Mike's musings

Going rather well

Well, my last trip to Australia was rather stressful, as things didn't go that well technically. Things are proceeding much, much better this time, which means less stress, and earlier nights. I'm extremely relieved, and feel pretty prepared for our big day on Saturday when we upgrade the Production system.

Tomorrow I get to see my great friend Catherine for the first time in 5 or so years. We've been in touch over the phone, and have lots to talk about. Great fun, I suspect.

Now, if only the weather in Sydney would improve...

Labels: friends, travel

Back in Oz

Well, rather a shorter trip than I'd expected. I was due to fly with Air New Zealand from London Heathrow to Hong Kong to Auckland to Sydney, but as we were disembarking at HKK, I was asked to contact the ground staff. They asked me if I'd be happy to be moved to a direct flight to Sydney - to which I said I would - and so they put me and one other passenger onto a Virgin Airlines flight. Odd, as they're not code-share partners, but as Air New Zealand said that they'd ensure I still get my Star Alliance points, I'm happy.

Flights OK, and I got a bit of sleep. Arrived in Sydney around 0615 this morning, got to the hotel, had breakfast, had a bath, got changed, and then went to church at Christ Church St Laurence again. Enjoyed the service, and had a good chat with a number of people over lunch afterwards at the local pub.

Now desperately trying to stay awake: it's really too early to be heading to bed (only 1600 local). Beer and wine over the meal didn't help!

Labels: church, travel

Australia?

Well, it looks like I'll probably be heading back mid- to late- July, and getting back in time for my 40th birthday. Need to finalise a few details, but it's looking good.

Labels: travel

No, I won't

(backposting) The trip's postponed.

Labels: travel

Will things improve?

(backposting) Not so's you'd notice. Was in London for a meeting, made it back in time to catch part of Jo's school event, and also to present to work's training academy on security (I was well chuffed to be asked).

May not be going back to Australia over the weekend. We'll see.

Labels: jojo, travel

And home!

(backposting) An hour late in, then slow on the baggage pick-up, but had a driver home, and got back at almost exactly 1100. Poor Jo wasn't very well, and although she perked up a bit during the afternoon (could the paddling pool have something to do with it?), she was pretty awful again by 1600, to the extent that we rang the out-of-hours doctors' service. They weren't concerned, but the poor thing's running a temperature which we can't get down, and is complaining of very nasty headaches.

Well, both Jo and Miri were very pleased to see me, and (as I expected) demanded presents immediately. They seemed content with the selection, and Miri's cuddly shark, in particular, has gone down very well. Given how Jo's been, it was no surprise that she (and Miri) went straight to sleep, and Moo and I managed to stay awake by watching "The Thick of It" episodes before heading upstairs, shattered, at 2030. Poor Moo had managed about 3-4 hours sleep for the past two nights, so it was touch and go which of us needed it the most. Asleep by 2100!

In case I don't make it clear, always, I'm always very pleased to see Moo (and she me!), but the girls tend to be the headline items!

Labels: home, sleep, travel

Heading home

(backposting) So, a nice, slow getting up, breakfast and packing. Also ripped a few episodes of "The Thick of It" to my netbook to watch on the plane. Everything fitted in the suitcases, and I headed off to the airport around 1200, checked in - gotta love those emergency exit rows.

A long, long day. Sydney to Bangkok, 3 hours in Bangkok - extended to 4 because of a serious thunderstorm, and then on to Heathrow.

Labels: travel

Off home today

Yes, I leave at 1525, and get into Heathrow on Sunday at 0715, and should be home by 1100. Seems like a short trip, but those are local times, and it's more like 26 hours. But who cares? I'll be home.

Labels: travel

Incomplete

I've not managed to complete the work I came out here to do in time. Hopefully I can finish it off on Monday, when I'm at home, but I just don't think I have the information I need, and that's the way it is. The customer was very cool about it, and can see that I've put the hours in over the past 2 weeks. Tomorrow I fly home. On Sunday I see the girls.

Just 2 more sleeps.

Labels: home, sleep, travel, work

Starting to count the days

Well, I guess it's partly because I'm not feeling 100% today, partly because the weather's not great, partly because it was a hard day at work, partly because the novelty's wearing off now, but I'm really beginning to want to get home soon. I'm missing Moo and the girls, I'm very aware that Moo's having to manage all on her own and, well, I'd just like to be home. And I'm a little worried about that ash cloud. Really, really hoping it's gone by the weekend.

Labels: travel

In planes

(backposting) Today was mainly spent in planes. First on the way to Bangkok, and then on the way to Sydney. I had a 4 and a half stop-over in Bangkok airport, which was pleasant enough, and then boarded the flight to Sydney. 12 hours to Bangkok, 9 and a half to Sydney: quite a long trip. Nor did I manage to sleep for more than a couple of hours on this flight, which was a pain, but there you go.

The election news is far from inspiring.

Labels: politics, travel

Elections are unimportant

(backposting) Well, compared to going away and leaving your family, anyway. We voted, of course, took the girls along and gave them the standard spiel about sufragettes, and how important it is to cast your vote. We also had croissants and Golden Syrup for breakfast, a _huge_ treat on a school day, but only because today's the day I fly to Australia. I took the girls to school, had a bath, and then had to rush my packing in order to be ready for the taxi's arrival at 1045. Although my flight wasn't due to leave before 2130, I decided that saying goodbye to the girls at the beginning of their day, when Jo was going into school, and Miri to her pre-school, would make it easier on all of us, and it worked quite well. Moo was working from home in the morning, so I got to say goodbye to her when the taxi arrived.

The taxi took me to Witham station, whence I journeyed to London, and spent the afternoon at work. In fact, I took 45 minutes out of the day and popped to St Paul's Cathedral, which is just a few minutes from the office. I don't think I'd ever seen Holman Hunt's The Light of the World in the flesh before, and I was moved by a painting which had always struck me as rather twee before. So, I bought a postcard of it to take with me to Australia.

Taxi and train to Heathrow, where I checked in and had a leisurely supper before getting on the Thai Airways flight to Bangkok. Nice cabin crew, and I had a bit of a sleep, though not too much, as I really want to sleep in Australian time, as it were. Kept myself awake by writing some code. Fun.

Labels: church, politics, travel

SoW

I was not expecting that my day would be taken up with the writing of Statements of Work, but that's how it would work. Luckily I managed to get some other work done, too: which involved actual code. Not much of it: the real fun was working out why there was a problem and what could be done to sort it out.

And tomorrow I'm going away to Australia. I'm going to miss the girls, and Jojo's getting very sad. She really feels emotion now, and misses people. It's going to be very hard.

Labels: family, girls, travel, work

Final preparations

For my trip to Oz, of course. These include:

1. finding out whether the customer will expect a suit (they won't);
2. getting a wash on and then in the dryer;
3. arranging transport in the UK;
4. upgrading my work laptop to 10.04;
5. getting all the requisite prescriptions and toiletries.

Labels: travel

And home again!

Wasn't due to leave Cardiff till around 1700, and therefore to be back home pretty late. But managed to finish all the work early, and headed off after lunch, getting back in time for the girls' bedtime, which was a real treat.

Now watching the UK Election Leaders' Debate. Clegg's winning it again, for my money: fascinating.

Note to self: 7.5, then 2, then 6 hours driving on consecutive days isn't so good.

Labels: girls, politics, travel

Caerdydd

(backposting) Or, in English, "Cardiff". Another lovely city, particularly in the sun. If only it were a little warmer. I'm due to spend 2 days here working on some very specific issues for a customer. Had a good day at work, then discovered Brains' The Rev. James. Very pleasant pint. (Or two of them, to be honest). Then to Wagamama for supper, and then to the hotel (Radisson Blu, as in Brussels: pretty nice), and then to sleep.

Labels: travel

Norwich and Somerset

(backposting) Headed off to Norwich around 0700, arrived around 0900. Slooooooooooowwwwwwww around Thetford. I do like Norwich: it reminds me of Bristol, in that it seems to have a soul, there's a community spirit, and a proper accent, too.

A good meeting, anyway, and I headed off around 1430: a good old drive down to my parents in Somerset. Lovely to see them, and Polly (my lovely sis) came round for supper as well. Unluckily her husband, Lee, wasn't very well, so had to stay at home, but it was brill to see Poll (and Mum and Dad, of course). And then to bed.

Labels: family, travel

An ordination

(backposting) Slept in, then headed out to a proper continental breakfast: freshly squeezed orange juice, croissant, tea/coffee, convivial surroundings...

And then off to l'Église Saint Jean Berchmans for Hervé-Pierre's ordination to the priesthood. He's a Jesuit with a passionate belief in ecumenism and integration, and I was so honoured when he asked me if I'd read the Gospel in English, after a deacon (diacré) friend of his read it in French. The language was mainly in French, with English explanations, and also bits of the service in German and Flemish: quite the multi-lingual affair. I enjoyed it immensely, I have to say, though there were issues. I'd already known that I wouldn't be able to receive communion or to lay my hand on him as part of the ordination, but it was more difficult than I'd expected. In particular, watching all the other priests - there must have been over over 40 of them - file past, and lay their hand on him, was very, very hard. I don't think I've ever felt more a priest, and I had tears in my eyes and flowing down my face.

All the priests concelebrated, too: holding out their hands, and saying the words of institution, and I couldn't do that either. Nor receive communion. It was hard. But the rest of the service was joyous, it really was, and I'd not have been anywhere else. And Hervé-Pierre was radiant. There was only one thing that I felt that I couldn't join in during the service was the invocation of the Saints during the litany. There was a lot of "priez pour nous", and I just didn't feel happy, theologically, so I just kept my mouth closed during that part: the rest was fine. I'm not theologically convinced by the dedication of the Eucharist to Hervé-Pierre. For me, the suggestion that you can dedicate a Mass / Eucharist / Communion to someone (living or dead) is senseless. But I can understand why, if you took the view that it was sensible, then dedication of this service to the ordinand was touching.

After the service, there was a buffet lunch. I spoke lots of French, which was a real treat. Although far from perfect, my French is good, and I had some interesting chats with some Jesuits - and non-Jesuits. A number of them seemed to have no problem with my ministry or ordination: the best comment was the one of them said he thought that my ordination (as long as it wasn't too "low"!) was more valid that an of those by Bishop Lefebvre! (Note: not sure I mean this one, but can't track the right one down).

We headed off, walked around the centre of Brussels - Kate had never visited the Grande Place before - and then we had a meal, headed caught the Eurostar, a tube, a train, drove back, and got home around 2310. A great day.

Labels: catholicism, family, joy, ordination, travel

Eurostar

(backposting) Well, I'm very, very glad that we'd booked the Eurostar, rather than flying. Kate (my mother-in-law) and I are off to Brussels for the priesting of a Roman Catholic friend of ours. You should have seen the queues for tickets.

Now, some might say that a trip abroad with your mother-in-law was a recipe for disaster, but we get on pretty well most of the time, and I'd phoned the hotel this morning to ensure that we had (as I'd originally booked) got separate rooms. So, pretty safe. I met her at Liverpool Street station after work, and we headed round the Circle Line to King's Cross St Pancras. Nice glass of Chablis, and then onto Eurostar. A good journey, and we caught a taxi to the Radisson Blu, Brussels. A nice hotel, actually: I'd booked a couple of months ago, and got a rate of just €51 a night per room: excellent, for the quality. They recommended Le Volle Gas, and it was great. We had moules (we both love mussels!) and steack frite (steak and chips): both Belgium specialities. I heartily recommend the restaurant: but do check the price of the wine first...

To bed latish, but good to know that Moo has her dad with her to help look after the girls

Labels: family, food, travel

We _are_ off to see the wizard

It looks like the trip to Australia is on. In fact, 2 trips: I said I really couldn't do 6 weeks in one stretch, so I'm doing 2 fortnights, separated by a week or two. It'll be hard to be away, but it's important work for the company, and we've got a compromise that should be OK.

I think the girls will be expecting presents. And fair enough, too. And Moo.

Labels: family, travel