I'm leavin' on a jet plane: Nightmare Nights Dallas, Day Zero · 4:57am Oct 27th, 2017
To sum up the day in a single word, I would say smooth. The airport check in was no problem at all, and the TSA line moved along unlike previous experiences (I’m looking at you, Boston). After I told the stone-faced gentleman I had an artificial hip, he summoned another to run the scanner booth which was no big deal, although it did remind me of the disintegration booth in that Star Trek TOS episode.
The flight left on time, touched down early, and despite being a no frills airline, the seat was comfortable. Wearing the trusty Bose noise-canceling headphones keep my brain from being liquified en route, so I made reasonable progress on the Ishiguro novel I bought last winter and just started reading.
While the taxi to the terminal seemed inordinately long, the gate at DFW was no more than 150′ from the exit, and that led directly to the baggage carousel. And I mean directly, as in exit, turn left, and take two steps forward. After grabbing my checked bag on the second go round, I got an email from the prepaid shuttle service, which had me check in and get assigned for pick up. Only the eternal construction, which afflicts all airports, made finding the designated spot a tad difficult. A minor inconvenience.
Now, I’ve been to DFW only once before, sometime in the 90s, and the two hours I spent there was a layover on the tarmac while the maintenance crew made the plane airworthy. Besides that anxiety inducing situation, I remember the whole affair because I sat next to a guy with a cringeworthy cough, regular, deep and phlegmy. The next day I awoke and tried to open my eyes; they were glued shut with goop. My brief non-visit to Texas left me sick for two weeks.
So I’ve never really seen Texas, this or any part of it. Looking at the landscape on the van ride to the hotel, I was struck by the terrain’s flatness, how you can just see out to the horizon, out to clusters of skyscrapers in the distance. Lacking anything to obstruct the view, the soaring LA-like interchanges look like they were constructed on a 4×8 piece of plywood for a model railroad. The highway itself appeared to be absolutely level, dead straight. Marvelously different, which is why I want, why I need, to do more things like this and escape my medieval village like life.
Check in at the hotel was the swiftest ever. Ever. The room is more than adequate, better quality, condition, and cheaper than where I stayed this summer in Baltimore. It’s on the second floor, literally down the hall from the convention itself, and as far as I can see, everything is here, except for autographs, which are on the first floor.
And autographs are the objective at this convention, which is something new. With a sponsors badge, I have an opportunity to get them on Friday afternoon in addition to the two times on Saturday and Sunday. No idea about the rules and regulations, but I brought along my son’s copy of The Art of Equestria, which we’ve decided we will use for every autograph we can.
This particular copy of the book is already special to him; it was a Christmas gift from a friend, when, two years ago, he was in the hospital with DKA (again), right before finals. This weekend I’m endeavoring to make it even more special.
I sure hope things continue to go as smoothly as they have so far. If I am not up too late tomorrow, I’ll report in again. Have a great weekend everypony.
Don't know when you'll be back again?
Sounds like you're off to a great start! Wishing you a wonderful time, my friend!
You are only a couple hundred miles from where I spent my youth. You are quite right; it is a flat there near DFW. A few more hills where I lived.
Say hello and give hugs to those we know! And most importantly, have fun!
Guh, flatland. D: I never trust it.