Kate

Adventure to Maine.....post one of three

This has been quite the busy week preparing to go to Maine. I just booked my flight yesterday, two sleeps before I leave (who does that?) ME!! At times I like to live on the edge and not confirm plans to fly across the country until moments before! It is currently midnight on Wednesday and I have to be up in three hours to leave for the Toronto airport and I have not started packing! YAY. Next update will be posted in Boston airport tomorrow morning!

Thursday (T-minus almost in Maine)

Well I was able to catch my Air Canada flight from Toronto to Boston just barley, goodness was the line-ups to get through customs LONG. I stood in three long lines to do the same thing, show my boarding pass, and go through security….. and to be randomly selected all times for extra search…nothing like search Kate overkill. After I got on my flight to Boston, being the last person and rushing to the gate, I was able to sit beside this nice young guy named Chris. He was about my age maybe a couple years older. Blond hair, blue eyes, dressed in a suit…..fairly catchy…. He is a sales representative for software, woohoo, so that was not a conversation piece because I suck at computer talk, and frankly I find it boring (sorry for all you computer people). Anyways it was enjoyable to sit beside someone who was not 1) old 2) overly large to the point that I only got half a seat 3) a lawyer, I always sit beside them and then fell awkward if I need to ask to get to the bathroom because they are always so serious. As we landed I was given a couple nice ‘cheesy’ pick up lines from Chris (my seat buddy)…one such as….You were great to sit beside I did not have to turn on my ipod once... LOL goodness, doesn’t that make a girl feel appreciated!!

Then I stepped out of the catwalk in to Boston international Airport. Halfway!!! Almost There Lor!!!!

First thing first….. There were a lot of people rushing by and going in all sorts of directions… who looked like they knew where they were going….. So now I have three hours and three missions….1) get my bag 2) find US airways 3) and get to my gate…. Think I can do it??? We’ll see…..

In Boston waiting to fly to Presque Isle

Well you would not assume someone could have so many problems with the three tasks above, because they are straight forward.

Boston has five terminals; I repeat 5, what freakin’ architect designed this….. and they are very poorly signed, or not signed at all. First thing is first I located my bag, and checked in at home to say I was here. So there I was, with my bags and somehow needing to get somewhere to someone get on another plane …..dadada (dramatic music, where a close up of sheer confusion and terror are on my face)… I found a nice desk that looked as if a pleasant person was seated behind it right under an information sign. So I walked up and asked. “Where do I find a ticket agent to get a boarding pass” I received a grunt and a pointed finger to the escalator. Ok, I was ok with that, it was more then I knew and it wasn’t outside and it seemed to go somewhere. I went up the escalator to a long line of people who looked as if they were flying as well, thought to myself I can do this look at me I am in Boston, New York all by myself.

I got up to the ticket desk and the agent and I had the hardest time finding my flight. I began to break out in to a cold sweat and was ready to cry thinking oh goodness I am stuck here. BAHHHH. Then she asked me to see my internet print out sheet…. So I dug for that through my messy thrown back together bags from being searched twice in Toronto. Only to find out I was at a United Airlines desk and not a US Airways desk. PHEW only me as relief came upon me. Now where is the Us Airways desk you say… Bahahahhaah in terminal (furthest one away) C….hmmm hmm and I need to go that way down there as the agent pointed. Do Boston people not like use directional language or is pointing all they can do. So I headed down this hallway marked B 41-42…. And came to a security gate… lined up and wanted to go through…. But I still I didn’t have a boarding pass… I told the officer that I was on my way to get one… LOL wrong… He was like you need to go that way to US Ariways and pointed to an adjacent walkway. So I pressed on…. And after walking forever and ending at well the exit of the building I was so lost and confused. I then asked this HUGE security guy where I needed to go to US Airways. He pointed across the road…. BAH. I had to go outside, with my bags, across the streets (across two 4 lane thingies) to another building.

Right then I just started praying that I was going the right way because my time was running short. GOODNESS (I like that word) Ok… So as I was travelling across this roadway. I noticed something funny… all the licence plates said Massachusetts. I AM NOT IN NEW YORK I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE I AM…. Yes take a moment and Laugh, I am Canadian and I thought Boston was in New York. So I now cannot make fun of Americans who don’t know Canada. Ok Pressing forward. I got into this new Terminal and there was US Airways. AMEN. So I went up…. And was like whoa that is quite the hike to get here… and the lady was like didn’t you take the shuttle Bus… WELL NO ONE TOLD ME ALL THEY DID WAS POINT…. Goodness…LOL. I got my boarding ticket. While the agent helping me told me that MTV was shooting spring break concert in PI this weekend I could be on TV, because it was going to be in Cancun but there was a hurricane there. I so totally believed him the whole time… yes gullible yes. Needles to say he got a good laugh at my expense. Good got a boarding pass. One bag less and pressing on to task three. Next encounter… Mame you have been randomly selected by the airline for additional screening. Only me. Three times in a day, twice in Toronto and then now. So they tore through my bags and did a full search, pat down and everything. It was quite embarrassing, mhm.

YAY I made it through. Now to wait for my next flight….. I found the gate only to have it change twice. Met lots of people sitting beside me who all asked where ‘aboots’ (not spelling) are you headed “Presque Isle Maine” I said with excitement… I got a lot of lumber jack, sticks, flannel, plaid, cold, why, puzzled looks, end of conversation responses. I have never been to PI… and after those responses I was a little concerned as to where I was going. After prior flights had left there were these two elderly men dressed in hiked up jeans, plaid flannel shirts, suspenders, button filled vests, and hunter’s hats. They were headed to PI Maine. After I met them I picked everyone else coming on my flight who walked up. It was funny. These two men asked where I was from, I said Barrie, they responded with is that a strawberry or a blueberry. LOL Maine people were so nice. I made it on the flight and all I have to say about that is… I felt like a popcorn kernel that would not pop in a tin can. (i.e. smallest plane I have ever taken in history, I prayed the whole time). I landed 1 hr and thirty minutes later to be greeted by AMY!!! YAYA I made it I was in MAINE. Now off to the church to see Lor and Robert! This is going to be a great weekend.

posted by Kate Patterson @ Monday, October 24, 2005