INTEMPERANCE VIII - Chapter 18, Big Ol' Jet Airliner
Added 2024-07-20 15:07:17 +0000 UTCA chapter about traveling a long distance. Hopefully anyone who has been on a long, overnight flight can relate. As always, let me know how I'm doing. I'm on track to return to work mid-August, so I'll be able to keep this writing pace up until then.
Comments
Al, they don't fall under that umbrella because they are not establishments that are open to the public - they are private clubs.
JC
2024-08-29 12:51:24 +0000 UTCMichigan and a few other states have an even more lenient left-on-red rule: you can turn left on red onto any one-way street!
JC
2024-08-29 12:21:46 +0000 UTCKills me the litany of grammar peeps out there. Read the story and I hope you get it! That being said, you had me through 3 things. The marriage deal…eh…I think it is just going to ruin the story a bunch. Too much anger or angst. Divorce and stay divorced…or not! Love each other! Religious beliefs fuck up so many things. Can’t wait to see how you handle it. Cayden fishing…I so thought you’d send her overboard,or land the big one, or somehow make it some big thing with her and/or Laura…lots of ways to go there of coarse. Then death…what a deal breaker…takes all the air out everything above. I know her parents were shit to her but he was still her dad! 😔 Waiting for more. Sadness in that last bit.
Robar
2024-07-30 05:46:41 +0000 UTCNotes: before the overhead announced that Air New Zealand Flight 1668, with service to Auckland, would begin boarding in ten minutes.” The close quotation marks here are misplaced (unless you want to add open quotation marks before "Air New Zealand", in which case "would" should probably also change to "will") or an A-200 before. Should this be "A320"? A300s are pretty big (they're wide bodies, albeit not the size of a 777). There's never been an A200, and the A220 didn't debut until 2013, and wasn't called an A220 until 2018 until just before we land in Aukland.” Auckland the overhead lights in the cabin were turned off. leaving only a strip of dim night lights in the ceiling and the individual lights from within the suites as illumination. I think the first period ought to be a comma and the moonlight reflecting of a few wispy clouds far below. of->off Pauline ordered a bloody Mary. Should Bloody Mary be capitalized, as it's the name of the drink? ("bloody" is currently uncapitalized both times it appears) Jake got behind the wheel of one of the Suburbans, Missed the change to Land Cruisers here until they were three quarters of the way up at an elevation of 1521 feet above Lyttelton. 1521 feet is much more than 3/4 of the way up the Port Hills; their highest point near Lyttleton is 1637 feet (of course it's a bit late to nitpick this now, the details of Jake's NZ house were long ago established)
mdapkins
2024-07-29 17:00:01 +0000 UTCThanks for the chapter Al, and I even procrastinated so much I managed to skip the cliffhanger!
mdapkins
2024-07-29 16:59:51 +0000 UTCKeep in mind that they're traveling in December, when NZ is using Daylight Savings Time, and LA is not. That puts LA back 1 hour and NZ forward 1 hour, for a 3 hour difference instead of the 5 it is in July (plus a day, of course).
mdapkins
2024-07-29 16:30:14 +0000 UTCMy bad. Will fix in publication edit.
Al Steiner
2024-07-27 00:29:39 +0000 UTCGrace finished her Spring Semester Finals, in December?
Mark Overholser
2024-07-26 22:33:33 +0000 UTCI will revisit the research on this subject for the publication edit and, if appropriate, will change it.
Al Steiner
2024-07-26 19:16:21 +0000 UTCI just double-checked, and the Star Alliance lounge at LAX (which would serve Air New Zealand) offers free drinks at a self-serve bar. Wine, beer, and a limited selection of hard booze (mix your own drinks). Sorry, I'm obsessing about this, but I was afraid my memory was failing me. ;-)
wulf losee
2024-07-25 19:27:30 +0000 UTCThe 2nd reference to Suburban wasn't changed (at least in the 3rd revision I downloaded). Next line from the initial reference on Page 16
Jeff J.
2024-07-25 02:35:16 +0000 UTCDowntown Sacramento has one way streets. I've made lefts on red there on many occasions.
Al Steiner
2024-07-24 18:17:48 +0000 UTCYou could use the message feature, but I doubt I will be very helpful in the real world.
Al Steiner
2024-07-24 18:16:44 +0000 UTCAmericans actually have a left on red rule in many places as well. If you are turning left from one 1 way street to another
Jason C Freedman
2024-07-24 11:45:23 +0000 UTCSome of us would say it is the right/correct side of the road ;-) Although I do like the American Right on Red rule. Wouldn’t have the same ring to it if we did it - “Left on Red”.
Jeff Cudley
2024-07-23 19:04:10 +0000 UTCMakes sense. Will fix that for the publication edit. I should also probably mention something about Chase and Obie having to get used to driving on the "wrong" side of the road.
Al Steiner
2024-07-22 20:06:14 +0000 UTCI doubt that a Chevy Suburban would be available at an NZ rental place. They were marketed in the late 90’s under the Holden brand (Aussie GM brand) and were produced in limited quantities in right hand drive. Supposedly only 746 produced between 98 and 01. Doubt they would be in the rental domain nor available in 2003. Maybe replace with Toyota Landcruisers. Loving your work as ever mate!
Jeff Cudley
2024-07-22 11:03:39 +0000 UTCAn interesting thought. I did some research. It certainly would not be cheaper by any means, especially with a stop in Honolulu for refueling. It would be about 6 hours flight time for SLO to Honolulu and then another 9 hours from Honolulu to Christchurch. Today, you can charter a G5 for $8,600 per flight hour. So, figure $7000 per hour in 2003? That should be ballpark. That is $105,000 each way, or $210,000 round trip. I'm not sure that even Jake is willing to pay that, especially not when it will take longer and not be as comfortable. The G5 interior is luxurious, but it does not have lay down seats. By contrast, at an average price of $4000 per ticket each way for 14 people would cost $56.000 or $112,000 round trip. Perhaps he will consider paying an extra hundred grand for the next trip if he is sufficiently annoyed by the TSA checkpoints and the cattle call conditions.
Al Steiner
2024-07-22 04:25:40 +0000 UTCIf Jake's not happy with the quality of the liquor or the TSA line for his commercial flight, someone may want to point out to him that he can charter a jet internationally as well - it's probably cheaper than the number of first class tickets he bought. In 2003 it's still a few years until something like the G650 is available that could do San Luis Obispo to Christ Church non-stop, but the G5 or Global Express both entered service in the late 90s and could make it with a refueling stop in Hawaii.
Michael F
2024-07-22 01:01:36 +0000 UTCThe research I read reports this as a United States law, not intended for airport lounges, but to prevent any commercial business that serves alcohol to have an open bar. The airport lounges simply fall under that umbrella, and they charge a dollar a drink to get around the law. It wouldn't have been an issue flying in Europe.
Al Steiner
2024-07-21 22:47:28 +0000 UTCHow might I ask you a question privately? You seem to know a little in the music and music tour industry. I have someone who has been asked to enter it in some way. Would like to be able to help this person more knowledgeable
Robar
2024-07-21 20:55:26 +0000 UTCAround the timeline of the story I traveled somewhat in Europe and occasionally got upgraded to business. Drinks in the lounges were free, even for relatively small distances (Dublin-Brussels, 1,5 hours)
Alle Joeng
2024-07-21 20:35:25 +0000 UTCAs stated earlier, I will change the international arrival sequence when I do the final edit before publication. Thank you everyone for pointing it out for me. That's why I keep you all around.
Al Steiner
2024-07-21 16:25:33 +0000 UTCI can confirm many of the comments about the international vs domestic terminals in Auckland and the need to clear customs before schlepping your bags to the other building and checking them again. The most harrowing part of the journey, though, was the right-hand-drive rental car and driving on the left side of the road. It's quite intimidating to an American driver who has never experienced it before. I kept expecting a note about that, especially for Chase. A side note: I don't know if this is generally true, but Avis had a little sticker on the dash of my rental that read "Keep Left" as a reminder to all the international drivers.
Oracle
2024-07-21 14:09:22 +0000 UTCAustralia too. I wonder what they're doing with container ships, they + their cargo have a *lot* of places for little critters to hide in.
Matthias Urlichs
2024-07-21 07:26:26 +0000 UTCActually shipping containers are the worst offenders, bugs both inside and outside them.
Barry
2024-07-21 05:39:52 +0000 UTCThey would have had to get their bags and go through customs in Auckland to enter the country. Flying Auckland-Christchurch is a domestic flight and it does not touch the international terminal at Christchurch, you cannot get to the international bag pickup from the domestic terminal, it is in the secure area. While a number of people do walk between the international and domestic terminals, even dragging their luggage - generally more so from domestic to international, there is a free shuttle bus every 10 or 15 minutes. And the bug spraying thing has been happening for a very long time - I had it back in 1993 - they do warn you even on the descent and it happens before they open the doors after the aircraft stops moving at the gate .
Barry
2024-07-21 05:31:26 +0000 UTCI will fix all of that when I do the final edit before publication. Thanks for letting me know.
Al Steiner
2024-07-21 00:16:01 +0000 UTCBrought back great memories of flying in a pod to Rome years ago.
Rich Collins
2024-07-20 23:37:44 +0000 UTCThe plane is still there. It is now paid off.
Al Steiner
2024-07-20 22:10:08 +0000 UTCDoes Jake still have his plane in NZ? I can’t remember if he still loans it to the pilot or sold it? (Can’t recall the book or chapter) With Laura’s pilot license, it would be interesting to have a scene with Laura flying and Jake showing her the sights.
SteveZ
2024-07-20 22:01:33 +0000 UTCOn a previous Round the world flight lasting 60 days we flew Business Class with ANZ and First class is not very different - Jake et al's experience is pretty much as we found - very welcoming club lounges! Plus priority security and boarding. Also handed drinks immediately we boarded! flat bed to sleep on and the flight attendants set the beds up when you would like a sleep! This was 8 years ago or so - The ANZ flight film was extremely good if you were a Lord-of-the Rings fan as the characters were used in it! We were bumped up to First class for the leg between LAX and San Diego
David Stewart
2024-07-20 21:38:02 +0000 UTCAlso, shouldn't there be a can between that and only in, "And don’t forget to bring me back something that only be found in New Zealand"?
Ken Chambers
2024-07-20 21:00:59 +0000 UTCGreat chapter. Nice to see New Zealand again. One small issue. The paragraph that starts "Dinner had long since been eaten and cleaned up by the time Jake and the two nieces got to Kingsley Manor." only mentions three people. Wasn't Laura in the group as well?
Ken Chambers
2024-07-20 20:55:27 +0000 UTCNever been to New Zealand, but on flights between the US and Europe you have to get your luggage and clear customs in the airport you landed at. Only exception to this I have seen is if you fly to the US from Toronto or Montreal you can clear US customs in Canada before getting on the plane going to the US. If you are short on time between connecting flights the people working at customs don't care and will suggest you give yourself more time between flights in the future.
Adam
2024-07-20 20:35:10 +0000 UTCI'm working on the edit right now. I will review that section and make changes as needed.
Al Steiner
2024-07-20 20:13:48 +0000 UTCI didn't know that. So they actually unload your baggage in Auckland, make you go through customs, and then you go to the domestic terminal? What if you're short on time between connecting flights?
Al Steiner
2024-07-20 20:10:15 +0000 UTCI might break my record and get five out this month. Dare I try for six? There is literally nothing else for me to do these days.
Al Steiner
2024-07-20 20:03:44 +0000 UTCIf that happened, it happened off-page. I can see their concern about foreign bugs flying in from other countries. That is the only way invasive insects could get there.
Al Steiner
2024-07-20 20:02:42 +0000 UTCWhat happened to Laura after they left Pocatello? She sat shotgun but then didn’t have any dinner set aside at home? Jake and the two nieces drive home… leaving Laura behind?
Will G
2024-07-20 20:02:38 +0000 UTCBut only if you arrive internationally. You always clear at the port of entry before moving on in a country.
Jamie
2024-07-20 20:01:48 +0000 UTCI actually did a considerable amount of research on first class lounges before I wrote that scene and I just regurgitated what I'd read. I myself have never been inside a first class lounge (and probably never will) so I could not write from experience.
Al Steiner
2024-07-20 20:01:27 +0000 UTCwill fix in edit.
Al Steiner
2024-07-20 19:59:48 +0000 UTCIn California, earthquakes are not covered by insurance unless you purchase separate earthquake insurance.
Al Steiner
2024-07-20 19:57:34 +0000 UTCHow did I do describing it? I've never actually been on such a flight.
Al Steiner
2024-07-20 19:56:12 +0000 UTCThat was a fancy, long way of saying there was not enough snow to worry about. It would not be considered contamination. I don't believe that Moscow airport, a small muni airport, would even have de-icing equipment.
Al Steiner
2024-07-20 19:55:22 +0000 UTCChristchurch is also an international airport.
Al Steiner
2024-07-20 19:53:06 +0000 UTCA fun chapter. All of these chapters are like Christmas in July. Thank you Al.
Gregory Stewart
2024-07-20 18:29:59 +0000 UTCAnd I don't know when they started doing it, but sometime after 2000 and before 2019 (which were the last two times I went to NZ), they started misting us and our carry-on luggage with insecticide to prevent pests from coming in. Supposedly it's harmless, but post-COVID I'll be equipped with an N95 mask so as not breathe in that gunk. I was pretty shocked they did this with out warning us ahead of time.
wulf losee
2024-07-20 18:09:30 +0000 UTCAnd a time correction: "He subtracted five hours and came up with 10:55 AM in Auckland, where they were scheduled to land at 3:25 AM." That should be 10:55 PM in Auckland according to my tmezone app on my iPhone.
wulf losee
2024-07-20 17:59:55 +0000 UTCTypo: “I don’t know it they knew to put Caydee sized jammies in your drawer, Caydee girl.” know if instead of know it.
wulf losee
2024-07-20 17:55:44 +0000 UTC> The alcoholic drinks in here were not free, as it was against the law to have an open bar in such a place, but they only charged a dollar for wine, beer, and standard well drinks. Are you sure about that? I've been flying business class out of LAX and SFO since the mid-90s and I don't ever remember getting charged for the wine and beer they put out for the guests to pour themselves. And I don't recall getting charged for the high-end booze in the SFO Centurian Lounge last year when I flew to Switzerland (but I may have, and just forgot that I paid for it after a couple or three mixed drinks waiting for my flight).
wulf losee
2024-07-20 17:46:48 +0000 UTCVery good cliff hanger chapter - but of course Jake et al could afford to rebuild even if there was no insurance payment - Is an earthquake an Act-of-God? And I did spot and AZN instead of ANZ in the middle section!
David Stewart
2024-07-20 16:57:57 +0000 UTCI can certainly relate to the long flight experience as my wife and I are recently back from a number of flights - London -Singapore-Bangkok/ Bangkok-Singapore-Brisbane-Hobart/ Launceston-Melbourne-Brisbane-Alice springs/ Alice springs-Brisbane-Cairns-Singapore -London all spread over 33 days and with Singapore Airways (extremely good).
David Stewart
2024-07-20 16:53:28 +0000 UTCSorry Al, but I’ve got to take issue with this paragraph: “preflight checks and making sure there was not snow buildup on the wings. There was a little bit, but it was not snowing that badly so it would not affect the aerodynamics at all. Most would simply blow off in the slipstream as they made the takeoff roll, the rest would be melted by the anti-ice system.” Someone of Jake’s fastidiousness with regards to flight safety absolutely would not depart with contamination on his wings. You do not rely on snow blowing off during the take off roll. That’s definitely not recommend! I would expect him to be de-iced which would give him protection against snow sticking to the wings for a period of time depending on what fluid was used and the snow intensity.
Will G
2024-07-20 16:06:45 +0000 UTCThey would pass customs and immigration in Auckland their port of entry to NZ. And there is a TV show called Border Patrol that shows all the crazy stuff that gets smuggled in.
Jamie
2024-07-20 16:03:40 +0000 UTC
