Friday, October 22, 2004

Stranger Things Have Happened...

Well thursday at 3:00pm it happened! I was cut loose! I made the call to change my departure date and Nancy came back with "You wanna leave tonight?" So began my trip home.

5:00pm - Security man is assigned to shuttle V.I.P. to airport pronto as the financial well being of the entire corporation hinges on him getting back to his division for a very important meeting! (With his bed!) Guy has worked for the company one week and had no real idea of my true importance, which must be why I listened to Rap music for an hour on the way to the airport. Before departing, I was wisked to the Hampton for a short goodbye that consisted of a power packing job that will probably render some of my clothes wrinkled for life.

6:30pm - Arrive at the airport and find that the flight will be delayed due to thunderstorms around Las Vegas. I make my way through security and end up having my back pack almost taken apart! I get a smoothy, a computer magazine and take a seat in the loading area.

8:40pm - Flight should begin loading (they say) in 10 minutes, though I see no plane yet. I have the magical 'A' ticket and procure a spot in line. A woman falls in behind me and parks her dumb self about 4 inches off of my butt even though there is a TON of room for all of us to stand. I can not even reach back to grab my phone without hitting her! So, I hit her. Repeatedly I bump, graze, look over my shoulder, sway into, step back into this lady to no avail! She does not even begin to understand!

9:20 - Board the friggen plane.

10:45 - Arrive in San Jose where they have held the connecting flight to Portland. Out of one plane and into another. As I take my seat in the new plane the guy behind me begins to bitch out loud, thanking ME for delaying his flight! His wife is begging him to stop while he proclaims that he has flown over 100 times THIS MONTH on Southwest and that they are NEVER on time! A large male flight attendent calmly walks up to him and tells him that one more word will result in him being escorted off of the plane! He shuts up, and his wife mentally caluculates how many years will pass before he will get to see her naked again.

12:10 am - Arrive at PDX! Get bags, make way to long term parking lot via the shuttle bus. I do the usual panic attack as I really hope the shelter number I wrote down is the right one.

12:40 am - Climb into bed and pass out.


No comments: