Gunillocentrism – web diary of a freelance journalist

At least I called Nina to say hello – from one backyard in Williamsburg to another in Lärkstaden, Stockholm… I promised not to miss any planes for her wedding.

/Gunilla
now at Hope and Union Restaurant, Williamsburg

OK, so I didn’t get off the Scandinavian Airlines waiting list yesterday, either, despite of spending the entire day at Newark Airport.

At some point when they had started to check in passengers, the staff said there would probably be space at the 17.50 Copenhagen flight. But then a group of 14 came along there, so then it was completely full.
All of a sudden, it turned out that some passengers for the 17.20 Stockholm flight had vanished somewhere between check-in and the gate, so the staff started to board odd passengers from the waiting list. At this point, it was all really chaotic at the gate, with staff running about walkie-talking between the gates.

I was running around, too, trying to make the case that I was to miss a wedding where I was supposed to be the bride’s maid (not exactly true, since that wedding is supposed to happen later in July, and I’m not to be maid – but see below).

Finally, at 17.40 or so, there was _one_ seat left on the Stockholm plane. And there were _two_ boarding cards waiting on the desk: mine and that of a handsome Volvo employee that I had been chatting with while waiting. The person in charge lay her hand on one of those cards: mine!
But after one long, happy second, it turned out it was the wrong card… He was the one who got the final seat. I would have had the next one, but there were no more seats. Too bad, because he already had a ticket to go with a later Lufthansa flight. Wasn’t he supposed, then, to give up his seat for me? What happened to all gentlemen?!

So, another day down the drain…

…and the third missed flight means I missed the bachelorette party for my friend Nina (Solomin) in Stockholm.
It would have been hilarious, starting with her being kidnapped – by a group of Hassidic men in Observatorielunden! That is, us dressed up in black hats and peyes. Can you imagine? (For those of you who don’t know, Nina lived in Hassidic Williamsburg for a year and wrote a best seller about that.)
Then the day would have been full of bachelorette party-type activities, and all ending with a dinner in my garden. Now the brave organizers had to change plans quickly.

So, I am stuck in New York for a few days (no more stand by-passenger scenes, thanks – I have now a confirmed seat on July 4). But I am trying to make the best I can of the situation. After all, I could be worse off – I’m in New York, and the weather is great.

I am borrowing my friend Karen’s apartment, and will be hanging out in Williamsburg this weekend (working on something, I hope). More precisely right now, in the backyard of the Landscape Café.

/Gunilla