Tornado's make flying fun

This week on Monday I was scheduled to fly direct from Philly to Chicago at 3:30. While standing waiting for the parking shuttle, I get a text message that our flight has been canceled. No big deal we get to the terminal and they rebook us on a flight from Philly to Pittsburg and then Pittsburg to Chicago. The first leg went dandy. We left on time and arrived in Pittsburg on time. Now we come to the second leg. Our plane actually left four minuets early from the gate. Oh wait that was a horrible trick we proceed to sit on the plane for two and a half hours ok we are late but I can deal with this they let us vote and we watched a movie. Maid of honor won so I didn’t watch it but several people around me laughed so it might have been good. We get there in like 1hr 45 min. Alright we finally made it. It is storming and raining to beat the band but we landed safely, lets taxi to the gate and get off this plane. Wrong answer, sorry. If there is lightning within 25 miles of the airport the ground crews don’t operate. Once the lightning stops they wait 20 min for the all clear before returning to work. I appreciate safety as much as the next guy but come on I want off this plane. So we proceed to sit on the plane some more. Every lightning strike just extends our time on the plane. Ok I am starting to loose my patience. I get my laptop out and check my email and such. Hmm that killed 10 min. OK here is where I get upset. I never really thought about punching a 7 year old but this almost caused me to loose my cool. She wants to try and sleep. I can appreciate that it’s late. But she decides she needs to recline. I have my knees wedged behind her seat so she can’t. Her grandmother asks if I will let her recline. I considered launching into a diatribe about how I am over 6 feet tall and I need legroom. The girl is like 4 feet tall I think she can manage without reclining. But I am a nice guy at heart and there was no need to cause a scene so I moved my legs and let her recline back. The lightning has stopped; cool we can start that 20 min clock. The pilot comes on and says the plane that was going to move off of its gate isn’t leaving now so we need to move to another holding area. So we fire up the engines and move off to another holding zone and sit for a while longer. Finally start to move to the gate. The stewardess announces that if we go to a website we can enter our information for a special appreciation offer. I went there today and it is a coupon for 25$ off or 10% on a flight. It’s a nice token but 5 hours of my time is worth more then that it was really more of a slap in the face then anything. I know the weather isn’t their fault but still. We sent more time on the ground in both airports then actually flying. Longest short flight ever !!

Here is a picture from a great website http://www.flightstats.com It is a great tool for sending yourself flight status text messages as you travel

Cubs Game 04-30-08

The guys I work with decided to go to a cubs game which is great because I have this goal to visit every ballpark. So lets get to the friendly confines and check out a game. We were told that you could drink on the train so our adventure started at the train station trying to procure some beers. I happened to spot a wine shop that had some beer in the back. We all got big cans and away we went. On the train there was some trepidation because drinking in public like that usually isnt allowed. But the conductor just walked by and collected out money. Once we were to the park we went to a bar across the street called the Cubby Bear and had a few more beers. Then we went over to the game to sit in the bitter cold and watch the cubs thump the brewers 19-5. Well most of our friends left early to head back to the train and go home. So we were given the keys to someones car so w could make our way back from the train station. We stayed for another inning or so and then wandered out of the park and into Wrigleyville a lovely area surrounding the park full of bars and restaurants. We bumped into some girls who had been sitting near us and went to a bar with them. Some more drinks were had and we danced and had a generally good time. I stopped drinking around midnight because I was about drunk enough and somebody had to drive (or so we thought) I was given the keys and thought nothing of it. Well the last train back to our cars left at 1 so we would have had to catch the local train back to the main train terminal at around 1230 in order to make it home. Well the guys I was with decided they very much enjoyed the company of the ladies so we decided to inquire what a taxi would cost. It was 50$ not a bad deal split among three people so we decided to stay longer. After a while I looked at the key chain I had been handed and noticed things attached to it like a library card and a piggly wiggly card. Very odd things for a rental car to have on its key chain. So I inquired as to whether they had driven a rental car or a personal car. Well the answer was rental so I learned we had been given the wrong keys. No big deal we would just now have to have the cab take us right to the hotel and the car could be retrieved in the morning once the proper keys had been located. So after a long night we said goodbye to the girls and got a cab. My friend wanted to walk to McDonald's first so he could get some food but I didn't feel like waiting so I convinced him to get in the cab. So he asks the cab driver if he can take us through the drive-up window to get food. I am sure this is against some sort of rule but the cab driver is a nice guy and he takes us through. On the way back to the hotel we all "fell asleep" aka passed out in the cab. The next day I went into work on time some of the others strolled in a bit later. So ends another day in the life of a Gentleman Adventurer.

Who am I ?

Well many of you may be wondering who I am and what this whole gentleman adventurer bit is all about. Well it all started as a joke title bestowed upon me but I got a new position at work and began to travel all over and have wonderful adventures the purpose of this blog is for me to share a little bit about my travels with all of you.

gentleman adventurer

1 a: a man of noble or gentle birth b: a man belonging to the landed gentry c (1): a man who combines gentle birth or rank with chivalrous qualities (2): a man whose conduct conforms to a high standard of propriety or correct behavior d (1): a man of independent means who does not engage in any occupation or profession for gain (2): a man who does not engage in a menial occupation or in manual labor for gain
2: valet —often used in the phrase gentleman's gentleman
3: a man of any social class or condition —often used in a courteous reference or usually in the plural in address

1. One whose travels are unusual and often exotic, though not so unique as to qualify as exploration.
2. One who lives by their wits.
3. One who takes part in a risky or speculative course of action for profit or position.