We arrived at the airport the specified 2 hours early.... Keith decided to come in with me rather than drop me off at the door as sometimes happens.
Just inside the door was a barrage of TV cameras.... We knew a number of the cameramen and reporters so Keith stopped to have a chat.
I fronted up to the check in and my boarding passes were duly issued.... The assistant said "Can I have your paper ticket"..."No I only have E Ticket" I said with a degree of alarm "Sorry you must have a paper ticket"
was the reply, I cant’ give your these boarding passes without it.
It's 6.20 am and I'm being told to contact my Travel Agent for my paper ticket... in all the times I have traveled over the past few years I have only used E tickets, so you can imagine my surprise at the situation I found myself in.
Keith rang the Travel Agent, she's a friend of ours.... but unfortunately she has a hearing loss and we knew she wouldn't answer the phone...
There was no other option but for Keith to drive to her home and try to wake her.
I decided to stay with the luggage and go through security thinking I would wait for him in the Qantas Club....
As I went through security, I was overtaken by the subject of the TV reporters.... a man of dubious morals who was on his way to a court appearance. Shoulder to shoulder to him was the barrage of reporters and cameramen... and 5 was stuck in the middle....
I was carried along in the throng and eventually managed to extricate myself from the cameras and reporters. I sighed with relief. Is this an omen for the continuation of the tour? I then realized that I couldn't go into the club without my boarding pass, which was being held pending the arrival of my paper ticket !!!!
So I just waited outside security, and watched the world go by.... I wasn't too fussed.... there was nothing I could do...
Finally Keith arrived with boarding pass and paper tickets. It seems that I make so many bookings that the tickets had just sat in the file unnoticed since March...
So it turned out all right.
I suffer from a hiatus hernia, which often occurs after bending and often picking up my handbag in the confined space with a seat belt on often aggravates it.... and on the recent trip home from Queensland this occurred. I have a method of relieving it and it's a little unconventional. I drink a cup of water and jump off a stool...OK, it sounds strange, but works for me.
Suffering a little this morning I wondered how I could perform the task. I didn't think I could jump off the loo in the plane, so I had to loiter in the ladies loo in the club until it was empty of patrons, drink a glass of water and then jump off the loo. I was a bit worried that the seat would break, but it held up and all is well. Treatment performed... paper ticket in the bag and I'm on my way.
