Be it ever so humble … and a little messy … there’s no place like home.
I missed yesterday’s log. Oops. Basically, the testing went well — the changes I made held and so far, things are looking good. That meant I could finally come home. I had to make some near last-minute changes (extending my stay at the Westin, and telling Northwest that I’d be leaving the following day), but otherwise all was fine.
Actually, the last-minute changes were a little more in my favour — I had to book an earlier flight because the one I wanted was full. That was fine with me — I was more interested in coming home.
This morning was mostly involved with updating the testing pages on the staging server, letting the team know which files were “approved” and which ones still needed work, and letting them know how to find me. Then it was off to the airport.
If you ever go to Cincinnati Airport, make sure you bring a book. There’s nothing to look at there, the airport’s rather dull, and there’s no store once you pass security. Kinda annoying, if you ask me. Of course, I could have gone back through, but I really couldn’t be bothered.
I was writing. Not this, but a report that I have to file for what I did. Our client’s still a little edgy with this so-called solution, so I need to prove it with a nice lengthy document that no-one will read. Fortunately, I’m good at being verbose. These logs are a testament to that, if nothing else.
I love first class, although I have to admit I feel a little guilty taking it. I know what it’s like to be peering from steerage into the plushly-furnished curtained area. Unlimited drinks (which admittedly, I didn’t take advantage of), nicer meals, and big, comfy seats. Very nice.
The flight from Cincinnati to Minneapolis was about an hour and a half, before I got dumped there to catch a connecting flight. During that time I took the opportunity to recharge my laptop’s battery. It’s a long life battery, but I wanted it to last the remaining leg of the journey. Northwest doesn’t show in-flight movies on such “short haul” flights, and I had nothing to read. I figured I’d entertain myself with a report.
It’s hard to explain how much I enjoyed seeing the Prairies again. Land that stretches out forever, where it’s rare that cloud covers everything, where the buffalo used to roam, and the deer and the antelope are hunted for fun.
We passed over Drumheller on our way in (I was amazed that I could recognize it from the air), and sailed smoothly into Calgary. Being the second from the front of the plane, I was the second one off. However, I was the first into Customs, which I blitzed right through. I completely bypassed baggage claim (carry-ons — it’s the only way to fly), and tore out the front door. I grabbed the first taxi, and was on my way home.
I’ve realized that I’m much more adjusted to the western climate — it’s drier here, and I’m not a big fan of the oppressive humidity of the east. I was very happy not to be sweltering in the heat, and feeling a cool breeze for the first time in over a week.
So if you’re ever living on the air in Cincinnati, don’t look for WKRP. It doesn’t exist. However, there is a WKRC.
No kidding…
