Thursday 2 May 2013

A Chance Encounter

When you sit down in an airport waiting lounge with 500 other people about to board a plane, what are the chances of sitting next to the person you will be sitting next to on the plane? OK that's easy. But I even sat down on the same side of the person next to whom I would be sitting for the journey from Auckland to Melbourne.

As I opened my travel bag my boarding card showed and the shrinking violet on my left announced she was my traveling companion.  Which is exactly what she was for the best part of the next 5 hours.

We were at the front of the huge double deck A380 so boarded last.  As we left our seats in the lounge TC (I shall call her that as we never exchanged names in all the words that passed between us) looked back to make sure she'd left nothing.  I looked round to see what she was looking at and my keys were on the chair I'd just vacated.  They'd fallen from a pocket.

From that moment it was as if I had a minder the same age as my son Gaz.  I told her the story of Catriona saying that if she held my hand crossing the road people would think she was helping me. She liked that.  She was by far the most enchanting and entertaining bossy boots (her words, not mine!) I can recall meeting.

She told me which films I would likely enjoy and whether they were funny or sad or whatever.  I had another 14 hours on that plane after Melbourne and with hindsight and having followed her recommendations I can say that she chose well.  Some I would have watched anyway:  others definitely not.

Thank you TC.  You were a ray of sunshine in my journey.

Not Quite Home

I'm not quite home yet but I survived the 50 hours between getting up on Monday morning in The Cottage and going to bed on Tuesday night in a suburb of Glasgow (bear in mind the time difference if you are wondering how that makes 50 hours) with no ill effects.  I then had six solid hours sleep and at 1640 on Wednesday as I write this I have had a fairly full day and am still awake and about to go to a friend's for dinner.  By the time I've had a glass of wine tiredness may catch up with me.  It may take a couple of days for me to adjust my body clock fully but at least I don't suffer from the disorienting and debilitating jet lag that many people have to put up with.  For that I am very grateful.

I still have one or two things left to post about here before I get home to Eagleton on Saturday and revert to Eagleton Notes.