Meanderings: February 3, 2000

Thursday,
February 3, 2000

Oh, thank Allah I booked my tickets today. Whenever I'm flying somewhere on business, I have to fill out a travel order with the relevant details, call the company travel agent to book the tickets, and then get my manager to sign the form and authorize the purchase. Now, he's a busy guy and isn't always here, so Sonya the department secretary would sign for him, and I'd happily toddle over to the travel agency to get my tickets.

Except Sonya left last Friday, and we have this nice new lady named Maria taking over her job. As of Monday. Which means she's still waiting for a mailbox and a code to log onto the system -- complex stuff like learning the boss's signature is far in the future for our Maria. So I posted myself outside of the Big Kahuna's office until I could get his attention, then got him to sign the order.

I just walked past his office a few minutes ago, and his whiteboard said he'd be gone until Monday. Thankgodthankgodthankgod I didn't put that off.

And why, you may ask, am I grateful for plane tickets? Why, because I'm going to London next week for a Javascript course at Learning Tree (just across from Euston Station). Four days of Javascript training, four nights on my own in a country where I speak the language -- whee! With any luck, I will be seeing a movie a night all next week, with the possibility of two movies sandwiched into a single evening should the interest and show times coincide (I'm not sure, but I'm really, really hoping that GalaxyQuest has opened in London. I already know that I want to see Dogma, Bicentennial Man, Sixth Sense, a whole slew of things) and I also get to spend some time with my friend Anna -- since I'm officiating at her wedding (long story), we really do need to sit down and get some things sorted.

And, of course, I will have easy access to Indian food (since there's a nice little place right down the street from the hotel), Thai food, Forbidden Planet and Boots aromatherapy products -- let me just state right now that I am helplessly addicted to Boot's Soothing Aromatherapy Oil with Cinnamon, Orange and Frankinsense. Problem is, I bought my bottle (jealously hoarded for use in my potpourri) from the Breda, Holland Boots in January 1998, and I haven't been able to find it again anywhere. If any kind Englishpeople or Dutch folk out there ever see this lovely concoction at their local Boots (it's orange-colored), pleasepleaseplease pick up a bottle and I will gladly refund you for your trouble.

Besides which, I just generally like London. Liked working there, liked touring it, and especially like going there on business. Now if I can just figure out what to wear. . .

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