style kind of place. It's in an easy location - although not that easy for the client site I'm visiting - and features all the mod-cons you'd expect. Liverpool hotels are pretty friendly places compared to London one's, and significantly cheaper, but other than that - you could be anywhere really.
Post Scottish referendum, and all hell has been let loose - which is nothing like as bad as if the vote had been a "Yes". The country was never going to be the same anyway, but now the knives are out and I predict a complete collapse of the coalition shortly before next years General Election. The population at large have completely fallen out of love (as if they were ever in it) with politics and the politicians of Westminster as evidenced by low turnouts and apocalyptic nightmares of leaving the union. While trying to maintain the status quo of a system that has become ever more complex, they're failing to innovate or advance the country in any meaningful way. I'm not saying it's easy, but I am saying that given the resources at their disposal, they're making a bit of a hash of it, all in the name of getting a knighthood - or some other such title - and a book deal.
The weekend flew by again. Friday night saw son and daughter reunited for a weight watchers curry - much much better than it sounds - and I sat and heard the inevitable chatter of the delights of car insurance. It's special to live with three people working in the same industry that you don't. Sometimes, I catch myself actually listening. other than that, it was a delight to have them all under one roof for a bit and good to see them doing well with their lot. Daughter is steadily getting promoted, and Is comfortable with her fella - a nice chap and stupidly tall.
He spent a few days last week in Germany and was supposed to be home on Saturday but the Germans being part of the EU, means that somehow or other Lufthansa's pilots needed to go on strike and cause him a flight cancellation and an extra night on the continent. This resulted in daughter having to get up at the crack of dawn on Sunday to go and get him from Heathrow. All is well that ends well though, and luckily they both had Monday off anyway.
Now he's back from his travels, Son has walked straight back into his old job - easily it seems - and he's re-joined the Specials... In the longer term (ie about 12 months) I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him join the regular police force and finally get a proper job. His step-grandfather will be proud. Time will tell..
And on the subject of his step grand-father, both he and his step grand-mother are touring the outer reaches of Scotland busily spending my sister and my inheritance. So far, they've managed to send a postcard South of the border, and managed a phone call before switching their mobile phones off again so they are completely uncontactable, should an emergency arise. What is it with parents and mobile phones? They use them on their own terms I suppose, and you can't really say fairer than that. I asked what they'd seen of the referendum crowds and Mother said "not much really, although where we stayed was a bit Yessey."... The mind boggles.
They appear to be having a marvellous time, and I can't help but be a little jealous of their lot. Settled and seeing the world without having to slog anymore - sounds like a retirement made in heaven to me. One day. In the meantime. All change at Brum and onwards to the Pool.
At least it's not raining yet.
The agony she had to endure when she stuck her head out of her front door this morning into the cold. The pain of dragging her luggage into a taxi for the station (she'd normally drive, but there is no fun in it anymore) and the fact that she has to pay upfront and claim it back from her company (You know, it's a hundred quid for a train and a over night stop!). I almost feel sorry for her until she announces she's going to Ashchurch (12 miles away!!) for a course... O, M and might I venture, G!
I got heads down into writing this, just to try and keep her quite for the next 10 minutes.
For me, there's a change of hotel this week, brought about by the lack of availability in any of the usual haunts. Last week was the Indigo Hotel on Chapel street - which I might add is actually not at all bad and very reasonably priced for a "Nuevo-Boutique" style kind of place. It's in an easy location - although not that easy for the client site I'm visiting - and features all the mod-cons you'd expect. Liverpool hotels are pretty friendly places compared to London one's, and significantly cheaper, but other than that - you could be anywhere really.
Post Scottish referendum, and all hell has been let loose - which is nothing like as bad as if the vote had been a "Yes". The country was never going to be the same anyway, but now the knives are out and I predict a complete collapse of the coalition shortly before next years General Election. The population at large have completely fallen out of love (as if they were ever in it) with politics and the politicians of Westminster as evidenced by low turnouts and apocalyptic nightmares of leaving the union. While trying to maintain the status quo of a system that has become ever more complex, they're failing to innovate or advance the country in any meaningful way. I'm not saying it's easy, but I am saying that given the resources at their disposal, they're making a bit of a hash of it, all in the name of getting a knighthood - or some other such title - and a book deal.
The weekend flew by again. Friday night saw son and daughter reunited for a weight watchers curry - much much better than it sounds - and I sat and heard the inevitable chatter of the delights of car insurance. It's special to live with three people working in the same industry that you don't. Sometimes, I catch myself actually listening. other than that, it was a delight to have them all under one roof for a bit and good to see them doing well with their lot. Daughter is steadily getting promoted, and Is comfortable with her fella - a nice chap and stupidly tall.
He spent a few days last week in Germany and was supposed to be home on Saturday but the Germans being part of the EU, means that somehow or other Lufthansa's pilots needed to go on strike and cause him a flight cancellation and an extra night on the continent. This resulted in daughter having to get up at the crack of dawn on Sunday to go and get him from Heathrow. All is well that ends well though, and luckily they both had Monday off anyway.
Now he's back from his travels, Son has walked straight back into his old job - easily it seems - and he's re-joined the Specials... In the longer term (ie about 12 months) I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him join the regular police force and finally get a proper job. His step-grandfather will be proud. Time will tell..
And on the subject of his step grand-father, both he and his step grand-mother are touring the outer reaches of Scotland busily spending my sister and my inheritance. So far, they've managed to send a postcard South of the border, and managed a phone call before switching their mobile phones off again so they are completely uncontactable, should an emergency arise. What is it with parents and mobile phones? They use them on their own terms I suppose, and you can't really say fairer than that. I asked what they'd seen of the referendum crowds and Mother said "not much really, although where we stayed was a bit Yessey."... The mind boggles.
They appear to be having a marvellous time, and I can't help but be a little jealous of their lot. Settled and seeing the world without having to slog anymore - sounds like a retirement made in heaven to me. One day. In the meantime. All change at Brum and onwards to the Pool.
At least it's not raining yet.
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