Ok, double entry (heh heh) this time because I’ve been such a slacker.

Have been distracted by a number of things.  First and foremost, DmentD.com moved to a new server and needed a little ironing out before the full switch-over happened.

Second, and I think more importantly, the addition of a proper GALLERY to my arsenal of tools to bore the hell out of you all.  I’m going to be migrating the Cake Gallery over to there, and include more pictures of the various cakes as well.  I’ll also be migrating the Ghosts of Halloween Past as well.  Since it is so damned easy to add things to the gallery now, rather than having to write a new page for each event, I can actually catch up on all the missing years of Halloween.  Also I can add pictures for things I think you peeps would like to see.  If you register an account for the gallery (and I reserve the right to refuse anyone an account, I am restricting it to folks I actually know and keeping the random strangers off my lawn), you’ll be able to add comments to pictures, and that is the icing on the cake, so to speak… hearing the reactions from you chuckleheads.

So, having rationalized my recent silence, on with the post.

Journal Entry — September 17th: Finally and at Last!

The rest of the trip into Aberystwyth was uneventful — made all my connections, all trains were on time (a miracle if ever there was one, according to my hosts), and the scenery was wonderful.  I’m quite sure I was pegged as a non-European instantly, just from the features of my face, and I’m able to start to see some trends in the faces of the English and Welsh (can’t really describe it, just sorta’ can).

Was met at the station by Sweets, and never have I seen a more wonderful sight!

Had a brisk walk from the train station back to the house, made to feel even longer due to the fact that I was towing a large suitcase — with an even larger box strapped to it — behind me.  As prepared as I thought I was for cars to be traveling on the other side of the road, it still caught me off guard, and even now I still look the wrong way when crossing the street.

Made it back to the house, and let me just say that it is a universal thing for a house to look like a war zone when owned by two young men, specifically the two guys that Sweets rents a room from.  I knew this style of “house decoration” from years and years of knowing GonzO, Phreeq, and their brood — a sort of post-modern junkyard.  That’s perfectly fine.  Dropped off the luggage, spent some time reuniting, and relaxed until everyone came home.

I met Bob, who had been staying at the house for a bit.  Andrew, Phil & Meg came home one by one, we had a round of introductions, and then opened the box of fun that I brought with me.  Had a good time watching everyone open their gifts and playing with them.  We had dinner, and watched a little TV (that I was trying very hard not to fall asleep during — and failing miserably), then Sweets and I made our way to bed.

Journal Entry — September 18th: The Burgeoning Tourist

Had a nice lie-in, then Sweets and I took off.  After a pleasant walk into town — about 20 minutes to get pretty much anywhere by foot — we sat down to have some breakfast for lunch (a full English breakfast to be specific… two eggs, two sausages, bacon rasher, baked beans, mushrooms and toast — a meal to do a Southern boy proud).  After breakfast we walked to the Aberystwyth Castle ruins and I went into full tourist mode, taking pictures and gawking at everything.

We moved on from the castle and walked along the seafront for a bit and stopped in some shops where I bought some real coffee from a surprisingly ‘coffee-snobbish’ shop, for later in the week.  Instant coffee seems to be the standard ’round these parts as (ta-da! a stereotype comes true!) tea is the hot drink of choice.  I also picked up a metric ass-ton of postcards to send back home.

Went to a little coffee shop, and I had my own little cafetière (aka French press) of coffee, and we relaxed for a bit, chatting.  Had my first opportunity to spend my newly exchanged English money.  The bills are easy enough to sort out, but the coins still give me fits, except for the pound.

Walked home an visited with everyone for a bit then hitched a ride with Phil & Meg to a nice Indian restaurant in town.  Apparently “doggie bags” are not as universally common as I had previously assumed, as I got funny looks when I asked for a container to take my leftovers home — this was confirmed by Sweets, as she was a little surprised when she was here that we were pretty much asked at every restaurant if we wanted a box or container for our leftovers.

We had a nice walk home (lots of walking in this trip), and relaxed with a little TV before heading to bed.

Journal Entry — September 17th: Touching Down Across the Atlantic

Holy crap!  I am never taking a long flight in anything other than business class ever again!  The seats were luxurious recliners, the food was awesome, the booze was free (had port wine and brie), and the service was top notch.  Lots of leg room as well.  Talk about being pampered.

The flight was smooth and uneventful.  I napped on and off for the last three hours (watched Fantastic 4 II and Hot Fuzz earlier).  The landing was fine and we disembarked onto the wet tarmac, and onto a bus in the wee hours of the morning.  Sailed through customs, was shocked that my box actually made it with me and was waiting for me at baggage claim.

Hoofed it to the train station, bought my tickets and here I sit.  On a train.  In England.  On my way to see my girl.

I’m so excited that I just want to dance and shout!

It’s raining and the countryside is gorgeous.  Instead of enjoying it, I’m sitting here writing in a stinking journal!  I’m stopping now so I can sit back and enjoy the view.

Journal Entry — September 16th: Welcome to Hell v2.0!  “Now with 200% more lying assholes!”

Guess what?! Screwed again! Our plane developed “mechanical failures” right at the last minute.  We sat around while they tried their hand at repairs, then at procuring another plane, then it turns out ours was the best of the four available, so they had another go at fixing it.  Lots of ladders under engines and people climbing about.  I was surrounded by a sea of politely angry English folk, and had some good conversations while we all waited to learn our fate.

The broke-ass plane as seen
from the terminal.

We were pushed back from 8:25pm to 10:00pm to 1:00am.  We had till 2:00am before the pilots were going to leave.  The whole while we’re watching the ground crew scurry about like rabid little gnomes in orange vests… consulting their radios, their co-workers, even a thick sheaf of paperwork (schematics, I assume).  We were told it was a broken relay that controlled the reverse air thrusters on one engine (basically, the “air brake”).  I kept snapping out comments that were making the others giggle (“Hey, I think I just saw them pry a fried squirrel off of some wiring in the engine, that must be our problem.“) — and they were all thinking snarky thoughts, but were entirely too properly English to be rude and voice them… enter me, the big mouthed, frustrated American.  That’s me… Voice of the People.

At 1:00am they canceled the flight, and that’s when chaos erupted.  Hollering, pushing, shoving, cutting in line, torches, pitchforks, and burning the ground crew in effigy!  After much hullabaloo, they created a whole new flight just for us the next day, re-booked everyone, and issued hotel and meal vouchers, and sent us on our way.  It’s a sad thing that I was expecting this, and was — surprisingly — not near as distraught over the cancellation of another flight.  Pissed off, yes, but calm enough this time around to keep my head and do what needed to be done to ensure that I had a flight to be on the next day, and a place to get some rest for the night.  It’s a stupid thing to have to get used to.

More line waiting at the Holiday Inn (the hotel voucher I was issued), then an evening of sleep.  Woke up, checked out at 11:00am and went back to the airport.  Had a meal (for free), got a huge coffee (for free), then went and parked my ass at the gate and waited for the next disaster.

About an hour before the flight, they changed the gates and we had to hoof it all the way across the terminal to make the new one.  The silver lining: good weather, a plane that works and we were able to board!

Ok, I’ve been lazy, but I think I have two valid excuses to explain why I have been lax in fulfilling the never made — and therefore never honored — promise to post within certain time constraints.

First: Halloween.  This is the first year in many that I’ve been able to actually build things and participate in party plans.  My time was deliciously spent covered in sawdust, glue and paint.  Consider yourselves lucky to get that previous post on the 18th.

Second: Guitar Hero III.  Holy crap, this game is fun!  I’ve been fantastically absorbed in it, and trying to work past playing the (fake guitar) controller like a monkey with 6 thumbs trying to peel a banana.  I finally beat the easy level, and now I move on the medium.  I played the first song — which on easy is now a mere finger warm-up exercise — and I felt like three of my fingers were removed and I was scrambling around trying to hit the fret buttons with the remaining digits.  Still, it’s great fun.  Basically DDR for your fingers.  For a lively example of the game, HERE’S a video of a player in “expert mode”, playing the final guitar battle against Lou, the last boss.  Bear in mind, he’s also doing this while throwing, and having thrown at him, powerups that cause strange things to happen to the guitar (cut strings, amp overloads, reversed strings, etc).

So without further ado…

Journal Entry — September 15th: Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop.

Got seven hours of sleep in a cool, clammy room on pancake flat pillows — but it was better than sleeping at the airport.  Woke, shaved, showered and checked out.  Hopped on the shuttle and made it to the airport by 11:30am.

Stood in the international check-in line for about 45 minutes, even though I already had my boarding pass from last night.  I wanted to check on the status of my flight, and the status of the box I checked on.  The flight is still on time and the box is here at the airport waiting to be transferred to this flight.  I was told to check on it again at the gate about 6pm to make sure it is still on track.

I was also told I could go wait in the business class traveler’s lounge in terminal “E”.  Apparently I hadn’t noticed that the friendly, magical ticket fairies that helped me last night bumped me up to business class.  At least I’ll be a little more comfortable on this flight.  I swear they must have been fairies, at Babba Yagga’s ticket booth!  It was in the middle of nowhere, with no gate in sight!  That booth must grow legs and move around randomly.  Jeebus bless the magical ticket folk at the Atlanta airport!

So, after hunting down some proper food I go to the lounge, only to be turned away because I didn’t actually pay for my business class ticket.  Snobs! So, I got a large coffee and took the train back to “T” and to my gate so I can plant my butt in a seat and wait with the rest of the lowly commoners.

At 6pm I’m gonna check on the status of my plane and the box.  Been IM-ing with Sweets, talking to my mom, and making a short blog post from my phone — gotta love modern technology!