the trip - day one.

So, I'm up at about 4:45 AM on Monday morning - on the internet, checking on my flight. It's still on, so I wake up my room-mate to drive me to the airport. I get there without any trouble, then get checked in. I also check my bag - which turned out to be a mistake - but head on down to the security checkpoint. I'd also like to point out that the clerk at the counter told me that I would have to recheck my bag in Atlanta as I was on standby there. While in line, but still not that far along, I realize that I have my co-workers boarding pass as well as my own. Not sure if that will be a problem for him, I head back to the check-in area, find a phone, and leave a message for him. And wait for him until too much time passed and I got nervous. Back to security and through the checkpoint - then waiting at the gate area. My co-worker arrives and we chat for a bit before boarding.

The plane at the akron canton airport was kind small and we were packed in there pretty well. Everyone was trying to make the best of the situation - but then we found out that we couldn't move - the ground was too slippery and the buggy couldn't pull us to the de-icing station. Plan B was to bring the de-icing truck to us, but that didn't work either. So, eventually, the captain decided on Plan C - pull the gates away from the plane and use the engines to make the plan do essentially a 180 at the gate area and power on down to the de-icing station. Which was a little weird, but it worked. Plan de-iced and finally on the runway - 3rd in line. Finally in the air - and my co-worker and I are pretty sure we're going to miss our connecting flight.
I couldn't get to my paper stash - so I re-folded my 14 piece emergency stash over and over until we landed.

When we land in Atlanta, I go to claim my bag while my co-worker checks on the next flight - since there's no way we'll make ours. He comes back to me at the baggage area in a hurry and says the clerk will get us on a plane - but that my bag has already gone on to Miami. Great.

We get some over-priced Arby's and get to the plane on time. I'm better prepared on paper and give leave a complex module behind for the flight attendants. We meet our driver and go to pick up my bag. My baggage claim ticket is ignored and they lady tells me to just pick up my bag if I see it. Which I do and we're on the road.

In route to the hotel, we get a call from the company and ask the driver to re-route and take us to the office instead. We finally arrive and head right into training for 3 hours. Finally take a break at 6 and walk to the hotel. Our directions are bad, but we finally get there - to find that the rest of the crew that was flying in for the second part of the training has just arrived at the hotel. I'm reminded of the Home Alone scene where the mother drives cross country with a polka band to get to her son - and the rest of the family arrives moments later from a standby plane trip.

A quick change of clothes and we head out to dinner. I'm dressed to try and blend in - everyone else still looks like they are from Ohio. Dinner was at Los Rancheos and it was good - I had the red snapper, beans and rice, and plantains. As expected with a bunch of geeky guys on a trip - the humor warped and the stories are un-repeatable.

After dinner we walk around for a bit until we quickly get to a bad section of town and turn around. One co-worker stops to buy a sandwich for a homeless guy so we wait for that to be prepared. It's after 10 before we get to the hotel and I call it a night while the rest of the crew heads to the bar. The shower is hot, the bed is king-sized, the pillows inviting. I set a wake up call for an early morning of more training and go to bed.