Monday, July 11, 2011

Good Morning From Oakland

Usually my summer trips involve early morning flights that mean leaving home at the pre butt crack of dawn and driving off into the early morning darkness. Not this year! My flight wasn’t scheduled to leave Dulles until 6:00 pm! And it was direct! What a luxury!

I had a very nice morning: reading my Kindle, packing those last minute things, and tying up loose ends at home.  I left around 2:00 to run a few errands then head to the airport. 

I arrived at the airport a little after 3, parked the car, got the shuttle, and walked right up to an open check-in kiosk at the Jet Blue Counter.  When I checked in though I was informed that the flight was delayed.  We now weren’t going to leave until 7:00.  Glad I already built extra time into the plan. 

The line for security was massive.  I’m not sure why but I thought it would be better later in the day, wrong.  They were herding everyone into two big lines and then taking turns which line got to head downstairs to the main screening area – once down there the line wound around a bunch of times before you actually got to go through.

Standing in line I pulled out my Kindle and discovered that reading on my Kindle is far superior to reading a book when it comes to reading in line!  I just had to hold the device – no worrying about turning pages or losing your page which always happens when you try to read one handed! And it was easy to see over so I could read and shuffle along (it was just like reading sitting in traffic! LOL!) Kindle: 1 Paper Books: 0

When I got up to the security screening area there was a guy with a BIG guitar looking case.  It was about 4x the size of a guitar so I’m guessing it was a bass or something.  The case was solid, shiny, white, plastic and it had a black rubber looking bumper on the edge.  At first glance it looked like a Stormtrooper.  Now, that would make flying better.  Replace all the TSA agents with Stormtroopers.  Of course they were the bad guys, but whatever, they are still cooler than your average TSA agent. 

I did get to experience the “backscatter” machine.  They had it set up where some people went though that and some went through the old metal detectors.  It wasn’t so bad – you just stood there – hands up on your head like you are being arrested and then the gal tells you to come out.  I did have one security “oops”.  Despite having read TSA’s website so I’d know what to do I didn’t see that my computer needed it’s own bin so I put it in a bin and put my shoes, purse and meds on top.  The gal had to take it back and run it all back through again.  She was very friendly until I asked if I could just take the stuff on top (thinking it had already been scanned) and her whole tone changed and she said “No, I cannot let you have access to the property at this time.”  Well, then. 

I was kinda glad for the extra hour now because at this point it had taken 45 minutes to get through security and I still wanted to hike down to the A terminal to get a Cosi sandwich!  Of course Cosi was alll the way at the end of the A terminal – a mile or so (at least! ;-) from where the train dropped me off! I then had to walk all the way back to almost the end of the B terminal! It was good to spend my extra hour walking! Not only that but Cosi has San Pelligrino in bottles! :-) Of course it was close to $3.00 for a 20 oz bottle (I pay about 60 cents for a liter of fizzy water at Wegmans!) so it was like drinking Platinum!

The rest of the wait went quickly and soon the plane arrived and we boarded and were ready to go!  I settled in with my headphones, iPod and Kindle.  I was happily reading away when the flight attendant announced that we needed to turn off ALL electronic devices. uh-oh.  I thought I’d just play dumb until she clarified - “that’s anything with an “on/off” switch, including: Kindles, cell phones, CD players….etc….”  The fact that she specifically mentioned Kindles and mentioned it 1st made me just turn it off and wait till we we were airborne.  The folks who lugged paper books were still reading away.  Kindle: 0, Paper Book 1. 

The flight  was uneventful and soon we were landing in Oakland.  As I stepped off the plan onto the Jetway the outside air felt WONDERFUL – it was crisp and chilly and not a speck of humidity! As I was waiting on the curb for the Holiday Inn van to pick me up I checked the weather – it was 59*!  Very nice, even if my teeth were a few degrees away from chattering!

The Holiday Inn is very nice and I have been sufficiently pampered, even if I did sleep much!  The bed was plush and comfy with high threadcount sheets (even if id did set my allergies off…), the shower spacious (my whole RV is prob smaller!) with a premium showerhead, free wireless, and though expensive, tasty room service breakfast!  In a few minutes the front desk will summon me a taxi to wisk me off to San Leandro to get my RV!

Next post will likely not be until Saturday….see ya’ll then!

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