On the road again: TEDActive, Whistler, day 6

What a day. 

From wake-up to arrival at home was nearly 13 hours.  The process began with a wake-up call around six a.m., a time I don't mind seeing on my way to bed but hate encountering after minimal sleep.

The shower had the water pressure of a light summer rain from a cloudless sky.  I love intense water pressure and hate taking forever to soak.

Check-out took extra time due to a mess-up with my bill.

At the ticketing counter, I learned not only that I did not get an upgrade but also that I had "been randomly selected" for extra security screening.  Always a pleasure.

Oddly enough, the general security line was so long that being selected for extra screening, though it involved more steps and hassle, took less time than the normal process would have required.  I've never had it work out that way before, but today it did.

A sandwich in the airport for breakfast, and we were off. 

Sitting next to me was a chatty, 6'8" man who was so happy to be in the exit row that he was beside himself.  Fortunately, he was thin, so I had to lean only partway into the aisle.  Despite tucking myself in when the cart came by, however, the flight attendants managed to slam the cart's sharp edge into my right knee when they momentarily lost control of the cart as they were pushing it backward.  That was no fun. 

We had a three-hour layover in DFW, so we spent it in the Admirals Club, where I worked.  I took off my coat, because I was hot.  As I've told many people, if it's not nailed to me I can forget it, and so I left my perfectly good SCOTTeVEST coat in that DFW club.  (Gina is on the case, trying to get it back for me.  We'll see.)

Amazingly, I got an upgrade on the next leg, so I passed it happily working and drinking Coke Zero and water (not in the same glass, mind you). 

And now I am home--for all of one long night and one short one.  Monday morning, I head to Austin.

I do intend to enjoy my time home and to spend much of it sleeping. 

TEDActive was overall an excellent experience and featured an amazing number of great talks, but I am utterly exhausted. 

I am glad to be home.