Life (or something like it)

So, the trips have started up again. Last week was Budapest, and then Ljubljana this week. Not much to say really, except I still dislike Stanstead. It seems every time I go there, I'm flying at an ungodly hour....

Well, I realise it's been a few months since I last posted anything. Sorry! It's just that there hasn't really been too much to say. Life goes on as normal round these parts. Work is keeping me fairly busy, with a few trips coming up to Slovenia, France, Netherlands, and maybe the Nordic region. If I get the chance, I'll try to blog from there...

I've booked my holiday already (a first for me to be so organised so early!). I'll be spending 5 days (4 nights) in Krakow in the summer. This year'll be a bit different, as I'm planning on taking the laptop with me, so I can blog/post photos to flickr/email folks while I'm there! So, look forward to that in a few months time.

Anyone got any good recipes for chicken? I've got a fair few already, but I'm always on the look out for more...

So, that's 2007 nearly over with. Strange to think that a year's gone by, really. Christmas went okay at the parents, although with my sister, brother-in-law, and niece are now in Australia for 15 months, it was a bit strained when it came time to leave. Still, now that the parents are now hooked up with a webcam, it should make things easier. Thank goodness for the internet! Now I'm just going to make of the final couple of days off before going back to work....

November's been fairly busy at work, hence not much time for blogging. Most of it's been in the office, but I did go over to Poland for a couple of days near the beginning of the month. It was a case of fly to Krakow for a meeting, then drive to Katowice that evening. I had to do a presentation at a seminar/conference the next day, then off to the train station to catch a train up to Warsaw that evening, and do the whole thing again the following day, then catch the last flight back, so I got home about 12:30am!

For some reason, the local office booked us in to the Marriott (expensive) in Warsaw. The sales guy I was with decided he wanted to go to a specific restaurant that night, but couldn't remember exactly where it was, so we spent maybe half an hour walking around, trying to find this place. I was lucky enough to have a room looking towards the Palac Kultury i Nauki (Palace of Culture) as you can see by the photo.

It was a shame that I didn't get to see Krakow. It's supposed to be a really nice place to visit. I'm planning on going there next year for my holiday, and I've already found what looks like a really good hotel that's close to the centre. With a bit of luck, they won't have started booking up for next summer yet....

A few weeks ago, I volunteered to take part in the trials of the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow. Well, today was the day. It was the twelth of some 70-odd trials that they're planning to make sure the systems all work. Why did I volunterr? Well, I fly a fair mount for my job, so it's quite probable thet I'll be going through there in the near future as a "customer", so a chance to get a walk through is nice. Also, I think it's a good idea to get the systems fully tested by "normal" people (me? normal?!?). Plus, I was interested to see what it was like without hordes of people around :)

So,what was the day like? Well, it ws interesting and fun... We all got to play at being passengers trying to check in, go through the transit system to the satellite gates, be a transfer passenger trying to find a connecting flight, and finally an arriving passenger trying to find our way out. Now, the terminal still has a fair bit of work to go, and there's still quite a few bugs in the system. For instance, a few people from our group got lost and went the wrong way when trying to find their connecting flight. Also, a number of signs should really be moved to make then easier to see or more useful. I hope they get these issues sorted out, otherwise people will complain. Generally, though, I think the departures is really nice. There's lots of glass, meaning you get natural light. This is a big improvement from the other terminals. Also, the fact that there's no specific check-in desks for partcular flights means the concourse should be a lot easier to navigate. I'm actually looking forward to using this terminal next year.:)

Still, time for dinner. It was a fun way of spending a day off. I may see if I can get on another trial day closer to the day. The only bad thing? They wouldn't allow us to take photos!

It's now Sunday afternoon, and it's been a great weekend. Okay, so England didn't win the final last night, but they can still hold their heads up high for having come so close....

So what was good about the w/e? Well, I got to meet up with my fellow Froggers from the Radio 4 PM blog in Bournemouth. It was strange at first to meet up with people who you only know through a blog, but after a few minutes, it was as if we'd know each other years. I've posted a few of the photos up on Flicker so far, and I'm sure Fifi and the others will add theirs soon.

Then, this morning, I tried missing out on the cream application for my psoriasis after I showered at the gym. Now, a few months ago, this would've led to problems withing 10 minutes or so. Not any more! I've noticed recenty it's been looking better. Now, it really does seem to be getting significantly better. For someone who's had this condition for 10 years or so, that's a BIG thing.

Now, I'm just relaxing for the rest of the day, and I've got a short week too!

Pass the Cabernet Sauvignon, someone!

So, I used the Eurostar to go across to Paris last week for work. It felt weird not having to fly for once, but for the extra 40 minutes or so that it added to the journey time, it actually felt more relaxing. I've suggested that we use it more often, particularly after it moves from Waterloo to St Pancras...

What a weekend for the Rugby World Cup! I'm still on a buzz after the England - Australia result, and as for France/NZ, and Argentina/Scotland, it's really shaping up to be a great competition! :) Strange to think that England were written off a month ago. I had my doubts we would even make the quarter-finals, and now we're in the Semis, and with a real chance to get to the final! Can my nerves take it?!?

Finally, can anyone answer why cooking can be so relaxing and fun? It amazes me that people find it so hard to cook even the simplest meal. My current favourite recipes: Chicken with lemon, paprika, & soy sauce; Sunday Roast, braised Steak au Poivre, and my own take on Spaghetti Bolognase. My mouth's watering just thinking of them all!