Living in the Airport

This morning, we were supposed to fly out of Denver at 12:05. We ate a hearty breakfast, then filled the rental car up with gas, returned it, and we were on our way into the airport on the shuttle bus, but there was a lot of construction going on in the Denver airport lots, so there was a lot of traffic that was just sitting there, waiting our turns to be let in. We sat in the terminal lot, just watching the time tick away, for about 20 minutes. Then we finally get in there, (they dropped us all off in the wrong terminal, and we had to dash across the entire airport to get to the right one) the line to check into flights was the longest line I’d ever seen – and I’m not exaggerating. So we get in the line, and we’re slowly slowly moving, watching the time tick away. We are told by a worker in line that we can check in at the self-check in stations and then just drop off our bags. We left the line to do this, and then learn that we can’t do that, because there’s less than an hour before our flight. So, we get back in line, and slowly make our way to the front. By the time we get to the front of the line, our flight is leaving in 5 minutes. They had to book us onto a different flight, the 9:06 one. There were no seats available in the 2:45 flight, but they put us on the standby, in case some seats opened up. They sent our luggage on the 2:45 flight, though, in case we got on it. So, with the new tickets in hand, we went through security (There was no one in line, so had that line not been long, we would have been golden) and then sat at the gate for the next 2 ½ hours. Finally, they’re boarding the plane, and people are disappearing. Finally, they’re looking at the standby list, and they say my name. I was jazzed, but I had PJ as a traveling companion, so I asked if there were two seats, and there weren’t, so I declined the seat, and we prepared to stay in the airport for the next six hours.

Our first order of business was to eat, since we hadn’t in a while. I had a delicious bacon cheeseburger with onion rings. After eating, we just walked randomly around from terminal to terminal, from concourse to concourse. When we got to concourse C, we found a spa there! So, since I was going to file my nails when I got home (If I had gotten home at a reasonable time), I decided to get a manicure, and PJ decided to as well. I sat in an awesome massage chair, and got my nails painted, whilst charging my phone, because it drains so quickly that I was at 30% already. I got it charged to about 95% while we were there. The end product:

After the manicure, we walked around a little bit more, before finding a toy store. I had hoped to find some card games or board games or something, to pass the time, but the only thing there were some face cards. So I bought a few of those, and we had about 2 ½ hours before our flight was going to leave, so we just found a piece of carpet that wasn’t occupied, and played a few rounds of Grump. Finally, as we were checking on the flights status, we found that the flight out had been delayed by 20 minutes, ARGH! But time was getting closer, so we stopped playing, did the last pre-flight bathroom break (Just in case!) and stood in line. When they announced our section was seating, instead of waiting until the flight is usually almost filled before getting on, immediately I got on to get into my seat. I was taking zero chances with not getting a seat. Finally, we board, and everyone is on, and I’m jazzed. Then we learn, to my great horror, that there was a slight mechanical issue, and we wouldn’t be taking off just yet. GAH! This was just not my day. After about 20 more minutes, finally, we were in the air, and before I knew it, we had landed.

Since they had sent our luggage ahead of us, we had to go specially pick it up. Sadly, there was no one in the office there to help me get it, so I had to wait. And wait. And wait. At 11:30 at night, when I already just wanted to be out of there. Finally, someone came, and I got my luggage, and we drove out of there like a bat out of hell. And thank goodness, finally the day was over. After nearly 12 hours in the airports, I was ready to go home and get some sleep. I finally know what Tom Hanks felt like in The Terminal. I felt like I had been there forever.