Stop looking at me, swan!

Just got back from a weekend in Paris.... man my life is tough.

I was only there for a few days, but it was wonderful and relaxing.

I love the really well dressed businessmen on the train to London, who set up shop with their businessmen friends (not being sexist... I've only ever seen men). They have newspapers out, working on some chart things on their laptops, talking on their cell phones. Then I follow them off the train and walk to St. Pancras... passing by the British Library, some red telephone boxes, and nice looking pubs. This time, after I went past security and passport control in London, I saw that they had some performers set up in the Eurostar... terminal? Is that what you call that? Where I wait for my train. They were playing jazzed-up Disney songs to entertain the children who were waiting to go to Disneyland Paris.

Yesterday when I got on my Eurostar train in Paris, there was someone standing at the door to check my ticket.... which has never happened before. I thought maybe they upped the security for some reason. Then I got into my train and saw that the seats were bigger than the ones I usually sit in and they had leather headrests. I thought maybe they changed up the seats in the past two days.  Then I fell asleep for a few minutes, woke up and saw people drinking wine and soda all around me. I never get wine or soda on my Eurostar trip! I kind of let myself accept at that point that I was in a higher class seating.... but how the hell did that happen? I don't even know how to book first class seating on the website and I certainly did not pay for a first class ticket. So I started feeling guilty, like I had done something wrong and at any minute someone would walk past, see I was an impostor and kick me off the train by the coast of France. Next thing I know, a server walks by and hands me a tray with delicious food on it. I didn't respond at first because I thought I didn't deserve delicious food after conning my way into first class, but then he motioned for me to put my tray up... and I didn't want to look silly. This will remain a mystery for the rest of my life. Was it just a glitch in the matrix? How can it happen again? My seat was so big I could curl up in the fetal position!

Back in Warwickland now... and my workload is getting pretty heavy. In order to stay on top of things, I'm going to need to read about 200 pages a night, while attending lectures, rehearsals for two plays and one radio show, production meetings... and hopefully I'll find some time in there to eat and breathe. I'm not hoping for much sleep, though. Sleep will be put on the back burner. Anyone know a way to increase the number of hours in a day to 30? Maybe 32? It would be much appreciated.

Good to be back, though. Even if I was threatened by a swan today (and yes, I stood my ground and acted tough, but it was really big and wagged its tail at me, so I ran away). They aren't as pretty when they're out of the water.