Extended Vacation

Today's tidbit courtesy of dummies.com:

TODAY'S eTIP(TM): To Overhead - Meaning, You're Screwed

Juneau's mist-shrouded airport, wedged between ocean and mountain, is tough to get into and can be a hair-raising place to land. That means that when you fly to Juneau, you can end up somewhere else, instead, maybe Anchorage or Seattle, or maybe even some little town that you've never heard of. You never know. Landing in places other than Juneau is such a common experience, that the locals have a special word for it: to overhead. Here's an example of how you may hear it used:

"Why did you miss the fishing trip?"

"I overheaded three times and ended up sleeping in
Ketchikan."

When your flight overheads, the airline puts you on the next plane back to Juneau. Even so, you may overhead again. Although people sometimes bounce back and forth like Ping-Pong balls, the airlines won't pay for hotel rooms or give you any refunds. Your only protection is a relaxed attitude, a loose itinerary that provides you with a chance for making up for lost time, and trip cancellation insurance.

When you're already in Juneau and the planes overhead, you're stuck there until the weather improves. You can call ahead, but the airline often wants you at the airport just in case the plane makes it in. That's why Juneau residents have the Channel Channel. It's a cable TV channel that silently broadcasts a view of the Gastineau Channel near the airport (hence the name). Locals can tell from that image whether going to the airport is worth the effort. An example of everyday usage:

"Did you see the Channel Channel? They'll overhead.
Let's have another beer."

This is great! I'd love to call my boss: "Um, hey. I don't know when I'll be back. I'm stuck in Juneau -- they're overheading."