17th February 2008

A journey to work NY style

Tuesday of this week we had lot's of snow again and the temperature dropped to below freezing. I spent the day at the office and then prepared for the long hike on Wednesday. I left the office at 9am on Wednesday with Rob one of our sales guys and we drove across Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, We got to the client site at 3.30pm, after a lengthy meeting we booked into the same hotel that Toni and I stayed in 15 months ago when we visited Boston for leaf peeping and quilting material.

A little visitor in our garden

While I was away we had a little visit from some of the local deer. I travelled back on the Thursday retracing our route and arrived home at 6.30pm totally exhausted! Saturday morning we left the house at 6.45am and 8.15am we were buying our lift pass at Belleayre! not a bad life lovely blue skies, plenty of snow and so close to home. The only downside at all was the temperature; it was about -10 degrees. We skied all day and left at 3.30am.

On Sunday morning we drove over to Beacon and cleared the apartment. Then off to Poughkeepsie to do some shopping, bought some additional furniture for the lounge, some lamps and for all our American guests, we bought a coffee machine and beans grinder. So Ruth we are ready and waiting! You will be our very first guest

10th February 2008

Our House at Sunrise

It has been the longest gap ever for writing my blog - but I have some good excuses !! after NY I flew straight to California and stayed there for 2 weeks, before flying to Mexico and getting very sick with Flu, then off to Vegas for 4 days and back to Newburgh for one day before flying back to California for another 3 days.

I am so glad this new job is less travelling.

Ok lets backtrack a little, New York City for 3 days at the retail show conference. This was very busy we had back to back interviews with press and clients from 7 till 7 every day. Everyone wanted to know about the acquistion but as it was not closing till the 7th February, I could say very little.

Epicor stand at the show

Drove back to the flat on the Tuesday evening and then into the office on the Wednesday before driving to Newark to fly to Irvine California. Left it quite tight on the timing and made my life even more difficult by leaving my laptop in the office, luckily it was only about 30 mins for me to turn around and get it and get back to the spot where I realised I did not have it.

Spent all day Thursday in a budget meeting and then the rest of the time preparing for a conference the following week. On the Friday I flew to Mexico and alongside over 60 other people I was completly knocked out by a bad dose of flu. Rob arrived late that Friday evening minus his suitcases again!. The cases arrived late on the Saturday - I spent nearly all of my time in Mexico in bed, getting up on the Monday for a massage and facial and then leaving Tuesday morning to fly to Vegas ( after Rob spent an hour trying to find his passport). One of the only brightspots in the whole trip was eating a few meals with Paul and Robyn, we had such a good laugh.

Sunrise taken by Rob at Cabos Mexico - the reflection is the infinity pool

Even in Vegas I spent most of Tuesday and Wednesday sleeping, quick trip out that evening to go meet Fliss and Roy for dinner then back in my room and back to sleep by 8.30. Toni arrived on Thursday just in time to dump her bags and come with us to Fliss and Roy's wedding. It was very nice. We all piled into a limo to go to the "little white church" They were married by a Hawiian chief in full regalia. Limo to the Stratoshphere for dinner where we had a lovely view of the city lights and then off to see the Penn and Teller show

Roy Fliss and the "Chief"

On the Friday we went for a walk up the strip and I finally managed to see the dancing fountains at the Bellagio. Lunchtime Gary's sister came to pick us all up and took us back to her house for lunch. Rob has not seen her for 20 plus years but she was talking to us as if it was yesterday, lovely woman and I am sure we will keep in touch in the future. Jayne works as a dealer in the Rio as well as buying and selling property in the area.

View from the Stratosphere at night

On the way back from Jayne's we called in at the Mandalay Bay hotel to see the aquarium as you can see from the pictures below, it was very impressive. The Shark reef was very good as well, you were in a perspex tunnel so you got a very good view of the them.

Fish at the Mandalay Bay

Toni and I at the Forum

That evening we walked down the strip again and went to Caesers palace to have a look at the forum and also eat dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Sataurday we flew back to Newark. Toni was flying standby and had problems so she eventually flew into JFK and got to Beacon at 3.30 in the morning. We drove to the station to get her and then all had a lie in the next morning before going to one of the local diners for brunch. We then drove up to the house so that Toni could see it. Before dragging round some of the local shops for bits and pieces to enable us to move in. Monday morning we went and hired a truck for Rob and I went off to work. Toni helped Rob over the house for a few hours and then flew back to the UK.

Rob and his Truck !

On Tuesday I flew to California again. The container from the UK arrived as did our new giant bed, washer and dryer, Telephone , cable, internet, mattress, guy to talk about the garden and a few other things. needless to say rob was kept pretty busy till I flew back late on Thursday. Off to the office on Friday and then spent my first night in our new home. It is pitch black here at night as there are no street lights and also it is very quite no noise at all except for the occaisional bird or other wild animal. Saturday and Sunday we have had snow and on Sunday we had our first power cut, no electricity for about 3 hours. Phew finally up to date! I will make sure I do not leave it so long next time