Heavy Lifting on the Way Home from SMOFCon
Dec. 9th, 2024 07:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kevin_standleeBecause my flight home was not until 12:30, I was able to have a fairly leisurely breakfast with Ruth Sachter and John Lorentz, with Jannie Shea and Terry Fong at the next table. Actually, it was a bit too leisurely, as I realized that it was 9:30 AM and I hadn't packed yet, so I trotted back to my room and packed. It was a little more rushed than I would prefer, but I made it back to the lobby, dropped my keys, and made the 10:20 shuttle to the airport.
Even after moving everything I could to the smaller bag, my main bag was too heavy. Those cases of poker chips are just too heavy. If I had two large bags, I might have been able to split the load between them, but with what I'd done, it wouldn't work. I had to pay the $100 overweight-luggage fee. The alternative would have been to buy a new piece of luggage at the airport, and that would have cost more than $100. I need to remember to never try to transport these chips by air. It has never gone well.
Despite the misadventure with the luggage and the usual Terrorization time (helped by being able to use the first class line), I was not in a panic. My flight to Reno was out of the North Satellite terminal, which meant taking the underground train. As is my preference, I got in the lead car so I could look out the front.
This Boeing 737-700 was the equipment for the flight from SEA to RNO.
It was a comfortable flight. I wish I could fly first class all the time. Even without extra service, just having a decent-sized seat makes flying so much less stressful.
While at SeaTac Airport, I came across something I've not seen in many places at all.
These signs are outside the restroom. I took no photos inside. I'm not a creeper.
There are individual private stalls, but also a separate room where there are urinals. The center area with sinks is open.
I used the toilet here. Amazingly, given what the Toilet Panic people keep saying, the world did not come to an end. People used the facilities, washed their hands, and left.
The flight to Reno was uneventful. My luggage arrived quite promptly. I called Lisa to let her know I was on the ground, then decided that my purple bag was too heavy (88 pounds/40 kg) to try to roll out to where I was parked, which was about as far away from the terminal as you can be and still be on the airport grounds, I sprung for $6 to rent a cart to get my bags out to the van.
The weather was clear (it would have been miserable having to deal with that luggage in rain or snow), and I could have driven straight home. However, the Astro has been overdue for an oil change, so I decided to take the minivan to Jiffy Lube. They showed me that the brake fluid was dark black (it should be sort of honey-colored) and pointed out that I was overdue for a coolant service. Although having all of these things service was pricey and delayed me further, I didn't get more than half a million miles on the Astro by stinting on routine maintenance. $400 later, I went to Raley's to get some things for both Lisa and me and headed home.
The errands in Reno meant that I did not get home until after dark. After checking with Lisa so she knew I was home and thanking her for building a fire in the fireplace, I unloaded the minivan. Because the big bag was so heavy, I opened it in the back of the van and moved each of the two cases of chips individually into the house. To my annoyance, TSA had inspected the bag and had not repacked it as carefully as I had. The big bag, which has been getting beaten up on the last few trips, too even more damage. At least the chip cases hadn't opened up and spilled their contents.
I'd hoped to get to bed early tonight, but there were too many things that needed doing, and I did want dinner, having skipped lunch on account of having no time at SeaTac.
SMOFCon was a lot of fun, but I'm glad it's only three days long, because I don't have enough stamina for any more than that.
Even after moving everything I could to the smaller bag, my main bag was too heavy. Those cases of poker chips are just too heavy. If I had two large bags, I might have been able to split the load between them, but with what I'd done, it wouldn't work. I had to pay the $100 overweight-luggage fee. The alternative would have been to buy a new piece of luggage at the airport, and that would have cost more than $100. I need to remember to never try to transport these chips by air. It has never gone well.
Despite the misadventure with the luggage and the usual Terrorization time (helped by being able to use the first class line), I was not in a panic. My flight to Reno was out of the North Satellite terminal, which meant taking the underground train. As is my preference, I got in the lead car so I could look out the front.
This Boeing 737-700 was the equipment for the flight from SEA to RNO.
It was a comfortable flight. I wish I could fly first class all the time. Even without extra service, just having a decent-sized seat makes flying so much less stressful.
While at SeaTac Airport, I came across something I've not seen in many places at all.
These signs are outside the restroom. I took no photos inside. I'm not a creeper.
There are individual private stalls, but also a separate room where there are urinals. The center area with sinks is open.
I used the toilet here. Amazingly, given what the Toilet Panic people keep saying, the world did not come to an end. People used the facilities, washed their hands, and left.
The flight to Reno was uneventful. My luggage arrived quite promptly. I called Lisa to let her know I was on the ground, then decided that my purple bag was too heavy (88 pounds/40 kg) to try to roll out to where I was parked, which was about as far away from the terminal as you can be and still be on the airport grounds, I sprung for $6 to rent a cart to get my bags out to the van.
The weather was clear (it would have been miserable having to deal with that luggage in rain or snow), and I could have driven straight home. However, the Astro has been overdue for an oil change, so I decided to take the minivan to Jiffy Lube. They showed me that the brake fluid was dark black (it should be sort of honey-colored) and pointed out that I was overdue for a coolant service. Although having all of these things service was pricey and delayed me further, I didn't get more than half a million miles on the Astro by stinting on routine maintenance. $400 later, I went to Raley's to get some things for both Lisa and me and headed home.
The errands in Reno meant that I did not get home until after dark. After checking with Lisa so she knew I was home and thanking her for building a fire in the fireplace, I unloaded the minivan. Because the big bag was so heavy, I opened it in the back of the van and moved each of the two cases of chips individually into the house. To my annoyance, TSA had inspected the bag and had not repacked it as carefully as I had. The big bag, which has been getting beaten up on the last few trips, too even more damage. At least the chip cases hadn't opened up and spilled their contents.
I'd hoped to get to bed early tonight, but there were too many things that needed doing, and I did want dinner, having skipped lunch on account of having no time at SeaTac.
SMOFCon was a lot of fun, but I'm glad it's only three days long, because I don't have enough stamina for any more than that.
no subject
Date: 2024-12-10 04:49 am (UTC)Housemate Paul - you've met him - allows himself the luxury of business class upgrades at a minimum, at least, on cross-country flights, and says it's the best thing he's ever done for himself in travel. It's the only way he can tolerate flying these days. I can't say he's wrong, tho' these days - even before COVID - I just don't fly if I can avoid it, and I am willing to go to severe lengths to avoid it.
no subject
Date: 2024-12-10 09:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-12-10 09:16 pm (UTC)