Captain's Log:
I have returned after a quick, turn-around trip to Maryland. Matthew Lyon got married this past Friday, and I was asked to be an usher in the wedding. This is actually his third wedding, but I will get into the story behind that statement later. As it turns out, Robert was graduating on Saturday; so, the timing was perfect.
Well, I flew out of Orlando Friday morning. My flight was scheduled to leave at 6:28 AM, so I planned on leaving my house at 3:30 to get to satellite parking by 4:30. Thursday night I went to Walmart and got my last minute shopping done. By the time I had finished packing, it was nearing midnight, so I laid down to get a few hours of sleep after setting my alarm for 3:00.
I woke up feeling suprisingly well-rested, and opened my eyes. As I glanced across the room--my mind still booting up and running its routine POST checks--I noticed that a large amount of light was pouring through the window. The first thought that raced through my head (while I was still prostrate on my back) was, "Hmm...I didn't know it was that light outside at 3:30..." The next thought that crossed my mind (4 seconds later, as I started the shower and the coffee maker simultaneously) was, *edited*. Needless to say, at 6:31...11 minutes after I woke up...I was pulling out of my driveway on my way to the airport.
I arrived at the airport around 7:40 and I, having missed my United flight, jumped into the Airtran line to see about buying a last minute ticket. Now, I did realize that buying a last minute ticket was an aweful thing to do, and that it would cost me an arm and a leg, but I had no other choice. So, after waiting paitently in line, it was finally my turn at the ticket counter. I discovered that the cheapest flight on Airtran that would get me to BWI before 5:00 PM was going to cost me $360 dollars... Left with no other option, I verified with the ticket agent that if I found a cheaper fare elsewhere I could refund my ticket, and I booked the flight.
Complaining bitterly to myself, I made my way to the alternate terminal to check on some other airlines. I was pointed in the direction of Southwest, so I decided to give them a try first; however, the line was eternally long. As a quick solution, I pulled out my iPhone and navigated to Southwest.com in search of a decent fare. As luck would have it, there was a flight available for $214 that would get me to BWI by 4:00 PM. As I filled out my information for the online purchase, I hustled back toward the Airtran ticket counter. One click away, I approached the agent at the desk to request a refund for my ticket. I was then informed, for the first time, that if I were to refund my ticket, I would be charged a $75 dollar penalty, and the money I payed for my ticket would be applied as credit to my account to be used for future flights...
After explaining the entire situation to the agent, and then his supervisor, I finally got the money placed back in my account. Immediately after receiving my refund, I pressed the confirm button on the Southwest confirmation page. Pocketing the reciept from Airtran, I quickly rushed back to the Southwest desk to wait in a long line for my boarding pass. By this time, it is around 9:15, and my flight does not leave until 1:25 PM, so I had plenty of time to sit around and read.
After a crazy start to the trip, the remainder of the small vacation went quite well. Randy Sanger was nice enough to let me stay the night at his house Friday night, and I was able to help Mark in the soundroom a little.
The story of Matthew's three marriages:
Matthew and Kathleen were married on May 15th, 2007 in Virginia, then they were married at Chesapeake Baptist church on May 16th after the Wednesday night service. They had a quick marriage because Matthew was being deployed overseas three weeks later. So, this was their third marriage. They actually had a real ceremony and all of the normal traditional wedding activities.
Alright, it is time for me to get some sleep. I may be back to post again sometime this year...we will see...
Later,
Lorimer
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