Well, the adventure begins… I am currently sitting in the SLC airport awaiting my flight to Seattle. Security wasn’t that big of a deal, though I did get a nice pat down from a rather large man. And when I say large… well you can just imagine.
I must admit that I am excited about this new adventure, although my stomach is doing backflips at the moment. The past couple of weeks have been a rather anxious time just waiting in anticipation for my travels. My sleeping in normal times is sparse, so you can imagine my sleep patterns over the past two weeks. Few hours and far between… We are starting boarding so I need to pack up and continue this on the plane…
I was unable to log during my flight from SLC to SEA… I was seated next to a woman who was suffering from major anxiety and at one point felt as if she was having a heart attack. I was able to talk her through her anxiety and calm her down. She was most grateful for my presence and assistance and just had to get a picture with me after the flight. So honey, that picture of me and the blond that was posted online was completely innocent! Innocent I tell ya!
In Seattle I changed airlines, and was forced to pick up my luggage and re-check the stuff. I am bringing three rather large bags with me and so it was quite the juggling act getting everything settled. Actually, I ended up breaking down and spent $4.00 (!!!! can you say price-gouging!) on a cart. I must admit, it was worth the money, and no, I did not return it for my 0.25 cent refund! All in all it cost me an additional $114.00 to get my luggage from Salt Lake to Fairbanks. I thought I was supposed to make a profit on this deal...
When I arrived at the gate for my flight to Fairbanks, I ran into another driver that is headed up there from Utah. Dane Judd was in my training class and as we started talking I learned that he will probably be camping on someone’s floor for the next few days until he finds his place. Guess what that means for me… I may not be sleeping in the airport tonight. He is going to call his friends when he arrives in AK and ask if there is room for one more on the floor. We shall see. Yes, I am making this the cheapest summer possible! And I am not opposed to mooching my way across the Great White North.
Things to note… the flight from SLC to SEA was only about half full… Just the way I like it! The flight to Fairbanks on the other hand is completely booked. Luckily I am sitting next to a cute little three year old named Caroline. And as she doesn’t take up much space, I am able to ooze over into her seat just a wee bit. Much better than the time I had to wedge between the Samoan and the Black football players on my flight from SLC to SAN a few years ago. (That is a flight I will probably never forget and one that is fun to hear about… ask me about it sometime if you want the exciting details)
Caroline has been very pleasant, sharing her Hello Kitty stickers, her horsey coloring book and her Car’s fruit snacks; now if she would just slow down the jabbering and give me a chance to close my eyes for a few minutes. Actually it isn’t that bad… I have enjoyed babysitting her doll, Michael Mulligan (don't ask me... I didn't name the thing).
It looks as if Caroline may be fading off to sleep… no surprise since she and her family left Frankfurt, Germany about 14 hours ago. And I thought I was tired. I am going to see if I can get a little shut eye…
