I survived, but what a story

Now you know me, I could not just have an uneventful journey back from the confines of the desert to the calm chaos of the city. But more on that later, I had the whole day planned like any other good business trip.

My flight was to leave at precisely 6:10, considering the airport is all of about 8 blocks from the hotel and traffic is not a major factor in the southwest leaving hotel at precisely 5:05 was sufficient. All packed up, car waiting, and we are off to the races in calm relaxation. Arriving at the one room airport I walk in and am greeted by the only person in the airport working behind the ticket counter with the following exchange in conversation:

Agent: “You must be going to Alberquerque.”

Me: “Nope, going to Denver”

Agent: “You just missed your flight, should be taking off right now.”

Me: “That can’t be right, flight doesn’t leave until 6:10”

Agent: “It does everyday, and right now it is 6:15”

Me: “Sorry but no, it is 5:15”

Agent: “You must be staying in town, there is a time change between the airport and the hote”

Me: “Seriously, you are kidding”

Suffice to say she was not kidding. Well not one to be shocked to inaction I quickly grab my trusted cell phone and call my travel office. After an excruciating 10 minute wait time I finally get an agent who tells me they can get me out at 3pm, nothing soon. The agent overhearing one side of the conversation queries me if I want to go to Albuquerque in 15 minutes. So I have another conversation:

Agent: “If you want to go to Albuquerque you have about 10 minutes”

Me to Travel “If I was in Albuquerque, can you get me to San Francisco?”

Travel: “But you are in Farmington”

Me: “Work with me, can you get me out??”

Travel: “Yes I can, a 8:25 flight but….”

Me to Agent: “Here is my credit card, whatever get me on this plane”

Me to Travel: “Book the plane call me when I land in Albuquerque with my ticket”

Travel: “But we how will…”

Agent: “It is going to be a grand total of $97, we need to ask some questions…”

Me to Travel: “Book it I, I trust you, got to go”

Me to Agent: “You are beautiful, make it happen”

Ticket in hand run and get on my little tiny plane to Albuquerque. Ironically enough the exact same pilot and co-pilot from my plane from Phoenix were flying me out the next day to Albuquerque. I felt like telling my fellow passengers that these guys (well guy and girl) are good, I know them. We land and now I have 30 minutes to go to the ticket counter to get my ticket on United, run through security, and get on my plane. Jog over to United ticket counter, they tell me we are too close to take-off and they can only put me on stand-by for next flight unless by some miracle I can run through security in time. Now in all out run for security I slide under rope lines, leap over kids, and circumnavigate the maze of elderly struggling to find their ID. Manage to make it through security in a total time of 3 minutes 24 seconds, a new personal best for me. Moving mach 4 through the terminal I get to the gate 7 minutes before the doors close. Collapsing in my seat I got to tell you…

I RULE!

The stars were in line, the tea leaves splayed in my favor, somehow the comedy of errors worked in my favor. Probably didn’t hurt that in my first flight, there were a number of people who saw my presentation and all wanted to spend the flight talking about it and telling me how exciting my talk was. Personally I think that my competition was just unusually low, but it never hurts to hear some praise. Actually I received a glass or crystal award for best presentation at the event so it can’t be all bad. Anyway I made it home alive with just a couple stories to tell.

Before I sign off, a moment of silence for today at 5:30 san Francisco celebrated its hundred year anniversary of the 1906 earthquake. Many lost their lives, virtually everyone lost property, may it never happen again to the extent we experienced. May we learn from the past.