6:43 AM Portland time, got in the air after a thankfully event-free airport experience. There were some fun times relating to the 2 AM departure-from-home time, but check-in and security went better than I'd feared, what with the camera and other techie stuff. 

Yesterday I had what might be termed an epic win. Went to math class, expecting to have class, go to Co-op Sale, come home, study for an hour, and go BACK into school to take the College Algebra exam [moved up one day, the rest of the class is taking it today]. However, I got to class, turns out it was just a review free-for-all, and the teacher said I could take the test right then, which I happily did. 

Took that test DOWN, it was a lot easier than the chapter tests our teacher usually gives. I think I did pretty well on it :D   There was an extra-credit question that took me a Long time to figure out....imagine me excitement when I got it, hehehe.....

After that little interlude, it was off to co-op sale day where I stocked up on edibles for the trip. 

Then home, where I proceeded to finish packing, and fool around chatting with friends :D   Then, because I was bored and it was SUCH a great photo op, I took everything out of my bag, lined it up neatly and took a photo, which should  be posted on here eventually. 

Then we moved on to preparing foodstuffs. I'd gotten about a dozen energy bars at the Co-op and I actually managed to stash them ALL away in my bags. There were some apples too....and bread and cheese....and hazelnuts. I felt exactly like a chipmunk, finding hidey-holes for all the food “Oh I think I can fit one more in......” 

Worked out a waking-up plan with the family, whereby my mom would wake me if I wasn't up by 1:30, and I would do the same for her, and we both set alarm clocks too. [as a sidebar, the other morning I heard me dad's travel alarm go off [annoying thing] but THIS time it made a Cuckoo noise as well as the usual: '7:32. AM.  Sixty-seven. Degrees. Fahrenheit'...after it said all of the above, what do we hear but 'CUCKOO! CUCKOO!'    My dad was nonplussed, said HE hadn't set it to do that....it had never done it before.....] 

Went to bed at 9:30, and prolly got 4 hours of sleep or thereabouts. Alarm went at 1:30, when I came downstairs there was already a light on, me heroic mom had just stayed up so as to avoid missing her alarm, and drove me to school. Boarded big van (shades of National Novel Writing Month novel 'bout roadtrip) and headed to P-town. We-all mostly listened to iPods and such on the way up, but there were a few amusing moments... “Where is my banana?” AND the happy moment when I followed in the footsteps of a long line of Carlson adventures in the yogurt-spilling line and spilt me breakfast-yogurt on my jeans >.<  Remedied later with damp paper towellage. Yay for paper towellage. 

It was shocking how smoothly everything went, so long as we all knew we had to take our shoes off and coats off and laptops out, fun times. 

Choked by Bag of Holding over one shoulder, and tripod case on the other side, I nevertheless felt much more ready-to-roll than my compatriots with rolly-type suitcases.   [edit: totally did not notice that really bad play on words, par'n me.] 

Nice sunrise, I haven't flown in a few years and it's kinda exciting for a change.  

The classic agonies of trying to fit all the baggage in, chucking stuff in the overhead bins and stowing bags under the seat (surreptitiously trying to fit the Bag of Holding under the seat, while attempting to appease/circumvent/snooker the stewardesses who say 'Can that go a little further under the seat?'. It finally DID fit once I took Eddie out. [Eddie is my MacBook Pro, for the uninitiated......lol] 

Next stop: Denver! Wooooooot  I get a window seat on the next leg of the trip.... 

[switching over to Atlanta time]

1:45 pm, turns out this leg of the trip is only about 2.5 hours YAY so now we're about 3/4 done. Our flight into Denver was delayed somehow, we were worried bout missing the ATL flight because there wasn't much layover time. It was EPIC [yes Einar :P ]. We got off our plane, into the terminal, were greeted by part of the team who'd gotten off first: 'Seats 17 and higher are boarding NOW!'  Turned out the departing flight was about 30 feet away from the one we'd just come in on, hehehe.....we were afraid we'd be running halfway across the concourse.   

I seem to be eating constantly, heh....started off on the trip up to P-town. I'd packed 3 little cartons of yogurt for brekkers, along with an apple (unrelated to the hordes in my bag) and some bread and cheese. Well those same three little cartons of yogurt had to be eaten before security, owing to rules about liquids/gels/squishables.  Every 20 minutes it would be, eatanotheryogurt.  Cleaned out the last one just as we were turning in to the airport. 

Then I've been moving through the remainder of the sandwiches at a fair pace, at first I was scared of using up Eddie's battery, I didn't bring a book and there is nothing else to do except eat.....

Have to pay for bottled water and the airline doesn't accept cash -.-  Sandwiches are $6 apiece, snacks (ergh) are correspondingly pricey.

 Once we arrive in ATL it'll be a nightmare, I have no doubt......trying to navigate a huge city with 20+ people....I don't know what the transportation to the hotel is, I assume it's the MARTA [subway]. 

Well, BACK to the saved chat logs.......

7:30 PM: GOOD TIMES!

OH it's been epic times.....I am sitting by the pool at the Hyatt, Atlanta. The weather is balmy, the air smells like flowers. 

Atlanta airport actually proved very interesting, we spent a traditional lot of time trying to decide what to do....it all felt VERY familiar, hehe.  Big airport (tuh), we all camped out in one of the food courts after collecting baggage. Fun to see LOTS of Kamen totes [robotics kits, lol] on the carousels =D 

Anyways, sun coming in through the big glass skylight, our myriad bags parked in the middle, a chap playing piano VERY well at the local posh restaurant and bar. 

Got some video, fun times :) 

After getting out of the airport, we traversed the subway.....I was COMPLETELY ENTHUSED over the plants!! Everything is different, the trees, THERE"S A DOGWOOD! Wysteria growing everywhere, balmy weather SO nice after freezing hometown!  Also exciting to see the real Southern houses :)  

More on getting to the hotel later tonight