Horizon Airlines Sucks!

After a long week of travel I was anxious to get home. I was traveling with P from work. We got to the airport and when we checked in they told us our 8:30 flight was delayed until 10:00. On our boarding passes they printed a boarding time of 9:30. Since we got to the airport about 6:00 we figured we had tons of time to kill so we ate dinner in a restaurant prior to going through security. At 8:40 we went to security. I checked the departure board and....drum roll please...our flight was departed!!!! What the $#%&!!! We went to the gate and they said our flight had just left. We showed them our boarding passes with the "9:30" boarding time. They said we should have watched the departure board. Ummm....I know I should watch the board, but why are you telling me 9:30 when the flight is going to leave on time. Once you tell people a later time you should stick by that time. And we weren't the only ones, 2 other ladies that checked in early too also missed the flight.

P was traveling back to Sandpoint, so a shuttle driver was already in Spokane waiting to pick him up. Our poor shuttle drive had to drive over 3 hours for nothing. All in all this little misprint cost our company around $350.

Okay....now here is where Horizon Airlines wins customer service points. Because it was entirely our fault that we missed our flight they would not put us up in a hotel. (Forgot to mention this was the last flight out). I call our travel agent and they book us in a Embassy Suite Hotel. Still pissed off I continue to bitch to the agent. After threatening to never fly their airline again and stating that I was a corporate traveler we eventually got a credit on our account and two $25 coupons. A lot of good that is going to do me....from now on I will be flying Southwest Airlines. Why can't airlines just admit when they are wrong. Maybe you shouldn't print a "corrected" boarding times if you don't really know. If it had just said delayed I would have been watching that board like a hawk.

Why is it that we allow airlines to provide such horrible customer service. Is there any other service that blames the customer when something goes wrong. Where do they get off calling you a dumb ass?

Thank you to Embassy Suites for being so friendly and helping us make light of the situation. The bathrobe was a nice touch...I wasn't sure how I was going to sleep in my jean skirt. Sure the toothbrush you provided was extremely flexible and the toothpaste packets were very hard to open, but at least the customer service was impeccable. You rock!

Please take my poll at left to make me feel better.

Horizon Airlines...You SUCK!!!!

Christmas in the Spring

This weekend was fabulous! C and I did the Evan's Landing hike. The weather was perfect. The air smelled so fresh, like a Christmas tree. We did encounter a little bit of snow, but other than that it was a perfect hike. Kona and Kodi were with us and they enjoyed the water when we got down to the lake. I know I shouldn't let Kona swim since the water is so cold, but there is no stopping her. C and I sat by the shore of Lake Pend Orielle and soaked in the sun and each others company.

On Sunday we went mountain biking in Farragut state park. I probably won't be winning any mountain bike competitions anytime soon, but I still had fun. I only got a small pedal scrape on the back of my calf which isn't bad for my first time out in years. Of course I tried to take us somewhere that was too difficult for my skill level, are you surprised? C carefully suggested that maybe I wasn't ready for the trail we were on. He was right, but still I hate sucking at stuff.

All in all it was a perfect weekend. Next weekend we are off to Fairmont with my parents. And then...the countdown to Ireland begins.

Sadie

On Easter Mom and Dad told me that they would be willing to take Sadie from me once Neko passes. I have never seen C so happy. Poor Sadie, that cat has been so neglected since I got Kona. Kona definitely rules the roost. I had thought about giving Sadie to a better home, but honestly I was afraid to give her to anyone. She isn't exactly friendly. She is sort of Jekyll and Hyde. One minute nice and loving and the next eating your hand.

Just this morning she was trying to eat the roses C gave me and so I told her "no" and she hissed at me. So I got out the squirt bottle. After about 10 squirts and no response I finally gave her a shot of water to the face. Finally she stopped eating the roses, she was soaking wet.

I really hope that Sadie will be happy at Mom and Dads. They will be able to give her the attention she needs. One thing that is so fun about Sadie is that she loves to play. I definitely think her future is looking up.

I wonder (for mom and dad's sake) if they make kitty Prozac.

4 Wheeler Overload

Yesterday on the way home from work I saw a guy driving a 4 wheeler with two Labrador retrievers on the back. One was chocolate and the other yellow. They were wagging their tails excitedly. Obviously no the first time they have done this. Oh..and the guy had a kid riding in front of him. Now that is a full ride.

So Lucky

I am so lucky to have a boyfriend, that appreciates me for all the quirky things I do. That likes me the way I am, and spoils me rotten by bringing me flowers out of the blue. And...he knows/remembers that I think red roses are so over rated. Can't wait to see my man this weekend. We hope to cook lemon fettuccine together and go for a long bike ride. Oh...and he gets to meet my extended family this weekend!

Snow

C and I spent this weekend in Sandpoint. We had plans, plans to go mountain bike riding and plans to go hiking. On Saturday it snowed about an inch...no riding. On Sunday tried to go hiking, but found that snowshoes would have been better footwear than hiking boots. We ended up tromping through snow until our cuffs were wet and then coming home and peddling around my neighborhood.

Where is Spring? I long to feel the sun on my face. I like the feeling of getting into a car that has been warmed by the sun. I want to actually have a reason for wearing sunscreen on my face everyday. I want to get out on the lake and paddle through the crystal blue water, not this milky green/brown stuff we have now.

We bought some new tires for my bike so hopefully I will be "mountain biking" in no time. I have decided to try to use my old (I mean really old, like from 8th grade old) bike this year while I learn and then move up to some sweat wheels next year. I figure I can blame all my whining and complaining on not having the "right" equipment this year. Next year I will have to find another excuse.

Work Work Work Makes Me A Dull Girl.

Wow...it has been a long time since my last update. I have been traveling a lot for work. Last week I was in Houston, Atlanta, and San Francisco. The week before I was in Minneapolis and New York. Good news...I finally earned some airline status and I am getting tons of moderating experience. Bad new...I am exhausted and rarely get to be home and I haven't had a regular workout routine since I don't know when. Why am I paying a mortgage on a place I rarely sleep in?

I guess Kona is getting sick of being on the road too. When we returned home on Monday she was so excited that she peed right in the middle of my bed. Lovely! At first I thought she was super cute ruffling up all the bedding and having a fun time, but then she wasn't so cute when she unloaded her bladder on my side of the bed. Bad dog! Anyways, I am going to attribute it to "marking her territory" and keep my fingers crossed that it doesn't happen again.

Speaking of doggy potty mishaps. While C was watching Kona she got a huge container of dog food off the counter and ate all of the food. We figure she proabaly had about 8 or 9 cups of food. Chris didn't leave the pet door open that night so he woke up to the biggest pile of dog poo he says he has ever seen. Can't really blame Kona for that. Thankfully, C left some of the marking on the floor so I had something to clean up when I got home.

If I am doing the math correctly this will be the 4th weekend I am home in Sandpoint since Halloween. Crazy! I was tempted to go to Spokane this weekend and try to sneak another ski day in, but decided I should stay home instead.

I have a little venting to do...(I know you are surprised). This year I decided to buy a season pass for 49 degrees north. It was a screamin' deal, I get to ski the rest of this year and all of next year for $229. That means I have to go 5 times to pay off the pass. I have already gone two times, so only 3 to go. Some of you may be saying it is silly to buy a season pass at 49 when I live at the bottom of Schweitzer. Okay...here is my rant....Schweitzer mountian needs to wake up and realize that their season prices are rediculous. The mountian would make so much more money if they would have a reasonably priced pass. Schweitzers "sale" price is $599. That means I would have to go 10 times to get my moneys worth. But....if I was under 17 I would only have to pay $199, or if I was in college I would only have to pay $299. This is a huge disconnect. What ski resort in their right mind wants a mountian full of teens and college students bebopping around? Wouldn't you want some balance? It seems if they would lower their cost they would greatly increase the volume of tickets they sold, there by making more money. Oh well....not my problem, I will be driving to 49 next year instead and I don't have to deal with Schweitzers insane pricing scheme. Oh...did I mention you can buy an epic pass that gives you unlimited skiing at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly, and Arapahoe Basin for just $549. Many would argue some of these resorts are better than Schweitzer and you get to ski them ALL for less.

Okay...enough bitching for one day. I better get back to work.