Monday, January 14, 2008

Welcome 2008

I resolve to write in my blog again...hopefully I can get back to at least once a week. So a lot has happened since I let the cat out of the bag on here and ruined my suprise homecoming. Although, it would have been ruined anyway since Air Canada is incompetent and my flight never made it out of Toronto. For those of you haven't heard it htis is a good tory so here's the short version. My 4:00pm flight was canceled and I was rebooked onto a 7pm flight. In the mean time, Patrick's flight landed in Boston sometime around 5:30 (I was origionaly scheduled to get in at 6:00). So mom, dad and Patrick waited in Boston while I waited for news in Toronto where my cell didn't work and I had to Skype w/o an external mic, luckily I had my iPod earbuds, and borrow phones from strangers to keep updating them since everything was changeing. First we were delayed to 8:00 then 9:00 than 9:30 than 9:45 (there was another flight to Boston set to go out at 9:45) and then we finally baorded the plane some time around 10pm. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the 12, 2, and 4 flights were all cancelled so everyone was waiting for Boston. Around 10:30 a flight attendant took the mic and told us the flight was cancelled and we would be given a numbr to call to rebook and a number to call to get a discounted hotel room. The cancellation was due to weather conditions so we were on our own. People who flew AirCanada frequently (it's the only way into Canada direct aparently) were not suprised. Around midnight I was finally settled in my hotel room which was Econo Lodge standards and still cost $80 US. I had not eaten anything aside from a bag of Smartfood and a diet coke all day since the magazine shop was the only place I could use my Visa in the Toronto Airport and I thought I would make it to Boston where I could surely get a good dinner. Needless to say I was hungry and when I saw a flyer for a pizza place that delivers I immediately ordered a seriously overpriced ($12 US for a small pepperroni and a can of DC) pizza that I later learned would take 50 minutes. They accepted my Visa and I waited...I ate the pizza and went to bed happily booked on a 8:55 flight to Providence the next day. The woman told me I got the last seat into Providence and would need to pick up a paper ticket. Just when I thought things were getting better , they got worse. I woke up around 2:30 with a serious stomach ach, unquestionably from too much pizza and too little time for digestion before bed. I managed to get back to sleep for about an hour before jumping in the shower and catching the 6:30 airport shuttle. I gave myself plenty of time to pick up said paper ticket, check in and go through customs again. I must have been quite a sight at 6:30am in a black cocktail dress, black tights and red shoes. Of course I wore a hoodie and my jacket so I would not freeze but these were the only clothes I packed (as a NYE outfit back up) and I had been traveling in my velour track suit for way too long to put it on after my morning shower. I walked up to the ticket counter after tring self check in and getting an error to learn that I didn't need a ticket. I proceeded to the check in counter to find out that I was not booked onto the Providence flight but ultimately it didn't matter as that one had already been cancelled due to weather. I am told there was no snow in Providence on December 21 but that is beside the point. So I was no back to Boston and my ride was set to pick me up from Providence. Good thing I had a 24 hour internet subscription, I Skyped my mom and Patrick at my Cousin's house to let them know the new situation. Dad (my ride home) had already gone to work and since the 8:00am flight was delayed to 8:15 by the time I made it through customs I didn't want to make him sit at the airport and wait for me so I got bis instructions. We boarded and got off somewhere around 8:30, not bad at all. I was just happy to be on my way to my family and friends and the USA (and glad my return flight was on Lufthansa). Arriving in Boston, I saw why the runway was an issue. I beelined off that plane for the luggage and found the bus stop I needed to get to after I had my luggage. It's a good thing I packed light on the way home becasue I was still wearing those red heels (which I love but are not conducive for carrying things or running to a bus). Just when you think nothing else could possibly go wrong the luggage door was not opening...then it opened and then it shut again. We got to the luggage section around 10:00am, my bus was at 10:30 and at 10:27 I was still waiting for my luggage and the door was once again not opening. I think my luggage appeared at 10:29 but lucky for me the bus was a few minutes late and I got on. Okay so I guess this was the long version of the story but if it didn't happen to me, I don't think I would ever believe that many things could go wrong. It could have been worse, one girl lost her luggage before even leaving Toronto.

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