Another Sleepless Night . . .

I'm getting ready for my first trip in seven weeks, and I almost forgot how to do these things again. It's not as easy as remembering how to ride a bike. Day trips are a little easier. This time, I'm gone for an extended period of time, and remembering how to pack is a bit of a challenge. The other part of the equation is the sleep deprivation. I honestly can't remember how I did this on a day-to-day, week-by-week basis. Maybe I'll catch up on some sleep in New Orleans. Yeah, right... Later.

Louisiana Cavity Search

I'm at war with Continental Airlines, if you can call them an airline. You see, I was traveling back from Lafeyette, LA, and I had assigned seats. Continental said that it didn't matter because I was bumped to standby status, and I'd probably get stuck in Houston anyway. Then they asked for my ticket back, and gave me a "SSSS" ticket so I could get my cavity search. This was the opening shot which started my war with Continental. After that, I got rerouted to Orange County, while my car was at LAX. Also, they gave away my confirmed window seat on the Orange County flight, because they felt like it, so I had to beg for a center. So, I had to pay for a ride to LAX. Unfortunately, I had no cash on me, so the increased challenge was there. Continental was also no help at this point either, and they really didn't care, since I have no status on them. This was a Delta codeshare, and I'm Platinum on Delta. Therefore, it reflects bad on them, too. I called to register my complaints about this, but the holy war with Continental has begun. I ask you all to join my struggle against Continental Airlines. Boycott Continental Airlines. Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Later.

Delay In Dallas

The journey is sometimes more memorable than the actual trip itself. Earlier this week, we had a few weather issues which grounded me in Dallas on the way to New Orleans. It was one of those classical trips in which I started out at 4am, as you can see by my previous post. My connecting flight in Dallas was missing an airplane. In fact, the airplane got diverted to Sheveport, and couldn't take off again. So, they decided to get a plane from Little Rock to take us over, but, as you know, there is always the staffing issue as well. We were missing crew. This caused the flight board to move from 3:35 to 4:15 to 5:00 to 6:00 to 5:35 to 6:25 to 7:35 to 6:00 to 6:25 to 7:00 to 6:45. This was, as you can imagine, a bit unnerving for all the passengers. Well, we did take off, eventually, but there was another problem -- It was no longer a 50-seater. They got a 37-passenger plane, and 13 people were bumped. I wasn't one of them, though. We had another problem, also. If we didn't take off by 7:30, the crew's time would expire, and none of us would get there. Anyhow, it was a mad rush to get to the plane in the downpour, and get everyone situated in order to take off just in time. What an adventure! Later.

Battle Stations

I spent yet another all-nighter preparing for the next trip. Considering that the flight is out of LAX, and it is at some unreasonable hour in the middle of the night, like 7am, I decided that it was only appropriate. From the work perspective, I'm nowhere near ready to go. Don't get me wrong -- I'm almost packed, and I have most of my paperwork together, in preparation to leave for the airport. Even being up all night did not quite get me ready for what I needed for this week. I'm still backlogged with some tech work. I'm also not really mentally prepared to get on that airplane in the darkness of the night, once again. But I guess it's time for me to get back onto the playing field. Now, as I was saying earlier -- onward to New Orleans and Nashville! Yet another all-week trip begins once again. All hands to battle stations! Later.

Crash Landing

For every thing there is a first time. This week, I actually called in sick. You see, I think I got some bad curried tuna or something in Sacramento. I was scheduled to be in Dallas for the rest of the week, but instead, I got to stay at home and get some rest. It takes a lot to get me off the road. Granted, I felt like something from Alien was going to burst out of my gut. After all, this is the first time in over a decade that I called in sick, and it is the first time that I have had to arrange alternative coverage for an appointment. I'm usually pretty resilient, and travel while sick, dying, or zombified. I'm feeling much better now. I guess there's a lot to be said for getting some rest. Onward to New Orleans! Later.

Proof Of Flogging

I drew one of the SSSS tickets again today, thanks to my one-way trip from Portland to Long Beach through Seattle. Anyhow, I got to go into the "flogging lane" in security. If they are going to frisk you anyway, why do they make you go through the exercise of taking all the stuff out of your pockets, shoes off, etc., and then do it all over again once you pass through the magic gate. That just doesn't make any sense to me. But then again, it's the TSA, who, by the way, once again locked me out of my luggage in Portland when I arrived from Baton Rouge. When all was said and done, they stamped my boarding pass, so I wouldn't be flogged in Seattle again. It's the Proof of Flogging stamp, issued by the TSA. This is one seal of approval that I could do without. Later.

It's Not My Imagination

Greetings, my faithful readers. I was going through security today, and the lady behind me got nailed. After she went through the rigourous search procedure, she came out and told her husband that she had "been through a whippin'." Now, I call it a flogging, but however you define the term, the TSA people are just ridiculous these days, especially at some of the smaller, more backward airports like Long Beach. That seems to be the only place where I still have to take off my belt, in addition to the shoes, and have the TSA people scan my pants zipper. Anyhow, I'm in lovely Baton Rouge, LA. And I think it's some sort of state law that you are required to have some gumbo while in the state, so that's what I had for dinner. My site is still down for a bit while I transition to a different hosting service, but I'm sure it will be back up and running shortly. Later.

Technical Difficulties

Well, my ability to post to my site is down for a while, but I'll continue writing, because someone out there seems to still be reading this stuff. How about that? The site has been up and down lately, and I've been locked out for the last several days, so I'm getting another hosting service. That should fix things for a while. It's a long weekend, but I'm at home, which is really unusual. GET ME OUT OF HERE!!! Anyhow, I'm off to Baton Rouge on Tuesday. Later.

The Third Ring Tour Of 2003

I just got back home from Phoenix, where it really started to cool down a bit. The nights were only in the high eighties, which is pretty good by comparison. I have been to Phoenix a bit too much in the last month, and since my August trips to the area are officially over, it's time to put a close to the Third Ring Of Hell Tour of 2003. Let's start gearing up for the 2004 tour! This last trip was the most difficult, with the sleep deprivation factor which was left over from the seven-hour delay out of Dallas. I wound up at my hotel after 3am, and when I started doing my e-mails, people were already up on the east coast responding to me. I then proceeded to get lost for the 206th time. However, this time, I was hopelessly stranded in the desert somewhere halfway between Phoenix and Flagstaff. What a trip! I think this is one for the books. Well, I'm home for the weekend, and then off to Baton Rouge, LA, next week. See you then! Later.