Just arrived in Eugene...
by Melv May · 03/04/2006 (11:49 pm) · 20 comments
Well, I just arrived in Eugene after a nightmare journey from hell. Flight was delayed from Birmingham UK by a few hours because of a severe storm (worst in a decade I heard) at Frankfurt. Got to Frankfurt eventually and found people sleeping everywhere. Apparently, the airport was closed yesterday as it was that bad. This has obviously caused all the flights to go tits-up and I landed right in the middle of it.
I tried to get to the information desk but it had angry looking people crawling all over it and after waiting for 10 minutes (bearing in mind that my connecting flight was scheduled to leave a hour earlier) I decided that I'd just walk to the gate. Now this sounds easy but it was a long trek, felt like at least 2Km! I got to the desk and they quickly checked me in and I asked about my luggage and if they knew if it was routed to this flight and they said, and I quote, "today, anything can happen. We can't guarantee you'll get your luggage!". Nice.
Well, I jumped on the flight and showed my boarding pass to the stewardess and she said "up those stairs". Now I knew that this was the upper first class lounge so I said, "no, that's not my seat" but she insisted it was!! The thing is, she looked super stressed and didn't really look at my boarding-pass so I thought what the hell, I'll go anyway, you never know. I got up there (sweating profusely) and all the seats were taken which was a shame as they were leather, reclining workstations with swivel LCDs etc. Nice.
Anyway, I eventually found my seat and was quickly brought back to earth. Right in the middle section of four between two rather portly chaps. Now don't get me wrong, being portly isn't a big deal in my book but people with big elbows get right up my nose. So there I was, sitting in a very hot cabin with the staff saying that they were sorry about it being too hot and they'll open the rear doors to let air through (bearing in mind it was -10c outside) and two big elbowed guys wedging me in my seat.
I basically sat like that, on the ground for 30 minutes and got reallly fed up so I asked a stewardess if I could move. She was actually very cool (and the most helpful person of the day) and upgraded my seat! I could stretch my legs out as much as I wanted, woot!
Anyway, 13 hours later I finally got to San-Fran about 6.20pm local-time (my connecting flight to Eugene was due to depart around 8.20pm) so I thought that I could finally sit down, grab a burger, perhaps buys some lip-salve to repair the damage the nasty in-flight air-con did to them but no, it wasn't to be.
I basically go to the queue for customs and I got past it at 7.40pm! I then ran to the bag-carousel, hoping that my bag would be there and I could get my connecting flight. The great news was that it was there after 5 minutes of waiting; best news I had all day but my stress levels were at a maximum at this point so I didn't feel that relieved.
Anyway, I had to move very quickly to the check-in desk (had a quick toilet stop) and get booked in. I sat for 10 minutes and then it boarded and before I knew it, we were on our way. Nice quick take-off, no problems and I thought that all my problems were over but then we tried to land at Eugene and I can say, without exaggeration, that it was the scariest landing I've ever had to endure. Okay, so a scary landing isn't that bad but the thing is, the women next to me had a baby and I'm not sure if you've heard of the technique of feeding your baby during take-off (It's supposed to calm them)? Well, even if you haven't, it apparently works. The thing is, add a rough landing with plenty of negative G's and you've got a sick-cocktail ... baby style!
We'd just landed and the baby looked at me, looked at it's mother and then vomited all over her shoulder with a little splash-back (for good measure) on my coat. Nothing too serious but enough to push this donkey over the edge. I just smiled and acted polite but I wanted to scream!
Anyway, all bad things come to an end and not long after collecting my luggage, Josh turned-up and just so that he could drop me off at my hotel. Totally cool of him to do that, especially after the journey from hell.
Anyways, got an early start in the morning, Josh and I will probably find a coffee-shop/bar, power-up our laptops and talk TGB. Life don't get better than that and it's gonna' make up for the evil journey.
The next 5 days are going to be fun (especially the TGB Boot-Camp) and I've got my digital camera with me so I'm going to do a digital diary (or at least try) and post it up as a plan soon.
No pictures in this one, sorry, but I've just endured 28 hours lack of sleep and I need to get some zzzZZZ.
Watch this space.
- Melv.
I tried to get to the information desk but it had angry looking people crawling all over it and after waiting for 10 minutes (bearing in mind that my connecting flight was scheduled to leave a hour earlier) I decided that I'd just walk to the gate. Now this sounds easy but it was a long trek, felt like at least 2Km! I got to the desk and they quickly checked me in and I asked about my luggage and if they knew if it was routed to this flight and they said, and I quote, "today, anything can happen. We can't guarantee you'll get your luggage!". Nice.
Well, I jumped on the flight and showed my boarding pass to the stewardess and she said "up those stairs". Now I knew that this was the upper first class lounge so I said, "no, that's not my seat" but she insisted it was!! The thing is, she looked super stressed and didn't really look at my boarding-pass so I thought what the hell, I'll go anyway, you never know. I got up there (sweating profusely) and all the seats were taken which was a shame as they were leather, reclining workstations with swivel LCDs etc. Nice.
Anyway, I eventually found my seat and was quickly brought back to earth. Right in the middle section of four between two rather portly chaps. Now don't get me wrong, being portly isn't a big deal in my book but people with big elbows get right up my nose. So there I was, sitting in a very hot cabin with the staff saying that they were sorry about it being too hot and they'll open the rear doors to let air through (bearing in mind it was -10c outside) and two big elbowed guys wedging me in my seat.
I basically sat like that, on the ground for 30 minutes and got reallly fed up so I asked a stewardess if I could move. She was actually very cool (and the most helpful person of the day) and upgraded my seat! I could stretch my legs out as much as I wanted, woot!
Anyway, 13 hours later I finally got to San-Fran about 6.20pm local-time (my connecting flight to Eugene was due to depart around 8.20pm) so I thought that I could finally sit down, grab a burger, perhaps buys some lip-salve to repair the damage the nasty in-flight air-con did to them but no, it wasn't to be.
I basically go to the queue for customs and I got past it at 7.40pm! I then ran to the bag-carousel, hoping that my bag would be there and I could get my connecting flight. The great news was that it was there after 5 minutes of waiting; best news I had all day but my stress levels were at a maximum at this point so I didn't feel that relieved.
Anyway, I had to move very quickly to the check-in desk (had a quick toilet stop) and get booked in. I sat for 10 minutes and then it boarded and before I knew it, we were on our way. Nice quick take-off, no problems and I thought that all my problems were over but then we tried to land at Eugene and I can say, without exaggeration, that it was the scariest landing I've ever had to endure. Okay, so a scary landing isn't that bad but the thing is, the women next to me had a baby and I'm not sure if you've heard of the technique of feeding your baby during take-off (It's supposed to calm them)? Well, even if you haven't, it apparently works. The thing is, add a rough landing with plenty of negative G's and you've got a sick-cocktail ... baby style!
We'd just landed and the baby looked at me, looked at it's mother and then vomited all over her shoulder with a little splash-back (for good measure) on my coat. Nothing too serious but enough to push this donkey over the edge. I just smiled and acted polite but I wanted to scream!
Anyway, all bad things come to an end and not long after collecting my luggage, Josh turned-up and just so that he could drop me off at my hotel. Totally cool of him to do that, especially after the journey from hell.
Anyways, got an early start in the morning, Josh and I will probably find a coffee-shop/bar, power-up our laptops and talk TGB. Life don't get better than that and it's gonna' make up for the evil journey.
The next 5 days are going to be fun (especially the TGB Boot-Camp) and I've got my digital camera with me so I'm going to do a digital diary (or at least try) and post it up as a plan soon.
No pictures in this one, sorry, but I've just endured 28 hours lack of sleep and I need to get some zzzZZZ.
Watch this space.
- Melv.
About the author
#2
03/05/2006 (12:49 am)
Unlucky mate, not looking forward to that trip this October!! 
#3
03/05/2006 (12:55 am)
Welcome to Eugene, buddy!
#4
It all quickly becomes just a faded memory though. Thats the great bit about the human mind. The ability to forget stuff thats just plain dull or bad.
Phil.
03/05/2006 (1:53 am)
I've been in flight hell myself before (frankfurt was stacked up a lot on my way back from thailand). I feel for ya melv!It all quickly becomes just a faded memory though. Thats the great bit about the human mind. The ability to forget stuff thats just plain dull or bad.
Phil.
#5
03/05/2006 (2:25 am)
I think its been since Nov. 2002 - WoW, the Melv May in Eugene, Oregon - I had better alert the media. Well its big news for GG, very glad to have you after so long an absense - we'll try to keep the portly elbows to ourselves. 
#6
Ian
03/05/2006 (3:33 am)
It must have been much cheaper to fly from Frankfurt to San Fran I guess Melv, that's one hell of a detour.Ian
#7
Bring it on Eugene!
- Melv.
03/05/2006 (5:57 am)
Thanks everyone. Just had 5-6 hours sleep so I'm feeling somewhat better.Bring it on Eugene!
- Melv.
#8
I think I've been relatively lucky with the flights I've taken to America. The worst probably been the one where we were meant to stop over in Canada for a 30minute break and refueling of the plane. Only we ended up stuck in the waiting area for 9 hours or so whilst service crew messed with the engines and the pilot repeated take-offs and landings to test the fixes.
Very strange to hear over the tannoy that boarding will commence shortly, the pilot is just conducting final engine tests.
Have fun now you're in Eugene, I'm sure the flight will be a distant memory by the time you have your first TGB conversation :)
03/05/2006 (6:01 am)
You may have gone through a journey from hell, but it did make comical reading :) I think I've been relatively lucky with the flights I've taken to America. The worst probably been the one where we were meant to stop over in Canada for a 30minute break and refueling of the plane. Only we ended up stuck in the waiting area for 9 hours or so whilst service crew messed with the engines and the pilot repeated take-offs and landings to test the fixes.
Very strange to hear over the tannoy that boarding will commence shortly, the pilot is just conducting final engine tests.
Have fun now you're in Eugene, I'm sure the flight will be a distant memory by the time you have your first TGB conversation :)
#9
Btw, you have email...
03/05/2006 (6:01 am)
Morning Melv! Glad to see you made it, loved your story--sounds lot like my trip out here for the boot camp last July!Btw, you have email...
#10
03/05/2006 (8:40 am)
That's what you get when helping the rebels...er....indies get their hands on TGB! It's just too sweet, it seems that the powers that be are getting jealous :)
#11
03/05/2006 (9:41 am)
LOL trip from hell. Yea sometimes I get a free extra seat because I am built like a football player. I try to get asile so I only half squish people. Let's put it this way, the first day of high school the head coach came screaming and running at me begging me to play lol. Hey I wish I was there for the class. You work is appreciated. I might make a future class if they can do one in Austin or on web multimedia. 
#13
03/05/2006 (10:32 am)
I'm insanely jealous of the peope who get to go to the TGB boot camp, but I'm not jealous of your flight nightmare!
#14
03/05/2006 (2:55 pm)
I feel ya' a bit on the flight. Although I'm sure yours was infinitely more painful! Good luck in Eugene, it's a great bunch of people over there!
#15
03/05/2006 (3:08 pm)
sounds like quite an interesting flight! see you monday :)
#16
Anyway, I'm going to be writing-up my days offline and then post a plan next weekend, when I get back with plenty of images.
Thanks for the thoughts guys and see some of you in the morning. :)
- Melv.
03/05/2006 (5:55 pm)
Had a cool day today with Josh sitting in a bookstore/coffee-shop, chilling-out talking future TGB all day. I need to sleep off this jet-lag tonight as I was a bit of a zombie today meeting some of the GG guys and I'm hoping to have more than five brain-cells active in the morning, especially as there was talk of beer on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Anyway, I'm going to be writing-up my days offline and then post a plan next weekend, when I get back with plenty of images.
Thanks for the thoughts guys and see some of you in the morning. :)
- Melv.
#17
Maybe the trip experience could be made into a tgb game! ;)
03/05/2006 (8:53 pm)
glad you made the trip safely.Maybe the trip experience could be made into a tgb game! ;)
#18
the weather here in Germany got even more worse over the weekend. In southern germany over half a meter of new snow. Hope it gets better when you fly back! :-)
Martin
03/06/2006 (12:49 am)
Hey Melv,the weather here in Germany got even more worse over the weekend. In southern germany over half a meter of new snow. Hope it gets better when you fly back! :-)
Martin
#19
03/06/2006 (5:40 am)
Well i'm leaving seattle now (5:45am monday) See all you TGB fiends in a few hours at the boot camp!
#20
I'll be downloading the images from my Camera sometime soon and writing-up a plan. Well, I'll do it when I've spent a little time with the family anyway. :)
@Jason: It was good to meet you; I've got some great images of the $10 you paid to Justin but I'll put all that in my next plan shortly. Good luck with the move to Thailand bud.
- Melv.
03/11/2006 (11:48 am)
I'm back in the UK and I've had 13 hours sleep; I sure did need it.I'll be downloading the images from my Camera sometime soon and writing-up a plan. Well, I'll do it when I've spent a little time with the family anyway. :)
@Jason: It was good to meet you; I've got some great images of the $10 you paid to Justin but I'll put all that in my next plan shortly. Good luck with the move to Thailand bud.
- Melv.
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