Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Hell weekend

The weekend after next is going to be insane. As I've been working in north England, and was going stir crazy trapped in hotels (primarily because of my irrational avoidance of taxis--is there a word for cab-phobia?) I brought my car with me. However, because I hate to drive, I take the train home. That works great during the week but on the weekends my options are limited, so I lump everything that requires a car into one weekend, and then drive my car home.

So weekend after next I'm driving Thursday night (180 miles), Friday I have to do security at my synagogue (40 miles round-trip), Saturday I'm visiting my friend in the Cotswolds (63 miles), then Sunday I have to go back to Maidenhead* (63 miles). Monday morning I have to drive to Thornbury (97 miles) for a business meeting before driving back to Runcorn (155 miles). That's 600 miles in 4 days!

What's worse is that my business meeting on Monday is literally 10 minutes from where I'm staying on Sunday in the Cotswolds! However, I've been invited to discuss my 'Jewish journey' for a potential presentation at Limmud, a Jewish conference in May. While I don't think my journey is that interesting or unusual, there are several other people participating and I asked them to reschedule to this weekend specifically when I'd have my car, so I'd feel guilty pulling out now.

I could also cancel my business meeting on Monday, and just do a conference call, but when they asked me if I wanted a tour of a nuclear plant, of course I said "yes!!" and so they've arranged access for me, and I'd feel quite bad cancelling that.

So in the end, the person who hates driving, is tired of travelling, and just wants to spend some quiet time at home is going to spend 10 hours on the road and only be home one day before heading back up north. Insane.

No comments: