On the road again: Grand Cayman, Cayman Cookout, day 6 / Portland, day 1

I awoke earlier than I wanted by far, but later than normal, to another perfect day in Grand Cayman.

Click an image to see a larger version.

Sorry about the blackness of the overhang in the upper right corner.

Flying to Portland is going to provide quite the shocking change in weather.  As best I can tell, the weather back home is even worse.

Again, though, it's impossible to complain given that I got to enjoy so much time here. I certainly understand why some folks who can afford to do so spend the winter in places like this.  I don't know if I would, but it would certainly be tempting, were I ever to have that much money (which I won't).

============================

I wrote the above section of this entry while still on Grand Cayman.  I'm writing this piece on the plane to Portland.  So far, the travel day has gone reasonably well, but it certainly hasn't been fun.

Due to the flight schedule, lunch was at the Grand Cayman airport's one food stand.  The airport's free Wi-Fi connection worked, so I could catch up a bit on email. 

The flight to Miami was splendid, a trip in first class that was productive and gave me all the water and Diet Coke I wanted.

Going through customs and baggage handling in Miami, however, was a nightmare of incompetency and long lines.  I did a reasonable impersonation of a calm person when necessary, and I made it to my gate on time, though just barely, so I can complain only so much.

Of course, I now have to hope my bag is waiting for me at PDX.  If not, I'll be in trouble.

My next layover was in DFW, where I met a colleague who's joining me on this trip and spent a little time in the Admiral's Club.  Sadly, this flight was late to take off, so we're not due to hit PDX until just before midnight Pacific time.  Oh, boy.


============================

I hit my hotel room, as I expected, about one a.m. PST, so it was a very long travel day indeed.  Still, I and my luggage made it, and I had first class the whole way, so I'm not complaining.

Sleep beckons.