Airport chaos

Yesterday was one of those days....

The flight booking I thought I had (12h50) had not been confirmed. The next 3 flights were full and I could only get onto the 16h00 flight. The airport was chaotic, irate passengers practising the life-threatening sport of queue-jumping and most airlines playing advanced gate-swapping to cull the unfit from all flights.

"The flights are all over-booked" I was told when checking in (which explains why I try and get to the airport early) The shell-shocked mother behind me simply gave up on the screaming, purple-faced toddler who had taken exception to all the noise and rush. For a moment I considered adding to the toddler's sit-in but thought better of it.

When we finally got to the threshold of runway 21R we sat there for what seemed like a very long time. Eventually the captain explained that a light aircraft had wandered into the commercial airspace putting a temporary hold on all activity by commercial flights. A maintenance vehicle spotted the gap and carried out a quick runway inspection (looking for potholes, I believe) which delayed us further.

But we got here eventually and I awoke to this today



I think the 12h50 flight was probably cancelled, in any event I got here faster on the 16h00 flight


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Location:Signal Hill Rd,Cape Town,South Africa

Living in Johannesburg

I love this picture the Border Collie sent me, it's the second one in the series I've seen so far. The Cape Town picture has a wine glass in each square

Congratulations to whoever puts these together 

One year on

I went to Durban on Thursday, my first business trip of this year.

It's still there. At the back, near the hangars. No other bits have been removed.


Having successfully avoided business travel since October last year I was a little out of practise. Yes I printed out my itinerary. No I did not take it with me on the actual trip.
My complete lack of interest in detail has implications in these situations - arriving at Avis to pick up a Budget car, for instance.
Or trying to check in to British Airways for the return flight when it's booked on SAA.(This is not the first time I've done that, once demanding they check me in for a flight to Bloemfontein. British Airways doesn't fly to Bloemfontein)

Scientist No 1 suggested I fire the minions. Tempting, but it wasn't actually anyone else's fault.
I'm off to Cape Town next Thursday and have already stored the itinerary in the car for easy access.

Little children, little problems

This saying used to annoy me immensely when Scientist No 1 and Child No 2 were little. People would give me that knowing look entirely dismissing the lack of sleep / teething crying / homework crisis problem I was talking about.
But while I was sitting at King Shaka International in Durban last Thursday the children sent me pictures of where they were

Scientist No 1....

Child No 2....


700kms away, doing mortal battle with the elements.

This is why parents of adults are grey.