Scribblings from the Mitchy Side

I beat the alarm clock by an hour - 4am! gnngg! - due to the Vengeful Portobello Mushroom so I was dressed and ready to go smack on time. I huggled the Jenni, who was rather bleary, bless her. Next time we share a room, jenni411, I promise not to book an early morning flight!

The Shuttle Bus arrived on time and I was whisked to JFK, where I had to stand in the world's slowest check in queue. Dear gods, it was badly organised and badly planned that morning, which isn't like American Airlines at all. There was a gigantic queue for people with 8.30 flights and two check in people dealing with them TWO! Whereas the San Juan flight had 3 people serving them - there were complaints. Finally, I got checked in and then had to scamper from Terminal 9 to Terminal 8. Insane!! Why get people to check into Terminal 9 if the plane isn't going to go from there! Grr!!

I barely had time to change the dollars jenni411 had given me into sterling before it was time to get to the gate. I got there 15 minutes before boarding in the end. No time for breakfast either, which pleased me not at all, as it meant I'd have to eat *shudder* airline food *twitch*. We boarded on time but there was a half an hour delay on the runway after the captain casually informed us they were "just checking out the smell of burning from the galley". Way to reassure your passengers there, fly boy. Turns out someone spilt coffee on a hot plate or something. Gah!

I stayed awake long enough to eat some of the breakfast - actually, it wasn't that bad, I just don't like eating during a flight and try and avoid having anything but a snack. The smell of the food makes me nauseous, doesn't matter what food is being served or what it tastes like. *shrugs* Eh. Anyway, after breakfast, I got comfy and crashed out. Slept like a log and didn't wake up until we were an hour out from the UK. That's the way to fly :) We landed just shy of 9pm local time. Way to lose a whole day - remind me not to do that again and go for an overnight flight next time.

I had no problems at customs or baggage claim (both of which were pretty speedy) and I was soon lugging my gear down to the London Underground. There, I was NOT PLEASED to discover that my bus replacement service avoidance plan was buggered up by London Transport closing the Piccadilly line between Heathrow and Acton. Bastards! So I had to grit my teeth and get on a replacement bus. Oh well. From Acton it was painless enough and I was soon at King's Cross. I just missed the 10.44pm bus replacement train to WGC, which I did consider catching on the grounds that I'd already suffered one so why not another? But having missed it, I said "Sod it!" and caught the 11.05 to Stevenage. I was a bit worried I wouldn't have enough cash for the taxi back to WGC from Stevenage, having exactly £15 to my name but I was pretty sure I could get so close that walking the rest wouldn't be a problem, so I decided to risk it.

At Stevenage, I spoke to the cabbie before I got in, making it clear I had £15 and that was it. I told him I was close to the A1 and he agreed that I could just do it for £15, so in I hopped and was whisked home. I stopped him just short of the flats just as the meter ticked over to £15! Woo! He was very understanding about not getting a tip too, which was charitable of him.

Home at last! I fed the cat, who was doing his "Eeek! It's my mean, cruel owner who abandoned me! I must run away!!" act, which I ignored and he forgot about as soon as I put his gooshey food down. Heh. I got online and read LJ for a bit, caught up on mail, that kind of thing and finally crashed out about 2.30am. Happily, I'd taken the precaution of provisionally booking Monday off, so hopefully work wasn't surprised when I didn't show up.

And that was my trip to New York! I had a fantabulous time, I really did, and huge thanks go to Mary for providing a sofa for me to sleep on for 3 nights and being a terrific hostess. Extra huggles and thanks to jenni411, in an attempt to make her blush some more, for being a star, sharing the Mets experience with me, being a tourist in her home city and saving my life by staking me the cash I needed for the last day or so and the trip home.

All in all I can sum up the holiday with a YAY!!! *grins*

( Saturday morning, cancelling cards )

( Strands and food )

( Cruise and more food )

Back at the hotel, I had a shower and washed my hair, then packed everything, checking carefully that I had everything this time! For verily and forsooth, I had to be in the lobby for a 5.30am pick up by the Shuttle Service to the hotel. Gnnng!

There will be much baseball and Mitchy-type squee-ing in this entry. You've been warned *grins*

( Friday morning and the Uptown Tour )

( Friday Afternoon )

( The Big Game )

( Let's Go Mets! )

(For part 1, read here)

( Wednesday morning and getting out and about )

( Grand Central Station )

( Visiting Jenni )

Made it back in one piece, despite London Underground neatly foiling my bus replacement avoidance plans by sticking a bus replacement service between Heathrow and Acton on the Piccadilly line. Bastards! However, it was only mildly annoying and didn't delay me significantly. I finally got home around 11.40pm. Memo to self: plan return flights better next time. Do not work it so you lose a whole day, do not come back at a day/time when everything is closed and just save up for the damn long term parking next time, it's a lot less stressful.

I will be writing up my NYC trip tomorrow but I wanted to post this thought I had while on the plane:-

Return flight to New York - £242
Ticket to see New York Mets - £27
Ticket from Penn Station - £6
Watching the Mets beat the Braves in the 14th Innings at Shea Stadium - priceless
Having a friend who stakes you money for two days after you lose your wallet on the train to Shea - beyond priceless *huggles the jenni411 to bits*

Well that was one of the most organised flights I think I've had. I was up sufficiently early that I was able to catch the 6.45am train from WGC - I'll pause for those of you who know and love me to to absorb the rather unusual fact that I WAS UP EARLY - and had a majorly smooth run to Heathrow. Only had to wait 30 seconds for a Heathrow train at Finsbury Park and by 8.30, I was at the airport.

( Heathrow and JFK )

( Manhattan and Wot I Dun After I Got There )

Back at Mary's, we watched some TV before I finally crashed out on the SCSitW, having been on the move for 23 hours. I slept ok-ish, I kept waking up though and I woke up to the screaming sounds of jackhammers at work at 7am. I also woke up with a splitting headache, which wasn't fun. However, a shower, some food (mm bagels, cream cheese and smoked salmon!) and a couple of Nurofen sorted me out. I have now reacquainted myself with the Subway system, been to Penn Station to buy my ticket to out to Long Island later this afternoon, where I will be visiting jenni411, been to Grand Central Station for a guided tour, of which I will write about later, and now I'm here for the next little while :)

It's going good! :D

Phone American Airlines, check if not being able to print my e-ticket will be a problem - check (it won't)
Sort travel insurance - check (dirt cheap deal online, all sorted)
Decide, once and for all, how I'm getting to and from Heathrow - check (sorted, see below)
Decide how I'm getting to apartment in New York - check (cab - £26 from JFK to Manhattan is a good deal)
Find out how I'm getting in to apartment - check (Mary emailed me this morning with key info)
Get keys to cat feeder - check (doing that this evening)
pack - check (just gotta decide what books to take for the plane)
tidy flat - check

Re: Heathrow. You may recall me wailing because there was a bus replacement service on the return trip, adding a couple of hours of travel time onto my journey. I was all set to leave my car near adelpha and kelemvor's place and bus it to Heathrow from there, but last minute collywobbles about finding a strange place for the first time, navigating to a strange bus stop and catching a bus, all on the day of the flight, made me rethink that option. Plus coming back there was a good chance I'd miss the bus and have to cab it back to the car, as there wasn't much time between my flight landing and the last bus leaving. So after talking it over with a buddy on AIM, and looking up the parking costs for on airport parking, a third option presented itself. Why not catch a train back to Stevenage and not Welwyn Garden City? Bypasses all the bus replacement service crap, it's the next station after WGC, so it won't take significantly longer and a cab from there to my house costs under £15 ( I've done it before). So that's what I'm going to do :) Takes all the stress and strain out of the whole thing. Hurrah!

Now I must go and do something relating to either packing or flat tidying or even both! Or I could have lunch. Oooh. :D

ETA: Check list complete, last minute details sorted and written down. Reckon I'm ready to go :)

One more day of work and then I'm on holiday. Squee!

itsjustaname got tickets for QI when I come back from holiday. Squee!

There's a new chapter up of Diane Duane's "The Big Meow". Squee!

Life is good :)