Well I'm back in Blighty after a quick weekend jaunt to Philadelphia. Less than 9 hours since I took off, I am here in the office for a day's work and even more bizarrely I was taking wine with the group just 12 short hours ago.
New acquaintances aside (almost), it was great to spend time with an amazing bunch of people. Technical experts from several disciplines but equally adept at communicating, this was no geekfest. They also all scrub up nicely, even me.
Thanks for the laughs guys. And the wine, the buffalo wings, the wine, the pasta, the wine....apparently there was even wedding cake but mine was stolen.
Showing posts with label Mark Arnold. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark Arnold. Show all posts
Monday, January 21, 2008
Thursday, November 15, 2007
England 0 - USA 1
The afternoon of November 15th is one of mixed feelings. My great friend, my drinking partner, my mate, the guy who helped me through my separation and who I respect very greatly, has left the building.
Mr Mark Arnold MCSE MS-MVP (Exchange) of no fixed abode boarded a US airlines flight bound for America with no plans to return.
His new life begins today in Philadelphia with the new love of his life and I wish him every happiness I can possibly wish him. To see them together is great - rather nauseous admittedly, but great!
Bon chance my friend and start dropping vowels, forget about 270 countries of the world, be advised that Budweiser is for hardened drinkers and start saying "Y'all". The boys will be stateside in January - don't forget to practice.
Carry On. Abroad.
Mr Mark Arnold MCSE MS-MVP (Exchange) of no fixed abode boarded a US airlines flight bound for America with no plans to return.
His new life begins today in Philadelphia with the new love of his life and I wish him every happiness I can possibly wish him. To see them together is great - rather nauseous admittedly, but great!
Bon chance my friend and start dropping vowels, forget about 270 countries of the world, be advised that Budweiser is for hardened drinkers and start saying "Y'all". The boys will be stateside in January - don't forget to practice.
Carry On. Abroad.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
He's getting married in the morning...
Ding dong the bells are gonna chiyum...
Well ok I can't type as eloquently as Stanley 'olloway could sing in My Fair Lady but I'm very pleased to have received an invitation to the wedding of Mr Mark Arnold Esq, Exchange Server MVP and great friend and his beloved fiance Miss Laura Hunter, also MVP in Laura's home city of Philadelphia. The beautifully inscribed invitation arrived and there were no spelling mistakes like leaving U's out of words.
I have ummed and arred which is not an easy thing to type I can tell you. To travel that far for a wedding to a place I have never visited, on my own and to only know a few people weighed heavily on my mind. But I wanted to attend and it isn't every day I get invited to a wedding, particularly one across the pond.
Seize the day is the order of the year so I am now the proud owner of a ticket to the main event of 2008 (so far). Mr Arnold will be sent off in style and despite it not being Disneyland Florida, there is a fairytale assembling:
Miss Hunter and Mr Arnold will be playing Beauty and the Beast respectively.
Miss Carola Mattsson and Jimmy the Swede will be Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs - assuming sufficient alcohol (that's a given) to see double.
Mr Gianluca Hotz will be the Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk due to legendary capacity for drinking Guinness.
That just leaves a couple of panto dames in the guise of Mr Daniel Wessels and myself as we shall be sharing a room. Fortunately the concept of pantomime does not travel well so there will be no shouts from the British contingent (Mark - you're the only Brit I'll see the whole trip!) of "Its behind you" if you please.
Looking forward to it? Well, now that I've booked the flight and committed to going, you bet I'm looking forward to it.
Mark finishes off his blogs with "Carry On". This one finishes with Carry On Abroad...
Well ok I can't type as eloquently as Stanley 'olloway could sing in My Fair Lady but I'm very pleased to have received an invitation to the wedding of Mr Mark Arnold Esq, Exchange Server MVP and great friend and his beloved fiance Miss Laura Hunter, also MVP in Laura's home city of Philadelphia. The beautifully inscribed invitation arrived and there were no spelling mistakes like leaving U's out of words.
I have ummed and arred which is not an easy thing to type I can tell you. To travel that far for a wedding to a place I have never visited, on my own and to only know a few people weighed heavily on my mind. But I wanted to attend and it isn't every day I get invited to a wedding, particularly one across the pond.
Seize the day is the order of the year so I am now the proud owner of a ticket to the main event of 2008 (so far). Mr Arnold will be sent off in style and despite it not being Disneyland Florida, there is a fairytale assembling:
Miss Hunter and Mr Arnold will be playing Beauty and the Beast respectively.
Miss Carola Mattsson and Jimmy the Swede will be Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs - assuming sufficient alcohol (that's a given) to see double.
Mr Gianluca Hotz will be the Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk due to legendary capacity for drinking Guinness.
That just leaves a couple of panto dames in the guise of Mr Daniel Wessels and myself as we shall be sharing a room. Fortunately the concept of pantomime does not travel well so there will be no shouts from the British contingent (Mark - you're the only Brit I'll see the whole trip!) of "Its behind you" if you please.
Looking forward to it? Well, now that I've booked the flight and committed to going, you bet I'm looking forward to it.
Mark finishes off his blogs with "Carry On". This one finishes with Carry On Abroad...
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Catching up with old friends
Dateline Friday 29 June.
Venue Hilton Islington, Gaucho's Piccadilly, some pub nearby, back to Hilton Islington.
Walking up to the Hilton after work I saw the lovely Carola outside. We came in together, I asked where "we" were sitting and she didn't recognise me and must have thought I was in LaLa land. It was great to see everyone - Carola, Jimmy, Mark and Oli. I was last of course so they were onto their second or third bottle of champagne. I didn't catch which one they were on.
Quick trip to Regent Street with Mark and myself in the jump seats. I didn't catch the route.
Gaucho's provided a gin based cocktail with blackcurrants or similar. I didn't catch the details.
The steak was marinaded and tenderer than a tender thing. I didn't catch "in what".
Tequila slammers with decent tequila. I didn't catch the name.
Pub for a few pints. I didn't catch the name of that either.
Cab back to the Hilton for one last bottle of champagne. No more left that they had been drinking earlier. Didn't catch the name of that.
Last ones in to bed were Jimmy and Carola, sitting quietly in the hotel lobby, supping champagne as the rest of us retired.
The sleep train arrived. I caught that one. Other stories remain firmly categorised as "On Tour".
I learned a valuable lesson on Friday - it doesn't make a blind bit of difference if you have a pound or a billion pounds, having friends like that makes me a rich man.
Venue Hilton Islington, Gaucho's Piccadilly, some pub nearby, back to Hilton Islington.
Walking up to the Hilton after work I saw the lovely Carola outside. We came in together, I asked where "we" were sitting and she didn't recognise me and must have thought I was in LaLa land. It was great to see everyone - Carola, Jimmy, Mark and Oli. I was last of course so they were onto their second or third bottle of champagne. I didn't catch which one they were on.
Quick trip to Regent Street with Mark and myself in the jump seats. I didn't catch the route.
Gaucho's provided a gin based cocktail with blackcurrants or similar. I didn't catch the details.
The steak was marinaded and tenderer than a tender thing. I didn't catch "in what".
Tequila slammers with decent tequila. I didn't catch the name.
Pub for a few pints. I didn't catch the name of that either.
Cab back to the Hilton for one last bottle of champagne. No more left that they had been drinking earlier. Didn't catch the name of that.
Last ones in to bed were Jimmy and Carola, sitting quietly in the hotel lobby, supping champagne as the rest of us retired.
The sleep train arrived. I caught that one. Other stories remain firmly categorised as "On Tour".
I learned a valuable lesson on Friday - it doesn't make a blind bit of difference if you have a pound or a billion pounds, having friends like that makes me a rich man.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Archetypal Englishman
It is not often that his blogs are boring but this one made me laugh out loud especially as I can just see him standing in line, brow furrowed, shaking his head and mentally rehearsing the blog rant.
Read and enjoy... http://markarnold.blogspot.com/2007/01/yet-another-tourist-rant.html
As to a fatwah on tourists - bad show. That would be the end of rants like the one listed and we can't have that, can we?
As they say in concentric circles, carry on...
Read and enjoy... http://markarnold.blogspot.com/2007/01/yet-another-tourist-rant.html
As to a fatwah on tourists - bad show. That would be the end of rants like the one listed and we can't have that, can we?
As they say in concentric circles, carry on...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
