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Sunday, September 10, 2017

WE'RE ON THE ROAD TO NOWHERE!

I was not satisfied with the website showing me that my flight would be on time, on Friday evening, and called the airline to make sure.  "You will get an email.  Houston airport is opening later today, and internal flights are pretty much back on track".  We were going to Colorado, and had managed to get a flight out of Austin on Friday, after close of business!  I was rather excited, as it would have meant two full days of vacation; quality time for my husband and me, after my having been away for two weeks.

Still not quite satisfied that all was going to plan, I decided to double check.  The opening of the airport had been delayed for a day, and my internal sonar was working overtime.  Checking the website for the airport, I saw that it was, indeed, opening, and hoping to have all internal flights up and running by Thursday evening, definitely by Friday morning, and all looked well. However, (and I am prone to say it was divine intervention,) I felt prompted to click on the link that took me to the Facebook page of said International Airport, something I do not normally do, as it is normally followed by a myriad of comments.  The second 'comment' down was the key to all I had feared.  "Yes...but...United have cancelled my Friday evening flight".  Into the airline web page I went, and on to the call center I got!  

Surprisingly enough, I reached the same person to whom I had been speaking earlier.  "No, everything....um...oh yes....hmmm", was not particularly reassuring, but she continued.  "I can get you...um no.  Well, you can go through....um no.  Okay, Newark, but....no way back.  Washington, oh yes....um no".  The conversation was one sided, and her rhetorical questions were listened to without much confidence that a solution would be forthcoming.  "Saturday morning, through San Francisco.  Yes or no?"  This was not rhetorical and needed an immediate answer.  I ran into the next office, and shouted to Dana, who was oblivious of the problem, as he did not realise it was this weekend that we were taking off!  He concurred that this would suffice, and we were booked on the first available flight out of Austin, to connect us to a flight going to Denver.  "What would have happened if I had not seen the comment, as I didn't get an email?" I asked, purely to satisfy my own curiosity.  "We would have put you on the next available flight, or connection.  Probably Monday morning".  Upset as I was that we were losing a day of our much looked forward to break, I pondered on the fact that thousands had lost more than a few hours 'quality time' with their loved ones.  We could make up the time at a later date.  Many others in the Houston area would never get than opportunity.  

Friday morning came with a nice surprise.  Our flight on Saturday was fully booked, and therefore we had been upgraded to first class, which included breakfast.  A silver lining!  We set off to the airport a little after six Saturday morning, and were on the plane and ready for take off, just before seven. Breakfast was rather delicious, and consisted of a spinach quiche, (which was more like a broccoli vol-au-vent, but no one was quite sure as to what the 'green stuff' actually was,) fruit, yoghurt, and a biscuit.  Coffee and pastries followed.  We watched a film on my phone, and landed in San Francisco a little early.  I went in search of a cap for Samantha as she had mislaid the one I bought her last time. With her initials now being SF, I managed to get one in a burnt orange colour, which was quite apt, as the college football season was about to start, and the University of Texas has a new coach, hopefully breathing life into a rather defunct team. Our flight to Colorado was on time.

Exiting Denver airport is always a challenge.  We had to get to the car hire facility, and I waited for Dana to tell me with whom we were booked, so that we could find the correct 'meeting point'.  I asked the man at the 'information desk' on the best way to leave the building, and he told me to 'get the train'.  Our mistake last time had been to get off at the wrong stop, but this time we had our instructions and did not deviate.  The car was booked through a third party, and the page that my very articulate and practical husband had printed, did not show the firm from whom we were to collect! My look of despair was not unnoticed by the man to whom we asked for help.  The helpful chap at the Avis desk looked up our name and eliminated his company, and another.  "Where's the next page?" he asked, as Dana handed him the part of the reservation details he had.  The look of "Can you believe it", formed across my face, and I did not have to say anything.  I was not very successful at trying not to intimate that my husband was incapable, but the chap at the desk gave me a knowing glance.  Dana is normally the epitome of organisation.  I then broke all my own rules, and looked up the name of the 'third-party', on the Internet on my phone.  Dana had his laptop out and was trying to connect, when I gave him the number to call.  "Thrifty", was the reply, as to which car hire company we were to collect the vehicle.  "Yes, you are!" came my response!  

The car hire facility was manned with machines.  A television screen showing the representative, was what we had to use. The girl on the screen appeared to be completely bored with all and sundry, and twiddled with her hair, as she found our booking, and asked a series of questions, that appeared to be redundant.  Finally, the machine spewed out seven pieces of paper, and Dana had to scan his credit card, and virtually tick a lot of boxes.  The girl on the screen appeared to have fallen asleep by the time he had finished, and sat up abruptly when Dana said, "What next?"  

The car was not the one we booked, and I was ready to go back inside and insist on a complimentary upgrade, as the downgrade was not what we ordered, and if they did not have another car, in our range, then they needed to make things right. My husband did not want to waste the time.  

Having been to the Woolly Hotel, we knew what to expect and were not disappointed.  It was as welcoming as the first time we were there, and the room was beautiful.  We booked a table at Teds, unpacked, and changed for dinner.  


Happy hour was an hour and a half, and my complimentary beverage, for Saturday, was a gin and tonic.  "Lots of tonic", I said as the waitress took my order.  It was still not enough, as after four or five sips, I felt the giggles coming on!  Of course, I blamed it on the altitude, and not having eaten much, but the shaking head of my husband, and the comments, by text, from my daughter, (whom he felt fit to inform,) did not concur!

Dinner was delicious.  Bison was on the menu and I was ready to eat!  I had the prime rib, and Dana had the pot-roast.  Full to the brim, we returned to the hotel, and after a cup of tea, I fell into a deep sleep.  I had not really considered the fact that not only was I jet-lagged, having arrived back only three days previously, but we had also gone through another two time changes.  Denver was an hour earlier than Austin; California, two!  Although we were only in San Francisco for a couple of hours, my internal body clock was going haywire!  

We breakfasted early on Sunday morning. There were a few people in the restaurant, but the crowds had yet to gather.  I put together a small 'care package', consisting of various pieces of fruit, for our journey, and we headed back to the room to 'drop off and pick up'.  

Travelling along the highway to Colorado Springs allowed us to see Pikes Peak, the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rockies in North America!  We stopped and asked for some 'viewing options' at the 'information' kiosk, and were directed to the Garden of the Gods.  The rock formation was quite amazing.  We parked, and climbed, took photos and were wowed by the views.  It was spectacular.  The reason we had chosen to return to Denver was to have a relaxing weekend, with some sightseeing and this was perfect.  It is the very kind of scenery that divides the old me from the Englishwoman abroad!  I know the 'western' movies were not all filmed in this country, but from those I have seen, the topography is depicted very well.  Imagining the battles of the 'wild west' being fought, is quite easy when in the surrounds such as we were.  One of my first thoughts was the difference of opinion the different people would have had.  I could imagine the nineteenth century town dweller marveling at the roads.  The efficiency would have made their lives so much easier, and the invention of the motor vehicle would have enhanced it so much more.  Then I thought of the indigenous race whom had roamed the land for years before the new residents arrived. They probably would not have been so much in awe of the progress, and despaired at the carbuncles that changed the landscape.  Perhaps I am wrong. However, the places I am now visiting, in my adoptive land, bring to life the history in places I never dreamt of seeing first hand.  I had come full circle from one of my first posts, (if not the first,) about my trip to see Mount Rushmore, and how I was encouraged to write a 'diary on line' of the different route my life had taken.  I felt quite emotional.  With all the places in the world I would like to see, which I believe I may never see, (although, never say never,) I am satisfied with having the whole of this continent to explore! However I digress! We planned to be back shortly after noon, and write our blogs, before perhaps having a swim and enjoying 'happy hour', before going to dinner.

Scuppered plans seemed to be the norm for the weekend!  After our delayed start, I should have guessed that not all would have been plain sailing.  We detoured slightly before going back, to get to Woodland Park, which was on the other side of the mountains, and then headed back.  

The road we took back was different to the one we had taken to. Dana decided that the scenic route might be worthwhile.  After thirty minutes on the road, we noticed that we were still on the same road.  "We should have hit the highway by now", said my husband, who was adamant that the map was wrong.  I was shown that we had not taken a wrong turn, on a chart that was as clear as mud!  

"Is it Twin Peaks where you can't leave town?", asked Dana, trying to sound jovial.  I was aware of what he was talking about but was unsure as to whether it was the right show.  Mild panic set in as I spotted what appeared to look like the same cadre of motor cyclists coming towards us, and the same looking hut on the side of the road.  Pulling myself together, as I tried to convince myself that I am not prone to believing science fiction, especially when it is depicted on a television series, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Three cups of coffee and a couple of tall glasses of juice were not sitting well!  "Did you see that horse lying down?" asked Dana, as he looked at the map again.  "Doesn't that indicate he is dead?" I asked, not knowing much about horses, but remembering this bit of trivia.  "Hmm, think so", said Dana, sounding very much like a character from one of those said sci-fi mysteries.  "You would think someone would notice", said I, hoping to get a different reaction. "Hmm, think so", came the robotic reply.  The road, which had been two colours, green on our side, gray on the other, had turned to all gray, and back to dual hues again.  Panic attempted to overwhelm me again!  The topography started to look scarily familiar.  What appeared to be the same group of motor cyclists rounded the corner. We drove, and drove.  The road changed back to one colour, and back to two, again.  Each time we turned on a hairpin bend, the mountains ahead had the same peaks.   I shuffled in my seat.  We had been driving for over an hour, with the speed signs on the road going from 35 to 25 and back again, at eerily equal intervals.  We finally came to an oasis.  There was a cafe.  I breathed a sigh of relief, and then plummeted back into the abyss, as we drove past, without a 'by your leave', and saw the same view as we turned the corner.  "Why didn't we stop?" I asked.  "Didn't know you wanted to", came the reply.  

Eventually, after about ninety minutes, we saw a sign to the highway.  Not wanting to have my hopes dashed, I waited with baited breath until we came to some traffic lights, and actually saw said highway to the left.  "Eureka!" I shouted, finally feeling that we had escaped some terrible day terror!  We headed towards Denver.  "39 miles" read the sign.  We were only about sixty miles away in the first place, and we had been driving for an hour and a half!  The view suddenly started to look different.  It had been beautiful on our expedition, but I had lost interest after a while!  We saw the tall buildings of the 'mile high' city, and headed home!

Dana showed me where the 'map' had gone wrong when we were back in our room.  The road had veered to the right.  We had stayed on the straight line.  There could not have possibly been a sign we missed!  It was definitely an error with the map, or the city council, or the road signers, or anyone else that could be responsible for us not taking a wrong turn.  The fact of the matter was that we had gone 'straight ahead', and traveled so far out of our way that we had actually left the outskirts of the faulty map, and re-emerged on the page somewhere far up and over!  We decided that this small hiccup could be remedied only one way.  Ice-Cream!  As we had missed lunch, and the 'care package' had been devoured along the way, before dinner, we would have dessert!  The Stone-Cold Creamery was in town, and we drove out to get some comfort food!

Behind the counter was a 'newby'.  He was trying his best, but someone should have pointed out that the traditional offer of, "Would you like to try", should never been spoken to those under the age of consent!  Two young girls, of approximately seven, with a lady whom we supposed to be their grandmother, came in after us. Dana (who assures me did not make the second mistake of the day) said that it was okay to serve them before us, and the helpful assistant asked the fateful question.  "That one.  Oh and that one.  Oh and that one".  Thankfully, there were only about twenty to choose from, and forty spoonfuls later, they made a choice.  This gave us time to choose, change our mind, go for another trip around Colorado Springs (sarcasm noted) and back again, before we were asked, "What can I get you?"

Happy hour was more happy than the previous day.  I asked for a rum and cranberry, but forgot to mention, "top up on the cranberry".  It was very strong!  "How is the dog?", I asked my daughter when she called to tell me something that had happened, so significant I remember not.  "I miss him!", I said.  "Edward", called Samantha.  "My mother is drunk.  She said she misses the dog!"  The same message was sent to Dana!

Dinner was, again, delicious.  I chose the Kansas Strip, another cut of bison, and together with fries and a salad, I could not have asked for a better dinner!  We took the car to the petrol station, and then went back to watch college football!  

Monday morning had a fairly civilised start. We went to the restaurant for breakfast at six thirty, and were ready to leave the hotel an hour later.  With the car dropped off, and finding our way, (by signs, although Dana insisted I ask the guy at the information desk, just in case I misread them....yes, in case I misread them,) to the terminal, we were ready to board our flight.  It was most uneventful, and whilst we did not receive complimentary breakfast, we did enjoy pastries, by way of the 'care package', I had put together, in case the eggs, toast, bagels, waffles and fruit were not enough to keep us going until we arrived in Austin, shortly before one!

I spent a very pleasant afternoon by the pool, chatting to one of my neighbours, while Dana went to the office.  It rounded off the weekend perfectly.

The rest of the week went rather quickly, despite us being a man down.  Samantha and I managed to get things back to where they needed to be, and by Friday, our end of the business was in good shape.  I spoke to many people who had either been displaced, or knew of people who had been displaced in the Houston area, including a guy who lost a colleague during a rescue mission. When I asked, "How are you?", and he answered, "Trying to keep our head above water!", I knew it was not a metaphor!

I spent the week outside of working hours, and the weekend, preparing for my grandsons' visit.  Samantha's old bedroom is barely recognisable, as it is neat and tidy, and ready for a three year old to recreate the havoc that his auntie left behind!  Tuesday cannot come fast enough, and I am sure I will have plenty to say about how the boys did this, or the boys did that, or how did I ever keep up with one boy, let alone two, in ........... another story!

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