UPDATES Karmen to Oz Trip

Hello Everybody,

It's been a long while since I've updated all of you with something solid to give you regards my "disrupted by flu-ish bug" trip to Oz because I haven't had anything solid to tell you til now. I'm sorry if some of you have been left hanging because you haven't been in the trip loop to hear updates. My apologies please

---> The original main flights tickets between Canada/Australia have a one year from purchase date expiration date (?) so there's is still time to be able to make the trip if all can be sorted out and arranged... and we're working on it behind he MLU scenes!

Bottom line is that the trip is not completely off and things seem to be working towards me going before it's too late and all is lost.

For the record, the original ticket, because it was a special rate ticket, doesn't allow ticket purchase cost refunds, nor does it allow anyone else to use the ticket except me (can't transfer/sell to another person if I don't go) Airlines will simply pocket the ticket cost if not used by ME PERSONALLY by the time expiry rolls around ... expiry around Jan 12th I believe.

So ... we're all working on it and trying to reorganize and make it happen because I have to make an honest cap out of the ones Bob made up for the original plans ... the cap says " KARTMANN DOWN UNDER 2007 TOUR and it's still 2007!!!!!!!!

I'll keep you folks posted.

:witch

Kartmann

Hello Everyone.

Well, after thinking long and hard about this whole trip and all the details about it, weighing all the costs, circumstances, and problems, and taking everything and everyone into consideration, I made a final decision about the trip, that has been an extremely hard one for me to make, on many levels. The hardest levels are about me knowing all of you who kicked in and worked hard to make this happen are effected and my decisions and actions are what effect you.

To go now would cost a WHACK of more dollars plus my health issues aggravated the last couple of months and what if MORE money could be found to do this trip after all ... then poop happens and I can't get on the plane or or or ... making not only the original amounts lost but now the "more found" is lost as well.
I don't want to risk more money losses, or more time and work that people would have to do to accommodate a visit, only to have it bite the dust again. I think the right and wisest course of action is ......................

Kartmann will NOT go to Oz this trip round. I have said an absolute NO.

Many people have even offered to jump in and kick in more dollars etc to try and make this a go and I love you all for that, but I can't accept, and as I said, I've thought long and hard, and deeply, about EVERYTHING and EVERYONE before I decided this. Your offers ... it says a LOT about the quality and hearts of MLU-ers and you lot are quality folks in both words and actions.

Okay ... that being said, the money originally collected and spent on this venture is a LOT. There will be NO refund for the main Qantas tickets (and they would want lots more for new arrangements) except the taxes portion, which will be be a refund of that arranged.

There is also no refund for the local flights I am told (my fault I think for not acting quickly enough??? ) so a lot of MLU dollars are going in the pockets of the airlines folks.

The flights monies are kissed goodbye forever

I feel very responsible and accountable for the losses and want to try to come up with ways and means to try and come up with dollars to direct back into the hands of those who gave. I know many of you say I owe you all nothing because this was all a gift, but really folks, the only thing that feels "right" to me is for me to make the efforts and try and get some money back to you all. All of it would be nice. Thats my concience speaking as this is the right thing for me to do in these circumstances and I have to do it, and that's that. This is about me and what I can live with as feels right by my own actions, towards all of you, so don't argue with me, please.

I've been playing with some ideas about how to do that, and do that in such a way as to not have any cash I can generate for refunds, effect my own income if it goes through my hands.

One possibility that keeps occuring to me is to flog some "thing" as a fundraiser. What that thing would be, I don't know yet, but it would come from me personally and the funds would go to you. The funds would have to go through someone else though as going through my hands and accounts would negatively effect my income. There would have to be a middle person to receive funds and distribute back to donators for the trip.

Anyways ... this post ... my decision ... has been very hard. I am sorry this hasn't panned out and especially sorry to Max that his goodhearted idea has come to this after all thoughts, efforts, stress, and expenses of both himself and Kathy who were most invested and involved in organizing and making this happen that has gone into it. Sending some Canadian Maple Syrup I think is not enough of a token of my appreciation for all that.

Folks, the dream of Kartmann to Oz has died for this go round. Now I'd like to work on cleaning things up.

I'll always be blown away by all of you and what you have all done to try and accomplish this. You all don't know what it all means to me. You all don't know what you all mean to me.

Carman aka Karmen aka Kartmann aka Ma Yappy :witch

PS: Regards the original main flights from Vancouver/Oz and back ... the tickets were a special deal and rates and therefore can only be used by me personally (non transferable) and no refunds, and no changing routes but ticket naturally expires about mid January 2008.

It would have been great to make this trip a go still, rather than kiss the original tickets goodbye, but it just isn't feasable because of the new costs and health stuff and other considerations. I wish it were different but there you go. I'd like to make the best of things now.

Karmen

By the way folks, and a bit off topic of what this thread is about, just for general interest I wanted to mention that I've been reading about the local airport expansion that's being expanded to include INTERNATIONAL flights. I'm not sure what size planes they're talking about though. I've never been to the airport so don't know how big it is. As far as I know, at the moment the closest places to catch international flights are Vancouver and Calgary, but come Sept it looks like flying direct to the States, from here, to catch overseas flights could happen???

This from the Cranbrook Airport site:

May 31, 2007

Works on the Air Terminal Building continues to progress. International arrivals area scheduled to open on September 17th.

Spec Sheet: http://cranbrookairport.com/cas_images/specsheet.pdf

(The other thing in the works is that there is a request in the works to expand Cranbrooks boundaries to two more times the size it is now, and lots of development would soon start happening.)

[Howard]

Originally posted by Howard

I second that for sure Howard ... ...

Okay folks ... this is the final word on the trip waffling yes/no and there is no more waffling. I have just sent the email officially confirming cancellation of it and full cancellation will now be processed immediately and quickly. It is done.

Kartmann Karmen