All-Star Madness

Everywhere you turn you see something about the All-Star game. I have seen more Cardinals jerseys running around town than normal. I stopped in a gift shop tonight and they had the game on. Everyone is talking about the tickets that they have or complaining about the cost of the tickets they can't afford.

I don't have any tickets. I figure I have better things to spend $200-$1000 on. I'm not a big fan of traffic or crowds, so I'm not going to hang out outside the stadium downtown. I wasn't home tonight (M&M duty) so I missed watching the game on TV. My only connection to the All-Star game occurred on the way home from work tonight.

As I was driving home, I noticed a helicopter hovering on the horizon. Panic started to rise as I was on a deadline and that generally means some horrible traffic thing was brewing. I immediately started to lay out alternate routes in case traffic was at a complete stand still, when something else caught my eye. A distinctively painted airplane came into view. I quickly realized the police cars on the side of the road and the helicopter hovering meant one thing - President Obama was landing in AirForce One.

My route home happens to take me directly underneath the main runway and it was crystal clear so I got a very good look at the plane making it's final descent into Lambert. It was really an amazing thing to watch. Unfortunately, I was able to think or react fast enough to snap a picture or video. I can add this to one of the cool things I have seen in my life time. Maybe, someday I can snag a ride on that bad boy!

Mis-Adventures in Air Travel

My MEF NV posted about her adventures as a pseudo travel agent today and I was reminded of a travel story from my past.

A few years ago, my very single, bachelor uncle passed away unexpectedly.  He lived on the East Coast so we had to make some hasty travel plans to tend to his estate. Being a seasoned traveller, my Dear Old Dad (DOD) took care of making the arrangements for us.  His challenge was to book one-way flights to DC for 5 people at the last minute.  If you ever met my father, you will know that he is extremely detailed oriented and liked to make sure that he got the best deal.  He poked around on the internet looking for the best airfare and finally came up with a flight that met his budget criteria.  Mumbling and grumbling about having to spend "that much" on a flight, he went to book the flights when he found out that you could only buy 4 tickets at one time.  He bought the first round of tickets for my uncle's siblings and himself.  He then booked my flight separately.  When the total came back, he couldn't figure out why there was such a difference in the price per ticket. He poured over the confirmations and checked and rechecked his calculations.

Now we already know that he is detailed oriented so we all assumed it was some glitch in the reservation system or a freak drop in the airfare.  Finally, we discovered that there were 2 flights to DC that left at or near the same time.  On in the morning and one at night.  I was the sole passenger booked on the AM flight.  He quickly called the airline to see if he could fix his mistake and they happily agreed to change his flights - for a slight rebooking fee that almost doubled the price of the original tickets.  There was no way that this was going to fly (no pun intended) with his frugal German heritage.  Thankfully, the reservation agent gave him a cheap option out.  She told him that historically that flight was rarely full and that they could try to fly standby to catch the morning flight.  Problem partially solved!

For as long as I can remember, my uncle had lived out of town.  None of us had an extra key to his house.  When we asked about how we should get in, the local officials said that we could essentially 'break-in' the same way they did.  In order to facilitate the illegal activity I was about to undertake, my DOD persuaded me to take a cordless drill in my suitcase since I was the only one confirmed to arrive in the morning.  

So we get to the airport and check in.  We definitely raised some suspicions as we had one confirmed one-way ticket and 4 stand-by one way tickets. Did I mention that we were flying to the nation's capital? About one year after 9/11 and it was near Labor Day? In those days, the security screening was done right at the ticket counter.  The agent asked me to open by bag and questioned what I had in a plastic grocery bag in the corner of my suitcase that had a vague outline of a huge pistol.  Not wanting to undergo a full body search, I opened my mouth to politely answer the agent when DOD appeared behind me and answered "Don't ask!".

I groaned as I envisioned spending the next 8 hours under a bare light bulb answering rapid fire questions from the good cop/bad cop trying to beat a confession out of me.  I decided that honesty was the best policy and while shooting DOD the dirtiest look I could muster, timidly replied "it's a drill, ma'am".  "Why on earth do you have a drill in your suitcase?" the agent asked.  Continuing down the honesty is the best policy path I blurted out "Well, I need it to break in to a house." DOH!  In hindsight, that probably wasn't the best answer considering the look on her face.  I swear she started to pull to pull out her walkie-talkie to call for back up and have me hauled off to the pokey when I quickly explained the whole story. While it wasn't really any of her business, I sure didn't want to go to jail for some suspicious terrorist activity.

Once she understood the situation and that I wasn't going to violate any national laws, she let me go after making me disconnect the battery from the drill. I lectured my DOD all the way to the gate and of course, he thought the whole thing was funny.  Sure funny for him, he wasn't the one who had visions of bright lights and rubber hoses dancing in his head! 

MisAdventures in Air Travel

I am not what most people would call a Road Warrior, but I do my fair share of travel for both business and pleasure.  I have gotten used to the "airport shuffle" - pack bags, find parking spot, grab shuttle, check bags, navigate security, find gate, board plane, fly, de-plane and start the whole shuffle over again trying to get your luggage, rental car and find the hotel that is tucked away in the middle of nowhere. I have learned that you can't really be in a hurry or your are going to drive yourself crazy.  Learning how to kill hours in an airport has become one of my special skills in life!

This morning I worked from home because I had a midafternoon flight to catch. The 'talky-talky bug guy" (nice pest control man but geez - he likes to talk your ear off!) came by and we somehow got on the topic of travel.  He made an offhand comment about "travel is fun, when it all goes right".  I should have pushed him in the pool for making that comment!

I realized on the way to the airport that I forgot to pack my pj's.  No big deal, I can improvise or - gasp - go shopping.  When I got to the terminal, I tried to get in the shortest line to check in, when I heard a voice call out over the counter "If you are flying to Charlotte and you have a connecting flight, please get in this line over here."  Apparently, there were Air Traffic Control tower issues in Charlotte causing  flight delays.  When I checked in I was assured that even though my first flight was delayed, I was fine because my connecting flight was also delayed so I had plenty of time to make my connection.

So I wandered off to the gates to play the waiting game.  First it was delayed, 40 minutes, then it was a little over an hour, next it was 2 hours late leaving.  When they announced the last delay, all connecting passengers where asked to check in.  While we were standing in line, they made an announcement.  "This plane IS leaving at 6:18 with or without you".  Basically, if we hadn't been helped yet, we had a choice, get on the plane and take our chances in Charlotte or stay behind and try to get on some other flight.  

I was trying to make up my mind when it was my turn at the counter.  The very nice, but frazzled agent was trying to figure out where to send me.  While she was looking up my options, the other agent came out and said "we will start boarding in 4 minutes".  She turned around and ran smack dab into the pilot, who delivered the news - nope, we had another hour on "ground hold". 

Unfortunately, my only chance at a connecting flight was booked full tonight.  I could try to fly to Charlotte and take my chances or I could go home, sleep in my own bed, and try again in the morning.  I decided that I preferred my own pillows over the potential of using my laptop case as a pillow on the floor of a crowded airport terminal.  

I have to get up at the b-crack of dawn to catch a flight, but I should get to Wilmington before the activity start!  Oh, and I need to grab those pj and throw them in my suitcase!