The distinctive Rental Car Center @ DFW

What was interesting  in all this was that someone was  checking luggage size for everyone. Right before entering the TSA security line, an airline employee (I assume an airline employee) was religiously checking everyone’s carry-on luggage size before entering the security line. Even if the feet on your carry-on was sticking out of the little “Will Your Carry-On Fit the Overhead Compartment?” metal bracket sizer-thing, he sent you back to the ticketing desk to pay to check your bag. No ifs, ands, or buts. He checked anybody with a roller or large bag.  These airline fees are ridiculous. Believe it or not, as my ticket was being processed during purchase, I could have sworn that I saw ”Landing Fees.” How can they charge a fee for landing? Is that even an option? Does Wikipedia lie?

My ride this week: a Chevy Cobalt

I grabbed a quick light breakfast near the gate, and waited the hour before boarding. On the flight, I had the middle seat for 4 hours. It wasn’t terrible, but I’m glad I had my trusty iPod Touch to watch a movie. I tried to do some work, but it was so cramped, I couldn’t put my laptop on the seatback tray. I haven’t travelled by airplane in over a year, but I don’t know how frequent travellers do it nowadays. I used to really enjoy travel, but that was pre-2002 and before all the restrictions and delays that have marked air travel. It used to be more fun. I don’t have a problem with once in a while, and am glad my job doesn’t require me to be on the road all the time. I have friends who travel constantly. God bless ‘em.

The Westin Dallas Fort Worth Airport

We landed 30 mins early, picked up my rental car (a Chevy Cobalt), and was off to the office. Dallas is pretty hot  — the sun is just beating down you. I checked into the Westin Dallas Fort Worth Airport this evening (for a phenomenally low rate.) It’s a nice room, free wired/wireless internet, nice gym, and free breakfast every morning. The flat screen TV is ok, but there are no HD channels. How odd is that?

That’s the big update this week, not much is going on. The only highlight is that I have no idea what type of souvenirs to pick up for the family before Friday. If you have suggestions, leave a comment.

On Friday, we got out of the office a little late (the usual wrapping up of work), dropped off the rental car, and headed over to the ticket counter.  Of course, our flight was delayed, but they said it was “negligible.”  Somehow, between the check-in counter and the gate, “neglible” turned into a 2 hour flight delay.  Say whaaaaaat, Continental?  And while we were collectively scowling at the departure screen, it changed to a 1 hour delay.  Uh, how long did we have to scowl at the screen before the flight was on time?

So we had time to eat lunch, then board the flight.  Of course, I appreciated how Continental split the original delay, because now we were delayed taking off and again as we circled around Newark Airport after that.  Somehow, we ended up only touching down in Newark 90 mins later than expected.  One of my coworkers and I shared his car service back to his place, and then I drove home from there.

Lakewood BlueClaws game at First Energy Park

As soon as I got home, it was time to get ready for some minor league baseball!  My wife’s company paid for tickets and dinner to see the Lakewood BlueClaws play the…. er…., you know, I have no idea who was playing, nor where we were exactly going.  I didn’t care, actually, because it was a Friday night.  I found out during the drive that we were heading to Lakewood NJ, which is down the shore halfway to Toms River.  Checking their website now, it was the Lake County Captains, so…… okay.

By the time we arrived at FirstEnergy Park , it was after 8pm, and they had stopped serving our free food.  Thankfully, my wife’s friends/coworkers saved us some plates.  Josh wasn’t all that interested in the game, but we were all surprised to learn that a nearby Toyota/Scion dealership was sponsoring fireworks, which was a welcome treat.

I want to go to sleep, and there’s an interesting documentary on the Korean War.  Maybe a super-interesting CourtTV-type of mystery/crime re-creation.  Here in Canada, do you know what they have?  Space, a 24-hour sci-fi channel.  Last night, I watched two hours of Star Trek, and Aliens!  It’s a better sci-fi channel than Sci-Fi in the States (soon to be SyFy in July 2009.)

Backscatter X-ray and millimeter-wave imaging technologies that give Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers the ability to see through passengers’ clothing and look for prohibited objects hidden next to their bodies are being used at an increasing number of U.S. airports.

Here’s another article from LiveScience, plus a sample picture.  Talk about revealing.

Backscatter x-ray image

Susan Hallowell, the director of the Transportation Security Administration’s security laboratory, allows her body to be X-rayed by the “backscatter” machine at the Transportation Security Administration in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., Wednesday, June 25, 2003

In other travel news, according to concierge.com, here are 13 beach escapes that won’t bust the bank.  I’m adding these to my destination travel wish-list.