Traveling

I wasn't able to get online last night after we arrived in St. Louis.  It was a moderately eventful day.

I had called ahead to the TSA, and they had arranged for an agent to meet us at the ticket counter.  That turned out to be very useful.  At the Southwest counter the ticket agent wanted us to go through the lengthy line.  I started to explain that that was going to be a big problem.  Then the agent stated that he was escorting us through.  The ticket agent's demeanor immediately changed and she waved us to the front of the line.

He escorted us through security.  We went around through the employee lane.  When we got to the detectors he stopped the people who were about to go through so we could go through.  So security was a breeze.  After we got through he comment on how were prepared I had been, which was nice.

Then after we had cleared security, I realized that I had left Youngest Son's booster seat back in the car.  So I made sure that Oldest Son had his boarding pass and sent him to go get it.  We still had plenty of time for him to get it and us to make the pre-boarding for our flight.  A while later, Oldest called me.  I forgot to give him the car keys.  We had just bought our lunch.  There was a TSA employee standing next to me.  I asked him if there was a way to get the keys to Oldest, and he said no, we'd have to go through security again.

So I went back to the gate.  I asked to speak to a Passenger Support Services officer.  They found one.  I explained the situation.  He said he would take the keys through.  So he headed off, and I told Oldest that he was coming.  Youngest, Middle, and I went to sit and eat our lunch.  Shortly, I saw Officer Picket walking around, apparently looking for me.  I ran over calling "Officer Pickett!"  But he didn't hear me.  However, Officer Cantu (I think that was his name), one of the supervisors, did hear me, and came to see what was going on.  Officer Cantu got on the radio with Office Picket while I was got the phone with Oldest.  Eventually they found each other.

We went to the gate so that we could make the early boarding.  Oldest got the car seat and came back through security.  We boarded.  In front of everyone but a guy with crutches who was taken down the ramp in a wheelchair.  We took one bulkhead row and he took the other.  Oldest eventually boarded, though quite a bit behind us.

Willow was very interested in all the people walking by as they boarded.  Sometimes she stood up.  I put my leg out so that she couldn't leave our row.  Middle got very agitated during the ascent.  I gave him a second dose of sedative.  He was fine during the flight.  Then he got agitated again during the descent.  I think the pressure change was bothering him.

I had a minor brain-slip after we deplaned.  We almost got on the shuttle to get our rental car without stopping to get our luggage.  I caught that just in time.

We got our car and drive an hour west of St Louis to our hotel.  After checkin I called my brother.  He and dad came out to get us and guide us to the guest house where the rest of the family was.  We had dinner and hung out.  Oldest and Youngest decided to stay at the retreat house rather than go back to the hotel.

Middle and I went back to the hotel.  I had booked two adjoining rooms, thinking all 4 of us might stay at the hotel.  I set Middle up in one room watching TV.  I walked through into the other room to use the bathroom.  As a passed the the adjoining doors, I saw that if the interior door to room A was closed, there would be no way to open it from room B.  I thought to myself "that is a potential problem."  While I was in the bathroom I heard a door slam.  I came running out.  I realized that the potential problem had become an actual problem.

I had set the burglar latch on both exterior doors, so I couldn't get in from that side.  I couldn't open the inner door either.  I called the front desk.  They seemed unsure what to do.  They said the manager wasn't available.  I said we have to figure something out.  I can't leave Middle in there alone.  If you can't figure out what do to I'll have to call the Fire Department.

They got a hold of the maintenance man.  He came with his toolbox and popped the burglar latch open some how.  I not sure Middle even realized that there had been a problem.  I brought my stuff into room B with Middle, closed the door to room A, and we both slept in room B.

Then in the morning I discovered that the burglar latch was set in room A, and now I couldn't get in that room.  So the maintenance man had to pop that door too.

We stopped this afternoon and bought some duct tape.  I'm going to tape the latches back on the inner doors.  Hopefully that will prevent a recurrence.

I may check out of the second room tomorrow.  If it's just me and Middle, I don't really need it.  Although it is still nice to have.