Adventures in Flying

I was booked on a flight from Lubbock to Dallas this morning at 9:30. When I checked in I was told the plane might be delayed because Lubbock ILS (Instrument Landing System) wasn't working and without ILS the pilot has to be able to see the runway. The cloud level was at 600 feet, which means the pilot can't see the runway. So we wait..and wait...and wait. Then we were told that planes with crews trained in the GPS system could land. Unfortunately, the crew on our plane wasn't trained. So we wait...you get the picture. Finally, another crew was put on the plane in Dallas and here came our plane. We boarded and were ready to take off a little after 12:30. We taxied out to the runway and then sat. The pilot then announced that we were going back to the gate. Apparently, the computer system said the number two engine had a problem. The pilot announced that maintenance would come check it out and we would be on our way. So we wait...and wait. There is no maintenance on site on Saturday. The mechanic had to be called at home. Then we were told to get our belongings and deboard the plane. We were going to fly on another plane from another gate. Unfortunately, the plane we were to board was not in Lubbock yet. So we wait. The plane landed. We boarded. We taxied out...and waited. Then, the pilot announced that we were going back to the gate to pick up some flight attendants who needed a flight to Dallas. Due to the weather, the flight attendants had to remain seated during the flight. So we didn't even get peanuts. We finally landed in Dallas about 4:30 this afternoon. All in a day's work.

Flying

I fly a lot. But, apparently I have never flown when I have had sinus problems. I have never felt the pain flying that I felt this morning as the plane was descending into Dallas Love Field. My left eye felt like it was ready to pop out. And my left sinus cavity definitely was and still is to an extent bleeding. Take off and the flight itself didn't bother me at all. It was the descent. Knowing this, I was somewhat prepared that I might have pain as my next leg of the flight started descending into Kansas City. I was prepared, but once again, the pain was pretty bad. I discovered that if I press my temple and rub, the pain is lessened greatly. That is good to know as I am in the Kansas City Airport waiting for the next leg to Chicago and from Chicago to Raleigh/Durham. Two down and two more to go. At least I know it's going to hurt and that I can alleviate the pain somewhat. It's worth it though. I have a week to enjoy the ambience of North Carolina and my son (even though he will do his best to annoy me. That's why we have such a good relationship.)
Bonus for having my longest layover in KC...free Internet. Not all airports offer that. :)

A girl's best friend

No, it's not diamonds. Not for the traveling girl, anyway. My best friend when I am traveling for work is mapquest. Of course, if someone wanted to give me a portable GPS, I wouldn't say no. It is so nice when mapquest takes you right where you want to go. I have been misled by mapquest before, so this is a serious matter. Today, I took a child to Alvin. I mapquested from Hobby airport in Houston to the placement and mapquest worked like a charm. Usually when I am flying, I run short on time. I rush to the airport praying that I make my flight. I have had some very close calls. Today, I had all the time in the world. I stopped in Pearland on the way back to the airport and had a great BBQ lunch. Once I arrived at the airport, I had plenty of time to browse and buy Dharma and Lauren overpriced gifts from one of the gift shops. They were happy. It is really nice to be able to relax and not worry about getting lost or missing my flight.