Best Laid Plans

How today and tomorrow were supposed to go:

A fighter pilot guest speaker at the airport from 11-1. An appointment in town from 1-3.  Looking at my car and maybe signing the paperwork from 3 for however long. Come home, do laundry, pack for my trip. Sunday morning, checkride at 8:30 am, go see if I can find some khaki shorts or pants, finish packing, leave for the airport at a leisurely 4 pm or so.

How today actually went:

Got a text at 10 am that JP was leaving early and there was nobody to fly BOB on a weekend day, one of the typically busiest days, after the airplane sat for the last 3 days without doing rides on the quieter days. So Glenn was asking if I could go down today and be available for tomorrow morning flights.  This threw my whole finely tuned schedule into chaos.  I left the fighter pilot talk and missed it, so I could go home and do laundry and pack. 1-3 was my appointment. I tried to delegate what I could for tomorrow’s checkride. We skipped looking at my car, because they also gave us different numbers than they originally gave us so Steve’s going to have to deal with that.  And Chuck drove me down at 4 pm to Indy international so I could hop on a 7 pm flight to Fort Myers, FL.  The flight ended up delayed by 35 minutes, not too big a deal. Southwest is first come first serve on seating, after they designate a boarding order. I was one of the last 5 people allowed to board, so of course I got a middle seat. The only good news was, I got to pick it, so I picked one where they had their windows open at least.  I sat next to an older lady who I helped out with her phone problems, so I was even friendly. ;) I watched ‘League of Their Own” on my phone, and got to skip past the parts I don’t like. The end where Kit is melting down and Dottie throws the game so her sister will win is one part I hate. Anyway.  

Landed at 10 pm. Stood in line at the rental car place forever, found my black something or other, and headed to the hotel, where they didn’t have anything in my name. Fortunately we found it, and they didn’t want to give it to me because it didn’t match, but I was nice and I charmed them and they did it.  What can I say. ;)

So now it’s 11:30 pm, and I need to get to sleep and get right back up and haul all this out to the car early and head to Punta Gorda about 45 minutes away to be ready to give rides by 9 am.  

Here we go…