Kolek planning to go pro
I talked to an ump who will spend all 13 weeks there and is currently working on a streak of 100 straight weeks. Talk about not having a life. I saw mostly good baseball. However, the big kids who can launch are in a category by themselves. 300' homers on 200' fences. I never met a jerk on the sidewalks between games. Yes, during games, some of the participants, coaches, fans get intense. But in the down time, I came in contact with only one person who really ticked me off, and that was a mom with a two pack a day voice berating the service staff for the amount of chips in her nachos and the lack of lids for her soft drink. The coaches had great talks about the 12 year old thought process and hygiene practices and lack thereof. It is apparently universal. And good for you for working one. I am glad you enjoyed it. (For the most part)I had a team that was there mostly for the experience. 1-6, but only one blowout. An extra inning loss, 2 one run losses, 2 two run losses, and a 9-2 loss in the elimination round that was 3-2 in the 4th. One sloppy inning later and pfffft. Our hitters didn't hit enough for the week. But it was a hoot.
I've been on the road way too much this last month, and one thing I've noticed now more than in the past is how many airports have major construction projects going on. My home base of ORD has the never ending runway project and the upcoming Terminal 2 re-design. LGA is going through it's major rehaul, I was at Sky Harbor last week and saw the rental car tram finally under construction. In Nashville now and they're under major construction as well. It'll be interesting to see these changes come mid 2020's, US airports lag far behind their Asian/European counterparts.
It'll be interesting to see these changes come mid 2020's, US airports lag far behind their Asian/European counterparts.
SFO is in the midst of a redesign. Just partially opened a new Terminal 1 for ValuJet and SWA.
Closer to home. Does this really get legs?https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2019/08/06/midwest-express-airline-takes-next-step-toward-flying-again/1931377001/
Was just flying in and out of LGA a few weeks ago and got see the completed 1st phase for Terminal B (United). Good Lord it's miracle. It wasn't a terrible experience like the past - in fact, it was fairly enjoyable. The new way they do RideShare works well - similar to the Seattle method of going to a specifically marked zone (and they have multiple) in the parking garage. As for flying out, they still haven't finished the reno for security so that still is crap for PreCheck. Once thu security the terminal is open, airy, lots of plugs, way better layout and finally has decent options for food. No Auntie Anne's pretzel dogs for dinner when your flight is delayed. Have a Shake Shack in the terminal it's great. Bathrooms are actually able to handle people and luggage too.
I'm getting old, I forgot how miserable the car rental shuttle experience is at LAX, especially if you fly United and you're last to get on, and last to get off going back to the airport.
We went to LGA recently from ORD on Delta. Delayed over 2 hours before we took off. On the flight home, we were delayed 4 hours before we got on the plane (they claimed it was because a flight attendant didn’t show), then after we boarded, we sat on the tarmac for 3.5 hours. Like the recent stories, little to no communication about what was going on and when we’d leave, finally got a tiny bottle of water and peanuts about 2.5 hours after being on the tarmac and at one point, the pilot came on to say we were about to pull away when the ground crew just left for some unknown reason. It doesn’t surprise me to read about the recent delays involving Delta. By far, they have to be the worst airline around.
Wow, I'm very concerned for Benny. Being able to mimic Myron Medcalf's writing so closely implies an oncoming case of dementia.
Sorry gang, I still think LGA is a hellhole to be avoided at all costs.New York has a funny way of making good ideas bad. They can make a nice airport but an adequacy of seating on the new United/American concourse is still lacking. And, they'll never fix the air side or air space problem at LGA unless the Port Authority is able to demolish nearby homes and build another runway.I tend to use EWR, taking a train from Midtown Manhattan. EWR is a dump in its own right but it is better run and better organized than LGA. By a long-shot.
I don't disagree that LGA is a mess. I still think all construction and renovation needs to be completed before a full assessment is made. They improved the B gates tremendously. The rideshare set up for Terminal B is excellent. It went from a dated logistical mess overall to a mid tier airport in terms of overall experience. The delay issues are always going to be a problem, that wont change, I agree there.I object to EWR being a dump. Depends what you fly I guess. Terminal C is excellent. Its bright, its airy, its open. Makes LGA seem claustrophobic. They are sorting out the security a bit still, but I have no issues. Very simple and easy to get a car or taxi after.
I object to EWR being a dump. Depends what you fly I guess. Terminal C is excellent.
Terminal C? United?Are we talking Newark, NJ or Newark, DE?The United Club is C is a joke. Horribly bad. Overcrowded. Impossible do any work. The Polaris Lounge is a poor excuse for a United Club, much less the premium amenity United promises. My wife went in the Polaris lounge on her way to Greece and almost screamed. It was crowded, dirty and had used dishes laying around everywhere. Any chance for a proper dinner went out the window.The terminal itself is a food mall with airport crammed around the edges. I'll agree that around C130, its nice. Dump is generally descriptive for the rest of it. And, the old United "A" concourse, where all the Distress flights depart, is downright nasty.
People call NY a world class city, but it really isn't. They haven't figured out a way to collect garbage other than dumping it on the sidewalks, leaving a feast for rats and roaches. Airports are dismal at best. Traffic is horrific.
The Polaris Lounge is a poor excuse for a United Club? GTFO. Maybe your wife had a bad experience, but its a large step up from the normal United Clubs. Your first mistake is expecting a "proper dinner" in an airline lounge. Try to swing a meal at Classified if you want that at EWR. Sorry the US doesn't do bourgeois "First Class" lounges with 15 people in them. Of course the airport is focused around dining and retail, what else should it be? A nice cinema and a spa down the middle of the concourse?
1) In Chicago, we did have a "proper meal" when my son and I went to Paris. It was incredibly pleasant, calming and frankly, what I expected from United. Newark was a dump, pure and simple. United just changed the United Club's name on the door, as best we can tell.2) Actually, until recently most US carriers did a first class lounge. At Heathrow, United had one of the best airline experiences in its first class lounge I've ever had. It was quiet. Service was attentive and unbelievable. Likewise, the first class lounge at O'Hare and Houston was really great when it existed. The only time it went bad was when United was building Polaris in Chicago and they opened a bus station for a first class lounge. Quite simply, bean counting met luxury head on and customer service lost.3) How about an airport. How about having enough seats for people to sit. How about having a concourse where we don't have to dodge diners to get to a gate. Is that too much to ask? Probably!The airports I like, in no particular order, are Seattle, Orlando McCoy, Houtson InterCo and even O'Hare.Places I hate are Washington Dulles, Newark, LaGuardia, LAX and Atlanta. DTW is good is you are not flying Delta. Awful if you are! Ditto for MSP.
I agree that MSY and KCI are terrible. I always thought the variation in mid market airports throughout the US varied wildly. MSY is just bleak, for such a vibrant city, it isn’t the most welcoming place. PDX, DSM, CLT, CMH all seem to do a good job of cleanliness, well laid out, feels like you’re “in” that city, ample space and food options spread out to not be clustered.Of major cities, ORD actually does a decent job, I don’t understand people that hate on it. The people mover fiasco though...