I did promise a brief dispatch from Terminal 5 at Heathrow airport so here it is, composed whist drinking a Pret latte complimented by one of their delicious, fresh baked shortbread biscuits. What with Ibis Styles, UPS and Pret, anyone would think that I am monetising my Blog and getting paid for product placement! Oh and Terminal 5 remains amazing and British Airways my favourite airline. Move on Alistair.
The good news is that I am drinking my coffee airside which means I am almost certain to get on the flight. Another hurdle jumped in fine style.
One thing I need to do before writing further is to acknowledge my new American family and to say please don't take it personally regarding my wanting to bring your nation to its knees. I meant it only in a golfing context but I am sure you are aware of the longstanding and highly competitive sentiment that exists between our two nations. We both hate to lose and I think that's very healthy. Anyway, I'll still love you even if we get tousled!
So assuming I get to Chicago O'Hare airport, I have to pick up my rental car for the five hour drive up to the twin cities of Minneapolis and St Paul. This is really where the adventure starts because I will be missing my wingman or should that be woman, in the form of Linda. She has been a consistently brilliant navigator over the years although when she says turn left or turn right, I always do the opposite! It works.
The advent of Sat Nav has been great in some ways but that extra pair of eyes sitting alongside you can't be replicated by a little computer attached to your windscreen. I just hope I don't end up in Mississippi!
Having used Airbnb (more product placement!) in Seattle for the first time recently, I turned to it again when I saw the hotel prices in Minneapolis for the weekend! I think you might call them obscene particularly when you check what they revert to, come next Monday night. It's a little like the airlines here and the inflation of prices during school holidays. Some would call it business but for me the prices meant sleeping in the car or not going, the latter being favourite.
That's where my luck continued and I came across Jim and his wife who live close to all the action. Jim is a keen golfer but what's more, he is marshalling on Saturday and Sunday at the event! A kindred spirit and he has been fantastic on the communication side to the extent that I already feel like he is a friend.
So an eight hour plane journey beckons which for me requires flight socks, lots of walking around and H2O aplenty, all because of my recent shoulder surgery. There had been a doubt about permission to fly but Consultants and Doctors agreed that I was good to go in light of my incredible physical condition! Oh and the fact that it was a keyhole job only with light anaesthetic.
Enough said. No photos of T5, BA planes or my latte and biscuit but a couple with my other golfing heros.
The next post should be from the dark side!
Martin Kaymer Says Hello
Chris Wood. And I Think I'm Tall!
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