Day 8.142 It will be OK

You simply need to relax. It will (always) be OK.

I was thirty seconds late.

Sorry, sir, this is peak season and you need to be at Sea-Tac two hours prior to your flight.

That would have been 0500. Impossible when the first ferry pulls anchor at 0445. I am way too cheap to drive around or spend another miserable night at the Jet.

So I gambled. I got to a self-service kiosk with forty-five minutes before take-off. I am caring on all I need.

We'll get you a seat on the next flight.

But my connection in PDX?

You will miss that.

OK, I'll deal with that in Portland.

I can book you direct.

Really? What time?

8:05 tonight.

No thank you. I'll take me chances.

I get on the later flight. There is a head count problem. I had a slight chance of catching the connecting flight but now…no way.

They march up and down the aisle counting as they go. The agent comes aboard and announces that they need to do a roll call to figure out the problem. My first time for this.

Anderson? Here.
Beaty? Present.
Collins? Here.
Davenport, two? Yes and yes.
Fredrickson? Yo.

By this time I am hiding my face in my hands because I know that I will soon be "that guy".

And I am.

The agent runs to 16D and asks if this is my original flight.

No. But here is my boarding pass, remember me telling you the story ten minutes ago at the gate?

OK, thank you.

We get to PDX. 

I hurry by the Bombardier turbo-prop that is going to MDF. I think that I should just hop on because that is what happened in Seattle and I made THAT flight.

I decide to play the game and hustle to the gate. I tell the agent my story and that I do not have a boarding pass but I am booked (with frequent flyer miles) and I we still have five minutes.

She sighs deeply and opens a new computer socket.

OK, here you are, but hurry down to Gate Two.

I know where it is, thank you very much.

They are pulling back the stairs as I make a high speed right angle turn from the walkway.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, gentlemen, I am on that flight.

The ground crew look at each other and shrug.

OK.

And OK.

Medford, Crater Lake and Jacksonville, where I am spending the night, are surrounded by fire and smoke.

I shot 35 miles of Rim Road and am heading back to try again in the morning at first light.

It will be OK.