Dayhoff Westminster Soundtrack: Flying out to St. Paul Minnesota to cover the Republican National Convention

Monday, September 01, 2008

Flying out to St. Paul Minnesota to cover the Republican National Convention

3:37 PM EST Sunday August 31 2008

It’s Sunday August 31, 2008 and my wife and I are celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary by flying out to Saint Paul, Minnesota for the Republican National Convention.

That is, of course, if the convention takes place. It appears that Mother Nature may have a say about that… I haven’t had the time to get a weather report today. However all indications are that Hurricane Gustav will making landfall to the west of New Orleans sometime on Monday.

Depending of the strength and severity of the storm and any resulting damage - - it will not be appropriate for presidential candidates to be partying on dry land far from harm’s way.

So, we’ll see.

I’m attempting to work on an airplane and I’m not finding it easy. I swear that it was easier – either years ago or when I was younger. I wonder which?

I’m flying Northwest and when we checked in we discovered that there was a $15.00 per bag fee for our luggage, which took us by surprise. I sure hope that I can later reflect upon the newly initiated luggage fee as an insurance policy so that we don’t land, after a two-hour flight, in Minneapolis St. Paul and our luggage lands in Singapore or Pyongyang, Korea.

Our A319 plane is full. Does “A319” mean that this is an “Airbus?”

Of course. For whatever reason, it seems that whenever my wife and fly anywhere, we always sit behind really important people who simply must recline their seat as far back as possible so that the headrest of the seat ahead of me is resting upon my chin.

Oh joy.

A colleague, who had attended the Democrat National Convention, blogged the event. I’ll be curious if I will be able to do that for the Republican National Convention, in the next several days. A quick review of the schedule reveals only a begrudging moment or two for a minimum amount of sleep and non-stop activity throughout everyday.

And speaking of sleeping; that is how, for now, I will attempt to Zen the remaining hour of this flight.

4:05 PM EST