Arghhhhh…

After weeks of struggling to confirm flight details – then paying for my tickets – my fly-by-night agency cancelled the flights, communicated nothing useful to me about it, and now cannot be reached by phone or email!
This time, the agency’s usual warning message - “due to high volume of calls … call back later” – did not cut me off. Desperation kept me on the phone listening to repeated loops of nausea-inducing elevator “musak”. More than 21:42 minutes later the call abruptly ended. Costing me more than R75.00 in airtime, I had no resolution, no idea what was up with my flight, and no way of learning what I needed to know.
I circumvented the agency and emailed the airline directly. I learned the entire journey was cancelled – and no word about rescheduling.
Just like that, my delight at returning to California after more than 1.5 years of lockdown, evaporated. All my preparation – pre-flight Covid test, domestic flight connection to Oliver Tambo Airport, appointment for my post-flight vaxx – all come to naught.
Unless….
I gave up on the agency (FlyUs.com – avoid them, well, like you’ve learned to avoid Covid). I struck out on my own.
I now have a flight, different airline, same day, almost same time, via Paris to San Francisco. It costs me an arm and a leg and I must purchase a seat for more than ZAR500, but I am heading home.

***

It’s my day for “can you believe it” stories. As I finalized a funeral policy for my 88-year-old mother, I learned that the provincial crematorium "went up in smoke."

Actually, it went up in smoke twice!  

Provincial decision-makers decided not to rebuild after the second event. Luckily for my mother, when the time comes she’ll be hosted by the privately-owned crematorium that has been built less than one mile from where she spent six decades of her adult life. Turns out, you can go home again...

***

VoteVets: Hate Crime Hawley (0:50 mins)

Healthy planet, anyone?

The world’s largest iceberg – nearly six times the size of New York City - just broke off
The long block of ice is roughly 1,668 square miles in size, spanning 89 nautical miles on its longest axis and 14 nautical miles on its widest axis. New York City’s land area is about 303 square miles.
What does this mean? Read the article >> 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Potholes are nothing new around here.
Erosion has sculpted this pothole
into a unique, and very fitting, shape.
It's a dick pic - about 15 feet/5 meters long.

Continues to get darker here... 

Feb 26: sunrise 5:47am; sunset 6:33pm.
March 2: sunrise 5:50am; sunset 6:29pm.
March 16: sunrise 5:59am; sunset 6:13pm.
April 1: sunrise 6:09am; sunset 5:54pm.
April 15: sunrise 6:18am; sunset 5:39pm.
April 25: sunrise 6:23am; sunset 5:30pm.
May 1: sunrise 6:27am; sunset 5:24pm.
May 15: sunrise 6:35am; sunset 5:15pm.
May 21: sunrise 6:40am; sunset 5:11pm.

But, just think, this time next week I'll be on my way to California summer!