WestJet and air travel in general are pure shit

So my 8 year old daughter is at grandma's house for Spring Break. I booked our flights on February 15 through an agent with WestJet.

I booked a guardian fare which is cheaper. I could accompany my daughter to Calgary but had to return to Comox within 24 hours. I didn't DARE book the basic fare after hearing the horror story from my friend Melissa so I paid extra for the economy fair. FWIW people in first class get free alcohol and food while people in steerage get a free bag of pretzels (approximately 1.5 mini pretzels per bag and a thimble full of soda).

We flew to Calgary no problem on March 20. But I was unable to check in using the app or online to go home so we went to the airport 2 hours early so I could see an agent. I waited in line to join the line up for the line up* to see an agent an agent for 15 minutes, when it was my turn the employee told me to use the kiosk, I waited in line to use the kiosk and when I returned to the original line because the kiosk didn't let me check in I had to join the line up for the line up to the agents again. Finally I got into the line up for the agents and waited over 45 minutes.

I got to to the desk and showed the agent my reservation for my flight, booking number and assigned seat but she was unable to check me in and had to phone "Mike". Apparently, somehow I hadn't paid for a return flight (despite receiving notification emails to check in, having the flight on my itinerary on the app and having booked it through an agent over the phone.

I had to book a seat at the counter and pay almost $300 to get home.

How amused am I by this cluster fuck customer service failure? Not very. Not only did I have to stand in 3 line ups for over an hour by the time I actually managed to get my boarding pass I had 1 minute and 30 seconds to go through security and get to my gate (which, naturally was the furthest possible gate from security).

Security, naturally was a breezy, relaxing experience. HA HA just fucking kidding. My boarding time was 9:40 and I arrived at security at 9:41. The Guarda agent scanned my pass, I asked if I could use the priority line as there was a massive lineup in the general line but apparently not, she sent me to the general line where I waited an additional 10 minutes and was becoming a tad stressed.

I removed my belt and shoes and placed all my stuff in the buckets, naturally I set of the metal detector with my pump (that I showed then and told then about before passing through the metal detector) so I had a pat down and was swiped with the wand. THEN my bag was chosen for screening. I explained that the water bottle they could see was empty but it wasn't the water bottle that troubled him, oh no. It was the bean bag neck pillow my mother got me. Apparently a cotton bag filled with beans is a major security risk and the guy kept trying to argue with me about it. I finally told him to throw the fucking thing out as I was about to miss my plane. A couple next to me while I was putting on my boots and belt were like, what could POSSIBLY be threatening about a bean bag? FTR there were 2 teenage girls on my plane who had bean bag neck pillows so...yeah little Hitler wannabe way to save the fucking world.

I hoofed it to my gate (literally THE FARTHEST from security) and made it just as they were closing the doors.

I got on the plane and sat next to my seat mate who seemed to have some sort of nasal problem and who kept sniffing and snorting and blowing her stupid nose. She also had decided to marinate in her perfume so that was pleasant.

They had to remove and check 5 bags that people were trying to put in the over head bin. Apparently when you charge people who are travelling for a vacation to check their baggage they try to avoid the fees by stuffing as much stuff into carry on as they can and this results in the airline checking things for free and inconveniencing everybody on the planet because they designed their stupid policies without ever having met a living human being.

TLDR: Westjet is a festering pile of shit and I sincerely hope they go bankrupt.

*btw this isn't an error. There was a line up in order to be assessed by a staff member as to whether you should join the line up or not.

Homemade Spreadable Butter

Home Made Spreadable Butter

1L of whipping cream (the highest fat content you can get - the highest I've found was at Goats on the Roof at 36% fat)

1 1/2 tsp salt (optional - you can use no salt or you can use as much or as little as you like, for me this is the perfect amount)

7 tbsp very cold water

1C vegetable oil (I use canola oil because I find it doesn't alter the butter taste but you can use any oil except coconut oil)

1. pour the whipping cream into a bowl (you can use a stand mixer, hand mixer or food processor) and cover the opening of the bowl with a tea towel (this is VERY important - I didn't do this and wound up scraping butter our of my ceiling light fixtures) and mix the ever loving hell out of it on high speed.  Keep mixing until it separates, it will turn yellowish and lumpy and there will be liquid (buttermilk) in the bowl

2. pour in the water (I measure it and put it in the freezer just after starting my stand mixer). This helps further separate the buttermilk.

3. strain out the buttermilk (you can save it to use in other recipes I give a tablespoon of it to my rats, they love it as a treat) using a strainer.

*you can line the strainer with cheesecloth (available at Walmart for like a buck) to prevent butter chunks from falling into the buttermilk

4. with your hands squeeze the hell out of the butter to get all of the buttermilk out, after mine is the consistency of play doh I put it on a silicon mat and roll it up like a taco then hold it lengthwise over my strainer and squeeze out even more buttermilk

5. take a moment to catch your breath and clean the butter off your hands.

6. put the butter back in the mixing bowl and add the salt if you want.  Start mixing and gradually add your oil.  I find the butter gets caught in the spokes of the mixer so I spend a lot of time prying it out with a spatula, as the oil mixes it will become the consistency of cake batter and life will be good again.  Keep mixing until it's smooth then pour it into containers. Don't fill the container all the way to the top, it expands as it settles.

7. put the container(s) in the fridge over night where the butter will harden.  Take it out in the morning, and use it as you wish.  Keep it at room temperature to use.

I use small canning jars.  I used to use plastic Rubbermaid Take Along containers but the dog kept stealing them off the counter and eating the butter and the container.  I use 8 of the smallest ones per batch.  The butter only lasts about a week so I put the containers in the freezer and take them out one at a time, I find the smallest size lasts about 4 days for my family.

Most recipes tell you that it takes 5 minutes for the butter to separate.  I find it takes a minimum of 15 minutes.

You'll find that it has tiny little lumps in it.  I think they're little fat lumps and I have no clue how to get rid of them.  They don't alter the taste at all but they do add a certain bubbly quality to the texture.

Original recipe from: Genius Kitchen and Bigger Bolder Baking

The Fight Pt II

So, I made a spreadsheet detailing the difference in household labour that I and my husband do.

When I showed it to him he was pissed off and (naturally) felt like I was attacking him.  I told him to go through the spreadsheet and update it with things I'd missed.

He went through it with a fine toothed comb and added a few things, he also added a few things to my list that I'd forgotten and then he apologised.

Since then he has booked his own physio appointments and updated our shared calendar, he cooks supper on his days without complaint and without asking me what he should make, he even put the laundry away without complaining.

I think, having it all written down in black and white (and blue, and green, yellow and pink - I colour code a lot) gave him irrefutable evidence that I wasn't just whining and being lazy.

Sometimes having a fight and being a tad petty (making the spreadsheet to prove my point) works out for the best.