Bits and Pieces

I've been very bad at writing these last couple of months since coming back from Japan and New Orleans.  Its not that I've not been away, I have, just laziness that's all.

Back in October I went to New York for a board meeting and headed off to Toronto for a few days with Ali whilst Viv who'd gone to see Dee in Boston, met me in NYC before heading down to Florida and the Villages with 3 girlfriends from Bermuda.  Then I went to Cayman for 2 weeks of business in November/December (weather was unusually poor too!) and now I am in Toronto again having spent 2 days in New York on the way up here.

It's minus 15 heading to minus 30 apparently!

Not sure why but each of the trips weren't real blockbusters in that there was much to remember as the first two were mostly work despite Viv's presence and I really haven't got into this one yet.  So far its been work related so maybe that's it.

What a great building Grand Central Station is.  Certainly both grand and central and very, very big

I did get to go to Connecticut though, Greenwich to be precise.  I've been ticking off states for a few years now and thought I had another one then remembered a few years back I'd been to Yale with Ali for his participation in the US Junior Squash Tournament which is in New Haven… which is in Connecticut.  Rats.

For some reason in the last year or so I've had this idealized thought that I wouldn't mind spending a couple of years towards the end of my working life in London or even New York.  I'd not done this for more than 30 years so have a rose colored rearview of life in the exciting big city.  It really is too but going to Greenwich, a mere 45 minutes from Grand Central Station brought back to dreary reality those mind numbing years of commuting first from Southend then doubling up to more than 2 hours each way from Herne Bay.  Years spent on the bloody train that I'll never get back.

Newer looking but still suburban trains...

I may rethink that idea some more then.

East River over the Queensboro Bridge

I flew to TO our of La Guardia which still took 45 minutes from Manhattan and is a real dump. I guess its a domestic airport but still its an appalling mess.  Certainly for a city of New York's stature.  Really flying these days isn't that glamourous and definitely not comfortable.

And then I saw it…

OK I know this probably is not a reference to Jefferson Airplane, but it was to me

2016 really hasn't been that great a year for the old rockers that I grew up with.  First Lemmy from Motorhead, next David Bowie and most recently Paul Kantner.  Lots of people I know felt glum when Bowie passed but PK's hit me most.  I'll write more about it in my next post but will leave you with a great memory.