I know we were only gone for four days, but it seemed longer. Possibly because every day started very early and ended very late with a lot of activity in the middle. It could also be that we are getting a bit long in the tooth for extended journeys — especially by air.
This one was really important to Garry. It was the first time in several years that all three brothers were together and had time to talk and be family. It was also my first visit to the middle of the country. I’ve been to California — not all of it obviously. It’s a huge state. Most of the time I spent in the San Francisco area and some in and around L.A.
I’ve been up and down the entire Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida and not by flying. We’ve driven it top to bottom. Not all at once, but over the years. Other parts of the country, I just never never had a reason to be there. This time, I did.
I’ll get into some of the details of this insane mess that is now “flying.” All the cozy, friendly messages they send can’t cover the very serious problems of air travel, from under-staffing through over-booking and cancellations without explanation. Not to mention a serious level of hostility by frazzled, overworked staff members. I don’t blame them, but if they were less hostile more things could be worked out amicably. Also, their absolute resolve to never EVER accept responsibility for anything begins to grate on ones nerves. We all worked, even if we aren’t working now. We also had issues to deal with and I’m pretty sure hostility was never an acceptable response.
On with the questions!
Do you become discouraged by the annual “Blogging Ennui” phenomenon that comes around every year?
I would probably be more discourages except I’m one of the people going through that ennui. I’ve been doing this a long time, so I think I’m entitled to a bit of ennui especially coming slowly out of the long withdrawal we’ve been through. I’ve got a lot of ideas popping around in my brain though, so I’m not done yet!
If you were in a room filled with you and your doppelganger and 2 billion dollars, what would you do? What do you think your doppelganger would do?
Okay. You have me a little confused. I know what I would do, but a doppelganger? Would that be an actual clone of me or just someone who happens to look like me? Because in Jerusalem, there was a woman who looked SO much like me it was scary, but she was not American, had not been raised anything like me, but probably had the same DNA bubbling in her system.
I would have no idea what she might or might not want to do and I was actually not thrilled that she existed. At least we didn’t share a name. I was afraid to find out if we had common family members. It really is a bit eerie when someone else looks so much like you that even close up, it’s hard to see a difference.
So 2 billion dollars notwithstanding, just the whole doppelganger thing is a bit of a freak out.
A building is burning. You have time to either save a child trapped inside or a valuable painting which you would then sell, using the money to save 20 children from starvation. What would you do and why?
I’d save the child if I could because that’s the way I’m programmed. Life is more important than money. That’s probably why we aren’t rich. I’m sure Garry would answer the same way. He also wouldn’t take bribes or anything that might be construed as a bribe (yes, people try to bribe reporters) and not because he was afraid of getting caught. It was because he simply couldn’t DO that.
Honesty can be a curse these days. Just saying.
What’s your opinion of yams or sweet potatoes?
Meh. My mother loved them, but for me they are okay, but not a big deal one way or the other. I think the only ways I really like potatoes are (1) baked, (2) Home-fries, and (3) really good latkes. Everything else is okay, but that’s pretty much it.
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Categories: #Photography, #SYW, Anecdote, Share My World, Travel
SERENDIPITY: SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
rather strange questions…. saving a child, in any and every case. don’t even have to think about it. Millions or billions of money?! WTHeck….?
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I can’t even IMAGINE making a different choice. Who would even admit it if they pondered the question seriously?
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Since I took a trip by air in November and then again last month, I concur with your comments regarding air travel. Short staffing and bad attitudes were on display both times. One thing I did not mention when I wrote about our trip to Toronto was the disappointing treatment we received at the Toronto airport, from every single airline employee we encountered. It was embarrassing to be treated poorly by the airline I work for.
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We had the same experience in BOSTON. It was embarrassing and they should be ashamed of themselves. They kept telling us we hadn’t made arrangements, but they were clearly PRINTED on the receipts I was holding. And their unwillingness to accept responsibility was really sad. They weren’t kids, either. Just stupid. What really happened is that when we didn’t show up two hours early, they sold our tickets so our seats were gone.
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We were 3 minutes late, that is 87 minutes before flight time for them. They refused to board us and lectured us about being on time. They did not care about traffic.
The person at the head of the line told me that there were no more flights to ORD that day and I should try United. I insisted there were more flights but she tried to send me away. I said I work for Air Canada in Chicago and she said, “So, what’s your point?” My point was that I knew the schedule and there were more flights. We went to the counter to experience a rude person and the same at the gate. They forced us off our flight to a smaller plan that had just a few seats left, none together. I am betting the flight we were booked on probably had open seats since it was a larger plane.
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Ditto. We had nearly an hour AND we had seat assignments. Not only that, but there were no lines at security — or any lines anywhere. They were just being assholes. I’m pretty sure when we didn’t show up when they figured we should — there’s no rule about this, by the way and their actual website said “at least 15 minutes,” they probably rebooked our seats.
Assholes. We had to fly to DC THEN to Minnesota. Of course, on the way back, they were three hours late so we had PLENTY of time.
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They could have over sold the flight. There is an annoying practice of having Artificial Intelligence inform you of which flights are most likely to have “no shows” then sell a few extras. When 100 per cent check in, they bounce the rest. They’ll find an excuse.
Customer service left the building when the pandemic came in. Now they are in survival mode with unhappy employees. I voiced my concern on an in house discussion site. Some admin moved my comments explaining what happened to Airports-Customer Experience category. Hundreds have seen it. There were no comments in response.
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I was pretty sure that was what happened because it was WAY too early to have fully loaded passengers. And they kept saying we hadn’t booked the wheelchairs and hearing assistance — but it was printed on the printout I got from them the day before. It was probably why by the end there were two admins as well as the two nasty little desk clerks all scrambling to get us moving — and probably why it was first class to DC from Boston. I can understand their being unhappy, but being so thoroughly unpleasant is just personal.
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I’m glad you guys are back. Flying in America is not a recommended pastime.
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Flying anywhere isn’t a great idea these days. The lockdowns may be over — for now — but the travel industry got hit really hard. They aren’t going to win us back by behaving badly, either.
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Very true. I use Emirates for flying to and from USA. They had pretty good service
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I have heard that too.
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👍🏼
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The doppelganger thing is strange. I’ve never seen anyone who looks exactly like me although I’ve occasionally been mistaken for someone else. I am sure that David had a doppelganger in Adelaide though as many times people used to tell him that they had seen him in such and such place.
He thought that his double may have also worked for the railways as people from work sometimes called him by another name.
David was adopted so I guess it is possible that he had a close relative who looked similar. He never wanted to find his birth family so we never found out.
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The woman in Jerusalem REALLY looked like me. It was pretty strange. Jews are a bit inbred and those of us who came from the same part of the world — and sometimes, the same city — are probably related. Regardless, it’s still unnerving.
Garry and I have been hugely uninterested in seeking out other family. Maybe if I was younger, I’d be more interested. But Garry simply wasn’t and still isn’t. He likes history, just not HIS personal history.
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Thanks Marilyn for Sharing Your World. I’m looking forward to the ‘travelogue’ and will be reading with much interest. I hate flying and the little you shared here doesn’t inspire great confidence that things are somehow better. I am a pessimist and I know I see things fairly darkly, but I saw this current batch of ‘workers’ coming for a while. They were entitled, spoiled, overly pampered children and teenagers, why should they change just because they’re supposed to be adults. It’s very depressing so I don’t dwell. Your answers were great! We all experience ennui now and then, and I’m as guilty of it as anyone else. I’m glad to see a bit of a thaw all the same though! That doppelganger question is a bit odd granted. I used to be stopped by some stranger often enough and called by various other names, or asked if I were related to so and so, whom I’d never heard of. I blame my great grandfathers (both sides) polygamy for it…of course there are dozens that look a lot like me. But I’ve never heard of nor encountered an exact replica. That would be freaky! 😲 Honest, ethical people who don’t worship at the throne of more and more money are rare. Bless you both for being such people…you are such a good example! Have a great week!
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All the crew we had working with us were exhausted adults. Some of them didn’t look much younger than me. What they looked was tired and frustrated. They can’t make the plane land sooner or change a cancellation or a long-delayed plane. All they can do is apologize (over and over and over) and try to make you comfortable.
They were really nice. We were late so they were late and they couldn’t get home, so they were going to have to stay over in Boston (on the return trip) or wherever on the outgoing trip. Now, the people at the desk at Logan Airport in Boston? THEY were really bad. Hostile, stupid, and stubborn. They spent so much time arguing with each other, by the time they were done, we’d missed our flight.
It’s pretty bad. There aren’t enough crew members or enough functional planes and however bad Delta is, Anton, who flies a lot, says everyone else is even worse.
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Welcome home!
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We made it. I think it’s going take me a while to catch up with myself.
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