The Travel Thread

[KUTradition]

i love Eureka Springs…or at least did ~30 years ago

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

Anybody ever rent a car from SIXT?
I have heard very mixed things - unfortunately too many negative things.
I have a reservation with them. My fear is that I went on-line to make my reservation, I "reserved" a specific car - and that they won't have it when I go to pick it up - and they will put me in what they feel is a "comparable" car or try and get me to upgrade to a car I don't want.
From what I have been told, an hour before I pick up the car they will tell me what is available and then I can reserve a specific car that they have on their lot. True? False? What if I am in flight and can't respond right away? I assume it's "first come first served" in that regard. True?

[japhy]

Anybody ever rent a car from SIXT?

Gutter; people are gonna treat you like got damn rockstar when you cruise down Santa Monica Blvd in this muthafuckah!

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

Anybody ever rent a car from SIXT?

Gutter; people are gonna treat you like got damn rockstar when you cruise down Santa Monica Blvd in this muthafuckah!

Sweet ride!

When I was a kid my mother had a Ford Country Squire station wagon. Probably got it hoping to put me in the back and then have the back "gate" open while she was driving and I was sitting back there.
Then she must have had a mid life crisis because she got a Convertible Cutlas Supreme and after that, a couple of Firebirds. My sister got to drive the Firebirds.

[TDub]

[Shirley]

Anybody ever rent a car from SIXT?

Gutter; people are gonna treat you like got damn rockstar when you cruise down Santa Monica Blvd in this muthafuckah!

Sweet ride!

When I was a kid my mother had a Ford Country Squire station wagon. Probably got it hoping to put me in the back and then have the back "gate" open while she was driving and I was sitting back there.
Then she must have had a mid life crisis because she got a Convertible Cutlas Supreme and after that, a couple of Firebirds. My sister got to drive the Firebirds.

"...and if anyone asks if you've seen Harold Ensley, just tell them the last time you saw me, I was heading out in the red Ford Country Station wagon.

[Overlander]

Anybody ever rent a car from SIXT?

Gutter; people are gonna treat you like got damn rockstar when you cruise down Santa Monica Blvd in this muthafuckah!

In my rebellious age, I built a pretty badass Gremlin.
It was a Levi edition, my cousin sold it to me.

BTW…a Dodge 360 bolted straight place of the AMC 304.

American Motors sourced damn near everything from someone else

[KUTradition]

i can’t see one of those and NOT think Wayne’s World

party on

[TDub]

i can’t see one of those and NOT think Wayne’s World

party on

always wanted the damn licorice dispenser


its about the only thing I remember about the movie

[Sparko]

Instead of just a wishin'

[Sparko]

i can’t see one of those and NOT think Wayne’s World

party on

always wanted the damn licorice dispenser


its about the only thing I remember about the movie

It was a Pacer. And that was the crux of AMC's problems.

[Overlander]

i can’t see one of those and NOT think Wayne’s World

party on

always wanted the damn licorice dispenser


its about the only thing I remember about the movie

It was a Pacer. And that was the crux of AMC's problems.

I was thinking Wayne’s World was a Pacer too.

Odd car. The passenger seat was bigger than the drivers seat.

Years ago, I owned a Javelin AMX.
THAT was a severely underrated muscle car!

[Shirley]

Instead of just a wishin'

^^^

[TDub]

Instead of just a wishin'

yea well teenage me wasn't as practical as this well aged version.




somewhere along the way we lose the path

[Overlander]

Boarded my flight to Dallas.
Flight is surprisingly full.

Guy next to me REEKS.
Apparently, a Christmas Day for him is swimming 3 laps in an Axe Body Spray pool, and eating a cat shit burrito.

Gonna be a long 4 hour flight.

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

GUTTERED!
Supposed to take off at 7:30am tomorrow.
Dense Fog right now and forecast for tonight and tomorrow morning.
Incoming flight tomorrow morning is coming from SFO and will inevitably be delayed. If not cancelled.
Purposely didn't travel today because I felt less people working at the airport, car rental, hotel, etc.
Of course the same flight I am supposed to take tomorrow took off on time (and landed early) today.
Never had any doubt I would get fucked somehow some way.

[Shirley]

Boarded my flight to Dallas.
Flight is surprisingly full.

Guy next to me REEKS.
Apparently, a Christmas Day for him is swimming 3 laps in an Axe Body Spray pool, and eating a cat shit burrito.

Gonna be a long 4 hour flight.

Ugh.

I find most fragrances a subtraction, rather than an addition, to life*. But, if you have to, can't we be subtle? Otherwise, you appear to be compensating for something. Something not good, that I don't want to wonder about... And, I especially don't appreciate being hit in the face with floral fragrances. It doesn't resemble Jungle Gardenia, no matter how much you paid for it-it's a weak imitation.
Don't get me started.


*I had a patient who worked for Cudahy Meat Packing Company in N Kansas City who would always make an appt late in the day after she got off work. As I would approach the exam room door and pause to pick up the chart but before seeing her name and Before Opening the Door to go in, I would know it was here because I could smell the ham she'd been smoking all day, (every day), in her clothes and hair.

She didn't care for it, but she only came in occasionally, so it was a treat for a carnivore like me.

[Shirley]

Has anyone seen Gutter?

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

Has anyone seen Gutter?

Lulz.

Better chance the guy in the white shirt wearing the seatbelt in the front window would be me.
As of right now - flight from SFO to ORD is in the air headed to Chicago. My flight is scheduled to take off on time. I'll believe it when I see it - if I see it (pun intended due to the "dense" fog). That's my first +1 of day.
First -1 is that I planned to to sleep from about 11:00pm last night until 3:45am this morning. Nope. Slept from about 11:30pm to 1:30am. I have been having some bad sleep pattern/s lately. Wake up in the middle of the night/morning and can't fall back asleep.
My hope is being in and on PST will help me reset a bit.

Predicted +1s and -1s for today in order.

-1 Car service is late and blames the fog. Gee, fog was in the forecast - perhaps you should have accounted for it?
- 1 Driver is drunk/high/on uppers/or seems like he/she will fall asleep while driving.
-1 Driver is clearly sick (cold/flu/rsv/covid).
-1 Driver or car smells like shit.
-1 Car is either way too cold or way too warm. I ask driver to adjust and he/she doesn't.
-1 Get to airport and want to give my suitcase to and check in with a SkyCap - and there is no SkyCap so I have to go inside and wait in a ridiculously long line.
-1 TSA PreCheck stops me/checks me for something.
-1 I have to take a shit and there is no open stall in the disgusting dirty bathroom. Once I get a stall, it is nasty.
-1 I am hungry and get a really shitty tasting __________________.
-1 Airport terminal security alert and have to evacuate the terminal (It has happened to me twice).
-1 Have to go through LOOOOOONG security line to get back in.
-1 Get to gate and only open seat is next to someone who looks like a mass murderer.
-1 Screaming/crying child/children.
-1 Longer flight delay announced.
-1 Pilot/s/flight attendant/s are delayed getting to airport.
-1 Now announced flight is significantly more delayed.
-1 Finally ready to board and gate agent tells me my carry on bag is too big and makes me check it in. I argue. She/he wins.
-1 I have a window seat - which I prefer. Asshat next to me is an asshole. Flight takes off, asshat either is sick, smells, or will be sleeping the whole flight (may seem like a good thing - it won't be when I need to get up to take a piss).
-1 Flight lands late and as sometimes (too often) happens at LAX, we spend 30+ minutes waiting/"taxiing" to get to the gate.
-1 Get to the gate and there is a mechanical issue.
-1 Looooooong walk to get my suitcase at baggage claim.
-1 Looooooong wait to get my suitcase at baggage claim.
-1 Looooooong walk to get outside and wait for car rental shuttle bus.
-1 Looooooong wait for car rental shuttle bus.
-1 Looooooong line at car rental.
-1 Car I "reserved" is not available. They offer to "upgrade" me but at a significant cost increase or they try and "downgrade" me and refuse to give me a significant discount.
-1 Not supposed to be but will be cold and/or cloudy/gloomy outside.
-1 Traffic to hotel blows.
-1 Something in the car doesn't work/is broken. Didn't realize it when I was picking it up.
-1 Long wait to check in at hotel.
-1 Hotel tells me there will be extra unexpected charge/s.
-1 I am told or discover something at hotel is not in service/being repaired. Elevator issue, parking issue, water issue, wifi, housekeeping on strike, restaurant closed, whatever.
+1 Hotel is nice and I get a nice room. I unpack and get situated.
-1 I need to request something such as more hangars, mini fridge, whatever, and while they say they will bring up right away - they don't.
-1 I look outside window/s and see and HEAR major construction. Not a big deal being that I won't be in my room during the day most of my vacation but still kind of sucks.
-1 I realize I forgot to pack (and bring) something important I need and can't buy easily.
+1 I go grocery shopping for some "snacks" and beverages for the room.
-1 Something I didn't check when I first got in my in hotel room doesn't work/is broken.
-1 I have to switch rooms after I have unpacked.
Fast forward to this evening....
-1 Can't decide what I want for dinner. End up doing something shitty or lazy like eating chips.
-1 Can't decide what to do. End up staying in room and watching something shitty on TV.
-1 People next door or across the hall are fucking loud.
-1 I can't fall asleep or if I do, I have a shitty night's sleep.

FInal score about 40 -1 and 2 +1

I purposely didn't mention other -1s because I don't want to jinx myself and/or will myself in to it happening. All the things I listed I can deal with.

As I used to say way too often, I prefer to expect the worse and then be pleasantly surprised - than expect the best and be inevitably disappointed.

[Shirley]

Man, with all that trepidation*, I wonder if traveling is worth it for you, Gutter?

I hope your flight was on time, and your driver was sober and driving a clean and odorless car.

Oh, and Merry Christmas, I mean Hanukkah, dammit!

*trepidation: a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen.

Perhaps these will help:

"Your thoughts create your reality; choose them wisely."
Hermann Hesse

3 Stoic quotations:

“He who suffers before it is necessary, suffers more than is necessary.”
Seneca

“Today I escaped my anxiety. Actually, I discarded my anxiety because it was within me.”
Marcus Aurelius

“It’s not things that upset us, it’s our opinion of things that does.”
Epictetus