Okay, I will be blogging about Ft. Lauderdale today but I'd like to ask if anyone else is having major problems with blogger? Everytime I try to enter to put up a new post I have to refresh each page (including blogger home) at least six times in order for it not to have an error on the page.
Ft. Laudedale, land of sunny palm trees and really crappy, greasy food. This trip to Ft. Lauderdale was a Tania-esque fiasco. So I was supposed to leave on a Wednesday and come back Saturday. This was a pisser as I would be missing two days of the fabulous conference and missing the big party at the end, but I needed the cheaper flights. Anyhoo, with some stress in my heart I set my alarm for 4:00am as my flight was leaving at 7:00am and went to sleep. We had a light dusting of snow that night and guess what? In my stellar, stellar apartment building the power went out so no alarm went off to wake me for my flight.
Being the type of person who does _not_ wake up at 4:00am naturally, I slept right on through to 7:30am, completely missing my flight. Now no-shows are usually not giving any type of refund on flights, but I called and explained my situation so they gave me a few paltry dollars back and I had to pay for yet another ticket for 7:00am on Thursday morning. Needless to say I spent Wednesday searching for a battery powered alarm clock.
I left at 7:00am on Thursday morning and got to the Hilton in Ft. Lauderdale at 8:00pm that night (it's a longer flight than you'd think and I spent 2 hours in the customs line in Toronto). I then rehearsed my paper (which I had to give at 8:00am the next day) and went to bed. I got up, presented my paper reasonably well - the nerves were getting to me more than I had expected but no one pointed and jeered so I was happy. I spent the rest of the attending fabulous panels on fantasy, children's lit and king kong. And then I went and had an $8.00 tiny and not tasty marharita by the pool. The rest of the night was spent drinking and doing geeky activities with the pals I knew from attending the conference last year, which was good.
Then I woke up early, got to hear Nalo Hopkinson read - which everyone must do if they get a chance. Her voice is like butter and I've been dreaming of hearing it again since last year and she did not disappoint. I went to one more panel and then left at 1:00pm to head to the airport. I got home at midnight. I spent longer travelling to Ft. Lauderdale than I spent actually in Ft. Lauderdale.
All the flights were delayed up the ying yang, but I did have one rather excellent experience which will now make it impossible for me to make fun of jocks ever again. Okay, so maybe I just won't make fun of them as often :)
The flight from FtL to Calgary was delayed and we got in at 8:00pm, which was when my flight to Edmonton was supposed to be leaving and I thought "I won't make it" but then the flight attendants tell me that it's been delayed too so if I run I might make it. So I bust my ass through customs running to the next security point where they make me remove my shoes. I just pick them up after the check and keeping running, bags, jacket, and shoes flailing in all directions, my big hiking socks flapping loose on the floor. I must of looked rather amusing because a team of rugby or football players was standing at another gate and laughing at me. I just kept on truckin' past them when suddenly I am lifted off the ground and two large boys from the team are running me, splay legged with one leg in each of their arms, down to my gate. They set me down at the gate and it turns out the flight is still way delayed and I didn't have to run after all. But it was a nice gesture on their part and I was very grateful - chivalry is not dead, it just looks slightly clumsier than it used to.
Oh, and get this, the reason the flight in Calgary ended up being delayed by 2:30hours? They couldn't find the crew. Yeah, that's classy professionalism for ya.
Ft. Laudedale, land of sunny palm trees and really crappy, greasy food. This trip to Ft. Lauderdale was a Tania-esque fiasco. So I was supposed to leave on a Wednesday and come back Saturday. This was a pisser as I would be missing two days of the fabulous conference and missing the big party at the end, but I needed the cheaper flights. Anyhoo, with some stress in my heart I set my alarm for 4:00am as my flight was leaving at 7:00am and went to sleep. We had a light dusting of snow that night and guess what? In my stellar, stellar apartment building the power went out so no alarm went off to wake me for my flight.
Being the type of person who does _not_ wake up at 4:00am naturally, I slept right on through to 7:30am, completely missing my flight. Now no-shows are usually not giving any type of refund on flights, but I called and explained my situation so they gave me a few paltry dollars back and I had to pay for yet another ticket for 7:00am on Thursday morning. Needless to say I spent Wednesday searching for a battery powered alarm clock.
I left at 7:00am on Thursday morning and got to the Hilton in Ft. Lauderdale at 8:00pm that night (it's a longer flight than you'd think and I spent 2 hours in the customs line in Toronto). I then rehearsed my paper (which I had to give at 8:00am the next day) and went to bed. I got up, presented my paper reasonably well - the nerves were getting to me more than I had expected but no one pointed and jeered so I was happy. I spent the rest of the attending fabulous panels on fantasy, children's lit and king kong. And then I went and had an $8.00 tiny and not tasty marharita by the pool. The rest of the night was spent drinking and doing geeky activities with the pals I knew from attending the conference last year, which was good.
Then I woke up early, got to hear Nalo Hopkinson read - which everyone must do if they get a chance. Her voice is like butter and I've been dreaming of hearing it again since last year and she did not disappoint. I went to one more panel and then left at 1:00pm to head to the airport. I got home at midnight. I spent longer travelling to Ft. Lauderdale than I spent actually in Ft. Lauderdale.
All the flights were delayed up the ying yang, but I did have one rather excellent experience which will now make it impossible for me to make fun of jocks ever again. Okay, so maybe I just won't make fun of them as often :)
The flight from FtL to Calgary was delayed and we got in at 8:00pm, which was when my flight to Edmonton was supposed to be leaving and I thought "I won't make it" but then the flight attendants tell me that it's been delayed too so if I run I might make it. So I bust my ass through customs running to the next security point where they make me remove my shoes. I just pick them up after the check and keeping running, bags, jacket, and shoes flailing in all directions, my big hiking socks flapping loose on the floor. I must of looked rather amusing because a team of rugby or football players was standing at another gate and laughing at me. I just kept on truckin' past them when suddenly I am lifted off the ground and two large boys from the team are running me, splay legged with one leg in each of their arms, down to my gate. They set me down at the gate and it turns out the flight is still way delayed and I didn't have to run after all. But it was a nice gesture on their part and I was very grateful - chivalry is not dead, it just looks slightly clumsier than it used to.
Oh, and get this, the reason the flight in Calgary ended up being delayed by 2:30hours? They couldn't find the crew. Yeah, that's classy professionalism for ya.
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