On the Road Again…Part II

After there was nothing left and the cramps subsided…for the most part, I went ahead and entered a SNG. I took some Tums, finished 5th and went to sleep.

The next business day was fine, so it was back to the room to prepare for our Tuesday night tourney. I went to dinner at a Chinese buffet. You would think I might not want to risk this, but it looked ok. The food was mediocre and cold, but at least I didn’t get sick.

The tourney did not go well for me. I made the “correct” fold twice early in the tournament and saw flopped quads and a flopped nut straight sail by me as stack builders. There was plenty of action on the hands too. Then, to end my tournament, my Aces got cracked. But I did my job and reported on the tournament, wrote the article, and went to bed.

Here was the deal. I figured I would pass right out and get some sleep. I had a full day of walking thru a steel foundry and having some intense meetings. Then there was our tourney and my article/record keeping job to do. It was now midnight, and unfortunately for me, the tossing and turning started. I could not get to sleep! I do remember the last time I looked at the clock; it was 1:30 am. I had a 3 am wake up call scheduled.

I had a 7:15am flight. To make it to the airport on time and to have a little coffee and breakfast, I figured: one hour to airport, an extra half hour for construction, a half hour to return the rental car and shuttle to the terminal, one hour to check my bag, get my ticket and get thru security. This puts me at my gate exactly one hour before take off. Perfect. Then I can scout out some breakfast choices in what looks to be a nice airport. I told the front desk that I needed a 3 am wake up call. I set the alarm clock besides.

I roll over to what I think is another toss-and-turn checking of the time. And as I turn to look, I remember thinking, “I might as well get up because I am not getting any sleep anyway.” The clock said 4:20 am!!!!! – and yes, I did get up! Did I get a wake up call? Did I set the alarm correctly? Who knows and I don’t have time to figure it out.

An hour and a half behind schedule and the panic sets in. And traffic at the construction site or the Philadelphia morning freeway system has easily doubled from the time I planned to pass thru there and now. Making the flight on time looks hopeless and I have GM corporate people from Mexico waiting for me in Indianapolis. This is just great.

Well I get on the road and get on the rental car shuttle to the terminal at 6:30 am, having flagged it down as it was leaving without me. I knew another would be leaving in ten minutes, but I didn’t have ten minutes. I told the driver why I had to get on this bus as my plane was leaving in 45 minutes and I was not even checked in yet. She said that I “should have no problem getting thru check in and security quickly on a Wednesday morning.”

She is correct! I am only 2nd in line at check-in. I get up to the counter, pay for my bag, get my boarding pass and turn to head to the security check point – when –

I see she is putting a DTW (Detroit) label on my bag instead of IND (Indianapolis). I said over the shoulder of the man who rushed up to fill the spot I just had, “Why are tagging my bag for Detroit?” She says, “We are sending it straight thru for you. You won’t have to pick your bag up to re-board for Detroit, sir.”

It is only then that I take a real close look at my itinerary. My flight will get into Indianapolis at 9:39 am. I am renting my car at 10 am in Indy and returning it at 11 am on the same day! Then my flight home to Detroit leaves at 1 pm – also today! I don’t think this leave a whole lot of time for getting to the supplier and meeting with the GM-Mexico entourage that is meeting me there.

One half hour before my plane leaves (probably boarding now) and I stand there with my butchered itinerary, un-brushed teeth and no morning coffee disposition. My change of clothes is now heading to Detroit whether I am on any plane or not, and I am not yet thru the security lines. The ticket-bag check line has filled nicely behind me so getting it all repaired there will mean I miss my flight for sure – which I may not make anyways.

Did I mention my AA got cracked last night too??? – More next time.