A pleasing anagrammatic baseball name, I saw a man called Odubel hit a double (Odubel Herrera plays for the Phillies)
In the hotel in Oakland, the first time stepped into the lift, a buzzer went off and a bright red button lit up on the control panel with the work "SEISMIC" on it!
Winning 4 game tickets by blowing some plastic cups over by blowing through a straw? C'mon, man!
I'm sad to have missed the Chewbacca bobblehead giveaway at AT&T Park in a couple of weeks' time.
I like the music choices at Target Field to cover challenges of plays that have been called the Twins way - it's Let It Be.
I've got a GoTo card - allowing me to go to lots of places in Minneapolis & St Paul.
Many thanks to Mary E and her supervisor at the Twins Plaza ticket office who, on my day of departure, gave me a refund for the rain-out on Friday night - despite the fact that the website said "no refunds".
Special mention for the lady on the information desk on the arrivals level at Toronto Pearson airport terminal 1 this evening. She spent most of 90 minutes phoning around hotels trying to find me (and others) a room for the night, without success.
Special mention of another kind for Air Canada for providing ONE person to help people at customer services, leading to queues of over an hour and a half - and then providing pretty much sod all assistance to anybody.
A bonus sight: dawn and sunrise over Toronto.
Sunday, 20 September 2015
Toronto airport - at night
The 90-minute-long total ground stop at Toronto on Saturday afternoon left us stuck at Minneapolis-St Paul, although we were offered water to drink and when it became clear it was a serious delay, we disembarked to wait in the gate area which was more comfortable, but with instruction to remain in earshot so we could go the moment the stop was lifted. Our pilot called us at 5.50pm and thankfully everybody was sensible and had obeyed and 20 minutes later we had wheels up at 6.10pm - just two hours late - after what seemed to me like high-speed taxiing (we were leaning going round the bends!) and an extremely long drag down the runway - it's only a little CRJ200 and only half-full at that!
With some tail-wind assisted low flying, and some more very high speed taxiing, we landed just 90 minutes later in Toronto (8.40pm) which was the exact time of my Heathrow flight, which I missed, I discovered after racing through the terminal and the fast immigration line (it took less than 30 seconds)
I found that I have already been automatically rebooked on Sunday's flight. I stood in a short queue for 90 minutes as just one person was trying to help people at the customer services desk, to see if I could get on the late flight. I could have opted to fly economy on the late flight, but declined their kind offer as it was not made with any promises of refunds or compensation and I already know the seats are too small. I asked about hotels and was told it was my problem.
Additionally, suspectedly due to the Toronto International Film Festival, there are no hotel rooms anywhere. The (not Air Canada) woman on the information desk spent 90 minutes ringing dozens of them, pretty much going out to a 30km radius, on my behalf and other people's behalves to no avail.
Even my newly-awarded Gold Elite standing with Marriott was insufficient to swing a room at any of their properties. The closest place that had anywhere was Niagara Falls but that's 70km away! Air Canada would have refunded the hotel cost, but I thought I might not get refunded the £900 for the one room in downtown Toronto that I could find.
So I'm currently sitting here, at2am 3am 4am, in Swiss Chalet fast food joint, as it's the only place open 24 hours a day, until around 5.30am when I'll go through security and go up to the Maple Leaf lounge for breakfast and comfort.
With some tail-wind assisted low flying, and some more very high speed taxiing, we landed just 90 minutes later in Toronto (8.40pm) which was the exact time of my Heathrow flight, which I missed, I discovered after racing through the terminal and the fast immigration line (it took less than 30 seconds)
I found that I have already been automatically rebooked on Sunday's flight. I stood in a short queue for 90 minutes as just one person was trying to help people at the customer services desk, to see if I could get on the late flight. I could have opted to fly economy on the late flight, but declined their kind offer as it was not made with any promises of refunds or compensation and I already know the seats are too small. I asked about hotels and was told it was my problem.
Additionally, suspectedly due to the Toronto International Film Festival, there are no hotel rooms anywhere. The (not Air Canada) woman on the information desk spent 90 minutes ringing dozens of them, pretty much going out to a 30km radius, on my behalf and other people's behalves to no avail.
Even my newly-awarded Gold Elite standing with Marriott was insufficient to swing a room at any of their properties. The closest place that had anywhere was Niagara Falls but that's 70km away! Air Canada would have refunded the hotel cost, but I thought I might not get refunded the £900 for the one room in downtown Toronto that I could find.
So I'm currently sitting here, at
Saturday, 19 September 2015
Minneapolis to Toronto
Currently, we are sitting on the plane at the gate in Minneapolis, waiting for a ground stop in Toronto to be lifted before we can leave. We were already going to be late due to the incoming flight having been delayed due to heavy rain in Toronto, but the connection time now looks very short indeed, but our flight attendant has taken a note of all the connections that everybody is making (only 3 people are staying in Toronto!) so that the other flights know to wait or not. Since it's a total stop, nothing's leaving Toronto either. We've also just been offered a drink of water, which is much better than what happened last time I was delayed into Canada.
Friday, 18 September 2015
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ Minnesota Twins (game 2)
I went to dinner at 5pm at Seven on 6th Street and 1st Avenue.
It was slightly spitting with rain again when I went there, but it's only one block away.
I had the filet steak on the bone with a sauce, except the waiter forgot to order the sauce, so he then went to order it, and took it off my bill and also offered me an extra side of crab meat. He also offered me a dessert on the house, which I took him up on. At the end, he asked if I'd like a coffee and when I asked for a cappuccino, he apologised and said their machine was broken, so I could have any other coffee free too. So all on all, I had about $20 off my dinner!
Unfortunately, it was still raining when I left. I asked the waiter where the nearest Skyway entrance was, because once I could get into the walkway system, I could make my way around to the hotel, which is also on the Skyway. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the entrance and ended up getting more wet and walked & run a lot further than I would have done if I'd just nipped back directly.
Today, rather than going along to the stadium, I stayed in my hotel room, watching the rain continue to fall, and inevitably, after an hour or so, the game was postponed until tomorrow - which is a problem as I won't be here to attend it. In the past, the Twins have allowed exchanges for same-priced tickets, or the value of the old ticket to be put towards the cost of a new ticket. Hopefully, this will apply to any ticket for next year.
It's a shame to end my holiday on a damp note (again!) but I have seen 15 games, and now I have a chance to pack carefully (and hope that security won't want to have it all out again like they did in San Francisco!)
It was slightly spitting with rain again when I went there, but it's only one block away.
I had the filet steak on the bone with a sauce, except the waiter forgot to order the sauce, so he then went to order it, and took it off my bill and also offered me an extra side of crab meat. He also offered me a dessert on the house, which I took him up on. At the end, he asked if I'd like a coffee and when I asked for a cappuccino, he apologised and said their machine was broken, so I could have any other coffee free too. So all on all, I had about $20 off my dinner!
Unfortunately, it was still raining when I left. I asked the waiter where the nearest Skyway entrance was, because once I could get into the walkway system, I could make my way around to the hotel, which is also on the Skyway. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the entrance and ended up getting more wet and walked & run a lot further than I would have done if I'd just nipped back directly.
Today, rather than going along to the stadium, I stayed in my hotel room, watching the rain continue to fall, and inevitably, after an hour or so, the game was postponed until tomorrow - which is a problem as I won't be here to attend it. In the past, the Twins have allowed exchanges for same-priced tickets, or the value of the old ticket to be put towards the cost of a new ticket. Hopefully, this will apply to any ticket for next year.
It's a shame to end my holiday on a damp note (again!) but I have seen 15 games, and now I have a chance to pack carefully (and hope that security won't want to have it all out again like they did in San Francisco!)
Golden
With a master stroke of timing, Marriott have today awarded me a trial period of 3 months at Gold Elite level. Of course, I shall not be staying in any hotels between now and Christmas, so it's a complete waste of time as I won't be able to take advantage of any of the special benefits, such as the free super-wifi. I've gained enough nights in the past three weeks to main my Silver Elite level for another 18 months anyway.
Mall of America
There are so many shops, that the whole place is divided into North, South, East and West zones and 4 levels.
Thursday, 17 September 2015
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ Minnesota Twins (game 1)
Thursday was the first game in a 4 game series between the Angels and the Twins. They are fighting hard for one of the wildcard slots.
The Twins jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st
inning, highlighted by a 3-run home run by Torii Hunter, number 48. He's now 40 years old, but still going strong. He made a terrific sliding catch in to foul territory and just missed another. This big start chased Detroit's starting pitcher, Tommy Milone, after only 2/3
of an inning.
However, in the top of the 2nd inning, the Angels struck right back with a 6-run inning, highlighted by a grand slam by the young star Mike Trout, getting rid of the Twins' Hector Santiago. Seeing Trout standing at the plate next to the home plate umpire and the catcher, you can really appreciate what a huge human being he really is!
After 2 and a quarter hours of play, with numerous pitching changes, we were still in the 4th inning (you normally expect to play 9 innings in 3 hours). The whole thing dragged along, really. Towards the end of the game, there were very few fans left again, just like last night, as the final out was made just about 4 hours after the game started. A lot of this time was down to the number of pitching changes.
My seat was a lot further back today, which made it somewhat easier to see the action.
I was sitting next to a Royals fan from Kansas City, who was in town for a training course and had decided to attend a game (and has an early flight tomorrow morning!) We chatted through the game about all things baseball, and he stayed until the end too, even though it was a quarter past eleven.
However, in the top of the 2nd inning, the Angels struck right back with a 6-run inning, highlighted by a grand slam by the young star Mike Trout, getting rid of the Twins' Hector Santiago. Seeing Trout standing at the plate next to the home plate umpire and the catcher, you can really appreciate what a huge human being he really is!
My seat was a lot further back today, which made it somewhat easier to see the action.
I was sitting next to a Royals fan from Kansas City, who was in town for a training course and had decided to attend a game (and has an early flight tomorrow morning!) We chatted through the game about all things baseball, and he stayed until the end too, even though it was a quarter past eleven.
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