A Day in the life of Mr!

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18 Sep 2008.
My day begins at 0600. I awake in my caravan park accommodation in southern WA. There's nothing else available to stay in and it’s cold. The oil column heater is barely making a dent in the low temperature. This is my 3rd morning waking up to this misery…
I boil the kettle and make a coffee from UHT milk and a coffee past its use by date – a big difference from the cappuccino I can steam out at home; at least it’s hot though.
Telstra has excelled here and I have a strong 3G connection which allows me to keep up with my email. Coffee finished I hit the shower for a good 15 minutes and emerge back into the cold looking like the world’s largest pink prune.
I am not looking forward to heading outside, as mentioned its cold but worse, it’s wet. On the way to the job site, stopped at a roadhouse for a good healthy breakfast of B & E sanga's and machine made brown stuff ( they called it coffee ) and we headed into the bush. The weather was not improving, so after 3 hours of inclement weather (horizontal rain), I pulled the pin on the job and we vacated site back to the Taj Mahal at the caravan park.
Checking BOM.gov.au and not seeing any improvement, I decided that the East Coast was beckoning and the 4x4 was loaded up and pointed in the direction of Perth with Mr! behind the wheel... I called my PA and got her booking flights.
After about 300km I swapped driving duty with one of my supervisors and I cracked a cold crownie which just happened to be waiting for me on the back seat... We arrived at Perth international where we dropped our customers TA off for his evening flight back to Asia. It was now 1730. I decided against a beer at the nearest pub and got dropped at the domestic terminal for my redeye across to Sydney.
Knowing I was very early, I meandered my way around the airport for a while then headed up to the QC where I grabbed a shower followed by a crown and a quick snack. My intention at that point was to head downstairs for a more substantial meal a little later on – after the peak traffic was over.
I was immersed in a spreadsheet when my phone went with a prefix of 03. QF premium called me to inform that the PER/SYD 1215am was delayed for 2 or more hours due to a delay in SIN. With some frustrated grunts I managed to ask them if there was another option as I had arrangements in Sydney that could not be changed. After some time, the QF rep cam back offering a re-route through MEL. Great! At least I will make my meetings on time. The next catch was I had 2 bags already checked in, no prob’s Mr!, we’ll find them, retag them and they will arrive with you.
I was about to ask him who he thought he was kidding then he added “and I’ll get the lounge dragon to page you with the new luggage receipts…” wow I thought… Flying J and being WP really does help at times, I wonder if I would have got the same level of service on Y fares – you know, I think I would have….
I wandered down the stairs to the food court area below the QC and took the escalator straight back up, the airport was bulging at the seams – food would have to wait. I grabbed a drink and went back down to the window bench near the server and read all the latest posts on AFF.
“Mr! would you please check with the dragon at the front counter”… Cool, new boarding passes and luggage tag numbers – service plus, thanks Qantas!
After a couple more drinks, I found a lounge chair and read a mag then tried to get some sleep – I had left my headphones in my main luggage so no iPoddy to drown out the lounge noise 
Sleep – a novel idea….
 
QF648 - Flight called, I seated myself in row 2E (A330). J was about ¾ full and the cabin crew looked like they had just done Alpha Centauri / PER nonstop – possibly the grumpiest looking CSM and assistants I have ever seen – no joke! Before takeoff, I jumped seats into 1A – oops, CSM caught me and after a stern talking to about loadings and where PAX are seated (250+ tonnes and I’m going to shift the load balance) I got sent back to my seat.
The weather caused the seatbelt signs to stay on for quite some time, so I was close to nodding off before the “DinG” and I quickly moved seats again to Row 1. As a point, this was done due to me wanting to fully recline, there was no-one in 2A, but row 3 was full. J or not, there’s not that much room for someone to stand so the nearly always grab the seat in front – guaranteed wakeup call if you are asleep. I try and consider my fellow PAX all the time – I also don’t fart – the person in the centre seats in Row 1 was farting – curse you you heathen! 
A hot meal was offered which I declined, I grabbed a couple of bottles of water and tried to sleep with not much success. I find it difficult to sleep without iPoddy so the 2:50hr flight was mainly tossing and turning trying to get comfortable…
Does anyone know if you can get a PER / MEL on an international flight with skybeds?
We landed into Melbourne on time and I had to check myself not to go down and look for my luggage! I headed up to the QC-B lounge and got a shower pack. I looked at myself in the mirror – I looked as bad as I felt… I shaved, showered and shampooed, I must admit, I did feel a little better and looked a lot better.
A fresh cappuccino, a banana and a couple of pan-cakes and my flight was being called.
 
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QF400 - I wandered down to gate 12 for boarding and had 1B to myself – a surprise being the first SYD flight from MEL and J was mainly empty.
The CSM recognized me from a flight from last week and after the seatbelt lights were out, came and chatted with me for a while – weather was going to cause delays all day and the flight and cabin crew were not looking forward to their day…
Breakfast was again served – I had just the toast and jam with coffee. Before too long, the descent into Sydney and a smooth landing and Taxi at the far gate – can’t remember the number…
My driver was waiting at the luggage carousel and we were quickly out of the airport and off to my meetings. Before the first meeting, I ducked into the men’s and freshened up, this involved new shoes, socks, pants, business shirt, tie and most importantly, ARAMIS deodorant .
All day in meetings with just a quick lunch break – I was feeling it.
 
QF459 - Driver picked me up at 1630 and took me back to the airport. I was given 3F and wasn’t too unhappy with the positioning (767). Up to the QC-B lounge for a snack and a couple of beers and a chat with a mate of mine who had just attained WP status and was eagerly planning his travel for a tour of the QC-B lounges on the east coast. The lounge was quite full – as to be expected for a Friday night but there was no shortage of hot food and cold beer. The one thing I don’t miss from the QC is the marauding packs of hot food hyenas seen in every QC across the country on a daily basis (you know, the ones who hover in the eve’s then pounce at the first sign of hot food ensuring there’s little or nothing left for everyone else…). Sir David Attenborough could make a doco on this lot and win an award…
A slightly delayed flight – about 60 minutes, and we were soaring through the sky in a 20 year old rattling, vibrating and noisy 767… I had a couple of chardy’s in lieu of dinner and started writing this trip report on my PDA. I have to admit, I was warn out, tired and starting to get a little grumpy as well (with the travel).
We landed towards the city after being held in a pattern by the ATC and alighted the aircraft late and my mood wasn’t improving. My driver was waiting for me at the bottom of the escalator and took my laptop wheelie bag and gave me a footy score update. My luggage was off the aircraft in no time flat, 20 min’s (that’s good it seems for MEL on a Friday night) and we headed across to the hire car rank for the drive home. A quick sprint through the drive in bottle store saw a 6 pack in my care and at last the car was on the freeway on the way home – pity the bulldogs didn’t win…
I need to change the title to “A very long day in the life of Mr!”
Happy landings

Mr!
 
Sure is a glamorous lifestyle you lead there mrP!

Not one of my better weeks I admit simongr... mind you, they pay me a lot, give me a shiny V8 as a company car and treat me well, guess I gotta take the good with the bad :)


Mr!
 
Interesting trip report.

Good to see that QF looks after you with all the travel you do and I hope you continue to enjoy your travel....
 
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Not one of my better weeks I admit simongr... mind you, they pay me a lot, give me a shiny V8 as a company car and treat me well, guess I gotta take the good with the bad :)


Mr!

And this is the reality of why we do it hey? The question is why do we love it when we aren't home long enough to actually enjoy it!
 
Soory MrP, can you give a clue as to your line of work. Understand generic as i suspect you wont want to mention company name eg. Site manager for a telco company etc.
 
Electrical Engingeer docjames - I am a national manager for a very large electro-mechanical company

Mr!
 
Hi there

Great trip report, really enjoyable read.

Cheers
DJ737

BTW I assume spelling is not one of an Electrical Engineer's stong points. :mrgreen:
Electrical Engingeer
 
BTW I assume spelling is not one of an Electrical Engineer's stong points. :mrgreen:

As far as I'm concerned, anyone who passes a Statics exam is excused from precise spelling!
 
My first trip back into Trip Reports in absolute ages due to a quiet night on the board.

Ah yes, EE's. My brother was one with Telecom, before seeing the light.

The joys of Platinum are sometimes few and far between - but the staff in the Platinm Desk out at Camberwell were a delight. Great to see they sorted everything and your luggage arrived.

Now to check out your previous thread.
 
My first trip back into Trip Reports in absolute ages due to a quiet night on the board.

Ah yes, EE's. My brother was one with Telecom, before seeing the light.

The joys of Platinum are sometimes few and far between - but the staff in the Platinm Desk out at Camberwell were a delight. Great to see they sorted everything and your luggage arrived.

Now to check out your previous thread.

If you can tear yourself away from the ubitous (sp) Amex thread its well worth the investment in time...
 
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