Why Northwest Airlines sucks!... (Part IV)

Now, Back to the 1st human I was able to talk to about my luggage. She did indeed say it was checked in that morning, Sunday, 12-21-08. She also said it did not come in on flight 184 like we were told the night before, but on an early flight into LaGuardia that morning. I asked her why it was not changed on the website, or on the audio version as received, and she couldn't answer that. I asked if it went out to be delivered, and she couldn't answer that either, but she did blow me off and said that they are making deliveries throughout the day, and evening, and I should have it by 11pm that night. Now, we were about an hour to 1 and 1/2 hours away from LaGuardia, depending on traffic and road conditions.

I also remember, that the previous night, when I filed the initial missing luggage claim, the NWA employee asked if it was OK for them to drop off the luggage if no one was home, and I said, yes, although we have all sorts of family members visiting for Christmas, like me with no luggage, so someone should be home.

I continued to try and track my luggage through NWA website, but nothing ever changed, even the fact that they received the luggage. So, who do I believe that they actually have the luggage? The lady I spoke too, or the website/computer generated phone links? No one! They all lie, except for Wendy. Their Luggage Status Information Line is 1-800-745-9798, and you get that damned automated crap. Even when I used my special file reference number, LGANW92994, it really didn't help. One thing though, which my mom mentioned while I was phoning again later that Sunday evening, and trying to figure out how I got that first "Live Human" when I called, mom said, after they give you the automated spiel, hit "0", and maybe that might get you to Customer Service. Oh my gosh, it worked. So, again I talked to a human, and I got the same response, it's like they are programmed, or their training manual teaches them how to bullshit and lie to you!

It was kind of imperative that I get my luggage, as I was only spending 8 days in NY! So Day One is shot, no luggage, wasn't delivered by 11pm, or anytime on Sunday, so the bastards just lied and lied and lied!!! Everything is pending, like the status of my luggage. When I asked to speak to a supervisor, the answer was there are no supervisors here. How can that be? Someone has to direct this dysfunctional operation and corporation. When I asked for their employee ID number, they said they could not give it to me. What kind of horseshit is that? And the funny thing is, part of their message when I called, it mentioned Northwest Airlines commitment to customer service. They really have one warped sense of humor. And, a special note here, I did not cuss or swear, or say or do anything inappropriate during my phone calls on Day 1. I just sat there and listened to their bullshit, and boy, these folks are good at it. Also, up to this point, I was unable to get them to give me the land line phone number for NWA Baggage Services at LaGuardia, as they said they couldn't give out that number. Is that amazing or what? No phone numbers, no employee ID number's, nothing that was of any importance. While I was waiting on line at NWA Baggage Services the night of the 20th, their phone was ringing off the hook. Ummm, sounds like another lie to me. I would be done by now if I wasn't so easily distracted. I look at my e-mail, and then one thing leads to another, then another, and before I know it, it is 3, 4 or 5 hours later. Wow, am I messed up or what? I will finish this in the next post, I promise, but there is another Bowl Game coming on soon, so sorry about that. Bye...

OK, so I went to NY for Christmas and... (Part III) or, Why Northwest Airlines Sucks!

It's Sunday morning, and I'm still working on my first 24 hours in NY. So, both my parents realize I am in NY, much to their amazement. I think they were extremely surprised, and happy that I was there. I mean we don't have too many more Christmas together on this planet, because of many reasons, but mainly because we are getting older, and of course the health issues. But let's not be too morbid here, let's be happy! Oh yeah, no luggage yet.

Our family has this tradition which has been going on for decades, that being the week or so before Christmas we all go out to eat together, all the families, in-laws, everyone, and my dad picks up the tab. This started, and has morphed from when we were little children, and our dad gave each of us kids a money envelope, which started with $5.00, so that we would have money to buy Christmas presents for each other, and for mom and dad too. As we got older, the amount gradually increased, and then he started giving us these Commemorative U.S. Mint Coins, usually in silver, for different occasions. I still have a few that I did not pawn. Then came the dinner out when we all reached adulthood, and I think the money part ended while I was on one of my multi-year vision quests. I don't know the exact year though, and then the coin thing also ended. So, today it is just the big get-together with the meal. This is the 1st one I attended since my last visit to NY in 2004. This year it was at the Copperage in Waiting River, NY. I didn't have any casual dress clothing because, you guessed it, my luggage was in Northwest Airlines limbo land. This brunch took place @ 11am Sunday morning on December, 21 2008. It was really nice, even though I was the only one there not dressed appropriately. I do travel a lot, just not to NY, and I always carry an extra set of clothing, usually a pair of shorts, t-shirt and socks. So, there I was, in the Copperage, in a pair of shorts, a Pirates tee shirt, sneakers and socks, and no one said a word, although I did get some strange looks. It was enjoyable, and I love seeing everyone after 4 years.

Northwest Airlines has a web page on their website where you can check on your luggage. All you have to do is enter the number the Baggage Service office gave me when I filed the missing luggage claim. It says 2 things, one being when they received your luggage (At LaGuardia) and when it was delivered. It doesn't qualify what those 2 things actually mean, but what would one expect from these idiots.

When we got back from the Copperage, it was contact NWA (From here on, NWA will stand for Northwest Airlines.) time, as the luggage had not yet arrived. There was an 800 number both on my missing luggage receipt, and on their website, and they were identical. Amazing! So, I checked online, and lo and behold, it did not show that they had received it yet, although the night before we were told it was coming in on the next flight from Minneapolis. Oops, somebody told a lie. You will notice that we were lied to on a regular and constant basis. Now that is what I call great customer service. Oh, and it gets better. So, for the next couple of hours I kept checking the website, and nada, nothing, blippo on my luggage's' status. So, now I start using the PHONE! It is now around 3pm, and the promise that my luggage would be on the 10am delivery or 1pm delivery seem to ring hallow. More lies!

We all love those calls to customer service when we get recordings, and multiple numbers to push to get certain information, and nothing really gets accomplished, ever. My 1st call was basically an audio version of what the website said, with the final comment, "our information is updated regularly with the latest information". Tell me, what would they update it with? The oldest, 3, 4, 5- day old information? And the thing about these calls was that there was no # or button to push to get a live human being, either from here or Bangladesh! What were they thinking? Then on my 3rd or 4th time calling, an error occurred, and I somehow got patched through to customer service (I thought it was customer service for just luggage claims or complaints, but I was mistaken, as @ NWA, that does not exist. You end up at customer service for reservations, but they can check on your luggage on their computer, sort of like I could on my brother's.) and spoke to my first human. This was on Sunday, around 4:30pm EST. She said it appears my luggage was checked in a LaGuardia that morning, and no, it did not come in on Flight 184 the night before like I was told the previous night (Imagine if we had waited for it that night? We would have been some pissed off campers!) and so the lies started on Saturday Night, with Lies #ed- 1,2, and 3 happening that night. If I counted them all, it would probably end up in the dozens. Just to say this now, there was one young lady, Wendy who was either a truly compassionate person, who actually tried to go above and beyond the call of duty, or just a kind and dedicated employee, not yet jaded by her job. But this didn't happen till Monday Night. She even gave us the actual land line phone number for the Baggage Services Office at LaGuardia, when many others said they couldn't (Or wouldn't) do that. Kudos to her, and only her. NWA should take some lessons from her, because they said every time before you were actually going to get a human, that they may be recording this for training purposes. These assholes are basically clueless!

Well, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (Texas vs Ohio St.) will be on soon, and I just love football, so to be continued...

OK, so I went to NY for Christmas and... (Part II)

We made it out to Shoreham around midnight. Neither of my parents were expecting me, as we kept it a surprise. My brother had told them when he left for the airport with my niece and nephew that they were heading to Roosevelt Field Mall, to do some shopping for Christmas presents. Liar, Liar, pants on fire. But it worked. If everything happened the way it was suppose to, (When does everything happen the way it is suppose to?) we would have been home around 9-9:30pm, and my dad would not have gone to sleep, etc, etc. But dad was in bed, as he still gets up at 5am every morning, and does his 2-3 mile walk. Mom was still awake. We came in from the garage into the laundry room. My brother was explaining why they took so long shopping, and I came in. My mom wasn't facing my direction, but looking the other way at my brother and her grandkids, and I walked up behind her and said, "Hi Mom." She turned around, and the look on her face was priceless. And she said, What are you doing here? Hello, it's the holidays. Anyhow, it was nice. Dad would have to wait till the next morning. We all played it out real good, and they had no indication I was coming. I would be staying in the basement, and my folks were on the 2nd floor, in the guest bedroom.

Sunday morning was cold and crisp. I woke up around 8am local time, and slowly worked my way up the stairs. As I came around the bend in the staircase, my dad was seated on the couch in the living room, watching something? He sees me, and his expression is like, who is that? And what are you doing here? He too was shocked by my visit, so our plan was carried out successfully. The luggage had still not arrived...

OK, so I went to NY for Christmas and...

it was a great experience, if you don't include Northwest Airlines losing my luggage.
It had been 4 years since my last visit to NY, and that time I took the bus from Wyoming. Prior to that, it was the Christmas of 1999, and that time I flew, and you guessed it, they lost my luggage. That time it was United Airlines, but they at least delivered it out to where I was staying on Long Island (It did take 5 days to get there though, and I was only there for 8 days.) and gave me a $200.00 voucher for future travel over the next 365 days. I never used the voucher.

Let's get back to Northwest. I flew from Casper, WY. on December 20th, to Minneapolis, where it was snowing like a major winter storm. But we eventually took off, an hour and half late, so that wasn't too bad. I was suppose to get to LaGuardia @ 8pm, but we landed around 9:30pm, and then sat on the taxiway for another hour waiting for a gate. The skinny on this part of the story was that the gate we were suppose to go to still had a plane there, and they couldn't move because there was a plane behind it that they were de-icing. Who is the fucking rocket scientist that de-ices planes behind planes that have to leave their gates? No wonder these airlines keep going bankrupt! I finally de-planed at 10:30pm, and went to the luggage carousel, and waited, and waited, and waited, and there was no luggage, well, at least mine wasn't there. Now, there was a long enough layover in Minneapolis, like 4 1/2 hours that rushing to catch the next flight wasn't an issue. So, let's rule that issue out.

I then headed to Northwest Airlines Baggage Services office, conveniently located next to the baggage carousels, and waited in line with other unfortunates. There were about a dozen or so folks in line, so there I stood for another 1/2 hour. I finally made it to the desk, where they had one person who knew what she was doing, and a trainee, who had a thick eastern European accent. He had to be told step by step what to do by the smart person, who couldn't really help the person she was actually trying to help. One big circle jerk going on here. Anyhow, I showed her my luggage receipt and she entered it in her computer, and lo and behold, my luggage was checked in on Flight 184, rather then my flight, Flight 186. Ummm, only 2 numbers off, not bad. She said that flight will be arriving in about an hour or so, and I can either wait, (It was already 11pm, I'd been up since 5:30am, and we still had an hour to hour 1/2 drive out to my brother's home in Shoreham.) or they will deliver it the following morning, either on the 10am delivery truck, or the 1pm one at the latest. We decided to let them deliver it, and headed toward Shoreham.

To be continued...

Here we go again...

another broken down car day! The story goes like this...

Once about a time, in a land far, far away, (Buffalo, WY) a young Chubacha needed some mode of transportation. He thought of a Starfighter, or maybe a Photon Blazer, but his budget could only afford a Aerostar, and a used one at that. He had looked high and low, then finally a friend, who happened to be a 39th degree Jedi Knight mentioned that he might be selling his Aerostar! Chubacha was elated, as he had never owned an Aerostar, and heard that they were a reliable galactic transport. But his friend, Budd Lightyear kept hedging and hoaring about whether to sell the Aerostar.

But finally Budd caved in, and for a mere 1000 pecosheckles, Chubacha had his Aerostar. It was everything he had dreamed about, and for years it was a low maintinance transport.

Then strange things started to happen. First the starter for the pulsar drive went bongers, and that cost his 400 pecosheckles, and things were fine for over a year, or lightyear if you chose.

Then, a mere 4 days ago, the cooling exchanger for the pulsar drive was leaking radioactive fluid, leaving a trail of green, glowing fluid where ever he went. He went to Valley Star Honda Motors (Yes, they have Honda Galactic Transports in the future.) and spoke with Joe, from the star system Polanosar, who has many years of experience repairing galactic transports. He said he had to order a cooling exchanger, and to bring it in Wednesday, and they will repair Cubacha's Aerostar (Joe is not a big fan of the Aerostar for various reasons, namely because they break down a lot. Actually he should be happy because he should look at it as job security.) and get that Aerostar ready for Chubacha's journey to Center City, where he can board one of those new and improved CRJ, a commercial galactic transport flown by Northwest Star GT, a regional (This region of Chubachas' universe.) galactic transport company.

But, as things would have it, Joe called Chubacha after he dropped off his Aerostar and told him that the yahoos at the supply company sent the wrong cooling exchanger, although it was in the right box? Go figure. Those parts guys are not the sharpest pencils in the draw. And he said it would be 2-3 days before they could get one in. Wow, Chubacha's mind was racing like a spinning top out of control. What do I do, what do I do was said over and over again in his furry mind. He told Joe he needed the Aerostar so he can head to Center City on Friday to catch his flight, as it is way too far to walk. He was pulling his hair out, and he has a lot of hair, and soon his pet, a gray and black striped feliano, was covered in his hair. He was a walking and talking little hairball, scurrying around the floor. After calming down and explaining the situation to Joe, Joe said he'll make some calls, and see what he could do. A mere 20 minutes later, Joe called back and said he would have a new cooling exchanger in tomorrow morning. Ah, a sigh of relief could be heard throughout the kingdom, all the way down to Center City. Chubacha told Joe to cross his fingers and let's hope this comes through! We'll find out tomorrow.

And the adventure continues...

I commit to...

Supporting the holiday of Festiva! Sure I am a little nuts, but what the heck, I have a lot of time on my hand. I am going to stores here very shortly, because we have a big storm coming in here tonight and tomorrow, with temperatures dropping into the -10 to -30 range. Brrrrr! That's cold. see you in a few!

I am back, stocking up before the storm. My little Weatherbug alert system was chirping his little head off when I got home. I checked it out, and ouch, this is January/February weather we are getting, with snow, wind gusting to 40 mph, and windchill in the -30 to -40 range! Ouch, ouch, O-U-C-H!

I finished most of my Christmas shopping, as I will be heading out in a week or so. leaving on the 19th, and already have a room booked, or reserved in Casper at the infamous Shilo Inn. It was the cheapest I could find, but I should have gone to priceline and negotiated. Oops, another learning piece. My flight is out of Natrona International Airport on Sat, Dec. 20th @ 9am. Bet you didn't know that Casper had an International Airport did you? I thought so.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone this Christmas, as it has been awhile for some of them. My folks still don't know I will be there, so it should be a surprise. But, yes there is always a but when it comes to family activities, as we don't have one of those cute little houses with the white picket fences, and everything is fine and perfect. Life don't work that way, at least for a majority of us, and this part scares me. For years I was the black sheep, because of my alcohol and substance abuse issues. I have been clean and sober now for 5 1/2 years, my longest period of sobriety in my adult life. I should write a book like, "A Billion Pieces of Shattered Glass" and I would not have to lie to make it interesting. I am wandering off course again.

What I wanted to say was that back in August 2005, my dad and my brother Rich (He is a year younger then me, and is a Detective Sergeant for Internal affairs for the Nassau County Police Department on long Island.) had an argument about money. Go figure.

Anyhow, back in the early 1980's, my brother Rich and his wife Lynn borrowed $50,000.00 to use as a down payment on a house. the deal was that when they sold the house, my dad would be repaid, plus some amount to act like interest, but it really wasn't interest. So my dad asked Rich when he might get paid back, because both my dad and mom are getting up there in years, and would like to spend some of their money. My dad also figured that if my brother had enough money to buy a condo in Naples, Florida, then they could pay back this debt. My dad had hoped that over the last few years my brother would step forward and maybe make payments, or something of that nature. My dad even asked me a few years back if I had talked about this debt with my brother. I said no, and didn't want to get involved. And besides, I really didn't know about it to begin with, so why should I say anything. So, anyhow, my dad brought this up with my brother while he was visiting him in Naples, and that is when this back and forth e-mail/snail mail exchange began. And it got kind of mean, on both sides. My dad said he was disowning my brother, and my brother saying he'll never speak to my dad again. Communication skills were lacking on both sides, and I was stuck in the middle. My brother eventually paid my dad somewhere in the area of $75,000.00 buy getting a second mortgage on his house in NY. my brother also insisted that it was a gift, not a loan, and they hadn't sold their house yet, which was true. And my dad said he wanted the money before he dies so he and my mom could spend it, or whatever.

They haven't spoken since then, but my dad, about 2 months ago offered a fig leaf, and asked my brother if they can sit down and chat. I know this problem bothers my mom, as she hasn't seen one of her grandchildren in over 3 years, or even spoken to him, and he is now 14 1/2 now. It is really sad, and immature if you ask me. Some really deep seated resentments came out during this argument, stuff my brother has stuffed for many years. I think it is crazy, because it is is a cancer that eats, and eat, and eats at you, destroying any type of spirituality one might have. Sure, I too have had resentments and have disliked folks, even now, because I'm not perfect, but after a careful and personal inventory, I've decide that it isn't worth it, giving power to this other person over me. Sometimes it takes longer then others, but in the end, I can sleep in peace every night. This doesn't mean I love everyone either, all kissy, huggy and all that other happy horseshit. And I know that I can't allowed this negative stuff to occupy my brain and thoughts either. There are even people I dislike, or even dislike a lot, like Bush and Cheney to name a few.
So they are meeting on Dec. 20th, the day I am flying in. My dad seems open to it, but my brother, as per my conversations with him is being stubborn, a least that is what I can surmise. He, my brother said to me, "I am not going to apologize or anything!" And I have told him numerous times that it sucks to be thrust in the middle of this happy horseshit! Come on folks, grow up NOW!

OK, I got that off my chest, and I hope their meeting goes OK, because if it doesn't, I know my parents will be hurt, and that would suck, especially with me coming back to visit them all. We'll see how it goes, and I am going to do a lot of praying.

K2TV News at 5, out of Casper, Wyoming is on right now, and they are talking about snow fences. WOW, that is on hot topic! Doug McGee from the WyDOT told us all about snow fences, but didn't discuss living snow fences. Nope, didn't say a word about them. K2 is one of those beginner stations, where kids just out of college get there feet wet in broadcasting. There is a very high turnover, with most of them leaving for bigger market stations. I think we are right near the bottom of the market ratings, because all the newbies experiences are usually with the college stations, or interning at a local station, but never reporting or anchoring there. Some have been good, some, well not so good. I usually e-mail the newbies, welcoming them to Wyoming. Sometimes I get a reply, sometimes not! I also e-mail them when they make a mistake. Not to be mean, but to be helpful. This one new anchor, who has anchored now for about 4-5 months always uses absolutes in her stories, like everyone in Wyoming feels this way, or thinks this way, or does something this way, and I write her to tell her we are not all robots or clones, and she never replies. I don't understand why! Ha! Ha! The news director, the only one that has been there many years, a guy named Nick Birge hires all these hotties to co-anchor with him at the 5 o'clock news hour. And these young women are constantly complaining about the weather, especially now. I write them and tell them to get over it, they are in Wyoming in the winter and fall. But, there they go, everyday, complaining about the weather.

So much for my critique about Wyoming's News Leader, K2TV. Time to eat dinner, and then edit some photos.

Scattered brain is...

The best way to describe me at times. I said to myself today, "Self, I will edit some of the thousands of photos I have in my files, mainly to clean them up, and my photo editing software also decreases the file size, to less then 1 MB, because most are over that size." I talk in run on sentences to myself. And, "Self, I will make up some DVDs to bring with me to New York for Christmas to share with my family who I haven't seen in 4 years, well at least most of them." So, what did I really do, I putzed around on Facebook, sent e-mails from Snopes to friends and family who have this habit of sending me these alerts about a virus here or there, and Snopes'es URL is on top of the page (All of them are usually, or mostly wrong!) and I better watch out. I bet they hate me for showing them up, but I am tired of misinformation fermenting itself on the internet by people who don't bother to do their research. Pet peeve, you know!
I was watching CNN and this right-winged neocon dirtbag Tucker Echew (Why are all these republican dirtbags called Tucker? Is it a blue-blood name, or just some parents who were doing drugs when they named there kids? hell if I know.) was on, so I found out where he works and was going to send him an e-mail, but decided against it, because these brain-dead neanderthals (Sorry to the real Neanderthals for insulting them like this!) are lacking any significant gray matter between their ears anyhow. I hung up some Christmas cards, went shopping, did some web surfing, and didn't accomplish a damn thing that I set out to do today. In a few minutes Survivor is on, and then CSI and 11th Hour, so I am set for the day,
It is amazing how much time passes in between enteries, because I say to myself that I will do this on a regular basis. The best laid plans of mice and men...

12 days later...

I am siting here watching CNN and all the talking heads, and why I am, I really can't explain, except I like to yell at Wolfie B. because he is such a turnip head at times. Ever since Ted Kennedy was diagnosed with his brain tumor (Nor Brain Cancer), Wolfgang constantly calls it brain cancer. Now there is a difference, they aren't interchangeable, and I have written Wolfy a dozen times explaining the difference, but the knucklehead continues to use the wrong terminology. "Stupid is, what stupid does." I don't usually quote Forrest, but this situation deserves it. So much for venting. I think I like the background noise, sort of being like work.

Now Alex Castellanos is on, or however you spell that dirt bags name. He is a right-winged neocon propagandist, and I would just love to take him behind the wood shed, or whatever you do to dirt bags like him. Even now he is constantly trying to stir up crap, yet Wolfy keeps putting him on the "Situation Room". It's like Wolf boys' version command and control center, like his own little NORAD. Still trying to make hay out of the election with Alex's asinine comments.

Another trip down to Denver in a week and a half, on Dec 3rd, for an MRI, and to see my neurosurgeon Kerry E. Brega, MD, (She is Associate Professor and Deputy Director of Residency Program, Co-Medical Director of Stroke Center @ University Hospital, University of Colorado Department of Neurosurgery) and she shares the clinical service at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Denver. I was down there in February 08' after an MRI I had in January 08', and then had another MRI in June, but didn't go down there for a consult because I did press the issue, as I was trying to find a place to move to, so I didn't want to set up something, and then have to cancel it. Even though my appointments are on DEC. 3rd, I fly down on Dec. 2, because I have some lab work at 9 am, then MRI at 10 am, then see my doc at 11 am. Usually I get my MRIs up here in Sheridan, at the VAMC here, but for some reason, they want me to get one down there. go figure. Too bad I couldn't have gotten frequent flyer miles from all my trips down there over the last 5 years, as I would have enough to travel around the world a few times. Only kidding, but they would have been a lot. I don't mind the flying, or the MRIs, but it is a long trip for a doctors appointment, at least by American standards. But I shouldn't complain, at least I have healthcare, something 10's of millions of Americans, and probably billions of earthlings don't have, or even have access to.

Sometime I am going to write about other interesting parts of my life, and they are too many to name right now, but the 14 months I just spent with my friend John (I am calling him John so he remains anonymous.) after I got evicted from an apartment I was living in because I complained about a broken elevator to the local newspaper. It is a long story, so for another time. Living with John was unique in so many ways, and weird in so many ways. That will be my next post, because no one will ever believe me what happened, but that really don't matter, but just writing about will help me.

Time for dinner, and maybe read some of my hundreds of e-mails I neglect! Ciao!

Day 1

I just setup this here blog, while I was watching Oklahoma St vs. Texas Tech. There are 3 seconds left in the first half, Techs winning 28 to 14, Oh the last play is incomplete, half over and...

So, now that I have that out of the way, on to the meat and potatoes. I will talk about my life, past, present and future, well, at least what I can see. As you can tell from the title, I have a brain tumor, a low-grade glioma in my left cerebellum, pons, peduncle, and medulla. It was discovered in an MRI in 2003, along with other neurological issues. I will cover this in detail sometime soon. Now, it is halftime, and I am going to fix dinner, for me and my cat Buddy. Oh, I am ecstatic that Barack won, as I am also a veteran. I'll explain that later too.

That is it for now, so Good Luck and Good Night!