When I arrived at the airport today at 6:15 this morning there was a long line at the United check-in area, but no one seemed to be using the self-check kiosks or check baggage line. I wasn’t sure if it was just not working or a perfect example of herd mentality. Since I was already checked in, I went right up to the “Self Check-in Check Baggage” area and was helped right away. About five other people jumped the line and were hustling in behind me. Group Think, Die!
Security seemed like the traditional event where you take off your shoes, belt and other metal objects, take out your laptop, and place them in plastic totes on the X- Ray conveyor belt. I usually take off my jacket too and send it through. Something was wrong and they had to readjust my totes but the TSA folks seemed pleasant.
I met up with the library director and we had a nice chat while we waited to board. Once on board, I wound up sitting in the center seat, next to a man who smelled like Brie, as in stinky cheese. Mr. Eau-de-Fromage proceeded to make a cell call and speak loudly about how he was now on the plane and about how he didn’t like the security officials attitude. Blah blah blah. Earplugs and noise canceling headphones did the trick for the rest of the flight. However the odor was persistent and troublesome. I’m sorry stinky cheese man, but you need to take a bath before a five hour flight.
Once we landed, I started to see a lot more librarians, and library administrators especially at baggage claim. Karen and her husband Michael from Mountain View and a number of others that I didn’t say hi to. My bag was waiting for me. Melinda and I split a cab and talked about the future of libraries and about the conference in general.
I met up with a bunch of other folks from my library system for dinner. Todd, Nichole and her mother, Melinda and I went to Famous Luigi’s on 19th St NW. The food was good but the service was famously slow.
Reinventing Reference 3 first thing in the morning.
