First, the now usual catch-up. Left Cambridge in a frenzy on March 25, took the bus to New York and couldn't get into my apartment as the workmen who re-plastered the bedroom ceiling used a lock when they left I haven't used for 30 years. That was Sun square Saturn, thank you very much, and it cost me only $310 to call a locksmith and have him let me in. Re-plastered ceiling looks very nice except they re-plastered 12 inches down a newly painted wall.
Saturday 26th, in an even greater frenzy, went to Chinatown with N to buy New York teeshirts for the twins I'd be meeting for the first time when I got to London. Opened the new $310 lock and walked into the apartment to a ringing phone. Client I've been copyediting for wanted to send me first layout of his book and could I do a rewrite of the bits I hadn't yet seen (!), proofread the rest and send it back ASAP? Told him I might need a bit of time as was about to leave for Europe for three weeks (Mars sextile MC). Not a problem, he said, and I took out half the clothes I had in a wheelie bag a la Arthur Frommer and took a cab to Kennedy.
Went to check-in machine at American area and was directed to an agent. Started to walk towards an agent, stopped by trouble-shooting walkabout man and told to go back to machine. Went back to machine area, showed ticket to trouble-shooting woman there, told to go to counter. Trouble-shooting man apologized. Got to check-in real live woman at counter and told to go to Terminal 7 as it was an Iberian flight. "This happens all the time," she said. "People get their tickets online at the American site and don't realize it's operated by Iberia." Look at ticket printout and see, underneath the American logo and the words American Airlines, "Operated by Iberia."
"You can take a cab," she says. "This is terminal 8 so if you take the sky-train you'll have to go all the way around." "I've just taken a cab, thanks," I say, and trundle off to the sky-train, getting on one going in the wrong direction to the other end of the line but realizing what I'd done after only one stop.
Check-in at Iberia very civilized, no machines, real live people, plenty of time, served edible food with a bottle of wine on the flight, went to sleep, woke up, served edible breakfast and got to Madrid on time at 8 am.
To be continued
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