I should never have gotten on the plane.

July 10, 2018.  

1:30 pm Nala is stepping on my feet.  She knows what the suitcase means.  Looks mournfully at me as I walk out the door.

1:35 Michael finishes surgery and picks me up so uber is not needed.  Leave for airport.

2:00  No traffic.  Arrive at airport.

2:10 Expedia erased my identifying number so boarding pass does not have TSA precheck.  Get into gigantic line that is configured like a maze so you don't really know how long you are waiting for.

2:30 Get through line.  Have time to buy a salad from Wolfgang Puck.  Walk down Terminal C.  Buy it.  Head over to Terminal A.

2:50 Arrive at gate.

2:55 Call from unknown number.  Pick it up.  It is Jack with another attorney Brian who I don't know.  They tell me the depositions we are taking tomorrow in Missouri may not happen.  An attorney has brought a shorten time motion to quash the subpoenas issued by the defendant whom Jack represents.

2:56 My first thought is to exit the airport.  But I don't.  Big mistake.

2:58 They are telling me this predicament I say - let's call our judge and ask her to call the Missouri judge.

3:00 - 3:30 Texts, emails, phone calls, draft a declaration, say holy cow multiple times.  Stomp feet.  Wonder if should not get on plane.

3:31 Get on plane.

3:45 Plane leaves gate.  Waits in line to take off.  Takes off.

7:00 Denver time which is 6:00 Seattle time, pilot says bad weather and we will stay in sky and fly in a big circle for 45 minutes.

7:15  We are supposed to land by now.  But don't.

7:50  We land.

7:51  Ask attendant if I will miss the connection.  She says go right to the gate.

7:55 Exit plane and go right to the gate.  Plane is delayed.  Instead of leaving at 7:45 it is leaving at 8:10.  This is good.

8:00  Walk as fast as can on moving walkways down 50 gates and arrive at gate.  Plane is delayed to 9:10 and will not arrive until 11:54 pm.

8:05  Pull out computer and work on brief from Andrew.

9:00  Plane is delayed until 10:37 pm and will not arrive until 1:31 am.

9:02  Call hotel and ask them not to release reservation as will be arriving late.

9:05  Send many texts and mad emojis to girls and Michael and decide the only thing that will make me feel better is French fries.

9:15  Walk down corridor until reach (hurrah) Chick-fil-A.  The line is as long as regular TSA.  Don't care.  Wait.

9:25 Eat delicious French fries dipped in honey mustard sauce.

9:30  Phone rings.  Gate change.  Plane now will leave at 10:50 pm and arrive at 1:53 am.  Rant and rave and send many angry tweets.

9:45  Walk to new gate.  The new attendant tells us more lies. Mechanical issue.  Go back to drafting brief.

10:30  Another update - now will depart at 11:48 and arrive at 2:42 a.m.

11:00  Attendants change guard again.  This one says the plane is coming.

11:30 Ask the attendant if United will give all these passengers a voucher.  Apparently not until 4 hours have passed.

11:45  Plane arrives.  We are the only people in the entire terminal.  We get on.  We waited 3 hours 50 minutes so vouchers are avoided.

July 11, 2018

2:50 am Arrive in Missouri it's really only 12:50 Seattle time.  We are the only ones in the entire airport.  

2:55   Go to pick up rental car.  They are closed.  Catch Hertz person as they are closing up next door.  They have a mini van and will rent it to me for $375 for 3 days.  Yeah No.

3:10  Call uber

3:15  Uber arrives

4:05  Enter hotel

4:15   Enter room

4:30  Try to go to sleep.  Text Jack that I will need a ride to court in the morning as no car.

7:15 Jack calls.  He will be here in 10 minutes.   Can be ready in 15.  Jump out of bed toss on clothes.

7:30  Run out door.

7:31 Jack drives us for an hour to court.

8:30  Arrive and say hi to all the other Seattle lawyers and Missouri lawyers.

9:00  Go into court.

9:01  Listen as judge lights into the defendants for noting depositions so late.  no depositions today.  They will start tomorrow.  Sit there quietly and helpless.

9:30  Scott drives me back to hotel.

10:30  Arrive at hotel

10:31  Call uber to take me back to airport for rental

10:50  Enterprise: you are at the wrong enterprise.

10:55  Call uber to take me to right enterprise.

11:15  Arrive at right Enterprise:  you didn't arrive in one hour and there is no car.

11:16  Throw moderate fit and call Jesica.  They tell me to go to a different enterprise.  I ask jesica to find a car anywhere other than enterprise.

11:17  Call uber

11:18  Uber arrives and takes me back to hotel.

11:40  Arrive and do some work.  Georgia is calling every single rental car place known to human kind in Springfield and they are all sold out.

11:45  Scott calls - One of the deponents has a conflict.  Maybe we will depose him today after all.  Don't go anywhere just in case.

12:15 Go to Black Sheep Burgers to eat lunch even though it is only 10:15 Seattle time.  Knock over basket of French fries.  They fly onto the seat and floor.  There are a few left.  Waiter offers to bring more.  But decline as really already ate good amount the night before at Chick-Fil-A.  Black bean burger is yummy.

1:00 Finish and walk outside.  It is 100 degrees and humid as a shower.  Walk one block back to hotel.  Jesica has found a car.  Yes she has.  No she hasn't.  Do they or don't they.  It is crazy.  Right when I've given up - she finds one at Toyota rentals.  Continue walking.  The streets are abandoned.

1:30 Call uber (yes that's 3 times) and he takes me to the dealership.  A nice older man from Egypt who lives here because his new wife came down with breast cancer.  Luckily they caught it at stage 2.  Her grandmother had it.  Skips a generation.  Her meds were $200 for a bottle of 60 pills.  But after Obamacare was revoked they are now $2,000.  

1:56  Scott texts - no deposition after all today.

2:00  Pick up Toyota. $44 per day.  Jesica strikes again.

2:20  Drive back to hotel.

2:40  Arrive at hotel.  Work more.

3:50  Go for run on treadmill downstairs because would otherwise die from heatstroke if tried to run outside.  Listen to audiobook - Crazy Rich Asians book 3 of series.

5:00  Finish run.  Clean up.  Go for walk.  Most everyone is inside.  Except for two small groups of probable meth addicts.  

5:30  Return to hotel.  Do more work.  Look up movies.

6:20  Drive to theater as walking is contraindicated.

6:50  See Tag.  Isn't that good.  But have seen all the others.  

8:00  Return to hotel.

8:10   Work on a different motion draft.

11:45  It's only 9:45 Seattle time.  But time to turn off computer.

July 12, 2018

12:06 It's only 10:06 Seattle time.  Turn off computer.