ASH Report - Day 10

It's my last full day here in the UK.  Tomorrow I wake up, have a little breakfast and check out of my temporary home and head to Heathrow.  I have checked and re-checked.  My flight is still counting down to take off - I love that Virgin Atlantic does that.  I have packed...and had to buy a new bag to fit all the stuff that I bought over here.  Decided that it was my last night in town and I had to see another show.  I was out earlier - looking around for a new bag and ended up right near the Dominion Theater where We Will Rock You is playing.  My sister is in love with Queen and that show and didn't get to see it when she was over last summer.  I decided to go and see it for her. 

I wasn't expecting much - most shows set around a group or artists catalog of songs just makes for a nice sing along for the audience and a bunch of groupies that just love the music.  I was mistaken a little.  The show actually has a little of a heart.  It's definitely different and not just a bunch of Queen songs strung together - well, it is, but there's actually a story and a plot there, if contrived at times.

So now, I'm sitting in the hotel, uploading the last of the photos to facebook and blogging away and am struck that both shows I've seen in the last two days are ones that revolve around our desire to find someone to share our lives with.  To make that connection in life - to have someone to share the good and bad with.  I was just thinking today as I wandered around on my last day here, that, with all this extra time here, it would have been a great trip to have shared with someone...alas, I'm here solo. 

ASH Report - Day 9

I really don't know what else to call these things anymore.  The ash isn't prohibiting us from flying.  Anyway, until I actually touch down on American soil again, I don't think I can call them anything else!  =)

There is a huge perk to me being stranded here in London for an extra week thanks to Iceland.  Holding the Man, the play opened tonight here in the West End.  It's a limited 10 week run.  When I saw the ads, I thought I would have to take a quick weekend trip over just to see the play, but then a volcano intervened and changed that.  I loved the book Holding the Man by Timothy Conigrave.  It made me laugh and it made me cry.  I was excited that a play was made out of it.  A friend saw it in Australia and got me hooked on the book. 

Thanks Iceland and the Ash Cloud - I got to see an amazing piece of work that made me laugh, and made me cry and moved me in so many ways.

ASH Report - Day 8

I guess it's no longer an ASH Report as they've let the planes fly again and we're not grounded over here...I just don't know what else to cal it.  It's Thursday - my 12th day in London and the UK.  As much as I absolutely love it here - the shopping, the sights, the sounds, the men...everything.  I can't wait to get home to my own bed!  It would be one thing if I lived here and had all of my creature comforts, but since I don't and this hotel bed is for shit - I want my own bed!!!

Was a working day today - so no sights or sounds to show you.  Looking forward to being home.  The countdown has begun.  A show tomorrow night and some shopping...and I would kill right now for a large Dunkin Donuts light and sweet coffee!!!  =)  Just saying!

ASH Report - Day 7

All UK airspace will have a phased re-introduction as of 10PM BST, 20 April 2010.  There was a cheer went out round the nation, like they won the World Cup!  It has been a long few days over here, there were conflicting reports, tension and then anger as most of the rest of Europe opened their air space and Britain still had not.

All things considered, much as I love London and have enjoyed my stay here, I cannot wait to get home to my own bed...

I toured through Hyde Park yesterday.  I started up at the Speakers Corner - where I saw a rugby match, lots of people lunching, a woman twirling scarves and a business man sunning himself in nothing but his underwear (his suit neatly hung on a hanger dangling from a tree branch)...but no speakers.  I wandered down through the park, took pictures and wandered the Serpentine and the Rose Garden - where there were tons of flowers and tulips, but no roses.  A very curious thing!

ASH Report - Day 6

There's about to be a Fruit and Veg shortage over here in the UK.  Folks are being urged to not purchase more than they can eat themselves (or their family) and not to let what they are able to get go to waste.  This is after all an island, and there are a bunch of things that can't be grown here.  There was a flight that got out of Scotland this morning - a little twin prop plane and all the papers and news stations are carrying the picture like it's the first flight ever. 

Even still, it's all quite civilised over here.  I was at the Tate Modern yesterday and walked across the Millennium bridge back into the City of London, I am about 100 feet from the end of the bridge and we all get stopped by a guard because of a bin (trash can) fire.  There's apparently a gas powered scooter chained to it as well, so things could get interesting.  Nobody is allowed any further and we are all asked to go back across.  Nobody gets a Fire Extinguisher - they just push us all back across the bridge and wait for the LFB - London Fire Brigade to arrive to extinguish the flames.  It's all an interesting sight.  The Tate Modern was fantastic and spent much of my time in there thinking of all the artists that I know...Mary, Bob, AJ, Jesse...

then went and had drinks and fun with a new friend...all in all, a good afternoon!  =)  So, here's a shot of the bin fire - from across the way - natch! 

ASH Report - Day 5

Yesterday being Day 4 of the disturbance of air space due to Icelandic Ash, was also my first day of the stuff affecting my life.  My flight was canceled and I was left in London (no sad face necessary as I LOVE this city and would love to call it home at some point in my life).  I've got work I can do, am traveling for work (so they are picking up the cost of this trip) and there's really not much anyone can do.  The boss and VP have been cool about it and really...I had nothing to do with the sacrifice to the gods to make the volcano erupt and spew ash everywhere eruption.

I have been on the phone to corporate travel (who are quite useless, I will just say) and with my airline - go Virgin Atlantic - you guys continue to rock my world.  I'm re-booked (just waiting for the email with my e-ticket to come through) and flying out on Sunday 25 April.  Just a week late.  Not bad.  Considering the back log of people they have to get through and all of the unhappy customers (I'm sure) the folks at the Virgin call centre were extremely helpful and polite in taking my re-booking.

Anyway - looks like I'll be home, fingers crossed, next Sunday afternoon!  Lovely place to be stranded, this town they call London!  =)

One of my favorite shots so far of the city...the archer protecting the Queens jewels atop the Tower of London

ASH Report - DAy 4

I haven't really posted any updates or reports on the Icelandic Ash Cloud before now as it hasn't affected me, really, until today.  I was supposed to fly home to NYC this afternoon, and learned yesterday afternoon that all Virgin Atlantic flights had been canceled for today - so no flight home for me.  All Flights have been canceled for tomorrow as well.  Figured I would post an ASH Report as a new blog entry. 

I am over in London on business - well, was only supposed to be last week and then Iceland decided to have a volcano eruption and send all of Northern Europe into chaos.  I have survived the 9/11 attacks on NYC and the aftermath - working only blocks from the trade center.  I have survived snow storms and blizzards in NYC that have covered entire cars in snow and each outdoing the last in the record books.  I survived the Great Blackout of 2003 where much of the East Coast of the US was in complete darkness without electricity.  I survived being a traveler during the MD-80 crisis that took planes out of commission (including the one that was supposed to take me from LAX or ORD).  And now, I have survived the Icelandic Ash Cloud!  I feel like I need a tshirt or something!

At least I'm here on business, and there are things that can keep me busy...so I'm not too worried about an extended stay.  The hotel has me booked through next Monday and I'm in contact with the airlines and corporate travel (not too helpful by the way) and will see what I can do.  Until then...I'm enjoying one of my favorite cities in the world.  As far as being stranded goes...London ain't a bad place to be stranded...especially on the company dime...unless I do more shopping...that's all on me!  =)


ASH 4 - Europe 0

ASH Report Day 4 - out.