E.T. PHONE HOME ONLY YOU CAN'T BECAUSE...

-Up at 0 Dark Thirty
-United airlines boarding procedure
-forever flying

We used both of our cell phones to set an alarm in order to wake up at about 4:30am this morning for our very early flight from San Diego. In my morning stupor I left mine sitting on the nightstand and only realized it when I did a panicked search through my purse when we were half-way to San Diego. Well crap. Nothing to do about it now. I thought about it and after my initial shakes and pitched fever I remembered that I had my IPad mini where I could get any emergency texts and/or emails. In all likely hood there wasn't going to be great cell phone service anywhere we went, so I let it go. Turns out...it was a good idea to leave it behind just so that I could remind myself that being dependent on a device isn't good.
Once at the airport we were efficiently checked in and arrived at the boarding gate. I noticed the thing that always sends me around the bend...the boarding group sign where people queue up to board. Apparently in some airports and San Diego is one of them there isn't a lot of room in the boarding area so United puts up a sign in the boarding lounge that reads Group1/Group 2. Here's what happens that always makes me a little crazy.
People are pretty good about doing as they are told so those folks in group 1 and group 2 line up. the problem is that it's the same line.  Here's the problem...United calls only group 1 first. So the folks that are in group 2 have to stay in line while the folks in group 1 maneuver around them in an already confined area. If United would simply let group 1 and group 2 board at the same time (as the sign infers) then the problem would disappear and all would be well.
Instead, it's a colossal mess with people and their backpacks and roller bags and no one is even on the damn airplane yet where inevitably there will be another irritating (generally passenger induced) episode of ridiculousness awaiting.
So here's the thing: Jeff Smisek is going to appear on the screen shortly before take off in his Don Draper suit harping on how much United Airlines values each of its passengers. If that was a true statement United should take notice of the frustration experienced in the boarding lounge and fix this simple problem.
Then I would be less inclined to think of Jeff as an out of touch, narcissist. I'm just sayin'.
Finally we are in the air for our first stop in Houston where we will have a 4hr. layover. It's painful but necessary because there are no convenient connections from San Diego to Quito. The flight from Houston to Quito takes 5 hours and because I'm feeling like a cranky six year old...it might be good to take a nap! ;-)