Text 11761, 85 rader
Skriven 2008-08-09 06:06:06 av Michael Loo (1:18/200.0)
Ärende: driving&flying away 744
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Our last breakfast at Pumpkin Pine started with m'm, m'm good
zucchini bread and proceeded to blueberry pancakes with maple
syrup. A slice of Cure 81-ish ham accompanied. The blueberries
and the syrup were yummy; the rest, fine.

We sat around and chewed the fat with our hosts for a while,
and eventually, alas, it was time to leave.

As there was a bit of time to kill, we took the scenic route to
Cortland: pretty rolling countryside, quaint farms, lots of
wildflowers. Back to the super so we could have a leisurely time
at Heid's, the hot dog mecca. I had a red "German" frank, very
nice, not too salty, but I thought not as garlicked as a hot dog
ought to be; a white "Coney," really a bratwurst, a bit spicy
with pepper but not so meaty; and a bowl of chili, which was
tomato sauce with beans and chili-grind meat out of a bulk pack
- okay though for that. Also fries (thin but limp) and rings
(good). Saranac Amber and the house red birch beer went well.

There was still time, so we went to the Salt Museum on the
bank of Onondaga Lake (the famous salt lake, on whose shores
was produced most of the nation's purified salt in the 19th
century), which of course taught us everything we would ever
want to know about that subject and more. Then the long sad
five-mile drive to the airport.

Shirley and Burt saw me off at security, and after watching a
suspicious character get the nth degree (I wandered off while
they continued to hassle him - tttt he had been obnoxious and
just a bit suspicious) I went to the gate, where I made five
minutes' worth of dining notes and was then called to the gate
with the unwelcome "all passengers, all rows are welcome to
board US Airways flight 4061 for Philadelphia operated by
Air Wisconsin."

0804
US4061 SYR PHL 1640 1743 CRJ 3F

I presume this flight went okay, as I fell asleep when we
were on the ground, and I awoke as we were on final approach
to a different airport from where we started. Had to hustle
hustle from the far end of the F terminal to the F-to-C
shuttle and then to the very far end of the C terminal,
where I arrived as they were boarding zone 2 or 3 or so.

US1569 PHL BWI 1825 1935 733 3C

There was a big old crush; when I got past and to my seat,
I found that I had two seats to myself and a whole lot of
pillows, most of which I stuffed into the overhead. The
flight attendant, seeing my bedraggled condition, got me a
Heineken at once. They no longer serve Courvoisier on US Air.

The flight took off pretty full, with 2D and 3A open (why
didn't they honor my window request?) but most of the back
chockablock. A 20-minute flight, which means we landed quite
a bit early (though hung around a bit before they let us
taxi to the gate). We were at the gate and in the building
20 early. During the flight, coach didn't get feed or water,
though the purser offered buy-on-board snack boxes to
whoever rang the call button: nobody did. For us nobs, a
drink service with one round of refills and one pass of the
snack basket. I had another Heineken and a pack of Biscoffs.

Adele was at the US Airways Club, the last day forever of
which was the next day. The place was like a tomb. I left a
note for Susan and Phyllis, the morning crew, had a final
cup of Flavia decaf, and went away, never to return.

The public transport took half an hour longer than it was
supposed to; but (running up the stairs with a suitcase and
briefcase) I managed to catch the second-to-last bus just as
it was pulling out. If not, Clyde's and Erin the lovely
bartender were my fallback position.

It should come as no surprise that my day of reading the
mail and doing the bills in Bethesda was a pure drag, with
my brother becoming insufferable after about five minutes,
and my not eating anything other than a couple prunes and
some airline snacks.

___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30

--- Maximus/2 3.01
 * Origin: Nocturnal State BBS (1:18/200)