4E

8B

Earlier flight. 

All my meetings have gone topsy turvy. 

Jelly bean. 

9A

Improbably arrived on time for the 6pm. 

Have lurgy. App keeps crashing. 

Over and out. 

4D

Here we go again. Full as. 

Hoping my pic won't get crushed in the overhead locker. 

Not going to work for a drink when we land. Going home. 

Coffee team at koru fixed me up with a fast flat white so no complaints there. Just the ticket. 

Plane full of Thames valley rugby dudes, plus assorted rugby hangers on folk. 

Must remember pic at other end. 

It's warmer here than Kerikeri and I'm one big sweatbox right now. 

Lockers shut. Must be all on apart from an odd waif or stray. 

Yup. There she is. And two more.  Even if they're not done, I am. 

Over and out.  

4B

Time to head home from the far north. Plane was late to Kerikeri and now we're finally boarding. 

As ever the person next to me acts like I've sat in the aisle seat purely to annoy them, while the next person in the queue doesn't want to make room for me to sit back down. 

Also there's a smell. Maybe mild and distant echo of vomit. I dunno. Now some guy is digging his arse into my arm for no reason I can fathom. 

I do hope I make the 3pm as my patience for being away is wearing thin. 

Oh. And some horrific Tory with enormous bottle black hair who was local body campaigning in the terminal and is now reading all about Kate and William. 

5B

Neighbour. Idiots behind me. People cutting lines. Full plane. Plane delayed. Over it. 

Meanwhile courier drives to my house and declines to put the tiny parcel into the letter box. 

Full snark. 

1B

Front row. Jelly bean. It's kind of a pain as all the hand luggage has to be stowed. 

Anyway, this is flight one of two. I'm off to keri keri and it's way more peaceful here than flapping round the office. 

Full of hope that 48 hours in the far north - bargaining aside - will be therapeutic. 

It's amazing how many people travel mid afternoon. They just keep piling onto the plane. 

Discovered that gate 16 is right by a gym so had a quick battle and took it over before takeoff. 

3E

Better row, worse seat. 

I am the jellybean. 

ENDS. 

6C

Ian's in row two. I'm back in six and I have a neighbour. Sigh. 

Nice weather though and signs are good for a prompt takeoff. 

Trying not to think about having to pack when I get home. 

4C

First time I didn't go beep at the security in an age. It's because I've taken off my Xmas bangles and replaced them with the mighty purple cord from Beth. 

So, bonus. 

Row 4 is sadly fully occupied but the upside is that I can earwig. They seem to be reviewing research proposals of some kind, prior to interviews (I think). 

Alternatively they are reviewing draft guidelines for research proposals and we're not quite as far along as my initial thought. 

Door closing. Off we go. 

Mighty purple cord

Footnote: pilot announcement - we expect our arrival at 38 minutes past seven. Clearly a child of the digital age. 

15B

I am cheating because I'm not on the plane yet - but I'm in Hamilton which is unusual so qualifies for a snark.

The new Koru lounge is soooo much better than the old one, plus the lounge host just brought me another glass of wine - so no complaints here - even if my earlier flight is now delayed so it's less early but still so far better than the 4.35. 

Also there is a wanker - self-proclaimed pale male, but not stale pale male, though I beg to differ - talking loudly and endlessly to various people - about landing in the space - and the leadership training - and the development point of view - and visible touch points.  

Dear god how we all hate him.

So much.

But the broccoli and cheese deep fried snacks and the ginger slice and the wine are deadening the pain.

Yay Friday. Let's go home.

13C

Hamilton. 

Plane is already wobbling and we're still parked. Good grief. 

And now I have a neighbour, to boot. 

Doh!

 

9D

I love the Auckland domestic koru lounge staff. It's as if they are there just to make my life better. 

No snarks given this day. 

One other thing... I teamed up with Anne Tolley to get a fellow passenger to stop using her phone (an actual phone call) as we taxied down the runway. 

Actual miracle. 

Obviously the wayward passenger corrected her behaviour following this joint intervention. 

Then we made friends as the plane attempted to land in Wellington. Twice. 

POST ENDS

2C

Henry turned up about two minutes before it was time to board the plane.  Even so he managed to scarf down some eggs, sausage, and a personally delivered cup of coffee.  Once he decided to board he stopped to issue some cheerful abuse on his way past me to the cheap seats further down the plane, causing my irritating neighbour to look up askance.

The value of flying gentlemen's [sic] hours is supposed to be an empty plane.  But my row filled up immediately, with a 'lady' who took a full five minutes to sort her self out.  Her puffy coat occupied most of my seat for a goodly period of time, while I stood sulking and texting.  

So mature.

Now she's doing the woman's weekly crossword and I'm thinking she probably likes john key.  Harrumph.

Ooh - and I forgot to mention that one of the cabin crew is 12 years old - swear to god they stole him from a school somewhere.  I never thought AirNZ would do the child labour thing, but now you know.