Monday, July 19, 2010
I was one unhappy camper when I got off the plane. Phrases that came to mind were "death warmed over" and "poster child for Ibuprofen" and "madder than a wet hen." Yes, I think next time I will break down and fly first class. Stay tuned.....
I only had an hour and a half layover so I got myself an all American breakfast of a hamburger, French fries and a Coke and worked on my trip journal. My next flight was delayed half an hour due to problems with the APU. Once we got onboard and seated, I noticed hot air was coming out of the vent. Strange. As the door to the plane closed, the pilot announce they were again having problems with the APU. We were instructed to close our window shades to help keep the warm sunlight out of the plane. Well, the plane's interior grew hotter and the passengers' patience grew shorter. After 36 minutes the APU came back to life and we were able to feel cool sweet air conditioning pouring over our sweaty faces. However, our fun wasn't over yet.
Once we reached our destination and the plane pulled up to the building, the jetway refused to work. Again, we sat and waited. After 26 minutes the pilot informed us he was having the airplane moved to the next gate in hopes its jetway worked. Fortunately it did. I just wonder if the airlines have curtailed their maintenance due to their struggling financial situation.
The puddle jumper home was quick and easy. However, it took forever for the baggage to appear. My wife picked me up at the door and boy was I glad to see her! By the time I got home, unpacked and ate, I had been up for almost 40 hours. My last words of the day? "Terry, I'm thinking about heading back to Alaska next year. What do you think?"