Delays and Bruises

I think Kasim has it easy on tour!! He didn't have to drive back to Memphis to return a car (he caught a flight to LA) and when he does travel by road he's in an air conditioned coach probably with fridge and kitchen, video or television, computer hook-up and beds! He doesn't have to sit there driving for hour after hour, mile after mile!!

When my alarm went off at 4.00am I really didn't want to get up! I left at 5.00am and my foot is really swollen. I can only just fit my loose shoes on that I wear for flopping around in at home - there's no chance of me wearing my smart shoes tomorrow! The toes itself has an amazing black and blue ring of bruise around it!

It's an 8 hour drive from Dallas to Memphis so I dropped off the car by noon. I'd drive 1,155 miles since Thursday (and I didn't even use the car yesterday). When I got to American Airlines to check in they asked if I wanted a wheelchair as I was limping so much! I declined.

They announced that the incoming flight was delayed by about an hour. As I only had a 45 connection time in Phoenix, Arizona they booked me on a later flight but it meant that I had a three hour wait there.

Somehow my seat was in one of the emergency exit rows so they had to move me as they didn't think I was mobile enough. They sat me next to an American Airways employee who constantly moaned to me that she'd wanted a double seat as she wanted to sleep!

The flight took about 2 hours 50 minutes and then I sat around Phoenix Airport for the next 3 hours! I did some work there but I was tired and the time really dragged.

I caught my next flight to San Francisco which only took an hour and 30 minutes. Instead of arriving at 6.00pm and making a good start down to LA, I didn't arrive until 10.00pm. Car Rental is a long mini-train ride and then a long walk away from the airport which I didn't need at this time of night. I then had Hertz's most sexist customer assistant as he said that he'd get me a small car which was easy to park!! I told him that was necessary and that I don't have trouble parking.

I eventually set off at 10.30pm and I was totally shattered! I didn't have any where booked to stay this evening so I stopped about an hour down the 101 and found a nice motel with wireless Internet. I quickly logged on and sorted out a problem with an invoice that my company had.

I got to sleep at 2.00am PST.