Day One from Under the Ash Cloud

Never in my wildest dreams would I think that a Volcano could change my life so easily. I was born in Texas...no Volcanos...now live in California, counting on an earthquake to shake me up. But seriously, a plume of ashes while I am on a business trip has me feeling like I'm on some weird gameshow. Surprise. You're stuck on an island and you're not going home.

Now, suppose I won a trip to London...all expenses paid. Then I'd be excellently happy to spend some time in this lovely city. But I had a flight booked on Friday am, and it was ceremoniously cancelled along with 39,000 other European flights today. Being told you can't do something seems to make you want to do it more.

In this blog, I want to capture the funny, the absurd, the unprecented times of Heathrow Airport being closed for the longest time since 9/11. There are so many jokes that will come from this. My first thought is I want a t-shirt designed. Afterall, what great upset of nature deserves a t-shirt more than an ash cloud for God's sake? I'm thinking a puffy grey cloud over a cartoon of the queen. Maybe a little umbrella over her head...

My co-worker is going home tonite to start up a barbeque and will probably be selling little bottles of ashes at a market this weekend. ha ha. Laugh if you will but there are collector freaks out there that will sell that bottle on Ebay. Seriously. Like chunks of the Berlin Wall.

You know you have one in some box in the basement somewhere.

Tomorrow, all anyone wants to do is see if the airport opens. And then we get the news with how "out of place" all of the planes are, so it will take 8-10 days to sort it all out. WHAT? I'm booked on Virgin Atlantic on Sunday am, which I weaseled out of the internet at 2:00 am this morning. The power of an Amex card. I have a confirmation. In my heart I know I won't be home until Tuesday probably. That's my target. I hope it's sooner.

I'm off to Portabello Road tomorrow. I want to see the little outdoor market from the movie Notting Hill. Run into Hugh Grant and all of that. I'll share some photos along with any of the fun stuff from Under the Ash Cloud.

Blimey! :)