Honeymoon - Before Departure

Like my 2009 stories of meeting Wendy and getting married, my 2010 adventures continue to be memorable, before it even starts ...

FYI: My scheduled flight WAS Apr 21 5 pm (yes, yesterday)

Waiting on VISA and passport
Applied Apr 1, picked up Apr 21 1 pm despite a 2-week wait (while it's 2~3 days wait in Taiwan or Washington D.C. from my research)

Waiting for the cleaning kit to clean my D40 sensor dust ($50 CAD)
Dropped off at Nikon Canada in Mississauga Apr 19, picked up Apr 21 2 pm despite a "super rush 48 hours" effort

Waiting for the Volcano ashes to clear so my flight can fly
Waited all day yesterday hoping for on-time departure, nope.

• Original flight = Apr 21 5 pm, arrives London Gatwick Apr 22 5 am
• New flight = Apr 22 10 pm, arrives London Gatwick Apr 23 10 am

I am not in approval of this "let's delay everyone by a day so we can fly stranded people out" because this way EVERYONE got delayed. The proper way, like what other airlines do, is to fly scheduled flights and waitlist stranded passengers if seats are available.

Sad thing is, all the Air Canada or British Airways flights leaving for London last night all departed on schedule (so there is the disadvantage of booking with a charter airline)


Losses so far
- 1 day of hotel accommodation in London, $80 CAD
- 1 day of London, $?

Too much waiting, and last-minute excitements hours before my original flight
On the bright side, my losses are minimum compared to many stranded passengers.

City of Waterloo Overnight Parking sucks

I was charged $35 parking ticket (it was "only" $30 in 2009, that's some 17% INFLATION or CASH-GRAB) because I forgot to "request to allow me to park on my the area between my garage door and the street" [which is city property for strange reasons.] by 1:30 am

http://www.city.waterloo.on.ca/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=436

In a year with 365 days, you are "granted" 18 single overnight "passes" to park on the streets, except when snow events are declared. That is 5% of the 365 days, and quite a pity.

I think 30 exemptions is more fair, especially when 1 exemption = 1 vehicle, 1 night. 2 vecicles for 1 night = 2 exemptions.

Seems like my neighbour has got enough tickets, so he tore down the fences, covered half of the backyard with stones to make a larger parking lot for 3 cars ......... I don't even know if it's legal??

I thought Mississauga allowed Overnight parking, but that seemed to have changed as well (according to RFD threads). It makes sense, because every other detached house in Mississauga has 4+ cars ^_^