No Sleep til Uxbridge

Want to know how to take 3 hours to get 66 miles? Easy - come here and do what I did this morning starting at 0545hrs. My body clock has been in another timezone for the past several weeks as I've not had to wake up til it says so. Needless to say, after not being able to sleep til 2am, my 5am alarm call was a heart stopper. Anyway it restarted somehow and after performing morning ablutions, the epic journey began with my ride to Banbury station arriving on time. Thanks Ange. Cup of tea at Banbury station and after being relieved of 30 odd pounds (sterling) for a one way ticket, I began my railway experience. The journey from Banbury to London was a cinch - Virgin Rail train speeding along at 125 mph with no stop til Marylebone in London - about 75 mins I recall - the train was full of commuting zombies like me. I was thinking about all these people doing this every day - they must have a second mortgage to pay the fare. After arrival it was a tube train to Baker St, then another to Uxbridge station - this took around an hour - then 15 mins wait for a 25 minute bus ride to Stockley Park - my destination. Got there 15 mins early and the rest of the day was plain sailing.

As a new boy, I was expecting to be nailed to the wall (Ripping Yarns Style) or at least being baited in some English private school way for being "Aussie" but it was all very civilized. Spent most of the day filling out HR admin forms, getting myself sorted and meeting everyone - they seem a good bunch. Only one bloke asked me about who I'll be supporting in the Ashes - he was Aussie and it peeved him when I said that "I can't lose mate". Actually did some work in the afternoon which seemed to to please the new boss - a South Ifrican. Justified my first day.

Had a great drive home in the Audi they gave me, went to the pub for 2 pints, got the piss taken out of me cos I was wearing a suit and am now ready to flake. Got to get back in the local time zone so early night for me.

Up at sparrows fart in the morning and off to put some patches on a system for my first English customer.

Goodnight (yawn)

P