Writing, Con, and Misc.

Yes, I am writing again. I average just a few hundred words a day but at least I am writing. You can see the progress in the sidebar. I upload the manuscript every other day or so and Lorna downloads it and reads it. (I can’t get the two laptops to network together and I can’t find my ever elusive memory key) So far, she likes it and has only a few comments. She had to suspend all her thoughts of the previous version(s) before I would let her read it.

I am working on my part of the workshop I am participating in. I am the moderator as well as panel member (sort of). I glanced at the calendar and realized how close everything is. I have to call the Phoenix wheelchair place (and hope they hold the chair and charger without a deposit until I get there) and call the shuttle that has a wheelchair van and arrange for transportation to and from the hotel. Ack! I have dinner plans now for Friday with the Thudders (long story and, after I told you, I’d have to kill you). Thursday evening is still open so that may be when I explore. Sunday after everything is over, I will be putting notes and stuff together and basically recuperating until I leave Monday morning.

Oh! Flight info. Got the ticket set. Here’s the wonky thing. We are going to drive over to Johnson City TN where I will take a puddle jumper to Charlotte and get on a big plane for Phoenix. I take flight 2570 out of Tri-City Airport and flight 1505 out of Charlotte. Then I take flight 1546 from Phoenix to Charlotte and flight 2559 from there back to Tri-City Airport.

Here’s where it gets weird. If I drove to Charlotte and got on flight 1505, the ticket would have cost me $452. BUT, the same flight but first coming from Johnson City, is $249. SAME FLIGHT! It is just $46 more for my entire round trip ticket. SAME FLIGHT!!

The airlines are crazy. For one, they shouldn’t do the nickle and dime thing. USAirways charges $7 for in-flight meals (when available) and, starting 8/1, non-alcoholic drinks will be $2. First check through bag will be $15 and $25 for additional ones. This will drive people away. What they should have done is just raise the price of tickets by that much. People will still fly. They’ll fork over the money for the ticket. But they won’t eat and they will bring just one bag. So the airline won’t get those nickels. Flying is still cheaper than driving, given the ghastly price of gasoline lately.

I’m going to ship several things to Phoenix rather than lug them through the airports. The chair’s charger I hope to be able to rent while there. I can’t ship my CPAP and laptop but I can ship meds and some other things. So I’ll have the rolling duffel to check-through, then carry on will be my CPAP (which doesn’t count toward my onboard bag limit of 1) and my laptop bag (note to self: find laptop bag). On my personage will be money and ID. I may recycle a previous convention’s badge holder to hold ID. Sigh. It is time to get the details taken care of, ain’t it?