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The Trip From Hell

Date published: September 20, 2005

My first flight was out of San Jose to Atlanta. Not only was it delayed, but I overheard the lady behind the check-in counter talking on her walkie-talkie about how "we can't seat anyone there because he has the mumps." About 10 of us all heard this and the "have you had the mumps?" question was buzzing around. Outraged and never afraid to say what is on my mind, I said "EXCUSE ME!! Did you just say you are putting someone on a sealed tube with recirculated air for 4 hours who has the MUMPS?" She had the gall to SCOLD me for 'eavesdropping on an internal conversation' and then went into a song and dance that she was talking about the bumps in flight. YEAH RIGHT!

So, uneasily, I boarded. The pilot was very into telling us what had been wrong with the plane. I didn't really need to know that an engine had been leaking. Really, I didn't. He was talkative; showed us Lake Tahoe while we flew by it and we got to see a little screen with the airplane and where it was geographically, our altitude, our ground speed, miles travelled, miles to go, etc. Cool.

The short leg of my trip was pretty uneventful; we were only in the air for about 55 minutes. So I got there an hour late, got my luggage and marvelled at how luggage follows one across the country and actually arrives where and when it should. So I had arrived in North Carolina

The next few days were filled with one meeting after another. While it was enlightening to see how the organization does business, meetings have never been one of my favorite things. Far from it. During a meeting where the same people kept coming up to the microphone and pontificating, suicidal thoughts entered my head. The only thing that kept me from going over the edge was that great Hospitality Suite upstairs with 2 kegs, wine, and lots of food--good healthy food.

About Friday, following in my dad's footsteps (whenever he travelled to the South this would happen to him). I began coming down with a COLD! oh NO! I went to the mall across the street and got Airborne, Vitamin C and Zinc and began popping them like some sort of vitamin junkie. I felt like I had a grip on it by Saturday, and attended our committee meeting. That went fine. Seeing I had a couple of hours until my next committment, I grabbed a taxi cab and visited the local Harley dealer which was just up the road about 5 minutes. I wore my boots in hopes of a test ride, plus my Fremont H.O.G. Chapter emblem. Their local H.O.G. chapter was about to go out on a ride and I came very close to renting a bike and going with them. But the angel on my shoulder reminded me that I had been paid to be there I had a 5 hour marathon House of Delegates meeting to endure so I couldn't.

That meeting was supposed to be a culmination of all of the committee meetings which had happened over the week. 10 minutes to each committee. Didn't happen; one issue was on the floor for 1.5 hours before I started feeling nasal and feverish again and left.

The banquet was that night, that was okay, but I felt like crap by the end of it and retired early, skipping all but one of the new delegate games. I've got to say, the US Masters Swimmers know how to part hearty!

I woke up yesterday feeling a little worse; but that was nothing compared to how I felt once I was in the airplane and got up to altitude. I didn't do my usual "let's have a wine on the plane so we sleep all the way home" <g> but I drank tea and used hot water and napkins to compress my face. Oh it was so awful. Flights were on time and went well, which was the good news.

I landed and my friend picked me up and I was feeling better by then...I got home, rode my Harley, and was feeling more clear headed. But now, this is the Trip From Hell we are talking about...so it's not done!

I got home and had a look at my bank account. Someone hacked my bank account...bigtime...

I need to get my doc on the phone and see if he can give me some drugs to kill my sinus infection (slept with a heating pad on my face all nitght), deal with my neurotic cat who got really blue when I was away and let the other cats beat him up, and stock up on kleenex......

So today, "IT SUCKS BEING ME."

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