Had a friendly chat with a script editor in Glasgow yesterday. Every time we arrange a meeting, something goes wrong with my journey to see them. One time I crashed the car. Another time I got within a mile of my destination and a pedestrian overpass was closed, causing me to get hopelessly lost. No matter how early I set out, how many alternate routes I plan, I always get pulled off course by some black hole of chance, mishap and incident.
Yesterday was no different, although not so severe as parking the car atop a fence in some farmer's field. Everything went fine until I reached the M8, a motorway that can zap you through the centre of Glasgow in no time at all. When it's flowing smoothly. Which it never does when I go to see this script editor. Sure enough, I merged on to the M8 and discovered there was an eight mile tailback. [At least it has signage to warn of such things.]
Managed to get off at the next exit and went cross-country, staying above the M8 to travel through the mean streets of north Glasgow. Ever since The Bourne Supremacy? Remember that bit near the end where he visits the snowy outskirts of Moscow to tell a teenage girl he's sorry for murdering her parents? That's what north Glasgow looks like, through without the snow [as of yesterday morning]. Desolate, empty landscape with grim tower blocks.
In the end I was only 15 minutes late for my meeting - a personal best. Had a lovely natter and helped eat a hole in the back of a chocolate Santa's head. Then drove the width of Scotland to attend Christmas lunch with Napier University staff who'll be my colleagues come the new year. Typically, getting there proved so ridiculously easy I arrived an hour early. Eventually got home to erect the xmas tree and read a plethora of emails.
Having devoted yesterday to meetings and munching, today is a furious attempt to ram through two different jobs before the day ends. People start arriving for the festive season tomorrow, so I'm fast running out of time to get things done before offices across the land shut down. Got two writing projects that need work between Christmas and January 5th when I start my new part-time job at Napier. Then the balancing act really starts. Onwards!
1 comment:
Your difficulties to reach that editor sound a bit like the makings of a fate/butterfly effect genre film!
Will you be teaching at the University? Congratulations on that new job. I'm afraid I haven't been keeping up-to-date with people's blogs whilst I was travelling for 3 months so I apologise if you already blogged about the job!
Wishing you a Merry Christmas! :)
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