I have been to the sea (and back thankfully!)

I had a foot down day yesterday. It wasn't bad per se, just felt like a lot of unfortunate things happened. My parents used to tell me that these are days that build character, or something like that. Well if I wasn't a character before yesterday...I think I am now!

I had a client to meet yesterday that was located in Clacton on Sea, which is on the English Channel (I think). All I know is that it is two hours by car from London and two and a half hours by train. Therefore, it seemed like a no-brainer to me to take the train which was reinforced when I looked at the weather forecast to see that it was suppose to be a very English day - with pouring rain. I was, therefore, pleasantly surprised when I woke up to see just an English day (as opposed to a very English day) with overcast skies. The day looked so promising to me that I set off for the underground station without a coat.

The beginning of my train ride was rather uneventful. It wasn't until I got off at a tiny train station called Thorpe le Stoken that the feet starting pounding down on me (or more accurately the rain). I departed the train and quickly headed off the platform to where I was told there would be a taxi stand. There wasn't. Apparently taxis don't run on rainy days in Thorpe le Stoken. I quickly called my staff and asked them to hire me a taxi. They said they would. I called back a few minutes later to let them know that I had found the only dry spot around - the inside of an obsolete telephone booth which was still freezing cold. My staff assured me that the taxi would be there soon and thankfully mentioned that the taxi was headed to Clacton on Sea - which is not where I was (foot down). I quickly reminded her that I was at Thorpe le Stoken not Clacton on Sea. She panicked and then told me that she would cancel the taxi and send another very quickly. My phone vibrated a couple minutes later. It was my staff informing me that the managing director of the company was on his way to get me and that she had told him that I was standing in the telephone booth. I felt only slightly like a fool when the managing director, whom I had only met once before, drove up and I hopped out of the phone booth and into his car...soaking wet.

I spent the day at the client which was pretty productive considering it consisted of a long three hour meeting (groan...). The managing director then insisted that he take me back to the train station after I pleaded that we just call a taxi. Before I knew it, the managing director was in his car honking because he was afraid that he wasn't going to get me to my train in time. I hopped in (dryer than before) and we were on our way. The managing director dropped me off and told me that the image of me in the phone booth was one of the funniest he had seen in a long time. I smiled politely and wished him a good day. I then ran up to the platform to wait for my train that was suppose to arrive in 2 minutes.

A train pulled up which I believed to be mine since it was 'right on time'. However, it said Colchester on the sign which caused enough confusion that I thought I should ask the driver before getting on because I knew mine was suppose to go to London Liverpool Street Station. After trying to yell through the train window a couple of times, the driver finally opened his window for me to ask 'Is this the train to Liverpool'. He then curtly told me that Liverpool is in Lancashire and is five and a half hours a way. I once again smiled politely and said, 'I'm sorry Liverpool STREET'. He smiled and said 'Your train is over there my love'. (foot down - Oh those times when I wish I didn't have an American accent!). I turned my head to see the train with a huge London Liverpool sign in its window pulling up on the adjacent track. Whoever knew that Thorpe le Stoken was such a popular train stop!

I got on my train and headed back to London. I switched from the national rail train at London Liverpool Street to the underground and headed back to North London. I had already called Charles a couple of times that day to tell him about all this activity. I guess I had moaned enough about being freezing cold that he offered to come get me with the car. I was two stops away when the underground train conductor announced that this train would be terminating at the next stop and all passengers needed to exit the train (foot down). I got off the train and stood once again on a very cold platform waiting for the next train to take me one stop to my final destination. Ten minutes later and still freezing cold (foot down) that train arrived.
I remember coming up the escalator from the underground and seeing Charles and Jack standing there. Boy was I glad to see them (thumb up!). What a day...building character is tough work!