MAY 5, 24 .. CINCO DE MAYO..

By Cap Chastain May 5, 2024 An Unofficial Holiday, HOLIDAYS / SPECIAL DAYS 1 Comment

NATIONAL TODAY..

There are thirty (30) Holidays for May the 5th!

Without even looking we knew one major Holiday today would be ..

CINCO DE MAYO..

Many of us know that May 5, or Cinco De Mayo, means tacos, margaritas, fun, and fiesta. But did you know that without what happened on this fateful day, the United States may have not existed as we know it today?

What exactly happened on this day of seemingly endless partying and celebration? Let’s take a deep dive into Mexican-American history!

Let’s start by clearing the biggest misconception: No, Cinco de Mayo is not the Mexican Independence Day. But, that does not mean it’s less important or notable than it actually is, for the history behind it dawns on the importance of the landscape of North America as a whole.

An economically struggling Mexico was intervened by the French for the second time, who had the hopes to gain control of the Latin American country under the rule of Napoleon III. The French General, Charles de Lorencez, directed his army towards the capital of Mexico City, with the intent to overthrow the president of Mexico, Benito Juarez.

But things didn’t go as planned, as they encountered heavy resistance, culminating at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Even if their forces had half the numbers of their opponents, the Mexican Army, led by Ignacio Zaragoza, managed to successfully win over the French army at Puebla, a city just 70 miles from Mexico City. Four days later, on May 9, Juárez declared Cinco de Mayo a national holiday.

While the battle in itself was not a major strategic win, and the French took control of Mexico in 1864, it served to lift the spirits of resistance forces and helped them to gain an alliance with the Americans to successfully make Napoleon’s forces withdraw. Since it is believed the French would have likely aided the Confederacy at the Civil War, Mexico’s resistance likely changed the history of the United States.

Pro-Union Mexican citizens in the state of California heavily celebrated the victory at the Battle of Puebla viewing it as a victory for the Union’s cause, later formalizing and spreading the annual celebrations across all of California, and Mexican-Americans all around.

Always interesting these National Todays.

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Toast! That is what we are. The return to Alaska from Arizona, and the airline drama in Seattle, sure took the wind out of our sails!

So we are “resting and regrouping”.

Thanks all of you for your understanding and support.

Cap and Patti

MAY 4, 24 .. SAFELY BACK IN ANCHORAGE, ALASKA..

By Cap Chastain May 4, 2024 Delta Airlines, Travel Day or Travel Plans 2 Comments

For a change, I am writing a Post ON the day the Post is dated. 

Here in Anchorage, Alaska, real time is 1:29am, Saturday morning, the 4th of March.

So what Captain? Who cares?

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Few words adequately describe yesterday. Let’s just say it turned out to be (a-h-h-h) a most challenging day in some respects.

It sure didn’t start that way.

Patti and I were up, and packed out of the Edgewater Hotel in Laughlin, Nevada, as Tom rolled up to pick us up. We then took Black Beauty (our black Suburban)  to Tom and Ginny’s where he will spend the summer. Then we headed for Las Vegas and our flight North to Seattle. Stopped in Searchlight, Nevada, on our way for a rest stop.

We then drove to The Harry Reid Las Vegas International Airport. Meet Eric. One of the absolutely best “curbside” Delta Airlines “baggage check in attendants” I have ever run across. Eric came racing over to get our bags from the curb where Tom unloaded them for us. Eric then got our bags checked to Anchorage with boarding passes for the Seattle and Anchorage legs of our trip. Next thing we knew we were AT our boarding gate 40. 

I did a “live” update on yesterday’s Post. We got on the plane and off to Seattle we flew. 

Pause. Everything went absolutely perfect.

Pause. At age 87, dealing with Long Covid-19 Issues, I was “almost, but not quite” dead on my feet. 

Into Seattle we arrived. We had a “tight” connection. Our wheel chairs were waiting for us (sometimes wheel chairs are NOT waiting for you) and we had to leave the B Concourse and head for the A Concourse. Got there O.K. We were immediately put into the pre-boarding queue with several others. Out the passageway to the plane we headed. Halfway to the plane, a rather “important looking” Delta Official said “Stop. Go back to the terminal. You can not board the aircraft!”

Back to the terminal we went. We all waited. Then came “the word”. This aircraft has some issues. We have to find a different aircraft. We waited. Then came “new word”. We have a different aircraft and you now have to go to a new gate etc. One of our wheel chair attendants had left. So I walked with our carry on baggage while Patti was pushed. 

We got to the new gate. We all “waited”. We eventually boarded our plane. We all “waited” quite a bit longer. Our baggage all had to be moved from the first aircraft to our second one. Finally off we went for our three hour flight North to Anchorage. 

Let me tell you all this truth .. For Delta Airlines to get us all on another plane and up to Anchorage like they did was a mini-miracle.

The “Detroit Michigan based” Delta flight crew did one amazing job.

We have been here. We have done this. Bottom Line .. You go the next day after being housed at a local hotel. Airlines can not just “come up with an alternate aircraft “Johnny on the Spot” like Delta did.

Doesn’t sound too bad now does it? 

Captain you say you are “bushed” so what on earth are you doing writing a Post instead of going to bed and saying “Whang It” to writing a Post?

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It’s what I do! One day I’ll stop and that will be that.

But not today.

I could write more. Go into more detail. I opt not to.

Over And Out (cold) at 2:02am Saturday morning.

Cap and Patti

2:20am