in the beginning...

trip got off to an interesting start. loaded up my pack, got everything together and headed to the airport. jonathon dropped me off in front, and i swung my very very full very very top heavy (definitely not a well-packed pack) and fell over backwards into a luggage cart. perfect start, eh? i was fine, but had quite the nasty bruise from it. ah well.

went in and checked my bag at the american west ticket counter, and went upstairs - security only took 15 minutes - woo! - to wait for my flight. the plane was scheduled to leave at 3:13pm. at 3:00pm it wasn't yet at the gate, so i ran to the bathroom one last time. when i got back, all of the people who had been sitting waiting for my flight were now in a gigantic line in front of the counter at the gate...apparently the flight was cancelled. why they didn't seem to know this until 3pm when the flight was scheduled at 3:13pm was beyond me - didn't they know if the plane that was supposed to land wasn't in the air, heading to sacramento? i took my place at the end of the very long line.

after about 20 minutes, the line hadn't moved and no one seemed to know what was going on. i was worried my backpack wouldn't make it with me on whatever flight i ended up on...grrr. decided to head downstairs to the front ticket counter. got rebooked on a later flight, and the agent even got my backpack out and retagged it for me - a good sign it just might make it with me. this flight went through phoenix, then onto tuscon (my final destination)...didn't even have to change planes. sweet. went upstairs and waited for the plane.

the flight to phoenix was uneventful. landed. told those of us continuing on that we could get off the plane to get something to eat or whatever and get back on before the plane departed to phoenix. i was hungry, so i deplaned. got a giant berry herbal tea at starbucks, and a yogurt with rainbow sprinkles at tcby. (hey - i wasn't going to have ice cream for a month! a month! gotta get in as much as i could!) went to reboard. while checking my boarding pass, the agent knocked my yogurt into my white tshirt. which became a white tshirt with a rainbow of sprikles. argh. i asked him if he had a napkin. nope. damnit. figured i'd get one from the flight attenedent...so i walked down the ramp.

aha! there was one right at the entrance to the plane. 'excuse me?' i said...'is there any way i can get a napkin and some water for my shirt? got my yogurt on it'

she hands me a napkin. 'water, please?' i ask.

'oh, i can't give you water. that's for my first class passengers.' what? huh? could i just get a little water for the napkin? hey, it wasn't my fault it's all over my shirt! aha. remembered i had a bottle of water in my bag. looked down and realized that someone boarding the plane had kicked my tea over, leaving a giant red (why did i have to pick berry tea? why?) stain from my knee to my ankle on my favorite hemp pants. damnit. grabbed the water out of my bag, and doused my pants.

now, at this point, i admit i was frustrated. in dousing my pants, i left a puddle of water on the floor. the flight attended was looking distainfully me at me and my non-first class birkenstock wearing young person-ness...she laid a towel down on the floor. at this point i was crying. it had been a LONG day. i wasn't taking these little stupid things well anymore...slunk back to my seat at the back of the plane.

stuck my bag in an overhead, sat down, put on my mp3 player and sniffled. a few minutes later a woman in business attaire appears at the end of my asile.

'do you have any baggage in the overhead?' well, yes...'are you the one who flooded the front of the plane?' flooded? what? well, i did get water on the floor. i apologized profusely - i didn't realize it was such an issue. i was escorted off the plane...sobbing, trying to figure out what the hell was going on...

i asked if i would be able to be on the flight. nope. i was determined to be a fucking security risk. i was met at the door of the jetway by 4 police officers. what the fuck is going on? i am really sobbing now. another woman in a business suit appears. asks what happens. i explain myself. the plane takes off.

they realize what happened. 'oh, but we don't ask questions anymore - if anyone thinks you are any kind of problem, that's it'

i am still sobbing...i explain where i am going, what i am doing...they put me on another flight and act all sympathetic. i don't get to tuscon til after 11pm.....

a security risk. a fucking security risk? me? what? appears that airlines now have free reign to do whatever they damn well please with your rights. *sigh*

definitely not the best way to start a trip. oh, at least my luggage made it! and i arrive at the hotel to see some of the people who are going to be on my trip sitting on the patio, drinking beers. nice. they are very cool. go get a pint of ben and jerry's at safeway. phish food. my 'last meal' before life in the backcountry...

i still can't believe what happened, though. kicked off the damn airplane!