Text 14842, 80 rader
Skriven 2014-07-16 00:01:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: YESTERday 672
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There are 3 flights out of Williamsport per day, and there are 2
nonstops from Philadelphia to Charleston. I had arranged to meet
Lilli in Charleston after my time at Annie's. The itinerary,
seemingly reasonable, was to take the 4 pm flight, visit the club
during my 2-hour layover, and take the late one to Charleston.
But then the rains came, with accompanying thunder and chaos.

I checked on line and found that US Air was selling 4 seats and
American 7 seats for the 12:30 flight, and the worst weather was
supposed to be mid to late afternoon, so I decided to get on the
noonish one, which seemed to be a piece of cake.

There was leftover steak and chili, but as I wasn't going to be
around, Annie gave the former to Kathy the housekeeper for her
son and husband and the latter to Joanne for her various offspring.

And I had her take me out to the airport to make the arrangements.
I got to the counter and discovered two things. One, as the plane
was expected to have a lengthy holding pattern over PHL, they had
had to take on lots of extra fuel, which means they weren't selling
those empty seats, much less getting me on. The TSA guy suggested
that I tell them I didn't weigh much, but nothing worked. The staff
at the airport tried all sorts of things - trying to get me out of
Harrisburg or Scranton, for example (I'd have to get there at my
own expense), and in the process they'd discovered that my onward
was cancelled as well, because the equipment planned for it was
stranded in Detroit. So there was no point getting on the earlier
flight, or my original one for that matter. So they rebooked me
for the 5:45 one the next morning, connecting with a 10 am one to
Charleston. And we went back home, but there was not much for me
to eat (we'd disposalled the black bean and corn stuff and various
other things, as she'd never eat those), so I had to scavenge a
bit - made spaghetti with onions and jalapenos and some salvaged
beef from some indeterminate past time.

Only in the meantime my Charleston flight had acquired a fresh
plane and was going - US Air had the decency to tell me this, but
only via computer and only after I was comfortably home. And now
Annie had to take her cats to the vet (Jupiter has pinkeye), so
here I was stranded. We enlisted the help of Dan L., who had
foresightedly reminded me that he was always available for awkward
transport issues, and we got back to the airport in plenty of time
for the 4 pm flight, which had been rescheduled for 4:40, and while
I was getting my boarding passes rerescheduled for 5:50.

Dan decided to have me taste his childhood favorite ice cream,
Eder's, just up the road a couple miles. After all, we had a bunch
of time. So Eder's it was. I was warned that a "baby" scoop at
$1.75 would be multi-pill and more than I could eat. This turned
out to be true - I got a scoop of dark chocolate, Dan a scoop of
peanut butter, the taste from his youth. It was good, I guess,
the flavor not too intense (mine turned out to be a light colored
and flavored ice cream with sandy bits of chocolate in it, rather
like the old-style chocolate chip before the ready made chips
became available). Texture, not so, with discernible ice crystals
and congealed butterfat bits; I guess generations of Williamsport
and Montoursville children grew up with it, and that must be what
they're used to. Also it means that there's probably no filler or
emulsifier or artificial ingredients of any kind, as the Whizzo
chocolate guy says.

I insisted on getting back to the airport in plenty of time,
which was good as the plane came in at 4:40, and they did a final
reschedule of 5:20, which I made.

The TSA people were very friendly and understanding of people
going in and out (though obeying all the procedures), and the
US Air people quite helpful.

We landed under 2 hours late, and there was a fighting chance I'd
make my connection. Yeah, right. See next post.

Suffice it to say for now that I'm at the Quality Inn in Lester,
PA, because all Hiltons are sold out, other respectable chains
are charging extortionate rates, and the Days Inn, the cheapest
thing available tonight, refused my credit card.

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