Caveman's Watch Forum

The trip is off to a rather inauspicious start.

May 31, 2011 02:21PM

First I was running late (so late that I missed breakfast.. for me, that's late indeed! Wink

). I get to the gate less than ten minutes before boarding is scheduled to start.. and they announce that the plane has "technical problems", and the delay will be approx. an hour. Ack! That makes my connection in Atlanta extremely iffy.

Oh well. What can you do? It's gettin' along lunch-time now, so I mosey back down the concourse to Corky's BBQ and get me a pulled-pork sammich with double slaw, beans on the side. Hey! You can't get that where I'm going, so I need something to tide me over. wink

All this takes less than 30 minutes, yet when I get back to the gate they're already boarding. WTH?! I'm told that the problem wasn't nearly as serious as they initially thought, thus the shorter-than-anticipated delay. Hooookay.. That's a good thing! Right? Well.. not so fast.

The nice lady at the gate gets a call, looks extremely concerned, then positively thunderstruck, then they halt boarding. We stand in line like dummies for about 10 minutes, then they announce that - Oops! Oops!

- Maybe the plane isn't exactly fixed after all. WTH?! I am angry!

Another 5 minutes, and the announce that those that have already boarded will have to de-plane. Eek!

Well, at this point there's no way I'm gonna make my connection in Atlanta. Frowning

Off to the friendly Help Desk to rebook. Frowning

The ladies were actually very helpful, and since I was originally scheduled to arrive in Zurich at 09:35 local time, they do their best to get me there as quickly a possible. That turns out to be 14:20 Zurich local time. The catch? The route is Memphis > Boston > Paris > Amsterdam then then Zurich. I'm like "Isn't there something a little more direct?" Sure! We can do Memphis > Amsterdam > Zurich but I won't arrive until 16:35 Zurich time. All that to save a couple of hours? Crazy! Loco!

So, sure, I elected to trade ~ 2-1/2 hours for fewer stops and thus correspondingly fewer chances of yet another screwup.

So I'm stuck here at Memphis International for another ~ 4 hours before my plane departs. {sigh}

Ah well, it could be worse. At least you can still smoke in Memphis Intl. Provided you nurse an $8 pint of Guinness in the Bluesville Cafe, that is. Smile

To stay on-topic, I'll mention that I'm taking two watches with me. This is one:

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for Watch or Accessory Review

Don't want these fellows to think that I'm too much of a Fan Boy of Swiss tech. Smile

For, at least as far as the machine tool in question, they still have to prove to my satisfaction that it's worth the ~ $800K they want for it. Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off

Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off

-Ricky

Live long and prosper.

Messages in This Thread

The trip is off to a rather inauspicious start.	Ricky Lee	235	May 31, 2011 02:21PM
Ricky, I hope it all works out for the best! Both business time and vacation time! Be safe and strong!	IF	68	May 31, 2011 11:38PM
I'd rather have a slow start and a great vacation then the other way around. Enjoy, be safe and have fun (n/t)	Reto	65	May 31, 2011 10:42PM
A'ye Carumba- good luck! (n/t)	Cleans Up	64	May 31, 2011 09:53PM
Hang in there, and safe travels! (n/t)	DJM	63	May 31, 2011 08:31PM
The heck with a review of the watch scene I want a review of the 800k machine tool.	Alan J	87	May 31, 2011 07:40PM
Re: I want a review of the 800k machine tool. Since my employer will require me to write a document which amounts to pretty much just that, you just may get your wish.	Ricky Lee	54	June 02, 2011 02:24PM
Wrong forum (n/t)	Adam in NYC	72	May 31, 2011 08:20PM
Look forward to you review of the watch scene over there. (n/t)	Adam in NYC	78	May 31, 2011 07:26PM
That really does bite RL. I hope the rest of the trip goes as planned (n/t)	Larry	88	May 31, 2011 05:52PM
It's an omen. Stay home!! Just remember, it's it's going this well on the outbound trip, you do eventually have to get home again.	Chris L	73	May 31, 2011 05:37PM
Now there's a comforting thought! Quote Chris L Just remember, it's it's going this well on the outbound trip, you do eventually have to get home again. Things are lookin' up, though. Today was great!	Ricky Lee	54	June 02, 2011 02:21PM
O man! That sucks! Sorry to hear Ricky. Safe travels and have fun in (n/t)	cmoy	81	May 31, 2011 05:05PM
No fun (n/t)	Ed Brandwein	59	May 31, 2011 04:14PM
Hope better travel finds you, friend!!! I HATE the airport!!! The last time we were flying back from Florida, they almost landed the plain cause a passenger was having a "Panic" attack!!! They even announced if there was a doctor onboard......Geez.....Felt like throwing my shoe at the old hag!! Turned out to be absolutely NOTHING. Have fun in the land of chocolate and watches!!!	dano0	89	May 31, 2011 02:27PM
Re: Hope better travel finds you, friend!!! I HATE the airport!!! Consider yourself lucky to never have had one (I assume). I've had a guy break his shin across mine playing ball, been in a head-on auto accident with a semi, had to have emergency surgery after developing serious cellulitis from a botfly infestation in my foot, been bitten by a python, and was hospitalized with encephalitis twice. I can say with all seriousness that I'd choose ANY of the aforementioned circumstances over repeating the excrutiating misery of the "Panic" attack I had back in 1991.	DJM	80	May 31, 2011 08:38PM
Botfly infection, encephalitis, bitten by a python... do you have a second life as Indiana Jones?	JFK3531	93	June 01, 2011 07:42AM
Re: do you have a second life as Indiana Jones? It's actually my first life. I never really thought about it until I started listing everything; it does sound dramatic and exciting. It sounds a lot worse than it is in reality.	DJM	74	June 01, 2011 09:52AM
You're too modest! Add in the prairie dog attack, and it's like you're Indiana Jones and Steve Irwin all rolled into one!	Ricky Lee	83	June 02, 2011 02:18PM
Hope your trip took a turn for the better. (n/t)	DJM	64	June 02, 2011 03:01PM
Egadds man, seriously who gets bitten by a python? Need I say more?	Cleans Up	77	May 31, 2011 09:56PM
Was my own fault. I was feeding it a dead mouse by hand and it missed the mouse. (n/t)	DJM	73	June 01, 2011 06:25AM
Same thing hapend to me! Had a pet Python a few years back. It was only about six feet long when I was bitten so it wasn't too bad. just a bunch of tinny pin-pricks and sort of an abrasion from pulling against the teeth.	jeremd676	61	June 01, 2011 10:16AM
Yep, a horseshoe-shaped arc of tiny holes! I can't believe I forgot THIS one, but>>> when I worked as a keeper for a major zoo, I was bitten by a prairie dog. WAY WAY worse than any non-venomous snake bites I've had, and I've had a few. The little bugger hung on the end of my finger for a couple seconds when I jerked my arm back; sunk his incisors pretty deep into my index finger.	DJM	80	June 01, 2011 11:12AM
BTW Dano>>> don't get the idea that I'm offended, I have much thicker skin than that. Just sharing my experience. That's one of the things I like about this place, there's always someone with an experience or point of view that you might not have considered.	DJM	92	May 31, 2011 08:43PM
Hey..guess if I never wore the shoes right? That does sound pretty horrible!! (n/t)	dano0	73	May 31, 2011 09:18PM

Part One - Prequel	Part Ten - Travel Day, Giant Swiss Knife
Part Two - Arrival / Fribourg	Part Eleven - More Window Shopping
Part Three - Biel / Bienne	Part Twelve - Swiss vehicles
Part Four - Window Shopping	Part Thirteen - Homeward Bound
Part Five - Neuchatel, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle, Jura mountains	Part Fourteen - Bumotec and Hysek tours
Part Six - Swiss Cows, Misc.	Part Fifteen - Musée Omega
Part Seven - Starting Gun	Part Sixteen - Musée d'Horlogerie du Locle
Part Eight - Side trip	Part Seventeen - Martin and Ueli do Memphis
Part Nine - M-Z factory, Patek	< Return to Watch Blog Index >

< Next installment is HERE >

Caveman's Watch Forum

The trip is off to a rather inauspicious start.

The trip is off to a rather inauspicious start.

Ricky, I hope it all works out for the best! Both business time and vacation time! Be safe and strong!

I'd rather have a slow start and a great vacation then the other way around. Enjoy, be safe and have fun (n/t)

A'ye Carumba- good luck! (n/t)

Hang in there, and safe travels! (n/t)

The heck with a review of the watch scene I want a review of the 800k machine tool.

Re: I want a review of the 800k machine tool. Since my employer will require me to write a document which amounts to pretty much just that, you just may get your wish.

Wrong forum (n/t)

Look forward to you review of the watch scene over there. (n/t)

That really does bite RL. I hope the rest of the trip goes as planned (n/t)

It's an omen. Stay home!! Just remember, it's it's going this well on the outbound trip, you do eventually have to get home again.

Now there's a comforting thought!

O man! That sucks! Sorry to hear Ricky. Safe travels and have fun in (n/t)

No fun (n/t)

Botfly infection, encephalitis, bitten by a python... do you have a second life as Indiana Jones?

Re: do you have a second life as Indiana Jones? It's actually my first life. I never really thought about it until I started listing everything; it does sound dramatic and exciting. It sounds a lot worse than it is in reality.

You're too modest! Add in the prairie dog attack, and it's like you're Indiana Jones and Steve Irwin all rolled into one!

Hope your trip took a turn for the better. (n/t)

Egadds man, seriously who gets bitten by a python? Need I say more?

Was my own fault. I was feeding it a dead mouse by hand and it missed the mouse. (n/t)

Same thing hapend to me! Had a pet Python a few years back. It was only about six feet long when I was bitten so it wasn't too bad. just a bunch of tinny pin-pricks and sort of an abrasion from pulling against the teeth.

BTW Dano>>> don't get the idea that I'm offended, I have much thicker skin than that. Just sharing my experience. That's one of the things I like about this place, there's always someone with an experience or point of view that you might not have considered.

Hey..guess if I never wore the shoes right? That does sound pretty horrible!! (n/t)

Ricky, I hope it all works out for the best! Both business time and vacation time!
Be safe and strong!

The heck with a review of the watch scene
I want a review of the 800k machine tool.

Re: I want a review of the 800k machine tool.
Since my employer will require me to write a document which amounts to pretty much just that, you just may get your wish.

It's an omen. Stay home!!
Just remember, it's it's going this well on the outbound trip, you do eventually have to get home again.

Botfly infection, encephalitis, bitten by a python...
do you have a second life as Indiana Jones?

Re: do you have a second life as Indiana Jones?
It's actually my first life. I never really thought about it until I started listing everything; it does sound dramatic and exciting. It sounds a lot worse than it is in reality.

You're too modest!
Add in the prairie dog attack, and it's like you're Indiana Jones and Steve Irwin all rolled into one!

Egadds man, seriously who gets bitten by a python?
Need I say more?

Same thing hapend to me! Had a pet Python a few years back.
It was only about six feet long when I was bitten so it wasn't too bad. just a bunch of tinny pin-pricks and sort of an abrasion from pulling against the teeth.

BTW Dano>>>
don't get the idea that I'm offended, I have much thicker skin than that. Just sharing my experience. That's one of the things I like about this place, there's always someone with an experience or point of view that you might not have considered.