Awoke feeling much better -- the beds here are the best and so are the pillows. I'd recommend this place for that reason only!
Down to the breakfast buffet. Hmmmm, something wrapped in a tortilla. I'm pretty sure it was some vegetable but couldn't tell you what it was. Scrambled eggs full of shells. This trip is not turning out to be much fun at all.
Have all day to kill -- my appointment isn't until 5. I'm pretty sure they'll take me shortly thereafter -- they close at 6:45.
So here I am.... sitting and typing.... waiting for 5:00. That's only, what, 6 hours from now.... no place to go. Maybe I'll work on the new book for a while...
Sorry, there don't seem to be any giggles on this trip. Bummer.... TTFN
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Sometimes things just go wrong
Yesterday was the travel day -- up at 5:00 and out the door at 6:00 -- AM, that is. I really believe there should be some kind of worldwide edict that nothing should be up and around before the sun gets up. It's simply barbaric.
Drove to Orlando -- it's a two hour drive and luckily I missed traffic. Made one stop for coffee. coffeecoffeecoffeecoffee -- manna from heaven, even if it is just from 7-11.
Got to the airport in plenty of time. Parked in the hinterlands and walked to check in. Waited in line at the self checkin kiosk and got rejected (it figures). Slip of paper said "insufficient seating". Hmmm, that can't be right. I have a confimed seat from my reservations 3 weeks ago. I just lost 20 minutes.
Got into the "full service" line and 35 minutes later I'm being told that they gave my seat away. Uh oh, not happy. When I asked why did you give my seat away he said, well, we stop checking people in an hour before the flight leaves and there are only 15 minutes left. I pointed out that I have just spent the last 55 minutes waiting in lines to check in. He said not to worry, go to the gate with my makebelieve boarding pass and I should be fine.
30 minutes to get through security.
Down to the gate -- no gate agent. The crew were very nice though.
Finally, a gate agent. She said they had a middle seat. I said I'd really like my window seat (I hate closed in spaces and looking out the window at least feeds my illusion of space, but I didn't tell her that). She said my seat was gone. I asked her why they gave away a confirmed seat and showed her my paperwork and explained that I tried to do my boarding pass the night before but the website was having problems as confirmed by JetBlue customer service.
Another gate agent came up and they started talking in Spanish -- I really should learn the language.
I was given seat 5A - window, more leg room. "crisis averted".
Flight was fine, watched Rango and was really glad I didn't pay to see it in the theatre, but it did kill time. Seatmates snore.
Arrived San Jose airport. Arrived with at least 3 separate and distinct missionary groups in various t-shirts identifying their individual herds. Young, excited, chattering. Good thing I didn't have a big stick.
Went through immigration. Went through Customs. Slogged through taxi drivers looking for fares and waited for my driver. Waited.... waited.... waited... waited.... accosted by some small man with brochures four times... waited... spotted Carlos. He seemed surprised to see me. He said he was waiting for another patient and we could go soon. 30 minutes later Maria from Canada comes out. Not sure if they forgot to tell Carlos or what and really didn't care.
Hotel Christina -- steady 'ol Christina -- checked in, was givin a HUGE suite with 2 bedrooms, great big kitchen up in a corner. Great views it's just too bad it's right next to the laundry. I really hate the smell of bleach, especially when it's constant. Right above the kitchen. Ah well.
Went to dentist at 3. Was seen at 6:15. One of the really great things about the dentists down here is that they really take care of each patient. It's also one of the truly sucky things because appointment times are more like "guidelines" rather than actual "we'll see you at 3".
Back to hotel and into L'Olivo for dinner. Glad to see that eating by myself doesn't bother me, it's a skill I picked up years ago. If I were 6, I would have fallen asleep in my Alfredo. Boxed it up, back to bleachyroom.
Was able to talk to Doug via SKYPE. I think I want to send those people some cookies. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to not only hear him, but see him too. He even got Phoebe on camera (she's kind of photogenic, in a furry sort of way).
Cloudy, rainy, humid.
bed.....
Drove to Orlando -- it's a two hour drive and luckily I missed traffic. Made one stop for coffee. coffeecoffeecoffeecoffee -- manna from heaven, even if it is just from 7-11.
Got to the airport in plenty of time. Parked in the hinterlands and walked to check in. Waited in line at the self checkin kiosk and got rejected (it figures). Slip of paper said "insufficient seating". Hmmm, that can't be right. I have a confimed seat from my reservations 3 weeks ago. I just lost 20 minutes.
Got into the "full service" line and 35 minutes later I'm being told that they gave my seat away. Uh oh, not happy. When I asked why did you give my seat away he said, well, we stop checking people in an hour before the flight leaves and there are only 15 minutes left. I pointed out that I have just spent the last 55 minutes waiting in lines to check in. He said not to worry, go to the gate with my makebelieve boarding pass and I should be fine.
30 minutes to get through security.
Down to the gate -- no gate agent. The crew were very nice though.
Finally, a gate agent. She said they had a middle seat. I said I'd really like my window seat (I hate closed in spaces and looking out the window at least feeds my illusion of space, but I didn't tell her that). She said my seat was gone. I asked her why they gave away a confirmed seat and showed her my paperwork and explained that I tried to do my boarding pass the night before but the website was having problems as confirmed by JetBlue customer service.
Another gate agent came up and they started talking in Spanish -- I really should learn the language.
I was given seat 5A - window, more leg room. "crisis averted".
Flight was fine, watched Rango and was really glad I didn't pay to see it in the theatre, but it did kill time. Seatmates snore.
Arrived San Jose airport. Arrived with at least 3 separate and distinct missionary groups in various t-shirts identifying their individual herds. Young, excited, chattering. Good thing I didn't have a big stick.
Went through immigration. Went through Customs. Slogged through taxi drivers looking for fares and waited for my driver. Waited.... waited.... waited... waited.... accosted by some small man with brochures four times... waited... spotted Carlos. He seemed surprised to see me. He said he was waiting for another patient and we could go soon. 30 minutes later Maria from Canada comes out. Not sure if they forgot to tell Carlos or what and really didn't care.
Hotel Christina -- steady 'ol Christina -- checked in, was givin a HUGE suite with 2 bedrooms, great big kitchen up in a corner. Great views it's just too bad it's right next to the laundry. I really hate the smell of bleach, especially when it's constant. Right above the kitchen. Ah well.
Went to dentist at 3. Was seen at 6:15. One of the really great things about the dentists down here is that they really take care of each patient. It's also one of the truly sucky things because appointment times are more like "guidelines" rather than actual "we'll see you at 3".
Back to hotel and into L'Olivo for dinner. Glad to see that eating by myself doesn't bother me, it's a skill I picked up years ago. If I were 6, I would have fallen asleep in my Alfredo. Boxed it up, back to bleachyroom.
Was able to talk to Doug via SKYPE. I think I want to send those people some cookies. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to not only hear him, but see him too. He even got Phoebe on camera (she's kind of photogenic, in a furry sort of way).
Cloudy, rainy, humid.
bed.....
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