I'm back...

Just like Jack Nicholson in the Shining ... she's back ... Ok well not exactly like that but you get my drift.

So my week in Seattle was extremely busy and mostly a roaring success as far as the meeting goes. I became intimately familiar with the Washington State Convention Center and the 6 blocks between my hotel and my post there. Spent most days from 7ish am until 7ish pm in there. Luckily it was nice and had a Starbucks. The conference was our largest ever. Over 5700 attendees. Almost 700 individuals in and out of the Placement Service so that too was a success.

As for the rest, I saw very little of Seattle. I could SEE the Space Needle and the water from my room. At night we did hit a few nice restaurants. Elliott's, a landmark, which we had already hit during the site visit got another stop. It was good but not as good as I remembered. Maybe it was the baby but the seafood was just not appealing to me at all this trip and I LOVE seafood. We also ate at Fisherman's something, which was good. Service in general in Seattle restaurants left a lot to be desired. Maybe they just move more slowly on the left coast. I am a leftie and I surely don't move that slowly.

Being 4 months preggo didn't slow me down too much. I think the pregnancy provided the equivalent tired-ness factor that would have normally been caused by my usual (but this time absent) excessive after hours drinking. It was mostly a wash. Tired without the hangover, so maybe I even came out ahead.

The trip back was NOT fun. Yes, we were all mostly traveling home the day the new TSA restrictions went into effect. No liquids, gels, lotions in carryon. They were taking people's chapstick. My a pure stroke of luck - it was raining so my plans to just walk around Seattle the last morning were literally washed out - I was at the airport 4 hours early. I was hopeful when the SkyCap looked at me like I was totally insane for being there that early. Took me less than 2 minutes to check my luggage and having checked in online I headed to security. 3 HOURS LATER ... I made it to the front of the line. It was completely surreal. I kept seeing co-workers and conference attendees I knew well as the line snaked and re-snaked around. At one point my assistant called me (she was on a different airline and thus a different terminal and security line) and says "Are you in the parking garage?" thinking I may be in the same line as her. I reply "Um, no". Yes people they had routed her line THROUGH THE PARKING DECK the line was so long.

So let's move on. Three hours later I arrive to the front of the security line. We are instructed to place our belongings on the belt and to NOT touch them until we are told we could do so. A bit intimidating but ok. MInutes later I am through. Everyone was remarkably pleasant and calm.

I make it to my plane with about 40 minutes to spare. There were about 80 people from earlier missed flights trying to go standby. I get my seat and we wait while they load the standbys & take a couple off as folks with legit boarding passes manage to clear security and book it to the gate. We end up departing about an hour late, though they still are saying our flight was "on time."

So we land at Dallas and I have 5 minutes from the time I deplane to make it 10 gates down. I run. Determined at this point to not miss my flight. I had already decided I was sleeping in the terminal if I did miss the flight for no other reason than I did NOT want to go through security again.

I make the flight. Upon arrival at 1:30 am at National Airport I discover my baggage did not. At this point I thought well that's 2 less things to lug home :) So I fill out my claim and head to the curb to hail a cab. Only to find a line at least 30 people deep. Now its 1:45 am at National Airport. Cabs are not a plenty. I see a executive town car in the next lane and bolt. Fully aware the driver could be a predator but not caring. At this point I'd rather have to fend off a crazy lunatic than stand in one more line. And I know in my heart that the pent up frustration would turn to rage and I could take him! He agrees to take me home and $77 and 14 hours and 15 minutes after leaving my hotel that morning in Seattle I step out into my driveway. Home Sweet Home!