Slow start

Sorry, sir, it looks like your flight will be delayed by at least half an hour. I have booked a backup flight from Houston for you just in case but it will put you in London at 9:30am instead of 7:00am.

Thirty minutes after arriving at the Little Rock airport I received the first bad news of my trip. I asked the girl (at the Continental check-in gate) if she could give me the details of the alternate flight. She was wearing the typical airline uniform, but for some reason had decided to accessorize it with a big knit ski toboggan emblazoned with "Peru," complete with ear flaps and pom-pons dangling forlornly on her shoulders. I asked if she'd been to Peru (she hadn't).

I breezed through security and took a seat at the gate (the gate clerk was also wearing a ski hat). After making a few farewell phone calls I called my banks for the third time to remind them NOT to freeze my accounts when I used them overseas. The thirty minute delay turned into a three hour delay, causing me to worry that I would miss my original flight from Houston. Fortunately, we boarded the plane in time to give me a theoretical chance of making the connection.

It was then that I noticed that Continental must be making major cutbacks in staffing. I looked out the window and saw the gate clerk and Peru loading the luggage into the plane. Is it possible that Continental airlines only has two employees in Little Rock? I am fine with being cautious with labor (after all I wear several hats myself) but I became a tad concerned when Peru threw on a tool belt and started working on the engine. After she washed the grease off of her hands she threw on a sequined jacket and sang cabaret songs as our midflight entertainment. Rough economy.

Anyway, we landed in Houston with about 9 minutes for me to make my connecting flight, which was 3 terminals away. I sprinted off on my first mad dash through an airport. Being more of a distance runner than a sprinter, I thought I might not make it but I arrived panting and sweating with five minutes to spare.

We sat on the runway without starting the engine for an hour and a half.

---

---