Thursday, December 16, 2021

Thursday, December 16, 2021

There is an airline strike in Italy. The airport was chaos. As I start writing this, I am sitting on the tarmac in Florence trying to get to Zurich for our connecting flight to Miami. The airline personnel are optimistic, but time will tell.

Yesterday Aleks was supposed to leave to return to Toronto. Canada has different Covid requirements, and she got the wrong test. She had to stay over. We saw her at the airport but have no idea if the strike will affect her flight. P.S. we made it to Zurich I called Stefano. Aleks got bounced again. We were only flight to leave Florence. Aleks will try again tomorrow.

Traveling is not a lot of fun, and I can tell you that idiots are not limited to employees at Capital One Visa. I am sitting in the first row of our flight to Zurich. I can watch everyone board. One man, very concerned about making his connecting flight, refused to go back to his seat until he engaged the flight attendant in an obnoxious and lengthy conversation about the delay. Finally I said “Sir, if you would stop talking, move to your seat and let the plane board, you’d have a better chance of making your connection than by standing here delaying our departure even more”. Barbara insists that someday, someone is going to shoot me, but there are times I just cannot resist speaking out.

We got to the airport and even checked in quickly because the business/first class line had only one person at each of two check-in desks. However, if flying coach, the check -n was a minimum of two hours. I think that, because of the strike, airport personnel are half of what is normal.

The flight from Zurich to Miami is 10 and 1/2 hours so a long day no matter what. Barbara has been known to exercise even after flying home from China so we will see.

Still on the ground. Learned all other flights from Italy to Switzerland are cancelled today. If we actually go, we will be the only flight to leave. Because of that Swiss Air is waiting to fill up the entire plane

Made it to Zurich with 90 minutes to spare. However, very long lines at Passport Control so no first-class lounge for us. I missed great food and drink. Barbara saved thousands of calories.

Lot of little children traveling. Most of them scream at the top of their lungs. Many mothers were singing to these screamers, but not one mother knew “Melancholy Baby”. I asked more than once. Then, gave up. I think I took an incorrigible pill recently.

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In flight to Miami and, so far, the wi-fi is working. See Urban Meyer fired by Jacksonville Jaguars. I am far from surprised and far from unhappy. There is no question it is a different game on Sunday than Saturday. I may prefer Saturday’s games, but that is not the point. Among other things, grown men play on Sunday. Kids play on Saturday,

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Democrats FINALLY say they will get tough with Ted Cruz over fact that he has tied up the majority of ambassadorial appointments. Another example of “what took you so damn long” and/or “too little too late”.

I really like and respect Joe Biden. I am proud he is our President. He has done a lot of great things already for which he is not getting the recognition he deserves. I just wish that he showed more fire in the belly and fought back -- even be a little mean once in a while to the people trying to geld him

Back in Miami in about 7 hours.