So I was going to blog yesterday about my experiences at the airport while AT the airport, in great detail, but internet access was spotty and I was working off +/- 6 hours of sleep in the last 3 days, so wouldn't have been the greatest idea. However, now that I'm settled, I will give you the Cliff's Notes:
I arrived at the airport at 5:10 am, and got through security in about 15 minutes, seeing as I had only my backpack with me, and the only mildly taboo item that had been on my person, a lighter, had been thrown away in front of a TSA employee who, after the fact, informed me that I was allowed to carry one on with me. I proceeded to stick my hand into the relatively empty garbage can to fish it out (because it's a bitch trying to find fire for your cigarette right outside the airport, and a smoke after a long airport/flight experience is mandatory) and immediately buried my hand in some unknown liquidy goodness at the bottom. The employee looked on me with evident amusement as I jerked my hand out in mild surprise, and the only witty quip I could come up with was, "Well, so much for that idea." Yeah, didn't get the opportunity to wash up until after security. Yum.
I was flying standby, and had two hours until my (hopeful) flight departed, so after the interesting experience of riding a subway to a satellite building (think the airport equivalent of a school portable) to get to my gate, I sat down at Bigfoot Grub and Pub or something of that nature.
Enter the Drink Nazi.
So my waitress, a waifish little early-20-something Asian lady who was obviously not too thrilled to be working the early shift, approached and after giving me a total of fifteen seconds to peruse the menu, asked for my order. I asked what was on tap (yeah yeah, I know, but I'm on vacation and grumpy). "25 minutes until we can serve beer, what food do you want?" "Just a water for now, and a few more minutes, please." She proceeds to come by every thirty seconds until I order a hot dog, at which time she points to the six-item breakfast menu and says, "Uh, we're only serving breakfast right now." You're an airport restaurant, the time of day should be irrelevant. I order a Beastly Breakfast Sandwich with sausage. The food came fifteen minutes later, and was pretty good. I ate it in about 45 seconds, and sat waiting for about 20 minutes for her to return to offer something else, during which 6 am had passed. 6:15 rolls around, and she finally comes back around. "Oh, did you still want a beer?"
Fast forward, and here's the Cliff's Notes part (sorry for the longwindedness, I know I promised short). I couldn't get on the first flight. Sleep dep is in full swing, and my vision is playing tricks on me, i.e. mild hallucinations. Not the fun kind, with spontaneously growing and shrinking tree limbs and animals sporting colors ill-befitting of their species, but dots and flashes. I break open the book I brought, and read about a hundred pages waiting for the next flight.
Yeah, didn't get on that one either. By this time I'm cranky and about to implode. I feel very antisocial (yeah, I don't do well in busy places by myself, especially in the condition I was in), and like I'm about to crawl out of my skin. I move to the gate for the third try, and take a nap.
I wake up after about an hour, feeling much better. Not two seconds after I wake, my phone rings. It's my stepmom Terri, who works for Alaska Airlines and who generously provided the standby passes for the trip. She had arrived at work and checked on my progress. Working her crafty magic, she had switched my standby pass for an actual seat and called to tell me to go to the gate podium to pick up my boarding pass! Things went smoothly from then on out.
So here I am, blogging to you from sunny, 92 degree Buckeye, AZ. It's me and Allie's fourth wedding anniversary, and we're going out to Abuelo's for anniversary dinner. This is the best Mexican restaurant I've ever been to, atmosphere AND food wise. The flavor palette is much different down here - where we Seattleites are used to a cilantro, lime, and pico de gallo-heavy variety of selections, down here mole, avocado, and chile verde show up a lot more. It's refreshing.
Will blog more later. Sauza Hornitos is calling my name.
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