denver. united. hell.

So yesterday was probably the longest day I've ever had ... Well, I can't prove that, but it sure felt like it: started off getting up early and getting the freebie bad breakfast at the hotel- watching the fatties go straight for the donut tray while I munched on yogurt and oatmeal. The coffee was so bad that I spat it out and had to go with tea- I can't believe they really serve that pre-made gunk and call it coffee.
Then I rushed to pack my stuff and didn't have time for a shower, got to dad's house to take him to his rehab and parked, walked upstairs, tripped out because he didn't answer my call, "ready to start your hab?" and went down to the car where he was waiting... I went up and he went down...
His hospital looks like a nursing home- with a big staircase and nice carpeting and a fireplace and a piano and nice couches- a café and a gift store and an upstairs view of the lake. The only thing missing was old people being wheeled around the lake to feed the missing geese. Add that and dad would be at home... ;-)
Then, after he was pooped from his first day at hab, took him to IHOP where we both had an egg-substitute garden scramble... I know that with the lack of available healthy food unless you spend more and cook organic at home for yourself, it's going to be hard to motivate himself to eat healthily and not end up an obese diabetic corn munching beef eating mullet man in Iowa.
Best of luck with that one, pops.
After driving him home I spent about an hour finishing the Wicked book down by the river. It was calm, semi-cloudy, humid and nice... A good way to leave the place behind for now...
The flight from Moline to Denver was fine, and uneventful. On time and pleasant enough for a small and uncomfortable plane like all planes...
Then Denver turned into the Hellish nightmare airport of my undreams.
First the plane to SFO is delayed for unknown reasons. When it gets there it's got a hydraulic leak. They updated us every 45 minutes or so until after the 3rd update they finally cancelled the flight. I rushed to the counter to book another- got an automated phone call from United telling me I was successfully booked on the flight out tomorrow morning. Uh, no thanks. I got the flight to Oakland leaving another hour and a half later, and THAT plane has problems with the A/c! So another hour later they update us to tell us that they've found another plane to use, but it doesn't leave until 8:40 (two hours later!!!). So I got to know the shops and floor around gate B44 real well.

Finally on my way to Oakland, the kid behind me kicks my seat the whole way and my neck was cricked to one side from leaning on my tray table the whole flight. And the flight attendant forgot to get me my pillow. The whole time I'm simultaneously crossing my fingers hoping my bag made it through the 3 plane confusion in Denver and cursing the airline for all its fuckups- even the little light didn't work so I couldn't keep reading my cool new book- "Special Topics in Calamity Physics", Marisha Pessl, Penguin 2006.
SO
Yet while in Denver I chatted with some guy who was on the SFO flight and made it on another SFO flight, and met up with this guy Mick who used to work at Mission and I'd bought parts from and knows Amy. And, got a voucher for ground transport back into the city, and a $100 ticket voucher, lest I revert to having to use United ever again...
And, landed at about a quarter to 11. My bag never made it. No representative at the United counter. Pissed off people and laptop punching assholes were all angry about one thing or another.
The bag lady did hook up a travel voucher after standing there breathing down her neck for a long half hour, what felt like all night...
I went outside thankful for fresh air, and went up to the first shuttle I saw, the Russian driver guy had no idea what this voucher was, but took me anyway, with an old lady, an old guy, a young lady and a young gay couple. He drove slowly, too slowly for 12 AM and got all the way to the bridge before the lady said anything about being dropped off in Oakland, so we backtracked after the guy worked out his GPS and that took at least a half hour off the whole thing... Then we made it through, and after dropping everyone off by 1:15am I walked upstairs to be greeted by a scrunchy puppy face wagging to see me and a groaning sleepy boy keeping my bed warm...
Ah it's nice to be back.
Today my bag came delivered to work!~ and my Russ bear and my laptop and everything in it seems to be in order... Sigh of relief!
Thanks a bunches, life, you dealt me another good go...