bridget's not kidding

[planktondreamsquietly]

I think i saw plankton come as close to flipping out as i've ever seen him in the 2+ years we've been dating, so i think that really says something.

i started off writing at length about the day's events, but it was getting too whiny & longwinded, so here's the abbrviated version:

2.00pm: get a call from my boss, he's somewhere between angry and disappointed in me for taking this much time off during the middle of this big project. says i'm not being a good role model for the rest of the team. he's stressed too and he's been very nice to me in the past, so i feel really bad about letting him down.
3.00pm: need to leave work but my printouts with directions and proof of residency are not ready. track down a coworker, he gets them to me 15 minutes later. some maps are not readable, but who cares i gotta go!
4.05pm: call for cab to pick us up at 4.30pm. no problem, they say. train station is 5-10 minutes away, plenty of time i beleive.
4.30pm: no cab.
4.40pm: no cab.
4.45pm: no cab. i call, they say he's stuck in traffic & 3 minutes away. bridget and i debate on whether to drive to the first transfer (1.5hrs away) or wait for cab. we decide to wait another moment.
4.48pm: no cab. i am heading into the the apartment when the cab pulls up. i come back, we tell him we're in a huge rush, ask if he can drive us to the connecting train station. he offers to drive us to the cambridge station, and if that doesn't work, he's drive us to peterborough. we agree.
4.52pm: sitting at traffic light the cabbie should have run. anxious glances, whispered concerns.
4.55pm: get to train station, sprint to train. safe!
4.58pm: off we go to peterborough.
5.30pm: train stops. trouble on the tracks, don't know how long it will take to clear up. we had 30 minutes between transfers, the clock is ticking.
5.50pm: off and moving again.
6.20pm: arrive in peterborough 10 minutes before train to edinburgh. rush around newstand buying chips, chocolate, tabloids. anything that's bad for us and will provide comfort.
6.25pm: jump on train for edinburgh.
6.30pm: train leaves.
6.33pm: oh shit! this is the train to hull!
6.34pm: bridget laughs, i crack.
6.40pm: find a nice ticket collector on train, tell him our story. there's a way out of this! we're to get off in two stops, wait 20 minutes, grab another train to edinburgh. phew!
7.30pm: off the train. i buy a budweiser (and not the yummy czech variety, the one born and brewed in the US of A), smoke a clove, try not to collapse on the platform. i succeed, but not without some effort.
7.50pm: back on the train and off to edinburgh. for real.

fortuantely there were few troubles after this. our b&b in edinburgh was a letdown (and inflicted serious pain and sleeplessness on b) but other than that it was a great trip. the scottish highlands are unbelievable. the combination of rolling hills & mountains with filtered sunlight from layers of clouds, and a complete absence of civilization is, in every sense of the word, awesome. the only other place i've been that felt more desolate was the interior of iceland, but i think that this was even more beautiful. i loved it, we loved it. sadly we didn't get a chance to truly frolic out in the woods nor climb a mountain, but i hope we're able to pull a longer trip together to wales and scotland in the spring. i want to visit the outer islands and see skara brae, i can't wait.

Comments

[captain-grim.livejournal.com]

not to worry...frolicking in the woods is overrated...unless you have a strong bug repellent.

If you see Scotty from Star Trek, tell him I said wassup.