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Journal from Spring Break flight in
17 years ago
<This journal entry was typed always while in motion, and mistakes were left as they were at the time of writing. Most of it was on a transatlatic flight, but some was on a greyhound bus.>
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It is 1259 for me at the moment, although local time in Houston is 0659, with an Estimated landing time of 1432. We are at 850Km/h, and 10363 metres above sea level. We appear to be due south of Reykjavik. 7 hours 32 minutes left, and 6239 km to cover. -67 degrees out, and we have gone 1177 miles or so the computer tells us. It feels both an eternity since we left and yet I know it was just an hour forty minutes ago. (We took off over an hour late but appear to be early to try and make up for lost time. Some may know how my day has gone so far while others have no idea. This general trend is that those in eastern Europe and one in Western Europe saw me even if just for a few minutes. From 22:00 or so yesterday I had internet access on Wireless at the airport. (£10 for 24 hours. The next step down was £5 for an hour or £6 an hour at a terminal) At this time I talked with a few friends, then tried to take a nap from 1-3am on March 21st. I woke up maybe 3:20 or so, if I remember right, and headed over to check-in. The line started moving around 4am, and I checked in shortly after 0418. I had to take my bag up to oversized baggage due to the straps with padding, but since I was within the firrst 20 people it was quick. By this time the line was several hundred long.
After this, I went up to teh departure area and was let in after ten minutes or so. I explored enough to try and find the gates I needed, then broke out the computer again for a good hour plus with my friends. You all really do mean so much to me. Be it someone I just met to two of my longest time friends, everyone has something interesting to say if you take the time to listen. So I had everything from a headrub to some practice dancing. By now the display flashes that we are 6050km out and that Houston time has advanced by 17 minutes to 0716. We keep hitting little pockets of turbulance which is giving us some side to side shaking, but it is not bad. In the fall we had some bad turbulance and someone had hot tea spilled upon them.
Now, back to the story. When bourding time came, I was one of the first to get to the bourding lounge, as we still had to wait for the plane to be ready. We were all situated and ready to go when the captain comes on the PA and informs us (first in French, so I only caught a few words) that due to some restriction the tower says we cannot start the engines for 25 minutes, at which point I found the flight was scheduled to depart five minutes previous. I started getting worried but I think Serenity decided I had to remain calm and so she helped soothe me, even if I could not tell how, I felt the stress bleed out of me. After a very exhilerating takeoff and start to the flight, the Captail announces that although we are late weather conditions are favorable and we seem to have made up lost time to within five minutes. Then, ten minutes later we are told CDG has put us in a holding pattern for half an hour, Ten minutes later we are told to prepare for landing in about 13 minutes. Landing was interesting, and we were just 8 or 9 minutes behind when we landed, although we taxied for about 15 before stopping. Due to a major accident at one point, we unboarded onto a plane sized parking lot and were guided to a shuttle bus that took us to Terminal F. All I knew of my connecting flight was I had 20 minutes until it departed, that it was in Terminal E, the closest one to F, and that all flights had been informed of our delay. I did not run but did walk fast through the airport. I had difficulty at security the first time because he put my bag through without letting me take my computer out, but he did say I could leave my 2oz silver pendent, belt, and shoes on for the metal detector. (And the person who directs those that are incoming had me cut about half the rope maze due to how close it was to my flight.) The hardest part was that they kept starting in French with their questions, knowing that I did not speak it, I even told them so in french. (I know a few phrases still from my 3 years).
Once I made it through this, I did a fast jog covering a 3 minute ride in a golf cart type thing in 4 minutes on foot, even with one of the moving floors down. When I reached E, I looked at the row of some 20 moniters horizontally with another below it, all listing flights at E. I knew when my flight left so I just scanned for those with times starting 10xx and I narrowed it down to 2, with only one flight for Houston listed. It was boarding at 70E and listed as on time. I again power walked until I found it. My ticket was checked and yes that was right so they sent me in to get it processed. Apparently it was not valid in the reader, so they entered the number by hand and it turns out it was just a mistake somewhere in the magnetising of the strip. One more security checkpoint to go, who made me take out my computer, mobile, and all metal off my body and did a handheld sweep. (Everyone had this but the children ahead of me under 5. So terrorists, take note, Air France was lax there. My sealed bottle of water could not go, but kids can.) I boarded the plane with ten minutes to spare to find my seat. 48E. This is all the way back, last row. On the outside edges are AB and JK, both rows being stunted. In the middle there were 3 seats. EFG. When I arrived, A,G,J, and K were occupied. That is all that is still occupied besides E with me. So I am on the inside middle row, on the left isle, with a seat next to me and a lady with dual German and US passports in G, who seems very nice. We talked for a little and she knew where LaCrosse, WI was, along with how valid my comparisons of the UK to WI were. She travels a lot, but I do not know why, and has seen much of the world.
So now I am Half-Way over the Atlantic, closer to St. Jean than Paris. I did try to sleep for an hour or so, but when I was woken up for the snack before lunch I could not fall back asleep, and sleep is what I need. I was up at 3am GMT wednesday.I went to bed around midnight or 1am and got no more than 3 hours of sleep between that and Thursday, so maybe 22 hours. I was then up from 4am Thursday until 1am friday, 21 hours. I did not sleep well between 1am and 3:15am Friday, but I will count it. Now I have been up from 3:15am until 1341pm. 10:15 minus at most an hour nap. Since 3am Wed I have been up 53 hours out of the last 59 or so. I know I should try and go to sleep now while I still have enough time to get a lot of rest. My body just needs the sleep at the right time to reset itself.
I do nto knwo what else I can say right now so I will save this and do something with it, although I do not yet know what.Maybe Serenity will banish whatever is keeping me awake and let me have a nice six hours of sleep. I know she is here somewhere and I am glad of that far more than I know how to show it to her. Only 5500 kilometers and 6:45 of this flight left.
Even if I am not on my own wings, flying is just an amazing experience. It can lift one out of even depression to feel how it does to be soaring miles above the world. And when you are not as depressed it feels even better.
And the Star Wars there just came on hte music channel I have playing. How neat is that. I was just thinking of Star Wars during take-off. When Obi-Wan turns down the tractor beam generators on the first Death Star, they made that falling noise sound. I heard that here from the engines.
<Edit 1> I left music on and napped for a little. We are now 2605 miles away. We are over the Labrador Sea, right by st' John's. It is Canadia, and maybe someday I will live in that country.
I woke from my nap and realized Jurrasip Park was playing. First the primanry theme and then the adaptation from the second, I believe. It was an amazing feeling, as when I was tired I somehow felt at one with the music I knew.
<Edit 2> 1655 GMT We are over Quebec, the town. I really wish I had a window seat because then I could look out and see it all, even if it was cloudy. My last flight over all this area was at night. For music, I seem to have the Star Wars compilationn agian. 2720km, or 3:25 at our current speed. I think I am over the US right now. I recognize many of the town names from an early scenario of Railroad Tycoon II.(Although I know some of the Canadian ones from that scenario as well, it was one of my favorite.)
1670 miles or so. I do admit that my geography is a little shakey in this part as to where exactly the US ends, although I know it is mostly along Water.
38000feet, and -41 degrees F.
<Edit 3> 1850 for me right onw, or I suppose 1950 since I left from Paris. Right over Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. No lines shown. 722 miles, 1:36 in flight time. -56 C out, and 6933KM or 4325 miles so far total and 794KM/hour. Currently I am just slightly south of St. Louis and Northwest of Nashville. I am really hoping that immigration is easy for me as a returning US resident. I know they almost cannot refuse me in the country.I have nothing forbidden that I know of, really. I do think I should hit up a restroom if I am not strapped for time, even if Squig is waiting for me. I am sure that kind of a delay would be understood, especially with a 45 minute early landing. I think the planes computer needs a restart, though. It used Bold to name Mexico, where bold is reserved for state names. And it put the location somewhere in Illinois. (It explains the political views seen there.) Star Wars again.
<Edit 4 - Greyhound>
The planr landed just 13 minutes late, although I was the last one off due to seating. It was worth it for having an empty seat next to me. I grabbed everything I needed, this being customs declaration and passport. When I got off, I thanked the Air France staff in French, for I still remembered how to do that much. I would fly them again, although I would like it if they had power adapters and wireless internet. Getting into the US was easy. I followed the signs (ignoring the staff shouting US residents this way as they were just annoying) and I waited in line two minutes or so. The guy there looked over my customs declaration and stamped it, checking it with my passport. He asked me why I was in france and I said connecting flight from England, This got me waived through to baggage. I found the display for where baggage went easily and mine was at F7 along with two flights from Guatamala. 10 minutes later my baggage was on, one of the first from my flight. After this I went to Customs. The lines were long but fast. The two people ahead of me apparently had no idea how to fill out their customs forms and so did not. This held up the line as he sent them elsewhere. I was basically waived through no problem. So a little more and I was in the public waiting area. Squiggly said she would have a sign but since her parents said something about it seeming silly she did not. I did not see her so I converted £40 to cash and the exchange rate there was horrible.
That is when Squiggly found me just as I was deciding what to do next. We went to pick up her sister and then my tickets from Greyhound. After this, we went to Wendy's for some fast food. Real bacon is something I missed over there. After this, she dropped me off at the Greyhound station for my 1845 Bus to Dallas. The bus was late by about 15 minutes. That is where I am now, on my way to see VG. Who knows what the day will bring?
<edit 5 - VG's place, early morning (10:48 local). I woke up about twnty minutes ago, and it was a very nice morning for me. I think she is still in bed right now, but I feel rested. I guess my body is willing to take anything I throw at it due to all the changes. I look at my clocks which tell me it is 1549 and I know it should feel late, but I am having a lot more fun converting the time. Especially on the plane, where they did not account for DST in their time of Arrival. So we officially landed an hour before we touched down.
Now, for the continuation. I arrived at the Depot in Dallas and when I got my bag I did not see VG there waiting for me. I figured this was a normal thing, as she might not have known if I was on the first bus or the second. (The 5:45 bus was late, and left Houston at 6:50, while we left it at 7:00) I waited for a few minutes after looking around and called her cell number, leaving a voicemail when prompted to do so. A few minutes later she walked up to me and I got a very big hug. I followed her and her boyfriend to their car and we drove down to her mother's house, where I met the parents. They both seemed really nice. There, we talked for a bit out back by the pool and then picked up both a cat perch that her mother had salvaged and both the cats. We drove then to her apartment and shortly after retired for the night. It was a very nice way to spend the evening, really. So now we have an interesting day planned, and I cannot wait to see what it brings.
The biggest change is not the 5000 miles I have flown, the new climate or state I have entered. It is not even the shock of being a wake for so long. The biggest change is having spent even just a little time with two friends just hours apart, knowing I will see one again soon and I have a few days right now with the other. I feel bright, cheerful, and in a way happy like I have never been before. I feel that if I break down I would really be held, that if I just needed to talk someone would listen, even with my lack of decent vocabulary. I might just have to try my hand at writing again in the next few days. I have the basics of a story worked out from a while back, kept under lock in OneNote 2007. Nothing had formed but ideas, but if I stay in this light of a mood the ideas may start to come back. I need to develop the characters, set the tone for the world, but I think I can do it. (And the music from Bioshock can be my inspiration, since that is what I have playing now as I start to think.)
I might detail the background of my story a little later as another journal like post. I had some ideas before and I am hoping they will come back. I never got everything down, but I had some. I can work more on it later. Really I had an interesting world and possible characters. If things keep up like this, I may just have to start writing soon.
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It is 1259 for me at the moment, although local time in Houston is 0659, with an Estimated landing time of 1432. We are at 850Km/h, and 10363 metres above sea level. We appear to be due south of Reykjavik. 7 hours 32 minutes left, and 6239 km to cover. -67 degrees out, and we have gone 1177 miles or so the computer tells us. It feels both an eternity since we left and yet I know it was just an hour forty minutes ago. (We took off over an hour late but appear to be early to try and make up for lost time. Some may know how my day has gone so far while others have no idea. This general trend is that those in eastern Europe and one in Western Europe saw me even if just for a few minutes. From 22:00 or so yesterday I had internet access on Wireless at the airport. (£10 for 24 hours. The next step down was £5 for an hour or £6 an hour at a terminal) At this time I talked with a few friends, then tried to take a nap from 1-3am on March 21st. I woke up maybe 3:20 or so, if I remember right, and headed over to check-in. The line started moving around 4am, and I checked in shortly after 0418. I had to take my bag up to oversized baggage due to the straps with padding, but since I was within the firrst 20 people it was quick. By this time the line was several hundred long.
After this, I went up to teh departure area and was let in after ten minutes or so. I explored enough to try and find the gates I needed, then broke out the computer again for a good hour plus with my friends. You all really do mean so much to me. Be it someone I just met to two of my longest time friends, everyone has something interesting to say if you take the time to listen. So I had everything from a headrub to some practice dancing. By now the display flashes that we are 6050km out and that Houston time has advanced by 17 minutes to 0716. We keep hitting little pockets of turbulance which is giving us some side to side shaking, but it is not bad. In the fall we had some bad turbulance and someone had hot tea spilled upon them.
Now, back to the story. When bourding time came, I was one of the first to get to the bourding lounge, as we still had to wait for the plane to be ready. We were all situated and ready to go when the captain comes on the PA and informs us (first in French, so I only caught a few words) that due to some restriction the tower says we cannot start the engines for 25 minutes, at which point I found the flight was scheduled to depart five minutes previous. I started getting worried but I think Serenity decided I had to remain calm and so she helped soothe me, even if I could not tell how, I felt the stress bleed out of me. After a very exhilerating takeoff and start to the flight, the Captail announces that although we are late weather conditions are favorable and we seem to have made up lost time to within five minutes. Then, ten minutes later we are told CDG has put us in a holding pattern for half an hour, Ten minutes later we are told to prepare for landing in about 13 minutes. Landing was interesting, and we were just 8 or 9 minutes behind when we landed, although we taxied for about 15 before stopping. Due to a major accident at one point, we unboarded onto a plane sized parking lot and were guided to a shuttle bus that took us to Terminal F. All I knew of my connecting flight was I had 20 minutes until it departed, that it was in Terminal E, the closest one to F, and that all flights had been informed of our delay. I did not run but did walk fast through the airport. I had difficulty at security the first time because he put my bag through without letting me take my computer out, but he did say I could leave my 2oz silver pendent, belt, and shoes on for the metal detector. (And the person who directs those that are incoming had me cut about half the rope maze due to how close it was to my flight.) The hardest part was that they kept starting in French with their questions, knowing that I did not speak it, I even told them so in french. (I know a few phrases still from my 3 years).
Once I made it through this, I did a fast jog covering a 3 minute ride in a golf cart type thing in 4 minutes on foot, even with one of the moving floors down. When I reached E, I looked at the row of some 20 moniters horizontally with another below it, all listing flights at E. I knew when my flight left so I just scanned for those with times starting 10xx and I narrowed it down to 2, with only one flight for Houston listed. It was boarding at 70E and listed as on time. I again power walked until I found it. My ticket was checked and yes that was right so they sent me in to get it processed. Apparently it was not valid in the reader, so they entered the number by hand and it turns out it was just a mistake somewhere in the magnetising of the strip. One more security checkpoint to go, who made me take out my computer, mobile, and all metal off my body and did a handheld sweep. (Everyone had this but the children ahead of me under 5. So terrorists, take note, Air France was lax there. My sealed bottle of water could not go, but kids can.) I boarded the plane with ten minutes to spare to find my seat. 48E. This is all the way back, last row. On the outside edges are AB and JK, both rows being stunted. In the middle there were 3 seats. EFG. When I arrived, A,G,J, and K were occupied. That is all that is still occupied besides E with me. So I am on the inside middle row, on the left isle, with a seat next to me and a lady with dual German and US passports in G, who seems very nice. We talked for a little and she knew where LaCrosse, WI was, along with how valid my comparisons of the UK to WI were. She travels a lot, but I do not know why, and has seen much of the world.
So now I am Half-Way over the Atlantic, closer to St. Jean than Paris. I did try to sleep for an hour or so, but when I was woken up for the snack before lunch I could not fall back asleep, and sleep is what I need. I was up at 3am GMT wednesday.I went to bed around midnight or 1am and got no more than 3 hours of sleep between that and Thursday, so maybe 22 hours. I was then up from 4am Thursday until 1am friday, 21 hours. I did not sleep well between 1am and 3:15am Friday, but I will count it. Now I have been up from 3:15am until 1341pm. 10:15 minus at most an hour nap. Since 3am Wed I have been up 53 hours out of the last 59 or so. I know I should try and go to sleep now while I still have enough time to get a lot of rest. My body just needs the sleep at the right time to reset itself.
I do nto knwo what else I can say right now so I will save this and do something with it, although I do not yet know what.Maybe Serenity will banish whatever is keeping me awake and let me have a nice six hours of sleep. I know she is here somewhere and I am glad of that far more than I know how to show it to her. Only 5500 kilometers and 6:45 of this flight left.
Even if I am not on my own wings, flying is just an amazing experience. It can lift one out of even depression to feel how it does to be soaring miles above the world. And when you are not as depressed it feels even better.
And the Star Wars there just came on hte music channel I have playing. How neat is that. I was just thinking of Star Wars during take-off. When Obi-Wan turns down the tractor beam generators on the first Death Star, they made that falling noise sound. I heard that here from the engines.
<Edit 1> I left music on and napped for a little. We are now 2605 miles away. We are over the Labrador Sea, right by st' John's. It is Canadia, and maybe someday I will live in that country.
I woke from my nap and realized Jurrasip Park was playing. First the primanry theme and then the adaptation from the second, I believe. It was an amazing feeling, as when I was tired I somehow felt at one with the music I knew.
<Edit 2> 1655 GMT We are over Quebec, the town. I really wish I had a window seat because then I could look out and see it all, even if it was cloudy. My last flight over all this area was at night. For music, I seem to have the Star Wars compilationn agian. 2720km, or 3:25 at our current speed. I think I am over the US right now. I recognize many of the town names from an early scenario of Railroad Tycoon II.(Although I know some of the Canadian ones from that scenario as well, it was one of my favorite.)
1670 miles or so. I do admit that my geography is a little shakey in this part as to where exactly the US ends, although I know it is mostly along Water.
38000feet, and -41 degrees F.
<Edit 3> 1850 for me right onw, or I suppose 1950 since I left from Paris. Right over Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. No lines shown. 722 miles, 1:36 in flight time. -56 C out, and 6933KM or 4325 miles so far total and 794KM/hour. Currently I am just slightly south of St. Louis and Northwest of Nashville. I am really hoping that immigration is easy for me as a returning US resident. I know they almost cannot refuse me in the country.I have nothing forbidden that I know of, really. I do think I should hit up a restroom if I am not strapped for time, even if Squig is waiting for me. I am sure that kind of a delay would be understood, especially with a 45 minute early landing. I think the planes computer needs a restart, though. It used Bold to name Mexico, where bold is reserved for state names. And it put the location somewhere in Illinois. (It explains the political views seen there.) Star Wars again.
<Edit 4 - Greyhound>
The planr landed just 13 minutes late, although I was the last one off due to seating. It was worth it for having an empty seat next to me. I grabbed everything I needed, this being customs declaration and passport. When I got off, I thanked the Air France staff in French, for I still remembered how to do that much. I would fly them again, although I would like it if they had power adapters and wireless internet. Getting into the US was easy. I followed the signs (ignoring the staff shouting US residents this way as they were just annoying) and I waited in line two minutes or so. The guy there looked over my customs declaration and stamped it, checking it with my passport. He asked me why I was in france and I said connecting flight from England, This got me waived through to baggage. I found the display for where baggage went easily and mine was at F7 along with two flights from Guatamala. 10 minutes later my baggage was on, one of the first from my flight. After this I went to Customs. The lines were long but fast. The two people ahead of me apparently had no idea how to fill out their customs forms and so did not. This held up the line as he sent them elsewhere. I was basically waived through no problem. So a little more and I was in the public waiting area. Squiggly said she would have a sign but since her parents said something about it seeming silly she did not. I did not see her so I converted £40 to cash and the exchange rate there was horrible.
That is when Squiggly found me just as I was deciding what to do next. We went to pick up her sister and then my tickets from Greyhound. After this, we went to Wendy's for some fast food. Real bacon is something I missed over there. After this, she dropped me off at the Greyhound station for my 1845 Bus to Dallas. The bus was late by about 15 minutes. That is where I am now, on my way to see VG. Who knows what the day will bring?
<edit 5 - VG's place, early morning (10:48 local). I woke up about twnty minutes ago, and it was a very nice morning for me. I think she is still in bed right now, but I feel rested. I guess my body is willing to take anything I throw at it due to all the changes. I look at my clocks which tell me it is 1549 and I know it should feel late, but I am having a lot more fun converting the time. Especially on the plane, where they did not account for DST in their time of Arrival. So we officially landed an hour before we touched down.
Now, for the continuation. I arrived at the Depot in Dallas and when I got my bag I did not see VG there waiting for me. I figured this was a normal thing, as she might not have known if I was on the first bus or the second. (The 5:45 bus was late, and left Houston at 6:50, while we left it at 7:00) I waited for a few minutes after looking around and called her cell number, leaving a voicemail when prompted to do so. A few minutes later she walked up to me and I got a very big hug. I followed her and her boyfriend to their car and we drove down to her mother's house, where I met the parents. They both seemed really nice. There, we talked for a bit out back by the pool and then picked up both a cat perch that her mother had salvaged and both the cats. We drove then to her apartment and shortly after retired for the night. It was a very nice way to spend the evening, really. So now we have an interesting day planned, and I cannot wait to see what it brings.
The biggest change is not the 5000 miles I have flown, the new climate or state I have entered. It is not even the shock of being a wake for so long. The biggest change is having spent even just a little time with two friends just hours apart, knowing I will see one again soon and I have a few days right now with the other. I feel bright, cheerful, and in a way happy like I have never been before. I feel that if I break down I would really be held, that if I just needed to talk someone would listen, even with my lack of decent vocabulary. I might just have to try my hand at writing again in the next few days. I have the basics of a story worked out from a while back, kept under lock in OneNote 2007. Nothing had formed but ideas, but if I stay in this light of a mood the ideas may start to come back. I need to develop the characters, set the tone for the world, but I think I can do it. (And the music from Bioshock can be my inspiration, since that is what I have playing now as I start to think.)
I might detail the background of my story a little later as another journal like post. I had some ideas before and I am hoping they will come back. I never got everything down, but I had some. I can work more on it later. Really I had an interesting world and possible characters. If things keep up like this, I may just have to start writing soon.
I am here in Dallas for a few days, and then I spend a bit of time down in Houston with another friend before flying back to Birmingham through Amsterdam. *She shivers and smiles.* I have been having so much fun here even i just the day and a half that I have been with a friend.