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The All New Blog
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Travel
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Written by Stephen Baines
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Tuesday, 17 August 2004 |
Well it's just a few days till I go. Today I need to make sure that all the packing is done. The good news is that I've heard from my contact in Abu Dhabi, I have a hotel, I have a taxi, I have somewhere to work also, so all is starting to look promising.
Tomorrow it's down to Heathrow ready to fly on Thursday morning. Tomorrow is when the panic will really set in.
Tonight I have the fun of trying to make sure I've actually remembered to pack everything, and not packed things I do not need ever! The 22kg limit should focus the mind. Then there is the fun of what goes in the hold and what with me. Do I take a chance on everything getting there in one piece...
I'm afraid that whilst I enjoy travelling and enjoy seeing new places I am awful at actually going there - I'm not a good flyer, and I'm most definitely not a good "travelling light" person.
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Travel
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Written by Stephen Baines
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Friday, 31 August 2001 |
It's been a strange day today. It started very early indeed. I'd been warned that you needed to get up early in order to get the car back to the car lot, then to the airport, get checked in, yada yada yada.
2AM I was awake. I tried to sleep, but I was too nervous at the thought of flying. 3AM I awoke again, gave up, got up, got ready, finished packing, and got in the car to the lot. Listened to some strange radio chat show, and was at the Hertz lot by 4:30am. I was at Boston Logan by just after 5am, with 45 minutes till check-in even opened.
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Travel
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Written by Stephen Baines
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Tuesday, 28 August 2001 |
20:48 EST
Perhaps a rather strange postcard today.
I've changed my mind. Today I've seen the most beautiful thing I think I've ever seen. Twenty minutes ago, there was a tremendous roar outside, I opened the curtains to see torrential rain flooding the scenery, then almost as suddenly it stopped. There was no rain. There was nothing. Then the nothing was ripped apart by the most almighty flash of lightning - a fork the size of which I've never seen before lit up, and covered, almost the whole of the sky for all that I could see, only broken by the trees in the distance forming a strange silhouette against the grey and platinum sky. The flash went on for what seemed forever, and then faded. And then nothing. No thunder, no roar shaking the building. Nothing. The sky lit up again, this time with a fine elegant fork gently ducking behind the trees ahead, again no thunder. Enthralled, I sat, my eyes darting across the dark black sky, hoping to catch the next bolt. It tricked me, it teased me. First a flash to the left, then to the right, then the left and straight on. Sometimes 2 or 3 flashes straight after one another, sometimes a tantalising wait, tempting you to break your gaze from the sky, but you knew that should you do so, the most beautiful of bolts would be sent to earth.
Finally, the skys settled, and a small flash signalled its goodbye, and with it the one and only crack of thunder. |
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Travel
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Written by Stephen Baines
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Monday, 27 August 2001 |
12:50 EST
This morning I got up fairly early, and made my way to Andover for the day. I managed to find a computer with internet access, a floppy disc, and managed to download a dos bootdisc from one of my favourite saviour web sites, bootdisk.com. It has saved my life on more than one occassion. Quickly booted to the floppy, re-made the MBR, and was thankful that that was all that seems to be wrong. I shall have to be more careful with the discs I bring with me in future on trips, just to ensure I have a rescue plan if things go wrong. |
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Travel
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Written by Stephen Baines
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Sunday, 26 August 2001 |
12:50 EST
No, you've not read the date wrong. It really is Sunday's report, and it really is Monday. Important lessons have been learnt today, but more of that anon.
I got up, had a noisy breakfast after having to use the stairs as the kids had broken the lifts again. I decided I was going out for the day - I had two choices, go to Boston and fight the traffic, or go to Salem and see the witches. I decided on the latter.
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