Travels

My travels have gone extraordinarily well, 6 flights, 35,000 kilometers. It is the 7th flight that didn't go as planned. The flight board said that my flight was on time but then I heard whispers around the flight counter. Then an announcement that Boise was "fogged in." I was in Salt Lake. They boarded the flight with the intent to fly intoo Twin Falls instead of Boise. Hold us in Twin Falls until a later flight landed and then bus us at some late hour to Boise. I called Naomi who had traveled from Auckland to Los Angeles and was to meet me in Boise. She said that her flight appeared to be on time. I urged her to check. I began visiting with an army psychologist next to me on the flight. Soon the flight crew was in the cabin bringing suitcases from the suitcase hold because if the luggage is in the cabin it doesn't count as luggage weight. Naomi called and said that her flight was cancelled. She was going to try to get to Portland, Oregon in order to stay with here brother.

After 20 minutes of delay, the ground crew came into the flight and said, "we need a volunteer to stay, we have to reduce the flight weight." I volunteered. The stewardess said, "Give this man a cheer." The whole plane erupted into applause and cheers (since the plane could now take off but they had hours of travel ahead of them. The airline personnel thanked me profusely and gave me a hotel room, meal vouchers, $400 of Delta flight coupons and a first class seat on a flight tomorrow. Now I'm cheering. So I am in a hotel in Salt Lake. Naomi called, she is being flown to Denver because if she had waited in L.A. she could not get out until Sunday. Her brother, John called her cousin in Denver who is going to pick her up. She will get to see cousins and an aunt and uncle and have a day with thm. We hope to meet up in Boise, Friday night.

I have 8 flights remaining before I get back to Auckland. Salt Lake to Boise, Boise to Dallas, Dallas to Philadelphia; Philadelphia to Dallas, Dallas to Philadelphia, Philadelphia to Los Angeles and then Los Angeles to Auckland. Even though it is Christmas season a number of these flights were $100 tickets. I am not sure how the airlines do it.