pat loughery

Today I left Seattle to fly to Newark, NJ, for a connecting flight to Belfast for my Following the Celtic Trail course with Bakke Graduate University. I would arrive 27 hours early in Belfast and get to go phototour the city, and had reservations for the same hotel we will stay at from Sat through Monday AM.

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That was the plan. Then, my flight from Seattle was delayed coming into Belfast 35 minutes as another airplane declared an emergency, and when our plane arrived there were no “uniformed personnel to direct you to your connecting flight”, and the readerboard for departures was dead. I went to a Continental desk for another flight and was told that my flight to Belfast had left 2 minutes before. I sprinted through the Newark airport just in case, and the plane was still there. there were no gate attendants, but there were in the next gate over. I asked to be let on the plane, and was told rudely that “we tried to page you, but apparently weren’t listening”. I kid you not. I begged and pleaded, but they weren’t going to budget.

So I fought back tears (literally) and made a trip down to Continental Airlines’ customer service desk. The agent there was helpful, though the limit to her helpfulness was a free hotel voucher in Newark, and an offer to move back my return date a full day.

Next, I was overjoyed to be able to wait 90 minutes for the free shuttle to my hotel. Again, no exaggeration. And at thehotel, I’m told that they only have smoking rooms left. I’m in my room right now waiting to be told taht my birthday has been moved ahead 72 years, and I’m not going to be allowed to fly due to my sudden heart problems.

So tomorrow I’ll hang out in Newark, maybe go to the exercise room across the hall (though I don’t have spare clothes, and only my lightweight hiking boots), and see if there’s any life outside my hotel – which I doubt, from the shuttle ride in.

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Oh, did I mention that I locked my car keys in the car last night, and had to call out a tow truck to open up the car so I could get to the bathroom travel goodies and a new shirt and shorts and socks. This, after 3 hours of sleep.

Other than that, I’m having fun today. How about you?