Monday, July 25th, 2005:
If you miss the plane I'm on...
Actually, considering that line (altered a bit) is from a song I like called "500 miles" by the Kingston Trio,
it's very apt for what happened to me on Monday.
Well the day started out early. I got up around 6:30 am even though I should have been much earlier
and managed to get myself downstairs by 7 am and call the airport shuttle people. They were more
expensive but with all my luggage I didn't want to have to LUG it all the way around with me thru
the terminals and such using the trains. I figured it was a no brainer and more restful taking a
taxi or bus anyhow. Well of course there was traffic which allowed me to take pics of things
along the way and since it was slow, we got there just after 8 am. He drove me right up to the
terminal BUT they wanted to charge alot of cash for fast check-in of baggage so I just said "no thanks"
and took my chances with the line from heck inside. Man it sucked and this guy got pissed at me cause
the line wasn't moving much and he tried to cut infront of me. I said "excuse me but I am in line"
and maybe a little more terse than I meant but I was nervous about missing my flight and the line
was awful. He was talking to someone behind me about people being too "uptight" about things at
the airport and I figured he was trying to be an ass but I just ignored him. Anyhow, the line
eventually moved along pretty good and the check-in was actually "automated" but somehow I got the
SLOOOOOOOOOOW machine which took forever and the lady helped me with it behind the counter. I got
all but my purse and camera bag checked in and made my way to the security line which was even longer.
Must have been a sign to things to come.
After security I get thru and have to walk like a block or so to the terminal only to find that the weather
was bad and something had blown in and now our plane was going to be delayed due to missing crew members.
They never quite said the "weather" caused the delay only that we were missing crew members who couldn't
get in due to weather. So our plane sat... and sat and sat. I talked with a few random people waiting since
most of the planes were delayed either due to weather or lack of crew. I ended up at some point going to get
McDonald's cause I was starving and hadn't eaten yet. I think I might have gotten some veggie plate thing
but it was less than filling. When I sat down again I was sitting next to a young couple. They looked a
little ticked off by the plane delay. They were headed for Belize apparently for their honeymoon. What really
got us talking was when I looked in my bag, I'd gotten an extra burger somehow and asked if they wanted it.
We talked on an off after that while waiting. Everyone wanted to discuss the lack of planes leaving so it
was a good group of talkative people. :D My plane was supposed to leave at
10:20 am and I would have gotten home around 3 or 4 pm. Instead the delay was a good 4 hours and I left at
2:30 pm and ended up getting to Houston and missing two connecting flights, one of which was the one I was
supposed to be on. They were nice and gave me the 7:20 pm connection and it took off with very few hitches.
Plus it wasn't an annoying puddle jumper like the one TO Houston so I fit in the seats and fell asleep for
some of the flight home. I was exhausted. When I got home I was just so happy. Unfortunately for me, my
luggage was yet again lost due this time to the delay in my flight. *sighs* I kissed my car on the dash
when I finally got to it. I was just so happy to be home and with familiar things. :D I stopped by the store
for stuff I would't have till the next day that was in the luggage plus I got some food on the way cause
I knew I didn't have anything in my apt. I washed the travel dust off me and relaxed and got online. :D
Yeah I was tired and exhausted and I tried not to whine cause I was glad to be there. It was definitely soemthing
I'd like to do again. See Millenium park maybe next time. So many things I didn't get to see. The train wasn't
that hard to ride but I was a little scared of it coming from a non-transit friendly state as I do. Well not that
we don't have it, just not in my area. LOL Well... hope you liked the tale of my trip to Mysterium Chicago. Feel free
to donate a few bucks if you like for reading. ;) Or uhm buy some of my artworks or something. :P
End of transmission, Day 5...
The pictures have not yet all been added...
