Another day when we’ve been in our meeting at 8.30am and it’s now 11.40pm without a break.

How tired can a person be? Well think of the most tired you’ve ever been and multiply by 10. Every fibre of my body is aching and taut. Everything I hold dear is out of reach. Personal space, David, dogs, fat bottomed girls, big eared boys (wabbits) and of course home.

I’ve learned nothing more than I like the people I work with and they seem to think I’m OK too.

Tomorrow I meet Mark first, then those three girls who I know will be a joy to be with, then David. His flight comes in at 7pm and Lara and I will be waiting at JFK to meet him. How cool is that.

I’ve not had time to worry about this weekend at all. I’ve barely had time to catch my breath.

I did a short presentation this morning and was told afterwards that I saw the good in the bad if you see what I mean. I suppose that’s true. I’m a half full person after all.

This photo was taken in my rebellious moment between the 6.55pm end to the day meeting and before I went to the evening meeting, designed and three-line-whipped for a 7pm start. For some reason I just couldn’t do that. I needed a few moments and I took them to take a half decent photo, symbolic of my need for rehydration, a place to sit and reflect and my lack of any ‘outside’ space at all. It is the chair in my room and a bottle of water.

After this was taken I went to a dinner with a murder mystery act. Do you know what – I couldn’t be bothered to participate. That’s so unlike me. I’m the original ‘get your sleeves rolled up and do it’ person. I’m past caring now though. I need to sleep and I have the wherewithal to do it….my friend and colleague took pity on me and has brought me some sleeping pills for tonight so if nothing else I’m hoping to get into bed and sleep till the alarm goes off in the morning.

I’ve seen nothing and learned nothing about the USA at all today, not even any new colloquialisms. How disappointing is that?

Anyway, tomorrow is the last hurdle. I’m in my meeting from 8.30am again and don’t expect to see daylight till 4.30pm.

The thing that keeps me going is the thought of meeting Jill, Jeanne, Lara and Mark. Hurrah for PBASE. The folks here are worried that I am trusting a group of people that I know nothing about but that’s not so. I know all sorts of stuff about them, some of their hopes and dreams and (probably too many of) their hang-ups. I know we will have a wonderful time in the Big Apple and that we will relish our time together forever.

BTW - this pic is to satisfy DM who told me this morning that yesterday's pic was 'the worst photo I've ever taken'....looking at it he has a point!!!