Velociworld

I BAILED

With the snow cascading at a seminar at the Port Ivory Marine Terminal on Staten Island this morning (so named because it's an old Procter & Gamble facility, where they used to import the raw materials and process it on site into the fine caked white loam we know today as 99 and 1/4 percent pure soil-remover), and a promise of a more serious blizzard in the works, I bailed the Big Apple today. No afternoon in Manhattan for me.

I first switched my AirTran flight from Saturday morning to Friday at 7:18PM. Knowing Newark, and the snow, I knew that was a bad call, so I backed it up with a 3:30 Delta flight. Tried to get on the non-stop Continental at 3:25 with my boss, but it was sold out. Good thing, too. I was able to get bumped up to the 12:45 Delta to Atlanta that had been delayed to 2:00. After two de-icings we departed the shithole known as Newark at 3:30. Got to Hartsfield at 5:30, in plenty of time for my 7:10 to Jax.

My boss, meanwhile, had his Continental flight cancelled. He tried to get on my Delta flight but it was sold out by then. He got a US Air flight for 5:00. Last I talked to him he was still in Newark, the flight delayed till 11:00 PM. I doubt it ever left.

All was not gin and roses, however. My 7:10 to Jax was delayed to 9:00, then 9:30, then 11:00 because of lack of airplanage. Changed gates 3 times, too. It then moved up to 10:00 when they found another plane, but was delayed another hour when they couldn't find the final air slut the FAA demands. Left 4 hours late at 11:10, got to Jax in 43 minutes, and I eventually arrived at the Velocihovel a bit after 1 AM.

Now I'm keyed up on bottled water and trying to mellow with a couple of Appletons on the rocks.

Dodged a bullet, really. I wouldn't have gotten out of there until Sunday night at best, and I have customers in town Monday morning. I think my boss is still up there. Heh.