Christmas week update
Playing catch up again:
On Friday, I headed to O'Hare for my 10:51 AM flight. Just as I left it started snowing. Cabbed it there and arrived a little after 9:00AM. The flight was listed as on time. Then it was delayed. And delayed. The short and sweet version is the plane was delayed every 20 minutes until it arrived at about 2:30PM and was promptly cancelled. So were all other flights to Dayton. Altogether 400+ plus flights were cancelled by mostly United and American. Suspiciously all the ones requiring small planes were grounded; the bigger ones left. Heh. I left customer service with 3 alternate tickets in hand. After consulting with Trina (with whom I'd been closely texting and calling all day), I opted to take a 7:10PM flight to Columbus. Finally arrived at 10:30PM in Columbus, sans baggage, naturally. Even with a 1 1/2 hour drive, Trina and Elsa still beat me to Columbus. I was exhausted and devoid of all humor by the time I fell into bed. The girls were real troopers opting to drive all that way to get me.
The next day, Trina planned a full day of activities. Elsa made french toast with sausage for breakfast. We learned baggage on cancelled flights are routed to the original destination (Dayton) instead of the change (Columbus) so there was no way for me to physically intercept it. We headed to Dayton Airport to take on baggage claim. Shockingly, I spotted my bag right away, flashed my ID and we were reunited. Thank goodness for small airports. It took 4 times as long to get a small hazelnut double latte from Boston Stoker. (BTW, the expresso in that coffee beats Starbucks. Within 30 minutes, I was jacked, I was shaking).
Lunch was Indian food near the ex-evil puppy mall. Since I apparently only shop in Ohio (the exchange rates being so good you know) we made the circuit to the comic book store (DWM and a Martha figurine), the ex-evil puppy mall (nada), used book store (books on how to use my damn iPhone), and Barnes & Noble (WoW and geek mags). Then we saw Sweeny Todd. I swear, first I Am Legend and then Sweeney Todd; Merry bloody Christmas. I enjoyed it. Johnny Depp did a wonderful job considering hie's not a trained singer. However, as Elsa observed, the movie would have been better made by anybody but Tim Burton. We then drove to Clifford Falls to see an amazing Christmas lights display. I will try to post pics I took with the iPhone. Afterwards it was dinner at Ruby Tuesday..
I suggested that we put off present time until today to have something to do, but the girls weren't having that. I wrapped all my gifts and stashed them under the tree. Then, finally we sat down to watch Voyage of the Damned. SQUEEEEEEEEE! What can I say, it was DT. Can't say what I really thought (didn't blow me away) until I have a second viewing. Then elf Trina demanded we open out gifts. I got a lovely tan cashmere scarf, a can of fancy chocolate truffles, incredible handmade pillowcases from Ardath, three latest best seller books, an ice cream maker and a Ben & Jerry's ice cream recipe book. Very nice. Then we fell into bed.
Today we've been taking it easy. Elsa made french toast again and the girls headed to the grocery store while I vegged and geeked. Elsa prepared chicken breast with rice, pineapple and red peppers for lunch and we diined while watching Shrek 3. Dinner will be beer cheese soup and crepe suzettes. Mmmm. Elsa, Trina, and her dad are trying to put a new doorknob on my bedroom door so I can stop getting locked in. It seems to be turning into quite a project since the knob hasn't been changed in over 50 years. I shall watch from afar
On Friday, I headed to O'Hare for my 10:51 AM flight. Just as I left it started snowing. Cabbed it there and arrived a little after 9:00AM. The flight was listed as on time. Then it was delayed. And delayed. The short and sweet version is the plane was delayed every 20 minutes until it arrived at about 2:30PM and was promptly cancelled. So were all other flights to Dayton. Altogether 400+ plus flights were cancelled by mostly United and American. Suspiciously all the ones requiring small planes were grounded; the bigger ones left. Heh. I left customer service with 3 alternate tickets in hand. After consulting with Trina (with whom I'd been closely texting and calling all day), I opted to take a 7:10PM flight to Columbus. Finally arrived at 10:30PM in Columbus, sans baggage, naturally. Even with a 1 1/2 hour drive, Trina and Elsa still beat me to Columbus. I was exhausted and devoid of all humor by the time I fell into bed. The girls were real troopers opting to drive all that way to get me.
The next day, Trina planned a full day of activities. Elsa made french toast with sausage for breakfast. We learned baggage on cancelled flights are routed to the original destination (Dayton) instead of the change (Columbus) so there was no way for me to physically intercept it. We headed to Dayton Airport to take on baggage claim. Shockingly, I spotted my bag right away, flashed my ID and we were reunited. Thank goodness for small airports. It took 4 times as long to get a small hazelnut double latte from Boston Stoker. (BTW, the expresso in that coffee beats Starbucks. Within 30 minutes, I was jacked, I was shaking).
Lunch was Indian food near the ex-evil puppy mall. Since I apparently only shop in Ohio (the exchange rates being so good you know) we made the circuit to the comic book store (DWM and a Martha figurine), the ex-evil puppy mall (nada), used book store (books on how to use my damn iPhone), and Barnes & Noble (WoW and geek mags). Then we saw Sweeny Todd. I swear, first I Am Legend and then Sweeney Todd; Merry bloody Christmas. I enjoyed it. Johnny Depp did a wonderful job considering hie's not a trained singer. However, as Elsa observed, the movie would have been better made by anybody but Tim Burton. We then drove to Clifford Falls to see an amazing Christmas lights display. I will try to post pics I took with the iPhone. Afterwards it was dinner at Ruby Tuesday..
I suggested that we put off present time until today to have something to do, but the girls weren't having that. I wrapped all my gifts and stashed them under the tree. Then, finally we sat down to watch Voyage of the Damned. SQUEEEEEEEEE! What can I say, it was DT. Can't say what I really thought (didn't blow me away) until I have a second viewing. Then elf Trina demanded we open out gifts. I got a lovely tan cashmere scarf, a can of fancy chocolate truffles, incredible handmade pillowcases from Ardath, three latest best seller books, an ice cream maker and a Ben & Jerry's ice cream recipe book. Very nice. Then we fell into bed.
Today we've been taking it easy. Elsa made french toast again and the girls headed to the grocery store while I vegged and geeked. Elsa prepared chicken breast with rice, pineapple and red peppers for lunch and we diined while watching Shrek 3. Dinner will be beer cheese soup and crepe suzettes. Mmmm. Elsa, Trina, and her dad are trying to put a new doorknob on my bedroom door so I can stop getting locked in. It seems to be turning into quite a project since the knob hasn't been changed in over 50 years. I shall watch from afar