WesWorld

I'll be on the road from tomorrow until the following Saturday, with limited (at best) access to the 'net. If you have any urgent business to discuss with me, you'd best do so today.

Work or Fun

Work, but there will be time for fun. I'm working on meeting up with Wes for an evening of serious discussion, gossip, and/or bellyaching. Also seeing my folks on the way.

It's also about twenty-five degrees warmer in Vancouver than it is here, so there's that to look forward to.

Ah, so the Indian invasion of Atlantis is about to launch?

Or the Atlantean invasion of India.

Or we'll gang up on Belgium.

We'll see what we decide to do.

Oh belgian chocolate! Fits right into my nefarious plans......somehow...I guess......

If your lucky it won't be raining Rocky.

It's minus twenty here, Wes. My nosehairs freeze on the way to the barn. A lil' rain won't be bothering me.

Yeah well theres that too, lol.

Warn the Canadians about the invading Indians and Atlanteans...oh wait, they were invited.

Seeing as its Vancouver the Indians will clean out all the curried chicken while the Atlanteans enjoy the wine selection.

It's been about 20 years since I was in Vancouver, so I have very little to remind me of how it was...I was also 10 at the time, so they took some exception to the boy in shorts at high tea, but they had said it was alright..,they just didn't expect the boy to be so tall.

*Shakes fist*

Had a good trip out. Saw my folks. Visited Wes. Had useful meetings. Started home...

1. The first leg of my flight, Friday night, was delayed 2.5 hrs for mechanical reasons. I got to my overnight destination just after midnight.

2. For whatever reason, the airport this morning was insanely busy, and several flights - including mine - were delayed because the ticket agents couldn't get us all through in time.

3. Middle seat on a 3.5 hr flight.

4. Arrived in Toronto, as most Canadian fliers do, for my second change of aircraft this afternoon. First they changed the gate to one across the terminal. Then they pushed the time back an hour. Then - while I was off killing some time - they cancelled the flight. I came back to the gate and said to myself, "WTF happened to the flight?"

5. A very nice lady at Air Canada did eventually inform me as to what the hell was happening, and booked a hotel for me at their expense. I then set out to the pick-up location for the hotel shuttle bus.

6. The new terminal in the Toronto airport reminds me of the Dwarven hall in "The Fellowship of the Ring", only better illuminated. It is monstrously huge and the layout is not especially obvious in some cases. No Balrog, but it may have been on the Departures level.

7. The airport wants $2 to use a baggage cart. As a word of advice to the airport: Next time you build a terminal, skip the forty foot vaulted ceilings and maybe you won't need to charge us for baggage carts afterward.

8. I did not spot a shuttle bus in the half hour I waited, and took a cab.

9. The "cab" cost $27 for a five minute ride. When I questioned this, the driver showed me a map of the area, then muttered that he should have said that it was a fixed rate. I agreed, being accustomed to cabs with, you know, meters, and gave him the ~$20 in small bills and change I had.

10. The hotel's phones are wonky, so I can only use payphones.

11. Meanwhile, I'm keenly aware that Val is undoubtedly still at the airport trying to figure out what happened to me. One of those very rare occasions that cell phone ownership would be useful.
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Finally, I tracked down the phone number for the help desk at the Ottawa airport, and called in order to leave a message for Val. Conveniently, as one person answered my call, the other worker was listening to my wife talking about three feet away. So after about four hours, she finally knows where I am and what's going on. Which is that I'm stuck in Toronto overnight and...with more than a little luck...will be flying home tomorrow morning.

F****rs...

Have a great visit Jason!!....famous last words...

Yee Gads Rocky,

What a hideous trip. May the last leg go ever so much better.

Just be glad you're not flying with Ryan Air. They're worse.

And I thought Lufthansa offers poor service....
Compared to your trip my own experiences aren´t even worth mentioning!

(And I alsways have a chance to take a car. Instead of flying 50mins I could be there via autobahn in about 3,5hrs....)

Btw, 3,5hrs in a middle seat - OUTCH!

You must be a tough guy, J!

The last leg was merely twenty minutes late, though I had to get up at 4:30 AM to set things in motion. All thngs considered, I'll take that.

Quoted

Btw, 3,5hrs in a middle seat - OUTCH!

Yeah, though it was really my own fault; I moved from an aisle seat so a mother, grandmother, and baby could sit together. Not that I seemed to earn any karma from that.

As for being a tough guy - I did once spend five days stuck by fog in Canada's second most northern community, with absolutely nothing to do except read "Sports Illustrated" back issues. For a short period afterward, I believe I was probably Canada's leading authority on American college sports.

Glad to hear the last leg was less painful... and you still did a good thing to take that isle seat.

At least the ordeal is over, and from now on out, future flights will be a comparative dream.

Quoted

Originally posted by HoOmAn

(And I alsways have a chance to take a car. Instead of flying 50mins I could be there via autobahn in about 3,5hrs....)

I don't think I can reach an airport with flights out of the state in 3.5 hours. Well maybe I could, but police would get very upset about the fracturing of speed limits. : )

Quoted

I don't think I can reach an airport with flights out of the state in 3.5 hours.

I'm pretty sure I could get to anywhere in England with international flgihts within 3 1/2 hours. Of course if you want at all reasonable service, i.e. not RyanAir or EasyJet you've got to go from the London airports. You've got to be wondering why I told you that, then again I am losing coherent thoughts with the affects of cider.

I'm certain I could get anywhere in Scotland with international flights within three and a half hours, if I had access to a car. Of course, that we only have four international airports, of which three are within one hour, helps. The fact that driving the length of the country takes five hours helps, too.

Unless you can fly to Norway from Lerwick. Then you've got problems.