As I mentioned in my last post I was planning a trip to NYC to meet up with my sister for her birthday and see Shannon. After a rough few weeks this was going to be fantastic. I had booked the flight so I had a few hours to get myself sorted before I met my sister. I had looked at the weather and knew it was going to be snowing in NYC so I had packed warm and even a jumper in hand luggage. Not just a pretty face, eh? I called Shannon from the airport and she said there had been snow but it had stopped and some flights had been canceled. I was looking at the board and a few had been but not mine so I was in luck!
About 20 minutes before the flight they were asking for 9 people to consider getting bumped to another flight. All the passengers looked round as if to say 'not me buddy'. 10 minutes before the flight was set to leave they announced it was canceled. Bugger. So I jumped in the queue to get another flight. I was two from the front, which I thought was quiet impressive and cat like of me. They said they had nothing for today, tomorrow was the best they could do but I could try getting a flight to DC and getting a train.
I really wanted to see everyone in NYC and I would only have a day that way. Also I had tickets for the NY Knicks for that evening. So I though I might as well go for it instead of just going home. So I got booked on a flight to DC. The waiting started. I was quite looking forward to a nice train ride.
I later learned that over 1100 flights were canceled that day. When I got into DC it was pretty easy getting to train station. Oh the joys of a public transport system. Unfortunately lots of other also found it easy to get there too. Upon my arrival there an announcement that no trains had spaces going north till Saturday. Bugger.
After a few phone calls I admitted defeat and made my way back to the airport. I could have tried the greyhound/Chinatown buses but I feared the same would happen and by then I would probably not got into NYC till late Friday early Saturday anyway. Also I have been to the area of town in DC where you get the buses from. It is bloody scary in the day.
I managed to get on a flight home to Durham, and back only 13 hours after I left. While it was a pretty miserable day it did get me away from it all and gave me time to chill out and get some much needed thinking done. I am happier than I was on Thursday. I even got a John Grisham book who I have never read before and am enjoying it.
When I got back I didn't do the sensible thing and go to bed. Nahh dancing in Chapel Thrill with Nathan in Mina was the order of the day. I even got my revenge by giving them shots of Ouzo. He He. Looking for that link I found this page. It's pretty geeky and involves small angle neutron scattering and papers from Langmuir (which I have been published in no less) about the ouzo effect. The aniseed separates when you add water causing it to go milky.
Anyway the moral of the story. Traveling in the US can suck but at least it wasn't the wrong kind of snow.
About 20 minutes before the flight they were asking for 9 people to consider getting bumped to another flight. All the passengers looked round as if to say 'not me buddy'. 10 minutes before the flight was set to leave they announced it was canceled. Bugger. So I jumped in the queue to get another flight. I was two from the front, which I thought was quiet impressive and cat like of me. They said they had nothing for today, tomorrow was the best they could do but I could try getting a flight to DC and getting a train.
I really wanted to see everyone in NYC and I would only have a day that way. Also I had tickets for the NY Knicks for that evening. So I though I might as well go for it instead of just going home. So I got booked on a flight to DC. The waiting started. I was quite looking forward to a nice train ride.
I later learned that over 1100 flights were canceled that day. When I got into DC it was pretty easy getting to train station. Oh the joys of a public transport system. Unfortunately lots of other also found it easy to get there too. Upon my arrival there an announcement that no trains had spaces going north till Saturday. Bugger.
After a few phone calls I admitted defeat and made my way back to the airport. I could have tried the greyhound/Chinatown buses but I feared the same would happen and by then I would probably not got into NYC till late Friday early Saturday anyway. Also I have been to the area of town in DC where you get the buses from. It is bloody scary in the day.
I managed to get on a flight home to Durham, and back only 13 hours after I left. While it was a pretty miserable day it did get me away from it all and gave me time to chill out and get some much needed thinking done. I am happier than I was on Thursday. I even got a John Grisham book who I have never read before and am enjoying it.
When I got back I didn't do the sensible thing and go to bed. Nahh dancing in Chapel Thrill with Nathan in Mina was the order of the day. I even got my revenge by giving them shots of Ouzo. He He. Looking for that link I found this page. It's pretty geeky and involves small angle neutron scattering and papers from Langmuir (which I have been published in no less) about the ouzo effect. The aniseed separates when you add water causing it to go milky.
Anyway the moral of the story. Traveling in the US can suck but at least it wasn't the wrong kind of snow.
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