NEVER BOOK WITH EXPEDIA! NEVER! Never fly "Jet Airways" either.

I just had a most horrid experience. I had to change a flight for a friend.

There was a mistake made in booking. (I still contend it's the websites fault.) and a flight was 24 hours late. So, she followed their instructions and e-mailed them. Time passes, no reply.

Then, the next day, she calls them, Spends four hours in various stages of being on hold or being cut off. Then she asks me to help. I call, spend 20 minutes on hold, get cut off. Call back. Then guess what?

I SPEND THREE AND A HALF HOURS ON HOLD!!!

I am not joking, three and a half hours. And during that wait time, (I know because I checked early in the time, looking to just cancel the ticket I was so pissed off at these people.) guess what?

Yup THE FARE WENT UP! Over $90!

And to make matters even worse, Jet Airways (An Indian company) doesn't charge the usual $100 change fee, no, they charge $200! (I think change fee's are unconscionable, but I'm not an airline.)

So, now they were telling me that it was going to cost over $320 more with extra taxes, fees, etc.

Needless to say I was NOT happy, I complain, there were ”outdoor” voices used. (On both sides of the phone. This is funny, because I was just complimented on my ability to curtail my temper!) Now I am told that that is just the way it is. I refuse to accept that, especially since between the two of us, we had spent something around 8 hours on hold!

I demand to speak to the higher level. (There is always a higher level...) I am told the best that could happen is this manager would contact “Customer Service” and they would get a hold of me in 24-48 hours. It was also suggested several times in these conversations that I contact Jet Airways. I tell the manager to have customer service contact me and we hang up.

Then I call Jet Airways. Their US number is closed, BUT there is an Indian number. I call them.

(Funny note, Turns out they both go to the same place,. So, why would they close the number, because the call center was open?)

Basically I hear three human recorded messages, (Three different people reading the exact same script) and they are all saying that because of the very cheap fare and low grade of ticket that Expedia.ca booked, Only Expedia can fix it.

I realize this is a .25 a minute waste of time, so I wait until the next day to call the other number and see what I can do.

And I get a manager who repeats the same message, but he tells me to call back on Monday, and he'll check. I call back on Monday and he is working a different shift. I call back during his shift, and he's not available. And he's not available, And he's on a different shift again.

Forget it.

I call Expedia on Tuesday. Another 60 minutes before I get to someone who can actually do something about it, and what do they do? Say “Well, Sorry, we are having a lot of calls, and this is our busy time, and you really should have looked.”

Right, that's great customer service. First off, if it's their busy season, HIRE MORE PEOPLE! And perhaps I should have looked, but their website was so convoluted for a trip of this complexity, that mistakes can occur. I agree to pay the change fare, if they will pay the fare difference, because obviously that was their fault that we had to wait so unacceptably long for them. Knowing that he had us nailed down, (Because we really had no choice, $1400 is too much to throw away.) he just says “No, You have to pay it all. That's just the way it is.”

Nice customer service.

So, I end up paying it all.

And I will never fly with JetAirways again, Nor will I ever book a flight with Expedia again, and I can not tell you how strongly I suggest you never do either.

I would have been much cheaper to book it with the Travel agent, (the one I like so much.) and she would have solved this problem. And I never would have to waste what amounts to two working days on the problem.

Sorry, It's been too long...

Long story short, There has been some real shit here, and I really can't write about it yet, but I might soon.

In the mean time, my FMARS travel agent recently asked me what it was like. Someone else (Mel) who saw my answer really liked it and said that I should post it here. So, This was my answer. (She is really good, BTW, and if you are thinking you need someone, she's worth a call.

Maria Spiers
Accent Travel/American Express
512-338-2835
800-444-5634
512-338-2813-Fax
www.accent-travel.com )

Amazing. The 24Hr daylight was wild, I have video of things you would not believe ("Snow Devils" hovering over the road, Adiabatic winds moving snow almost organically, And then there is the hab.) They [the inuk] are a whole different people with a very no nonsense way of looking at things. Either you survive or you don't, and that is a real worry there. A special kind of art and a beauty that only exists there, and is difficult to describe. A people used to having nothing, and using every scrap of it. A hard people used to real hardships, and yet, they are still a happy people willing to extend a hand in friendship or in aid...
Of course, I was there to work, and work I did. not having a darkness, We would sometimes work very late, forgetting the time, only to wake up early the next morning to do it again.

We got a great deal done, and had a great time doing it...

[Of course there is much more to it, But I'll save that for later. Ask me in person if you really want to know.]

In the footsteps of another friend, Here are a couple things I read recently that I thought were interesting.

http://www.space.com/spacewatch/070720_ns_eclipse.html
Just before the Mars Society conference? Coincidence? I think not...

Perhaps one of the more insidious degradations of our privacy from an unsuspected source.


And just plain funny, Even if it's not supposed to be a secured system, Who is taking care of this crap?

I'm trying out for this, We'll see how it goes...

Hopefully more later.

A quick correction!

In the blog entry entitled Just another 'Paul Adventure'
I wrote "Gary's place. Gary is cool, and has three separate beds made for us, and after taking turns in the shower, we each retire to our beds."

I should point out that It's also Nancy's place (Since they are married), and Nancy is every bit as cool as Gary, and Nancy washed the sheets to help make the beds among other things, so Nancy deserves lots of Cool Credit points too!

Going “Home”

(Tenacious D - “Wonder Boy”)
But I don't know where Home is anymore. I feel completely displaced in time and space now. I have absolutely no idea at all what time it is, (My watch tells me it's about 2000 on Friday, but it doesn't feel like it. In fact, it doesn't feel like anything.) I have only some vague idea where I am. (I could no doubt turn on my GPS and discover that I am in seat 12B on a Canadair CRJ 700 at XxX coordinates, but what the hell does that really mean? And who really cares? Certainly not me.)
(Rage - “Wake up”)
And I really don't care. The only thing I care is I can't shake this near crushing depression over the fact that I have just abandoned my friends.
I know that's not the case. First off, They are in James more than capable hands. (He is a far better hands on Engineer than I am. He has a real no nonsense, no bull-shit approach, and he actually checks the numbers, and if he can't do it, he will say so, and then immediately try to learn how.
He is way better at this than I am, and will no doubt serve the crew much better than I could. He also gets along with them (and most people) so much better than I do. Then as a bonus, he is certainly a better cook than I am.) secondly, I know I have done the best job I could under the circumstances, but I can't shake this nagging belief that I could have done so much more or better. (I am practically screaming over what I could have done with the right parts. I wasted so much time because I didn't have the right parts here, well, there. Shit, I had to rebuild the waste system no less than four times simply because I didn't have $10 worth of parts that I had asked for, but was not allowed to bring. That cost me a full day alone. (Aerosmith - “Dream on”) I spent three times as much time on the fresh water system because I was nickel and dimeing the $5.00 PEX rings! Don't even get me started on the satellite installation. At least I saved the Mars Society about $6000 on that deal. F&&&!!) there were so many things that I had the tools and knowledge/skill for that I simply didn't have the time or simple parts for. I truly feel that I wasted an entire week, nearly half of my entire trip.(Trance Halloween theme.) What could I have done for them in that time with the right parts? A boatload. I could have finished the stairs, I could have finished the waste shed, I could have finished the shower room, Simon's room, all of the shelving, done a better urinal, built a segregating toilet, caulked the roof leaks, built the network, finish the water melter, frack!, the list just goes on and on... (A crappy techno remix of Beethoven's 5th. Screw it. Next! Bobby McFarren - “Don't worry, Be Happy” mislabeled as Mob Marley)
It's really hard not to be pissed at the people who made these very unwise decisions, who wasted all of this time and therefore money. Who stripped all of our contingency parts, most of which we needed. Who complained bitterly at our every dollar spent. This is what you call penny wise and pound foolish. Then they erected so many roadblocks that we didn't even get the few parts that we did order until it was too late for me. (Most of them showed up on the plane that took me out... )
(Dave Mathews Band - “Satellite” - I hate this one too. Next, System of a down - “Chop Suey”)
I know I tried hard, didn't sleep much spent little time on my personal wants, (Like this blog - My one shot at recognition and glory over this - Gone. I guess the work was more important...)
Side note, I just stopped for a few minutes to tape the first sunset I've seen in a while. It was pretty, but shooting through an aircraft port is not the highest quality thing to do...

So, even with all of that - I still feel like shit. I did everything I could with what I had as best as I knew how, and it wasn't enough... I know I am leaving in them in the best hands possible, but I feel like I could have left him in such a better position.
I guess we'll find out. I hope they aren't too upset at me. I know they'll never say so to my face, but I want to know what they really think. Maybe I don't...
I should note that as I write this I'm near to exhausted, and my back is killing me. I guess 0600 to 2345 on airplanes is just too much. I am tired, and extremely upset. Perhaps that is who is talking.
I am looking forward to a summer of finishing the Hanksville project and writing, and if all goes well, a big parachute jump...
Time will tell...

Well, Here we are...

It's kind of tough to believe it, but my sore foot and back tell me that it must be true...

We're on Devon, in FMARS, to stay. Well, for me until May 10th, For James August!
I go through stages. Sometimes it's just another day, doing another job under some harsh/limiting conditions. Other times I just stop and just enjoy the moment, reveling in the thought that I'm here, Mostly I'm just tired. There is so much that could be done, and the real purpose for our visit has been back-ordered. Well, sort of. The real purpose of our trip was to ensure the runway was acceptable for flight operations. It is. We will maintain it in that condition. We are also a remote weather station to report the weather when the crew needs to come in. We have that nailed. Then we were to make sure that the generators were operable. Considering the condition they were in, it was a GREAT idea that we took them to Resolute to work on them, James is cleaning up the wiring, That should keep someone from dieing. (That's usually a good thing...) I'm bringing up the satellite Internet connect, and if you can read this then either I succeeded or I completely failed and I'm back in Resolute. As I write this on the 22nd, I expect I'll get it, but we are concerned about hardware failures or needing a different sat finder. As soon as I get a real connect up, I'll start sending up some of the several hundred pictures we have. We have our two Inuit guides/helpers (Steven and James, Yes that will cause some confusion. We will have to work that out.) helping by shuttling the rest of the gear over and starting to melt the snow. They will also take care of keeping the kero heaters fueled. Steven is one of the local Rangers. You should look them up. These guys are responsible for the “Sovereignty” missions locally. Among other things that means that they go out in the harshest conditions just to show a Canadian face. Talk about hard core! James is 17, and Aziz's “Grandchild number two”.

There is a different Magic here than MDRS. This place – Well, I can't define it yet. When I figure it out, I'll let you know. There is so much more to say here, but there is an equal amount of work, so I'll stop now, but will post daily once we get an operating connect.

This is going to be a great trip. It would be even better if only we had all of our parts here.

[Posted by Emily - Paul's web connect still leaves a lot to be desired and he can't access webpages]

Just another 'Paul Adventure'

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What the hell...

Just WTF...

This has been – Interesting, A time of great failure followed by stunning success.

OK, You probably want to know what the hell I'm talking about. Well as I start to wrote this I'm at 39000 on the way from Denver to Washington to well, Eventually Devon Island and FMARS. From there I'll spend two weeks at FMARS doing the best we can with what we have in the harshest conditions imaginable. In other words Same as usual...

So, Whats made this day so strange? Well, it started last week.

I finally got the Hanksville tower up and tensioned. That should have gone fine, but I had a TBM (Transient Blonde Moment) and cut the top lever (the torque arm if you're paying attention) guy lines a bit short, well about 25 feet short, well exactly the same as the third level... (Note to self, when doing mission critical math or cutting have someone else check your work.) That sucked, and I ended up having to haul four cables all the way to the top, all at once, clipped to my harness. Talk about the ultimate dyno move, for 115 feet. It was near my full load capacity, and every step brought another four feet of cable weight I had to carry. Then I had to unload them, one at a time, without dropping any of the important parts. (Another note to self. Do NOT drop a guy line onto another guy line of a tower you are working on if you even pretend to be motion sick or are skittish at heights. Good thing I'm not.) Replace as many of the short ones as I could (four) all by my self, (because I needed Casey and Don to handle the bottoms of the cables.) all the while paying a crane some insane hourly to watch my silly ass play monkey.

Fun.

Let's not do that again. Ever.

So, As I digress I'm on this plane. And, Oh, I forgot (not really) I also had to get a geotechnical survey and analysis done on the Texas Hill site, So, I had Melissa Battler (MSC president and good friend) in to do that. (I'd rather pay someone I know, who I know will do a great job for reasons other than purely financial than just some dude off the street who could just care less.) SO, Here I am, Entertaining Melissa (Read, working our buts off) Preparing for this trip, Helping the guys who came in from UND with a real pressurized surface suit, helping with the current crew, doing my usual duties with the Mars Society, planning the last second details of this trip, and doing my real day job, you know, silly things like putting up a toer and getting one ready to take down and shipped up here...

Just the usual, but with that many, at least one item slipped. Well, You may have noticed that I didn't mention sleep. There was very little of that. In fact, as I started writing this, I am working on literally 2 hours sleep, with an hour and a half the night before, and four the night before that! (uuuummmmaaaahhh What was I saying? What were you saying? Were we talking? Who are you?)

So, Melisa was originally scheduled to leave Saturday so that she could be with her family for Easter. What ended up happening was that, because the very raw engineer assistant for the foundation engineer wanted something more that Melissa normally has to give, she decided to stay over on Saturday and re-dig one of the holes and get even bigger samples. Because of this she ended up staying on until Monday.

This is only slightly weird because I had put in my passport app right as we got the tickets, about six weeks before the trip. The website was claiming four week turn around. They lied, it was more like eight. I wasn't going to get my passport in time. SO, I had to go to Denver to get it, the day before I was to leave. This means that I was going to take Melissa to Grand Junction (If I fly some one in, I do it right.) then keep on driving down to Denver so that I an make my passport appointment (Funny considering that she is flying to Denver, but I still digress...) And as usual, the typical Paul adventures. Wake up an hour earlier than I need, get Casey ready, pack, and

EERRRP, Helm, all stop.

“Paul, Can you come over to the Community center, we need to have a quick meeting to make sure everything is alright with the project before you go.” (My loose paraphrase.) “Uh, OK” Delay.

Bob, The annoying but slightly knowledgeable neighbor comes over, with questions, issues, and general bitches about the project. More delay.

Don has family emergency, needs to leave for a few days. Yet more delay.

Telephone – Mom Insurance. Telephone – James order, Telephone - Customer something meaningless – Good bye, IM - Crew, “We need something (Like water) Can you help us?”, Ridiculous delay.

“DAMNIT PEOPLE, Can't you just leave me alone!” Finally I just throw all of my shit in the Aerostar and full tilt boogie to the airport, via the gas station. (Aerostar likes gas for 2+ hour trips.) and the Pay at the Pump's not working, and the guy inside's new and doesn't know to turn the pump on for me, so I have to go inside, and then he doesn't know how to run the CC machine. Painfuly frustrating delay.

Long story short (I know, Too late) while blazing up to the airport at 95 Mph (The governor speed.) I do the math and decide that we aren't going to make it and start calling the airline. They tell me that for another hundred bucks, I can get her on a flight from Grand Junction in the afternoon the next day, (Screwing her for helping her mom do food prep for the FMARS mission. Did I mention that Melissa is also the FMARS commander, so getting her to help is a real favor!), or I can take her to Denver, and get her on a morning flight for $360...

I am not amused, especially knowing that she is going from GJT to DEN then to Toronto. WTF! No, Just F! After a bit of whining, being frustrated, and general heartburn, I realize that I am no where near the serenity that I so desired. So I stop while on hold with the reservations supervisor, and start to focus on Serenity. (Let it wash over you , none of this matters, reach out, grab it, hug it, make it your own, absorb it and let it pass...) The supervisor starts to tell me how I am just going to have to deal with the situation, and I am preparing to give them the $360 when she tells me that her plane is going to be delayed to the point that she will miss her connection and I get to take her to Denver, and deliver her to the airport at 1000, no charge...

Nice. Sometimes you win.

After a quick stop at the Green River junk yard, I grab the remaining parts for my wipers, (My wipers have been mostly bad for a year, and very bad, like the motor is gone, for a month.) and we blaze with the idea in our heads that we can make Hanging lake before dark. With the prospect of a nice adventure on our minds, and some great Ben and Jerry's (I now love “Half Baked”more than any other...) in our bellies, and a song in our hearts, (OK, it was more like jams from Mel's laptop with her and Casey picking the playlist...) we press on, marveling at the storm that is surrounding us and looking for adventure!

ROAD TRIP!

It was a little scary as we drove nicking the storm, because I only got the parts. I didn't get to install them. And with the drops splattering the windshield, visibility diminished, but never enough to make me stop. After a while it subsides and we are no longer worried, but the idea of getting to Hanging Lake before it gets dark are slowly fading. (Pun intended, Sorry.) We decide that no matter what, we are going to see a waterfall tonight, and will hike up to the lake even after dark.

It was a blast. The hike was hard, but not hugely so, and I was hampered by my sick gut, but we all had a great time. The waterfall was spectacular even by LED headlamp. Taking pictures was tough, but worth it. On the way down, Casey notices a flash, and I think nothing of it, because I could see an airplane's strobe flaring in the clouds. Then we could hear the thunder. “Oh Shit” we all say nearly simultaneously. Down we go, scrambling down the dangerous trail as fast as we can, afraid what might happen if it starts raining and the small stream turns into a storm filled river. Half way down it starts hailing/sleeting . More fun...

“Mel” I call, soaked from the knees down, hair wet, and starting to get cold, “This was really kind of stupid, but I'm really glad we did it.”

And we ran down the trail.

Once we get to the bottom, we change some clothes and continue on to Vail where I stop in the Lionshead parking garage to show off some art work I helped with some 16 years ago (“Clip man “ in case you are wondering.) and we still continue, even though we still don't have wipers, and the passes have the chain laws in effect. This means that the snow/ice is so bad that they won't let commercial vehicles on the pass without chains mounted. It means the roads are a real mess, downright slippery/scary. It means that you are about to have a slow, scary trip. It was hairy, but we make it to our final destination. Gary's place. Gary is cool, and has three separate beds made for us, and after taking turns in the shower, we each retire to our beds. I take the last shower and finally fall into my trundle bed at 0430. we get up at 0600 to get Mel to the airport in time, me dragging ass like sandpaper.

I think I'll stop for now, and continue the rest later. I'm having a real tough time keeping my eyes open, actually nodding as I type....