Safely in England
Feb. 18th, 2009 05:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenayI'm sitting on my parent's sofa to type this, so I got here safely :-) Hooray!
The cats may never forgive me (Annie refused to look at me for the first five minutes after we got to the cattery, though Kate had settled well when I left) but the flight was smooth and I actually got some sleep. Well, it was that or watch the guy next to me get hideously drunk. Sleeping was safer. I also got the toe of a sock done in the terminal. Er, yes, I was at the airport ridiculously early.
This morning I re-discovered how much I hate Heathrow. I must have walked two miles to get to arrivals from my gate. Yuck!
Then there was the embarrassing moment when I attempted to use my debit card in Boots and discovered that I couldn't remember how to use a chip and pin terminal. Ouch. I could remember my pin, but how to put the card in the reader? And then which buttons to press? So not happening. Sorted how and should continue remembering (I hope!). But I have two Wispa bars (mmm, Wispa), a power cord for my laptop so that I don't need to run an adaptor and some passport photos for my police check next week.
I've emptied my case (I went crazy on sweaters and, er, I won't need them here because it's 10C out there!) and packed everything that I'll need for Redemption into my little wheeled carry-on case. Seriously, how did I need so much stuff at other cons? Now I can go to bed and recover a bit before I catch my midday train to Coventry tomorrow. So excited! I haven't been to a con since...Eastercon last year. Geek communitiy, how I have missed thee!
The cats may never forgive me (Annie refused to look at me for the first five minutes after we got to the cattery, though Kate had settled well when I left) but the flight was smooth and I actually got some sleep. Well, it was that or watch the guy next to me get hideously drunk. Sleeping was safer. I also got the toe of a sock done in the terminal. Er, yes, I was at the airport ridiculously early.
This morning I re-discovered how much I hate Heathrow. I must have walked two miles to get to arrivals from my gate. Yuck!
Then there was the embarrassing moment when I attempted to use my debit card in Boots and discovered that I couldn't remember how to use a chip and pin terminal. Ouch. I could remember my pin, but how to put the card in the reader? And then which buttons to press? So not happening. Sorted how and should continue remembering (I hope!). But I have two Wispa bars (mmm, Wispa), a power cord for my laptop so that I don't need to run an adaptor and some passport photos for my police check next week.
I've emptied my case (I went crazy on sweaters and, er, I won't need them here because it's 10C out there!) and packed everything that I'll need for Redemption into my little wheeled carry-on case. Seriously, how did I need so much stuff at other cons? Now I can go to bed and recover a bit before I catch my midday train to Coventry tomorrow. So excited! I haven't been to a con since...Eastercon last year. Geek communitiy, how I have missed thee!
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no subject
Date: 2009-02-18 10:40 pm (UTC)I have problems with that because some of them require you to put it in the top and some of them in the bottom and some of them have a swipe thingy as well. And some of them have some extra buttons at the bottom, so I start typing the wrong things...
I much preferred the system where you gave them the card and all you had to do was type.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-18 11:41 pm (UTC)From my many cheerful years in retail and I can tell you that it's not just people who've been living abroad who don't know that.
"With the chip facing up. No. The other up."
At least you've got an excuse.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-19 12:33 am (UTC)I always just leave Frasier at home and have someone check in on him daily. He´s a lot happier that way, and it´s less stressful for me, since all the cat hotels are not close to where I live.
He´s usually pretty happy when I get back.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-19 07:27 am (UTC)Not sure whether to go and register and such today, or leave it until tomorrow. Either way, I will see you at the Con, with luck :)
Look for Gaz Hunter...he'll be looking baffled and carrying a Very Small Guitar case....
no subject
Date: 2009-02-19 02:24 pm (UTC)Chip and Pin... say in a Canadian accent "Gee, we don't have these in Canada, what do you do?" and watch the shop assistant do it for you. then just type in your pin. ;o)
Loves!!
no subject
Date: 2009-02-23 04:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-23 04:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-23 04:17 pm (UTC)If you spotted a girl sitting on the 2nd floor landing knitting a sock, that was me.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-23 04:18 pm (UTC)I don't have one. Even a bad fake one. Possibly the word coffee has an intonation to it. But otherwise, no accent. I am such a disappointment to those around me.