Now, I am not one to moan (watch it) but when I got to JFK two hours before my flight left and the check-in clerk told me that it was delayed by three hours I was furious. This was due to the weather - i.e. it was raining in New York. London, be not ashamed, what a few inches of snow is to you, a few inches of rain is to New York.
I really am not too pleased to be back here. As I mentioned in my last blog the world is carrying on just fine without me and I fear I am starting to look needy. Still, I need to be here for some reason and tomorrow we can start in earnest.
It's a new phase in my job. Previously I could rely on what I was doing or at most what my colleagues were doing but now I find myself responsible for a massive project that seethes and bubbles, always on the boil, always just ready to burn. I am having to learn to accept professional help in managing timelines (milestones they are called, surely with the knowledge that this is close to millstone). My project manager refers to our meetings with the wider audience as 'herding cats' and I have to salute her for so precisely capturing the spirit of the thing. You know when on Grand Designs people say they will project manage the build themselves to save money and crumble at all the problems they confront - well this is just like that only I have a project manager, three if I'm honest, and we are still up against it.
Hence I am back in London for the much needed face-to-face time. On the postive side I will be in New York next week doing exactly the same thing and would have had to fly out had I been based in London.
Glamorous, travel isn't. Seriously, five hours in JFK looking for something to do is awful. Yes we have all done it and worse but usually with a holiday either behind us or in front of us. This is just painful and however fancy the business class you can rest assured that you will still be bored to tears and are even more likely to be stuck in a lounge next to some truly dreadful donkeys braying about how important they are.
As I say, I'm not one to moan. So let me tell you what is wonderful. Our little girl is now truly flying with complex sentences. She understands the world around her, she knows what is, and what she would like it to be. She understands how to make what is become what she would like it to be via commands. "Let's go to the park, yes? " . Poor J is on the receiving end of these instructions especially this week when I am away.
Still he is not one to moan. Genuinely. Two hours of it on a Saturday morning and I'm looking for the tranquilizer shot - whether for her or for me I don't know. There is a huge privilege in seeing her develop and I'm sure he wouldn't change it for the world. He is herding cats too but the difference is that people only see the cute photographs, just not how unherdable the cats actually are.
Good night home, I love you all very much x.
Monday 7 March 2011
Saturday 5 March 2011
New York Birthday
My parents had arrived all ready for snow but snow there was none. Seriously, there was a time when Pip and I were climbing over several feet of snow while diggers loaded it up into containers.
Still, they did get to experience the cold and the epic wind chill factor. A few days were wet and cloudy but a few more were piercingly bright. Sadly, they left on Thursday after a week that passed all too quickly.
I know that they had a great time but more than that I know Harriet had a wonderful time. Whether it was the rides at Chuck E Cheese, the slide in Central Park or just doing ring-a-ring-a-roses in the apartment didn't matter; she was so happy. It was such a good way to make up for Christmas when Harriet was ill and also had to be passed around lots of different people.
Typically, however, two days after they left the weather changed. Today was my birthday and we thought we would risk a walk down to the Hudson if the wind wasn't too bad.
When we got there the problem wasn't the wind but the heat. Off came our winter jackets and in t-shirts we struck out into the pier.
One of my favourite views in New York was along 23rd street as I exit the subway station at 6th avenue and walk to work. I love it not because it is a beautiful street (not a big fan of discount electrical retailers, fast food and parking lots) but because it seems to stretch on forever. It presumably hits the East River but I prefer to imagine it heading out across the Atlantic with the next land point being Tilbury Docks, all jellied eels and rhyming slang.
But I've changed my mind. I'll keep 23rd street as a special place but that pier on the Hudson in the warm sun is something else. It takes two or three minutes to get there from our building's front door and as you reach its end you cannot take your eyes off the harbour. The towers of Battery Park stand on one side, the towers of Jersey glinting on the other and Lady Liberty floats in the middle.
Turn your back on this sight if you can or if you have to because Harriet is off, and you will see a great view of the Empire State Building as consolation.
Pip, J, Harriet and I headed off down the river path to the play-park. It was mobbed - full of joggers, cyclists, dog walkers and assorted nutters. But actually the park was too busy and Harriet was tired from walking so we circled back and dropped Pippin off home.
We had lunch in a little bar on West Third. We had great sandwiches followed by divine crepes (thumbs up from Harriet too). Best of all was a lovely Riesling that was sweet but not too sweet.
Feeling stuffed we walked uptown to Union Square to Harriet's favourite park. It was crazily busy but Harriet still had a great time in the sand pit - a lovely person shared her bucket and spade with her.
She is growing so quickly and mastering complex sentences. For poor J this means receiving orders: 'Let's go to the park, yes? Let's get my coat'. For me though it is just the good stuff like today.
Of course it's sad in a way that we are all getting older. She's not the baby she once was and I am, well let's move swiftly on there is nothing to see. But when you are as privileged as we are it is not the count of the days but how you spend them. It's been a perfect week with Gran and Grandad and a perfect birthday.
Still, they did get to experience the cold and the epic wind chill factor. A few days were wet and cloudy but a few more were piercingly bright. Sadly, they left on Thursday after a week that passed all too quickly.
I know that they had a great time but more than that I know Harriet had a wonderful time. Whether it was the rides at Chuck E Cheese, the slide in Central Park or just doing ring-a-ring-a-roses in the apartment didn't matter; she was so happy. It was such a good way to make up for Christmas when Harriet was ill and also had to be passed around lots of different people.
Typically, however, two days after they left the weather changed. Today was my birthday and we thought we would risk a walk down to the Hudson if the wind wasn't too bad.
When we got there the problem wasn't the wind but the heat. Off came our winter jackets and in t-shirts we struck out into the pier.
One of my favourite views in New York was along 23rd street as I exit the subway station at 6th avenue and walk to work. I love it not because it is a beautiful street (not a big fan of discount electrical retailers, fast food and parking lots) but because it seems to stretch on forever. It presumably hits the East River but I prefer to imagine it heading out across the Atlantic with the next land point being Tilbury Docks, all jellied eels and rhyming slang.
But I've changed my mind. I'll keep 23rd street as a special place but that pier on the Hudson in the warm sun is something else. It takes two or three minutes to get there from our building's front door and as you reach its end you cannot take your eyes off the harbour. The towers of Battery Park stand on one side, the towers of Jersey glinting on the other and Lady Liberty floats in the middle.
Turn your back on this sight if you can or if you have to because Harriet is off, and you will see a great view of the Empire State Building as consolation.
Pip, J, Harriet and I headed off down the river path to the play-park. It was mobbed - full of joggers, cyclists, dog walkers and assorted nutters. But actually the park was too busy and Harriet was tired from walking so we circled back and dropped Pippin off home.
We had lunch in a little bar on West Third. We had great sandwiches followed by divine crepes (thumbs up from Harriet too). Best of all was a lovely Riesling that was sweet but not too sweet.
Feeling stuffed we walked uptown to Union Square to Harriet's favourite park. It was crazily busy but Harriet still had a great time in the sand pit - a lovely person shared her bucket and spade with her.
She is growing so quickly and mastering complex sentences. For poor J this means receiving orders: 'Let's go to the park, yes? Let's get my coat'. For me though it is just the good stuff like today.
Of course it's sad in a way that we are all getting older. She's not the baby she once was and I am, well let's move swiftly on there is nothing to see. But when you are as privileged as we are it is not the count of the days but how you spend them. It's been a perfect week with Gran and Grandad and a perfect birthday.
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