1st Class Baby!

Finally! On my last leg home. Had to get up at seriously stupid o'clock in the morning. The flight left at 6.00 am, which of course meant I had to be there for earlier. But, as I didn't have bags to check and I'd already checked in online and printed my seat request card, I didn't have to be there til around 5. My friend only lives 20 minutes from the airport, so we planned to get up at 4.45 and just jump straight in the car. I happened to wake up at 4.30, so was already up and finished brushing my teeth, had checked the status of the flight and made sure my carryon was packed by the time the alarm went off. My friend just threw on clothes, grabbed us each a Diet Pepsi, and we took off. So we were out the door by 4.50 this morning, putting us into the airport just after 5.

On our way, we met a local critter that my friend had never seen in her part of the city before. A coyote! He was just wandering across the road. It was funny because my friend saw him way before me (obviously, she was driving and watching the road!) and says, "Critter! Get out of the road." I looked over and said, "That's a coyote!" She said she'd seen them in other parts of the city, but not around her place before. But, it's only 3 miles to a less urban area, so I fugue that's where he came from. I'd never seen one in the city before. Only ever in Yellowstone. So, I thought it was a cool spot!

At the gate the agent called my name (got it very wrong, bless him! Called me "Able" instead of "Adele"!) and I went up to the front. Asked if he'd meant me, he said, "Oooh, sorry!" No problem, just makes me smile. Anyway, he said, "I've got you listed in coach, and I don't know why, so give me a moment, and then board when I call 1st class." Ummm... ok! Twist my arm! So I'm writing this from 1st class. Last row, but still, 1st class!

Once we got on the plane, the stewardess came around with drinks. Then snacks! I was actually really grateful for the snack, since I'd not really wanted to eat anything at a quarter of 5 this morning. So it took the edge off.

The flying time is only 1 hour 40 minutes. I'm like, really? That's only enough time to get up to cruising altitude, and come back down! I guess I'm just so used to the long haul flights like the previous two I have been on this week.

Saw a really cool thing on takeoff. There were a whole line of planes all queued up for takeoff. Would have loved to get a photo, but obviously I couldn't, since my camera had to be off at that point. Anyway, there was a US flight, a Delta flight, then 6 Southwest flights in a row, and another Delta, and another Southwest was just joining the queue. Was quite a sight, all those planes lined up together.

Also have seen 2 rainbows this morning! There's a funny layer of cloud just below us, and the sun's apparently at just the right angle to refract. They're very pretty, especially since, a rainbow seen from above is actually a circle.

Anyway, we're about to be served more drinks. Seriously, life's tough up front ;)

Psych!

Yeah, you all thought I was either not getting out tonight, or winging my way to Minneapolis on rout to Billings. Well I fooled you! I'm on the last flight out to Phoenix! Yep, I'm going south instead of north. Figured since I was not going to get to meet my friend in Minneapolis, I could at least meet my friend in Phoenix! Ok, so maybe it had more to do with the fact that there was simply no way I was getting on that last flight. I quickly hurried to the rebooking desk and had them switch my ticket to Phoenix, which was leaving in literally 30 minutes, and on the other side of the terminal! I rang my friend as I ran to the gate. And my seat assignment was waiting for me.

I'm in the "nose bleed section" (ie - the very back of the plane) but hey, who cares! I'm ON.

Means I won't get home tonight (which.... kind of is the same as if I'd gone to Billings, which isn't home, either). My friend very kindly said I could crash with her. She only lives 20 minutes from the airport, so it's not too difficult. Of course tomorrow.... it will be an even sillier o'clock of the morning than today. Except, of course, that I don't have to check baggage (it's in Salt Lake). So, even though the flight is at 6 am, I don't have to get there at 4. 4.30 should be enough ;)

The Sacrifices I Make

Seriously, if you only knew the sacrifices I make for this blog, and your entertainment! Here I am, sitting in 1st Class where they've already offered me intoxicants. Then they gave me a hot towel that nearly scalded me. Now they're trying to make me fat by bringing out assorted nuts, which will later be followed by a 3 course meal (Appetiser of chilled lime shrimp and seared scallop, southwest vegetable salad and roast yellow pepper soup. Second course of mixed green salad. Main course selection between Gemelli Pasta with cheese sauce, radicchio, spinach and shiitake mushrooms, or Tender Filet of Beef with blue cheese sauce, lyonnaise potatoes and sautéed haricots veers, or Pan-Seared Chicken Breast with citrus salad, mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus with roasted garlic, or Chilled Deli Plate of roasted beef, smoked salmon, defiled egg, grilled zucchini, yellow squash and capers.) That is all followed by dessert (selection of cheeses with fresh fruit, vanilla ice cream sundae or chocolate cake.) To say nothing of the "light snack" they serve pre-arrival (roasted chicken sandwich with pesto sauce, provolone cheese and tomato and cucumber salad or cold salad plate with smoked salmon and potato cucumber salad, served with breadsticks and fresh fruit.). All of that is, of. Course served on real china with actual cutlery, which was so chilled I nearly lost a finger to freezer burn, and a linen table cloth. And the cheek! They steal away my Diet Coke and bring me a fresh one before I'm empty!

Then, once I've finished my food, I'm going to have to put my seat into full recline and sleep, since my flight doesn't get into JFK til 8.30pm and the next flight to Salt Lake doesn't leave til 7 something in the morning. So I'll be up all night at the airport.

Yes, I tell you, I seriously sacrifice myself on the alter to the travel gods for your benefit!

Seat!

It's in the FAARRRR back, but who the heck cares at this point?

Hello Luggage!

Some day scientists are going to find the Sapient Pear Wood from which The Luggage is made. I'm seriously looking forward to that. The most amazing luggage ever. Not only does it never get lost (it follows you around on hundreds of little legs) and have a seemingly infinite amount of room inside (which is apparently exempt from weight restrictions, in addition to the space paradox), but it actually does your laundry for you! Either that, or it has a direct conduit to a dry-cleaners. Either way, I want one! But until then, I'll have to make due with this:

Hey, at least it's here! (Actually, it beat me by 2 days.)

¡Viva España!

Se parece que sea mejor para mi si me voy siempre a España, no a Inglaterra. Es la segunda vez en la que no pudría llegar a Inglaterra por nada, pero llegue fácilmente a España. Vale... me quedo aquí ahorra. :D

Oh wait, you don't speak Spanish? Well, neither do I any more, or so it feels. Boy am I rusty! I can do it, but I've forgotten SO MUCH. It's quite shocking, really. Tragic, as well. Ok all my Spanish Speaking Amigos.... Let's practice together!

Anyway, here I am in Málaga, España. The last time I flew standby to England (wait... was it the last time? Hmmm.... Yes, I guess it was the last time I did the voyage that direction) I couldn't get to London then, either. Of course, that was in the middle of the ash cloud fiasco from the Volcano in Iceland. I spent 3 days in Atlanta, and got rescued by a friend (Hi Mary Lou!) In fact, I was supposed to have flown from Atlanta to London-Gatwick, collected my car from the car park, driven home for 2 nights, swapped luggage and driven to Stanstead to fly to Madrid and meet up with some friends. So, instead of spending 2 nights at home, I spent them in Atlanta. Not a big deal, except that I was also preparing to move back to the US so I had 2 suitcase.... Completely empty. You heard me! I had the clothes I was standing up in, and 2 changes of underwear. So when I saw the writing on the wall that I was simply NOT getting out to London, I asked to change my ticket to Madrid, instead. Got the last seat out and caught up with my friends at the airport. Flew 1st class, too. Funny thing about that trip was, when I got to the hotel that evening, and checked my email? I found an email from EasyJet saying that due to the ash cloud, my flight to Spain had been cancelled, so I could either refund or rebook the ticket. I got a refund on the 1st half, which paid for the extra days parking, and rebooked the 2nd half to Gatwick, rather than Stanstead! Brilliant.

Anyway, it looks like Spain is my lucky card, because yet again I managed to get on a flight to Spain when nothing else was working. Bless the gate attendants, they were seriously sweet. They said, "You've been here for 3 days? We've GOT to get you on this flight." Then, my name popped up as cleared to board, so I went to get my boarding card and discovered it was no longer cleared. Why? Because they wanted to see if they couldn't get me into 1st class. Bless their cotton socks! They did it, too. I flew over in seat 3C.

Best part about the trip? The complementary toothpaste! I don't DO liquids or pastes anymore when I fly. Too complicated. So I had a toothbrush with me in my carryon, but no toothpaste. That, of course, meant that I was brushing my teeth without toothpaste for 2 nights. Bleh! Better than nothing though. (Livia is probably horrified, because I stayed one night with her, and didn't think to ask for toothpaste! She's gone to bed before I thought of it.)

Here's a little look at the goodie bag you get flying up front.