Text 22947, 101 rader
Skriven 2009-04-05 21:07:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: trip cotd 439
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They had wanted to take me to their favorite local
joint, Pomodoro, but there wasn't a table outside, so we
went across the way to Caramba Cafe, which had outdoor
dining available. M doesn't care for the food here, but her
husband had taken charge and gotten us a table. 

The best parts of the meal: Negra Modelo and chips (fresh)
and salsa (fairly spicy, out of a jar I think).

I had "Maggie's favorite," in honor of the dog - three
chicken enchiladas with rice and guac - okay tasting, not
very spicy at all, but very salty.

M, not thrilled with her meal (which looked dubious), went
from margarita to Modelo but still stayed sober enough to
drive me southward to my next stop, the Hampton Inn Atlanta
Airport. We made tentative plans to attend our 40th reunion
this summer. The hotel staff was friendly and the facility
neat enough. I got a clean, adequate, but not generous room
with a handicap-accessible bathroom (what's this about? half
the time these days the hotels give me one; did I check
handicapped on a form once?).

glasses: fairly cruddy plastic
toiletries: Purity Basics, nicer than they sound
wireless: free with the code provided at the front desk
bed: double with slightly squishy, lumpy mattress, 4
pillows all the same, plus a small bolster.

Slept okay but woke with a backache.

Breakfast (provided) - a buttery, flaky biscuit with sausage
gravy (meaty but not very tasty); a Krispy Kreme raised
doughnut. There is also a cereal bar, toast, juices. Back to
the room and the Internet.

As the hotel checkout is noon, I decided to try for the
earlier flight. The agent said that it was 50-, so I pulled
out my credit card ... then she said elites are exempt, so
I put back my card and promptly forgot where I'd stuck it,
causing a fine little panic (she was supposed to go on
break but offered to delay her break! until I found it; I
told her no, go on break, and eventually I found it anyhow).

Security took one minute, despite or perhaps because of the
huge multiplicity of lanes.

I had time to try out Paschal's, where I had a fairly bland
fried chicken leg with very bland rice (converted) and
decent collards cooked with smoked pork hock. 50% more than
Popeye's (and twice what Popeye's costs in the real world)
and about minus 50% better.

US3165 ATL PHL 1450 1658 E75 2A
was 3460 1728 1940 E70 3F

It's a mile to the US Air gates, and there's a terminal
even farther out (I wonder what unfortunate airlines are
relegated to that area), puff puff. Boarded a little late
and took off a little late. My seatmate had bought a new
double bowling ball bag and had cleverly put his boarding
pass for his connecting flight to MKE in it. And, as this
was an RJ, he had to check the bag. Bye, bye boarding pass.
So he was fretting amusingly. I said not to worry.

The flight went without a hitch, and we landed a few
minutes early. I got my seatmate into the club, where he was
fixed up expeditiously by Hoa, the attendant, and I presume all
went okay. I excused myself and went to the Red Carpet, where I
complained to the woman at the front desk that I hadn't
received my renewal card. She issued me a month temporary
card after confiscating and destroying my old card, the
danger being that there might be two of me, I guess.

A Numi "Simply Mint Moroccan Herbal Teasan" (Ingredient:
organic Moroccan mint) was just the relaxing thing I needed.
It tastes a little like mint, a little like dope.

Did the e-mail and surfed a bit, and off to the bar, where the
chips and salsa were an almost exact duplicate of that at
the Caramba place. No draft beer! They were supposed to be
getting some in, but at this point there were neither kegs
nor mugs, but meanwhile, might I be interested in an
umbrella drink (pleasant blonde bartender pointing to
mockups at the bar)? No, thank you, Sam Adams in a bottle.

US 769 PHL BOS 2030 2146 319 3D

This was a perfectly decent flight, complete with 2/3 of a
bottle of Stone Cellars Cabernet. We took off and landed on
time. Waiting for my bag I encountered a toddler who wanted
to know about my guitar. His mother said "it's probably a
violin," so I took the thing out and let him play a few
guided notes on it. He was fascinated by the violin, and I
hope a few years hence he remembers this. My bag, tagged
with a Star Alliance priority tag, was the first out, and
off I went into the 25 degree night.

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