August 29, 2005

Missed connections and layovers

Thank you, gentle readers,
for all the support and encouragements you've given me over the last few months.
They contributed greatly to my mental survival.


Friday

4:30 AM
So I made it to Dorval airport on time.
Cigarettes : 3 (On the way to the airport)

I actually was early enough to have breakfast and read the whole Quebec Bar Journal, which I normally never take the time to read. At the US customs, the guy is as thick as the Websters, but not as brilliant.

- Where ya goin', Maam ?
- Baltimore, sir.
- What for, Maam ?
- Job interview, sir. For an international position.
- You gonna work in the United States, Maam ?
- No sir, it's an international position. Overseas.
- But you'll be working in the US, Maam ?
- No sir, I just told you it was overseas.
- In what country, Maam ?
- I don't know yet, sir, I haven't had my assignment yet.
- So you won't be working in the US, Maam ?

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !

At the Canadian security, I get searched though I haven't beeped. The girl tells me she has to search an additionnal 25% of the travellers. If she doesn't, she gets fired. She mentions she'd rather sell donuts.

Coffee : 2
Bagel & Cream cheese : 1
Security announcements : 6
Annoyed Beaver : 1

6:45 AM
My first flight was to Newark, with a 30 min layover and connection to Baltimore. It was my first flight on the small aircrafts Continental calls airplanes. It was the smallest thing I'd ever been on, with my head litterally resting against the ceiling when standing up and my knees being cranked against the seat in front of me when sitting down. TG for exit rows !
Cigarettes : 0
Coffee : 1
Muffin : 1
Security Briefing : 1
Destroyed knees : 2

8:45 AM
Arrival in Newark, I make my way to my boarding area. All's good, the flight is still announced on the screen. I figure, this is good, I'll be patient and wait for it to be called in. 15 minutes later, wondering why it's so long, I enquire. The flight departed !
Security announcements : 1
Connections missed : 1

I make my way to the customer service desk. I need to take the 1:30PM flight. I meet there a fellow passenger from the Montreal flight. He missed his connection too. We have a cigarette (outside) and a snack (inside).

Call to my interviewer : 2
Cigarettes : 2 (Outside)
Coffee : 1
Muffin : 1
Security announcements : 5
New friends : 1

11:00 AM
My friend takes his flight to NC. I wander around aimlessly.
Cigarettes : 0
Coffee : 0
Muffin : 0
Security announcements : 25 !!!
Bored Beaver : 1

1:20 PM
My flight is finally boarding. I'm almost desperate with boredom and fatigue.
Satisfied Beaver : 1

1:50 PM
The flight is deplaned due to technical difficulties. Me and 2 other passengers (sleep deprived as well) are laughing all along. I think I went close to insane. A girl from Arkansas has a hard time with my Tomato/Pesto/Bocconcini sandwich.

Call to my interviewer : 1
Cigarettes : 0
Juice : 1
Sandwich : 1
Disillioned Beaver : 1
Security announcements : 6

2:45 PM
The flight is boarded. We're still laughing. The flight attendant is laughing too.
Cigarettes : 0
Coffee : 0
Muffin : 0
Security briefing : 1

4:00 PM
I almost forgot my luggage by the carry-on pick-up and got it blown up. Blame it on sleep deprevation. I finally made it to the Wyndham, dropped my luggage and made my way to the office. I'm very nervous.

Cigarettes : 2 *relief*

7:00 PM
The interview went well (I think they pretty much had made up their minds before I even came). I spend the evening with my manager at the Hard Rock Cafe in Baltimore.
Cigarettes : ?
Calls home : 4
Jobs obtained : 1

****************************************************************
Saturday
I sleep in. I'm dead. I take my flight to Cleveland and my connection to Montreal without too much trouble. Some unauthorized birds visit the boarding area in Cleveland.

I get home to find Dave has planned dinner for us. He even bought
Mousseux. We hang out at my friend's place a bit later.

****************************************************************
Sunday

I start emailing friends and family about the news. We give my in-laws the news.

By the way, here's the news :

I'll be leaving Montreal in 3 weeks, direction Baltimore, where I'll spend 2 weeks for prep and logistics. This leaves me little time to sublease my place, sell my car and move all my belongings to the cottage, but I'll manage. Dave rented today a gorgeous appartment in Little Italy. I managed to annul my lease. Someone is already placing a bid on my car.

The most difficult part will be leaving Dave behind, but we hope that with combined vacations, personnal days, and R&R, we'll be able to see each other 4 times a year. Nevertheless, being away from him will be painful, as this has all happened very fast and is destabilizing him on the eve of the automn classes at university. I must admit I feel kinda guilty.
September 24th, I leave for Guinea Conakry with my assigned Audit team.

November 4th, we'll start the audit in Cameroon.

I'll be home for X-mas and will leave again early january, destination unknown.

I might go to East Timor, Senegal, Zambia or Tanzania. If I'm lucky, I'll be close enough to visit my friends in Africa.
No matter what, the blogging will continue.

ON ON !
The Beaver



My guest map is wonderful ! And you'd all be wonderful to post, all of you lurk mode readers!
Thanks and may the winds of Fate blow your way !

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

¡¡¡Congratulations for the job!!!
Well done Beaver, good luck and keep on updating, ain't?
Greetings from Dakar!

Anjamon said...

YEY! You got job! That's so great! I wish you luck!!

Blessed be,
Anya!

Salt Water said...

Fantastic! Sounds like the gauntlet may become routine. What was the story on the Tomato/Pesto/Bocconcini sandwich? It sounds great? Sourdough? or Dark Russian Rye? Congrats!

Tina said...

YAY BEAVER!!! Congrats to the max. I'm a firm believer in everything happens for a reason. This is the place for you. Air travel can be a pain, particularly when it calls for international travel. Sounds like you made the best of it! Cut out the cigarettes, though, we want Beaver around for a long time!!

cityangelz said...

yay girl!! you deserve it after ALL your hard work.. Have great fun at your job ok?? and continue blogging too :D

cheers,
siti

Linda Jones Malonson said...

Yes!!!!!!
You got a job that you love, I got Road Runner or Cable, no more dial up ... we are both smoking with joy! You go woman! I had no doubt that you would get the job ... Beavers can build dams and cut through the bull too!

Xolo said...

Ah the joys of air travel...

Anyways, Congrats on the new job!

Will you be with CRS? I have had many friends work with them.

I am with cricket on the cigs - stick to coffee.

Re: the unauthorized birds - how would they become authorized? Do they have a special bird section in security? :P

Anonymous said...

You wrote: "At the Canadian security, I get searched though I haven't beeped. The girl tells me she has to search an additionnal 25% of the travellers. If she doesn't, she gets fired."

It's a good sign that she picked you - that means she didn't think you had anything. There's a whole lot of paperwork if they find something!

The Voice said...

So good for you Beaver,

I am happy beyond words at your recent success. Now the tallies they were priceless - what an ingenious way to describe your days.

Congratulations, I am certain this is going to be a good thing. I am a bit sad for David though.

J

Beaver said...

Thanks to all of you for your continued support and congratulations ! You are truly an important part of my life now !

Gemma & Siti : yes, no worries, I'll keep updating !

Anya : Thank you sweet heart ! (You know my organization has programs in Serbia... I might come your way eventually :)

Jim : it was a sandwich I bought. The chick thought the boconcinni looked weird (I think she's never seen any!) and found it inacceptable to have no meat in a sandwich. He he he... it was excellent though.

Tina & Xolo : Don't worry, I've been on a pack a week for 13 years... I'll stick around !

Amias : Thank you for your ongoing support :) U're a real mum to me ! I'm sure u'd call me a 4AM to wake me up if you were in MTL too :)

Xolo (2) : Indeed, I will be with CRS :) Maybe we share some acquaintances then. My mum is as well a former CRS employee, as are some of my friends.

I'm assuming the birds would have to go through the security procedure and have a boarding pass. Or an employee ID.

Steve : Indeed. I looked very professionnal, if I may say...

Joe : I feel sad for Dave too, and am very concerned about him. I want to put a tremendous effort to make his life as comfy as possible in my absence. I will, indeed, have a huge budget for phone calls.

I sincerely hope I'm not sacrificing him on the altar of my career. I truly love this guy. And he has been incredibly supportive throughout the whole process. He deserves to be loved and taken care of by a woman who'll be there for him. I can only be thankful that he is the generous person that he is.

At the same time, this is an opportunity for him to grow as a man, and experience complete independance. I'm sure that many nights out with the guys will console him of my absence !

If anything, I hope so.