Among the Green Leaves

* Worked a week that was frustrating due to tasks which should have been simple and quick becoming complex. Speculation is that the programming being done by the corporate travel agency in order to streamline obtaining approval from management for purchased trips is causing the interface between the online travel tool and the agency to b0rk. I needed to book travel for twenty people for upcoming meetings and trade shows. Arbitrarily the website would decide someone who I have successfully booked travel for in the past no longer existed. Of course I can see their online profile, but when contacted the travel agent would state they could not. This would lead to a complete inability to book any trips through normal channels. When all was said and done each trip took over an hour per person to get booked. I was tempted many times to bang my head upon my desk as a means of creating physical pain to distract from the mental pain I was feeling at the time.

I am so very grateful that today is a Friday. Two days off to do nothing related to travel.

* Last night went to happy hour with some co-workers to a local brew pub where I indulged in their Scottish ale. It was interesting to me that the bartender seemed disdainful when describing how the brew would taste when I asked for something low in hops. So many people in the craft brew industry are married to the idea that a beer/ale has to be bitter tasting. Nothing can be farther from the truth. I dislike the flavour of hops. I much prefer a malty, caramel, slightly sweet tasting brew. The Scottish ale I had last night was extremely satisfying to my palate. Like an Irish stout it was pitch black in colour; not the reddish amber usually associated with a Scottish ale.

* I have been obsessing with the idea of replacing my ten year old car with a new Mustang. I laid eyes on a 2015 Mustang the other day. It was one of the most eye catching automotive body designs I have seen. I have been looking at various configurations on the Ford website while drooling. Unfortunately it is only a pipe dream. I cannot now, nor do I expect to in the future, have the money to afford car payments of any amount. I haven't had a car payment in the ten years since paying cash from an insurance settlement ten years ago for the 2004 Mustang I currently drive.

* I have the itch to travel. France keeps coming to the fore in my thoughts of where I would like to visit. Much like the time when everywhere I turned I saw or heard references to Santa Fe in 2001 that lead me to spend two weeks in New Mexico, I am having the same thing happen with references to France.

* A visit to the library had me perusing the inside of book jackets for synopses. In one the protagonist had an interesting variation spelling, Elyssa. I rather like the way that looks.

The library graciously allowed me to walk out with seven books. To me that is a lot to try to read in three weeks. Apparently that is a small number. The library allows up to fifty (50!) to be checked out at one time.

* I am happy that the days grow longer. It is nice to come home with a couple hours of sunlight left.

* Life continues apace.

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in the UK they are beginning to fingerprint domestic travellers, and may soon be doing so with international.

welcome to a world of police states.

the following article is from the london daily telegraph, by david millward and gordon rayner

Millions of British airline passengers face mandatory fingerprinting before being allowed to board flights when Heathrow’s Terminal 5 opens later this month.

the fingerprinting is not confined to heathrow. if you believe that the data will be destroyed and 24 hours and will not be passed on to police agencies, i have some prime farmland to sell you in florida.

last night there were some articles on internet news sites regarding a computer failure at LAX which delayed passengers on international flights. the computer system is the one which compares airline passenger lists with the terror watchlist. the result is that those people are flagged for secondary screening at customs.

the first article i read stated 2,500 passengers were affected with waits in the terminals and on the tarmac. later last night the number was 6,000 passengers. i have now come across an article using a number of 20,000.

hmmmm... i wonder what the number will be in another few hours.

earlier this month i went to quebec city. it was a trip that had been planned for quite sometime with a friend of mine whose passport is due to expire and who wanted to get at least one stamp in it. unfortunately, the fates conspired and i went alone. (heh, my passport is good for another three years. where to head to next!)

i thoroughly enjoyed the ambiance of the old city. stayed at the chateau frontenac which is a magnificent old hotel from the turn of the twentieth century, with an awesome view of the saint lawrence waterway.

it had snowed in the days prior to my visit. needless to say, this california girl was feeling the chill! i am thankful for the fleece lined boots i bought at timberland, my cossack hat and multiple layers of sweaters under my parka.

i have finally managed collate the best of the images and to upload pics of the experience here.

hmmm... with fingers crossed tightly i sincerely hope to be walking in the british isles again this fall. i may accompany the big dude with whom i work, and pray to the gods i eventually organize and get into a more profitable mode with the wondrous work he does. i am finding out the intricacies of providing props for hollywood. hopefully, with some diligence i can bring more public recognition for his contributions. heh, that would certainly help fund this expedition.

he hast plans to go to london for the rubber ball with his current muse. they are busily designing some costumes for her using his skill at metal work to construct her something stunning.

ah, the joys of working for an armourer. he has a taste for books that only barely exceeds mine, hence why i informed him that i shall be tagging along to britain. i wish to peruse the used bookstores there. this time with a budget. didn't take that into account when i went in 2004. yea, i bought some sweet first editions of sir walter scott and sir arthur conan doyle, but there wasn't a budget for books that time.

i also missed an opportunity to see the petrie museum of egyptian archaeology at the university college of london when i was there. it is opened on limited days, and the day i was free to visit, they were closed. hence, another reason to return.

it is about a half hour walk from the british museum (i should know... i walked it only to discover it was closed that day). a chance to return to the british museum to spend more time in the celtic and roman galleries viewing armour and weapons. what more could a girl ask for?

oh, i know... a trip to leeds to the royal armouries for a behind the scenes viewing of the collection. quite possible since the big dude knows the curators there personally. also, i would like to see him get more involved in conservation and reconstruction/repairs of antique arms and armaments for museums and collectors. hmmmm... to actually see and hold the maximilian helmet... that just sends shivers down my spine.

yea, i know... i am a strange girl. tis a great thought to look forward to, though.