OBSTACLE 4: THE TRIP TO THE AIRPORT
The plan was to meet Matthew at Union Station and travel together on the UP train to the airport.
We had reduced the weight of our bags but Greg’s was still pretty heavy. I didn’t mention before that we were taking wheeled hockey bags instead of regular suitcases since they were collapsible and would not take up as much space on the boat. A heavy wheeled hockey bag is not very maneuverable. We figured the benefit of less-space-taking-upedness was worth the inconvenience of transporting it to and from the airport. Given what transpired, I’m not so sure it was the right decision.
For our carry-ons, I had a regular wheeled cabin suitcase. I figured it wouldn’t take up that much space on the boat and I could always get rid of it if it did.
Greg’s carry-on was a duffel bag that he carried on his shoulder. It was also pretty heavy. He was also carrying my fishing rod.
Matthew didn’t have a checked bag. He only had his backpack as a carry-on, but it was packed pretty full.
We took the subway to Union Station. It’s still sweltering. The journey from the subway to the UP train is very long. Very, very long.
I had my head down and was chanting my mantra to myself, “I’m burning calories and building muscle. I’m burning calories and building muscle.”
I was so tired and so hot that I didn’t even recognize Matthew when he opened the door for us.
We just missed the train so we sat down at a little table next to the closed coffee shop on the platform. It had closed mere moments before we got there so no coffee for me.
Greg rested the fishing rod against the wall.
It wasn’t until we were practically at the airport that I realized that the fishing rod was not with us.
And, because I hadn’t put my name or address on it, I was never going to see it again.
I hope someone was curious enough to pick it up and brave enough to open it. It was a really nice rod and I would like it to be used instead of disposed of because it was an unattended package.
We weren’t sure we would make it through customs for two reasons.
The first — our reason for travelling. Pleasure boating is not an essential activity so there is a chance we would not be allowed in.
The second — Greg was carrying some valuable goods. Although he intended to declare them, there was a chance that the agents would not believe that we were just visiting.
Although the valuable goods meant that Greg was taken into secondary inspection to fill out some forms for almost an hour, we did make it through.
Because of the long wait in secondary, we did not have any time for breakfast. We arrived at the gate about 15 minutes before they started boarding.
Since we were at the back of the plane and it looked like it was going to be a pretty full flight, we boarded when our zone was called instead of waiting until the very end the way we usually do. Good thing, too. Had we waited until the end, there wouldn’t have been any room in the overhead compartment for out carry-ons.
Greg had chosen an aisle seat and a window seat on one side and an aisle seat on the other side. At the time of booking, there was no one in either middle seat. So, there was a good chance that we would not have seatmates. Nope. At the very last minute, a couple boarded. She sat next to me. He sat behind her.
“This should be okay,” I thought to myself. “She’s little. She’ll stay to her space.”
Nope. One of my pet peeves on planes is armrest hogs and she was one of the hoggiest I’ve had the misfortune to sit next to. My experience has been that there is no point in saying anything because the response will not be favourable. So, I drape my sweater over my arm so that she is touching that instead of me and I take up my half of the armrest. I’m not happy though and Greg can tell. He tells me to come over to his section.
After a while, armrest hog moves into my seat and sprawls out so that she is taking up two seats. The three of us are squished since Greg is a big guy. I don’t mind, but he starts to feel the lack of space. So I go back to my seat. At least I can sleep pretty easily on planes and I slept for most of the trip.
We are on the tarmac for over an hour because it’s raining and there is lightning. The ground crew can’t load the plane in those conditions. At one point there is a break in the storm and they come out, but the rain was only stopped long enough for them to bring the luggage out. When it started again, they scurried back to shelter leaving the luggage to get soaked.
We arrived in Chicago 10 minutes before armrest hog’s connecting flight. I am spiteful enough to say that I hoped she missed it. Karma might have bit me in the bum for that thought as you will see in the next post.
I just realized right now that even if I had’ve put my name and address on the fishing rod, it’s unlikely that I would have seen it again. It cost over $100 to courier it because of its size. I don’t know that mailing it would’ve been that much cheaper.
