day 57 - flights to Dallas

Saturday July 29 – day 57 flights to Dallas

We got to the airport WAAAAY early (8:45pm) for our 12:59am flight, and checked our bags.  The guy who checked my firearm box not only was okay with the way I’d packed my pistols with the fish, he congratulated me for it, saying it was the first time he’d seen such a move.    On to TSA…..  now bear in mind, I sold a pickup on this trip, so I had to clear all the cubbyholes and stuff. All that stuff went into my backpack, along with all the other non-clothes stuff I’m bringing back, along with a wooden goats head art decoration we got in Kenai.  I wasn’t entirely surprised when the TSA folks pulled my bag for “closer inspection”, but I was a bit surprised when the lady doing the inspection said she’d seen a “gun barrel” in the bag. Gulp……  once she started digging, the “gun barrel” turned out to be a 3/8” torque wrench.  J

However, every OTHER member of the family also got detained for further investigation:  Amanda – for her rock collection, being smuggled home in Pringles jars, Travis – for having explosives residue (don’t forget the fireworks, dad!”, and Deanna got a closer pat down – for being the mother of the residue kid, and for being generally attractive.  Once we cleared TSA, the Jetblue flight was uneventful, except for the family of 4 in the loading area that had two hellion boys who were yelling, jumping, crawling, everywhere while their parents looked away and just didn’t care.  We all took Drammamine to help fall asleep while on the plane.  To our astonishment, the mother of the two hellions went to the convenience store and bought them SKITTLES!! Yes, that’ll help.  Alas, we were fortunate to get seats far away from them, and truth be told, I was asleep in minutes.  Heck, maybe the lady laced the Skittles with opium…..

The flight map showed that we were above Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Once we landed in Seattle, it was a bit of a rush to go get our checked bags, get over to the SW ticket counter and get them checked back in.  The lady with TSA in Seattle seemed FAR less impressed that I’d packed my pistols along with the fish.  This was a substantial break in protocol to her, and was looked upon with a suspicious eye.  I had to unpack it all, show her the (unloaded) guns and re-secure everything, but it ultimately worked out for our flight to Houston and eventually to Dallas. 

Above Seattle we saw Mt. Rainier in the distance

Arriving in Houston, we found that our flight to Dallas had been delayed, because the plane coming in from Chicago was delayed.  I guess it all can’t go perfect.

Erik is picking us up at LUV Field, and then we head home for much anticipated sleep in a house that’s probably hotter than blazes after having the AC turned off for two months….