Airlines - Go figure???

My hubby is travelling today. He started the morning in San Francisco. He had a meeting schedualed in San Diego. With all the wild fires and considering that the host had to evacuate to a safer locale, his meeting was cancelled. So, he called United to re-arrange his flights. He had 3 flights for today. First to San Diego, then back to San Francisco, and then home to Toronto.

He was told there was approximately a $200. charge to cancel the first 2 flights. So he says why bother cancelling them, he'll just take his flight home. He was told that he couldn't take the third leg of his travel if he didn't take the first 2 legs. Ok, so he had to still pay for the first 2 flights, even though he wasn't taking them, plus pay the cancellation charge so he can come home. The flights were all the type you couldn't change.

So I checked just before posting this, and the morning flight to San Diego has officially been cancelled by United. hmm, guess he could have waited for the flight to be cancelled for him, but he still would have needed to fly back from San Diego to be allowed on the third flight. I don't know, but this sounds odd to me. Perhaps I'm missing some small detail...

Oktoberfest 5k Race

Thats me in the bright orange shirt just crossing the finish line. My best time ever 37:31. If you could see my face, you would see the excitement of beating my anticipated time by 1 1/2 minutes. I am still thrilled.

This is the first time I have approached a 5k with the outlook of it being a 'race' as opposed to a fun run. This time I had a strategy beyond 'just finishing'. Of course I trained, but I also determined a reasonable target time. Then I went to the Running Room website and created a 'paceband' so I would know at what time I should be at each kilometre marker. I wrote this on a strip of tyvek and taped it around my wrist beside my watch. Wow, it made all the difference. I had a clear objective and was darned if a piece of paper was going to beat me. yippee, I beat that paper and by a wide margin. yippee again.

Click here to visit the Running Room website.
Click here to check the Running Series in my neck of the woods.

My Favourite Coffee Mug

This is my favourite coffee mug. Its not for tea, or lattes, not hot chocolate and not for chai. Just for coffee. I had to dig out of the cupboard today specially for my post run coffee. This isn't something I do often, but on cold windy days when my breath is literally grabbed away, I find that coffee helps.

Why this mug? I received it as a gift at a quilt retreat several years ago. It truly did come from Hawaii with a bag of Kona coffee. I thought I was in heaven for the next few weeks with my coffee treat (and I didn't share). I often think of Cheryl, who gave me the mug. I met her again the next year at the next retreat. She is one of those people who you meet and immediately know that she is going to be your friend. I haven't seen her in a few years now, but do think of her often and wonder what she's up to. Today I want to let the world know that I am sending good vibes to Cheryl Mott. Here's to you friend!!!

It's voting Day in Ontario

I was lined up just as the polls opened this morning. Fortunately the polling station was located in the gym at my daughter's school. I gather there were some new procedures, so it wasn't running quite smoothly. I'm sure the staff will get quicker as the morning proceeds.

Along with voting for a local representative, I also was able to vote in a referendum about electoral reform. This isn't something that happens very often. I hope the large percentage of my neighbours plan to vote today. (in fact there was a good line up behind me).

I'll be looking forward to the results this evening.

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

This was a beautiful story. I am so happy that I read it. (I'm typing this as I wipe the tears from my eyes).

Lucky is a 10 year old girl who's mother died 2 years earlier and is now living with her Guardian (which happens to be her father's first wife). Lucky has been listening in on a variety of '12 Step' meetings and she is trying to find her 'Higher Power'.

Lucky hits 'Rock Bottom' when she thinks her Guardian is leaving her. She then gains inner strength as she finds her 'Higher Power' and also helps her small friend Miles deal with a problem he is having.

I would gladly recommend this book to others, even though some people have strongly and vocally objected to the mention of a dog's scrotum in the first chapters. See my blog entry of September 20.

I will be lending this to the librarian at my daughter's school, and hopefully she will buy a copy for the kids to read.

Cork Boat by John Pollack

I received this book a while back from a fellow Bookcrosser. It sounded intriguing. A boat built of corks.

I have to admit, that I am unable to throw out the corks that I pull from a wine bottle. They collect in my kitchen drawers. I have never done anything with them, though they do go to school for crafts occasionally.

The author of this book had been saving corks since he was a child. This book related the story of how his cork boat, comprised of more than 163000 corks came to be. It is funny, emotional, serious and factual. I don't think it was one thing that made me love this book, rather the combinations. Perhaps also the fact that while a teenager we had family friends that build boats. My dad was occasionally called to do mechanical work for them. It was interesting to watch the boats being built and later to see them in the ocean.

This book speaks to that bit hidden deep inside that always has wanted to do something way off in left field. John Pollack is one man who did not forget what he wanted and he did anything and everything to accomplish that goal.

Sunrise on Kusatsu Harbor by Dan Maloney

I received this book in the mail last week, and shoved aside a few others so that I could get at it right away. After reading a few pages, I knew that this was not the book to finish in one reading. Its not that its long, 137 pages, but it is a story that I wanted to savour and enjoy. There is a lot packed into the few pages and I didn't want to miss any of it.

Its the story of Tori and Mieko and it starts in the days prior to the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. While both our characters are profoundly affected by its outcome, its their responses that differ. Tori is filled with forgiveness and understanding and draws on her Christian faith to continue, while Mieko wants revenge.

The book follows the story of their lives for decades, until the day when Mieko is finally ready to enact his revenge.

Faith is a recurring strength in this book, it helps to heal the hurts that have occurred, both the physical and metal, but it also helps deal with the prejudices and mistrust.

I really enjoyed this story and appreciated its straight forward story telling style. I look forward to sharing it with my family, friends and my Bookcrossing friends.