Thursday, August 20, 2015

Crochet to the Rescue

Here I was sitting in my hotel room in Appleton, Wisconsin trying to get myself to focus. I didn’t get enough sleep and I felt likehave a hangover from yesterday. Not from alcohol, but from a difficult day.

I found out at 9 o’clock in the morning that the seat I had reserved and paid extra for on United Airlines had arbitrarily and without notice been given away, via an opportunity to check in for my flight online. Months ago, I had made sure that I had an aisle seat as I am a little claustrophobic and now suddenly I found out I had an unassigned seat and there were only middle seats left. When I asked to speak to a supervisor, I was put on hold and forgotten. After twenty minutes of waiting, I figured out no one was going to help me and started all over again. The next agent I spoke to was a little more helpful and I realized you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip as in there were no aisle seats left. The agent managed to get me a window seat with a seat next to it empty.

I think it is really sad, but these days it seems like the customers are the enemy. At the airport, I had to check myself in on a machine, print my own boarding pass, and then have an impatient woman yell out my name so I could hand over my bag and ID. At the gate, the attendant ordered people to line up and then checked them in as if he was doing them a favor.

I got to Chicago around 9 o’clock at night with a nice hour to grab some food before the flight to Appleton. Only for some unknown reason it turned out my flight to Appleton was delayed, and then delayed again and again, but they wanted the passengers to be in the terminal just in case they figured out how to get the plane there sooner. The terminal for the small planes was freezing and lit with the most dismal lighting, like bleak and depressing. The people watching was kind of interesting. There was one guy in military green, but it wasn’t a uniform with some kind of big work boots. He had a buzz cut and only seemed to have his front teeth. He ran into a woman he seemed to know. She was much younger, maybe Latin, all curvy and wearing jeans. They seemed an unlikely pair and I couldn’t hear enough to figure out their connection. Finally we left an hour and a half late. It was a tiny plane and they turned off all the lights inside. Let’s just say it felt like we were being tossed around in the sky.

There was a shuttle to the hotel and I made a grand entrance by stepping in and falling to my knees. No damage done, luckily. I just dusted myself off and took my seat. The flight crew was on the van and I noticed that the captain got out first and offered me his hand to get out. It’s much better to fall up than down. I was trying to unwind and watch the news, but suddenly the TV froze and then the dreaded no signal danced over the screen. I had to call to get it fixed. It was the shuttle driver who apparently is a jack of all trades who showed up to deal with it.

And now I had things to do - I had brought work with me to do while I waited for the time to check in for Writers Police Academy. But I felt like I was in la la land. Until I took out the crochet project I brought with. Just a few stitches and I felt a big ahhhhh. And then everything cleared and suddenly I was alert, present and ready to seize the day. And I’m that much closet to having a pretty cowl from the yarn I bought in San Diego at the Knit and Crochet Show. Crochet is amazing.

9 comments:

Planner said...

My goodness! This sounds like something straight out of one of your books! I'm so glad you weren't hurt when you fell. The calming effect of crochet is truly magical! I suspect the Writers Police Academy will erase the crazy beginning of your trip.

Linda O. Johnston said...

What an unpleasant day! I hope this weekend and your trip home are much better--and I bet being at the Writers Police Academy will help, along with your crocheting.

chkntza said...

That was some adventure. It sounds like you are living in your novels. I'm glad you weren't hurt in your fall. I find as long as I have a book with me I get the same effect as you get from your crochet. My projects are always so big that I don't take them with me. I'd need an extra suitcase! I hope you enjoy the Writers Police Academy. Have a safe and uneventful trip home.

Mitra303 said...
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Betty Hechtman said...

Planner, it was a great weekend, but I kept getting locked out of my room because the lock had problems.

Betty Hechtman said...

Linda, I knew things were turning around when I won a door prize at the banquet.

Betty Hechtman said...

Miriam, I have special small projects to take when I travel.. Reading is definitely an alternative.

Ken said...

Wow that sounds really bad, having the lights turned off while you are in the plane. Well anyway sounds like you have fun after that so looks like it's not that bad huh.

Betty Hechtman said...

Ken, the weekend turned out great and by the end, I'd forgotten all about the rocky start.