Annie's American Holiday
Contrary to the rant, I actually had a good time :)
Week 1: San Antonio
Day 1 (Wed). Rae is two hours late picking me up. No worries there, gives me time to look a little more human after 11 hours flying. End up at a bar, which includes some mentally scarring gyrating around a pool cue by Safire.
Also, Mexican guy named "Los" hits on me, invites me for "good sex" and somethign to do with his motorbike. Not sure as at that point I was running away. Ego boost shot down by Safire going "It's just because of your accent".
No comment. So drunkenness ensues. Rae got a ticket for running a red light by accident. Glee.
Day 2. I think I was shopping with Nikki. Got so fed up of being told "You shouldn't buy this" "Shouldn't buy that it's too expensive". I'm an adult. I should be able to spend what I like. And pointedly? I *know* how to use an ATM. I don't need anyone else to press the buttons for me.
Day 3. More drunken debauchery with Rae and Safire. Day is spent by myself taking it easy and abusing the cable in my room. Night is spent at the "Fertile Turtle" enduring hours of country kareoke (groan.)
Left with Safire, ended up sulking in the corner as jetlag+country music+alcohol+smokey bar=grumpy Annie.
Rest of the night is 'interesting' with Rae who leaves Saturday afternoon.
Day 4. I think I spent this either shopping with Nik or on my own.
Day 5. Wandered into downtown San Antonio, best day of the holiday so far. On my own!
Day 6. Shopped with Nikki in the evening. Day is spent being confused.
Day 7. Stood up by Rae. Which is fine. [g] He had Safire call me to do it though, which annoyed me slightly. Shopped with Nikki in the evening. Informed I am 'snarky' which irritated me slightly.
Week 2: L.A.
Day 8. Couldn't wait to get out of the bloody City! Flights to LA are fine. Picked up by the lovely Lisa at the airport and bought dinner.
Week 2: San Diego
Day 9. Spent most of the day nervously pacing as Rick was due to pick me up to take me to San Diego. Spent four hours getting to the bloody place. In closed, confined space. With Rick. Surprised did not try to gouge his eyes out [g].
Day 10. Eventually, after much arguing and no help on his part, ended up exploring a mall downtown. Nothing really caught my eye. Lunch at the Yardhouse, after much arguing again about me not being able to decide where.
Day 11. Drive in the mountains. Enjoyed this a lot. Pretty up there, though cold! And there's me without a jumper. D'oh! Saw deer. Ate lunch under a stuffed deer head. Less good. More arguing about who should talk and neither of us really talking.
Day 12. Spent day watching movies. Pizza. Confusion on my part.
Day 13. More arguing, tv watching. Got woken up by him charging into my room. Do hope I was covered decently.
Week 3: L.A.
Day 14. Woke up again, tv watching. A little arguing. Trip back to Lisa's. Realised when he hugged me (although I do feel he was protesting that, even if he suggested it. Strict "two feet at all time!" distance enforced while I was avoiding him in Lisa's house.) that might not have wanted him as much as thought. So v.good job I didn't say something stupid like "I love you". Annie's yellow streak has a function!
Day 15 and 16. Sunbathing, shopping. Enjoying being back at Lisa's and not having to be nervous or upset as has mostly happened for at least one day in either of the previous two cities.
Day 17. All hell breaks loose. Make the shuttle on time, last guy to get in was 25 minutes late. Funny. Get to airport, lady asks me whether I'd prefer aisle or window (first time this has happened to me, a choice!) and is able to book me on aisle for both flights! Luggage is checked and all is good! Shop a bit, wander around and board my original flight.
Now hold on, it gets better.
Get on board, stow my carry on, buckle in and wait.
"Er. Sorry ladies and gentlemen it seems we have a hydrolic fluid leak. We have maintenance working on it and hopefully we should get going in about 10 or 15 minutes"
Half an hour later we find out it's unrepairable but there should be another plane ready in "10 or 15 minutes".
We all get disembarked, have to rebook. Only one woman left dealing with the rebookings, barely have two words spoken to me and get told to sit down she'd come deal with the international passengers individually soon. Four hours later she gets us all to requeue again.
Two people push infront of me and ignore my complaints. Which is fine, I'm a little vexed by this point but I let it go. Eventually get to the front of the queue and she starts sorting my booking, then goes "Is there anyone else for Manchester?" Couple from the back of the queue come up and she tells me to wait.
Of course by this point I'm more than a little irate. She gets them on a flight THAT NIGHT and informs me that there are no more tickets and I'd have to catch the morning flight.
...So. If she hadn't booked the couple who were AT THE BACK OF THE QUEUE I could have gotten home sooner, not missed two days worth of work and not had the stress I did.
Get told my luggage has been seperated from the others and is waiting for me to collect it downstairs. So downstairs I trek (met this lovely lady from Anaheim, batty as all heck and a dedicated optimist as well, which kept me sane!) and wait at the carousel. No bag. Check at the desk, they have no clue. Go back in 15 minutes, still no bag. So they've made me wait, rerouted my flight AND lost my bag.
I'm close to either a temper tantrum or tears at this point.
Also not told that the hotel is TWO HOURS away by car in Orange County. Hotel was lovely though, the staff went out of their way to help me and my newfound friend out. Bed was huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge. Which made me giggle.
No clothes, no toileteries (thank god the staff were able to find me a toothbrush and toothpaste) and stuck in clothes I would have to be wearing for 48 hours. Lovely bath though, huuuuge.
So get a shuttle to John Wayne airport, get on my flight and this is how the rest of it goes:
Plane 1: Seat is broken, refuses to stay up in the upright position. Power goes out when we land delaying exiting the plane. Also? Everyone gets first class seats apart from me. Final kick in the teeth!
Plane 2: Movie refuses to play, which is annoying as it was a movie I wanted to see (of course!). Had to watch Frasier and King of Queen reruns, on repeat! Food was eh too. Land in Manchester too early to access the gate, have to wait 45 minutes. Get to the gate and the jetbridge refuses to work!! Another 45 minutes.
By this point I'm giggling. It's just been one thing after another and I decide not to let it bother me. Got the ladies email which I shall have to send something to to thank her for not letting me go crazy!
Get through the checks with no worries, get down to baggage claim and am informed that my bag cannot travel without me. Which gets a "WTF?!" complaint, since every person I've spoken to at AA have informed me my bag should be at Manchester waiting for me.
Then get told to stand at the carousel to see if it's arrived with the flight I was on (like a lemon). No bag.
Go back to the AA representative and am informed that they have no clue where my bag is. Wonderful! Fill in a baggage claim form, I'm actually crying at this point as I've had little sleep in 48 hours and this is the icing on the cake really.
Day 19: Get home, let everyone know I'm okay and contact work to let them know I've not drowned somewhere in the Atlantic.
Mum gets hold of AA and railroads them until they find where my bag is. And where do you suppose it is? Heathrow, LONDON. Now my geography isn't too good but even I know that London is no where near Manchester.
So now I'm just waiting for my bag to be returned to me. Wasting yet another day because of American Airlines. Thanks guys.
Week 1: San Antonio
Day 1 (Wed). Rae is two hours late picking me up. No worries there, gives me time to look a little more human after 11 hours flying. End up at a bar, which includes some mentally scarring gyrating around a pool cue by Safire.
Also, Mexican guy named "Los" hits on me, invites me for "good sex" and somethign to do with his motorbike. Not sure as at that point I was running away. Ego boost shot down by Safire going "It's just because of your accent".
No comment. So drunkenness ensues. Rae got a ticket for running a red light by accident. Glee.
Day 2. I think I was shopping with Nikki. Got so fed up of being told "You shouldn't buy this" "Shouldn't buy that it's too expensive". I'm an adult. I should be able to spend what I like. And pointedly? I *know* how to use an ATM. I don't need anyone else to press the buttons for me.
Day 3. More drunken debauchery with Rae and Safire. Day is spent by myself taking it easy and abusing the cable in my room. Night is spent at the "Fertile Turtle" enduring hours of country kareoke (groan.)
Left with Safire, ended up sulking in the corner as jetlag+country music+alcohol+smokey bar=grumpy Annie.
Rest of the night is 'interesting' with Rae who leaves Saturday afternoon.
Day 4. I think I spent this either shopping with Nik or on my own.
Day 5. Wandered into downtown San Antonio, best day of the holiday so far. On my own!
Day 6. Shopped with Nikki in the evening. Day is spent being confused.
Day 7. Stood up by Rae. Which is fine. [g] He had Safire call me to do it though, which annoyed me slightly. Shopped with Nikki in the evening. Informed I am 'snarky' which irritated me slightly.
Week 2: L.A.
Day 8. Couldn't wait to get out of the bloody City! Flights to LA are fine. Picked up by the lovely Lisa at the airport and bought dinner.
Week 2: San Diego
Day 9. Spent most of the day nervously pacing as Rick was due to pick me up to take me to San Diego. Spent four hours getting to the bloody place. In closed, confined space. With Rick. Surprised did not try to gouge his eyes out [g].
Day 10. Eventually, after much arguing and no help on his part, ended up exploring a mall downtown. Nothing really caught my eye. Lunch at the Yardhouse, after much arguing again about me not being able to decide where.
Day 11. Drive in the mountains. Enjoyed this a lot. Pretty up there, though cold! And there's me without a jumper. D'oh! Saw deer. Ate lunch under a stuffed deer head. Less good. More arguing about who should talk and neither of us really talking.
Day 12. Spent day watching movies. Pizza. Confusion on my part.
Day 13. More arguing, tv watching. Got woken up by him charging into my room. Do hope I was covered decently.
Week 3: L.A.
Day 14. Woke up again, tv watching. A little arguing. Trip back to Lisa's. Realised when he hugged me (although I do feel he was protesting that, even if he suggested it. Strict "two feet at all time!" distance enforced while I was avoiding him in Lisa's house.) that might not have wanted him as much as thought. So v.good job I didn't say something stupid like "I love you". Annie's yellow streak has a function!
Day 15 and 16. Sunbathing, shopping. Enjoying being back at Lisa's and not having to be nervous or upset as has mostly happened for at least one day in either of the previous two cities.
Day 17. All hell breaks loose. Make the shuttle on time, last guy to get in was 25 minutes late. Funny. Get to airport, lady asks me whether I'd prefer aisle or window (first time this has happened to me, a choice!) and is able to book me on aisle for both flights! Luggage is checked and all is good! Shop a bit, wander around and board my original flight.
Now hold on, it gets better.
Get on board, stow my carry on, buckle in and wait.
"Er. Sorry ladies and gentlemen it seems we have a hydrolic fluid leak. We have maintenance working on it and hopefully we should get going in about 10 or 15 minutes"
Half an hour later we find out it's unrepairable but there should be another plane ready in "10 or 15 minutes".
We all get disembarked, have to rebook. Only one woman left dealing with the rebookings, barely have two words spoken to me and get told to sit down she'd come deal with the international passengers individually soon. Four hours later she gets us all to requeue again.
Two people push infront of me and ignore my complaints. Which is fine, I'm a little vexed by this point but I let it go. Eventually get to the front of the queue and she starts sorting my booking, then goes "Is there anyone else for Manchester?" Couple from the back of the queue come up and she tells me to wait.
Of course by this point I'm more than a little irate. She gets them on a flight THAT NIGHT and informs me that there are no more tickets and I'd have to catch the morning flight.
...So. If she hadn't booked the couple who were AT THE BACK OF THE QUEUE I could have gotten home sooner, not missed two days worth of work and not had the stress I did.
Get told my luggage has been seperated from the others and is waiting for me to collect it downstairs. So downstairs I trek (met this lovely lady from Anaheim, batty as all heck and a dedicated optimist as well, which kept me sane!) and wait at the carousel. No bag. Check at the desk, they have no clue. Go back in 15 minutes, still no bag. So they've made me wait, rerouted my flight AND lost my bag.
I'm close to either a temper tantrum or tears at this point.
Also not told that the hotel is TWO HOURS away by car in Orange County. Hotel was lovely though, the staff went out of their way to help me and my newfound friend out. Bed was huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge. Which made me giggle.
No clothes, no toileteries (thank god the staff were able to find me a toothbrush and toothpaste) and stuck in clothes I would have to be wearing for 48 hours. Lovely bath though, huuuuge.
So get a shuttle to John Wayne airport, get on my flight and this is how the rest of it goes:
Plane 1: Seat is broken, refuses to stay up in the upright position. Power goes out when we land delaying exiting the plane. Also? Everyone gets first class seats apart from me. Final kick in the teeth!
Plane 2: Movie refuses to play, which is annoying as it was a movie I wanted to see (of course!). Had to watch Frasier and King of Queen reruns, on repeat! Food was eh too. Land in Manchester too early to access the gate, have to wait 45 minutes. Get to the gate and the jetbridge refuses to work!! Another 45 minutes.
By this point I'm giggling. It's just been one thing after another and I decide not to let it bother me. Got the ladies email which I shall have to send something to to thank her for not letting me go crazy!
Get through the checks with no worries, get down to baggage claim and am informed that my bag cannot travel without me. Which gets a "WTF?!" complaint, since every person I've spoken to at AA have informed me my bag should be at Manchester waiting for me.
Then get told to stand at the carousel to see if it's arrived with the flight I was on (like a lemon). No bag.
Go back to the AA representative and am informed that they have no clue where my bag is. Wonderful! Fill in a baggage claim form, I'm actually crying at this point as I've had little sleep in 48 hours and this is the icing on the cake really.
Day 19: Get home, let everyone know I'm okay and contact work to let them know I've not drowned somewhere in the Atlantic.
Mum gets hold of AA and railroads them until they find where my bag is. And where do you suppose it is? Heathrow, LONDON. Now my geography isn't too good but even I know that London is no where near Manchester.
So now I'm just waiting for my bag to be returned to me. Wasting yet another day because of American Airlines. Thanks guys.