I’ve pulled this from the archives and it's for anyone who’s ever had “one of those days”, or in this case...four days. For those of you who don’t believe in travel karma this may change your mind…pay attention to the time/date stamps.
This is the first post of two on Travel Karma…first the bad and then the good.
Schadenfreude!
Day 1 - Monday June 11, 2007
Travelogue 5:45 pm – arrive in Detroit early, nice airport… can’t believe I've arrived early. Call Lara because I can’t find Mark’s flight information on the arrival board. Lara tells me that his plane is delayed and won’t arrive until 7:30 pm. No problem I’ll grab something to eat and wait for him and Sean.
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 6:03 PM
To: Scott Gillum; Sean
Subject: Flight delayed- still on the ground in ATL
Scott and Sean:
I've been stuck on the tarmac for about 90 minutes they say due to weather up North. No sign of anything at the airport taking off to the North.
What time do you arrive? Looks like 8:00 to 8:30 if we get out in the next half hour. Otherwise I'll probably shoot myself... And then it won't matter.
BTW, who booked me on Northwest?? Very tight, very hot in here...
What's your status?
Mark
----- Original Message -----
From: Scott Gillum
To: Mark, Sean
Sent: Mon Jun 11 18:11:08 2007
Subject: Re: Flight delayed- still on the ground in ATL
I've arrived and am sitting in a nice air conditioned bar in the A terminal about to have a nice Greek dinner.
Got to go... my drink just arrive, call me when you get in. Headed to the hotel for a good night of sleep after a big dinner.
Good luck and safe travels. Oh, here comes my appetizer. Bye.
----- Original Message -----
From: Mark
To: Scott Gillum; Sean
Sent: Mon Jun 11 18:14:10 2007
Subject: Re: Flight delayed- still on the ground in ATL
Oooooooh. You're just getting me ramped up. Don't expect any mercy from me when the moment is right.
Mark
Sr. Vice President
MarketBridge
-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Gillum
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 6:39 PM
To: Mark, SeanSubject:
Re: Flight delayed- still on the ground in ATL
Sorry I couldn't respond sooner, you really need your hands to eat Greek food.
You realize that I probably have cursed myself on the outbound flight now.
Call me when you get in...unless it's too late. I really need my sleep to be on my game.
Travelogue 7:00 pm - Catch the Hilton shuttle bus to the hotel a quick 5 min ride. Arrive at the hotel – “OMG, what a shit hole”. Under-construction, the front is completely gone…contemplate getting back on the bus. Suck it up and enter to find a lobby in the hallway. Check-in and walk thru the Workout Area (a former hotel room) and thru the make shift restaurant which looks to be meeting room. Diners don’t seem to notice that I’m walking thru with my bags. Enter room and open the curtains for a fine view of what looks to be the Motel from the Eminen movie 8 Mile across the street. Look at the direction for the meeting tomorrow - the map and notice we’re a good 20 miles from the client…meeting starts at 8:30 am.
Travelogue 8:10 pm - Mark and Sean land…decide to flee and find a hotel closer to the client. Check and make a reservation at the Weber Restaurant & Hotel. A well known steak house in the area that happens to have added a hotel that “get’s a lot of press for its indoor pool” according to a review on Google.
Travelogue 9:30 pm – arrive at Weber and check-in. Clerk has a problem finding the reservation…finally finding it under “Scott Dillum”.
Day 2 – Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Departing on the 3:17 pm to Washington. All of us are leaving at about the same time.
Travelogue 1:00 pm – check voicemail and hear a message from Northwest Airlines that my flight has been canceled and I have been rebooked on the 9:00 pm flight. Call and speak with my assistant who works with the travel agency to book me on the 5:35 pm.
Flight departs from the gate but…
----- Original Message -----
From: Scott Gillum
To: Mark; Sean
Sent: Tue Jun 12 17:58:45 2007
Subject: What comes around...
Sitting on the tarmac... in the parking lot... grounded because of a weather delay...no time given yet for wheels up.
Great, they just shut the engines down...
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 6:34 PM
To: Scott Gillum; Sean
Subject: Re: What comes around...
Oh man... The sweet taste. I couldn't reply sooner because I had to finish my frosty ice cream cone I just picked up after landing.
Mark
Sr. Vice President
-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Gillum
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 8:40 PM
To: Mark, Sean
Subject: Perfect karma
Spending the night in Detroit...
Travelogue 9:00 pm – arrive back at the gate with tension headache and taste of bile in my mouth. Buy underwear, shirt, socks, Tums and Tylenol. Check into an airport hotel…not the Hilton.
-----Original Message-----
From: Sean
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 10:09 PM
To: Scott Gillum; Mark
Subject: RE: Perfect karma
Sitting in Seattle and I can't help but think you brought this all on yourself, Scott Dillum.
Regards-
Sean
MarketBridge
Day 3 – Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Departing on the 6:30 am to Washington connecting to the 8:30 am Delta Shuttle to New York. No flights available to New York direct from Detroit. Need to be at a important client meeting in NYC for 10 am meeting. No chance to make it on time but my colleague Chris is catching a 7:30 am flight on USAir and will be there on time to cover.
-----Original Message-----
From: Chris
Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 8:05 AM
To: Chris, Scott GillumSubject: Also having flight issues .
Will arrive at LGA at 9:30
I will have Lara contact the client.
Travelogue 8:30 am – make the shuttle to find Chris sitting on my plane. No chance of being on time for the meeting now. Ingest 2 Tums and Tylenol.
Travelogue 6:00 pm – call Lara to make sure my 6:30 pm shuttle is on time and to check weather condition. Make comment that if there looks like there are any problems I will go to the train station. Lara confirms that the flight is on time and looks good.
Travelogue 6:15 pm – check-in…flight is on time but notice 5:30 pm has been cancelled. Plane departs gate on time. Pilot announces that we will be parked for at least a half an hour waiting for our flight sequence.
Travelogue 7:00 pm – Pilot announces that he has no news but will update in 15 minutes…bile taste coming back, grab Tums. 15 minutes later…no update…15 later…we’re #5 for take-off. We’re airborne.
Travelogue 8:00 pm – Pilot announces that DC has stop inbound flights because of storms in the area. We’ll be circling Dover, Delaware for at least 30 minutes. Search briefcase for Tums to find a banana that I thru in earlier that day….completely destroyed…feels like wet oatmeal.
Travelogue 8:30 pm – Pilot announces that he has no news…but will update us again in 15 minutes. 15 minutes later makes announcement that they are still not taking flights and if we don’t get the word in another 15 minutes we’ll have to re-route to another airport to re-fuel.
Travelogue 9:15 pm – we land…in Baltimore. No gate available which is not a issue because…no one is available to bring the plane into the gate, work the jet way, etc. Tums are gone.
----- Original Message -----
From: Scott Gillum
To: Lara
Sent: Wed Jun 13 21:21:50 2007
Subject: Didn't make back again
Landed in Baltimore tonight. Catching a cab...if I'm lucky. I may or may not be in tomorrow.
Travelogue 9:45 pm – catch cab, 45 minute should be home finally. Get on I95 to find that 2 lanes are closed…traffic slows to a crawl. Bile returning, stomach churning, head out the window…possibility of hurling very real. Call home and announce to wife that I’m quitting my job.
Travelogue ? – lost all track of time but finally home….car at Reagan National.
Day 4 – Thursday, June 14, 2007
Car service takes me to Reagan to pick up my car.
Travelogue 12:45 pm - finally, in my office searching online for a Psychic to get my "Aura" adjusted. Find that I now have a twitch above my left eye brought on by any mention of a storm, airport or plane. Just submitted a PO request for a “Madden Cruiser.”
