The Maritimes - Day 0 - The First Half of the Year

“The Maritimes”

7/1/16, “The First Half of the Year”

John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York (JFK)

Almost exactly two years ago (7/2/14), I sat in this very lounge, not 30 feet from where I’m now sitting, under very similar circumstances.  There was a rainstorm, our flight was delayed, our destination was a state/provincial capital and we wound up eating and drinking in this lounge.  Two years ago, my best friend and I were beginning to embark on what would be our most epic adventure of all-time.  18 days in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, it was a trip that would test our resolve, and our friendship.  We survived, barely, and our friendship survived, barely.

The trip on which I am embarking today is a very different trip.  Today, I am travelling alone.  Today, I am heading to Atlantic Canada for a 4-day trip in the Maritimes, instead of 18 days in the Pacific Northwest.  This trip will be light and self-contained, instead of our epic three-phase adventure.  Tonight, I will spending the night at a four-star hotel in Halifax, instead of sleeping overnight in SeaTac Airport.  Today marks the first day of the second half of the year, which means I am just as close to the time I will sing “Auld Lang Syne” in Sydney on 1/1/17 as I am to the time I sang it in Hong Kong on 1/1/16.  Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?  Some of them, yes, but the one with whom I went to Alaska?  Never.

The first half of the year has been a very interesting one, and I will not go into detail in this space, other than to say it is has been a good six months, overall.  Almost every aspect of my life is better off on 7/1/16 than it was on 1/1/16.  I am happier and healthier today than I was when this year started.  I have forged new friendships and strengthened other friendships, while some friendships have faded or even fallen off.  New and interesting people have entered my life, while others have left.  While it has been filled with many rough patches, the first half of the year has been quite good, overall.

Typically the trip does not Officially start until I have changed into my travelling suit and my trademark maroon shirt.  However, I did not wear that outfit to work today, seeing as I had a substantial amount of time between the end of the work day and my flight, so I will recount the entire Day 0 from the time I woke up.  I had packed almost completely last night, except for my clothes, so I woke up not much earlier than usual to finish packing and get ready.  I left my luggage at my apartment and wore my typical Friday outfit, rather than my travelling suit.  It was to be a quiet day at work, but I had no appetite, so I didn’t break for lunch.  The office was closing at 3:30 PM, and I had finished all of my tasks by 3 PM, so I asked my manager if I could leave then.  He hadn’t broken for lunch, either, and he said he was about to leave, too, so we walked out together.

I headed to Hop Won for my traditional pre-departure lunch, but the ready-made section was already closed, so I ordered a small portion of boneless spare ribs, my first food of the die, and I trouble finishing it.  I also had a seltzer to go with it.  I still didn’t have much of an appetite.  I then headed to the cigar store and smoked my traditional pre-departure Cohiba.  It was a good crowd, and, after the cigar, I headed back to my apartment to change into my suit and get my luggage.

I walked back up to the cigar store to say my goodbyes, and then I took the bus to the airport, which was about a quarter of the price of a taxi, and pretty much just as quick and comfortable.  That was when the rainstorm hit, which meant my flight was delayed by over an hour, which meant Hertz would be closed when I landed.  What would I do?  There was a Hertz in town, about a block from my hotel, and they would open at 8 AM tomorrow, but I wasn’t sure of the taxi options from the airport late tonight and to the airport early Tuesday morning.

After I cleared security, which was pretty quick since I was in the first class line, I called Hertz to see if they could switch my reservation.  I was informed that that someone would be waiting with my car until I arrived.  Well, that was good.  I then headed to the Sky Club, which I could openly use, since I was on an international first class flight, even if this might be the shortest international flight that is possible to fly, or at least one of the five shortest (YYZ, YOW, YUL may be closer).

Meanwhile, I was in an ongoing debate with my friend about swords and dragons, what else would we be talking about?  When I got to the lounge, it was crowded just like the rest of the airport, due to the plethora of cancelled and delayed flights from the weather.  I found a table that had just cleared up, so I claimed it while I got some food and drink.  I opted for a whiskey and soda (separately) to drink and a spattering of all the hot foods they had (chicken, pasta, vegetables), along with cheese and crackers.  I was hungry at that point, but one small plate was all it took to fill my appetite, not that that stopped me from chasing my dinner with cookies and coffee.

It was the first sweets I had had all week, so I felt I was entitled.  I suppose they will feed us again on the plane, but I was hoping to pass out, since I imagine it will be well past 3 AM by the time that I get to sleep, and I’ll want to write an entry from Halifax.  At least I can sleep in tomorrow, since my only activity for tomorrow is to see the two Province Houses and get my flag pins.  I won’t have to leave Halifax until noon, though I will need to wake up in time to have my bagel with Nova lox, my first Official meal in Nova, of course.  I’m sure my reader knows what I will have for dinner in PEI tomorrow night.  Lunch will probably be McDonald’s or Tim Horton’s, though.  I’m feeling a McLobster Roll and poutine for lunch.

After my meal, a family with a screaming baby sat down, right as I was about to start my entry.  It didn’t bother me though, but I went to get my dessert.  The manner in which I whisked away from the table caused the lady at the next table over to look at me in bemusement.  When I got back, I sat down and stoically faced away from the screaming baby and in her direction and proceeded to write this entry, which only increased her bemusement.  On that note, I will close so that I can more thoroughly reflect on the first half of the year in my personal entry before I board my flight.

New York, New York

My readers will recognize this view from the conclusion of many of my “The Return Journey” entries, so, why, then, is it in a Day 0 entry?  Yes, my flight was cancelled.  My trip, while not ruined, is being severely reconfigured.  I was supposed to be landing in Halifax not long from now, and then, tomorrow, I would visit the capitals, get my flag pins, and spend the night in Charlottletown.  That will not happen.  Instead, I will not be getting to Halifax until tomorrow night, at 7:15 PM.  I will be flying to Boston tomorrow, which will necessitate a 6 hour layover at Logan.  The reconfiguration should, I believe, allow me to see both Province Houses, get my flag pins, and see three of the four world heritage sites I had planned for the trip.

The one that I’ll have to leave out?  Well, that’s my white whale, Miguasha National Park, the one that I have had to cut out at least once now, maybe twice, from various trips that I had planned, due to poor timing or it being closed for the weekend/season.  I will be able to get a voucher for the trouble, and I can use that for a weekend trip to go to Toronto and Miguasha.  If I can do everything besides Miguasha this trip, I’ll be satisified with that outcome.

So, what happened?  As I was writing my personal entry, I learned that my flight had been cancelled.  I immediately closed my personal entry, and I went to the customer service desk.  It had a bit of a line, so meanwhile I tried to figure out my other options, by phone and online.  It looked like almost everything was sold out tomorrow, so I was starting to become disheartened.  I was hoping that I would somehow be able to get to the “Welcome to Prince Edward Island” sign by dusk.  When it was my turn, she asked me, curtly, “How can I help you?”  I handed her my boarding pass and asked back, just as curtly, almost dejectedly, “How soon can you get me there?”

She told me that they had me on a 9:06 AM flight tomorrow morning.  Wait, no, that wasn’t possible.  I didn’t see that flight listed anywhere.  To Boston.  Then, a six-hour layover at Logan, then, I would get to Halifax at 7:15 PM, which was too late to drive to Charlottetown.  Noooooo.  No!  No!  We explored all of my different options, including possibly flying to Toronto tonight, but that flight was fully booked.  I even considered taking a flight to Newfoundland and doing that trip this year instead, but they didn’t have anything.  In the end, the best they could do for me was that flight itinerary that would get me to Halifax at 7:15 PM.

I had the entire geography of the Maritimes memorized by now.  I figured out how I would have to reconfigure it.  I’d also have to rearrange my hotels.  I would stay in Halifax tomorrow night, then, Sunday morning, drive to Charlottetown, stopping at Joggins Fossil Cliff on the way, arriving at Charlottetown before the souvenir shops closed.  Then, Monday, I would drive back from Charlottetown to Halifax, doing the two WHS on the peninsula as planned, and making sure I would arrive at the souvenir shops in Halifax before they closed.  Miguasha would have to wait, again.

I asked what they would offer for compensation.  Nothing, they said, since it was due to weather.  I made a huge stink, telling them I had a first class ticket, that I was a loyal customer for a long time, that this was going to ruin my trip.  Nothing, not even a hotel or transportation back to my apartment.  I asked to speak to a manager.  I told him the same thing.  He told me that customer care could process my compensation request on Tuesday and that he could give me a transportation voucher to and from Manhattan.  Okay, that was something.

I left, dejected, as I figured out how to reconfigure the trip, as described above.  I got to the car, and he let me smoke my cigar, or, at least, half of it, so I lit up a new Davidoff Escurio, the size of which I think was called Gran Corona, and I called the hotels to reconfigure that.  He made me toss it out before we got to the toll booths.  I stopped at the deli to get a seltzer, and then went up to my apartment, where I sat down in my chair and proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close.  I just lit up a Perdomo, which should last me as I publish this entry and finish up my personal entry, too.  I have to be up in less than six hour to get to the airport.