the best chapters

This is the moment by moment diary of my brain function as I flew home from the month long tour in Europe.  I think this might be my favorite new way to use twitter.  It is an archive of what I was actually thinking, or at least what I was saying when this “funny” thing happened.   All times are PST, so while it says 2:26 AM for the first few posts it was actually 10:26 AM where we were in London.  On the bus ride from Music Bank, which is a big warehouse that we store our gear in and Heathrow, I drove by my favorite site.

Look Kids, Big Ben…

I really thought I wasn’t going to actually see it this tour, but Look Kids, Big Ben.

Just saw something I liked very much. About 1 hour from heathrow. Will be done with this tour soon. Only one small radio tour left for 2008 2:26 AM Nov 30th from TwitterBerry

We also drove by West Minster Cathedral, I have never seen it.

Flash-forward.  I got the band checked in to their flight over in Terminal 3, took the train to Terminal 4, and made it on the airplane.

Well this is it. Sitting on the plane, ready to fly back to Seattle, so tour is now ‘over’. Three days at home before I have the next one 6:27 AM Nov 30th from TwitterBerry

Time to turn my phone off.  Everyone I know is either asleep or on a plane as well.

Anyone want to tell me a safe flight? I think everyone I know is still asleep. What they will serve on this flight. And why is it so full? 6:41 AM Nov 30th from TwitterBerry

The flight was going great, and because of the timing and route, the sunset was beautiful.

Then watched a fun video on how to get thru customs and immigration.  I wish I knew that this was going to be tested later on.

And then a meal, it was actually pretty nice.

And then it was pretty dark for a long time, since we were so far north. You can’t see it in this photo, but I was able to see the moon / mars / venus “smiling face” for hours.

It was strange though, I actually saw the sunrise in the west.  You heard me right.  THE SUN ROSE IN THE WEST.  You don’t believe me.  You can see the moon and one of the planets in this photo.

So after a crazy landing, well almost landing at Seatac, and flying around Seattle for about 30 mintues, we are diverted to Yakima.  When I say a crazy landing I am talking about 100 feet off the ground, all of a sudden the pilot pulled up hard and full throttled at the last second.

Anyone driving thru Yakima to seattle. Plane got diverted to yakima and I need to get home to seattle. 6:05 PM Nov 30th from TwitterBerry

Nobody was driving thru Yakima.  Or at least noone that gets my twitter feed.  And since as I hint to, I had left my wallet in France, I could not rent a car to drive home.

Best part is that since I lost my wallet I have no license or credit cards to rent a car with. And now I am in yakima. Any others? 6:11 PM Nov 30th from TwitterBerry

And then it became clear that it didn’t matter if I could rent a car, because they couldn’t let us off the plane. Yakima isn’t an international airport so there was no agents to clear us into the country.

@kerbfam waiting to see what the plan is. They still can’t let us off because there is no immigrations and customs in yakima. So waiting 6:14 PM Nov 30th from TwitterBerry

So they have restressed twice now that there is no customs or immigration here so we will not be getting off the plane anytime soon. 6:26 PM Nov 30th from TwitterBerry

I have a quick business plane for someone, start a charter bus company on the eastside of the Cascade Mountains.

Well they are going to send busses to drive us to seattle. But the busses have to come from seattle. 7:12 PM Nov 30th from TwitterBerry

So we are going to be stuck on the plane for at least 3 hours. Then a 3 hour bus ride. This is going to be close to a 24 hour travel day. 7:12 PM Nov 30th from TwitterBerry
Why the fuck didn’t we just go the 100 more miles to spokane.Then at least we would be able to get off the fucking plane. At least no snakes 7:15 PM Nov 30th from TwitterBerry

This was a response to my friend Jason, he was wondering how I got on a plane without a wallet.

@otmg keep my passport safe and not with my wallet 7:16 PM Nov 30th from TwitterBerry in reply to otmg

They did order pizza.  I had finally fallen asleep when it was just showing up.  I half opened my eyes to see them coming down the aisle with an announcement that there was enough for 1 peice per person.  I just went back to sleep.

Oh it is all ok. They are ordering pizza. Yakima is known for its pizza. They keep saying they are GOING TO send busses. Not that they HAVE 7:23 PM Nov 30th from TwitterBerry

I started getting worried that the reason the buses had not shown up yet might be because of bad weather on the bus.  That was the thought that woke me up.  As you can see, I had fallen asleep for a while it was nice.

Can someone check the road report for seattle to yakima and back. Is the snow in the pass yet? 10:19 PM Nov 30th from TwitterBerry

Three and a half hours after landing in Yakima they finally let us off the plane.

@kerbfam not on bus yet, but they did just secure the terminal so we could get off the plane, we are now in YAKIMA!!! 10:44 PM Nov 30th from TwitterFox in reply to kerbfam

A lot of people who follow my twitter feed sent over road reports, CLEAR AND DRY.  Perfect.

thanks everyone for the road reports, still waiting for a bus to show up. 10:55 PM Nov 30th from TwitterFox

I decided to check on how long the drive was going to be once the bus showed up.  One thing about the terminal at Yakima, they have complementary phone jacks so you can use dial-up.

Driving directions from Yakima Air Terminal to SeaTac, WA 151 mi – about 2 hours 29 mins. Just need a bus to show up. I have internet now!… 10:56 PM Nov 30th from TwitterFox

oh great, some jackass has busted out his guitar and people are jamming! i wish i had some change for a snack. 11:26 PM Nov 30th from TwitterFox

The first three buses show up on the tarmac.  Business class passengers are loaded on the buses first.  They then start loading people on the buses in small groups, counting everyone that goes on them.  We start to realize that maybe there will not be room for everyone.

looks like buses are showing up 11:42 PM Nov 30th from TwitterFox

I am not claiming to know how close the Yakima airport is to the freeway, but it took a lot of turns and small roads to get to the freeway.  And the gps was so loud as it kept RECALCULATING.  Our driver was also so bad I thought we might not make it.

Well bus gps has recalculated about 10 times in first 5 miles, that seems to say “we’re lost” 12:21 AM Dec 1st from TwitterBerry

Crossing the I-90 floating bridge. I am in seattle!!!Still have to go to seatac and go thru customs and immigration but today is almost done 2:49 AM Dec 1st from TwitterBerry

So from 3pm take-off and home at 4:30 that was a 21:30 hour flight. That doesn’t count the fact that I was up at 4:30am for ferry. 32 hours. 4:17 AM Dec 1st from TwitterBerry

So I have been home for 7 hours, and I am up taking care of canceling my credit cards and trying to figure out when I am going to get my luggage.  I only have three days until I leave again on tour.

Finally all cards cancelled!!! None had any activity which ms I will find my wallet in my suitcase as soon as it gets back from yakima 11:21 AM Dec 1st from TwitterBerry

so luggage still has not shown up. plane was still grounded in Yakima because of several mechanical problems is what NWA told me. 10:05 AM Dec 2nd from web

My luggage finally showed up the morning of the 3rd.  I asked them to just leave it at the airport so it wouldn’t be dropped off on my front door and just sit out in the rain.  They delivered it anyways.  My wallet was not in it.  My wallet was found where I knew it was left, at the venue in Bordeaux, France.  It is on the way back to me, too bad I cancelled everything.