And It's Off to Work We Go

---

Nothing like lots of misadventures to help jump start a trip.

On Saturday I got a call asking for me to go to Toronto to work the floods. Great! We really do need some cash; I mean who doesn’t have a ton of things needing cash? So I arranged to fly out today with a flight that would leave just later than my granddaughters as today she is flying to Belgium.

Well our flights both departed late and with just over an hour to get from one flight to the next I was very concerned. I was especially concerned for my granddaughter as she has not flown overseas alone before. I waited for her flight as long as I could and we discussed how to handle various situations in the event she would miss her connection. Then I advised again that we’d also be in touch between flights as they are similar in length for the 1^st legs.

This is all well and good. We said goodbye and then I went to my gate, leaving her on her own. We sent text messages until the time we each had to turn our phone off.

When I landed in Phoenix I attempted to turn on my phone on the taxiway to see if she made her connection. No phone, it was dead as a doornail. I worked with it until I had to get off but there was nothing.

Of course by the time I got off the plane and got my carryon my next flight was already boarding. We were at the last gate in A and I had to go to the opposite end of the terminal. Running I’m frustrated that I have no time to get to my gate and that my phone is dead.

I boarded the next flight, last in the back of the plane and because I was late just put my camera bag with laptop up in the bin. Well some guy did that for me, it is stuffed full of equipment plus laptop. As we were still sitting on the tarmac I then picked up the phone and tried it again but nothing. After we were well on under way I thought that I should have put it under my seat so I could try to charge the phone, if it in fact discharged. Too late, UGH.

Again we were late arriving at the final connection; we’d gone around some thunderstorm. I started to run as my flight was starting to board according to my boarding pass. But this time I was in terminal A and had to go to F. As I was walking, still in A I saw a sign to go to the shuttle for F. An employee said take the shuttle, it only takes 5 min and we would not need to go thru security again. I ran down the stairs and hopped on the shuttle just as the doors were shutting. Finally some good luck. I got to my gate just as boarding was starting.

Once in Toronto the fun was not over yet, there was a rental car to take care of. Because I was on a very limited budget to get here I put what I thought it would take to get my car. Well in Canada it is different and they have a deposit, unlike the U.S. Anyway my Visa was short $34; I mean really? Fortunately Avis gave me their phone to call the Visa and Visa called my bank, verified funds, made a quick payment and I was about on my way. Now only if I could get the car to drive.

So Avis gave me an electric/gas car. I found the start button but the car only coasted down a slight incline stopping in the driveway. A guy getting the car next to me pushed my car back up to its spot and back to the office I went. Poor people were probably tired of me by then but came out and showed me how to start the car in gas mode. Push down on the brake and push the start button. Same order to turn it off.



I got to the hotel and was told my room had been upgraded, YES!!! A glass of wine, warm bath and I was a happy camper again.

---