Today I left for Israel for my six weeks of Hebrew and fun. Unfortunately, my best-laid plans never got off the ground… quite literally. After a 20-minute flight delay, we boarded our plane and taxied (is taxied a word?!) out onto the tarmac. The pilot came on the intercom and told us that we were in a holding pattern or whatever they call it and that it would be another 20 minutes.
After about 20 minutes, the pilot came on and said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have been cleared for take-off… unfortunately, the oil pressure in the right wing appears to be irregular. Our readings on this are either accurate or they are not.”I would have found this last statement funny if the next words weren’t, “we’ll have to return to the gate and de-plane.”
So, we deplaned.
About an hour of standing in a stationary line, we were called to the check-in desk where our flight was eventually rescheduled for the same time tomorrow.
We received a $10 food voucher, which was nice because none of us had eaten supper. However, when we went to use it, we found all the restaurants and coffee shops closed. We also got a $25 rebate for our tickets, which cost around $1,600… so, if the airlines make any error, apparently you are entitled to a .01% return. Jackpot!!!Eventually, rides came and took us back home. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring my keys with me (since I won’t need them in Israel) and I was locked out of the house. And this is where I am right now. It is 11:11pm. I am listening to Rufus Wainwright, drinking coffee and eating a cinnamon chip scone that I just picked up from a nearby coffee shop.
On the plus side of this peculiar situation, it was a good time of bonding with my travel companions which makes me look forward to the trip even more. It will also be nice to have bonus day with Lydia.
Let’s just hope the flights go better tomorrow.
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