February 2020

I’m finding the political talk on Twitter exhausting so here’s a photo of some fish. They’re in the Pacific. Near Oah’u.

Remember when we were going to solve all the world’s problems once our computers were all connected together in this “Information Highway”?

Instead we’re all spending the evening making our brooms stand up without support because of a “planetary tilt”.

We are on the final leg of our trip home from Hawaii. We are onboard United flight 705 from San Francisco to Chicago O’Hare. It’s a beautiful night to fly; the air is smooth and the sunset is beautiful.

Our flight from Honolulu to San Francisco was aboard a United 777-200 “version 4” with the same amenities as I wrote about on our trip out. The experience was great, the service was great, and the WiFi worked better over the ocean than it did last time. The only thing I missed was live radio feeds from the cockpit, they were not turned on for that flight. We also went through some impressive turbulence for about 90 minutes of the flight.

This 757 is comfortable. We are in the first class cabin again. As a narrow-body aircraft we don’t have the pods or lay down seats but there’s plenty of leg room and the seats are comfortable. Some of the crew on our last flight are also on this flight.

Food choices are a hamburger on a pretzel bun or ravioli. I opted for the hamburger which apparently relieved the FA as she said they had plenty of those and 1K passengers always get their first choice.

I need to become a 1K passenger. Someone please let my husband know.

The WiFi and entertainment server is having issues, according to FA Ryan’s announcement. When in doubt, reboot, and they did that. It’ll take a few minutes for it to come back up.

It’s running Linux and it’s locked down pretty well. (grin)

The 757-300 is showing a few signs of wear but overall it’s a comfortable airplane and we are having a pleasant flight. As I recall, pilots certified to fly the 757 are also certified to fly the 767 as the cockpit configurations and handling characteristics are very close. I find that rather cool.

The passengers in 1E and 1F are very high maintenance. Jamie helped them with their luggage and getting it into the overhead bin. It’s too hot. It’s too cold. The coffee is too strong. The tea is weak. Where is the washroom. The list goes on.

I just smile and thank the flight crew. They all work hard and I feel like they’re under appreciated more than they should be.

The WiFi is now up and running and there is much rejoicing.

I have finished my warm nuts, I’m enjoying a 312, and I’m going to sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight.

If you’re not the pilot, it’s the only way to fly.

It is our last evening on Oah’u and I am sufficiently relaxed. This vacation has been wonderful with a nice balance of activity and downtime. I’ve had time to parse and defrag lingering thoughts I brought along, make plans for the future, and spend some time assessing my state of the world in an introspective way.

I’m in a good place.

I would be happy with another week away but we have further adventures coming along in 2020 and I have those events to look forward to.

I always enjoy people watching on Disney properties, especially here at Aulani. It takes a big of a commitment to come here from the lower 48 and I always enjoy the diversity and blending of cultures one sees here. As I stated in a previous blog entry, I need to bottle up some of Hawai’i and bring it home with me. Maybe I’ll find some Hawaiian candles or something.

Tonight we enjoy a family dinner and then hit the hay early for an early flight tomorrow. I’m looking forward to the continued experience.

The key to beating the darkness is to bring in the light. Open the curtains. Let the light in.