3.20 Ft. Lauderdale, FL site visit

• I had to fly to Fort Lauderdale, FL yesterday to meet clients. set my alarm at 4am wakeup. so far no surprises. got up to dense, thick, pea soup fog. planned my drive early enough to handle traffic but didnt count on an act of GOD. short version: i made the flight.


• 
  
  Long version: i got lost in the fog and drove through parts of Houston that would scare me in the daytime if i could see them! i was 'trying' to drive at a quick pace but had to slow well below the posted speeds sometimes when i couldn't see the car in front of me (fog remember) or see the side of the road, or signs. so i missed a Freeway lane change and ended up going the wrong way. i can see nothing. i just know i'm now going the wrong way. it's thick pea soup fog and i see no road, no signs, no landmarks. i am lost and sitting in a submarine - lost. so i drive the direction i 'think' is going to correct my error.... when i decide i am lost from being lost and hopeless to find my way back to anywhere. i pull over in someone's front yard. (it's about 5:15am and black dark, thick grey fog and i can see about 50 ft. i can see their porch light on. i can see and hear their Rottweiler barking) i get out my new cell phone and it's navigation function leads me blindly out of the neighboorhood and a winding mess through the tiny back streets to the airport.
  
  (this stairway)
  
  
  This is where it gets weird! so, now my very early planned arrival to beat all the Spring Break travel is ruined. i am now going to have to hurry through security (yeah right) and then straight to my gate. but after i park the car i can't find the entrance to the airport... i was in the twilight zone! i am standing on garage C, level 4, spot 21 and spinning in circles looking for a sign to the entrance. across from me are a set of stairs - going somewhere. so i take the stairs. i go down to the bottom and see the dreaded sign "no entry". (i push through and it's some construction zone behind the building and not the right way) i re-entry. i climb up a flight of stairs and there is a sign on that door. "no entry." so i try the handle and it opens. i'm thinking great - i'm somewhere... it's an office. cubicles, a hallway and more offices. i dont know where i am but i'm marching down the hall going anywhere but "no re-entry" and trying to find the ticket area. about this time a lady enters the hall from the other end, walking toward me. i can see she's 'reading me' trying to figure if i'm friend or foe. "are you lost?" yes mam, i'm trying to find the ticket counter. "how did you get back here?" (i'm thinking back where? where am i?) oh, she's in uniform - Continental Airlines. i have stumbled into some black hole, a worm hole, a Alice in Wonderland, Chronicles of Narnia wardrobe entrance into the back hallways of continental airlines personnel offices. she leads me down another hallway and opens a door and we are standing BEHIND the ticket desk. i'm looking out at lines of people in the 'cattle gates' lined up waiting thier turn to work up to where i am. i thank the lady and step over the scales for weighing bags and walk out into the lobby of the airport. i kid you not. i walk 25 steps to the self check kiosk and get my ticket on the Continental flight and step over to security now right back on schedule. even saved time to grab a coffee.
  
  
  SEE DOOR CENTER. i was on the inside of there.
• Thank goodness Ft. Lauderdale was nice and normal... just your average Resort with Ferrari's, Bentley's, and Rolls parked out front with my rental. it's good to be back tonight on the boat where i belong. we Wharf Rat's need to stick together! keep out all the other Riff Raff. Just us locals.
  
  
  
  
  Hope you are enjoying spring break somewhere nice. it seems all of Texas is here in my Boardwalk this week. cars and people dawn to dusk. parking lots full in all directions ($6 per)
  
  
  going to sleep now. it's been a long day. -skip