Airport woes part deux and the weekend

Welcome back faithful listeners...we last left our able-bodied adventurer stuck in Emeryville with his friend Natasha on a late Wednesday evening...let's tune in.

Well, Thursday was fairly uneventuful..but it was a marathon training session and Thursday evening my fellow trainees and I went to PF Changs and blew our per diem on some Kung Pao and alcohol. I got back a bit late, caught the tail-end of Survivor, as well as American Inventor and fell asleep sometime in the 10 o'clock hour trying to watch "Constantine", but it seemed like it was sucking hard and I passed out.

Friday was my final day of training, and we had an exam. Of course I passed this lame test, and then one of my co-workers drove me to the airport. My flight was due to leave Oakland at 6:30pm, and I got there about 4:30, so I bought a Coke Zero and tried working on some sudoku. Then I hear the message "Alaska Airlines flight 123..."..yeah..is delayed. The plane had mechanical difficulties and was stuck in Orange County. It should be in Oakland around 7pm. Sigh..fine. So I went and got a sandwich, watched some hockey playoffs (I could care less about hockey, but...) and then went back to the gate around 6:45pm. Apparently another flight was leaving from the same gate at 7:10pm for Portland..not my flight..but it was full.
I put my name on standby.
7:10pm, they call my name..to tell me I didnt make it..Completely full. I slink back to my seat.
Another announcement..my flight is still in the OC, and should be here closer to 8:45 or 9pm, departing around 9:30pm. Annoying as all hell.

Anyone remember my airplane woes in Minneapolis last June??? Its in the archives about "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas".

Yet another announcement..anyone who has NOT checked in a bag, can take a shuttle to San Francisco and hop another flight leaving at 8:50pm to Portland. I, of course, have checked in my bag...and it was already en route to Portland, as it made the flight leaving at 7:10pm.
Another announcement about 8pm..anyone can take the shuttle to SFO. So, its a 45 minute ride from Oakland airport to SFO, its 8:15pm, and the flight is supposed to leave at 8:50pm..interesting. So a bunch of us cram into some vans and we book on over to SFO. I ditch my fellow shuttlemates and go as fast as I can through security, the terminal, to the gate and sit in my seat with 2 minutes to spare, when there is an announcement that they are going to leave at 9:05pm..and then another at 9:15 that they are leaving at 9:45pm. This is no joke. I am pretty sick of sudoku about now. Not to mention airplane malfunctions and delays.
We finally lift off at 9:50pm, and after an hour or so, landing, grabbing my bag thats just sitting out for any putz to take, waiting for the shuttle, taking the shuttle to my car, and driving home, its 11:45pm and I am whipped. My wife had worked a really long day herself and needless to say..we did not have sex.

That last statement was rectified on Saturday. Ahem. In fact, it was a gorgeous day on Saturday, and we spent about 5 hours doing yard work as well. I got sunburned too. I cannot say that too often in Portland. Saturday night we went to our neighbors for a BBQ, and had some tasty salmon, baked potato, salad, garlic bread, margaritas, and ice cream and brownies. Later, we watched "Good night and good luck", which was excellent.

Sunday, my wife had to work from about 1-10pm (but got home closer to 11). I did some errands in the morning and came home and had lunch, watching the Lakers play a pretty decent game, but lose to the Suns in game 1. Crap.
I went out for a bike ride, because it was a gorgeous day, and rode about 10 miles. I was pretty beat coming home, as it was the uphill part of the ride, and against the wind too. But it was worth it. I gotta train for the Lance Armstrong ride that none of you suckers have donated to.
Not much else was accomplished the rest of the day except some chores and I watched The Sopranos of course.
The wife finally got home, beat as all get out, and we went to bed about 11:45pm.
Back to work. Yippee.