Oceanside, California: After having so much fun this past week in Oceanside, today was a bust. Last night, I received emails stating flights we have booked for a holiday with the 4L's had changed. No one asked me if they could be changed, but changed they were. Not only were the times changed (some were just a few minutes - so no problem), but one was a FIVE HOUR difference and one was on a DIFFERENT DAY entirely! I could not deal with this after a late night out with our friends, so waited until this morning to go down this rabbit hole.
The first airline had me on/off hold for ONE HOUR and then I was disconnected. Exactly one hour too, so I wonder if this is just their call hold limit? The person not helping me kept putting me on hold - only to come to the surface after ten minutes or so and say my request was still processing. Before anything happened, after one hour, someone hung up - and it was not me. (Their website would not let me make these changes online.) The expletives spewing in my head were most impressive, but I kept them inside. Better results with honey than vinegar.
The second clerk who answered went right to work and we were situated within ten minutes. What was going on with first agent?
Next, I had to deal with the second airline who had moved a 10a flight to an 8a flight - at an airport that is over one hour from our house. The ten o'clock flight was going to be tough enough. Dang... but while I was on hold, I started searching flights and realized the flight we had been moved to was now HUNDREDS of dollars cheaper than our original flight. What??? The agent actually contacted her supervisor, and the difference for our flights would be back in our account within a week. I actually think this will happen... as I have a confirmation email.
By now, I was so frazzled, though now we had workable flights. Just all the frustration. It was 1p! DT had ridden his bike to Houston and back, showered, written a short novel, and wanted lunch. Me too - I was running on one cup of coffee.
We had noticed there was a Roberto's Taco shop up on the corner and wanted to have one of their super delicious hard shell (fried) tacos before we left town. We still can't figure out why there isn't a Roberto's Taco in the Coachella Valley.
I always get the same thing - one fried shredded beef taco. It is $3.50, and one is all I can eat. It is stuffed with beef, tomato, lettuce and topped with paper-thin grated cojita cheese. So delicious!
And that, Dear Reader, is what we did today. In the afternoon, we sat outside in the shade. I stitched; DT worked on the crossword puzzle.
I had brought a quart of frozen homemade chicken stock from home, and a large handful of frozen shredded rotisserie chicken, plus some vegetables, to make an easy soup for our dinner one night. However, after not finishing my veal Milanese at the Italian restaurant last night - loaded with carrots and mushrooms - the soup recipe changed to chicken stock, diced veal, sliced carrots, mushrooms, and teeny acini (the size of a grape seed) pasta (that is traditionally used in Italian wedding soup. The dish came together quickly and was served with a tossed salad... while we watched the Dodgers win in Boston, and are still watching the Giants v Mets at home as I type this.
While it is nice to have a day of rest every once in a while, I wish I was not resting in front of my laptop while on hold for hours.
As Scarlett would say: Tomorrow is Another Day!
Until my next update, I remain, your settled correspondent.
Campground Information: Oceanside RV Resort