Wingless is starting to understand the gestalt here.

I will post a more thorough Pre-CATMAN-DO-2 report featuring onefreeman, Raeban, Essxjay and her friend Patrick when I have more than a few hours of sleep.

PremEx: Don't give me a heart attack. Because if I fall ill i've decided that YOU will have to assume controls of the CATMAN DO 2. (actually right now I'm so well preserved that i love everyone and nothing bothers me!!!)

newself, for all of the work that you have done as CMDR CATCOP, when I see you:

*We can both get roaring drunk together.
*I will call a car service to take you home and pay for it.
*I will do the same and go back to my hotel in Long Beach.

You are the best CMDR CATCOP (with wanderlust so far) i've ever known.

OH BOY! The alcohol has really kicked it, but I mean it when I say that you newself are one of the best Flyertalkers out there.

Good luck Quiet Lion and Hunnybear. I'm sure you both will be great catcops (uninfluences by Guiness.)

Live update:

Happy St Pat's Day one and all. Greetings from the 33rd floor of the Waldorf Towers. Operating on about 3 hours sleep so bear with me please...

Flight Details

We arrived PHX Sky Harbor about an hour before flight time for UA 684. Having read the weather forecasts at least 3 times per day for the last week, we had to check luggage -- cold weather gear tends to be bulky. This is rather new to us -- we're worshippers of the sun. Our shorts to sweater ratio is about 11:1. As much as our host enjoys Jimmy Buffet, I realized the aloha wear would need to stay in the closet. But I digress...

FC check in had 7 people waiting when we arrived. One poor soul was on the 810am flight to ORD which was already an hour late. His connection to somewhere would be missed so he was going with us. The agent handed him his boarding pass for row 31 -- poor guy dang near died. Our check in after a 10 minute wait was smooth and effortless. Love to watch those worthless little priority tags disappear on the belt into the bowels of the airport only to reappear near the end of the load at our destination.

Raeban had developed a powerful thirst from our standing on queue so we headed straight for the smoking bar (the RCC in PHX is non-smoking and your correspondent refuses to fly for 3+ hours without having several nicotine fixes). Raeban immediately orders Absolut bloody marys (double for a dollar more? Silly question!). We decide to head for Gate C (my favorite gate because you can smoke all the way out to the gate) about 20 minutes before departure. Gate C is deserted when we arrive -- we've missed the pre-boarding and all the rest too. As we wind around the Gate C jetway maze we find out the plane isn't empty -- everyone is hiding on the jetway. We make the usual left turn at the door to arrive at seats 1CD. Overhead space full but we manage to find places to stash the cameras and laptop, etc. Offered OJ. Is the champagne open yet? No... Mimosas appear in seconds. Decent run of the mill UA FC service to ORD. Catering didn't load the new movies (UA switches movie offerings on the 16th of the month). Stuck with The Bachelor. Ignore movie, listen to Channel 9. Raeban has the fruit plate, I get the carbo-plate (kudos to Quiet Lion for the name). Arrive on time in ORD. Deplane to hit the RCC, the outside frigid smoking area and shop for beanie babies. Re-board the same plane only to find my personal magazines have disappeared during the cleaning process. On time departure. Lunch service (filet or salmon -- we both opt for filet which is overcooked as usual). No channel 9 (boo hiss catcalls!)

The -DO begins

Put on our winter outerwear upon arrival and trek to LGA's ancient baggage area. Immediately begin sweating (perspiring for our more genteel members) profusely. It's 60+ dang degrees in NYC. This is winter? At security we meet our host, The Catdude himself. After hugs and kisses, I turn on my cell phone to discover that work has several simultaneous disasters for me to handle. Our priority tagged luggage arrives near the end (as usual).

Off to the taxi queue and then into the city. I have no true recollection of the ride in -- I was on the phone the entire time...

Arrive at the Waldorf Astoria. Long line. Ask for the HHonors line -- there isn't one. After 10 minute wait admiring the Waldorf clock, am courteously greeted, told we have a marvelous upgraded room in the Waldorf Towers. Given two drink coupons, told to help ourselves to the Evian in the mini-bar. Room is nice -- a bit small but on the 33rd floor with a view into several other buildings.

Catdude and Raeban unpack us while I talk (yell, swear, curse, threathen, cajole, cry) on the phone. We decide to head for cocktails after I determine all is lost at work. We head for the Towers lounge on the 26th floor where I immediately make a lifelong friend of the lounge maiden by helping myself to generous portions of gin and re-arranging furniture. Nice lounge, good spread. We head downstairs to have more cocktails and admire the beauty of the Waldorf.

Sir Harry's is packed, the Bull and Bear is packed, so we end up at the Cocktail Terrace where a wannabe piano-diva (fortunately) goes on break as soon as we arrive (has my luck turned?? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif )

Catdude, the host with the most, has made reservations for dinner at Sparks. We invite SXJ to join but she has plans. Sparks is a steakhouse that is hopping. Incredible wine list, terrific service and I had a veal loin chop the size of some states just north of here. Wonderful dinner with great friends. Who wants more?

We head for our 11pm rendezvous with SXJ and Patrick at the Rainbow Room. We walk in the rain (singing of course) and Raeban admires the sites and sounds of her first NYC evening. We have a lovely view of the Empire State Building for maybe five minutes before the low clouds literally take away the view of everything. SXJ and Patrick arrive and another online friendship goes live and in person. We enjoy cocktails until they tell us to leave. We agree with them because it's 2am and raining and we all have a big Friday planned. Catdude hails a taxi and drops us at the Waldorf before heading across the river to see his kids, complete final preparations for the -DO and, hopefully, get a bit of sleep.

It's 921am now -- we meet SXJ in the lobby in about 2 hours. More later -- including a report of Raeban's first encounter with Kripsy Kremes. Also coming: pictures...

Signing off...

Rain gear? Winter clothes. Woops. Women folk might need to take me shopping.

auh2o - brawling and winning with Delta CRC agents who despite being on a Business Elite ticket and having current RCC membership (broke down yesterday in SFO) did not want to admit me to the CRC. Maybe they were worriied I would clean out their booze supply? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

wise move on delta's part auh2o, don't you think? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Be careful auh2o ... you might get spoiled by the free booze in the CRC's ...

...spoiled that is until you had to board that Delta aircraft! Then you would trade that CRC room for a broom closet serving Tang from a dirty glass!

Delta...who wisely figures they better get their passengers drunk before they board! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Weather Update -

A nice steady snow has been falling in Manhattan for the last several hours.

Clearing later and low around 23 in midtown.

Yes, so far it's been rain, fog, freezing rain, sleet, snow and gusting high winds- perfect day for flying and parades!!! Reportedly now about 90 min delays at area airports.

But it's all part of the deal and everyone is dealing with it in good cheer!

[Hunnybear/]

CMDR CATCOP is being replaced by newself while he is out playing Catman at the Do. He now owes me about 4 nights of dinners and drinks.

When he leaves again for someother adventure, you and the QL get to take over the board and become ACTING CMDR CATCOP!

The red eye from SEA/IAD was great (I think). If it wasn't, I'll never know because I slept through the entire flight. Now getting from IAD to EWR is a whole different story.

We were anxious to get home (to Manhattan) and very disappointed that our plane was delayed, and delayed, and delayed and.... We thought about switching to another plane but Joe had decided to check luggage (his and mine) so we figured waiting in Dulles was about the same as waiting in Newark. WRONG. When we got to EWR we discovered that Joe's bag had arrived on the earlier flight and that mine was among the missing.

It wasn't a thrilling morning but MaryAnn, the clerk at the baggage office really was extremely helpful. After a very delayed arrival, we filed a Lost Bag report, decided to wait 15 additional minutes for the next flight in from Dulles (just in case my bag was on it). We finally arrived at the club 4 and 1/2 hours after our ETA, grabbed lunch as we watched "would be parade goers" battle the wind and snow at the corner of 7th and 56th. By this time we really needed to take a nap and, when we awoke, ran out to buy dancing shoes, underwear, etc., etc., all the real necessities of life. This made us way too late for drinks at the Waldorf and 30 minutes late for dinner at The Supper Club.

But we got a great table on the dance floor and had a magnificent time. The music and show were fabulous and my fish was perfect (my interest in the dispensation was academic and of concern for Joe as I don't eat meat). We would have stayed and danced 'til we dropped (they close at 4:00am), but we wanted to try to hook up with the FT group at the Oak Room so we split about midnight and had wonderful subway/walking/not finding a cab adventure on our way to The Plaza, where we arrived just in time for last call.

No FlyerTalkers were to be seen. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif Joe was so sad to have quit dancing only to find no friends when we arrived. When we got our bill for one drink, he said "No wonder they left. I hope they found a great bar with cheap pitchers of green beer".

The sad thing is that we were counting on that connection to find out what's happening on Saturday. Now we are clueless.

Catman HELP!!!!!!



[This message has been edited by Punki (edited 03-18-2000).]

I've found with DL (I would think the other major airlines do the same thing) that they usually put your bags on the first available flight to your destination, so if you can reasonably make an earlier connection, it is usually safe to do so as the airline will put your bags on the first flight to their destination anyway. I've used this tactic a few times, and have arrived at my destination and my bags did in fact come out as with the luggage on the earlier flight I hopped. Of course, since they lost your bag, you would have waited for your original flight likely anyway hoping it had not made it with Joe's bag ...

Sorry to learn of your luggage travails, Punki. Not being a real dancer myself, can't imagine what the airline allowance for "dancing shoes" is!! Hopefully appropriate reimbursement is forthcoming.

Glad the Supper Club dinner turned out so well. Surely Catman will soon clue you in on todays events!

Hurray, Hurray, itis a wonderful day here in beautiful downtown Manhattan. The sun is streaming through the windows and my vagrant bag has been found. My good dance shoes have been returned. Believe me trying to find good dance shoes in a strange city, in an emergency is not easy.

I also talked with the Catman Host Dude a few minutes ago and it looks like we are having an indoor (buy your favorite food from the deli and bring it on up) picnic lunch at our place this afternoon, 12:30 or 1:00 pm or whenever folks show up. Send me an e-mail if you want directions.

I Love New York!

This is a very good friend of the Catman, posting for him from afar.

He thanks you for following the rules of not posting stupid or controversial remarks.

He had to go home to get something he needed for the do and apologizes to PUNKI for not making lunch (he also wants to be hungry for steak.)

I hope to meet you all someday soon. Maybe even sooner.

A GOOD FRIEND OF CATMAN