i never want to see an airport again

my weekend wasn't longer than usual, but all the waiting i did (in airports) made it seem to drag. on. forever.

i'm not going to go into too many details at the moment, but i had a great weekend. minus the travel. a word to the wise: never take us airways! here's a run down of my airport experience:

friday (scheduled 7 pm flight)
3:45 check into flight online, go to print out boarding pass, browser closes. tells me to print out boarding pass at airport
3:50 leave office for airport
4:00 board subway towards 125th st
4:15 catch cab at 125th to laguardia
4:45 get to laguardia, print out ticket at self serve kiosk, walk to security
4:50 am only person going through security. so much for getting there 2 hours early.
4:51 they make me take off my flip flops and walk around in bare feet. they throw out my mascara. :(
4:55 look at departure tvs for first time. realize my flight has been cancelled.
5:00 go to my gate, ask to get on 5:30 flight.
5:10 get a standby ticket issued for 5:30 flight. get a new ticket for 8:45 flight. learn 5:30 will be leaving at 6.
5:30 i place a call to everyone who cares about where i am at the moment. buy a post, read it cover to cover and do the sudoku
6:45 5:30 flight finally boards and i learn no stand by passengers will make it on board this one. i must wait for this plane to fly to vermont and come back before i can get on it
7:00 i head to the bar for dinner and a beer
7:30 i return to the waiting area. read new york magazine until plane boards, about 9:30.
9:45 woman yells at me for putting my bag on her oil painting (on the plane)
10:45 land in vermont.

or something like that. here's how last night went:

7:15 arrive at airport. have nothing to do, but all shops are closed. i head to my gate in search of a newspaper or something. flight (schedule to leave burlington at 8:55) still seems to be on time
7:20 go through security. nothing gets thrown out this time. and i'm smart enough to wear socks.
7:22 i leave the gate and go in search of a newspaper
7:25 after buying a usa today from a vending machine, i go through security again
7:30 flight before mine is delayed an hour
9:00 flight before mine boards and takes off. apparently our flight is still on time.
9:05 i call the airline, since there is no one to be found at my gate. i learn my flight is delayed an hour
9:15 i'm done with the usa today. i buy and candy bar and call my mom
9:30 since our plane is no where near close to landing back in burlington, boarding or taking off, i call us air's 1800 number repeatedly. eventually i learn the flight is now delayed until 10:50.
10:15 flights keep coming in, from philly and other airports, but none of them are for us to take back to new york.
10:25 i learn our plane will be landing soon in burlington. it departed laguardia at 9:19
10:45 finally board the plane.
12:15 land in nyc and wait for matt to meet me
12:25 matt arrives and we head to brooklyn
1:00 we end up somewhere over the williamburg bridge in lower manhattan. we drive by ground zero, the staten island ferry, and many other local landmarks. woo!
1:30 arrive back home. finally!

so, you can see why today i was no happy camper.

i'm write more about the (fun) parts of my weekend soon!

stay tuned