The Big Easy Wrap Up - Just Like Canned Roux
But it's a perfect analogy of the week we just spend in our old town. My family is from New Orleans and Jim lived there for some years before we met. But how things have changed, and not all for the better, just like the sacrilegious idea of buying canned gumbo base.
I've already mentioned how weird the hotel is. At first I put it off to the fact that it hasn't been long open during the pandemic. Later I learned the entire chain has been sold to another lesser nice chain. Why? Likely Covid. The nicer luxury chain is owned by a company that also does these huge honking timeshares, got squeezed for cash the minute the pandemic hit and had to sell the hotel chain. Now this formerly lovely and lux place is merely average. I kept having to beg housekeeping, which only spoke Spanish, for towels and coffee packets daily. Bar soap also seemed to be a short commodity. Thankfully my Spanish has progressed enough for towel and soap begging.
It still blows my mind because this is a formerly luxury brand. Glad I got to stay there for two days right before moving to Costa Rica. This was not that. I was, to quote Jill Rodrigues, severely disappointed.
Except for a shopping run on one afternoon, an afternoon spent walking around the French Quarter and a picnic lunch in the park outside with relatives who've had the Covid vaccine we stayed in the hotel room. Which was why I went with an upscale hotel brand. If you're going to be staying in the place needs to be beyond 'nice'.
I slept, read and crocheted a great deal. We were only there to reset our visas with Costa Rica. I believe we managed to do that safely, following all the hand washing, social distancing, masking, you name it guidelines, right down to the airline seating us in every other set. I believe I have come back unscathed and virus free. Time will tell.
The other thing that didn't go well was on our return I got to experience first hand Delta dropping the ball on my ADA accommodations. No wheelchair waiting for me in New Orleans, and the guy at the counter rolled his eyes and said it would be a long wait for one. I walked, crazily like a drunk to the gate. In Atlanta there was no wheelchair waiting either, even if I booked it that way. The steward shrugged and told me to walk to the transfer agent at the gate. More drunken pinballing walking bouncing off walls, etc, until the wheelchair showed up about half way to the gate.
I do fine here with my farked up walking. I cruise the house lightly touching furniture and countertops to balance. I do well shopping here, the act of holding the cart handles tends to help me keep balance. Walking across a huge airport is an entirely different animal. Nothing to touch or hold to for balance, and the cane can only do so much on a slippery polished floor. This is why the wheelchairs throughout on the trip were vital for me. Falling is no fun.
No, I don't know what's wrong with me. Could be MS, could be Pots, could be MCAS. Waiting to see a specialist in San Jose. Meanwhile I'm trying to live my life without balance and with the constant pain of pins and needles. It's a scary thing, but I'm on the medication regimen they give for MS/MCAS. It does not end the pain, but it does allow me to sleep at nights, which I was not at first. I have good days and bad days. Yesterday was a bad day, today was a good day, so good I mopped the entire house, balancing against the mop before spending two hours in the pool. There is no falling down in the pool. But there is sun burn and I'm slightly crispy right now and slightly pink.
The other way that Delta sucked so badly was over those pesky food allergies I have had forever now. As always I requested a peanut free flight. Only Delta is the lone carrier that still gives out peanuts. I wheeze and have asthma even if someone is just eating peanuts or peanut butter around me. It's a common allergy, and usually what happens is I request a peanut free flight and it happens. No one says a word, but no peanuts are served. No big deal. But not this time.
I slept the majority of the time in the air yesterday until I was awoken by a flight attendant that handed me a small snack, while telling me not to eat it because it contained peanuts. I had eaten this same granola bar on other flight that day, and coming to the States, and I'd read the label, no peanuts are in it. SOY is in it. Soy and peanuts are not the same thing. Plus I'd asked for a flight with no peanuts so she tries to give me a snack she claims has peanuts?!?! The lack of logic was breathtaking.
I griped about Delta needing to train their people better on how to handle ADA accommodations last night on my YouTube channel and since then I've been deluged with awful stories of Delta airlines screwing up again and again with the disabled. I think perhaps the time has come for us to band together and lodge a mass complaint with the airline. I don't want a discount, or free tickets, I want them to train their people better!
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