Journey Into The Deep South: Part 1

There's a Prologue, if you want some background about why we're in The Deep South.

Our journey began with a 3:02 alarm clock (I overshot 3:00 and didn't really feel like going all the way back around.) After a few meetings with my old friend the Snooze Button, I actually got up, and we were out the door by 4:00 or so. That was good enough to get me to the gate right as it was time to board (meeting M and PG there, as they took care of checking in while I parked. If you have the personnel to do that, I highly recommend doing it.)

Fun fact about BWI: Even at 5:00 in the morning, there are still a lot of people flying out. The line at security was long and well into the hallway, but moved delightfully fast. So, good job, BWI security, on running a much more well-oiled machine than I'm used to.

The flight to our connecting in Houston went A-OK. I was a bit worried that I would sleep through the inevitable sunrise at 35,000 feet, but I managed to wake up in time.

After arriving in Houston and getting some breakfast to go, we settled down in the far reaches of the airport where they keep the mini-jets that fly to small airports like the one in Baton Rouge. But we forgot utensils and straws, so I went back to get some and was not a witness to what happened next.

While I was on my utensil mission, PG ran around to blow off some steam that had been pent up during the first flight. Unfortunately, my daughter is a bit of a spaz, being a three year old, and all, and she had insisted on wearing her Tinkerbell sandals, which made her a little bit more of spaz. So she tripped on her own feet and face planted into the metal frame of the seats. I returned to the gate to find a screaming girl, with two cuts on the bridge of her nose, right between the eyes, along with a little bit of swelling. Otherwise, nothing broken and no apparent concussion. Just a sudden resemblance to a Bajoran (that's one of the many alien races in Star Trek that are basically humans with something extra around the nose, for those of you who aren't geeks.)

PG eventually calmed down, though she wasn't nuts about getting on another plane.  None of us could argue with the sentiment, but walking from Houston to Baton Rouge would take too long, so we got on the little jet and flew on.

As soon as we got to Baton Rouge, M and PG took off to the luncheon, leaving me and the husband of one of the bridesmaids to get the luggage. I couldn't remember if we had checked two or three pieces of luggage, but they only sent out two for me, so that answered that question. Until I noticed, while waiting for the hotel shuttle, that I had, in fact, three, not two, claim tickets. That's when I remembered that we had checked PG's car seat too. So I left my luggage with the other guy I had known for all of about 10 minutes and went back inside to see about getting the car seat. While waiting forever in line, my new friend came in to let me know that the shuttle had arrived, my bags were loaded into the van, and they had to get going. So I let them go.  It all worked out fine.  Once the Continental folks finally got around to helping me, they were able to get the car seat right away.  There were two Hiltons in the area, but both the other guy and I went to the same one, and I was able to retrieve the rest of my luggage, which, due to some protocol involving the use of luggage carts, ended up in the other guy's room.  Despite the shared experience, it would end up being the last time we spoke, despite seeing each other at both the rehearsal dinner and the wedding/reception.  Such are my social skills, I guess.

Despite not having slept much since 3 AM, I didn't nap right away, instead opting to get some lunch at the restaurant in the lobby.  It was the first time in my almost 40 years that I dined in a non-fast-food restaurant alone.  I found it kinda depressing when the hostess asked me if I wanted a table for one.

PG returned from the luncheon with a scratch on her cheek.  Nobody knows when or how it got there, but the best theory is that she managed to scratch her face with her fork while eating.  Because of the whole spaz thing.

I did eventually nap later that afternoon, causing me to have to miss the rehearsal.  I was told later that PG did great in rehearsal.

The rehearsal dinner was very nice, but it took forever for them to let us into the dining area, and then the five courses were, like, a half-hour apart.  PG got her dinner right away, scarfed down the mac and cheese, and then proceeded to fall asleep in her chair.  She continued to sleep on M's lap during appetizer and soup.  She was then relocated to a couch in the bar area, well within our line of sight, and spent the salad, main course, and dessert portions of the evening fast asleep there.  She also slept in M's arms during the entire walk back to the hotel.

And so ended our first, very long, day in Baton Rouge.

Next up:  The Wedding