Stranded in Las Vegas with Harvey
Have been trying to catch up for two months.
Harvey and I left for San Jose Wednesday, December 17th, at 11 a.m., held for 30 minutes for bad weather and got in late to Charlotte. Ran for the gate. Huge headwind and the five hour flight to Vegas took six. We were one of the last flights to land.
Headed for our next gate only to find that all flights were cancelled. Immediately got on the cellphone to USAirways and couldn't get rebooked out of Vegas to San Jose til Thursday at 4 p.m., an entire day, then not out of San Jose to come home til Friday at 6 p.m.
Stood in line for two hours in Vegas, outside in the snow waiting for a taxi. Line wound back and forth like Disney World and the hotel shuttles took as long. Even renting a limo was out of the question, everyone had the same idea.
I had two shawls wrapped around Harvey's bag to keep him warm, which left me nothing. There were a lot of people in the same mess, we expected to change planes and never leave the airport. Only to find ourselves trapped in Vegas' first major snowfall in thirty years.
I manaaged to book a room at Microtel, discounted courtesy of USAirways for being stranded. The roads were HORRIBLE, there was no restaurant at the hotel, and I had the taxi go through McD's and picked up three broiled chicken sandwiches. Had two cans of cat food and litter for Harvey but needed dinner and lunch and something extra since Harvey is a very big boy.
Got to the hotel at midnight Eastern and stood in line an hour to check in. Left one shawl in the taxi, it belonged to Mom, must have gotten snagged as I slid out. Left two messages with the taxi service lost and found, but they never called back.
USAirways sent an email confirmation for my rescheduled flights, but I called Thursday morning to reconfirm, just in case.
And... they had it all wrong. Had me leaving San Jose when I was still in Vegas, then leaving Denver the next day when I wasn't even going to/through Denver! and ending my trip in Charlotte.
So I was on the phone another two hours getting my flights locked in. Finally got to San Jose a full day late, Harvey oblivious to everthing as he was in his travel bag, wrapped snuggly in two shawls and tucked up against my body for the entire trip. He was an exceptionally good traveler and he had an absolute blast in the hotel room, jumping fron bed-to-bed, then to the window seat, then tearing into the bathroom, sliding on tile into the side of the bathtub, then repeat. Kept me entertained on the long holds with USAirways.
Finally got to San Jose, met Mike and he was thrilled with Harvey, his Humungous F2B male. Harvey curled up on Mike's lap, then went back into his bag for the final two hours' of travel. Our 13 hour trip turned into a 38 hour odyssey.
Thank God San Jose has a USO since I had seven hours from checkout til my flight left for home. I had five Christmas movies on my Ipaq and watched every one.
Had a three-hour layover in both Phoenix AND Charlotte, those were the only flights available after all the cancellations -- and it was less than a week before Christmas.
When I got to Phoenix, the airline was begging people to voluntarily bump. Offering free tickets, hotel, a wonderful TWO-DAY layover in sunny Phoenix. I wasn't even tempted, and that was a good decision, as bad weather moved in and I would have been stranded again. I don't mind unless I'm traveling with a kitten. Then it's always an adventure.
I did buy another neck pillow before I boarded in Phoenix. That made four neck pillows -- one for every time I've been stranded. It didn't matter, as I wound up in the emergency exit seats that don't recline and tried to sleep sitting up for the five-hour flight from Phoenix to Charlotte. No such luck.
Had another three-hour layover in Charlotte, again, thank God for the USO. Of course that only works on the way home, when I'm by myself.
Finally arrived 38 hours after I left. And I've been behind ever since, as you can tell from this "Daily" blog that hasn't been updated for two months!
But... I did update the AJSavannahs website today, both Kittens and Testimonials pages, and posted a new poll. Please visit and vote and browse all our new photos for Wilbur, Moja, Ellie, Calla, Jack and Audrey.
Harvey and I left for San Jose Wednesday, December 17th, at 11 a.m., held for 30 minutes for bad weather and got in late to Charlotte. Ran for the gate. Huge headwind and the five hour flight to Vegas took six. We were one of the last flights to land.
Headed for our next gate only to find that all flights were cancelled. Immediately got on the cellphone to USAirways and couldn't get rebooked out of Vegas to San Jose til Thursday at 4 p.m., an entire day, then not out of San Jose to come home til Friday at 6 p.m.
Stood in line for two hours in Vegas, outside in the snow waiting for a taxi. Line wound back and forth like Disney World and the hotel shuttles took as long. Even renting a limo was out of the question, everyone had the same idea.
I had two shawls wrapped around Harvey's bag to keep him warm, which left me nothing. There were a lot of people in the same mess, we expected to change planes and never leave the airport. Only to find ourselves trapped in Vegas' first major snowfall in thirty years.
I manaaged to book a room at Microtel, discounted courtesy of USAirways for being stranded. The roads were HORRIBLE, there was no restaurant at the hotel, and I had the taxi go through McD's and picked up three broiled chicken sandwiches. Had two cans of cat food and litter for Harvey but needed dinner and lunch and something extra since Harvey is a very big boy.
Got to the hotel at midnight Eastern and stood in line an hour to check in. Left one shawl in the taxi, it belonged to Mom, must have gotten snagged as I slid out. Left two messages with the taxi service lost and found, but they never called back.
USAirways sent an email confirmation for my rescheduled flights, but I called Thursday morning to reconfirm, just in case.
And... they had it all wrong. Had me leaving San Jose when I was still in Vegas, then leaving Denver the next day when I wasn't even going to/through Denver! and ending my trip in Charlotte.
So I was on the phone another two hours getting my flights locked in. Finally got to San Jose a full day late, Harvey oblivious to everthing as he was in his travel bag, wrapped snuggly in two shawls and tucked up against my body for the entire trip. He was an exceptionally good traveler and he had an absolute blast in the hotel room, jumping fron bed-to-bed, then to the window seat, then tearing into the bathroom, sliding on tile into the side of the bathtub, then repeat. Kept me entertained on the long holds with USAirways.
Finally got to San Jose, met Mike and he was thrilled with Harvey, his Humungous F2B male. Harvey curled up on Mike's lap, then went back into his bag for the final two hours' of travel. Our 13 hour trip turned into a 38 hour odyssey.
Thank God San Jose has a USO since I had seven hours from checkout til my flight left for home. I had five Christmas movies on my Ipaq and watched every one.
Had a three-hour layover in both Phoenix AND Charlotte, those were the only flights available after all the cancellations -- and it was less than a week before Christmas.
When I got to Phoenix, the airline was begging people to voluntarily bump. Offering free tickets, hotel, a wonderful TWO-DAY layover in sunny Phoenix. I wasn't even tempted, and that was a good decision, as bad weather moved in and I would have been stranded again. I don't mind unless I'm traveling with a kitten. Then it's always an adventure.
I did buy another neck pillow before I boarded in Phoenix. That made four neck pillows -- one for every time I've been stranded. It didn't matter, as I wound up in the emergency exit seats that don't recline and tried to sleep sitting up for the five-hour flight from Phoenix to Charlotte. No such luck.
Had another three-hour layover in Charlotte, again, thank God for the USO. Of course that only works on the way home, when I'm by myself.
Finally arrived 38 hours after I left. And I've been behind ever since, as you can tell from this "Daily" blog that hasn't been updated for two months!
But... I did update the AJSavannahs website today, both Kittens and Testimonials pages, and posted a new poll. Please visit and vote and browse all our new photos for Wilbur, Moja, Ellie, Calla, Jack and Audrey.
Labels: AJSavannahs, Savannah cats, Savannah kittens
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