Loungeing About

Entry to the airport lounge is usually The Holy Grail for business travellers. This is why possession or a silver or gold airline card is so prized - you can gain access to these palaces even if your company has booked you on a cheapy flight.

Once inside the lounge you can rest your weary, suit clad ass, on a comfortable seat rather than the thinly disguised park benches that are the domain of the plebians outside the access controlled doors.   There is unlimited free bevvy (if you are not driving at the other end), soft drinks if you are, cakes, crisps, cheese *nd biscuits, and sandwiches, to scoff on. You can also win cheap brownie points by taking home some of the free magazines to "her indoors".

For half an hour or so these places are the business traveller's equivalent of Las Vegas.

However, when your flight is delayed the attraction soon wears off.

In reality there is only so much Diet Coke you can drink, so many emails you can answer on your Blackberry before your thumbs feel like they are going to drop off, and then you are left to soak up the ambience.

You are surrounded by lots of similarly fed up travellers who have a variety of strategies for dealing with the delays.

Some people spend the whole time making phone calls that seem to be designed to make the casual eavesdropper believe that they are in the presence of some business demi god.

I was once stuck at a table next to a group of reps who were engrossed in playing a game of "who would you rather shag, Tracey from Accounts or Fat Angie from packing?" Ad nauseum until some clown upped the ante and included the sole female in the gathering as one of the choices...  The conversation petered out after that.

Today I was sitting opposite a hefty lady who had removed her shoes and seemed to be paying far too much close attention to her feet than was necessary in a public place. Then to top it all she fished a small plastic bag, containing ice cubes, from down the back of her trousers and poured the melt water into an empty drinks glass before returning the bag to her trousers. Bizarro.

One good distraction was a 4th of July from Davie Nix, keyboard player with the fab band Driveblind. Dave wants everyone to vote for his pal who is a Star Wars nut who wants to play at a convention. Go to the following link and vote for Darth Elvis. http://www.celebrationeurope.com/cantina/poll/index.htm I'm sure Wixy would appreciate your voting for his pal.

Some other good news was that one of the boys from the kids football team that I coach has been selected for Aberdeen FC's development squad.  Well done to him!

Still no sign of the flight boarding but thumbs now almost terminal so going to sign off.

Happy landings.