As always, it's been months since I've even thought about updating this damn thing. I've been busy, cut me some slack.
I'm home in Gainesville right this moment...it was a sort of "failed" trip to Sydney that got me here but, really, it was nice to come home and see people I haven't seen in ages. I wish I had longer to stay here.
So, yeah, this whole thing started on Sunday. My plan was to hit Sydney, Australia for a few days...then home to Texas for a couple days...then back to SGU. It was hotter than hell in SGU on Sunday (just like any other day this summer), so I knew that getting to LAX on the non-stop 30-seater would be tough due to weight restrictions (for the uninitiated...temperature, altitude, and runway length play a huge part in how much weight an airplane can take off with). I was #1 on the list, so I figured it was a pretty safe bet.
When I got to the airport, a pilot, his wife, and two kids were in the check-in line in front of me. I knew immedately that I was pretty screwed. By some miracle of God, I got a seat...just had to strap my big bag in a seat so it wouldn't count in the checked bag weights. Right before we shut the door, one of the CS agents came onboard and pointed at me and a United flight attendant and said, you're gonna have to come off. D-OH! The outside temperature had spiked 3 degrees in less than an hour and, because of this, we had to pull 600 lbs. off the plane. Since passengers count as 250 lbs, no matter how much they actually weigh, me and the UA F/A accounted for most of what they needed to come off.
After the flight left (it almost left with my passport and company ID that I had tossed in the seatback pocket...luckily one of the CS agents ran aboard and got it for me), they got me booked on the next flight out to Salt Lake. When I got to Salt Lake, I took a look at the departure board and realized that the next Delta flight to LAX was just about to leave and there was a United flight leaving soon. I ran over to the UA gate, but it was oversold and one of our pilots took the jumpseat ahead of me. I probably could have taken a jumpseat on Southwest, but the fact that Southwest res told me that I would likely only be getting on if I took an actual jumpseat and one look at the amount of pilots standing around in the Southwest gate area...and I decided to crash in Salt Lake and figure it out from there.
I had called Courtney earlier in the day just in case I got stuck in SLC...so, as soon as she got in from ORD, we took off to her place. I crashed like a log after spending an hour trying to help her find a way home from DEN on a one-way trip she had picked up for someone.
She had to be at the airport at 7am and I just happened to wake up and look at the clock at 6am. She had set the alarm for 6pm on accident. We scrambled to get to the airport.
When we got there, I pulled out the laptop and made my decision on where I was going to go. After looking at all options...I just decided that this trip was to be stress-free...and that home to Texas was the best bet. I called Brent back at the office and had him list me...then got transferred to Salt Lake Ops to let them know that I was in a long security line and for them to plan for a jumpseater in the weight and balance. Marie in SLC Ops rocks and had to gate have the jumpseat stuff waiting for me and the pilots notified. All I had to do was run out to the plane and get situated in that lovely jumpseat.
When I got to DFW and stepped off the plane, I started thinking that maybe I should try to at least get out of the country for a couple days. Once I came to this decision (with a little prodding from the lovely Penny Lane about how I'm "not spontaneous enough"), I ran over to the Delta ticket counter in time to have the ticket agent tell me I was too late to check in for the next flight. She told me she would relist me for the "7 o'clock flight"....yeah...she told me 7...it was really 5:20. That's what I get for not paying attention. I showed up at 5:10 in time to miss the flight to ATL. Oh well. At this point, I decided that I wasn't supposed to go anywhere...so, I called Dearing and he picked me up.
We got dinner with his new girl and Wilson...then played Xbox 360 for essentially 2 days. So relaxing. Rented a car...made the rounds...went to 2 movies with Shaun and Rocky last night (The Simpsons and Bourne Ultimatum). Gonna go hang with the grandparents for the second time in 2 days...and see some more folks before heading back tomorrow.
It may not have been as exotic as going overseas...but this trip has been so recharging...good stuff.
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