Keith Manheim’s Blog

At the Arctic Circle, again!

I have to say this was one of the most hectic travels ever, there where so many problems, worries and strange things that happened to me on the way to my native tribe. It all started out fine, until I reached London’s Heathrow airport, one of the most busy in the world, and most certainly the most crooked in the way of navigation :)

I went to the hectic security lines, queued for hours, just to find out that I had to return to Terminal 3 (I had then made my way to Terminal 1) and was told my bags had not been checked all the way to my final destinations so I’d need to pick them up MYSELF and drag them over to Terminal 1 BY MYSELF and re-check them in. I was not going to do that, I refused and so I went on a venture to find my dogs instead, and found them I did in the wonderful facility by to Corporation of London Animal Quarantine Centre. It took some time to get there, I had to take a train from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4 and then take a bus number 555 to the center. It took time and some innovative thinking but I made it to see my dogs happy and healthy. At least by then I had one worry of my back and could start to think what to do regarding my bags that where on a baggage belt somewhere in Terminal 3, waiting to be pick-pocketed! :(

To make a long story short, it involved a taxi, a few walks between terminals and yelling at airline staff to get them to re-tag my bags for my final destination. I am good at yelling, and it comes especially handy when you arrived on First class the airline staff are ready to do almost anything for you. Poor economy travelers :)

Well thats it for now, I’m safe and sound, working my ass off and we just opened the new version of our review site Cockanova.com and we are very happy with the results. Some tweaks to be performed on Monday when the programmers come back to work! Happy Loy Kratong!

From the Tropics to the Arctic Circle

Yet another year is approaching its end and as every year I get the primeval urge to return home to my tribe.  I’m leaving the tropics and heading north, opposite to what the birds do; at least they have the common sense to head south when it gets chilly, but oh no, that’s not me. :)

My native tribe eagerly awaits my return, especially since I’m bringing with me the best Christmas present of all; my two beautiful puppies that finally return to the climate they where designed by nature to live in.  I really think I was born a Tropical guy, because I can’t stand the cold, nor the snow, nor the ice rain… brrrrr… it gives me chills just thinking about it. 

I worry a bit about the puppies, although they are 7 and 8 months old now, traveling such a long distance for over 24 hours is hard on any animal, including myself… at least I have the luxury of business class seat and access to lounges with food, but they, poor things have to stay in the cargo part of the plane with nothing to eat and just a small water bottle to drink from.  I just hope they live to see another day once they arrive home.  After I check them in tonight, I will not see them until December 21st at the earliest because they go right into an isolation center where they will be monitored and tested before being released into to us the natives.  I’ll keep you all posted. Adios!