Brussels - Part II

On the second day I did more walking around the center and less hiking to see buildings miles away.


I took this picture, because he looks strangely like Schnarf:


See?


This guy owned a fantastic Belgian chocolate shop. He made all his own truffles and stuff...


And this shop sold cookies. The mannequin in the window was great!



I did do some trekking out of the city to see the Basilique, (after having a Belgian waffle with melted dark chocolate). It was really grey, so the photos aren't too good, but this building was absolutely magnificent. I had to make do with taking photos from the outside only - there was a da Vinci exhibition inside so cameras were verboten, and in the church part there was a funeral. I don't think they would have appreciated me barging in to snap the architecture.



This, I found hilarious! A picture of the Mannekin Pis - do not pee in the garden...


By this time, my Eurostar train was about 2 hours from leaving and I still had to collect my bags from the hotel and make my way to the Midi, so I had to leave.

Brussels is a beautiful city, and I'd recommend it to everyone who travels to Europe.

Brussels - Part I

So, I decided to go to Brussels at the last minute. I was in Amsterdam and then Paris for work, and then got on a train on Friday for some chocolate, waffles and mussels. No, I didn't go entirely for good food, but I did partake in the eating of bad things and drinking of Belgian beer while I cleared my head for an entire 27 hours.

I spent most of Friday morning wandering around the Grand Place, people-watching and taking pictures.


I wandered up side alleys and different streets, and took a couple of photos on my way to the Manneken Pis.



Then I came across a busker who looked like Santa - he had a beautiful electro-acoustic and was singing John Denver, Johnny Cash, Creedence Clearwater Revival and others. He was fantastic and drew the biggest crowd than any other street entertainer I saw the whole time I was there.



I took a walk out to the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudule. It was quite a trek, but it was the most beautiful cathedral I've seen in a long time. I went down to the crypt to see what the original church was like, before looking around the rest of the building.





Then I headed through the Parc du Bruxelle over to the Palace de la Nation - it must be pretty important, because you're not allowed inside - there's a lot of guarded space between the road where tourists can view the building, and the entrance.


By this time I'd been walking for about 4 hours and had covered about 16 miles. I headed back in to the center where I found the St. Hubert shopping gallery and had a beer, before heading back to the hotel for a shower before finding somewhere for dinner.

I jest not

Stupid Colleague: Um, LS, where are all the teaspoons?

Me: What do you mean, "where are all the teaspoons?" We have loads of teaspoons! (walks to kitchen).

Me: Um, Stupid Colleague, what do you call these? (pointing at dirty teaspoons in the sink).

Stupid Colleague: Well, they're teaspoons. But they're all dirty.

It's all a bit of a fluster

...here in the office. Prices are going waaay above target. Do we sell now, when the value is placed at $9 above our target sale price? Or do we leave it and hope that the market increases even more? And why is the value so (unexpectedly) high? Why are people willing to buy at those prices? What do they know about what's going to happen over the next quarter? Like I said. lots of questions, lots of uncertainty... meh.

On the way in to work, my mother dared me to have a shot of wheat grass from the smoothie kiosko at Victoria Station that we pass every day. Ay, Dios mio - I managed to get to work from the train station without barfing, but only just. I have never known anything so foul, and will definitely NEVER have that crap again.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, HRH is doing better every day. Her balance is still off, but she can stand, sit, walk and trot (she looks like a pony when she does this 'running' thing) and everyone is just so amazed at how well she's doing. Not long ago no-one believed she'd ever walk again. And now she's back, and more greedy than ever. Her love for cheese has grown stronger, and to make sure you know just how much she wants THAT BIT OF CHEESE, YES, THAT BIT THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR HAND? I WANT IT, she drools in to your lap. Or makes a drool puddle on the floor. Whilst licking her lips. Nice. Thing is, she's just come on heat, and her back will definitely not take any kind of mounting action. So we have to figure out what to do with Sam. She won't be receptive for another couple of days, but he can't be around her (alone) when she is.

Monday I have my 'caudal epidural and facet joint injections'. Under general. Which scares the crap out of me.

And that's about it. A random post, I know - but I like the whole no direction thing today. It kind of matches my day perfectly.

Anon.

The one where teh Sausage gets a promotion

So, my boss took me to lunch today, and asked if I'd be happy if he promotes me. Guess what I said?

Hell yeah!

Woohoo!!

Now I can go buy me some more new shoes...

What a long time!!

It's been almost 3 weeks since I last posted here. Three weeks tomorrow, in fact. Lots has happened in such a short space of time. Like being admitted to hospital to be sedated and put on a morphine drip because THE PAIN WAS MAKING ME DELUSIONAL. Fortunately, I have medical insurance, which means I only had to wait 2 days for an MRI scan, instead of the 4 months currently dictated by the extra long waiting list. I'm still trying to figure out how best to get a picture of the actual MRI up here, because my scribble doesn't do it any kind of justice:


That big black mess? That's what's left of my disc in the L5/S1 region. This piece of tissue has prolapsed, "obliterated the sciatic theca" (yes, the MRI report does, in fact, use the word OBLITERATED) and apparently now, parts of the disc are disintegrating, which (hopefully) should release some of the pressure. If not then it'll be epidurals and stuff, which I much prefer the sound of, as opposed to someone GOING ANYWHERE NEAR MY SPINE WITH A KNIFE. Because I'm not particularly wanting that. How this happened, I don't know. The surgeon described it as spontaneous, as I've had no history of back trouble and suffered no trauma. Weird. Anyhow - I'm now on severe amounts of opiates and diazepam, flying higher than a very high kite. Woop! It almost makes up for the fact that I was meant to be on holiday in Portugal this week.

HRH is home and doing fantastically! She is still unable to walk, by herself, but is able to stand for a couple of minutes unaided, she sits in the correct position, and when we take her outside with her special sling, she moves both legs trying to walk (although there's still no weight on her right leg).

It's the start of October, and I'm trying to organize a wonderful Christmas party for work. Everyone seems to be booked up for the dates that we're available, so I have my work cut out for me!

Anyhow, I'm back.

It's been a while

Well, it's been a really long while. Things at work have been crazy, and I was in Amsterdam for meetings a few days last week. Before I went away, I acquired a new dog.


His name is Sam, he's 9 years old and his owners suddenly decided they didn't want him. I drove a 6 hour round trip to pick him up, praying all the way home that he wasn't going to either poop or puke in the back of the car. But he was as good as gold. As was HRH who managed to behave herself the whole way from London to Coventry and back again.

I have a lunch date with La Cubana Gringa on Thursday, so I have to figure out where the best place to go is going to be.

In other news, employees of Metronet, who make the London Underground (***click on this link for how Londoners feel from 6pm last night til 6pm Friday, but if you're at work turn the sound down a bit**) actually, you know, WORK have decided to strike. They started to wind down services at about 2pm, and all tube travel ground to a BIG, FAT, SCREAMING HALT. There are no tubes. Everyone then has to travel across the city by bus. But, there aren't enough buses for all the London commuters, so you could easily end up waiting 40 DAMN MINUTES for buses that don't stop because they are so full. So, people are LATE FOR WORK and UNABLE TO GET HOME BEFORE 9PM. Thank heavens there's a dog door otherwise I would have had to clean up dog pee as well.

Success!

I had another lovely evening, with the guy who shall go by the name 'T'. We went for drinks in a small bar in Covent Garden after work. It was so dark and wet and gloomy and I was mightily impressed when he picked somewhere cosy. We didn't run out of things to say. He didn't roll his eyes when I insisted on buying at least one round, although he's sneaky - pretending to go to the bathroom so he can buy another round. I also, today, turned down a different job in the USA. This is the extent of my excitement.

What day is it again?

8.10am: My boss looks at his diary.

Boss: (head in hands) "Oh, man".

LS: "What've you done?"

Boss: "It's Tuesday today?"

LS: "All day."

Boss: "I got all dressed up to go to lunch today. But lunch is tomorrow. It's right here in my calendar! Now I have to get my shirt dry cleaned again for tomorrow. That's bogus, man".

Well...

...it seems as if exciting things are soon to be happening work-wise. I'm lucky with my job; I get to travel around a fair bit. But, apparently next year I'll be in the US for about 6 months, splitting my time between the Nashville and CA offices, and coming home via a couple of weeks at the Singapore office. According to my boss, this will give me a 'real' idea of what the other locations are like, so I can decide which of the offices I want to be in for my 18 month hiatus in a couple of years. I can pretty much say nay to Singapore. I'm not keen on the idea of being a single woman out there, and it's so humid I'd probably look like a prune all the time. Nashville would be cool, and cheap. But California? I think that's where I'm meant to be.

All sounds rather exciting to me.

Today

is very slow. I have taken on a new project, so I have plenty to do. However, what with it being Ascension and pretty much the entirety of Europe being on holiday, the office is not the hive of activity it usually is.

Sainsbury's delivered 45 cans of diet coke to work today. That, friends, is the extent of my excitement today.

Acta non verba

Well, the sun is shining and it has turned in to a truly beautiful day. I was beginning to think the Met Office was for once telling us the truth about the weather...
The weekend was pretty good, despite being ill. I went to have a couple of drinks with some friends, and it would have been absolutely fantastic had Mr L not been there. With afore-mentioned baggage. I actually haven't gone in to any detail whatsoever regarding this baggage, and do not feel it appropriate. Yet. Anyhow, I woke up on Sunday to find he had sent me 5 messages during the night. That is just wrong, don't you think? Somehow, and I really do not understand how this came about, the sneaky bastard has ensured that I am meeting him for lunch on Friday. I just don't get it. I have used so much energy trying to keep out of his way and not have to see him, and now I have to sit across a table from him, spending the only hour I will have to myself all day. Bastard.

Work has been pretty slow today. As was yesterday. The new fiscal year is taking a while to get started. No doubt next week I shall be rushed off my feet. Far too busy to even contemplate having lunch with anyone. Well, no, that's a lie. If the cute guy with no hair who works on the floor below me were to ask me to lunch, I'd be off in a flash. However, he managed to lose a hell of a lot of money last week and apparently is lucky he still has his job. Not big and not clever. I really would hate to work in a commission-based job. I know, I know, when you do well, you earn lots and lots of money and can buy pretty, shiny new toys and all sorts. But, what happens when you have a dry spell and you're scraping the pennies together to pay your rent? No sirree, that is most certainly not my bag. One other plus in The Cutie's favour is that he too smokes. I know this is not good, and that I really should not be wishing a slow, painful, torturous death full of black tar and emphysema and cancer-related symptoms, but it does make me feel slightly less of a pariah.



The sticks of death...

Yes, cigarettes are bad (m'kay?) and yes, I am smoking myself in to an early grave, but do all you do-gooders who have never drunk, never smoked, never had an ounce of fun in your entire, miserable and meaningless lives know how truly difficult it is to kick such a habit? Something that has, quite literally, been a part of you for years and years (what with all the toxins and tar molecules attaching themselves to your alveolar sinews and swimming around in your very life-blood? No. I didn't think so. Nicotine molecules have been swooshing through my veins and in to my brain about ten times a day (even more so if I happen to be imbibing on the poison that is alcohol) for the past 7 years or so. I have been carrying the fuckers around with me for seven God-damn years, and to suddenly let go IS VERY FUCKING DIFFICULT! What I'm getting at is, do NOT shove your "smoking is going to make you and every other creature within a million mile radius infertile" crap. I know! I'm going to die, and guess what? You're not! Unless you don't shut the hell up, because I will blow my poisonous, toxin-filled smoke in your face and take you with me. Schadenfreude.


Autobiography... (I took this from a well-known networking site)

1.Where did you take your last pic?
In the pub - my friends and I were trying to see who could do the best monkey impression.

2.What exactly are you wearing right now?
Dark jeans, Quiksilver sweater that a lovely Kiwi in Australia gave me, Birkenstocks.

3.What is your current problem?
How to get out of lunch on Friday with Mr L without causing a scene or unnecessary upset.

4.What makes you happy most?
Lots and lots of sunshine. Holidays. My family.

5.What's the name of the song that you're listening to?
The stupid recurring music played on Bloomberg (Sky channel 502, yes, I am sad). Some of us have to WORK, you know?

6.Any celeb you would marry?
Ian McKellen. But unfortunately he's 70 and gay.

7.Name someone with the same birthday as you?
My cousin Jambie. Jamie Theakston. Samuel L. Jackson. Kiefer Sutherland.

8.Ever sang in front of a large audience?
Well, I tried.

9. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity?
Nope.

10.Do you still watch kiddie movies or kiddie TV shows?
I do tend to pull out the VCR and Thundercats cassettes every now and again. They don't make them like they used to.

11. Do you speak any languages?
Spanish and a bit of German.

12. Has anyone you've been really close with passed away?
Too many.

13.Do you ever watch MTV?
No

14.What's something that really annoys you?
Staunch Labour supporters. Ken Livingston.

Chapter 1:
===============

1.Middle name:
Jane

2.Nickname(s):
Em, Emmish, EJ, Sausage

3.Current location:
Strand, London WC2

4.Eye color:
Blue.

Chapter 2:
===============

1.Do you live with your parent(s):
Until I can afford not to

2.Do you get along with your parent(s):
Very much so

3.Are your parents married/separated/divorced
My mom is a widow

4.Do you have any Siblings?:
Two brothers. Oh, what wouldn't I give to be an only child? Me me me me me!

Chapter 3: Favorites
===============

1. Ice Cream:
Not really an ice cream fan. Especially if it's on a stick. Yuk.

2. Season:
Summer for sure.

3.Shampoo/conditioner:
Aussie moisturising ones. Mmmm..

Chapter 4: Do You..
===============

1.Dance in the shower?
All the time.

2.Do you write on your hand?
Unfortunately. And usually with ink that seeps its' sneaky way in to the very deepest pores it can find. So even when you draw blood because you're scrubbing so hard, you look like you haven't washed. I am not a scaff. I just tend to do silly things, OK?

3.Call people back:
Try to...

4.Believe in love:
For other people, yes.

6. Any bad habits?
Posting on this blog when I really should be being productive. Smoking.

7. Any mental health issues:
Not that I'm aware of.


Chapter 5: Have You..
===============
1.Broken a bone:
Many a time.

2.Sprained stuff:
Yup

3.Had physical therapy:
Sounds exciting! But, if that means physiotherapy, as in post-surgery/accident therapy, then yes.

4. Gotten stitches:
Nope.

5.Taken painkillers:
Er... Do old people all decide to hit the supermarket on a Saturday, generally the one day that everyone who is at work all week can go? Yes. I live for painkillers.

6. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling:
Nope.

7.Been stung by a bee:
It was most certainly a bee that got me... Bastard

8.Thrown up at the dentist:
Yuck, no way.

9.Sworn in front of your parents:
All the time

10. Had detention:
Once. And it still haunts me so don't go there.

11.Been called a hoe:
Hahaha all the time

Chapter 6: Who/What was the last
===============
1.Movie(s):
Happy Feet

2.Three people to text you:
I have no one next to me. It seems most of my colleagues have prior engagements. Either that or I smell.

3. Person you called:
Home.

4.Person you hugged:
My brother

5.Person you tackled:
My other brother

6. Person you talked to on IM?
Can't remember, have been avoiding it for weeks...

7.Thing you touched:
The telephone.

8. Thing you ate?
Quavers.

9.Thing you drank:
Coffee

10.Thing you said:
"I'm tied up on the other line. Can you Yahoo it to me?"

11.Person you kissed:
My Mother. On the cheek to say thanks for the lift to the train station.



The last question makes me think that I really do need to get a life. And some new friends too, seeing as mine all live hundreds of miles away.
And now it's 17.22 and very nearly time to go home. Where I have the joy of preparing dinner, washing up and getting everyone ready for the morning. I really do need a life.

Back to it!

Chocolate, chocolate chocolate

4 days off. Fantastic! Not that I actually did anything worth talking about, but hey. It was just so nice to have time off to recharge and chill out a bit. After working pretty much a fifty hour week, you do tend to get a little sleepy. I also had a message from Mr L on Saturday. All it said was "Hi". Nothing else. The likelihood of me responding was pretty slim anyway, but what on earth is one meant to say to that? What a waste of a text message. No news, nothing interesting. Just the shortest and probably most boring word imaginable. Needless to say, I didn't reply.
I did, howsomever, spend the weekend eating chocolate as if it was going out of fashion. I felt sick at more than one point and think that my arteries are now lined thickly with cocoa. Nice. I do love chocolate though.

The news over the past couple of months has been horrendous, what with the string of young kids being stabbed. And then on Saturday another boy was killed. He was only 14. And he was killed by a 13 year old. I don't care what people say but I do not agree that it is all due to how
badly black youths are treated, and how they feel they have to turn to gangs for 'father figures' and to feel 'safe'. Bollocks. These kids think it's cool to hang aroung in groups and torment others, carry knives, act like idiots. The only thing is, I haven't yet come up with a way to solve the problem.



Work again

Tuesday was slightly fraught. Our CEO is over from the States so everyone is on their best behaviour. Where we would normally wear jeans and dress casually, everyone is in suits and smart clothes. He was meant to show up yesterday but was jet-lagged, so was here today. I'd never met him before, but found him quite amiable. He's one of these larger than life characters and was already giving us a grilling having only been here for about ten minutes. Anyhow, we're all off to the Savoy Grill for dinner tonight which should be good. Yummy!

Woohoo!

Work!
So, it's my first day as a PERMANENT employee. And after months and months of searching for a job (apparently companies generally do NOT want to employ bright, intelligent, dependable young graduates with good degrees from Red Brick universities) I am finally officially permanent. Yay! I've been working for these guys (through a temp agency) for over six months now, and I know the job inside out, but, now I have business cards. Actual business cards, with my name on and everything. The opportunities are absolutely fantastic, I love the guys I work with, the money's good and I have so much responsibility. Things are great!


And then the rest...
Now, I just need to sort the rest of my life out. My 'romantic' life is an absolute mess, and, until I get paid at the end of the month, so is my financial one.
I broke up with Mr Misery at the beginning of January. He's a depressive. Seriously. Nothing good could happen (to him, or anybody else) without there being a negative side to it. It ended up depressing me. Not just that, but apparently the world owed him, and anyone who had more than him, or was happier than him was just lucky. He rarely had one nice word to say about anyone, and was probably one of the most selfish people I have ever met. I thought I could fix him, but obviously not. Instead, after nearly a year, I just had to get out. And I did. E-mail is not even remotely how I suggest anyone should end their relationship, but the thought of the crying and guilt-trip I would have to endure was just too much to take.

There never was anyone else. Not really anyway. Mr Misery and I were never going to last. In fact, I'm not the only one who was surprised we were together so long. I just really couldn't stand the thought of the guilt-trip if and when I finally called it off. Else I would have been single by September. However, there was/is Mr L. Which, again, I have called off. He means the world to me, and by the sounds of things I mean the same to him. But he's attached and things are too complicated. He's also quite a bit older than me which doesn't make matters any better. I saw him on Saturday night at our local and things were awkward. I know how he feels and he knows how I feel, but no-one else in there does, which is a feat in itself. He's not happy that I've called things off, but I refuse to be a his bit on the side, and am in no position to deal with all his baggage as well as my own. So, I am officially single.

And right now it's the best thing. At least I think so anyway.

And there's a really nice guy who works downstairs. For now he shall be known as The Cutie..