When I posted earlier today, I didn't know how prophetic that last sentence would be. 

1pm 

First leg of the trip - In the air, finally!

Our flight was delayed an hour and a half because the plane was late leaving San Francisco. The gate agent tried very hard to re-route us but couldn't.  So, we decided to take our originally scheduled flight, hoping they could make up some of the time. The alternative was to stay in Portland and try again in the morning. If the gods are with us, we'll make our connecting flight to Charlotte. If not, we stay over in Denver and catch a flight in the morning. 

We talked with a lot of nice people in line who wished us well at the convention. As I was boarding the plane a lady saw my Charlotte shirt, gave me a high-five and told me to have a great time!

7:06pm

Our plane landed in Denver at 3:58 pm. As we taxied in, we could see our connecting flight to Charlotte was still at the gate (yay!)...at the opposite end of the concourse from where we were getting off. I scooted past people as fast as I could to get off the plane and ran to the next gate where we were supposed to leave at 4pm. I got there at 4:05 and the gate was empty. 

They set us up with vouchers for a hotel and food, and directed us to the hotel shuttle. A thunderstorm greeted us as we exited the airport. The shuttle driver didn't seem happy about us showing up because he'd decided nobody was going to be there and was about to leave. Rick talked him into taking us or we'd have had to wait another half hour for the next one. Thanks, Rick! 

As it was, the driver tried to drop us at the wrong hotel but we wouldn't get off the bus. We finally made it to the right hotel and checked in. The young lady at the desk was friendly and efficient. She even gave me some toothpaste since mine is still in my checked bag at the airport. 

We got on the elevator with some other folks and I watched as a kid punched the buttons as they were called out. Two ladies wanted the second floor, we were going to the third. Somebody else came on asking for the sixth floor. The elevator stopped at two, then took off again - and passed three, stopping at six. Those folks got off and we thought we'd go back down to three. But NOOOO. It went up again to seven where the car filled with a young family of four and a bunch of young people heading to the bar. 

We finally got to our rooms so here I sit at the Holiday Inn in Denver. My bag is somewhere in the bowels of the airport waiting to get on the morning flight. Maybe we'll be reunited in Charlotte. I hope. 

The airport shuttle leaves at 4:30 am and we'll be on it to catch a 6:45 am flight that's scheduled to arrive in Charlotte around noon. With any luck I'll actually sleep a little and wake up in time to go. 

I know it's early but I'm beat so good-night.