We didn't have a white Christmas, but we had a white Easter...
Mar 23, 2008
Mar 11, 2008
Planes, trains and automobiles....
Another commuting day from hell. We knew a storm was coming and thought we planned ahead. I packed a pair of socks and knickers in my pack just in case I had to stay over. Got up at 5:45 am so I could catch the 7:25 fast train to Liverpool street, giving me a 2 hour cushion to get to class. The winds were blowing, the rain was coming down...checked the national rail web site and it said all the trains could be delayed or cancelled at the last minute due to the weather and all were on speed restrictions because of the winds. Checked Jason's flight and his wasn't posted yet but so far nothing was leaving London City-all cancelled.
So-Jason decided to book a Eurostar ticket instead. The train going thru our village goes to Liverpool Street, and the Eurostar leaves from King's Cross. Jason thought we could drive together to Royston (a town about 20 minutes or so away) as that train went to King's Cross. I though we should just catch the train here. I lost. We got to Royston only to discover that there was no power between Cambridge and there, so no trains and no word when they would resume. The agent told us the trains were turning around at Letchworth and we should go there. Another 20 minute drive, car park is full so Jason drops me off to go look for parking. As I run into the station I am told no trains here either. So I called Jason and told him to come back-in the meantime the agent tells us a train is going to Baldock. At that point we decided it was so late we would never find parking so we would drive towards London until we can catch a tube line. That is until we hear the traffic report and see the cars sitting on the road going nowhere fast.
So back on the road to our house, I called a classmate and asked her to look up trains from our village-the web site is so jammed I can't access it on my phone. It looks like they are running so we go home. Jason forgot something anyway and I needed a wee by then. We left a key for the nanny to go get the car from the station because only 1 hour parking is left, go buy our tickets only to be told there is a tree on the line and the trains are delayed. A train does come in and we are told it will go to Cambridge (10 minutes) and return going onto London. So we drive back home rather than leave the car, at which point Vania is back from taking the kids to school-so she drops us off.
At 9:40 a 4 car train arrives already full. We are just happy to be moving and stand the 1 hour 20 minute (slow train) ride to London. It stops at every station, with the conductors yelling at us to 'move on down the cars please, there are more people waiting to board the train,' The only place to move is into the luggage racks. We get to London at 11- almost 4 hours after we left the house. It took Jason longer to get to London that it took him to go from London to Brussels. Jason missed his 10 am train, I missed the first hour of class.
Class was a waste-some guy telling us how wonderful Google Sketch-up and VectorWorks are, but not telling us how to use them. In the middle of lunch the VP came in to say the afternoon session was cancelled as the tutor was stuck in traffic and would not make it. What a waste of a day.
So-Jason decided to book a Eurostar ticket instead. The train going thru our village goes to Liverpool Street, and the Eurostar leaves from King's Cross. Jason thought we could drive together to Royston (a town about 20 minutes or so away) as that train went to King's Cross. I though we should just catch the train here. I lost. We got to Royston only to discover that there was no power between Cambridge and there, so no trains and no word when they would resume. The agent told us the trains were turning around at Letchworth and we should go there. Another 20 minute drive, car park is full so Jason drops me off to go look for parking. As I run into the station I am told no trains here either. So I called Jason and told him to come back-in the meantime the agent tells us a train is going to Baldock. At that point we decided it was so late we would never find parking so we would drive towards London until we can catch a tube line. That is until we hear the traffic report and see the cars sitting on the road going nowhere fast.
So back on the road to our house, I called a classmate and asked her to look up trains from our village-the web site is so jammed I can't access it on my phone. It looks like they are running so we go home. Jason forgot something anyway and I needed a wee by then. We left a key for the nanny to go get the car from the station because only 1 hour parking is left, go buy our tickets only to be told there is a tree on the line and the trains are delayed. A train does come in and we are told it will go to Cambridge (10 minutes) and return going onto London. So we drive back home rather than leave the car, at which point Vania is back from taking the kids to school-so she drops us off.
At 9:40 a 4 car train arrives already full. We are just happy to be moving and stand the 1 hour 20 minute (slow train) ride to London. It stops at every station, with the conductors yelling at us to 'move on down the cars please, there are more people waiting to board the train,' The only place to move is into the luggage racks. We get to London at 11- almost 4 hours after we left the house. It took Jason longer to get to London that it took him to go from London to Brussels. Jason missed his 10 am train, I missed the first hour of class.
Class was a waste-some guy telling us how wonderful Google Sketch-up and VectorWorks are, but not telling us how to use them. In the middle of lunch the VP came in to say the afternoon session was cancelled as the tutor was stuck in traffic and would not make it. What a waste of a day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)