Not Everything Will Go As Intended

As I was getting off of the plane in Phoenix, my phone informed me that my next flight was canceled. Sure enough, US Airways had cancelled at least 3 flights that day. How I was going to get to Palm Springs was going to be quite a pickle. Quite a pickle indeed!

First a frazzled attendant got me a later ticket to LA and then told me I should go to customer service and get a flight from there to Palm Springs. But this new attendant questioned why they would do that when a flight to Ontario, CA was so much closer. I told him that I would just drive from there, being that it was only about an hour. My bags would meet me in Ontario, he affirmed.

So, I waited a few more hours and then fly time! Taxiing down the runway, the captain comes on the intercom and tells us that the noise we here in the nose is not normal and he was going to turn around and have the mechanics look at it. At this point I had to laugh aloud. That seemed about right.

Fortunately, they did appear to fix it and we were off.

In Ontario, the bags, unfortunately, did not come with me. They had gone to LAX instead. With a tired resignation, I filled out the paperwork and would have the bags brought where I was staying. Luckily, there was no property shoot the next day. But I did worry over the equipment, knowing it would have to endure more jostling and abuse.

I kept sullen and sad, preventing myself from venting on the customer service folk. Frustrating disappointment ad nauseum. Reason tells you that it is not their fault, but emotions make you want to bite something. I left the office to the angry military folk, that had operations the next day and needed their gear.

Allowing myself only 3 quick “F-inheimers” as I left the airport doors, that, I told myself, was all the venting I would allow. Next, to my rental can that I rescheduled earlier.

The last 20 minutes was true desert dark as I neared Palm Springs. Quite intimate.

Palm Springs was dimly lit. Whether it was for conservation or light pollution reasons, I appreciated the lack of audacity and found my place of rest.

I was in luck the next day. My bags came in the morning instead of the predicted late afternoon. On my checking out of the hotel, I was greeted by a beautiful golden retriever. I think they got the most beautiful heart of any dog. Seeing each other, she pranced over, I knelt and spoke with her. She, bringing up her left paw to rest on my arm, to the owner's dismay but my delight.

Needing a breakfast, I was pointed in the direction of the restaurant/deli ‘Manhattan in the Desert.” Having a very upper east coast feel, with its Jewish and gay clientele, the people were forward and friendly! Feeling it apropos, I ordered poached eggs, ham steak and tomatoes with a toasted bagel. I put a tomato slice on a bagel half, a piece of ham steak and the oozing poached egg atop that. My gosh it was good! I spoke for a while with the fry cooks and waitresses, who were enthusiastic and helpful.

Before my drive up to Big Bear Lake, I wanted to take in one Palm Springs attraction. This would be the Arial Tramway. Rising 10,000 feet, this was the largest rotating Tramway in the world. You stood in place while the floor spun beneath you. In this way, no occupant felt cheated in the least. You got a panoramic view of the steep climb to the top. Riding up with the large group of Taiwanese students, screeching with excitement when your stomach was tickled by the small drop when we passed a tower, I felt the drop in air temperature.

At the top you are dumped into the museum station which exits into the valley below. You descend a switchbacking path and find yourself in a beautiful surrounding. Great big Jeffrey Pine trees, whose bark smells of butterscotch, rise up from the creek bed. Steller’s Jays, looking like burly, dark bluer versions of their brother Blue Jay, hop, fly and screech about. I helped an overly curious woman up from the crouched position she was sitting in. Drawn to the gold speckles of the stream, she had knelt down to investigate. After helping her on her way, I did the same thing. Running my fingers through the golden speckles in the sand, the feeling was a special one. “They must be pyrite and not gold,” I thought, but did not know.

I smelled the Jeffrey Pine trees and yes, they really smell like butterscotch. Of course they don’t taste like them but I had to investigate nonetheless.

There were warn paths you could take through the woods, which were open and allowed both sun and wind through and all felt quite merry. Climbing some rocks I looked at the desert below. You would see the expansive fields of wind mills, irrigation and further to your right, the city. All felt clean and fresh up above. Below looked like the dry tan desert it was. Amazing we live down in something like that.

The drive to Big Bear Lake was one of the more swervy of mountain routes. Curvy, curvy, twisty, twisty, brake here, gas here and climb, climb, climb. The sun was bright and traffic was steady by not aggressive. It didn’t have the oppressive tendencies of Beartooth pass but it presented demands upon your alertness and kept you on your toes.

Once you drop back down into about 7,500 feet you come into Big Bear Lake. Grown around this has developed a mountain town. Having many resorts and even fast food joints, they were nonetheless tucked into the surroundings and allowed the town to preserve a mountain feel.

The property manager had forgotten that we had a shoot the next day and said she was unprepared. We would have to shoot another time but she would provide me lodging for the night. After the drive, the flights and the rushed scheduling that was thrown in my lap these last weeks, nerves frayed a bit. I said we would work things about in the future, ended our conversation with a good note and took the key. On the way to my car, I almost stepped on a poor squirrel that must have met his demise very recently. He was sprawled out spread eagle and tummy down right near a giant truck tire. I looked at the poor guy. “That seems about right,” I sighed.

I inadvertently locked my key in the house. Oops! Dumb me! Not having another, I felt foolish, but called the property manager. She did not have another, she informed me, but would try to contact her repairman. “If he doesn’t have one, I don’t know what I’ll do,” she remarked, but didn’t seem to upset. Yes, this was inconvenient. But a solution will always present itself. I waited and continued to prod around the house for any possible access. All the windows and doors were locked. I walked around, trying not to get dismayed and instead, look at this as I try to look at any of these frustrations. Whether it’s cancelled flights, bags in LA – these things will pass. In the meantime, how can I utilize this time? They’ll be enough to be distraught about!

I found the small bathroom window was hinged open. It was one of those small ones with a crank that opens to a max of about 8 inches. After examination I found I could pop the arm off from the window. Then, was the screen which had 3 internal latches. I scavenged for some stiff wire, which I found. Poking through the screen and causing minimal gapage, I popped the 3 latches and then screen. Needing a way to get up, I drove the car to its base and shoes off, pulled myself into the small square hole. Now was the contortionist part – seated on the ledge, I had to bring my leg through and straddle, so I could reach the bathtub below, without slipping and falling.

So, I got in and that was that. But I got one heckuva sliver in my toe!

I’m looking forward to get back down to Palm Springs. There is more to explore and the desert is pretty damn neat! It will also be nice to shed some of these little frustrating episodes. Looking out at the lake and flittering bats is enough to make the day and well. And in the morning is the same lake, with the warming sun and smell of pine an d butterscotch. Time to drop down to the 100 degree desert below. Fantastic!