The attack of the 20000 foot blog report
Here's a taste of the unusual for me, I'm writing this from 20000 ft. high, or whatever the cruising altitude of a Qantas 737 from Sydney to Adelaide is. Can't say I know that one off the top of my head, and I can't be bothered to ask the flight attendants. Oh well, whatever. I'm in a plane.
I'm taking an earlier flight back to Adelaide. I've spent the day in Sydney, after flying over yesterday for the “2008 IAG Direct Insurance National Excellence Awards” in which I was a finalist for the “Outstanding Achievement - Individual” award, having won the South Australian divisional award in August. I didn't win the award itself, but I did earn the “Special Commendation” award, which means I do get a trophy, but don't have to give a speech. Fine by me!
Train of thought shift: Why is it that they always play an episode of Mythbusters when I'm flying from Sydney to Adelaide, but it's always one I've seen. This time it's the Mythbusters 100th Episode “MacGuyver Tribute” which is in itself an awesome episode. Oh well, more chance to concentrate on this.
So anyway, it's quite an honour to get an award given at these nights, considering that you're up against the best of the best in a company of approximately 15000 people. Even being nominated as a finalist is pretty huge. These awards are judged by the heads of division, including direct reports of the CEO and members of the Executive team. So, considering that, it's even more humbling to receive a special commendation. It effectively means that people at an executive level are aware of my work, and feel it deserves extra attention. Wow.
As is my custom, I spend the day in Sydney. If the company is going to pay to fly me to Sydney and back, I'm going to choose to take a later flight. What's the point of flying out at 10am, when they can spend the exact same amount on my ticket and fly me back in the evening. And I don't have to pay for an extra nights accomodation. Win-win! Anyway, I've had a brilliant day. I found out that the Art Gallery of NSW was having an exhibition of “Monet & The Impressionists” which was just too enticing to miss out on. How many chances will I ever get to see Monet's and Renoir's and other Impressionist masters up close. So at 9am, I checked out of the hotel, left my suitcase with concierge, and hiked on over to the Botanic Gardens.
Spent an hour walking around the botanic gardens, just taking in the sights, seeing some of the rare plants and trees, and also some of the wild life. I saw one bird with some tiny chicks hopping around the nest in the underbrush, which was so cute. 10am I went over to the art gallery, and showed up just as they were opening the doors. Straight over to the admissions desk, where I purchased a ticket for the exhibition and an audio/video tour guide. A note on the tour guide thingy. It's a small mp3 player like system with a 2inch screen, on which you key in exhibit numbers, and audio commentary guides you through the paintings, as well as showing video where appropriate, such as seeing video of Monet working on some of the paintings that were hung. Very cool, and very helpful for me to gain extra appreciation for the painitngs.
What can I say. I was able to see some of the most beautiful paintings, learn so much about the Impressionist period, and appreciate these paintings that I may have seen in books previously, but you can never gain such an appreciation until you're standing right in front of them. The real highlight of course was coming to the last room of the exhibit, and you turn a corner, and there hung on the wall is Monet's Waterlilies from 1905. I've seen it in so many books, prints, reproductions, but to turn the corner and have it hung staring in front of you, it was just a moving experience. The way the light fell across the painting, the colours, the brush strokes, the composition, it all comes together and you see this painting in a breathtaking way that you never knew. It was truly humbling to be standing in this gallery with such an important work. Wow.
So I spent a few hours at the art gallery, and then at about 1pm I went off into the city, strolled through the malls, browsed a few shops, had lunch at a cafe and went down to Galaxy World to play Guitar Freaks and Drummania. I can't resist being near an arcade and at least having a quick go. By the time I was done it was about 3pm and my legs were starting to get tired from all the walking around. I decided to grab my bag and head to the airport a little early, my flight being scheduled for 6:25pm, which means boarding at 6:00 and I like to check in around 5pm. So I figured by the time I got to the airport it would be close to 4pm, and I could quite happily spend 2 hours in the airport reading. Certainly wouldn't be the longest layover I've ever had.
So I check in for my flight, and go to check my bags and the attendant informs me (it's about 3:30~3:45) that there's a flight leaving at 4:25, and if I wanted I could board this flight as it was extremely under-booked. Hmmm, fine by me! I hadn't expected it, since my flight was booked as a Red E-deal, which usually doesn't allow changes. But let me put it another way. I'm the only person in my row, the row in front of me is empty, there's 1 person in the row behind me, and of the 12 rows that exist behind me there are a total of 5 people, for 72 seats. (12 rows * 6 seats per row). Extremely under-booked indeed! So bit of a happy accident, and meant that I only had to wait 20 minutes in the airport.
So yeah, back to Adelaide. It's true what they say, the best part of travelling is coming home. Not that I have a 'home' per se at the moment, being as I'm staying with the Hage's until futher notice. Still, it's home enough, and I'm lucky to have such nice friends to give me a space in their home and their hearts while things get sorted out. Speaking of which, things are going pretty well, Hailey and I are sorting through the practical considerations very well and I'm confident that we can salvage a friendship out of this situation. Just a mater of time. I'm feeling much better recently.
Heh. John Mayer just came on Radio Q. Back to You. Of course, John Mayer reminds me of what this blog was originally going to be titled when I drafted it in my head. “The new man / cologne report.” See, in traditional style (ironically or not) I've changed cologne, body spray, etc. For whatever reason I seem to change scent after a major relationship. When I was with Jenny, it was “Imperial Leather”, when I was with Trish it was Phoenix, and when I was with Hailey it was Pulse. Now I've switched to “Dark Temptation”, going the whole hog and getting the body spray, the antiperspirant, the shower gel and the cologne/EDT. So, quite literally “I'm a new man / I wear a new cologne / and you wouldn't know me if your eyes were closed.”
Hmm. What else. Stupid birthday coming up. Hate stupid birthdays. Whoop-de-doo, I circled the sun again. Doesn't say anything about who I am, where I've come, what I've done, or where I'm going. So, why assign a date for which to celebrate a non-event. It doesn't take anything special to circle the sun. We're all doing it, all the time. Anyway, you should all know my feelings on birthdays. So no need to espouse on that.
On that note, we're starting our descent, so it's time to switch off all electronic devices and stow my baggage. Hip hip hooray. Quick funny note: Furby toys are not allowed to be switched on at any time during the flight. I wonder why. What did Furbies ever do to Qantas? Mystery for the ages.
This is Bob, in the full upright and locked position, signing off.
I'm taking an earlier flight back to Adelaide. I've spent the day in Sydney, after flying over yesterday for the “2008 IAG Direct Insurance National Excellence Awards” in which I was a finalist for the “Outstanding Achievement - Individual” award, having won the South Australian divisional award in August. I didn't win the award itself, but I did earn the “Special Commendation” award, which means I do get a trophy, but don't have to give a speech. Fine by me!
Train of thought shift: Why is it that they always play an episode of Mythbusters when I'm flying from Sydney to Adelaide, but it's always one I've seen. This time it's the Mythbusters 100th Episode “MacGuyver Tribute” which is in itself an awesome episode. Oh well, more chance to concentrate on this.
So anyway, it's quite an honour to get an award given at these nights, considering that you're up against the best of the best in a company of approximately 15000 people. Even being nominated as a finalist is pretty huge. These awards are judged by the heads of division, including direct reports of the CEO and members of the Executive team. So, considering that, it's even more humbling to receive a special commendation. It effectively means that people at an executive level are aware of my work, and feel it deserves extra attention. Wow.
As is my custom, I spend the day in Sydney. If the company is going to pay to fly me to Sydney and back, I'm going to choose to take a later flight. What's the point of flying out at 10am, when they can spend the exact same amount on my ticket and fly me back in the evening. And I don't have to pay for an extra nights accomodation. Win-win! Anyway, I've had a brilliant day. I found out that the Art Gallery of NSW was having an exhibition of “Monet & The Impressionists” which was just too enticing to miss out on. How many chances will I ever get to see Monet's and Renoir's and other Impressionist masters up close. So at 9am, I checked out of the hotel, left my suitcase with concierge, and hiked on over to the Botanic Gardens.
Spent an hour walking around the botanic gardens, just taking in the sights, seeing some of the rare plants and trees, and also some of the wild life. I saw one bird with some tiny chicks hopping around the nest in the underbrush, which was so cute. 10am I went over to the art gallery, and showed up just as they were opening the doors. Straight over to the admissions desk, where I purchased a ticket for the exhibition and an audio/video tour guide. A note on the tour guide thingy. It's a small mp3 player like system with a 2inch screen, on which you key in exhibit numbers, and audio commentary guides you through the paintings, as well as showing video where appropriate, such as seeing video of Monet working on some of the paintings that were hung. Very cool, and very helpful for me to gain extra appreciation for the painitngs.
What can I say. I was able to see some of the most beautiful paintings, learn so much about the Impressionist period, and appreciate these paintings that I may have seen in books previously, but you can never gain such an appreciation until you're standing right in front of them. The real highlight of course was coming to the last room of the exhibit, and you turn a corner, and there hung on the wall is Monet's Waterlilies from 1905. I've seen it in so many books, prints, reproductions, but to turn the corner and have it hung staring in front of you, it was just a moving experience. The way the light fell across the painting, the colours, the brush strokes, the composition, it all comes together and you see this painting in a breathtaking way that you never knew. It was truly humbling to be standing in this gallery with such an important work. Wow.
So I spent a few hours at the art gallery, and then at about 1pm I went off into the city, strolled through the malls, browsed a few shops, had lunch at a cafe and went down to Galaxy World to play Guitar Freaks and Drummania. I can't resist being near an arcade and at least having a quick go. By the time I was done it was about 3pm and my legs were starting to get tired from all the walking around. I decided to grab my bag and head to the airport a little early, my flight being scheduled for 6:25pm, which means boarding at 6:00 and I like to check in around 5pm. So I figured by the time I got to the airport it would be close to 4pm, and I could quite happily spend 2 hours in the airport reading. Certainly wouldn't be the longest layover I've ever had.
So I check in for my flight, and go to check my bags and the attendant informs me (it's about 3:30~3:45) that there's a flight leaving at 4:25, and if I wanted I could board this flight as it was extremely under-booked. Hmmm, fine by me! I hadn't expected it, since my flight was booked as a Red E-deal, which usually doesn't allow changes. But let me put it another way. I'm the only person in my row, the row in front of me is empty, there's 1 person in the row behind me, and of the 12 rows that exist behind me there are a total of 5 people, for 72 seats. (12 rows * 6 seats per row). Extremely under-booked indeed! So bit of a happy accident, and meant that I only had to wait 20 minutes in the airport.
So yeah, back to Adelaide. It's true what they say, the best part of travelling is coming home. Not that I have a 'home' per se at the moment, being as I'm staying with the Hage's until futher notice. Still, it's home enough, and I'm lucky to have such nice friends to give me a space in their home and their hearts while things get sorted out. Speaking of which, things are going pretty well, Hailey and I are sorting through the practical considerations very well and I'm confident that we can salvage a friendship out of this situation. Just a mater of time. I'm feeling much better recently.
Heh. John Mayer just came on Radio Q. Back to You. Of course, John Mayer reminds me of what this blog was originally going to be titled when I drafted it in my head. “The new man / cologne report.” See, in traditional style (ironically or not) I've changed cologne, body spray, etc. For whatever reason I seem to change scent after a major relationship. When I was with Jenny, it was “Imperial Leather”, when I was with Trish it was Phoenix, and when I was with Hailey it was Pulse. Now I've switched to “Dark Temptation”, going the whole hog and getting the body spray, the antiperspirant, the shower gel and the cologne/EDT. So, quite literally “I'm a new man / I wear a new cologne / and you wouldn't know me if your eyes were closed.”
Hmm. What else. Stupid birthday coming up. Hate stupid birthdays. Whoop-de-doo, I circled the sun again. Doesn't say anything about who I am, where I've come, what I've done, or where I'm going. So, why assign a date for which to celebrate a non-event. It doesn't take anything special to circle the sun. We're all doing it, all the time. Anyway, you should all know my feelings on birthdays. So no need to espouse on that.
On that note, we're starting our descent, so it's time to switch off all electronic devices and stow my baggage. Hip hip hooray. Quick funny note: Furby toys are not allowed to be switched on at any time during the flight. I wonder why. What did Furbies ever do to Qantas? Mystery for the ages.
This is Bob, in the full upright and locked position, signing off.