After an overtime Kings win, several hours of posting game videos, a quick shower and zero sleep, the journey to LAX began this morning. I left my house at 3 AM to get to Nadine's by 4, then her house to LAX by 5 for a 6:30 AM flight. We both needed a serious dose of caffeine by the time we arrived, and were then brave enough to get someone to take our first photo of the trip.
My expression says it all. I am NOT a morning person. But Denie, she looks like something out of the book she's currently reading - Pledged by Alexandra Robbins.
"The well dressed sorority girl wears ironed or starched jeans, Greek jewelry, the most "in" sunglasses, a pearl necklace, expensive leather tennis shoes or penny loafers, and Lauren perfume. If it's after hours, she's in a fraternity or hockey jersey and she's still wearing her pearls..." - from A Girls Guide to Sorority Success, 1985.
Interesting...if you look in the photo closely, she's got those damn pearls on!
A few hours later, we arrived in Chicago for a brief stopover and some lunch. We discovered the "Pizza Sandwich," checked out goofy souvenirs, and got ready for the final leg of travel to DC. I couldn't resist taking a photo of the monkey...purple made me think of the Kings! And we found a nice man to photo us at this stop too! I look SLIGHTLY more awake....just slightly....
After an on-time departure from Chicago, we were off to Washington. The first flight was crowded, but the guy sitting in the seat between us was nice and slept most of the way. The Chicago flight...completely full. And this time, our middle seat partner was "The Bag Lady." Let's just say she had more than 2 carry-on items, and nothing was in actual luggage. After watching her trying to stuff a half-ripped brown shopping bag under her seat, she pulled out a plastic bag containing a salad...and proceeded to open it...before takeoff! Nadine shot me a look that basically said, "If I end up wearing that salad, this woman is dead and you're going to help me kill her." Luckily the salad situation stayed in control and we all arrived in DC in one piece. The brown bag even lived.
So we got off the plane in DC, and like a good omen, the first thing we saw was the flag of our "adopted" motherland...Oh, Canada!! The perfect welcome for a hockey trip!
Then the comedy of errors began, stretching between the Dulles Airport baggage claim to our arrival at the Courtyard Marriott in downtown DC.
- Nadine's luggage arrived, but with the handle broken off. All the tags were completely gone (due to the broken handle) so we had to open it to make sure it was hers. Did Southwest offer to repair the bag...uh-uh. Blamed the TSA. So if the TSA in DC was the problem, how did the bag get routed to DC with a transfer in Chicago? Ponder that!
- Hertz gave two insurance adjusters a scratched up rental car! We got some looks in the Hertz lot while we were inspecting the car before taking it out...who do these people think they're messing with?
- We hit our first toll booth on the Dulles access road, and discovered what I thought was an EZ-Pass was actually an un-EZ-Pass. So after blocking the wrong toll lane and getting honked at, we drove through. Sure Hertz will get a letter on that one!
- Driving down F street looking for the hotel, we were hit by Asian bicyclist who didn't seem to have enough room between the right side of my car and curb to get by. So he decided to just bounce against my car and the truck in front of me. What!?!
- When we finally found the hotel, we checked in, but were given the key to someone elses room. Luckily we only saw luggage when we opened the door and not anyone naked (which actually happened to my friend Steve once...)! The valet thought our room number looked wrong, but the front desk guy didn't?
And with the first days adventure done, jet-lagged and exhausted, we laughed ourselves silly recounting the events of the day until we fell into bed. DC...we have arrived! Caps....here we come! Time to Rock the Red!!!!!
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