Journey beginnings - part 3: Madison
My visit to Madison started with the first major travel woes of the trip. I don't really like O'Hare any more. When I got there, I went on the obligatory long hike to my connecting flight, which was delayed by about 45 min (not that they told us that until well after the plane was supposed to have left. When they finally let us board, we sat around for another 15 min or so before the captain announced that the brakes didn't work and we were going to wait for a mechanic to come check them. A half hour later he told us that the airplane was broken and that there was another airplane waiting for us at a gate at the other end of the concourse.
Of course, when we arrived, there was no plane there. After about 20 min, a plane showed up, and someone came over the intercom saying that it was now out of service, and our flight had been cancelled. And the remaining flights to Madison were full, so we had to get on a shuttle - would we please go get our luggage and get on the bus.
The baggage claim was more of the same. Our luggage was not there. An hour later, after the shuttle had left, our luggage was still not there, and no one would tell us where it was, or even who knew where it was. Another hour later, after the security guards had been called in to contain the rather upset business flyers, our luggage finally showed up. I managed to hitch a ride with a couple of women who decided to rent a car and just drive to their ultimate location north of Madison, in exchange for giving them directions. Heck of a deal.
At one point during all this, i tried to call my ride home, to let her know that I was delayed. I tried a phone card, and was rejected. Then i tried coins, and those were rejected. finally, in the car on the way, I used a cell phone to arrange to meet my ride at the frisbee fields, as we both had games that night.
I and my large pile of luggage were dropped off at the frisbee fields, ready for a game. Fortunately, my game was a late one, so i had time to change and get warmed up before sleeping my way through the first game I'd played in almost 2 years. All in all, a good start to my stay in Madison, once I got there, that is.
While in Madison I stayed with Darwin and Jane, who I still haven't convinced to visit me in Darwin, Australia. I don't know why - I've been to Tracy, California. Actually, I haven't been able to convince anyone to visit me in Darwin at all. Or Israel, for that matter. Come on folks - where's your sense of adventure?
Well, to summarize 3 weeks of Madison in a few key phrases:
- 6 mile bike ride to school. perfect distance, especially on the bike trail and with pleasant company in the morning.
- learned how to draw blood from pigeons (easy)
- learned how to draw blood from the retro-orbital sinus of lizards (hard, especially without lizards). If you don't know what this is, it seems a bit gruesome, though is harmless. It involves putting a capillary tube into the eye socket, behind the eyeball. Even hardened physiologists get queazy at this one.
- 6 games of Madison Summer League frisbee on Snarf. good fun. go snarf!
- caught up with old friends. really good.
- saw a former girlfriend for the first time since breaking up - not so good. still too close to that one. I do wish you well, though
- bought my first cell phone. I'll admit that they are useful and convenient, but they are bloody annoying. especially since I'll have to buy another one in Israel.
- Accumulating more luggage, as if I didn't already have enough...
I'm sure I've missed some important points, but you don't really want to hear about all of that anyway. On the way out of Madison, I got delayed going through O'Hare. Big surprise.
Of course, when we arrived, there was no plane there. After about 20 min, a plane showed up, and someone came over the intercom saying that it was now out of service, and our flight had been cancelled. And the remaining flights to Madison were full, so we had to get on a shuttle - would we please go get our luggage and get on the bus.
The baggage claim was more of the same. Our luggage was not there. An hour later, after the shuttle had left, our luggage was still not there, and no one would tell us where it was, or even who knew where it was. Another hour later, after the security guards had been called in to contain the rather upset business flyers, our luggage finally showed up. I managed to hitch a ride with a couple of women who decided to rent a car and just drive to their ultimate location north of Madison, in exchange for giving them directions. Heck of a deal.
At one point during all this, i tried to call my ride home, to let her know that I was delayed. I tried a phone card, and was rejected. Then i tried coins, and those were rejected. finally, in the car on the way, I used a cell phone to arrange to meet my ride at the frisbee fields, as we both had games that night.
I and my large pile of luggage were dropped off at the frisbee fields, ready for a game. Fortunately, my game was a late one, so i had time to change and get warmed up before sleeping my way through the first game I'd played in almost 2 years. All in all, a good start to my stay in Madison, once I got there, that is.
While in Madison I stayed with Darwin and Jane, who I still haven't convinced to visit me in Darwin, Australia. I don't know why - I've been to Tracy, California. Actually, I haven't been able to convince anyone to visit me in Darwin at all. Or Israel, for that matter. Come on folks - where's your sense of adventure?
Well, to summarize 3 weeks of Madison in a few key phrases:
- 6 mile bike ride to school. perfect distance, especially on the bike trail and with pleasant company in the morning.
- learned how to draw blood from pigeons (easy)
- learned how to draw blood from the retro-orbital sinus of lizards (hard, especially without lizards). If you don't know what this is, it seems a bit gruesome, though is harmless. It involves putting a capillary tube into the eye socket, behind the eyeball. Even hardened physiologists get queazy at this one.
- 6 games of Madison Summer League frisbee on Snarf. good fun. go snarf!
- caught up with old friends. really good.
- saw a former girlfriend for the first time since breaking up - not so good. still too close to that one. I do wish you well, though
- bought my first cell phone. I'll admit that they are useful and convenient, but they are bloody annoying. especially since I'll have to buy another one in Israel.
- Accumulating more luggage, as if I didn't already have enough...
I'm sure I've missed some important points, but you don't really want to hear about all of that anyway. On the way out of Madison, I got delayed going through O'Hare. Big surprise.
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