The Joys of Travel

If I had another day to get ready, I would have duplicated my entire CD & DVD collection and brought them with me. All the while, not really worrying about making sure bills were going to get paid, I had all documents and flight/transfer/meet-up information, and how I was getting to the airport. Don’t worry, it all worked out.

There were a few hassles at Dulles. Delta had canceled my early flight due to weather, so rebooked me on an Air France flight that left later. At least they had the courtesy to call me in the morning to let me know. Of course when I went to the Air France check-in, they sent me and all of my heavy-ass bags (four en toto) down to the complete opposite end of the terminal to the Delta counter, where I had to wait for a good 25-30 minutes for one, count him, ONE (1), passenger to be helped. Surely enough he finally ended up getting sent to another line and I was out and back to the Air France counter where my bags were at least 3-4 kilograms over wait. Don’t worry monsieur, $50 will get those bags on the plane. Who am I to argue, pay the man?

The seats were quite comfy, I must say, until the asshole in front of me decided to exercise his “full reclining” privileges. I’m a survivor; there was no one next to me so I was able to spill over the sides, as they say. The meal was quite good I must say. Beef with mixed veggies, French bread with cheese, cous cous salad with salmon, and of course a 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine only helped so much, between becoming increasingly more uncomfortable from lounging Larry, his annoying 3 year old daughter wouldn’t shut up the entire flight and cried and moaned every chance she could get, with NO discipline what so-ever. People, sheesh!

I was ever-so-fascinated with the touch screen "In-Flight-Vision". I could choose from such gems of entertainment as BBC news, the Air-France shopping boutique, Droopy Dog cartoons, Frasier (absolutely awful), MacGyver, & a Beach Boys concert I'm guessing it was filmed circa 2001, I never actually watched it). I settle for "Little Miss Sunshine" and "The Illusionist". Sleep wasn't an option.

Anywho, I got in on time, and it only took me about 45 minutes to get off the plane, hop the shuttle which basically circled the aiport before dropping me of at a terminal the complete opposite side of where my connecting gate was, and of course I had to go through customs and RE-Enter security. Wonderful. When I finally got to the gate, about 5 minutes before my flight was supposed to take off, the girl at the counter gave me a look equal to, "What the hell are you doing here?" The let me on, and Berlin bound I was.