The Fix Is In

Or so it seems...

As the writing on the fighter jet states, "The Show Must Go On." Travelling back from Sweden was a cast iron bitch. The usual hassles and headaches. Nothing big to scream at until we reached Newark, PRNJ. I swear the fix is in with Continental employees between Newark and Houston. So many flights move from those hubs that I am sure they don't care if your luggage makes it to the right plane. Sooner or later, you will get your bags back. Next time, I will insist that we have at least two hours to clear customs and switch planes.

Since Continental forgot to look at the work schedule on a holiday weekend in Stockholm, we were thirty minutes late getting off the ground. Thirty minutes and a headwind put us 45 minutes behind our schedule. Thankfully, the Customs agents in Newark were very polite and courteous. They were very understanding and worked to push us through with a minimal hassle. No one was flagged from our flight, and everyone had their papers in order. We got all smiles and good customer service from them. That would be the only reason I would fly through PRNJ ever again.

Cannot say the same for some of the "hard working?" employees of Continental. When it was determined that my big duffel did not make it from Newark, the polite and apologetic lady only paid me lip service in assuring me that my bags was on the next flight. In fact, it was not on the next two flights out of Newark Liberty. And I wasn't the only one. Good Grief, there were a bunch of people without bags. One freelance photographer was smart, he had his digital SLR and primary zoom lens around his neck for a 12 hour ride from Paris. As he told me, he can do his job competently with his carry-on luggage alone. A laptop, change of clothes, two lenses and two bodies along with chargers, data cards, readers and the like. Smart man, I like the way he travels. I do hope he got the rest of his equipment though. Then there was the group of cyclists in from Paris who had to leave their buddy back at Customs. He didn't make it, but his custom Litespeed road bike did. They were joking with me that if he didn't make it, I could have his bike. These guys are regulars on the Houston cycling scene and I know I will get to pick on their buddy again somewhere down the road.

Enough phone calls to Continental insured that my bag was delivered toot sweet the next day. Didn't make me or Swede happy to have to wait for a couple more planes to land before we went home to bed.

Of course, the hits just keep on coming. Went out the other day to buy a video editing package for the computer. Buck Fever was coursing through my veins. I have been bitten by the bug and want to go back to my broadcasting roots. I picked up Pinnacle's Studio Plus 10.5 Titanium Edition. From everything I read on the box, this is supposed to be the hot shizznit. Unfortunately, the Swede's computer doesn't have a FireWire connection, nor did I get the right cable with the Panasonic miniDV camera my best man gave me. Well, live and learn. I have all this great video and no way to edit it. Guess it is for the best. Reading through the manual, I realized that this computer, while hot and fast in it's own right, is not fast enough for video editing, nor do I have enough speed or hard drive space to do any editing. That gives me some room to move when it comes to buying the home desktop when the house is bought. Big tower with all the right connectors (extra USBs, S-video, FireWire), DVD burner, broadband connections and an extra hardrive to use for video and photoshopping. Just another hobby I am getting deep into. Finally putting that Marquette University edumacation to good use.

If Blogger ain't acting so squirrely, I should have some pictures here to show you from the trip. Check below this post for some photos I posted with Bloggerbot.