Let Sleeping Dogs Rant

[yuna628 9,667]

21 hours ago, Ontarkie said:

Big hugs

 

Sorry for the ECG and his wife

 

I can't even imagine the prices of tickets. We drive up to Canada and that is expensive enough. No way could we afford the cost for 5 on a plane. Plus where we need to go there is no direct flight and the layovers make it take close the to the same time it takes to drive. 

If I had picked the dates he wanted it would have been an $8000 trip and a majority of that would be on airfare. I see that once they changed the planes over to dreamliners, they are attempting to herd everyone in like cattle. Our old economy seats are tiny and don't even allow for baggage on a long haul international flight is mind-boggling to me. Limited availability and space for upgraded seats with baggage means they can jack up the price and everyone fights over the seats. But wait, they are then making you pay for choosing the seat, and if you don't then you don't get a seat at all. Even if I get this later in the year I can maybe get it to $4-5k for everything. For one week though it's making me want to run away screaming.

[mam521 2,052]

1 hour ago, yuna628 said:

Even if I get this later in the year I can maybe get it to $4-5k for everything.

Advertisements for BA keep popping up on my feed for round trip London for about $600 per person.  Typically, it's travel for a week in October.  Yes, October probably isn't the most favoured time, but the price is definitely more amenable than the $8k flights in the height of summer.  

[Ontarkie 14,205]

1 hour ago, yuna628 said:

If I had picked the dates he wanted it would have been an $8000 trip and a majority of that would be on airfare. I see that once they changed the planes over to dreamliners, they are attempting to herd everyone in like cattle. Our old economy seats are tiny and don't even allow for baggage on a long haul international flight is mind-boggling to me. Limited availability and space for upgraded seats with baggage means they can jack up the price and everyone fights over the seats. But wait, they are then making you pay for choosing the seat, and if you don't then you don't get a seat at all. Even if I get this later in the year I can maybe get it to $4-5k for everything. For one week though it's making me want to run away screaming.

That is just nuts. 

 

[yuna628 9,667]

1 hour ago, mam521 said:

Advertisements for BA keep popping up on my feed for round trip London for about $600 per person.  Typically, it's travel for a week in October.  Yes, October probably isn't the most favoured time, but the price is definitely more amenable than the $8k flights in the height of summer.  

BA doesn't apply that sale to Baltimore based flights for a variety of reasons, so I tried seeing what other flights we could make with connections, still nothing. With our travel points and card we can get a meager discount. One of the sticking points with BA is the enormous taxes and fees they charge on top of the price, and now with the new plane scheme, any money we might save then get sucked up by either paying for baggage, additional connections, or paying to hold our seat so we don't get bumped. Yes we are looking at October now and hopefully that will be more doable. I remember when he came here on his K1, he flew all pampered in business class with discounts and points and spent about the price of an economy ticket. Now it's just crazy. Who are these people paying for these seats? I can't think of a poor person or a business person that would even be interested in paying this much.

Edited June 6 by yuna628

[Lemonslice 4,828]

10 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

BA doesn't apply that sale to Baltimore based flights for a variety of reasons, so I tried seeing what other flights we could make with connections, still nothing. With our travel points and card we can get a meager discount. One of the sticking points with BA is the enormous taxes and fees they charge on top of the price, and now with the new plane scheme, any money we might save then get sucked up by either paying for baggage, additional connections, or paying to hold our seat so we don't get bumped. Yes we are looking at October now and hopefully that will be more doable. I remember when he came here on his K1, he flew all pampered in business class with discounts and points and spent about the price of an economy ticket. Now it's just crazy. Who are these people paying for these seats? I can't think of a poor person or a business person that would even be interested in paying this much.

Did you try searching here:

 

https://matrix.itasoftware.com/search

 

What's your end destination? I can search later if you'd like. 

 

I'm not sure if it's still the case, but Heathrow used to have the highest departing fees in the world, so it's never as cheap as some other destinations. 

[mam521 2,052]

1 minute ago, yuna628 said:

BA doesn't apply that sale to Baltimore based flights for a variety of reasons, so I tried seeing what other flights we could make with connections, still nothing. With our travel points and card we can get a meager discount. One of the sticking points with BA is the enormous taxes and fees they charge on top of the price, and now with the new plane scheme, any money we might save then get sucked up by either paying for baggage, additional connections, or paying to hold our seat so we don't get bumped. Yes we are looking at October now and hopefully that will be more doable. I remember when he came here on his K1, he flew all pampered in business class with discounts and points and spent about the price of an economy ticket. Now it's just crazy. Who are these people paying for these seats? I can't think of a poor person or a business person that would even be interested in paying this much.

US based flights are miserable and oversold.  Always.  It sucks.  When I flew to Malaysia last year, the plane from IAH to NRT was packed.  When I connected NRT to KUL, I had a whole row to myself to pass out in.  

 

We managed to score a United super points sale in Nov. 2022 for a trip to LHR in full business for 60,000k a person or something ridiculous for May of last year.  There was a lot of sneering from people when my kids climbed into their business seats but eh - we looked at the EXACT right time to grab the deal and had plenty of points from being stuck at home for forever during covid.  We were supposed to have done the trip in May 2020, but the 'vid had us cancel the trip. The result was I never had the opportunity to meet my FIL.  But, I had the wonderful fortune of meeting my MIL and she is simply a lovely person and there's no chance on god's green earth that you'd think she was 80!  She still drives a mean stick and chauffeured our sorry butts around the Devon coast so hubs and I could look at rocks (we're both geologists).  She's planning to pack up and move across the globe again to NZ to live near the grandkids.  She's totally living to 100 and beyond.  There is nothing stopping her!

[TBoneTX 45,223]

7 hours ago, mam521 said:

She's totally living to Many00 and beyond

May she, in P-math, live to Many00 and beyond, si and  mam ma'am.

9 hours ago, mam521 said:

favoured

English-only outside the regional forums, mam ma'am!  Reported!!!!!

[TBoneTX 45,223]

Thrilling Thursday report, see man:

 

Lunch was the other half of the other day's Walmart sub sandwich, ingest we man.

 

Lazed until after 2 p.m., when the mail came in, laze we man.

Our new glasses from Mexico arrived, finally man.

We took them to a local optician for what we presumed was a minor adjustment, frame man.

The tech took a painstaking half an hour to get it right, one action hosed another man.

We are pleased, si and see we man.

 

We then siesta'd for less than an hour, cheated-of-zzz we man.

A phone caucus with someone got hosed, reschedule for next week man.

 

Din-din was onecan of Aldi chili, ingest we man.

 

After shadows fell, we mowed entire lawn, mow-lawn we man.

It wasn't that humid, but heat index over Many00, Texas weather Many man.

The lawn could not wait another day, no man.

We consumed Many (2+1) sweatbands, perspirational we man.

We then off-cooled under the ceiling fan for almost an hour, super-cool we man.

 

Evening snack was 2 ham sandwiches, indict them and ingest we man.

Miu awoke and wanted brushing, accommodate miu we man.

 

We have itineraried Many (2+2+2) ESs and 2 GSs for Friday, itinerary we man.

Party with the rubias incipiently, cavort we man.

And that was/is our exciting Thursday, whee man.

[Lemonslice 4,828]

22 hours ago, Lemonslice said:

Did you try searching here:

 

https://matrix.itasoftware.com/search

 

What's your end destination? I can search later if you'd like. 

 

I'm not sure if it's still the case, but Heathrow used to have the highest departing fees in the world, so it's never as cheap as some other destinations. 

I see good deals with Icelandair in August (under $600 per person).   @yuna628 I hope you find something that works for you guys.

[TBoneTX 45,223]

Friday GS/ES report, see man:

22 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

We have itineraried Many (2+2+2) ESs and 2 GSs for Friday, itinerary we man.

We honored the itinerary, si man.  Many (2+1) of the ESs yielded the take, see man:

 

 -- Many (2+2+1) hangers = free, heavenly man

 -- 1/Many'rd jug of Tide detergent = $2, OK man

 -- vegetable-chopper knife, gigantic clothespin, Many (2+1) giant paper clips, 

          NIP infrared forehead thermometer = $Many ($2+2+2), deal man

Total = $Many ($2x2x2)

[TBoneTX 45,223]

GS/ES rants, see and grrrrr man:

 

       1.  If you advertise your GS as open till noon, don't be closing up half an hour early,  man.

       2.  Fat people should be banned from all ESs,  man.

Many.  If your ES isn't full-casa, don't call it an ES,  man.

[TBoneTX 45,223]

Thrilling Friday non-GS/ES report, see man:

 

We were prepping for bed (at Many a.m.) when miu noisily brought up a feather-roller, vocal miu man.

We of course indulged expectant miu, Play With Me Daddy miu man.

 

We got going a little later than was optimal, oh well man.

Lunch (amid ES-ing) was at a Mexican restaurant, ingest chicken-breast enchiladas et al. we man.

The (married) waitress was having a rough noontime, sigh man.

When we left, we told her that she had a pretty smile, perk up she man.

 

A siesta was taken after return to the casa, zzz we man.

 

We later groceried for Two Guys week, grocery we man.

Din-din was a Hungry Man chicken strips frozen din-din from the supermarket, ingest we man.

 

We have itineraried Many (2+1) ESs and a spread-out community GS event for Saturday, itinerary we man.

We must arise quite early if we are to hit the GSs, why must they all begin at o'dark-Many man.

If we deem ourself unable to avail ourself, we will hit only the ESs, reason we man.

 

Party with the rubias imminent, cavort we man.

And that was/is our exciting Friday, si man.

[TBoneTX 45,223]

Saturday GS/ES report, see man:

 

We set off with high hopes regarding the community GS, si man.

We saw very few indeed (barely Many), and some were shutting down before Many (2x2x2 +2) a.m., wimps man.

We were given something free at one of them, however, boon man.

 

That GS and the last ES yielded the take, see man:

  -- crosscut shredder = free, heavenly man

  -- 2 tape-measures, magnetic refrigerator list, Many-slotted Plexiglass envelope-holder = $Many 

          ($2+2+2), deal man

Total = $Many ($2+2+2)

[TBoneTX 45,223]

Thrilling non-GS/ES Saturday-on-Sunday report, see man:

 

We were back at the casa by noon after also stopping at Aldi, si man.

Lunch was a Many-slice ([2+2+2]-slice) package of frozen Aldi salisbury steaks, ingest we man.

A siesta was taken thereafter, zzz we man.

 

After our repeated requests all week, Mama T-B. finally sent her grocery list at Many p.m.,  man.

It was stuff from Many (2+2+1) -- si man, Many (2+2+1) -- different stores,  man.

And, of course, with perishables/meltables at each,  man.

Now, Mama T-B. doesn't wait until she's out of everything like Uncle T-B. does, no man.

However, we must either make Many solo trips or try to store everything at our casa for one delivery, inefficient either way man.

 

We went to one store and then another after sundown, divide-and-conquer we man.

Naturally, one didn't have Many (2+1) of her requested items, no and  man.

We will have to deduce some way of getting all the stuff,  man.

 

Ex-Mrs.-T-B. has been running Mini-B. ragged in Oklahoma, no surprise there man.

Ex-she man even drove everyone from Muskogee to Tulsa to meet the Rojo's brother, good grief man.

Mini-B. is going to be a wreck for Two Guys week, thanks very much ex-she man man.

 

Party with the rubias in full progress, cavort we man.

And that was/is our Saturday, thrilling man.

[TBoneTX 45,223]

Scintillating Sunday repartee, yawn man.

-------

Thrilling Sunday report, see man:

 

Early, we hit the next 2 stores for Mama T-B., grocery for senior she man we man man.

We managed to get it to our casa before it melted too badly, manage we man.

Two minutes after our arrival, Mama T-B. called, senior she man call we man man:

"The power here is out, si man.  Don't bring anything, no man.  Fridge/freezer it, si man."

We had to seriously rearrange our freezer's contents to accommodate this,  man.

Mama T-B.'s power came back after 2 or Many hours, more power to senior she man man.

And now, Mini-B. can help us deliver the phenomenal amount of stuff, si man.

 

Lunch was 2 ham sandwiches, indict them and ingest we man.

A siesta followed, zzz we man.

We then managed to catch up with our usual Sunday prep for Two Guys week, amazing man.

 

Din-din was toucans of Chef B. Beefaroni, ingest we man.

 

We retrieved a tired Mini-B. from an exhausted ex-Mrs.-T-B. around usual time, retrieve wee man we man man.

Mini-B. was not overly thrilled about the trip and certainly not the hotel, no man.

We can tell that he's completely worn out, ex-Mrs.-T-B. expert at that man.

 

Watched NBA Finals game #2, watch Two Guys man.

Many (2+2) bowls of Costco popcorn consumed, ingest Two Guys man.

Adding Wednesday, we are already at Many (2x2x2) popcorns for the week, impressive man.

 

Miu has been absolutely aysheep all day, aysheep miu man.

We go downstairs, there is miu, zoom miu man.

We go upstairs, there is miu, zoom miu man.

We open any closet or pantry door, there is miu, zoom miu man.

We open warsher, dryer, or dishwarsher, there is miu, zoom miu man.

Highly vocal miu not satisfied with multiple miu-treats, unsatisfied miu man.

Highly vocal miu only temporarily satisfied with din-din, only temporarily satisfied miu man.

We have no idea what miu wants, no man.

Aha, man -- miu just brought feather-roller to our feet, unmasked miu man!

 

... Miu only partially satisfied with play,  man.

Fed miu even more miu-treats, feed miu we man.

Miu calmer now, what got into miu man.

 

Party with the rubias imminent, cavort we man.

And that was/is our thrilling Sunday, si man.