Dec. 27, 2007 — I stayed up late preparing for the Jamaica trip. I set both of my alarms for 4 a.m. They finally pierced my slumber at 5:15 a.m. I was really out of it and ended up taking a shower and playing with my indoor/outdoor thermometer. I just wasn’t comprehending what time it really was.

I headed off to the airport. The previous night’s snowfall was still fresh on the ground and I slid through an intersection or two. As I got closer to the airport I realized that I didn’t actually know where the entrance was. I ended up traveling pretty far out of my way. When I got to the check-in counter, it was completely empty. Except for Northwest. Which had a line of breathtaking length.

All of those things combined meant that I got the the front of the line with less than 40 minutes before my flight left. No check in for me. Instead I got to make some phone calls.

First I called Travelocity. They said there was no way to get me to Jamaica that day. They offered to get me to the Twin Cities and then to Memphis where I could stay overnight and take the final leg to Jamaica the following day. I countered by asking them if I could just take the Madison-Memphis flight on the next morning and then take the same Memphis-Jamaica flight that they were suggesting. They sounded surprised and then decided that my plan made more sense. They booked it for a slight fee and that was that.

I gave Endo a call as I left the airport letting him know I wouldn’t be meeting them at the Montego Bay airport to share a taxi.

I grabbed some cheap fast food, went home, and was back in bed before 8 a.m. I slept, slept, and then slept some more. My mistake cost me a day in Jamaica but it got me some rest and it let me prepare a little bit more.