*nerves*

so, the clock has turned. it's wednesday now. and, tonight, i'm going to idaho for a week [the 6th until the 13th].

i haven't been to idaho to visit my relatives since december of 2005. it has been a very long time. i need to do it, if only because i promised them back in april that i'd come sometimes after the bar, instead of them coming to my law school graduation in may.

i'm stressed. i'm nervous. and, i'm counting the days until the 15th...when all kinds of awesomeness and happiness will ensue.

travelling...

it's almost time to head to the airport.

i procrastinated so badly about packing...in fact, i'm still finishing that task up. oops. luckily, there's not a whole lot of stuff that i need. i need a week's worth of clothes¹, the usual necessities, my computer, some books to read, a notebook to write in, maybe a couple of card games...but, really, what else?

alright...i'll catch you later. maybe i'll blog some more from the airports, maybe not. i'll definitely be blogging from idaho, since i'll have computer access there.

***
¹ carefully screened, of course, to include shirts that do NOT show off my tattoo. my family [other than my little sister] does not know that i have one, and i am not sure that i want to show that off. i don't know what i'm going to do if my aunt suggests that i hang out in the patio hot tub, since my tattoo is on my shoulder--and visible when i'm wearing any swimsuit that is not made for extremely modest religious sects. i will cross that bridge when i come to this, i guess.

travel rant #1

i hate the united terminal at o'hare.

this first leg of my journey has been rather inauspicious so far. i got to the addison blue line stop, waited forever for a train...and then the first train that came by was expressing from Logan Square to Jefferson Park, speeding right through all stops in between: including mine. finally another train came, and i was on my way.

then, i got to the airport. my flight is on USAir, so i went to the USAir terminal. logical, right? i go up to the electronic check-in, enter my information, and it can't find me. i try again. it can't find me. i talk to the attendant. he looks me up in the computer. he can't find me. he tells me that the 5:30 to Phoenix is on United and not USAir, and that i should go to the United terminal.

so, i hike over there. it turned out that there are about fifteen million numbers for this one flight to Phoenix, one for every single airline in United's little "star alliance." [note to Travelocity--it would be nice if you noted all of them in your reservation confirmations, or at least noted the main number under which the flight would be posted at the airport!] unlike the short lines in the USAir terminal, i had to go through an absurdly long line to check in for the flight, and then go through another long line for security. luckily, i'm a paranoid freak who never gets to the airport less than two hours before the flight, so i made it to the gate with time to spare, despite these annoyances.

still, i knew this was coming. my flight karma had been so good the last time i flew...when i went to and from HOPE, both of my flights landed early, without a hitch. i knew this trip was going to be a nightmare, and it hasn't disappointed yet although i have not even left Chicago city limits yet.

sigh.