YakimaGulagLiteraryGazett

OK, here is the story promised to all last night:

 So, this trip's been a bit of a disaster.  Started
out alright: got out to the Yakima airport early
enough to get a seat on the bench, waiting for the
shuttle.  Shuttle arrived right on time. 
 This is where trouble was subtly hinted at, though:
the driver wasn't really on the ball.  She didn't get
out and ask everybody to line up or anything – she
just pulled up, opened the doors, and got back in to
wait in the driver's seat.  She just sat there until
someone knocked on the window and asked if we were
going to board, at which point she started letting us.
On the up side, she neglected to collect the extra
fee on my baggage, even after I brought it up.
 Next fun happened when we got to SeaTac.  We got
there right on time and everything, and I went to the
curbside check-in because the line looked about a
third the length of the one inside, maybe less.
(There was just like a $2 fee per bag – small price
to pay to not stand around for two hours.)  Well, the
line's moving pretty good...and then I get to the
counter, and the guy says there's computer trouble.
For a brief moment, I was worried that I'd been
flagged for a no fly list or some nonsense, and they
were stalling me for security to get there.
 Turns out, the problem really was computer related:
the computers for Northwest went down.  Right as I got
to the counter.  Company wide.  A baggage guy finally
did get me a boarding pass and baggage claim tickets.
Figuring he was in for a lousy, lousy day, I made sure
to tip well. 
 Went through the security checkpoint, which was a
laugh.  The whole shoes thing is retarded, and they
made me give up an inch long pocket knife while
letting me keep a larger screwdriver set for no
particular reason.  I didn't bother to argue, given
how brown I am.
 Got to the gate, waited around.  Didn't eat a proper
meal – stuck to the bags of snacks my sister D.. put
together for me, because I was too nervous to really
eat.  I'd gotten there with three hours to spare. 
 Flight got in on time, but after we boarded, they
waited an extra forty, maybe fifty minutes to take off
– they wanted to give one or two straggling
passengers a chance to make their connections.  So, I
figured that was fine.  Then, when we went to taxi out
of there, the plane died.  Lights dropped, AC cut out,
and we sat in the dark for five, ten minutes until the
pilot informed us that the auxiliary power had died
for unknown reasons.  He advised that they'd try to
get it back, so we could go.  That took another maybe
ten minutes, and we took off.
 We got to Minneapolis, and the pilot warned us that
the computers were still down, so they couldn't tell
us anything about our connections – all we could do
was consult an agent or the board in the terminal.
We'd arrived basically right when my connection was
slated to leave, and so I missed it.  Wasn't even
listed on the board when I got there.  So I went to
the front desk, all the way outside of the security
zone to get help.
 They had one working terminal.  Some blonde girl
monopolized it for like an hour, trying to get a
manager – once again, I arrived at the desk as the
one working computer dropped.  The lady at the desk
offered to let me use a phone behind the counter to
reschedule, which took another hour, (mostly spent
transferred around or on hold), and then I finally got
rescheduled.  They got me a set of vouchers for a
hotel, shuttle and two meals.  Got to the shuttle for
a boarding pass, and they told me that I also had to
call their 800 number to book my shuttle for the
following morning.  It was like midnight by this
point. Sighed, got on the shuttle.  Got to the hotel.
Nothing was open except a Denny's, due to the hour.
They didn't take meal vouchers, so I paid cash for
take out.  Got back to the hotel, and in a bit of good
luck, found they had free wifi, so I didn't have to
pay exhorbitant phone fees to call K. and the
shuttle.  Got to bed at 3 AM or so.
 Woke up at 7, got to the shuttle, and everything went
more or less smoothly from there, although the
computers were *still* down.

 Then, finally got here, and things were great.  Not
awkward at all.  Her friend J. picked me up, and
we all went and had dinner, caught the new Pirates
movie.  Right now, feels like I've already lived here
more or less forever.  (Or would if my stuff weren't
all in boxes, anyway.)
 Talk to you all soon!

       Ivan the Terrible


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# posted by Katja R. @ 7:32 PM