Washington, DC

I have been up since oh-dark-thirty California time, and even thought it's after 11 p.m. EDT, I couldn't be more wide awake.

My plane left Beautiful Downtown Burbank at 8 a.m., more or less. What this meant was that SuperShuttle would pick me up between 5:30 and 5:45 a.m. I arose at 4:30, and was somewhat antsy after eating breakfast, feeding the cats, and trying to remember what I had forgotten.

About 5:25, I went downstairs to await the shuttle van. It arrived about 6 a.m., and the driver took us by way of Robin Hood's barn to pick up a fourth passenger. Said passenger was not ready and waiting, so after she appeared, we finally got to the airport around 6:30.

The first leg of the flight, Burbank to Phoenix, went fairly smoothly. However: when I got on the plane, I realized I had forgotten my business cards! Job #1 tomorrow: Find a Kinko's and print some.

I had an hour to wait for the plane from Phoenix to Baltimore. The Southwest employee who was charged with checking passengers in had taken someone in a wheelchair down the jetway. A few minutes later, he announced that there were mechanical problems. When it became 30 minutes from the time of our scheduled departure, Southwest found another plane. Passengers who were flying through from Orange County had to get off the first plane, and were given priority boarding.

I arrived at the Baltimore airport, got my bag, and arranged for SuperShuttle to take me to and from the airport. The van left about ten minutes after that, and I was at my hotel by around 8 p.m.

The hotel rolls up its sidewalks pretty early. I wound up going to the bar and purchasing an appetizer which I brought back to my room.

So endeth Day One.