The post got progressively lamer the more I typed...

Well, I made it. The plane took off and landed with relatively little fanfare. I don't particularly care for air travel (what very little I have done) but I had to be assured by the nonplussed looks of the other passengers every time the plane got a little shaky or the fasten seat belts sign clicked on that we were not actually about to faceplant (planeplant?) onto the ground 30 thou' below. They did their best (not knowing what they were actually doing) but I still spent the majority of the flight with my seat belt on and my tray table in the upright and locked position.

When I was checking in at Dulles, I entered my information into a kiosk and there was apparently another person with my name flying that day. only she was headed for Paris. It would have been poor form to take her place. Also I'd probably lose my job and might create some sort of pesky international incident. And I did not have my passport on me. Paris would be nice though. I wonder if it's raining there too.

The trickiest part of this whole business travel deal is the eating alone. I've been given $75 per day. I just don't know if I can walk into a fancy restaurant and sit by myself. I just don't see it happening. I realize that no one around me would care or even really notice that I was alone but the prospect of sitting at a table by myself at anything fancier than a sandwich shop isn't terribly appealing. I can do it there (and did earlier today). Coffee shops too. But a place with cloth napkins? I just don't see it happening.

Tomorrow, we're setting up the booth for the conference and I have the rest of the day to myself. I'm going to try and find City Lights, the bookstore started by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Let's see if I can negotiate mass transit on the other side of the country. In the meantime though, I think I'm going to go to the gym before I fall asleep.