SF4 - Made It - Only Just !

road to Steemfest - my journey

after lots of encouragement from @slobberchops, .. I decided to do a post on my journey and kind of log as I went along,... I'm going to be meeting lots of steemians and its a good way to keep in touch and make memories of the journey/visit.

I have very rarely done a plane journey where I'm not in fear of missing the flight, .. each time this happens I promise myself that I will set out earlier... accounting for all the curved balls the 40-mile journey and parking to check-in desk etc throw at you.

With all the past experiences I decided to set off well and truly 'EARLY'. so much so that I was going to get bored sitting around after check-in waiting to board the plane. I envisioned spending so much time walking around in the duty-free that id gets to know the attendants and security on first name terms.

I first began to get the feeling that fate was trying to exert itself when @slobberchops phoned me from the airport asking how far I was, ... I had made it to the locality, but could I find the parking that I booked ?, ... no, and like some scene from 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' my car Satelite navigation started directing me to all places but the car park, .... (somewhere a bunch of Aliens on a distant ship were pranking me, and having a right laugh as I went round in circles.)

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after parking my car I waited for the 'regular' bus to take me to the terminal. (more time)

I arrived at the checking desk not as early as I wanted but still with plenty of time, ... but fate wasn't done yet, .... we then had to queue for security, just as you've turned a corner thinking this will be close to the end of the queue you find another mile of people waiting in front of us.

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By now there was less than an hour before the flight and I had to point out to the security staff that our flight was due to take off very soon, with that me and @slobberchops were pulled out of the queue to quickly go through the security checks, ... only to find now that my bag was pulled to one side for them to riffle through, ... maybe the Aliens finding that they were losing the battle decided to teleport a ray gun into my bag ?.....

We were in real fear of missing the flight now with 30 mins to go we should have been on the plane rather than waiting for someone to start rifling through my bag, ... in fairness to myself and to the chaps in security is seems like they are having some issues with the volume of people as all around me other people were also fretting about being late for the flight(s).

panting and sweating like a rapist when we arrived at the gate..... we made it!I finally got my hand luggage checked and it seems the Aliens had not teleported a ray gun into my bag, (that would have been too obvious) .... instead a 50ml half-used jar of hair gel was found, ... which had made it so that my bag needed checking... after a quick tut-tut by the security, .... myself and @slobberchops ran like a pair of fugitives through duty free all the way to the departure gate..... I was

Aliens 0 , Goblinknackers 1

another win (but only just).

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bye bye rainy manchester

hello Freezing Helsinki

Lunch in Helsinki .... or is it Dinner? , ... what time is it. :-|

Duty-free in Helsinki - choices, choices :-)

another 9-hour journey, helped by a little pill and we landed in Bangkok, .... checked in, small knap and then went for food in via ex formula one driver in a Tuk-tuk.

this is the view from my hotel room, ... will be meeting the other steemians soon as there is a get together in a few hours.

post soon - Goblin