Monthly Archives: July 2012

Day off, you must be joking and Dentists

Blasdale Home Posted on by

Went into work for a couple of hours.  Actually had to go in as I had left my American power adapter in the office.  Back to the hotel in time to go out for what I hoped would be a small lunch.

The walk to the Tilted Kilt is no more than 6 minutes.  I reckon I am the only person walking, and I take great joy in bringing the traffic to a halt as I cross the road.  In this walk I pass no fewer then 3 dentists, and 1 hair transplant therapist.  I don’t believe it’s a centre for dentists, and it’s not an exactly thriving and affluent area of the town. I suppose the demand for straight white teeth must fuel the supply of dentists, or is it the over supply of dentists that create the demand for white linear teeth.  Who knows.

Quieter at lunch in the TK, chose what I thought was going to be a small lunch time snack of spicy chicken, turned out to be 4 slabs of chicken.   That destroyed any afternoon activities, and I definitely did not want supper tonight.

Friday 13th

Blasdale Home Posted on by
200 Glastonbury Blvd, Glastonbury CI

200 Glastonbury Blvd, Glastonbury CI

Another dry and warm day here in Glastonbury. A picture of the office where I am working. I now know where it is and get there with unfailing ease. There are two similar brick built buildings. A short walk away you can buy sandwiches, coffee and eat Mexican.

 

 

 

Zoup Sandwich and soup place in Glastonbury

Zoup sandwich and soup place in Glastonbury

Today thought I would go for a sandwich, not sure about these American sandwiches. Actually rather disappointing, but I felt very proper by eating a veggy sandwich.

 

Beer Beer Beer

Beer Beer Beer

After a long day at work, 6 -7 back to the hotel and out for some beers and food. Went to the Tilted Kilt again. There does not seem that many good places to eat in walking distance of here. Maybe will have to drive and not drink. Today I ate at the bar and consumed some more of these strange brews. They all seem to go with the name IPA, which covers pretty well anything from Ho Garden to a dark black Guinness look alike.

Meal was a delicious salad with slices of rare cooked steak on the top.

 

Misogyny abounds in Weathersfield

Blasdale Home Posted on by

Managed to get to work today in a few minutes flat. No stupid routes around Glastonbury. Another hot and dry day, thank goodness for air conditioning, and a company that dresses down, so jeans and t-shirts are in order.

Dinner today in a lively bar called the Tilted Kilt. Sat at the bar drinking what looked like real pints. Drank some Sam Smiths from Boston, and then another pint which was an American Ho Garden beer. They seemed to have several different cloudy beers on tap, obviously trendy.

No pictures today, forgot to take the camera, will have to go back. I am afraid this bar can only employ flat stomached females with large perky busts and artistic tats. At least they had some good themed channel on the TV which was not American football, but extreme sports, which vied for attention.

Food other then liquid, a large burger.

Glastonbury arrival, Ginza and Chipotle

Blasdale Home Posted on by

My drive to Wethersfield was a doddle. So armed with my trusty printed out Google turn maps I drove to Glastonbury and the offices where I am to work for the next few days. Suffice to say the time taken for this 3-mile drive would have got me 60% of the way back to Boston. Somewhere I went wrong and drove up and down every road in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Yes, I was forced eventually to ask someone for directions. I blame Google, they made me drive some circuitous route, so I did not have to turn left over traffic lanes. When I got to where I was driving there were no such restrictions, even had traffic lights and signs telling me to turn left.

So, I am in these big offices with no one there. They all work from home. First job was coffee. Do you know, they actually have Starbucks in America. Would you believe it? Back to work, and then lunch. Chipotle a fast-food Mexican. Not too bad, I knew of the chain from the podcast program TWIG (This week in Google).

Back to the hotel, shower to remove all the leaky biro that somehow has destroyed my pants (ok, trousers, but I am in America), stained my new, white Samsung Galaxy 3 S (you should have heard Rosemary laugh when I showed her the phone on FaceTime), and marked my legs with a blue smear.

Out to supper at the Ginza, a 3-minute walk. Pissed off all the drivers as I turned the lights red on the multi lane highway. Ginza is a Japanese Sashimi and Sushi place. Yes, I am looking forward to the results of the raw fish in a couple of days’ time. Quite expensive, well over budget, so tomorrow it’s going to be the Red Lobster. It was the cute Chinese girl who on commission got me to have the special starter. I was not going to have a starter, and no way one that cost as much as the main meal. It though was the best part of the meal. Crab on raw tuna. The Sushi main course was a bit ordinary.

On the way back popped into a liquor store. My God, the number of bottles. I have never ever seen anything quite so large and well stocked with such a huge variety of drinks. I came out with a bottle of Makers Mark which I am quietly shipping while writing this blog entry.

Wethersfield Connecticut

Blasdale Home Posted on by

You have this firm conviction you will never visit a country again. Suddenly you make two trips on the same airline in the same year.

The first time, you think, why bother to sign up for frequent flyer, you are hardly ever to fly with the same company again. Then a few months later you have another trip, and again think you will never fly with them again. Looks like I may be making a third trip this year. Better sign up to frequent flyer, that will guarantee never coming to the USA again. Well at least until the points expire.

So I flew to the USA, staying in Wethersfield Connecticut. Flew in to Boston on Tuesday, 30 years and 5 months since my last visit. Picked up a hire car and drove 2 hours to my hotel in Wethersfield. Hoped it would be an all daylight drive, again 30 years since I last drove in the US, but alas heavy rain in old blighty had delayed my flight by 2 hours. Come on Dave, stop chillaxing and axe a few houses and build 2 more runways at Heathrow. You cannot seriously run an airport at 99% capacity.

Well I arrived at the Comfort hotel. Well with a name like that, you know you won’t be getting the best service. Things looked up, at check in I was asked if I had a reservation, “Yes” I said. “Welcome Steve”, came the reply. “I’m famous” I said. “No” she said, “just the last to check in”.

Well the room is big, the bed is big, its free wifi, what more can a man want?

Breakfast you might say. Well breakfast was available, toast, bagels, cold hard boiled eggs, de-caffeinated coffee, all served on expanded polystyrene plates. Yes, not the best hotel, and I believe the guys I am working with are somewhat surprised at where I am staying.