UMTravels

3:45 am comes early when you go to bed at 11pm.

The alarm went off, Oneil called, I got my self showered and shaved and my butt on the bus by 4:30am.

Was actually at the airport and through immigration and security a few minutes after 5.

Begin American Airlines rant/ramble:

• Website says Panama City club open at 5:15am, sign on club says 5:30
• No English language papers – even yesterdays
• American redid my schedule so that instead of a 2.5 hour layouver in Miami (plenty of time for checked bags and duty free) I had 1.5 hours – and the flight was 15 minutes late getting out of the gat when they broke a tow bar
• Came in at the far end of one terminal – had to walk to the center of the airport for customs, and then get back out to the far end – after going BACK through security to get to my gate… needless to say they were boarding by the time I got there
• Positive: lines at immigration were short, which is good since I couldn’t find the “trusted traveler” machines
• Flight 2: I drank them out of Glen Livet after one drink (two minis). Lots of Dewars, little Livet
• Chicago (ORD) lounge – huge, beautiful, but you could spend a fortune in here: $3.95 for a cappuccino, sandwiches starting at $8, internet access for people with day passes, business class tickets and Alaska Boardroom members, $8. There is an interesting concept – have an expensive private club where everything costs more.
• And every rag needs a ramble… what if American orders the Boeing 787… it’s a composite body and all their planes are buffed aluminum (saves 1,000 pounds of weight from the paint)… what will they do, paint them light gray?
• The seats on my last leg were WONDERFUL… they were a new style that the butt slides forward so the back can go further back – that and outlets for laptops that use standard plugs
• And a question – why does a new jet have cigarette ashtrays on either side of the bathroom doors? You haven’t been able to smoke on flights in twenty years and I assume both the bathroom design and the bathroom itself is newer than that.

Met a pretty young Italian guy in the airport in Chicago, gave him my card if he needs a home-cooked meal, he’s coming to Seattle for 5 years to study biology. Met a couple of pretty Miamians on their way to Everett to hang out and play tourist for 10-days. Didn’t give them a card, but told them when to get off Light Rail – same stop as me. Picked up a package and a New Yorker at the apartment before heading home and straight to bed (after opening the mail).

Good to be home.

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