Trying to get home, sometime

[jay]

Last night I got a call from JL -- our 8am briefing to the deputy AA (NASA is divided roughly into 4 major parts, this is the #2 guy in the Aeronautics part) was cancelled. Okay, I thought, I'll sleep in a bit, exercise, catch up on email. Then two hours later, I was riding around with geekchick (we had a beautiful drive around the countryside, sunroof open ;) and another call -- not cancelled, but scheduled in the afternoon.

So I went to the local Kinko's (photocopy shop) and spent the rest of the evening making color prints of my presentation. McDonald's, again. Checked in to the new hotel in Arlington after midnight, talking to Nancy for awhile.

Then this morning, another JL message -- secretary called him and appointment is scheduled for 1pm. Fine, my flight leaves DCA around 4pm, no problem. 20 minutes later... the deputy AA calls JL and reschedules yet again, this time 2:30-3:30pm. JL leaves another message. Bzzzt. There were no seats available to San Francisco or San Jose from here after 4pm, when I last checked (Tuesday).

So... I'm now taking a momentary break from calling airlines. If I'm lucky, I can get on a Continental flight through Houston and get home around midnight. If not, I might have to come home tomorrow. I have nowhere to stay tonight if that happens. Sigh. patgreene has had to patiently deal with these last-minute changes before, but she has had a bad week already...

At least I cleared up a problem yesterday with our medical insurance -- they hadn't paid any claims since January, and we'd been turned over on several counts to collection agencies. They needed to confirm that we had no other medical coverage or co-insurance.

And yesterday's meetings... the FAA guys are uncoordinated. Different offices are asking for NASA to do different, conflicting roles. They aren't talking to each other. At least the food in the Dept. of Transportation cafeteria was good, far better than NASA's. Supposedly the Agriculture Dept. has the best cafeteria, must check that out next time.

And seeing Cathy yesterday was a big lift... (smile). I picked up an article of clothing from her to carry back for hopeforyou... hope that my luggage isn't searched! Whenever I fly home...

Comments

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

That level of messing about with meetings is unprofessional. To be honest, in those circumstances I'd have said that I couldn't do the 2:30-3:30 meeting because of travel arrangements. That was the third change, for goodness sake!

(and I have done that with stupidly rescheduled meetings before, and may need to again with an ESA meeting that might happen in 2 weeks, or might not)

If these people can't sort out their own schedules, they shouldn't be running 1/4 of NASA!

[geekchick]

There were no seats available to San Francisco or San Jose from here after 4pm, when I last checked (Tuesday).

Nothing out of Dulles or BWI either? There's a shuttle bus between DCA and IAD if necessary, and you can take MARC or Amtrack to BWI from Union Station. If you're seriously stuck, I can float the idea of offering our sofa bed past C., but I don't know if he's up for houseguests right now to be honest. Good luck getting home tonight dear.

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

Sigh.

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

At least I cleared up a problem yesterday with our medical insurance -- they hadn't paid any claims since January, and we'd been turned over on several counts to collection agencies. They needed to confirm that we had no other medical coverage or co-insurance.

Grrrr. We've been going through the same thing. It took multiple phone calls to convince them that no, we have no other insurance. And the various docs' offices are still confused about it, I think. You'd think with all the moving around that people are forced to do with their insurance these days (we just had ours changed out from under us AGAIN--can you say double deductibles??), that they'd be able to do this a little more smoothly. But it seems as if the default assumption these days is "They must be lying--we will deny all their claims until they prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that we OWE them this money." Guilty until presumed innocent. Isn't that illegal? Oh, sorry. That doesn't count with taxes and insurance.

And to top it all off, we got a letter in the mail the other day saying that our doc's practice is dissolving. Mind you, they have Akien listed as being with a different doctor than he actually is, and I haven't gotten a letter AT ALL yet, so we don't know where OUR doc is going.

Are we having fun yet?

So I'm glad to hear that you finally got it all straightened out. I hope it lasts.