Return to San Diego

On Saturday I returned to San Diego on United Airlines. The first leg of the trip (Flight #7009) from Westchester County Airport was delayed almost three hours due to snow in Chicago. When the plane arrived in Chicago at Gate F1, we deplaned on the tarmac. I estimated that the first 100 feet was wet with occasional patches of icy slush, followed by approximately 500 feet on ice and slush. I actually had to hold on to the cement wall as I inched along very carefully, step by step, to reach the building, because I was concerned about falling. The snow had stopped but I guess no one bothered to clear that pathway. After I entered the building and made my way to the shuttle bus to go from Terminal F to Terminal C, I found the pathway to the bus clear, as well as a clear pathway when I arrived at Terminal C. There was an elderly couple on my flight who used wheelchairs to board the plane. I hope they were not too inconvenienced by the situation.

I contacted United to alert them to this fact, since it is only the beginning of the season. Hopefully, they will ensure that this pathway is cleared in the future.

The second leg of my trip (Flight #651) on United left 40 minutes late. After we were settled in our seats, we were informed that we were waiting for the crew who had just arrived from Providence. Before long, the captain apologized for the delay stating that they would do their best to quickly perform necessary preparations for the flight. I heard some men make comments about the words, "do their best," and I assumed it was because the captain was female. After a while, the captain announced that we would be delayed another approximately 15 minutes while the plane was de-iced. I certainly didn't mind that. I wanted a safe flight. And, I was so tired at that point I didn't have a reaction. By the time I arrived in San Diego, I had been traveling for 13 hours.

By the way, I like Westchester County Airport, but you don't really want to experience a delay there. After screening, you stay in one large room with a little snack stand. I had already purchased O Magazine at a stand when I arrived outside the screening area. I enjoyed reading the articles but I didn't need several hours to read the magazine. A few years ago, while flying to San Diego from Westchester County Airport, a plane to Florida was delayed. We seemed to have at least 200 people in that one room. Very uncomfortable, in my opinion. On Saturday, however, all the other flights were for the Eastern Seaboard so they didn't have delays. Just my plane.... :)

While I love New York and had a great time with the family, I was very happy today. I went out to the food store in a sweater set and immediately went back inside to changed to a short sleeve shirt. What a wonderful feeling. I obviously enjoy the warm sunlight as opposed to ice and snow. The San Diego weather forecast for the rest of this week is 68 and 69 degrees, and in the 70's on the weekend. I'm displaying my photographs of San Diego to show how inviting it is.