Fri, Apr 03, 2009
Storms
Posted to Weather category
Yesterday was a long day and a stressful one. There were thunderstorms and flooding and tornado warnings in Mobile up through midafternoon.
When I got to the airport the weather was still engaging in special effects and precipitation. By the time my flight was due to leave the sky was clear, but that didn't help much: the storms had disrupted things enough that the plane we were supposed to ride to Houston didn't arrive until 45 minutes after we were supposed to take off.
This was worrying, since I only had a 55 minute layover. And the plane from Mobile arrives at the B concourse and the Denver-bound plane leaves from the E concourse.
I didn't have a wheelie bag, so I couldn't run, but I managed a rapid trudge. Fortunaly, the Denver plane was delayed 20 minutes. I arrived just as they were loading the back of the plane.
So I made it to Denver, and was able to take care of the task that required this trip.
Getting back to Mobile may be equally exciting: they are predicting a blizzard for Colorado for this evening through much of tomorrow. Getting to the airport on Sunday morning may be interesting. (At least Shawn thought to warn me about the weather, for which I am very grateful. We were able to change my car rental to specify a 4 wheel drive vehicle -- so I've got a decent chance of making it to the airport.)
My back isn't complaining as badly as it was at this point of the last trip.I have figured out a way of schlepping my non-wheelie bags through the airports that bothers my back less. Oddly, carrying the two bags -- by the handles doesn't work, even though they are about about the same size and fairly close in weight.
What does work is to use the shoulder strap for the bag with the laptop, which is a bit heavier than the other. But I have to put my head through the strap so the weight of the strap falls on my right shoulder and my left hand steadies the bag on my left side and supports some of the weight. The other bag is carried by the hand grip in my right hand, hanging straight from the shoulder.
This makes no sense at all. Why does a method that seems to put most of the strain on my right side bother my back less than a balanced load?
I'm tempted to use the small wheelie bag for my next trip home even thooough I don't need anything mearly that big for these trips, and I'll have to gate check it between Mobile and Houston. Actually, I should gate check the overnight bag for the morning flight from Houston to Mobile: it's a very small plane with overhead storage that it pro forma rather than useful.