A Pint Of Cider

Delivering a pilot programme in Dublin I had managed only a few hours sleep; my mind just wouldn’t shut down. It seldom happens, but waking up as if wrapped in cling film is not a good start to the day. It was not what I needed, especially as the stakes are always higher with a pilot. My experience is that the adrenalin of the day takes care of fatigue and is ably assisted by coffee, Danish pastries and fear. It’s only at the end you hit the wall.

It was no different this time and the troops got what they came for, but by the time I got a taxi I was wiped. The journey to Dublin airport takes a while, though the craic is always good. On this day I confess a middle aged man’s life story was the last thing I needed - I have one of those already - so by the time I was popped onto the pavement near the planes I was puggled.

It’s a very long walk from security to the departure gate at Dublin. Easily the longest of all the airports I fly from, though maybe one day I’ll find there’s a shortcut, or a wee train.  Cream-crackered, dishevelled and hungry, my reward for walking a mile is The Garden Terrace, an oasis which serves the best airport pub food anywhere (there’s five words you don’t see in that order too often). Normally it’s too late to order food and Boots chiller cabinet or the Burger King next door has occasionally benefitted from my tight schedule, but I’ve been lucky today. The client wanted to introduce a case study to the troops and I got away a shade early.  A home made burger with brie and apple chutney, chips and home made onion rings is on the cards. All accompanied by a soda water and lime, my favourite all time refreshment.

Speakers and facilitators are fond of saying if you do what you always do, you will get what you always got. Life is short and all that.

So hold on there bald eagle, I thought, not so fast… I’ll have a pint of cider please, chief. Maybe it was the fatigue, the Bulmers tap right in front of me, or the taxi driver’s talk of gangs, girlfriends and Guinness but before I knew it the pint I knew from my student days in front of me. If asking for it was an out of body experience, with no capacity for alcohol, drinking it was something much better. My oh my! It goes well with a good quality burger. I confess I was slightly elephant’s trunk, despite not finishing it.

I got home for half past eight (I think) with a different result from doing something new.

And do you know what? I’ll probably do it again. Maybe.

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Russell Wardrop is our Chief Executive. If you would like to know more about this subject, drop him an email and we will be in touch.