My Love regularly travels internationally for her job. It is more glamorous than it sounds, she says.
Our closet full of complimentary shampoos, conditioners, sleeping masks, earplugs, toothbrushes, sewing kits, breath mints and sleep booties says otherwise to me, though.
Then again, one of my most exotic business trips consisted of driving from Dallas to a plastics packaging plant in McAlester, Okla. I got to eat at a restaurant with a statue of a steer that was the size of a bus (similar to the one they had for years at United House Wrecking in Stamford) and drive past the state prison that Tom Joad was discharged from at the start of "Grapes of Wrath." Now that's Americana, people.
Because of her frequent travel, mi' lady and I tend to converse through messages put only in e-mail subject lines. It is text messaging - 1990s style, yes, but I'm never in need of a cell phone while working from home, texting is expensive and instant messaging, the wife says, only opens the door for more colleagues to interrupt her already hectic work day. Technological aptitude is definitely one of the few things not in her skill set.
So, we communicate in non-real time. This is usual between her giving 723-slide PowerPoint presentations on why someone's salary is being paid in Euros via Chinese yen exchange rates with bonus payouts in English pounds parlayed into equitable compensation by Heisenberging U.S. dollars in accordance with international duty schedules for aligned Band 18 jobs. Mmm, sexy - no?
So, here's an example of how Friday might have gone if she wasn't inbound from Heathrow all day:
Coloring Easter eggs this AM.
RE: Coloring Easter eggs this AM. -- Ugh! Another meeting. I'm slammed.
Eggs boiled. 16 survivors. Maybe. Define "hard."
RE: Eggs boiled. 16 survivors? Maybe. Define "hard." -- Stop it. I'm on Slide 467.
Out of white vinegar. Using red wine
vinegar. Red wine vinegar. Sorry. Premature launch.
RE: Premature launch. -- I got carsick on way from airport again.
Eggs dyed; kids alive. Dog still mostly yellow. C U soon.
RE: C U soon. -- Love ya.
I've had a number of different jobs at my company and this particular one has quite a bipolar travel architecture. I've had my share of London/San Francisco/Chicagos this time 'round, but I've also had plenty of plant visits.
ReplyDeleteI had one visit where I am still not sure if I was actually in Ohio, Indiana, or Kentucky at any given moment...and quite frankly, knowing would not have made a difference.
But I think I've eaten at the giant Deer restaurant myself at one point.