There and Back Again
This past weekend I went back to St. Louis for my 5-year high school reunion. It was a lot of fun. Since this is a long update, I cut everything in sections for your reading pleasure.
Orlando to St. Louis
The trip there wasn’t too bad. Please note that Delta Connections planes are tiny and they don’t carry pillows all the time. Also, if you ever have a layover in Fort Lauderdale and are flying American Airlines (the whole time or that’s your connection), be aware that they don’t have any food of a reasonable price or quality for that particular airline past security. I spent $11.51 to get a day old dry and drippy BBQ chicken sandwich, a cup of coffee, and a cookie. The ONLY reason I did this was because that was the best food of substance they had, as the deli-type sandwiches were more expensive and very small. It would have been better to eat before security since I knew I had some time before my flight. Getting into St. Louis was fine and my dad was waiting to pick me up.
Pranks
On the drive home, my mom called. Dad said to tell her I was still in Florida, so I told her I was stuck at the Fort Lauderdale airport. This story got pulled off on the whole ride home because I’m just that good. I told her that American Airlines had cancelled my connecting flight due to a low number of passengers to/from the St. Louis connection of the plane and couldn’t get me on another plane until 1 pm the next day. I also said that they’d sent an e-mail to me telling me about this that I hadn’t received thus relinquishing their responsibility about getting me a hotel or a ride there. When she asked why I didn’t call, I said that I’d called dad and thought he’d filled her in. When she asked about me talking to a manager, I said that I’d spoken to the person behind the desk, requested the manager, and that person’s supervisor who was on vacation for the week and that I’d made enough fuss that security had to escort me away. We went through that I didn’t know anybody in the area so I didn’t have anyplace to stay with someone or call for a ride and that while dad was willing to let me put a cheap hotel on the credit card, I had issues getting there as a cab would be expensive as hell and a rental car would be worse. We kept this up to the point that when I slipped in through the garage telling her not to leave me, I walked through the house to find her with her cell to one ear and the house phone to her other ear on the line with the airline’s automated system. Yes, we’re bad.
St. Louis
I had lunch with my grandparents on Friday; it was good to get to see them. Then my family went to Bahama Breeze for dinner when my brother got off work. We wound up getting a pager that didn’t work, but we got a free appetizer for it since they’d tried paging us twice and I went up to the host stand while the manager was standing there to explain that people who came in after us were getting seated. It was the first time I can remember having Wahoo (a meaty fish), and I would definitely have it again. I wound up choosing to spend some time relaxing with the family the rest of the night and on Saturday for a while, until I got ready for the reunion. Also on Friday, my brother brought over his cats so I could meet them. They were absolutely adorable.
5 Years
My friend Ted (the one who went to Iraq) and his girlfriend picked me up and we headed out to the hotel for the reunion. We got there about 8, the open bar had started at 7, but I’d say we still got a decent share. It was great getting to catch up with some of these people again. There were very few I’d had a conversation with since graduating as I’d gone to a different state for college. I was a bit relieved that everyone was about in the same place. It was actually weird for a few people to make it a specific point to say hi to me and to see how people had changed since then. One of the girls used a urinal, so you can be assured it was a good night. The bartender made his drinks a bit too strong; strength of a drink is one thing, but it should still taste good. I was only able to get down about a quarter of the Long Island due to the bartender, but I ended up with 3 Screwdrivers and 4 beers before it shut down at midnight (I think). Of course, that would not have been the case if I’d needed to drive myself, but as I was hitching a ride I wasn’t too worried. All in all, it was a great time and I was really glad I went. Not having expendable cash, the three of us (and probably some others) neglected going to the casino boats afterwards and hit McDonald’s briefly on the way home.
St. Louis Part Deux
Sunday I woke up around 11 and watched Robin Hood since almost every time someone has whistled in the past 2 weeks I’ve heard that theme. I found on wikipedia that their lyrics are mistaken (“Too late to be known as ‘John the First’/He’s sure to be known as ‘John the Worst’/A pox on the phony King of England”), as that was John I at the time of King Richard the Lionheart. We had fondue as a family on my brother’s lunch break at my request. After that, I watched the Emmys with my mom.
St. Louis to Orlando
I had two problems on the way back, but I also finished the expanded verion of Peter Pan. The first one was that the TSA person letting people into the security line was retarded. Since I switched airlines, the e-ticket had the first airline on both tickets where the logo goes, but the rest of the information proved that I should be where the second airline was. She made me go get a new boarding pass, which confused the desk person whom I had to ask to do it for me as the computer never recognizes me when I try to self-serve my check-in. The guy who got to tell me which line to go in apologized for that girl and said that whoever trained her didn’t do it right and he’d let her know what she really had to look for in the future. On to the second problem. I realized when I’d gotten to St. Louis that I accidentally had a gel lip gloss in my pack. Somehow, that still went unrecognized. Instead, they stopped my bag to pull out a book and the pillow that I made sure to pack for my back on the return flight. That amused me more than anything else, but it was still a security stop. Food in the Delta section is much less expensive and it’s decent edible. One of my wonderful roommates was there to pick me up at the airport when I arrived back in Orlando.
So Long and Farewell
Also, since neobartleby and sistersin1652 are moving to New Jersey in about 3 days and their going away party was on the same date as my reunion, I pretty much had to see them upon return. It was good, I’ve missed seeing them around and I’m really glad I got to see them before they left. I’m going to miss you guys.
Anyway, that was my weekend reunion trip. It was a good time and I’d do it again. It’s always interesting to see how people turn up and hopefully there will be more people at the next one. As for neobartleby and sistersin1652, have a blast in Jersey.
Orlando to St. Louis
The trip there wasn’t too bad. Please note that Delta Connections planes are tiny and they don’t carry pillows all the time. Also, if you ever have a layover in Fort Lauderdale and are flying American Airlines (the whole time or that’s your connection), be aware that they don’t have any food of a reasonable price or quality for that particular airline past security. I spent $11.51 to get a day old dry and drippy BBQ chicken sandwich, a cup of coffee, and a cookie. The ONLY reason I did this was because that was the best food of substance they had, as the deli-type sandwiches were more expensive and very small. It would have been better to eat before security since I knew I had some time before my flight. Getting into St. Louis was fine and my dad was waiting to pick me up.
Pranks
On the drive home, my mom called. Dad said to tell her I was still in Florida, so I told her I was stuck at the Fort Lauderdale airport. This story got pulled off on the whole ride home because I’m just that good. I told her that American Airlines had cancelled my connecting flight due to a low number of passengers to/from the St. Louis connection of the plane and couldn’t get me on another plane until 1 pm the next day. I also said that they’d sent an e-mail to me telling me about this that I hadn’t received thus relinquishing their responsibility about getting me a hotel or a ride there. When she asked why I didn’t call, I said that I’d called dad and thought he’d filled her in. When she asked about me talking to a manager, I said that I’d spoken to the person behind the desk, requested the manager, and that person’s supervisor who was on vacation for the week and that I’d made enough fuss that security had to escort me away. We went through that I didn’t know anybody in the area so I didn’t have anyplace to stay with someone or call for a ride and that while dad was willing to let me put a cheap hotel on the credit card, I had issues getting there as a cab would be expensive as hell and a rental car would be worse. We kept this up to the point that when I slipped in through the garage telling her not to leave me, I walked through the house to find her with her cell to one ear and the house phone to her other ear on the line with the airline’s automated system. Yes, we’re bad.
St. Louis
I had lunch with my grandparents on Friday; it was good to get to see them. Then my family went to Bahama Breeze for dinner when my brother got off work. We wound up getting a pager that didn’t work, but we got a free appetizer for it since they’d tried paging us twice and I went up to the host stand while the manager was standing there to explain that people who came in after us were getting seated. It was the first time I can remember having Wahoo (a meaty fish), and I would definitely have it again. I wound up choosing to spend some time relaxing with the family the rest of the night and on Saturday for a while, until I got ready for the reunion. Also on Friday, my brother brought over his cats so I could meet them. They were absolutely adorable.
5 Years
My friend Ted (the one who went to Iraq) and his girlfriend picked me up and we headed out to the hotel for the reunion. We got there about 8, the open bar had started at 7, but I’d say we still got a decent share. It was great getting to catch up with some of these people again. There were very few I’d had a conversation with since graduating as I’d gone to a different state for college. I was a bit relieved that everyone was about in the same place. It was actually weird for a few people to make it a specific point to say hi to me and to see how people had changed since then. One of the girls used a urinal, so you can be assured it was a good night. The bartender made his drinks a bit too strong; strength of a drink is one thing, but it should still taste good. I was only able to get down about a quarter of the Long Island due to the bartender, but I ended up with 3 Screwdrivers and 4 beers before it shut down at midnight (I think). Of course, that would not have been the case if I’d needed to drive myself, but as I was hitching a ride I wasn’t too worried. All in all, it was a great time and I was really glad I went. Not having expendable cash, the three of us (and probably some others) neglected going to the casino boats afterwards and hit McDonald’s briefly on the way home.
St. Louis Part Deux
Sunday I woke up around 11 and watched Robin Hood since almost every time someone has whistled in the past 2 weeks I’ve heard that theme. I found on wikipedia that their lyrics are mistaken (“Too late to be known as ‘John the First’/He’s sure to be known as ‘John the Worst’/A pox on the phony King of England”), as that was John I at the time of King Richard the Lionheart. We had fondue as a family on my brother’s lunch break at my request. After that, I watched the Emmys with my mom.
St. Louis to Orlando
I had two problems on the way back, but I also finished the expanded verion of Peter Pan. The first one was that the TSA person letting people into the security line was retarded. Since I switched airlines, the e-ticket had the first airline on both tickets where the logo goes, but the rest of the information proved that I should be where the second airline was. She made me go get a new boarding pass, which confused the desk person whom I had to ask to do it for me as the computer never recognizes me when I try to self-serve my check-in. The guy who got to tell me which line to go in apologized for that girl and said that whoever trained her didn’t do it right and he’d let her know what she really had to look for in the future. On to the second problem. I realized when I’d gotten to St. Louis that I accidentally had a gel lip gloss in my pack. Somehow, that still went unrecognized. Instead, they stopped my bag to pull out a book and the pillow that I made sure to pack for my back on the return flight. That amused me more than anything else, but it was still a security stop. Food in the Delta section is much less expensive and it’s decent edible. One of my wonderful roommates was there to pick me up at the airport when I arrived back in Orlando.
So Long and Farewell
Also, since neobartleby and sistersin1652 are moving to New Jersey in about 3 days and their going away party was on the same date as my reunion, I pretty much had to see them upon return. It was good, I’ve missed seeing them around and I’m really glad I got to see them before they left. I’m going to miss you guys.
Anyway, that was my weekend reunion trip. It was a good time and I’d do it again. It’s always interesting to see how people turn up and hopefully there will be more people at the next one. As for neobartleby and sistersin1652, have a blast in Jersey.