We had a fantastic time! It was a great time spent with our friends and lots of suprizes.
Thank you so much everyone!!!
Ric & Kathy
I was in Vegas this weekend and didn’t even see this thread until today. I’m sorry I missed the opportunity to meet you (and the other wonderful local Dopers).
Best of luck to you in your new digs!
Sorry I couldn’t be there. I haven’t been to The King’s Head in years. I have some acquaintances in Britain who have fond memories of visiting the KH when they visited SoCal.
Where in Utah are you bound for? I’m moving to Cedar City when I retire in a couple of years.
God’s wounds! What an ordeal!
Not the party. The flight(s) home. Shayna and Spiny Norman (who are wonderful hosts, and who have a neat house) took me to the airport at 0850 for my 1005 flight. They waited while I verified I was at the right terminal.
‘Hey, I booked on Alaska but it says “Operated by American Airlines”. Am I in the right place, or should I be at the American terminal?’
‘You should be here.’
‘Are you sure? It says “Operated by American Airlines”. Right here.’
‘Yes. You this is where you need to be.’
So I stood in the rather long line for half an hour. When I finally got to the counter I was told I needed to be at American. I got on an Enterprise shuttle bus to get to the other side of the airport. The clock is ticking. Oops. That hardware in my knee set off the metal detector. Hand search. I made it to the gate, out of breath and hot (I was wearing my pea coat) with sweat dripping from the ends of my too-shaggy hair. Just in time.
Only there was a delay. Fog in San Francisco. New time is 1200. Well, that’s not good. I have to catch a plane to Seattle, and another plane from Seattle to Bellingham! But I had 2½ hours leeway at SFO. We didn’t pull out intil 1230. Finally I’m on my way! Why are we sitting on the taxiway? What’s that? More delays at SFO? 45 minutes. Tick-tock, tick-tock. Upon landing at SFO I went to an agent to see about getting a differenct flight to Seattle. I didn’t have to. My connecting flight had been delayed! So after about 3½ hours of delays, my next flight is delayed. Good, since I was booked on it. Bad, since it was getting later.
Oh, did I mention I bought two packs of frozen bangers at the King’s Head Shop?
Seattle at last! Only 80 miles to go! Only my Bombarier Q200 had, quite reasonably, left hours before. No seats on the last flight to BLI. Or are there? They had ‘zero available’, but they weren’t full. Weight and balance considerations. Except they didn’t know what weight and balance would be until the plane got there. Where’s the plane? Portland, apparently. Delay upon delay.
So what are my options? A) Get on stand-by and hope. B) Catch a shuttle bus. C) Wait for the 0700 flight Monday morning. C was out because of the sausages. The plane would load at 2000. Last bus out was 2100. I have a cunning plan. I’ll get on stand-by and if I’m not called I can catch the bus.
I get to the gate at 1940. There’s still no plane. 1955: The plane will be at the gate in the minutes. 2015: The plane will be here any time now. When I got to the gate at 1940 and saw there was no transport I stood in the Customer Service line. Either the plane will come and I’ll have a seat, or I’ll have to catch the last bus. An hour later I was near the front of the line. The plane came and passengers were loading. When no one else was in the line at the gate I went over. ‘Do I have a seat?’ ‘I don’t know. If you’re on the list and there’s a seat we’llcall you.’
This is cutting it to the wire. I didn’t know if I’d have time to catch the bus, which Horizon/Alaska would have to get for me. And then a miracle happened. They called my name! There was a tense moment when I presented my boarding pass for the flight that had left hours before, but I got on. Half an hour later I was in Bellingham. Then it was just 20 miles or so to drive home. Hit the driveway at 2205.
I will try my utmost never to fly through SFO again! Weather’s too dicey.
Anyway, the Dopefest.
Rico and cadolphin: Surprise!
Good times talking with my friends, though I didn’t get a chance to chat with BraheSilver very much. I can never finish the King Size fish’n’chips, but I gave some to Shayna and left a fair amount of fries. I believe there was a French fry pirate ship involved in the evening as well. Got my bangers, which I think survived the trip (they were still cold, though not frozen when I got home), and two tins of haggis and two tins of loose Ceylon tea and the smallest jar of Marmite for a new comparison with Vegemite.
Good times! And I renewed my airline miles for another three years and surpassed the 20,000 mile mark so that I can get a free ticket. 
Sounds like they made you earn that free ticket!
Man, that trip should go into the it sucks record bood.
Good seeing you again.
Crud. Well, a King’s Head Fest just wouldn’t be the same without the French fry pirate ship, so I’m glad you surprised them with a trip down to make one!
This one had a lemon peel for a sail. 
St. George
That was some suprize. Sounds like it was on both of us… and we got the good part of it. Sorry you had such a rough trip home Johnny. 
As dad used to say, ‘It all counts on 30.’
The flights home were unpleasant, but now that they’re over I can laugh about them – or at least roll my eyes. And the experience has afforded me knowledge that will be useful in the future.
The important thing is that I got to see my friends again, and to wish you and *Rico bon voyage.