Wednesday 12:00 pm: Take all reasonable drugs to help with head cold before boarding cross-country flight.
Wednesday 12:30 pm: Pick up colleague at Metro station (she notes hearing upcoming weekend storm is growing).
Wednesday 1:30 pm: Arrive at Dulles airport ridiculously early for 3:00 flight but glad when discover security line will take equally ridiculously long time (given that each person has to basically disrobe to gain access to the gates).
Wednesday 3:00 pm: Still haven't boarded as flight is delayed.
Wednesday 3:30 pm: Storm updates coming in--DC going to be buried Friday afternoon to Saturday in a couple feet of snow. Let the fretting about how we are going to get back begin.
Wednesday 4:00 pm: Finally airborne with the bonus of having the seat next to me empty.
Wednesday 4:15 pm: Wishing someone was sitting in seat next to me to buffer me from the elderly gentleman in the aisle seat who is clearly going to engage me in conversation all the way to California. ALL. THE. WAY.
Wednesday 8:30 pm: Ring flight attendant to see if she has seen any sinuses laying around because I am quite sure someone just ripped mine out through my ears.
Wednesday 10:00 pm: Body starting to shut down, end of day . . . oops, arrival in California--time to go to work.Wednesday 7:00 pm: Turn on Blackberry to discover multiple emails announcing just how massive the storm heading into DC is going to be. Sigh.
Wednesday 7:10 pm: Plane to train to rental car, head south from San Fran to San Jose.
Wednesday 8:00 pm: Tour San Jose on foot with colleague while trying to figure out how to change schedule to get back before snow storm--conclusion: we are screwed.
Wednesday 9:00 pm: Dinner and more plotting and fretting--plotting and fretting better with drinks and food.
Wednesday 11:00 pm: Crashing into bed as if I am sick and it is 2:00 am
Thursday 3:00 am: Wake up, ready to go to work.
Thursday 6:00 am: Wake up (again) with crushing guilt that I will be stuck on west coast leaving Neats and boys on their own through snow storm and resolving to find new, well-paying and engaging job close to home that doesn't require travel.
Thursday 7:00 am: Meetings start while simultaneously plotting for real to speed up LA portion of trip and get early flight home Friday.
Thursday 7:30-9:30 am: LA team can accommodate, the good folks back at headquarters moving heaven and earth to rebook us, trying to get on 9:00 am flight Friday. Cancelled. What about red-eye? Nothing else in morning? 8:00 am flight? Yes. No. Cancelled. Book red-eye, book red eye! Call LA. Red-eye sold out. No wait, one on Virgin America. Book it--I get on, colleague doesn't. Wait, earlier flight, colleague on. Need to hurry to get back to San Fran. LA cancelled.
Thursday, 9:30 am-12:30 pm: Tear around San Jose with very understanding and great team of folks (who because of that and the weather probably just scored a big contract).
Thursday 1:00 pm: Haul ass up to SFO to get colleague on flight. Score!
Thursday 2:30 pm: Car returned, train taken to terminal and then back to the other terminal where Virgin America is--check in reidiculously early, but as a result get window seat in exit row. Touchdown!
Thursday present: Hanging in airport wondering how long all of my batteries will live and waiting to board plane which will deliver me to IAD at 6:00 am in the morning just in time to get on DC highways with crazy commuters and panic shoppers!
Two things I know for sure based on these last 24 hours. One, I have amazing colleagues who stayed cool and got us booked on flights and hopefully home. Two, I am less and less interested in leaving home in the first place.
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