Friday 3 December 2010

Planes, Trains and Automobiles


Have you seen this Steve Martin film, it's one of my favourites, about a man struggling through the snow to get home for Thanksgiving accompanied by a slobby John Candy with whom he is forced to share hotel bedrooms and various modes of transport.
This week Mr FF seems to have been living in his own version, it goes like this.
Mr FF was due to fly to Bratislava on Monday, the arrangement was that his boss would travel up from the north east of England, I would drive Mr FF to the motorway where they would meet up and both go off for meetings before travelling to Edinburgh airport for the flight. Mr FF would fly home later in the week via a meeting in London and I would collect him from Edinburgh airport on Thursday evening. His boss would fly back to Edinburgh on Friday and drive home to Co Durham.
By Sunday looking at the snow and the forecast it was obvious to me that I wouldn't be driving anywhere on Monday but Mr FF said we'd wait and see. On Monday morning he decided to get the bus to our local town and ask his boss to collect him, a little bit out of his way but needs must. I suggested Mr FF phone his boss to see if he was on time but Mr FF dismissed this saying he'd have heard if there was a problem, he set off in winter gear with his luggage to walk the mile to the bus stop. A little while later he was home, his boss hadn't been able to get the car out of the drive and was now on the train. So Mr FF dug out our drive and our little road and drove to the airport, which wasn't a big problem except that en route he got a message to say his flight was cancelled and when I'd checked on the net the airport was closed. When I spoke to him he was being turned away from the airport car park which was impassable. At this stage a lesser (more sensible) man would have given up, oh no, Mr FF said he was going to go into the airport to see if there were any other flights and he asked me to check on line for alternatives. The quickest route I could find took about 12.5 hours and there was still the minor detail of the airport being closed so he came home and his boss got another train back again, the Bratislava trip was off.
The snow kept falling, the airport remained closed but Mr FF booked himself on a flight on Wednesday to go down to London returning Thursday using the last leg of his Bratislava flights. Again he went to the airport, again it was closed, actually it has been closed all week only opening late last night. Might have been logical to come home but Mr FF left his car at the airport, got a bus into Edinburgh and found a train to London. The train left at 10.30, he had an interesting interlude when about 8 Geordie ladies boarded at Newcastle travelling to York who plied him with a giant home baked corned beef pie, plus wine, vodka, chocolate covered strawberries and the like. Unfortunately just before Doncaster the train broke down, the passengers were decanted onto the platform and told there'd be another one shortly. The next train was already full but eventually Mr FF found one that delivered him to Kings Cross at 7.30 that evening.
Unfortunately because of the weather his meeting had been cancelled. I spoke to him that night and said I was worried about him getting home on Thursday, he said it would be no problem as he'd already checked in on line, I did mention that he'd also need to get the **** airport open. Thursday he received a text message to say his flight had been brought forward by a couple of hours, he said the airline was probably consolidating flights but I said I couldn't imagine that would happen as Edinburgh airport was still closed. I'm not 100% sure what happened over the next half day but I received a message to say that he had misread the text and his flight had actually been changed from Thursday to Friday, it was 7.30 at night and could I find him somewhere to stay.
Have you heard the joke about the man who has to take a lorry load of bricks from the north to London. He gets to the big city, stops the vehicle and asks a passer by 'is this London' 'yes' is the reply 'OK' he says 'where do you want these bricks'. Hotel, London, hello. I did eventually get him into a Premier Inn after some heated discussion between us during which he complained about the price.
So Mr FF is due to fly home this afternoon, I've cleared our drive every day, I've kept the stove lit and we are well stocked with provisions even though I haven't been out for a week. The milkman has delivered, the coal man too, haven't seen the postie for a week and it's snowing.
I hope you and yours are where you want to be this weekend. I need to get that man to retire.
Post blog note @ 18.12 He is now home and managed to pick up some fresh veggies on the way. Phew.

19 comments:

  1. What a mare!!! I too long for the days when we dont have to go out if the weather is bad. xxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Why do men always think they know best? They always need a woman in the end to organise them!
    Good Luck with that one!
    Love Kathy xxx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, I love that film. It's on TV next week and am planning to watch it under a duvet. :-D

    Mr FF, I have to say, is truly heroic in his efforts to travel. Hope he gets back to you this evening!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I really, really, really don't understand why everyone thinks they still have to make heroic efforts to get to work when the weather is that bad! People are dying all over Europe and yet a meeting in Bratislava is deemed so important that a life threatening journey must be undertaken. It's sheer madness! Lock that boy up!! Very oddly I just popped on to the bbc news site and there, in the middle of todays story about the desperate weather in Northern Europe is a photo of a very snowy Bratislava!!! Stay warm and safe!

    Hugs
    Brenda

    ReplyDelete
  5. oh that sounds bad. how are you doing?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Its one of my fav's too!! I LOVE it when they're driving the car that's been burned. So funny!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. OMG.. the poor guy.. Hope you've managed to defrost him by now.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nightmare! Hope Mr FF gets back home safely and you both have a relaxing weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  9. It's the great British Bulldog spirit that makes us never give up in dire circumstances............Mr. FF was certainly not about to throw in the towel......just glad he got home safely.

    I love the way you had to make all the arrangements from home.......sometimes it's a case of "do you want to speak to the man of the house or the woman who knows what's going on, lol.
    florrie x

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a nightmare, good to know he reached home safely. Take care in this snowy weather you are having and stay warm.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Makes me feel exhausted, just readuing about his week. Glad to hear he is home safe and sound. Have a warm and snuggly weekend. Ros

    ReplyDelete
  12. Good Grief!! The man must be mad!!!
    Is this meeting pertaining to life or death? I can't imagine otherwise trying to go anywhere if the airports are closed!!

    BTW I just love that movie and never tire of watching it!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. And the moral of the story is, if it looks like, feels like, keeps on falling like snow...............

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great film, not so great when it happens in life. It normally takes 45 mins to get home and it took me three hours the other night, but no where as bad as that!
    x

    ReplyDelete
  15. I agree with Sheila that what's funny in the movies isn't so funny in real life!

    I will say that the movie version (hehe) is one of my favorites. There's something that appeals to me in movies that are funny...but heart wrenching, too. This movie and "Renaissance Man" with Danny Divito "As Good As It Gets" with Jack Nicholson are similar in that respect. You want to laugh, and see the humor, but your heart breaks for the internal struggles of the character. Good stuff! Sorry...got carried away!

    Anyway, sooooo sorry for your nightmare, and thanks for helping me remember these really great movies! hehehe

    ReplyDelete
  16. There are many benefits to living in a country with no snow!

    ReplyDelete
  17. You deserve a medal. Not for the fact that you managed to help out Mr FF at every moment's notice when he needed you, but for keeping that driveway cleared. What madness!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thank goodness for Geordie ladies who know how to pack for a journey!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi, Jenny! Hope all is well with Mr. FF and the weather doesn't add more grief! We came home to very cold and lots of snow. Just back from our Thanksgiving/USA trip--had wonderful time! I'm slowing getting to visiting and such though, as I've not been feeling too well in recent days--but getting there. Great to be catching up with you and back in blogland. :o) Happy Days ((HUGS))

    ReplyDelete