As I type, I'm a happy camper. I'm ensconced in one of our favorite little Seattle Hotels, The Vintage Park. I've just had a wonderful dinner at the Wild Ginger - topped off by their world famous Satay Separator. I'm now, pretty much ready for bed.
This is much better than the day started - I arrived at the Anchorage airport at 11:00 AM to discover that my 12:45 PM flight had been cancelled. I'd been rebooked on the 4:30 PM flight and had a standby shot at the 2:30 PM flight. I really wanted that 2:30 PM flight - I didn't want to spend 5 extra hours in the airport - plus I wanted to make into Seattle in time for a Wild Ginger run!
Well, the standby list for the 2:30 PM flight was 34 people long - and I knew I was sort of at least in the top third, but no real idea of where I stood. Plus, they were taking folks that needed to make connections. If you miss the 2:30 PM flight out of Alaska, you're pretty much hosed in terms of connections elsewhere once you hit Seattle.
I hung out in the Boardroom until 2:00 PM and then headed down to the gate - where I gathered with the rest of the standby rabble. We were a desperate bunch! I waited and waited and waited. They kept calling names, but never my name. The jetway doors were just about to close - the gate agent called one more name - not mine. The lucky guy asked, "I can't leave without my buddy, is there one more seat?" The agent replied that that the was the last seat. The guy reluctantly turned it down. So, the agent called the next name - MINE!!!! Yea!!!
I was literally the last person on the plane and was absolutely thrilled with my middle seat surrounded by three loudly crying babies.
Music to my ears!!!!
9:17:44 PM 
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