There goes my summer

[carbonel]

I took a quick trip to Chicago (left yesterday, returned today) to see a third retinologist -- the one who would do my surgery if he thought I needed it.

He agreed that surgery was probably a good idea, and furthermore, that it ought to be done as soon as possible. I'd planned on waiting until September, because once I have the surgery, I won't be able to fly for six to eight weeks.

Instead, I'm having it on July 15. This means that Winnipeg Folk Festival is problematical. Normally, I'd drive from Winnipeg to Minneapolis on Monday, July 14, but I'll need to be in Chicago that day. I think it might be easier to call off the whole thing and be rested when I have my surgery, instead of having a long weekend of much music and little sleep, followed by a long drive.

Normally I spend a week in August in South Haven, MI, with my family, but if I want to do that, it'll be eleven hours of travel each way, since I won't be able to fly.

And I already have my tickets for Farthing Party (traveling on miles), and I don't know if I'll be able to cancel the tickets and put the miles back into the bank.

I've just spent the last 15 minutes or so looking at options for Amtrak, and while Amtrak admits that it goes from Minneapolis to New York, and from New York to Montreal, I can't get the webpage to put together an itinerary for Minneapolis to Montreal, let alone a round trip.

At least I'm back in Minneapolis. I missed my scheduled plane, because it took over an hour and a half to get from downtown Chicago to O'Hare, but I got a standby seat on the 8:05 pm flight. I'm not sure how that happened, actually. I was number twelve on the standby list (out of 27 or so; the previous flight had been cancelled), and there were allegedly only four seats available, but when my name was called, I didn't ask any questions.

Comments

[guppiecat]

Would old radio shows in mp3 format be useful during your recovery? I have a fair amount of old scifi series if you'd be interested. I've copied for other fannish folk who have been laid up for a time.

I'll be in the area this weekend and for Convergence if you are interested.

[carbonel]

They might. I haven't gotten much into old radio shows, but I listen to a lot of books on tape (well, mp3) while I'm driving or exercising.

[guppiecat]

I've burned a DVD and it's in my bag. If our paths cross before your surgery, I'll give it to you. If you'd rather me give it to someone more likely to see you (Minnehaha K, perhaps), just let me know who.

[carbonel]

Thanks! If you give it to either of the Minnehahas, I'll be likely to see B. in the regular course of things.

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

Eep. I'm sorry the surgery is in order and best done with timing that so interferes with plans already made and in place.

My childhood church had a lakefront camp at South Haven. I spent several weeks there over the years, and we returned frequently for picnics year round. My favorite were the winter picnics. Some years the lake was frozen so hard that we built bonfires on the ice.

I've had similar difficulties with the Amtrak website. I hope it works out for you to be at Farthing Party. It's at the 6.5 week mark -- at the early side of that 6-8 week range, but falling within it. At what point would you know whether you'd be cleared for flying by then?

[marykaykare.livejournal.com]

Well, United used to let you cancel a miles trip and put them back in the bank, for a fee of course. I have no idea if that is still true (given recent developments) or if your airline does it. You can ask.

MKK

[redbird]

The last I checked, the Amtrak software had trouble with anything more complicated than a simple round trip that involved going to Canada; you might have to put this one together yourself. If it's any help, there's exactly one train a day from New York (or Albany, or anywhere along there) to Montreal, and one back: the Adirondack.

You might also do better getting information or reservations by phone, once you get past the automated voice. ("Julie" is fine if you're standing in a bus station and need a last-minute train reservation, or want to know whether a train is on time, but this is probably beyond that software as well.)

[buttonlass.livejournal.com]

Where do you stay in Chicago? You have people here?

I ask because we moved to Chicago it seems (I keep hoping for dreaming, but alas), and if you need anything we'd be to happy to help.

[carbonel]

My parents are in Skokie (right by the Old Orchard Rd. exit off Edens), so that's why I'm having the surgery in Chicago.

I appreciate the offer, but mostly what I'll need is diversion, since I'll have a week being face-down.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

OK. The problem with Amtrak is (that they don't run a system) that the Lake Shore Limited only connects going south. So you have to spend 23 hours in Schenectady, which isn't always the most fun in the world. You have the alternative of spending 18 hours in NYC, or of driving from Schenectady to here. You could hire a car for the afternoon -- it's about a four hour drive -- or we might well be able to organize a ride from Schenectady with people driving up from NYC. If you want to do this, let's see what we can co-ordinate. Further Amtrak wonk, the $349 "go anywhere in the Eastern Region for 15 days" ticket that I'm using to go to Denver will also cover this, so that's the most you'd have to spend even if you go into New York (assuming you know people to stay with there) and if you had the free time and wanted to, you could also use it to do other things. Yet further wonk -- if you're trying to use the website for scheduling, it'll understand MPLS-Schenectady and Schenectady-Montreal even if it doesn't understand MPLS-Montreal.

I'm prepared to do anything that might help with getting you here. The sensible thing with the potential ride is probably posting on the FP group. If you want to come early, I can provide... probably a bed, but at the very least a soft piece of floor.

I'm so sorry about your poor eye, and I hope this operation totally fixes it forever.

[carbonel]

Thanks for the information. If there are people driving from Schenectady to Montreal, that would cut an entire day off travel, which would be nice. Possibly even two days (or rather, an extra day in Montreal) since I have the choice of arriving at 7:10 pm either on Thursday or Friday.

Looks like going to New York doesn't really pay, once I actually checked out the routings.

I'll post a query in the FP community.

[selkie-b.livejournal.com]

Oh dear... well at least it's getting fixed in a big hurry! guppiecat is totally right - I've been "reading" a ton of most excellent old scifi and mysteries while I knit. They are a total blast, the old radio shows. The time will fly (so will your needles!) I dropped you a query in Ravelry - I'm trying to find my Patons sock book, can't remember who I loaned it to :) meant to write it down... Also couldn't find your flyer anywhere! Do hope it was in the box tucked down into the wool!

[carbonel]

The flyer was indeed tucked down in the wool. Thanks for insisting it was there, or I might never have found it.

And yes, I have your Patons Happy Feet booklet.

[selkie-b.livejournal.com]

Oh thank goodness on both counts!!

I actually need the book back fairly soon - I have two pairs of socks to start out of it as soon as I can. I've contented myself starting another project for the nonce... If you can't easily get it here, leave it for me at Elise's?? :)

[carbonel]

Would it work for us to get together for a spinning class sometime after July 2? My life is crazy until then.

It's really annoying that this will be the third month in a row that I'll have been out of town on the first Tuesday, when the spinners meet at the Weavers' Guild.

[tanac.livejournal.com]

Delta also lets you re-bank miles for an unused ticket (according to their policies, which I just read over yesterday).

Good luck!

[the-shoshanna.livejournal.com]

Argh, what a pain -- but if you need the surgery ASAP, it's not something you want to fool around with. I hope you manage to get everything organized as well as possible!

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Oh, gaaacckk. Well, I hope you can salvage some of your fun this summer!

Maybe everyone ahead you on the standby list was in groups larger than however many seats were left, and they didn't want to split up. (Say, they gave the first three seats to 1 through 3 on the list, so there was one seat left, but 3 through 11 were all in groups of two or more.)

[lydy.livejournal.com]

Arghh. I'm sorry about the whole mess. Hopefully, you'll figure out the train thing. Stupid eye. Tell it to behave itself from me.

[pameladean]

Oh, how galling that the timing wrecks your trip to Winnipeg. But at least it will be over with, and you won't have it hanging over your head until September.

P.

[carbonel]

At least I'll have Montreal. I refuse to give up that one.