If I can make it there...

If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere, It's up to you, New York, New York!

Last week's travel debacle detoured me through LaGuardia. This week, it's my destination. I generally avoid holiday travel but made a special exception to celebrate Tim's cousin Robin's 50th birthday in the Big Apple over Thanksgiving. I was initially hesitant as I thought it would be an important holiday being the first without Grandma and the family farm. I was apparently wrong as my parents aren't even doing the family event. They are headed South to see my late Aunt Elizabeth's family. Hopefully I'll see everyone at Christmas or for the family winter hayride to Wachtels lights. Yes, that's a thing. 

Due to the horrible storm system over the Northeast, and uncertainty about holiday travel volume, we got to the airport an hour and forty five minutes early. I was the first through security 20 minutes ago and there is still not a single person at the gate. I guess there's not a plane either. My Delta App says gate C51 but perhaps we should check the monitor?

Safe travels to those on the roads, rails, and airways and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Happiness and Continued Travel Hell

I find myself thinking a lot about happiness lately. What is it? How is it achieved? What's the difference between a fleeting moment of it and the type that endures for a lifetime? 

This isn't really travel worthy talk but sometimes the mundane cycle of work, sleep, run, repeat in Dallas forces me to spend a lot of time looking at myself and others around me. I hope I'm happy and I make others around me feel the same way. That's all we really can aspire to achieve, regardless what it looks like. 

Right now I'm just hoping my daughter had fun at tonight's Marine Corps Ball with her boyfriend and my flight doesn't change again to arrive any later so I can be in bed for at least a nominal amount of sleep before my early AM appointment with Trainer Nick! Of course, the fourth delay now has us arriving at 1:20 so we'll see. At least the free drinks in the Admiral's Club are taking my mind off the issue. 

 

The perfectly ordinary post above was written on Thursday evening at DFW. It's now mid day Friday and that is not a picture I should be adding to the post. After yesterday's delays, my flight was canceled, I ran two terminals away to catch an overnight connection via Chicago, then another, both of which I couldn't make. Covered in sweat, and told by both American and by my corporate travel agent that there were no connecting flights left last night and no direct flights until Saturday, I felt utterly defeated. 

I grabbed four hours of sleep at the Westin and am connecting through LaGuardia today. So far, my ticket was canceled and they took the seat, my connection was delayed. We're finally seated on a puddle jumper and will hopefully take off soon. I certainly don't want to have to update the post with any more adventures. I'm ready for the weekend!

Travel Hell

Sometimes traveling is easy and other times everything goes wrong. Guess how my Monday turned out?

We had a superb weekend with more people from DC, a birthday celebration, family in town, and a wedding where we re-connected with friends we haven't seen in 9 years. Crazy fun. 

Monday morning I had to print out my boarding pass at the airport because I couldn't log in online. I went through the TSA Pre Check line, as always, but didn't realize my ticket didn't say it today. The agent said my ticket wouldn't come up on her screen with expected codes for regular or pre-check so I got pulled from the line for having a suspicious ticket. A ticket that the airline had just printed for me. It was a sign.  

When I got to the gate, I realized there was no plane and the previous flight hadn't even boarded. That's when I learned there was an incident. Apparently, the previous inbound flight had a threat as described in this article. http://m.nydailynews.com/1.1520724#bmb=1 - I was not ready for this but was happy it wasn't my flight until it was. Concerned about my security situation with the ticket, I went to the gate agent. She suggested putting me on the earlier flight since the schedules were messed up. It wasn't scheduled for a few more hours (yes hours) but I could possibly get to Dallas in time for work. The concept of boarding a plane that had just been searched for a bomb for several hours was not appealing. To top things off, my laptop wouldn't connect with my wireless card so I was stranded with only a phone to access work email. Monday was not productive and I didn't get to my hotel until 6 PM. No office time for me. Fortunately, we arrived safely to DFW. 

Interestingly, after landing, I get another text message from the airline indicating my canceled flight could not be re-booked. I guess they didn't realize I was already here. This hopefully won't impact my return trip! #frustrating

Airplane Mode!

This is my first flight after implementation of the new FAA permission to keep devices in airplane mode from gate to gate! My flight to Dallas was restricted but the return flight provides the sweet taste of freedom. I decided to read a book on my iPad while listening to music and taking photos on my iPhone! Baby I'm having it all on this flight! Despite the somber photo, it really is exciting!

The work week was uneventful with a repeat of run/work/sleep every day. I did shave a full minute per mile off my 3.5 mile run this AM. It might be a 2013 PR! Running in the cold weather (30's) always makes me faster. I also love running past people in parkas while I'm in slutty running shorts and a t-shirt! 

Mondays dinner reminded me that I am a) in Dallas and b) eat at Schlotzsky's too much. The perfectly pleasant drive thru lady recognized me. I don't eat fast food at home and hate chain restaurants but my life has come to this. I need to read this article and make more time for me. http://wearemammoth.com/2013/11/long-hours

I'm very excited to return home as two DC peeps arrived last night. We get to play through Saturday and then the extra long Veteran's Day weekend still gives another two days to rest and recover! Thanks to all the military Hero's out there including my Dad! I might just take the new Benz for a spin to visit him this weekend. I called yesterday to find out checkup #3 confirms he's still cancer free! I also found out that his Veteran's Day weekend includes plans to scour Ohio's free food deals for veterans! Sounds about right. It's weird to be in week two of new car ownership and realize I've really only driven it to work once. The garage door isn't even programmed yet!

The Morning Train

It might be a plane and I might not work 9-5 but Sheena is on my mind today! If only I could get away with wearing that green jump suit! 

Off to Dallas after a delightful five day Fall foliage, friends, and family road trip to Indianapolis and St. Louis. If time permits, I'll retroactively post that trip. For now I'm just ready to board into my First Class upgrade seat and sleep for a few more hours! 

http://youtu.be/huNejF17gzg

Halloween Road Trip - Day One

First and foremost, this beautiful and magnificent piece of art is now in my garage! Her name is Edina. Despite being a little sad to bid farewell to Gertrude the G-Wagon, it was a great week! We decided to take Patsy on the road trip as there is a small chance we'll get a few sunny hours to throw on a scarf and throw off the top! 

We both worked Wednesday and then kicked off our Fall foliage, friends, and family road trip! The ride to St Louis was only moderately rainy but there definitely wasn't any sun. The Sheraton City Center upgraded us to a huge suite but it was early 90s fabulous. That property could sure use a facelift. It appears they've started in the garage and common spaces but until they have refreshed the guest rooms, I wouldn't recommend it. 

We met up with some great old friends and neighbors from our early 20s in a hip downtown spot called Revolucion. They apparently have a Tiki Bar in the back but we just ate up front and spent several hours catching up. Food was super affordable and quite delicious. We tried to recruit our friends to move back to Columbus but that doesn't seem likely. After dinner, we were exhausted. The combination of dreary weather and a long day took us back to the hotel bar where we could barely finish a cocktail but we did get a good sleep!