To finish off the travelogue:
On the shuttle bus back to Boston's Logan airport, a young financial analyst engages me in conversation. New to the industry, he subscribes to my upFront.eZine. He asks me how long I've been writing about CAD. Since 1985, I reply. "I was three years old then," he gasps. The gray-haired shuttle bus driver nods: "I graduated from high school that year."
I am booked for the 5pm flight to Chicago, and arrive early enough for a 3:30 flight. But I am puzzled by the HUGE number of standbys; the gate agent reads name after name. Since I want to spoil myself with a First Class Upgrade on this return trip (I have 150,000 United points itching for use), I decide against the obviously full flight.
I happen to hear about a 4pm flight. It turns out it is a 2:30pm flight that has been delayed, and so almost everyone had rushed to board the 3:30 flight. I get my upgrade, and when we board that 4pm flight, there were 13 of us onboard -- 9 in economy. I have pictures to prove it.
I wait three hours in Chicago, and the time goes more pleasantly while ensconced in the Red Carpet Club -- although I am ticked off they have no free WiFi. The snow comes down, and I am amazed that the Vancouver flight keeps showing as "On Time" -- what with the spraydowns from deicing, and so many other flights being delayed. A group of men nearby relate how their San Francisco flight has been canceled, because no pilots showed up.
Waiting at the gate to board, the man next to me tells how he used his accumulated United points for a free flight to Stockholm later in the year. Originally, he was booked for a dreadful Vancouver - Chicago - Frankfurt - Stockholm run. Then the reservation agent apologizes: "You can't go that way; it's 10 miles over the limit." So she rebooks him for Vancouver - Edmonton - Stockholm. That's much better. Thank goodness for 10-mile overruns! On the return trip, he will be "forced" to spend a night in a Zurich hotel, compliments of the airline.
And on-time our flight to Vancouver is. During takeoff, the captain suddenly veers the aircraft vertically, and my Zen Micro music player shoots off. I had it resting on my armrest, and the sudden change of angle sends it flying between the seats and behind me.
After take-off, I ask the fellow behind me if he could see it. He can't. I wait for the fasten-seat-belt sign to go off, and then get on my hands and knees to look under seats. The fellow sitting behind me does the same. This is a large first class cabin, 7 or 8 rows long, with all sorts of perturbences under the seats. I am sure it could not have traveled far, but cannot find the small device.
I explain to the stewardess why several of us were on our hands and knees. She gets a flashlight and declares, "I won't be satisfied until I find it." Now she is on her hands and knees, too. In the last row is a lady sleeping, her feet surrounded by bags. I don't want to bother her, nor do I think the Zen Micro has slid that far. "Maybe it went to the other side of the aisle," suggests the stewardess.
She has drinks to serve; I return to my seat; the fellow behind returns to his Nintendo DS. After ten minutes, the stewardess hands me the Zen Micro. "Now that I found it, I can relax," she reports. It had indeed slid all the way to the back. "I didn't want to bother that sleeping women," I say. "I know," replies the stewardess. "I just quietly moved her bags around until I found it!"
Arriving in Vancouver, the 44F temperature feels tropical in contrast to the 22F of Boston.
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