!!!!, or why I'm freaking out

BECAUSE I HAVE ONE DAY LEFT.

This time tomorrow I will be in the AIRPORT about to BOARD my FLIGHT to ISTANBUL!

There is righteous anger, right? This is righteous freak-out.

I guess I never told you, but the airline strike was called off due to mis-voting. The trains around London are still screwed up last I heard, but I'm safe.

My room has been delineated into the "taking" and "not taking." I still have a few piles to go through, a bit of shopping to do, another round of sorting, massive amounts of scanning and printing, a load of laundry, a few phone calls, and then... I'll be "ready."

I'm taking a small rolling suitcase and a hiking backpack as of now. If I can consolidate them into the backpack I might try to do that, but I'm not thinking I'll be successful (or even want to do that).

It has gotten to the point where I'm ready to be in Doha.

However, for Christmas, I got a Rick Steves' book on Istanbul (and some of you know how I adore Rick Steves) and began reading it. But on my 10 hour flight to Heathrow, then 4 hour flight to Istanbul, I'm thinking I'll have time to finish it, memorize it, translate it into Pig Latin, and re-copy it upside down.

So, my next post will either be a) tomorrow's Freak-Out Part Two or b) from Istanbul!

Can't Cut a Break, or how my other flight is in danger

So. I thought that all of my airline troubles were over.

Mais non!

British Airlines workers voted today to start a strike on Dec. 22. The sources I've read said it will go 12 days. That would be Jan. 2.

My ticket departs Seattle on Dec. 28th. I haven't gotten any alerts from British Airlines (i.e. they haven't outright cancelled my flight) so there is hope. I'm betting that BA gets things resolved before Christmas and I'll be able to flight out as scheduled.

If not, I still have a house to go home to in Seattle. They'd probably let me come back from the airport. In fact, they might even drive me back.

So now, as the drama continues, I sit and wait, watching and listening. What else could screw up my flight? I'm ready.