Pushing the limits
I played golf Sun, Mon & Tues in three competitions and under a hot sun. Did not distinguish myself – in one of the competitions, I missed out on going to an all-Ireland competition. Mon-Thurs I tried to meet deadlines on three projects – signing off on the web and print versions of a 36-page paper (lots of stress tied to last minute changes from an advisory committee) and third edit of a 40-page technical paper on sovereign bonds. All while a cement mixer was spinning in my driveway and making lots of noise to feed my plasterers.
Friday, Saturday and 5-11:30 a.m. Sunday was hoovering, mopping, mowing, cleaning toilets, watering plants, changing bed linens and running errands (picking out linoleum for the storage room and two light fixtures). I was preparing a very dirty house/construction site for two different house sitters prior to a two-week absence. The project was meant to be at a cosmetic-only stage at this point. We remain very far from that point. Piles of dirt and sand everywhere that Paddy tracks into the house, bless his furry little heart.
Sunday at 11:30 a.m. a friend collected me and took me to the airport. It is very hot and my bags are very heavy (due to very heavy Christmas presents being transported to US early, plus two laptops & seven magazines).
I get to my hotel in London, lie down for an hour then get up to take the underground to Euston Square to meet my fellow editors for dinner at a Mexican restaurant recommended by our Mexican colleague. I have very bad stomach cramps as I leave my hotel and they get worse on the underground. I am gasping for breath as I crawl up the stairs out of the underground. All of my angels – Aunt Rosemary, Mrs. Morris, Jane K. – were waiting above ground. Across the street from the subway station was an emergency room. In a state of total panic, I walk in and am seen right away. I am pretty sure it is constipation and gas, the result of stress, dehydration, hauling heavy cases up and down airport/subway stairs. But the pain is unbelievable. I can barely speak.
Bloods were done, X-ray taken, urine sample provided. Nothing untoward found. I was administered two drugs intravenously after exam of my abdomen made me whimper in pain. Two episodes of flatulence and the pains in my stomach eased. As I lie there, I thought: the longer I work for PRI, the longer I can support the NHS. Which served me spectacularly well on Sunday night.
After two hours I was sent on my way. Rachael and Jasmin met me near the ER and made sure I got back to the hotel safely. I was pretty shaky and glad to have someone else tell me which platform to get on. We took the Circle line, which is north/south in some stations and east/west in others. Clueless.
Monday and Tuesday were all-day PRI conferences. I felt a bit delicate Monday but was on pretty solid ground on Tuesday. Here's me at the nightclub Tuesday night at the conference after-party. I would like to formally thank Aunt Rosemary, Mrs. Morris and Jane K. for having my back, again. And the amazing doctors and nurses of the NHS.
Today is Wednesday. I had a light agenda at PRI (they took mercy on us after two all-day conferences, evening drinks on Monday and a proper party on Tuesday night). So, of course I headed to Brick Lane. I spent a lot of time studying this wall.
I like political art, what can I say.
A++ for word play for the one below. This is classic Brick Lane: political, sexual, clever, double entendre.
I don't understand how this genre works – it costs money to create and produce art. How is it paid for?
I really enjoyed being away from conference rooms and panels of speakers. I'm used to working alone so being around people from 7:30 a.m. breakfast through to midnight after-party on Tuesday, did me in. Exploring vintage shops and street art on Wednesday was ideal.
I did get some work done, typing up notes from some of the panels, but very little was expected of us on Wednesday.
There are proper artists on Brick Lane as well as political artists.
Although maybe this is political?
I'm sitting in a burger joint tonight on a very hip alley in East London, having enjoyed a vegan burger, and am now heading to the hotel to start reading a book I bought today. I thought about going to see Aspects of Love in the West End, but my pillar-to-post lifestyle caught up with me on Sunday night and I'm happy to sit still and read–something I struggle to do at home.
13 sept.