The trip was planned, plans made and the travel itinerary set. As with most business trips, the details were laid out sometime before. Thought travel to Livingston, Scotland, to the office there were not uncommon, this one was going to be 'special.' This time it worked out that both Ed and myself would be able to go at the same time, which our schedules did not usually work out to make such travel possible. Ed was the Business Manager for the business model, essentially my 'opposite,' as I was the technology manager for the business model.
What made this trip special was that Ed was a Scotsman from Glasgow, so to be able to make the trip with him, made a 'tour guide' for the trip and almost certainly guaranteed a different view of the 'country' than I was accustomed. As part of the planning for the trip, we worked it out to be able to go over a couple of days before our planned business requirements which necessitated the trip in the first place. Even better, we planned it out to be in Glasgow over the weekend, before we had to be at the office on Monday.
Packed and ready to go, Ed and I met at our office in Fremont, having enough time to check email and such before we headed to the airport. Which in hindsight was probably a good thing. When we arrived at the office, things started 'buzzing' with emails and phone calls from corporate travel telling us to modify our travel plans, more so our packing. There had been a terrorist threat in Heathrow, that changed the procedures for traveling and the way you could pack to get through the airport and on the plane.
So rather than carry on luggage and laptop bags, Ed and I, stood in the parking lot outside the office that morning, repacking, 'shoving' everything we could into our luggage to be checked. Things were pretty normal, or seemed to be as we checked in at the San Francisco airport and prepared to take the flight to Heathrow. Only difference noticeable - no liquids through the gate. No worries for Ed and me, as we had repacked before arriving at the airport. Since we had, we did not carry anything on, not even a book or an IPOD for the 12-13 hour plane ride!
No worries, or so we thought since the majority of the flight would be at night, so we figured there would be ample time to sleep and be well rested when we arrived the next morning, and to 'tour' Glasgow. So after arriving at the airport, we ended up at the bar and drank our breakfast was we awaited the boarding of our flight.
Despite the 'special' situation, the travel was going fairly smooth as we boarded the plane to make our way 'abroad.' The boarding of the flight in San Francisco, went smoothly and on time and we arrived and departed Chicago, with no issues! Shortly after we boarded the flight to make our way across the ocean, things began to get interesting.
Fortunately, we had arranged seats in the center aisle of the plane, and luck be with us, we had a row of three seats to ourselves, giving us room to 'stretch out' and sleep in preparation of our arrival and our weekend! Once we were airborne, it became pretty immediately obvious we would not be getting much sleep, but not for the reason we thought. Sitting in an aisle a couple of rows behind was a fairly 'loud' woman who was quite boisterous and verbal, the noise she was creating making sleep 'impossible.' Good fortune be with us though, the flight attendant found another seat, somewhere else on the plane for the woman to relocate to. Finally it seemed peace and quiet would be ours and allow the sleep we were planning on getting.
Ha! Such was not to be so! The flight attendant who was in our section, seemed to take 'pity' on Ed and I, for having to 'put up' with the woman, and as they drink cart came around, the attendant gave us a bottle of wine! Well both Ed and I being somewhat wine 'lovers' [it had alcohol didn't it? and who can 'pass up' free liquor!?] Well between the two of us, a bottle of wine did not last long and when it was finished, it seemed we would 'finally' get some sleep. As we were getting 'settled' in preparing to sleep, the flight attendant happened by with another [gratis] bottle of wine. Again, neither Ed or I, to be ones to refuse free alcohol, we gladly took the bottle and had another glass of wine!
The wine bottle was soon empty, but before it was the flight attendant passed us by again, with yet another bottle of [gratis] wine. And yet again, it was beyond us to 'refuse' it or save it for later, so we had another bottle of wine! We passed away the time sharing the bottle of wine and making conversation about most anything imaginable. Still we thought there would be enough time for at least a 'long' nap between the time we finished this bottle of wine and the time we landed in Heathrow. Well the bottles of wine kept coming [gratis] until the 'wee' hours of the morning.
Finally, the last time the flight attendant came by, yet again offering another bottle of wine, we declined admitting the need to nap before we landed. Turning the overhead light off, it seemed 'plenty' dark so surely there was enough time for a nap before we landed! Almost as soon as I closed my eyes, the reason why it was so dark was almost immediately revealed and it was not because of the hour! The darkness was broken and the daylight revealed when the person across the aisle raised the blind on their window, 'uncovering' the sun and letting the light in!
Well at this point, we were to close to landing to go to sleep! So we rode out the rest of the flight as we made our descent and landing at Heathrow! After making our way through customs and all, we wound our way through the airport to catch our flight to Glasgow. From this point on, the trip went smoothly and quietly and we landed in Glasgow, to be met by Ed's parents! As we stood waiting to get our luggage from the carousel, we chatted with Ed's parents. After a short time, Mrs. Hopkins informed us that we were phished [drunk] which was just unimaginable!
After we retrieved our luggage, we made way to the car and subsequently the trip to their house. As it had been awhile since they had seen Ed, and even longer since I had seen them [I had met them previously when they came to the states on holiday] and both Ed and I were sleep deprived, as well as being drunk! It was a 'lively' trip to the house!
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