Category Archives: work

Posting relating to my work

Edinburgh

Blasdale Home Posted on by

Well I am back in Edinburgh and staying at the Radisson.  I have actually been in Edinburgh quite a bit recently, a couple of days last week, and the whole of the previous week.  I had been staying down at the Holyrood and eating at the Mai Thai. So far, this week looks promising.  The weather is good, the sun is out, well at least for a short period as head for the shortest day.  Makes a great change to the weekend, when it rained and blew hard all the time.  Let us hope the benign weather stays for the weekend when Rosemary joins me at the Radisson.

The weekend trip was rather fraught last week, when I discovered I had booked the hotel for only the one night.  When I tried to book the next night it appeared the hotel was full, but thankfully as a Gold Points card holder, they found a room for the second night.  Hopefully Rosemary has forgiven me.

This must be the end.  I am here supporting the UAT testing, and making those changes, which seemingly always crop up on the last day.  Once that is over, I will be back in Aylesbury and my trips to Edinburgh will be finished.  I do not see any more work coming my way here, but then I said that 4 years ago.

 

Scotland and the Mai Thai

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Well I finished the week in Chicago, and arrived back on Saturday.  Looks like I won’t be back for the conversion weekend.  That day was delayed and now coincides with my holiday.

Had a week in the office doing some support for the Polish, since then £ signs always seem to display as some other odd character on my PC.  Must look at my keyboard mappings.  After a nice week going home every day I felt rather spoilt.

Weekend at home, meal with John, Carol, Anne and Chris (& their two dogs).  All stayed over night.

Monday back up to Edinburgh for a final bit of development.  The Mai Thai restaurant was closed, the chef was taking a four week break back to Thailand.  So I went elsewhere to eat, the Siam Thani on Broughton Street.  I am afraid it was no cheaper, and the food was not nearly as nice as Mai Thai.

Ate one meal at the Petit Paris.  Have not eaten in the Grass Market one for a long time.  The waiter commented on not seeing me for such along time.  Had a nice meal of duck and lentil casserole.

Met Ed and Jo for a curry at Zest.

The past week the weather has been pretty good.  Sunny, but was quite cold in the evening.

Chicago

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This week I am in Chicago, working on an United Airlines project.  I was definitely looking forward to coming out here.  A nice city, good food, and blues bands.

Of course I seem to have ended up in the suburbs, miles from anywhere with no transport, and not particularly good restaurants.  The hotel is in Itasca, and the office in Wood Vale

Met up with Fred Giacoma.  He works not so far away from here, so he took me to a mall, where there were some reasonable restaurants.  The place was Italian, all the items on the menu had half portions.  We even had a half portion starter shared between the two of us, and that was ample.  I ate a clam linguine, half portion of course, and still left some. 

 

Last week in Edinburgh

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Well I finished my last week in Edinburgh.  Packed my bag which had to go in the aircraft hold because it had a bottle of Champagne from the Mai Thai resturant.

Just as I was leaving, the Bank asked if I could have another week in Edinburgh to do some further changes.  Ah well it seems I will be back there quicker than I expected.

Thursday in Edinburgh

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It is already Thursday.  I have been staying at the Holyrood Hotel.  I have eaten in the Mai Thai three nights running.  I really must go and find somewhere else to eat for a change.  It is though so easy to go there and eat.  Good food, and the Carlsberg Special is only £2.50.  (Do you hear that, Jake, £2.50!)  Free Internet access and a friendly bunch who run it.  Last night football was on, and some celebrations from the Scots who won their game.  Hey and so did England, smashed the Russians 3 – 0.

Well I thought this might have been my last week here, but it does look that I may be here for a couple more weeks.  Should be good for the bonus. 

Weather wise, the sun has shone every day, no rain.  Today is the worst day, a bit on the overcast side.  Some of the thousands of Americans packing out breakfast and being their usual painful Americans selves, commented that it was going to rain in Glasgow, and might make it to Edinburgh.  Hope not as I walked into work in short sleeves.  Ah, and North Bridge was closed, I assume by another jumper, so had to walk down into the rail station and out the other side.

Tried to log on to the site selling Led Zeppelin tickets, http://www.ahmettribute.com/, does not seem active yet.  Little chance I will get one of the 20,000 tickets priced at £125.  But I will give it a go.

Edinburgh

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Been here three days now, flew up on Monday.  Funny flight, the captain took us to 38,000 ft where there was thin cloud, and it was rough, so he had to drop 2,000 ft and it was smooth flight, but a 120 mile an hour head wind.  Took off late, London air traffic control, but we are in Luton, miles away fom London, and you don’t see any other aircraft.  They obviously need more advanced systems that can figure this out.

Staying down in the Hollyrood, so I have breakfast every day, and the Mai Thai for supper.  I wish I was logical and had eaten my way through the menu in order.  Instead I dither and pick and choose.  Now I have no idea which menu items I have not eaten.

 

Mai Thai and back home

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Managed to eat in the Mai Thai every day.  Wonderful food, brilliant ambiance.  And good Internet access.

Not so good going home, bit of a delay on Easyjet.  Flight was a little rough, and coming into land we were in cloud with the spoilers on for over 5 minutes, and the occasional 360 turn.  Probably going deaf now because I had to turn the MP3 player up loud to counteract the noise from the vibration caused by the spoilers.  I really must catch an earlier flight home.  Getting home at 9 on a Friday is a pain, especially now it is getting dark.

Edinburgh

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Back up in Edinburgh, starting my third day now.  Travel up was easy, plane left early, arrived early and in the office by 9.30

Not staying in my usual hotel but down in the McDonnald by Holyrood.  That means I will be eating at the Mai Thai, and will be eating breakfast as well.  Breakfast is included in the price of the room.  Not included means I go hungry, included means I eat. Been eating fish for breakfast, loading up on healthy omega fats.

Last two evenings in the Mai Thai.  I have now updated their website, changing their menu and updating the gallery.  Just leaves the reviews to do, and maybe add a special news page.  The site had not been updated since it was created over a year ago, and all that time it says, ‘Taking bookings for Christmas’  Ah well. 

I also complained about the Plough and Anchor website, how that was never updated, how they should be changing the menu when the menu changes, how they should announce all the bands on the site as soon as the booking is made.  Maybe they should have a review section with some pictures etc.  I think they thought I was looking for business.

Oh the food at the Mai Thai was the usual Very Good.  First night I did not order duck.  This choice was commented on by the Thai waitress. Not the usual duck, sir

Day trip to Edinburgh

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Had a quick trip to Edinburgh for the day to do some presales work, selling my body.  Slight detour on the way to Luton, found Dunstable was closed with some gas pipeline work, so had to detour almost back to the zoo.  Weather was bad both in Luton and Edinburgh.

Had some time to spare, so visited the bank and said hello to the iBuy team, and picked up a few items I had left in my desk.  Had a successful meeting with the insurance company and then flew back home.

The National Art Theatre in Princes Street is doing an Andy Warhol Exhibition and had decorated the facade in suitable style.

  Andy Warhol Exhibition

A tour of Newcastle

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Met Mike at the Monument for a walking tour of Newcastle.  Wish I had taken my camera with me, there were some good views of the Tyne and the bridges which would have made some good photographs.

Of course the tour included visits to a number of pubs and the trialing of a few ales. 

A walk across the Millennium bridge to walk through the Sage Centre, which alas was closed.

Friday was the drive back home.  Not a bad drive, except for sections of the A1, where trucks insisted on doing their slow overtaking manoeuvres.  Back home in around 4 hours, only hold up was on the M18 as we join the M1 caused by some road works.