Daily Nonsense

Well, here we are again. Me blogging from my BlackBerry as we head towards the airport for another trip. This time should be easier on everybody, as we only have to get on one airplane.

We’re 3 hours early for the flight, but we have to hook up with our friends Kevin & Bryce so they can take custody of Bowie. We’re pretty lucky to friends with whom we can swap off Doggie Sitting duties.

Kevin and Bryce are going to meet us at the Cell Phone Waiting Area at the airport and we’ll leave them with the Ka-ka-Ka-Kia and Bowie. That will leave us tons of time to check our baggage and find some dinner.

After that its just going to be a question of waiting around at the gate. I’ll keep you informed of our progress through the ordeal.

Well, we just landed at JFK. So far the return trip has been on time and easy.

I’ll post more once we get off of this aircraft and through the customs & immigration.

…….But this time it’s in the NWA/Air France Business Class Lounge.

Part of the Air France Business Class upgrade is a day pass for the Lounge. So, here we are, sipping wine and waiting for our 4:10 boarding time.

We’re reaching a point where I won’t be able to post any longer from the Blackberry. I never bothered to get an international plan with AT&T for this thing. Once we get to Cagliari I can use a computer there to post normally.

See you all soon. And I’ll have some nice photos to post from there as well.

……Only this time it’s a much nicer line.

The Delta Airlines debacle ended with Betty J Carrigan getting us a flight on Air France from Seattle directly to Paris. From Paris we fly to Rome. We will get in a little too late to catch the last flight with open seats out of Rome to Cagliari, but Valentina has hooked us up with a hotel that is close to the airport. She also got our tickets changed.

All in all we arrive almost 24 hours later than our original flight.

Kind of sucks, but after waiting needlessly in the wrong line (compliments of Tamara Meyer) it’s the best that Betty could do.

We’re due to take off from here at 4:55 p.m. I’ll keep you all informed of our progress.

As much as it pains me to say, Brooke and I are still waiting in the check-in line at SeaTac. The woman who I called aside was incredulous that we had been waiting in line for this long.

Needless to say we have missed the Atlanta – London connection. It looks like no matter what I am going to lose a day on this trip.

The woman who screwed us by putting us in the wrong line was T. Meyer. The woman who is ‘trying’ to help us is Betty J Carrigan.

And there is still the issue of the additional $70 dollars I’ve already spent to change my tickets with Meridiana for being forced to re-book a Thursday morning flight.

Valentina (my daughter) has been a champ in getting us the tickets changed and a hotel reservation.

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. — Herm Albright (1876 – 1944)

I’m sure that Brooke and I have been placed in the wrong line. Ms. Bolen, the wonderful woman on the phone, has so far been the most competent person in this mess. She was quite slow, but so far, competent.

I wonder if her good work will go to waste due to the incompetence of these people here at the Seattle Delta check-in.

I’m starting to get worried now. We’re down to less than 50 minutes to get ticketed and through security.

……..For the Delta Check-in. We’re in line with at least 25 people and the woman who is directing traffic due to the late flight to Cincinatti is a little harried. And a little bit of a Cesear in her treatment of everyone. But, if the truth be known, there are a lot of people and not all of them are really happy at this point.

I must admit that being able to post from the check-in line is pretty cool.

……That we’re stuck in traffic on SR99 less than 3 miles from our house!

The Crown Limo driver was late to begin with and now we’re going to be late getting to the airport.

Great start to a vacation I’ve been waiting for for over a year.

So, I guess the woman didn’t quite get the fact that flying east makes you lose time, in my case a whole day. So getting in earlier meant an earlier hour in the day, but a full day later.

She was seeing a flight that actually left Atlanta tomorrow. Add the lost day for the transatlantic leg and my arrival changes to Thursday.

OK, I’m going to get a little perturbed if I get to miss a whole day with my children because of this.

We’ll see how it goes.

I’m currently on the phone with Delta Customer Service. Our flight out of Seattyle has been delayed just long enough for us to miss the connecting flight to Rome.

I’m speaking to a very nice woman who is diverting us to Atlanta for a connection to Rome. We should get in a little earlier I think. I’d hate to miss the Meridiana flight to Cagliari.

More as it develops.

In less than 3 hours Brooke and I will climb into a limo and start the first leg of our trip to Italy. As you might imagine, posting will be very sporatic until we’re finally settled in Cagliari, on the island of Sardinia.

I’ll post as possible.

It’s Labor Day today and Brooke and I decided to take a little field trip. On the recommendation of the Griff’s, we decided to head north to Deception Pass State Park. It’s a very cool place with a bridge that sits 184 feet above the level of the water. I’ve got some nice pictures of the day including some shots of a campground/picnic area inside the park proper. I’ll post some of those later in the day.

Goodbye and signing off from on the road.

…..The horns hold up the halo.

~andra @ Bad Alberts

I think that I should have all of the bugs worked out of this process worked out. At least I hope so.

This post is being sent from my Blackberry. Now I can post whenever or where ever the mood strikes.