Thursday, December 29, 2011

live blogging from frankfurt

Ok, it's a lie. I'm only online for an hour with intermittent updates, but I'm just going to type whatever I feel like here for the remainder of my internet time. Actually, I think it's a travesty that Frankfurt Airport does not offer free Wi-Fi for users. Then again, neither does SFO. Actually, it's a definite first-world problem that I would even dare to call non-free Wi-Fi a travesty. It's barely a problem in the grand scheme of things. Of course, it's not a fifth-world problem either. One may ask what a fifth-world problem is. Oh, google it and find out but I can tell you now it's weird and freaky and you're not going to understand. Also, it's just a big joke.

I'm actually waiting for my work e-mail to download. It takes a while to get Outlook to sync with the Exchange server. But when it does, bam! Forty e-mails in the last 12 hours, most of which were during the middle of the night. Right before I left the office yesterday I received some good news about the difficulties with a particular well. Major difficulties have passed, though they could reoccur.

When we land in Frankfurt we don't get a normal gate. I suppose Baku/Ashgabat doesn't rate. Instead, the plane parks in the boonies of the airport out by the cargo terminal and we get bussed in. Seriously, the planes next to us are always all cargo planes. How can I tell? Cargo planes don't have windows. This morning's bus ride seemed longer than usual and I wish I got airline miles for the bus ride which seemed like a good three miles. I need every last mile and what I do with them is none of your concern.

Ok, e-mails either dealt with or filed away. Only about one thing that needs further follow-up which can wait until next week. There's always a bit of concern when I go on days off/vacation, mostly due to my total lack of trust in mankind. No, not that. It's just the sense of wanting to be sure things are in good hands. Actually, things are in good hands. It's a good team and most day-to-day things are relatively straightforward. The only issue is that it's the end of the year so there are some end-of-year items that always linger.

So I watched Harry Potter 8, also known as the final film of the Harry Potter series and Cowboys and Aliens on the way here from Ashgabat. I had to get in my movie watching on my first flight since my next leg is on an older 747 with overhead screens so the only films they will show will be family-friendly. Last time, it was Cars 2 and some other blather. Harry Potter 8 was fine. I suppose I should really read the books if I want to understand all the subtle details, but I think I finally figured out the big picture. They're wizards. As for Cowboys and Aliens, my goodness was that awful. Harrison Ford is just going through the motions at this point. First, Indian Jones 4 and then this tripe? C'mon, you were Han Solo and you shot first and I don't care what any revisionist historian has to say about that. Also, Daniel Craig's American accent is quite peculiar. Not bad, just peculiar. The rest of the film was a train wreck of different ideas, non-existent character development, terrible dialogue and just bad writing. I just realized it's actually a lot like a bad reverse version of Avatar. Since I know none of you will watch C&A, it's basically about aliens kidnapping people to learn about human weaknesses while also mining gold. How is that not like Avatar where humans go to an alien planet, try to mingle with the aliens in their avatar forms, while mining the most obtainable element on the planet? It even had a turncoat alien, albeit from a different species helping the humans much like how the human protagonist in Avatar helped the aliens. Just terrible. But I regret nothing.

I always pick-up an Economist when I fly. It makes me feel like a real adult and I want something to read on the plane. However, this time I feel cheated because the issue is so thin. Also, I'm already aware Kim Jong Il died and there ain't no party like a Pyongyang party. And yet I still bought this week's issue. I've got my flying rituals to uphold.

Anyway, time is about out so I'll be going now. I still have another hour until boarding but I'll be damned if I spring for another hour of internet. Plus, most regular readers should be asleep by now and by the time you read this, I'll be somewhere over Canada on my way to SFO.

2 comments:

Buickguy said...

Actually, by the time I read this you had already crossed over into good ol' USA airspace.
You need to work on your vocabulary to stay ahead of your readers, since I almost understand what you mean when you say, "it's weird a freaky" when talking about the fifth world.

Brian said...

Oops, that's a typo. It's been fixed now.