and also - where did the last week and a half go!
Anyway - with time whizzing by - here's what's been happening in my world since I last updated the blog from the USA.
Got back in one piece although the flights from Pittsburgh to Toronto and Toronto to Heathrow were both an hour late which meant we missed the 8 a.m. Saturday morning shuttle flight up to Manchester. "No problem" they said - "We'll put you on the next one! At 5:15 this afternoon!"
We didn't fancy sitting around Heathrow all day so after exploring options, we managed to catch a National Express bus to Sheffield. Due at Meadowhall at 2:25 pm, it actually got there around 2:40 pm. The Duchess picked us up and after dropping my colleague off at his home in Stocksbridge, we got back to Nortoner Towers at around 3:30 pm.
Belper Town were in action at Carlton (again!) and as we were driving home, I sent a text to Snapper Harrison to ask for an update on the score. We were losing 2-1 but there followed an avalanche of messages advising it's 2-2. No - 3-2 to Carlton. Hang on. It's 3-3! Scrub that - it's 4-3 to Carlton. It isn't - we've equalised again. 4-4! Then the best news - Belper made it 5-4 which was the final score eventually. How Snapper managed to keep texting and snapping I still don't know but his album from the game is here:
Who says blokes can't multitask??!!!
Actually, during my absence, the Nailers had won another game, beating Goole FC 2-0 at the Meadows. Snapper captured that one too......
Yesterday we decided to make the short trip to Brigg Town to watch Belper in action. Because of my USA trip and other assorted reasons, I hadn't seen the previous 4 games (all won incidentally) and was really missing the footy. In fact, the only game I'd seen under the new management team was at Carlton when we lost 3-2! Some of my friends at Belper reminded me of this fact on arrival at Brigg and I was categorically warned that if the team went 2 goals down, I was to be ejected from the ground.
I was therefore concerned when Brigg scored on 7 minutes! But it was fine in the end. Belper scored twice to make it 2-1 and five wins on the bounce! I took my camera but put it away part way through the first half as I was busy chatting away with other fans. Snapper stuck to the task and the game is recorded here......
So you're up to date on the footy front. It's Sheffield FC next in the League Cup on Tuesday night and we'll be there. It's only a mile down the road from Nortoner Towers. It'll be tough. They made some good signings in the summer and have been in the top two pretty much all season. We'll see.
Other matters - last week, as soon as I got back from the trip, workmen arrived to rip out our bath and replace it with a large shower cubicle. It'll mean no more hour long Radox soaks but it's more practical all round and something we perhaps should have looked at a while ago. Anyway - the work is now done and we just need to decorate and that's that. (Although this morning, we found a small leak from the side of the cubicle so I'll call them tomorrow.)
The remainder of the last week has been spent in catching up with paperwork and putting the finishing touches to the next business trip. A week on Monday (24th) we're off to Brazil. It's another hectic one and the schedule is.....
Monday - National Express bus to Heathrow to catch a 9:15 pm flight to Rio de Janeiro. It's a 12 hour direct flight and we arrive early Tuesday morning. The client is sending a driver to meet us and take us to a hotel to rest up, having flown all night. Wednesday morning the driver will collect us and take us to the clients plant, 3 hours drive from Rio. He will then bring us back to the hotel in the evening. We have to be at the airpoort at 10 pm Rio time on Thursday night to check in for the flight home which leaves at 1:35 in the morning, Friday! Again - the driver will collect us and take us to the airport. (They are really looking after us!)
We get back to Heathrow at 4 pm Friday afternoon and have booked on the 7 pm shuttle up to Manchester where the Duchess will be waiting to bring us home. It's going to be tiring, especially at my age but there is a consolation of sorts. The hotel in Rio overlooks Copacabana beach. It's a dirty job etc., etc............
;-)
To close - a few shots from the USA trip:
Four Points Hotel, Toronto - Coronation Street on the telly!
Holiday Inn Express, Toronto - those planes land mighty close to the hotel next door!
The River side Suite, Radisson Grand Rapids - the bedroom....
.....the lounge/dining area from the kitchen.....
... and again...
...and an iPhone dock so the phone could be charged whilst listening to my tunes (It's Lorrie Morgan, singing "Dear Me" if you're interested.)....
... they even provided a spectacular sunrise over the Grand River..
The colours were just starting to show. The USA in the autumn really is spectacular.
Rented Toyota Camry - nice motor!
Right - really gotta go. Grab a sandwich then down to Pyramid Carpets to try and select a floor covering for the bathroom. We're going with vinyl rather than carpet but we've already had a quick look and there's hundreds to choose from so it won't be easy.
After that - hacking and chopping in the garden while the weather is behaving itself. Before I know where I am - it'll be Monday and back to work. Ho Hum!
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