... and when the dog is sick?

... So we headed out to get some breakfast. It looked like the roads weren't going to open anytime soon and if I couldn't get hold of the Greyhound station on the phone to check the road conditions and I didn't want to keep having to return to the station just to be told that buses weren't running. On the way we decided to look into flights and with a little help from my friends I managed to get a flight out to Denver that afternoon. So it was a quick move away from the dregs at the dogtrack and up scale to the airport. This is when it paid off making sure I had my bags with me at all times and also making the decision to catch up with friends and not just plow on ahead to Vegas. All of a sudden things were looking a lot better and life was much more pleasant. Apart from the fact that I missed my flight because there was a massive line at checkin, it was all good. I was going to fly on stand by an hour or so later and get out to Denver that night, Saturday (I had started travelling Thursday evening and was originally supposed to get into Breckenridge Saturday midday-ish). The only problem now was that I had called up my hostel and said I was delayed and moved my reservation. So I no longer had a place to stay Saturday night. Oh well, at least my big bags were checked in so I didn't have to deal with them any more and I was hanging out at LAX and not the Greyhound station.

I got out to Denver by 8:30pm, but my big backpack wasn't on my flight. It was waiting out in Salt Lake City since I missed my original flight and it went on a different plane to me, which was starnge since my board bag had made it out with me. Anyway, it was going to be delivered out to Denver in the morning. This worked since I didn't have a place to stay for the night so I may as well crash in the airport, wait for my bag to arrive in the morning, then head out to Breck. The airport was pretty quiet. I chilled in a bar. I'm not sure if the bar tender was just stupid or it was his first day on the job or what because he was useless. Anyway, I started getting tired and decided to look for a place to bed down. It was the typical airport with all the seats having arm rests so you couldn't stretch out and sleep on them. So another night of shitty no sleep, the third in a row, bedding down on the floor of the airport. After waking up I decided to have a proper walk around the airport, and guess what I found? Couches without arm rests, the perfect kind for crashing on. That pissed me off, oh well what can you do.

So my bag arrived from Salt Lake City fine and I finally had all my stuff and I just had to get out to Breck. I had two choices, either bus into Denver to the Greyhound station then bus up to Frisco (my original destination) and then another bus out to Breck ... or an airport shuttle that would take me straight there. The plus side of the mulitbus route was that it would be cheap and I might be able to try and get some sort of refund for my unused Greyhound tickets at the Denver station, but the obvious draw back that I'd be riding the dog again. The airport shuttle would be quick and easy but cost more money. The choice was simple, I had learned the first time, fuck the dogs, hit the shuttle. So I pulled out the plastic and charged it up and hopped on the shuttle out to Breck. I was in town by noon, checked into my hostel and ready to rock and roll.

I've just had a quick wander around town and checked it out. I've got my first day of work tomorrow (mainly orientation and paper work type stuff I think). The only problem on the horizon now is my accomodation. I still need to find a more permanent place to stay. Its worse than just not having a permanent place to stay, my hostel is fully booked next Saturday, and that doesn't include me, the fun and games continue.

So what did I learn? Greyhound sucks, well actually I don't think I'm completely put off riding the dog. I think its fine if you want to save money and know what you're getting into. I just ran into problems with the weather, so maybe its only for fare weather trips. Apart from the delays, I was expecting the actual experience on the bus and in the station to be much worse than it was, it really wasn't that bad. Also, always keep your bags with you and try not to let them get out of your eyesight. And finally, always take the time to catch up with friends and keep in touch. Goods friends are something for which you can never find a substitute.