Sleepless (and mindless) in Seattle

I've been away from blogland for the last couple of days - actually alot longer than that. That's coz I was busy going round west coast USA. It was an eventful time. lotsa fun, some boredom. sunshine and rain. so gather round children as I tell you my tale from cold, rainy vancouver to the warm beaches of sandiego to the starry eyed LCD madness of las vegas to cold, rainy los angeles. weird. life comes a full circle.

let me start by saying this... someone start a pledge to burn down the seattle international airport. it is a source of great pain for many an overnight passenger. us poor people who cannot afford to take a room in the city are forced to make do with the airport. my flight was to leave for san francisco at 11 the next day and here i was standing at the ticketing counter of the SeaTac (seattle tacoma) airport at 7:30 pm the previous day. So I enter, lug my bag round taking in the dismal view. Disgruntled holiday travellers looking cold and uncomfortable. A nasal voice playing in the background about how sorry they were about some random flight that was going to be delayed by an hour due to fog but wished us happy holidays anyway.

7:33 pm- feeling of apprehension. desire to run away as far as possible. plan to go into seattle.
7:40- put carry on luggage under lock and key and head out.
7:42- drag myself back in coz its raining and left umbrella inside bag.
7:50- finish grumbling about stupid seattle weather and wonder if i forgot something... apparently not.
7:50-8:15 - wait for bus to downtown seattle. rain heavy. wondering why i left vancouver. haul freezing ass back into airport.
8:25-hunger attack. search airport for food. realize there are more rest rooms than restaurants. depressed. look at airport map. see the word "taco bell". get excited. its past the gate in the waiting lounge area. my flight is only at 11 next day, can't do that. depressed. settle for starbucks.
8:35 - got robbed. 11 bucks or something for a tall coffee, slice of cherry pie and an artifical christmas greeting.
8:40- still hungry. look at watch for nth time.
8:44-cute girl smiles. i smile back. decide to be cool and play with cell phone. cell phone bill bites me in the ass 6 days later.
8:47-despertately hoping for company to talk to. for a holiday miracle. nothing happens. santa is
dead.
9:00- see time magazine in news stall. dubya is time person of the year.chuckle. wonder about the state of journalism. strangely go and buy time magazine. realise their marketing tactic. nod in veneration.
9:03-spot cute girl again. desire to go talk. fear of old man and more importantly young man next to her.
9:10-phone starts ringing. beyond happy. it shows missed call from friend in india. depressed.
9:12- muster courage to call friend and worry about cell phone bills later (bad move folks). call. talk. ask to call back.
9:15-9:35 - talk talk talk.
9:35 - boredom. cute girl gone.
9:35-10:35 - read time magazine. laugh. time makes dubya look good. wonder how much went out of republican fund to time. desire to drug myself to sleep.
10:45-3:00 am - toss, turn, wake up with start because of stupid announcement, scratch, ponder, think, wave arms in the air, realise how stupid i am for not bringing a book (well i wanted to travel light), pat handsome dogs sniffing my shoes, pat handsome dogs not sniffing my shoes, walk, buy expensive coffee again, yawn, drift away to sleep, repeat exercise.
3:00 - coffee in tummy gone bad i think. make a rush for one of SeaTac's million rest rooms. Happy they have so many restrooms.
3:30- 7:00am- repeat steps from 10:45 to 3:00 am.
7:00am- brush my teeth and freshen up beside dude who feels the need to clean his sinuses in sink next to me.
7:05- pukish.
7:15 -laughing at desi aunty straight out of kakinada.
7:20-bored. want to use the internet. ask around.
7:30- staff tell me seattle airport is a medieval airport. they believe in disowning technology and that the internet is for wimps. desire to sue SeaTac, starbucks and microsoft for good measure.
7:35-surf net on cell phone. blissfully unaware of roaming charges incurred on international roaming.
7:50-generally start clicking pictures on camera phone.
8:00-realise that i have another 3 hours to go. feel like crying.
8:05- deicde to check in and grab some "real food" in the waiting longe area. decide to stand in queue to get ticket. stupid holiday travellers.
8:10-waiting.
8:16-ok. get ticket.
8:20-apprehensive about security check. scary thoughts about singapore experience come to mind.
8:30- ordered to take shoes,jacket,sweater,coat,anything, everythnig off. empty pockets. disembowel myself. and put everything into container to pass through x-ray machine.
8:40-yay. enter lounge. look around for restaurants. see more rest rooms.
8:45- spot Taco Bell from a distance. *olympic distance running music play in background* approach. see quarter mile queue. disgruntled.
8:46 - pizza hut - ditto.
8:47-burger king - ditto. jesus christ. what is it with holiday travellers? do they get here this early just to eat?! spot lonely pretzel store in distance. approach cautiously.
8:48-yup its empty... coz they charge $5 for a pretzel and a tiny cup of cheese. joy.
8:50-still hungry. proceed towards my lounge. only 2 more hours now...

So waited impatiently, clicking photos and messaging somemore in blissfully ignorant abandon. the time had soon come to board. and so i went and sat and heaved a sigh of relief... till the old lady next to me started talking. but that's a different story. don't worry. my other trip tales were far far better than this :).