Circling Toward Boston

Got up this morning bright and early, finished packing my bags, sent out a last email message and was ready to face the day. HA! Ha, I tell you. Ah, how naive and foolish I was.

I got to the airport the requisite three hours before my flight. (Okay, it's two in the UK, but what can I say, I was used to this in New York and in Boston. And I'm a morning person.) Only to find out that the airline overbooked the flight.

Now my first thought was that they had switched to a smaller plane. Because like Jerry Seinfeld, I couldn't understand the concept of a reservation that led to nothing to show for it. Nope, it's still the same plane. Basically, what airlines do is run sophisticated profiling systems that tell them how much to overbook their flight, so that they can fly out with an optimally full aircraft with a minimum of disgruntled passengers.

I was gruntled.

The profile was wrong. Not enough people got off the damned plane.

My 10:55 departure will be leaving at 16:55. The funny thing is that I told my friends that I'd be flying in at 19:40, because I misread which leg of my journey that I was on. I'll actually be flying in at 18:40. (Hopefully, anyway.)

What do I get to show for it? Nine quid worth of coffee vouchers and either $400 in cash or £550 toward my next flight with this airline. I fly enough that I went for the more money. Especially, as I have a year to use it.

Several more hours to kill. Hello, mp3 player and my book. They go nicely with uncomfortable chairs and more overpriced beverages.

(At the moment, I'm settled into the first class/business class internet cafe/business center recharging my electronic devices. Who says being polite and friendly won't get you anywhere in society.)

See everyone soon.

New Office

Work moved to our new offices by the Blackfriars tube stop. Coincidentally, much closer to my old apartment. And if we had moved offices months ago as planned, it would have really helped me. But no, I'm not annoyed about it.

The move over the weekend was hellish, but now it's over and the computers are set up and everyone is somewhat happy.

The new office is by the Blackfriars Bridge and here's a great statue of Queen Victoria on our end. Just around the corner is something that I like a little better than good Queen V. The woman with the grecian urn. I expect that she should be pouring water, but that remains to be seen.

Mass Rocks!

Since same-sex marriage has become legalized in Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention brings anxiety and stress. First there are people that descend on Boston, the conservatives that rant about how same-sex marriage is a sign of the devil or worse. Then there are the news stories about where the amendments that ban same-sex marriage and where things stand.

I'm a single, gay man. I don't even have a boyfriend, never mind someone that I want to share my life with. So for the most part, the marriage equality issue affects me more theoretically than practically at the moment.

What does hit me is the arguments and the bile that some of those that oppose same-sex marriage use to make their case. It's just so damned depressing to hear all of that nastiness again and again. It brings up all of the guilt, alienation that I thought had been put to rest in my life decades ago. I can only imagine what they're doing to some closeted kid that's struggling to come out.

Yesterday, I spent most of the afternoon with a window open to Bay Window's Blogging the Con Con coverage. I rushed home to find out how the vote went down.

I had been reading articles about how people weren't sure how it was going to go. And I'd read articles a few months ago about whether it made political sense to let the vote go to the public, so that Massachusetts would become a money sink in the culture wars which -- supposedly -- would have helped the Democratic party in the 2008 presidential election. Neither of which helped my anxiety level. No one wants to think that their rights could be thrown under the bus to help the greater good.

When I got home and found out how the vote went down, I couldn't believe how good it felt. I like to think I'm an optimist, but I had doubted and had given in to fear. To find out that the Commonwealth had done the right thing, when I was afraid that they wouldn't was a gift without price.

Thank you, Mass. legislators.

Update: Found out that there's a bit in the Mass. constitution that stops people from offering a constitutional amendment without a cooling off period. This would be able to go before the voters before the 2012 election. At best.

Best Cubicle Doodad

While I was home, I picked up a Philips Digital Picture Frame that I had my eye on. (I think I got a better deal than the listed price, though.)

I have it sitting on my desk, taking the place of the wall of pictures of friends, family and their kids that had been there before.

I should check to see if Philips will kick some cash back to me. At least three people in my office talked about getting them either for themselves or for gifts after they saw (and played with) mine.

So fire off digital pix, if you think I'd like them in rotation in my cube. (Of course, you know me, that would probably be any pictures of you guys.

I Love Living On The Thames

Another ship to gawk at on the walk home.

Things I've Seen In The Docklands

Here are some of the sights around the new place that I've seen now that I'm there...

A three-mast ship from Sweden. It was only there for a few days while I was there, but it was neat to be able to see it. (Even if I was too cheap to pay to go aboard.)

We've also got the obligatory guy with a kite on a beautiful day.

Lastly, we have rampaging sheep. Seriously, that's got to be cheaper than having to mow the whole field. And it is kind of nice to walk through a field beneath the big towers of Citi-Bank, Lehman Brothers and the like and see sheep. So far, I haven't seen them cavorting, just eating, but I assume that may be happening too.

It is kind of weird to pass crowing roosters on the way to the train in the morning, though.