Monday, July 19, 2004

28.8 dial up sucks

sitting in Days Inn in Kelowna where everything is taking 10 times longer than necessary.

Monday, July 12, 2004

Our "favourite" hotel

So we survived Jetsgo. And we survived Mother Nature. But will we survive the hotel. Probably, but may never return.

1. Restaurant is mostly closed and under renovations. No one told me that when I made the reservation.

2. Desk clerk from H-E-double hockey sticks. Here is the conversation:
DC-The elevators are not working because of the storm.
C-When will they be working again?
DC-Couple of hours
C-We have a lot of luggage I really don't want to carry up the stairs, what can we do about that?
DC-You can cancel your reservation. (in that tone that make you want to slap someone)
C-Well, that is certainly an uncalled for remark.
DC-You are the third person who has asked that and there is nothing I can do. Do you you want the room or not?

3. Water park is shut down because of the storm as well.

This morning the regular staff got an earful and the manager has been informed.

Also, the only reason we stay at this hotel (Ramada Hotel and Water Park) is because of the water park. Seems the flooding has done something there as well and the water slides are not working.

So why, I ask myself, are we even there? Travellodge has room for us on the return stay and we will most likely not be at the Ramada again.

And then the weather

Photos to post later when we find somewhere to do that (at the cousin's house tonight) as I am at the Edmonton Library at the moment and cannot find the USB port as the CPU is locked up tight.

So the plane lands in Edmonton. We get the van, and it is better than I thought it would be. We get the tonnes of luggage loaded. Fine.

Driving into the city it starts to rain. Did you know Edmonton had some flooding lately. No. Well check this out: http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/07/12/canada/edmonton_storm_new040712


We were in that flood. Water rushing over the highway. Water up to the undercarriage of the van. And Albert drove right through it. Photos we have are great.

Went to East Side Mario's for dinner and had to park way out back where there was high ground. The parking lot was under water.
Went to Grandma and Grandpa's after dinner and had to detour halfway around town as roads were close (under water) all over the place.

We made it -- barely

What a fun day yesterday was. Left the house in a limo for the airport at 10:30 am for a 12:45 flight. Seems like it should be enough time, however, when we were checking in we could not find the health cards for the children and they would not allow them on the plane. Eventually they said Emma could go because she had a library card (really secure ID that is) but since Andrew had nothing he could not go. Our options, stay home, two people go, leave Andrew at home alone, or someone had to go home to get the cards. By this time the lineup behind us was huge and people were being rude and saying things to us.

That is the option we took. I raced out, bargained with a limo driver for a quick round trip, and we were off. I had only 1 hour to do this. He went fast. Could not find the health cards, so took the birth certificates. He went fast again and I was back at the airport, $90 poorer, but with ID in hand.

Went back to the check in line, cut to the front, got dirty looks, and were checked in. Raced through security, raced down the halls to the last gate (who gets to fly in the first ones I wonder) and walked straight onto the plane -- second last people to board.