Saturday, October 30, 2010

the problem with working from home

is that when you wake up feeling crap on a saturday, you still really have to leave the house for a while.

Also, I might firebomb my neighbors today. I'll let you know if it works out.

Friday, October 29, 2010

A case of the Fridays

All week long I've been sitting back, smugly eyeing HN over the rim of my coffee cup because he was sick. "See?" I said, "You need to sleep more, and be serious about vitamins and water and stuff. Look at me, I've been traveling for weeks and am healthy as a horse. Here, have a tissue"

So naturally this morning I woke up for my 6am post upgrade systems test with a sore throat and stuffy head and all those other things I was being smug at HN for having. Serves me right-ish, but luckily I have soup and tons of orange veggies on hand because I was cooking them for HN all week. Sick people food, I can do. (and honestly I think my main problem is allergies. There is a cold front blowing in and the trees are being divested of their leaves and I'm pretty much allergic to like, everything in it's dusty form)

and now, post upgrade systems having passed all checks I am going to climb into the dog's bed and wait for my coffee/dayquil/sunrise to kick in and make me human again.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Monday, so far

1) wait at bus stop for 35 minutes. Finally some woman tells me "you waiting for the number 4? me too, it's not coming. Let's go" and leads me to another stop where we catch it and she rips the bus driver a new one for the lack of signage at the normal stop.

2) my 1000 bead necklace breaks and I leave a little trail of orange beads behind me as I walk. At least I can find my way home now!

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Make a note; things I am learning in the UK

Educational trip this one!

Monday I learned that looking up the bus route on the internet is not the best way to figure out your bus route. Not when you're me anyway, I confuse easily. I know that I know this, but I keep forgetting and thinking that I can do it and then I'm all going out into the world and getting on weird buses. I also learned that I'm apparently kind of annoying. When I got on I asked the bus driver to take me to where I thought I wanted to go, and paid my fare. At some point I asked him again about where I was going and he got all pissy and pulled over and let me/told me to get off. I was all "whatever dude" and then I was all "hmm. where am I? I wonder if they will find me. Perhaps I should have gotten that mobile phone I thought about" I started walking in the direction the bus had left in, thinking that I must be close, and then I saw a sign for the American Cemetery which confirmed it. 2 RAINY miles later, I arrived at work, really REALLY glad I had bought a new raincoat right before I left home. It was a whim, and I'm glad I went with it.

Tuesday I learned that I apparently shout when I drink. I learned this when I went drinking with my coworkers and at one point there was one on either side, each patting me on the arm saying "calm down, it's fine". I thought in my head "Hmm, I must be shouting" I think it might be a Boston thing, because my college friends never placate, they just yell back.
I also learned that I had actually been thrown off the bus yesterday, not let off. My fare the second day was more expensive than Monday, and then it occurred to me that the bus driver Monday might have been so angry because when I showed him my ticket to ask him if we were there yet, he noticed I had gone past the stop I had paid for. I told my coworkers what I had said getting on and they said "yeah, no. that's not right" oops. Whatever. Then they told me what I *should* be saying to the bus driver, and then I also learned that sometimes asking people who know is the best way to figure stuff out.

Wednesday I learned that there are two #4 buses in Cambridge. Both are lovely, but not the same. I also learned that hangovers are totally ok at the office, and that when people say "Are you all right?" the WRONG answer is "yeah, why?" What they mean is "how are you?" and saying yeah why is weird and kind of rude.

Thursday I learned the american cemetery is awesome and immaculate, pictures to follow. I also learned that take out is not the norm. I went to a pub after work because I was starving and it was late and I was hungry and didn't want to cook but I really just needed to get home, so I asked for take out. The dude said "Ok" so I thought it was ok, but then he came out with a packet of tin foil, said "careful that's hot" and sent me on my way. Walking home with a hot packet of macaroni and cheese can be awkward, but I can do it.

Friday I learned we go to the pub for lunch! Yay!!!

TODAY I learned that that when they say "Next train leaving the platform is going to blah blah blah", they mean the NEXT NEXT train, not the one actually on the platform right now that you have boarded.