Big Airports, Small Airports

Doesn't seem to make any difference.

I had always thought there was an advantage to flying into and out of small airports. Now I'm not so sure.

At MSP, there are two terminals, one massive and one teeny, and I definitely prefer the teeny one. But this time I used both, since my ticket was with one carrier on the outbound and a different one on the return. Which could be a problem for parking, except both terminals are on the light rail line about 2 minutes apart, so I parked at the teeny one for the return flight, and took light rail over to the massive terminal for the outbound. Worked pretty smooth.

So, when I got to my destination, a small suburban airport north of NYC (having a total of three gates), I thought it would be pretty slick. Nope. One problem after another both directions. Dumpy place and poorly run. However, on the return flight I had to connect in Atlanta, and Hartsfield just as was easy as it could be - very efficient and smooth. Blew my small-airport theory all to pieces. Ah, well.

Just glad to be home. I hate airports, and have a much better time if I can drive, even up to 500 miles (which is about my practical limit, not to mention the company's limit on being willing to reimburse for mileage vs plane fare.) Two days of being locked in a conference room is no fun, either.



Actually that's my classroom (and the profs) for SP505 on Thursday nights. But you get the idea. Four walls and a screen. Ugh.

But at least the office was nice. First time I'd been there. A very wooded setting, with a river snaking through the property,




and some cool artwork on the walls.



On the way to & from the office were all these great stone fences, a'la Robert Frost's New England. Lovely. But the hotel shuttle wouldn't stop to let me take pictures. Go figure. ;)

The hotel was fine, nothing special. Except maybe the little satin pillow on the bed.



I like how it feels against my cheek falling asleep. Aww.. it's kind of like a binky. Which is comforting when you know you'll be eating your next morning's breakfast in the room, catered by the fast food joint across the street that you wind up walking to in the rain, in your sleepshirt & slippers. Don't ask.



A satin pillow on the cheek is one of my guilty pleasures, just like the walkway between the B & C concourses at O'Hare. If I have to connect in Chicago, I try to fly United, just to see it again.



When you see these, can you hear it?

"The moving walkway is now ending, please look down." :)





Like Brett Favre said last week about football: "it never gets old, even though I do." I hear ya, Brett. I can think of a handful of things in that category, two of which I just mentioned: satin travel pillows and the moving walkway at ORD.

As for the other things that never get old, even though I do...

oh, just never you mind. :)