Katie's Kibitz: December 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Reading List: December 2011

As of December 19, I've read 52 new books (I completed that task a bit earlier in the month) and 67 books overall. I'm about halfway through another new book, but I've rather gone off of it--Faber's The Crimson Petal and the White--so while I was enjoying it, I didn't really have the patience for it, so I decided to read some other stuff instead, and will probably finish it in January. And since our tree is currently blocking two of the four bookshelves, my selection is a bit limited for the time being. I pulled The Little Princess to read next--knowing the shelves would be blocked--but scanning my list I see that I've read no other Elizabeth Peters this year, and like a year with no Harry Potter, I can't really have a year with little or no Elizabeth Peters. So perhaps I will peruse that shelf instead (not behind tree). Besides, in a week I'm hoping to have lots and lots of new books to read!

UPDATE: I did get lots of new books to read; in fact, between Adam and I, we got 22 new books. I finished one last night (December 30th), but there's no way I'll finish another book before midnight, so I shall post this now, and wish everyone a happy new year!

DECEMBER

69. Naked Heat, by "Richard Castle" ( Nikki Heat Series #2) (ghostwriter unknown. ABC is keeping this well under wraps)
68. *He Shall Thunder in the Sky, by Elizabeth Peters (Amelia Peabody Series #12) (This is one of my absolute favorite books of all time. That said, it wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable to someone who hasn't watched the characters grow over the course of the series)
67. *Guardian of the Horizon, by Elizabeth Peters (Amelia Peabody Series #16)
66. The Sea of Monsters, by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and The Olympians #2)
65. Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl Series #1)

64. Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy, by David Gerrold (non-fiction)

NOVEMBER

63. *Tom Swift and his Rocket Ship, by Victor Appleton II (The New Tom Swift Jr. Adventures #3)

62. A Nun in the Closet, by Dorothy Gilman

61. Confessions of a Teen Sleuth, by Chelsea Cain (a Nancy Drew parody)

OCTOBER

60. How to Read Literature Like a Professor, by Thomas C. Foster (non-fiction)

59. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, by John le Carré (George Smiley novel, #1 in the Karla Trilogy)

58. A Guide to the End of the World, by Bill McGuire (non-fiction, used for research)

57. Rivers of London, by Ben Aaronovitch (Peter Grant Series #1, for lack of a better name) (American title, for some stupid reason, is Midnight Riot)

56. The Year of the Flood, by Margaret Atwood

SEPTEMBER

55. I Shall Wear Midnight, by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #38, Tiffany Aching Sequence #4)

54. The Age of Odin, by James Lovegrove (The Pantheon Trilogy #3)

53. The Killing Dance, by Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #6)

52. *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by J. K. Rowling (Harry Potter #4)

51. Bloody Bones, by Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #5)

AUGUST

50. The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and The Olympians #1)

49. The Lunatic Cafe, by Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #4)

48. Myth Conceptions, by Robert Asprin (The Myth Series #2)

47. Another Fine Myth, by Robert Asprin (The Myth Series #1)

46. Resident Evil: Zero Hour, by S. D. Perry (Resident Evil Novelizations #0 (7))

45. Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, by Seth Grahame-Smith

JULY

44. Circle of Flight, by John Marsden (The Ellie Chronicles #3)

43. Incurable, by John Marsden (The Ellie Chronicles #2)

42. While I Live, by John Marsden (The Ellie Chronicles #1) (sequel series to The Tomorrow Series)

41. *Anne's House of Dreams, by L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables Series #5) (I'm making the same assumption as below)

40. *Anne of Windy Poplars, by L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables Series #4) (I'm assuming I've read this before; I don't remember it, but the corners of some pages are creased as markers.)

39. Circus of the Damned, by Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #3)

38. The Laughing Corpse, by Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #2)

JUNE

37. Guilty Pleasures, by Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #1)

36. *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J. K. Rowling (Harry Potter #3)

35. *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J. K. Rowling (Harry Potter #2)

34. *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by J. K. Rowling (Harry Potter #1)

33. Ptolemy's Gate, by Jonathan Stroud (The Bartimaeus Trilogy Book 3)

32. The Golem's Eye, by Jonathan Stroud (The Bartimaeus Trilogy Book 2)

31. *The Amulet of Samarkand, by Jonathan Stroud (The Bartimaeus Trilogy Book 1)

MAY

30. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith (I've read Pride and Prejudice before, but sans zombies)

29. I Am Number Four, by Pittacus Lore (pseudonym for James Frey and Jobie Hughes) (Lorien Legacies #1)

28. *Anne of the Island, by L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables Series #3)

27. *Anne of Avonlea, by L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables Series #2)

26. *Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables Series #1)

25. The Red Queen, by Philippa Gregory (Cousins' War #2)

24. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nests, by Stieg Larsson (Millennium Trilogy #3)

APRIL

23. The Girl Who Played with Fire, by Stieg Larsson (Millennium Trilogy #2)

22. Disappearing Ingenue Stories, by Melissa Pritchard

21. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson (Millennium Trilogy #1)

20. Resident Evil: Code: Veronica, by S. D. Perry (Resident Evil Novelizations #6)

MARCH

19. Resident Evil: Nemesis, by S. D. Perry (Resident Evil Novelizations #5)

18. Resident Evil: Underworld, by S. D. Perry (Resident Evil Novelizations #4)

17. Resident Evil: City of the Dead, by S. D. Perry (Resident Evil Novelizations #3)

16. Resident Evil: Caliban Cove, by S. D. Perry (Resident Evil Novelizations #2)

15. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy, by S. D. Perry (Resident Evil Novelizations #1)

14. Nation, by Terry Pratchett (NOT a Discworld novel)

FEBRUARY

13. *King of Shadows, by Susan Cooper

12. Zombie Apocalypse!, created by Stephen Jones (compiled)

11. The White Queen, by Philippa Gregory (Cousins' War #1)

JANUARY

10. * Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle, by Dorothy Gilman (Mrs. Pollifax Series #8)

9. The Other Side of Dawn, by John Marsden (The Tomorrow Series #7)

8. The Night is for Hunting, by John Marsden (The Tomorrow Series #6)

7. Burning for Revenge, by John Marsden (The Tomorrow Series #5)

6. Darkness, be My Friend, by John Marsden (The Tomorrow Series #4)

5. The Third Day, The Frost (aka The Killing Frost), by John Marsden (The Tomorrow Series #3)

4. The Dead of Night, by John Marsden (The Tomorrow Series #2)

3. Skin Trade, by Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #17)

2. *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J. K. Rowling (Harry Potter #7)

1. Tomorrow, When the War Began, by John Marsden (The Tomorrow Series #1)

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

...and Back Again.

As promised to Barbara via email, the next installment of our 2011 Thanksgiving travel saga. Because I can always find a way to make it a saga.

So I mentioned in my last post about travelling (There...) that returning home was lucrative. It was also long. It also started off badly, but through no one's fault, unless you want to blame my grandfather for getting tumors on his bladder. I don't, because they didn't do laparoscopic surgery, but rather went in through the urethra. Joy...

Anyway, the reason my grandfather's surgery* affected our travel plans is because my grandmother gave up her license a year ago** and my grandfather was told that, day surgery notwithstanding, he needed a driver. Hence, their daughter, aka my mother, was asked to drive. The surgeon wanted Grandpa at the hospital about 9 am the day we flew out, so Mom drove up the night before. Makes complete sense, but ironically, she could have taken us to the airport with Dad and still been able to get up to my grandparents' and get them out to the hospital for 9 am. But I don't blame her for not wanting to do that.

The problem with Mom leaving Wednesday night and us leaving Thursday morning was poor Faith. The puppy girl had had a tough time of it, since Mom and Dad went to Spain for about 2 weeks in late October-early November, were home for a week, and then left again to spend a week in Napa with us. Jane is a wonderful dog sitter and watches the house, but she takes Faith to her place some nights, and for the Napa trip, the whole time (she'd had surgery and couldn't drive). So the puppy sees suitcases and gets worried. She's adorable like that, but it's also a sign of a rescue dog, at least in my mind. Jennifer loved it when she got to go to the kennel (Faith can't be kenneled; she has panic attacks because she was abandoned at Greenhill) because they treated her like royalty.

But I digress. Adam and I eventually managed to get most of our shit stowed into the two suitcases and the rolling carry-on bag, with quite a lot also crammed into our backpacks and my laptop case. Yes, for those keeping score, that's all free, valid luggage. One free suitcase (50 pounds) each, the little rolling suitcase is carry-on size, and we each get a personal item. In Adam's case, a backpack. In my case, the laptop case, with my second allowed bag my backpack. I do know how to play the rules, thanks much. We couldn't take quite all of it, due to a combination of weight and the obscenely large (but light) present my grandmother gave us. New rule: if a box--no matter how light it may be--takes up more than 1/4 of my suitcase, it's not going. We like gift certificates.

So at about 3:30am the Thursday after Thanksgiving, we hauled our sorry asses out of bed, loaded the car, and headed off to Eugene airport. Mahlon Sweet is a tiny airport, despite being the second largest in Oregon. It is, however, far more convenient for early morning flights, and the staff there are generally awesome. We got checked in--we couldn't do that online for some reason--after the nice guy who was manning the kiosks*** couldn't check us in either. The woman at the counter was cranky and wanted us to try the kiosks again, but then decided that my arguing "we tried, it didn't work" wasn't going to get me to try again, so she gave up, became pleasant, and checked us all the way through to Manchester. Nor did we get charged for our "economy plus" seats, that we did not book, but United put us in and then tried to charge me for later. So no fight there, which was good. We also learned that United will overlook a 1/2 pound for your checked luggage. I wouldn't try it, however. We then dropped off our barely free luggage with the security boys, and hopped in the security line, where Dad said goodbye to us, but said he'd wait til we cleared security. In Eugene, this means you can still talk to people, though the TSA crew doesn't really like that if you're too close. At that point, we uneventfully went upstairs to wait for our plane to San Francisco.

SFO was equally uneventful, to the point where I can't remember it at all. Newark, however, overshadowed all of that. We had to go through security again, because that airport has shit for signage and while we were supposed to be able to transfer terminals and bypass security somehow, we couldn't figure out how. We were distinctly not happy, and Adam swears he'll never fly through Newark again. Since I'm the one who books tickets, he's being awfully bold about that, but since I also swear to not use Delta or fly through Atlanta (mostly because I hate Delta), he can hate on Newark and I'll try to respect his wishes. We finally made it to the gate in Newark, after about an hour of trying to get there (no exaggeration), I might add, and it was crammed. As before, they oversold the flight, though at least this time we weren't getting a smaller plane (I might have thrown a tantrum if that had happened again).

So Adam and I sat at the very busy gate, filled with lots of British people who were presumably visiting New York, and waited. And waited. And they kept announcing they needed 2 people to take a bump. A flight later that night to Heathrow, and then a flight from Heathrow up to Manchester, arriving about 5 hours later than the original flight. $500 (in travel vouchers) for that. $100 an hour isn't bad, but the fact of the matter was that Adam and I were on 3 flights already to get home, and were already tired and cranky. Instead of getting back to the house by 11 am, we'd be boarding our flight out of Heathrow then, so we said no. But...

But...after a couple of announcements at that price and no more takers (Adam said someone took it at $500), the price was suddenly $800. Same deal as before, just more money in vouchers. I gave Adam about 10 seconds to make up his mind, and while he was hemming and hawing, I sprinted up to the counter. And stood there. After a minute or so, they finally looked up and said in that long-suffering tone gate agents have because all they ever deal with is cranky customers, "Yes, can I help you?" and I said "Yeah, do you still need a couple of people to bump?" They looked slightly more cheerful at that point (I wasn't complaining, and it's not their money, though the woman who upped the offer said to someone else "I need you to back me up that I tried 3 times at the lower price and no one would take it"), and so the paperwork commenced, at which point a couple of other people had meandered up and tried to take the bump. I handed them all our tickets, my passport, and went and grabbed Adam, his passport, and our luggage. They then sent a gal to pull our checked luggage off the plane and reroute it, a process that made me feel like we might never see our luggage again (we did, and even before we got to Manchester for one piece!). Then we filled out forms and signed them, and were instructed that if we lose the vouchers, we're screwed. She also told us to write down the number in several different places, because that's what's needed to redeem them, and use them within a year, etc. etc. Supposedly they're usable on any Star Alliance flight. I'm not convinced, but I bet I can make it work (just make sure the flight is code-shared with Continental, which is who we bumped from). They also gave us $12 in food vouchers a person (we didn't need them, but hey, I paid a lot for the original tickets, so I'll take what I can get.****).

So that's all done, and we have to walk to the far end of the terminal. Same terminal, but it's like a mile away. In hindsight, it was a lot less far after our hike through Heathrow. We got food, fought over redeeming the vouchers ("yes, I know I can't get change. I don't want change, just keep the extra 18 cents and give me my $11.82 worth of food"), and eventually reached our gate in the creepy part of the airport. Creepy because they had cordoned part of it off, I assume to create a secure area for a international flight that was continuing on from somewhere to Tel Aviv. That flight left very late, since they last-called it for about an hour.

The later part of Newark and our flight to Heathrow was uneventful, minus the fact that we were late touching down, and not sure we would make our flight (we totally did, but we were only supposed to have an hour). Because we were connecting through Heathrow, we got a completely different passport control line, which was good, because it was empty. Then we got a bus to a different terminal. Then we got security, followed by weird creepy security, as in the kind that photographs you (it's in a testing phase, and we can't figure out what good it does, so we're betting they scrap it). Then we ran and ran and ran and ran and ran. And ran and ran and ran and ran and ran. And ran some more. Then we finally saw signs for our gate (8) and gates 77-80. Then we saw gates 77-80 turn off. Then we ran some more, and found gate 7. Then another 5 minutes on, we got to gate 8. Or should I say gates, since it was 8a-8f. And if you think I'm exaggerating, I'm really not. From the time we cleared security the last time (the creepy photo turn-in one, because there really were 3 different security things) we still had almost a 10 minute walk. It was really bizarre.

At the gate area, we hadn't missed our flight (Heathrow is organized and fast if you've travelled at all), and so we went to the counter to talk to a BMI rep to see if she could get us seated together. Continental could get us confirmed and seats, but because it's a different system, they couldn't get us seated together. Woman at the gate had no problems, though all she did was cross out my seat and write a new one on it. Not very official, but whatever. Then at boarding, the gate agent looked at it, and asked me a couple of questions, and then said "ahh, I see. You're on my list (points to a sticky note) to move your seat." So no problem, except that we now can't see the person in front of us in line. Shouldn't be a problem, but we're walking down a very long hallway that ends in stairs going down. That ends in a propped open door. Hmm...zombies? Or maybe we'll get arrested for walking out on the tarmac? Nope. A plane was out there, and it even turned out to be ours. So we gate check our bags (it's a small plane), and board. We're in the second row. It was lovely, and there were two seats on one side, and one on the other side of the aisle. And the plane was mostly empty. Actually, it turned out it wasn't, as we discovered when we deplaned and about 8 million people walked past us that we never saw board before or after us. Granted, half of the people on that plane were dead-heading to Manchester--there were I think 4 pilots on the plane, plus two full captains flying the plane (instead of a captain and a pilot or co-pilot), as well as several other flight crew members.

We boarded, collapsed in our seats, and waited. A long time. Then the gate agent comes on board and asks me for ticket information, because the bump for some reason said we were issued paper tickets, but we weren't, just e-tickets. In Newark, that was solved by the gate agent crossing out paper and writing e-ticket on it. So I said "well, I can show you everything they gave us" and handed over our new tickets from Newark. She said "perfect, I need that bit" and I said "fine, but I want to keep the rest of it so I can have proof when they don't issue our airline miles." She laughed and gave me back the stub, and all was good. Until a few minutes later another guy--this one new--came by and asked for me. This time I needed to confirm that a piece of luggage was ours. Why, I have no idea, but that's how I knew that at least one of our bags had made it. I tried to find out about the other one, but they didn't know. Luckily, when we grabbed our bags after an uneventful flight up to Manchester, they were both there.

We never did go through Customs, by the way. In the UK, you go through Customs in your final destination, because you don't have to pick your bags up at the port of entry like you do in the US. It's great. Except we arrived into the domestic terminal in Manchester, where there is no Customs. Awesome. Too bad we didn't want to smuggle anything in. To be fair, I don't know what we would have smuggled in.

An uneventful train ride, followed by a second uneventful train ride (punctuated by my trying to fall asleep in the 8 minutes it takes to get from Huddersfield to Slaithwaite), and a stagger down the hill, and we were home. I was hoping to stay up until 8 pm that night, but I passed out about 4 pm. Classy. After his shower, Adam found me curled up in bed, arms protectively around Henry the laptop (I was "watching" Leverage). So he removed Henry, put on his jammies, and used his computer for an hour so before he came to bed, which is when I woke up, but not for long.

In short, that is how Adam and I are $1600 richer in travel vouchers. Here's hoping he can use his next year--but that's a different story, one without a middle, let alone an ending.

*Day surgery, and they removed all the tumors and a bit of surrounding cells to ensure it was all removed, but the biopsy said the tumors were benign, which was both a major surprise to us all, and quite awesome.

**This is a problem for her, because she no longer has a valid ID, and can't understand why places aren't willing to accept an expired license. She refuses to go get an Oregon ID card because--sorry Mom--she's old and crabby and doesn't like it when people don't do things her way. Ironically, about 20 years ago she used to complain that old people were stubborn and set in their ways and it made them obnoxious and rude.

***These always seem to be manned because they a) never work or b) people can't make them work. Cost cutting measures indeed!

****This included a blanket on the flight out.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Do they know...Yes! They're not idiots!

So it's that time of year again. Since I'm completely done with shopping for presents (seriously; if you decide to get me something, it will not be reciprocated, because I'm done, dammit!) and I even managed to wrangle the tree into the stand and get it straight all by myself--do you know how long that takes, by the way?!--I'm pretty well into the holiday spirit. The additional present of Adam and I clearly stating that we would not get each other anything for our anniversary (two years today!) certainly didn't hurt (though ironically, our parents got us stuff). No cards, no presents, nothing. It's glorious.

But the carols are starting up, and I'm a total sucker for Christmas carols. I'm not Christian, and neither is Adam, but we'll both happily sing along (badly) to all the Jesus-y tunes the season has to offer, and we don't always change the lyrics.* That said, I'm not a big fan of Band-Aid's Do They Know it's Christmas? Why? Well, I ignore a lot of the lyrics that imply the entirety of Africa is a desert, that there are no rivers and no rainfall, so that doesn't bother me. But do they know it's Christmas? Well, do they have a calendar?

I'd like to say that the vast majority of Africans are not Christian, but a 3 second wiki search tells me otherwise. As I do in so many things, I blame the English (and the French, Dutch, Italians, Belgians, Germans, Portuguese, and Spanish), who decided to take on the White Man's Burden (amongst other issues of money, power, and resources). So I have to rephrase my answer to "they do have calendars in Africa, you know, so shut up and offer actual help instead of singing the same tired old song for minimal financial returns."

Ok, all done :) Happy Yule and Solstice!

*My personal favorite that Adam taught me: We three kings of orient are / One in a taxi, one in a car / One on a scooter, blowing his hooter / Smoking a fat cigar

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

There...

As I so often do, I apologize for not posting sooner. Between jet lag and the holidays--and our anniversary tomorrow--I've been swamped. But for now, we'll start with going out there.

The first snag Adam and I hit was his ESTA. For those who don't know, the ESTA replaces the green card that used to get stapled into the passports (and then removed upon leaving) of "ferriners" from visa waiver countries (aka those who are less "ferrin"--or more white--than other "ferriners"). In all their stupidity, the US has started charging for $14 for ESTA--$4 admin and $10 "tourist tax." Most people pay it without a second thought (don't have it, can't enter), but I think it's ridiculous. Regardless, we knew that, and so Adam made a point of renewing his ESTA (good for 2 years) just before the charges came in. Therefore, we knew that it would be good for this year's trip. But just in case, Adam decided to check the ESTA status about 18 hours before we flew. Sidenote: you're supposed to apply at least 72 hours in advance.

Problem. Adam tried to access it online using his name and passport number. System can't find him. Tried to access it using the number I copied down. Can't find it. Tried multiple times, multiple ways. Either can't find it, or more worrying, it's invalid. Well shit.

Finally, I tried a different tact. See, I knew they might want proof at the airport that he had ESTA, so I copied down the number from the copy he wrote down, and chucked it in the passport case. That's the copy he used, after not bothering to check my copy against his (which I asked him to do for this very reason). So when everything else is failing, I went digging around on my computer for a copy of his ESTA number, which I found in our flight stuff from last year (and proof why never deleting travel files is good). Tried the correct number, and he's all happy to travel. But the ESTA website still sucks, since searching via name and passport number said he didn't exist (those were correct in system and he was copying it from his passport).

Our next snag was not a snag. It was a lovely, if not very restful, night at the Radisson Blu hotel in Manchester Airport. Cue commercial here, but we love the place. It's not cheap--the cheapest is about £70 a night--but it's clean, big, clean, nice, clean, in the airport, and clean. There's nothing like sleeping in an airport for convenience for those flights at stupid o'clock, but unlike racking out on (or under) benches or on the floor, this is an actual hotel, with heated bathroom floors (seriously), nice big beds, big rooms, TV, and privacy. We talked about someplace cheaper, but decided that the Radisson couldn't be beat for knowing what we were getting (clean and less than 1% chance of death, rape, mugging, or bedbugs) and likelihood of making the flights (very high).

Checking in was a snag, however. I think the Continental staff at Manchester was either all brand-spanking-new, or else they got yelled at recently, because we had the most anal-retentive, "but this is what the form says and I must fill out the form" staff I've ever seen. The security questions guy in line I thought was going to subdue me for the police when he asked if I had anything that could be classed as weapons and I said my keys. Then we get up to the counter, and because Adam isn't a citizen/visa holder, they need an address for him for the first night. Normally, the hotel name and city is enough, but not for this lady. Nor was my parents' address enough. No, she had to have the hotel for that night. That is not what she ultimately got, and had we taken a bump (more on that later) we wouldn't have even been in the same time zone. So after she went all bitchy on me and I went all bitchy back, and they don't have internet, so I had to pay on my phone to use it (which is why I was all bitchy) I gave her the Napa hotel address because I knew where to find that, rather than from a website I'd not been to before. And when she said in a nasty voice "Is this where you're staying tonight?" I said back, just as nasty, "Yes." Next time, Adam/I is either lying or making it up. On the west coast, zip codes all start with a 9, so just give them five numbers starting with a 9 and everyone is good.

Until we got to Newark, all was fine. Boring, cattle class, and shitty, but fine. Newark, however, doesn't appear to have any bathrooms. Adam decided he didn't want to use the first one we saw off the plane, because everyone uses that one. Turns out in Newark that's because it's the only one. So we hopped in line for passport control. His line, not mine, because, well, we feel it's safer. About 35 minutes later (Adam still hasn't peed, despite there being a loo next to the insanely long border control line that people were hopping out of line to use then hopping back in--something that works well when travelling with others) we finally made it to the front of the line, where our guy then proceeded to go take a leak for about 5 minutes. Hey, when you gotta pee you gotta pee. Then the two men right in front of us created a hold-up. Not sure why, but the one guy's answer to all questions was "yes, I know him." Didn't matter the question, that was the answer, and presumably all the English he spoke (or for those who know about a previous trip of mine "train come every 10 minutes"). So he got hauled off to a separate room, presumably to find someone who spoke whatever language it was he spoke--I didn't recognize the passport. Then the guy had to log the thing. Then Adam and I got called up. First words we hear? "Why are you here?" So I explain that while I'm a citizen, Adam's not. "Yeah, but why are you here? You're a citizen. Take him through your line--you shouldn't have to wait." He barely looked at my passport, he barely biometric'd Adam--a thumb and a finger, instead of all 10 fingers/thumbs, and we're through.

And still no bathrooms.

Finally, we got the luggage, cleared customs, rechecked the luggage, and eventually found a bathroom. Or maybe we got lost trying to go through Newark's insanely bad security set-up first. I can't remember, but two things come to mind. First, pee when you see a loo in Newark, because you may never see one again, and second, don't go through Newark, because the security set-up there may even be worse than O'Hare, and O'Hare's used to be the worst I'd ever seen (unless it's changed since 2006, it was in no way able to handle the amount of people who need to go through it, and it backs up into the escalators so you nearly die trying to get off).

Eventually though, Adam peed, I probably peed, and we found our gate. Where we were informed that our scheduled plane was no longer available (don't know why, but I'm guessing it was late or not coming in at all), so they crammed us into a significantly smaller plane. As in something like 25 seats smaller. They needed to bump 25 people--I'm betting that flight was also oversold, a practice that I'm rapidly thinking should be banned, though it did prove to be beneficial for us (as will be documented in "...and Back Again."). Regardless of what was really going on, they were offering hotel, 2-4 food vouchers a person (depending on the number of meals between then and the new flight), and $700 a head for people to take later flights. For 25 people. Because that's what happens when you oversell flights and everyone turns up to take the flight. Instead of making money, you have to spend $17,500, plus hotel and food. Only 5 people took the bump that I know of though, so no idea what happened to the other 20 people who didn't get on the flight (we checked in about 30 hours before that flight so they couldn't bump us as being the last to check in).

That flight was horrible. Seat-back entertainment, at $7.99 for the flight. And people pay it! Idiots. We're charged more and more, given less and less, and expected to thank them for the chance to pay for things that should be part of the ticket. While I don't think entertainment is necessary, I should get to take a bag with me for free--since that's part of travelling, when it gets right down to it--and be fed at least a token meal for free. Instead, they charge a quarter to a sixth of what cable costs a month (unless you have a stupidly expensive cable/satellite package) for a few hours, cram you in as tightly as possible, and give you a tiny little box of food for a huge amount of money. Adam and I watched (without sound) the entertainment of the people in front of us who paid (idiots), and starved. We starved because all our food went into the hold when they had to gate-check all the rolling bags because people no longer check luggage because it costs money (if they have to gate-check it, it's free to the passenger, because it's allowed on board normally).

Ranting done, but that was one of the absolute worst flights I've been on in a long time, and I flew not long after 9/11, 7/7, and the debacle that restricted liquids to 3 oz. But thankfully, when we landed in SFO, Mom and Dad met us, and then proceeded to take us to an In-n-Out Burger for our collective first In-n-Out experience. We all enjoyed it well enough, but I think I prefer Sonic Burger (which I've also only eaten at once).

I will endeavor to write about Napa and Eugene at some point, but the next time I get around to the blog will be for our return trip, because that was less horrible (in most ways) and much more lucrative. Also much longer, but did I mention it was more lucrative?

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Home Again

I apologize for the complete lack of posts--here and on the Food Blog--while we were in Eugene. It was a combination of being extremely busy, being on the road, having food poisoning, and just not wanting to bother. Proper recaps of the trip will follow, because while we didn't get nearly everything done or purchased that we wanted to, some good things happened to us. And some bad (see: food poisoning). But now, alas and alack, we are back home, which isn't quite so horrifying as I thought it might be, though it is rather cold in here (that's getting better, due to leaving the heat on to build up residual heat in the walls). And there wasn't any snow, which was a nightmare last year.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Reading List: November 2011

NOVEMBER

63. *Tom Swift and his Rocket Ship, by Victor Appleton II (The New Tom Swift Jr. Adventures #3)
62. A Nun in the Closet, by Dorothy Gilman