Mar 16th, 2008
Portland - Day 1
I got approval to attend a writers conference in Portland . . . woo hoo! I know you’re all beside yourselves with excitement, but it’s very exciting stuff for us writers 
After partaking in a few too many adult beverages on Saturday evening at the neighbor’s St. Patrick’s Day Party, I dragged myself out of bed Sunday morning to finish laundry and pack. Yes, I procrastinate when it comes to packing. It’s about the only thing I DON’T plan a month or two ahead of time 
To Mother Nature – why can’t you just let the weather be nice and sunny on a travel day, instead of foggy, cold, rainy, snowy, and slippery?
To United Airlines – hire enough friggin’ pilots so you can have at least 50% of your planes take off on time instead of 2 hours late!
To the UAL Gate Agent – thank you for making the delay as painless as possible.
To the UAL Flight Attendant – thank you for turning me around at the plane doors so I could wait the 2 hours in the terminal instead of on the plane!
To the Captain – thank you for your pleasant attitude during our delay. You were supposed to be going home, but instead you accepted the assignment to fly us to Portland. And thank you for making the number of landings equal the number of takeoffs!
To the Mother travelling alone with her 7 and 9 year olds – I understand why you declined trading your crappy middle seat in the way back for my aisle seat next to your 7 year old daughter. But I’m a mother and I could not let your daughter sit alone on the plane. Thank you for finally taking my seat.
To the guy in the window seat – shame on you for not trading you seat with this woman’s son so they could sit together! I promise you that it wouldn’t have killed you.
To the people on either side of me in the waaaayyy back – thank you for making light of the fact that our seats did not recline and we were packed in there like sardines.
To the people in the seats in front of us – no thanks to you for reclining your seats all. The. Way. And then explaining how you’re sorry there’s no room, but if you didn’t recline your seat, you couldn’t get your laptop screen angled just right.
To the other mother travelling alone with her two young children – I understand. I’ve done it many times. But don’t wait until they turn on the final seat belt sign for landing to try to get your 2 and 4 year olds to the bathroom and then back to their seats and buckled in safely. You had 2 hours and 45 minutes to do that.
To the two hoodlums on the light rail – you make it VERY difficult for a visitor to like your city when the minute you get off the train you are arrested as we all watch!
To the really drunk guy on the train – STOP IT! Put the wine away, and don’t throw up in the seat next to me! The next time security escorts you off the train, please go get some help.
To the hostess at the restaurant in the hotel – you have a sign outside your restaurant saying the conference people are meeting there; it’s not MY fault you didn’t schedule help to serve me dinner – at 7:30 p.m.!
To the front desk lady – thank you for being so pleasant and directing me across the street to the other hotel tower restaurant. The Salmon was EXCELLENT! And I’m now full
To my husband – thank you for being so willing to stay home and be the wonderful dad and husband you are. I didn’t want to leave 2 days after you got home from a long trip, but that’s how the ball rolls. And thank you for working your schedule out so you’re home for the next 2 full weeks.
RSS Feed
It sounds like quite some ups and downs….but glad you got to go. Good for you and helping that mommy out!