Thank God, we're back.Again with the exception of a long layover in Paris, and relatively uneventful trip back to Strasbourg. Testing was a huge success, and we were able to spend a lot of time with family and friends. Glad to be back in our spacious 65 square meter apartment after living six weeks in a not so spacious 15 square meter hotel room.
Again, let me take a moment to bitch about business class on American Airlines again - guys, you suck. Just stay with me, I'm usually a very nice person . . one issue in coming over to Indianapolis was that I did not order a vegetarian meal, and they ran out. How they run out when I'm the sixth person they ask what I want from the menu of four entrees, I'm not sure. Regardless, the flight attendant cobbles something together after he realizes that I haven't eaten meat in 18 years and having me eat the pork loin is not going to be good for anyone. So lesson learned - even though I've flown business class before and I've never had a problem, I'll order a vegetarian meal the next time.
Here comes the next time. Like a good customer I order the vegetarian option 3 days in advance. When I call she mentions that it COULD be a vegan meal - meaning bad food because those vegan wackos don't even eat milk, cheese, or eggs - give me a break. To which I clarify with her, "Look, all I want to do is make sure that I get the vegetarian pasta option and they don't run out."
Fast forward to the flight over to Paris. I notify the flight attendant that I ordered a vegetarian meal, but I just really wanted to make sure that I get the pasta entree. To which she replies, "Well, I'm sorry but they made a vegan meal for you - and you have to take it." So this time they had extra pasta dishes, but I had to have this thing that quite frankly - I still don't know what the hell it was - it kind of reminded me of the one episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation where Captain Picard is kidnapped by an alien race and put in a room with four other aliens who react to authority differently - you know which one I'm talking about? Well, the food that they supplied was poisonous to the Anarchist guy with really bad teeth. Dude, I think I would have rather had the jello thing that could kill the Anarchist with bad teeth.
Bottom line: I know the unions have taken over the World, so we're paying a flight attendant some ridiculous salary and pension, even though she wouldn't get a 5% tip from waiting on a table at Olive Garden because her service skills are so bad - but come on . . . is the price of plane fuel so incredibly high that a $5000 ticket in business class can't even get you a decent pasta dish for lunch? Again, I'm really a nice person - and yes, I should be lucky that I wasn't in coach - but . . . (OK, Patrick is telling me to shut up now) . . . psst, I'm trying Lufthansa next time, and I'll let you know how it works out.
