Flight Schedules

 

 

It was with a great deal of interest that I read in this morning's news about Delta's struggle to maintain flight schedules. I imagine that it can't be easy, with so many variables at play: crews, maintenance, weather, etc. So kudos to Delta for getting me home on time! Well, at least this time. :-)  

ATL

Well, the Atlanta International Airport is a happening place. I'll have to say that much. The morning I arrived, as I was exiting the airport, an announcement came over the loudspeakers that a "lockdown" was in effect. I later learned that there had been a fire somewhere. And I think I may have discovered where that fire took place, since all the ceiling tiles had been removed from the gate where my plane was parked. And, by the way, all the shops in that corridor were closed. Had to walk a quarter mile (and back!) just to get a bagel and tea. 

Sheesh! Air travel! Almost makes me want to drive. Only, my next scheduled trip is back to England, and I ain't exactly likely to go there by boat!

2026 Toyota Camry

This was the second time in a row that I drew a 2026 Toyota Camry from the Enterprise lottery. While nothing new or exciting, it did have the distinct advantage of familiarity. CarPlay is beginning to make sense, although the interface with my iPhone isn't always as simple and straightforward as I would like. Lane Tracing Assist seems a little dubious, but I'm definitely liking the Proactive Driving Assist.  Now, if I could just get all this in a slightly smaller package . . .

P1

On the move again, this time to find my car for the quick trip back to ATL. Thank goodness for signs! 

Skytrain

 

"The ATL SkyTrain is an automated people mover (APM) at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport that runs 24/7 between the domestic terminal and rental car center." -- Wikipedia

Champions

 

A sports bar and restaurant in the hotel called Champions where I sat down to a late lunch or early supper. No snacks for the hoi palloi on the plane because of what the pilot called a "bumpy ride." Not sure the Biscoff cookies the crew nevertheless handed out to the first class passengers would have been worth the extra fare. Made the price I paid for my salmon salad at Champions seem quite economical by comparison. :-)

Housekeeping

 

Well, you know I'm always interested in how professionals handle routine housekeeping chores, mostly in order to see if I can learn any new tricks of my own. In this case, I was not entirely "im-pressed" by the bed cover. Seems to me it could have used a couple more passes with an iron. Maybe because the front desk bumped me up to the top floor after discovering I needed a feather-free room? I will say, though, that the sofa gave me one of the most comfortable afternoon naps I've had in a long time. And the accompanying writing stand--was just what I need to jot down some quick notes.

You Are Here

Another parking garage or, as the British call it, another "car park." Fortunately, the hotel where I stayed provided this convenient little sign next to the elevator.

Autowalks

When I read yesterday about the Trump administration's desire to redevelop Dulles International Airport and to possibly do away with the so-called "mobile lounges," I had to chuckle a little bit, especially as I thought about the autowalks at the Atlanta airport. Not sure I which I prefer. 

I didn't mind the walking. In fact, I actually preferred to walk rather than to take the airport's trains. But I'm not sure I would consider those advancements over Dulles' shuttles.

Relativity

No, not one, but multiple escalators! I'm sure that over time I would begin to make sense of all these, but to someone who hasn't been to Atlanta's airport in years, they were somewhat bewildering. Like, am I any nearer to my destination than when I started? Or am I trapped inside one of M. C. Escher's woodcuts? :-)

Escalators

 

There sure were a lot of these at Atlanta International Airport.

Buckle Up

 

Fortunately, the crew didn’t have to buckle up. Pretty smooth ride, this despite my having to drive through rain and even a rainbow (!) to get to the airport.

Boeing 757-200HD

 

My ride from Norfolk to Atlanta was a Boeing 757-200HD.

Layout

There is a logic to how airports are laid out, I'm sure. But I have yet to entirely understand it, despite having taught logic to undergraduate students. Hmm. For instance, why this HUGE space dedicated to eateries with a little sculpture something-or-other in the middle? The only advantage I can see is that I certainly got my steps in before the flight. Not nearly as many as I got by walking from my plane to my rental car in Atlanta, but a decent number nonetheless. Or maybe the persons responsible were thinking about future expansion. In any case, it's confusing. So maybe I should have consulted this terminal map BEFORE I arrived? 

 

Flight Crew

 

This photo taken at Norfolk International Airport actually later proved helpful as I was trying to remember where I parked my car, although my original interest was in the flight crew evidently heading off either for a well deserved rest or else heading home.

Packing

 

Spent the better part of yesterday packing for a . . .

lightning-quick flight (Oops! Maybe an unlucky turn of phrase that.) to Georgia today . . .

to attend a coat-and-tie affair on Wednesday.

Always tricky, given that I never travel with anything more than a carryon and maybe, occasionally, a camera bag. Still haven't quite decided about the latter. Just one more complication as I pass through airport security. Still, I might give it a whirl. 

Steamed Milk

 

THE major discovery during my trip--steamed milk in my morning oatmeal at the Tandem Bagel Company. Why, oh why, did it take me so long to discover this fantastic new dimension to my morning ritual?! My great thanks to the manager on duty at Tandem for instructing me on how to do this at home!

Beds

 

Are you curious about housekeeping details? I am. So when I checked in to my hotel in Massachusetts, one of the first things I did was to see how the bed was made. No fitted sheets here. Just one sheet spread on top of another with a cover nicely tucked. 

One thing I'm always very careful about are feather pillows. Nope! Can't have any. Badly allergic. The hotel here likes to include two feather pillows with two synthetic. But within five minutes of my arrival, the switch to all synthetic occurred. Thankful for that. 

Residence Inn

 

Created to provide accommodations for more long-term stays, this Residence Inn in East Windsor nonetheless served my needs. Arrived late, of course, due to terrible traffic farther south. But what a relief to get off the road even for a short stay overnight. The complimentary breakfast was a selling point. So many places abandoned that idea, I think, during and after Covid. 

Plan C

Time to play catch up, I suppose. Since last I posted, I was aboard a plane scheduled to fly from Richmond, Virginia, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where I was later scheduled to catch another plane to Hartford, Connecticut. But . . . the plane's brakes "broke", so passengers were forced to look for alternatives. Plan B, according to American Airlines, was to fly me to National Airport in Washington, D.C., later in the afternoon, to be followed by a late night flight leaving Washington at around 10:30 p.m. and not arriving in Hartford until midnight.

No thank you! I wasn't about to spend my Fourth of July holiday sitting around in airports waiting and just hoping that all my connections worked out. So, after speaking personally to the pilot on my original flight--no kidding, he and I had a tête-á-tête of sorts--I opted simply to cancel all my flights, rent a car, and drive to New Jersey.